Chương 82: 81 - Hands and Eyes

Kator, like any city worth its name, hosted a temple dedicated to Fanon. Like any temple dedicated to the god of life, it was a simple hospital building. No ornaments, no fanfare. Just a building with brown clay walls and a grey-tiled pointed roof that blended perfectly with the rest of Kator. If not for the waiting line, Alexandra wouldn't have found it. Willow dragged her there, and while they waited for her turn, Alexandra summoned her journal.

Inflict Weakness 7 -> 8 Sure Footing 8 -> 9 Combat Sense 8 -> 9 Giant Slayer 1 -> 2 It was hard to say exactly how much Giant Slayer had contributed to her victory. The Thunder Vipers' scales hadn't offered much resistance against her blade. Not that they had been difficult to curse with Inflict Weakness. But Alexandra was aware that she wasn't just any Iron ranker. Whether it was her attributes or her skills, they were much higher than they should be for her level.

Likely to the point she had already surpassed many people at the Bronze rank. While this fight hadn't been a walk in the park, it couldn't compare to what she lived through in Esmera. Hell, even her fights out in the plains had been harder. Hunt a Thunder Viper (1/1) -> Quest Completed: +10 exp, +1 STR, Skill Quest Unlocked: Sword Mastery. Daily Quest Streak: 26 -> 27 She smiled. That skill quest was precisely what she set out to acquire.

Well, aside from an extra day to her streak, but that part went without saying. Alexandra flipped the pages of her journal, landing on both the skill description and the skill quest. Sword Mastery: Improve your ability to manipulate a sword. Each level increases proficiency. Sword Mastery: Using a non-enchanted sword, slice through a log in one strike (0/1). The skill description was of no surprise to her. As for the quest, it seemed doable. Sharp sword, small log, thirty-one points of strength.

But the system wouldn't give her a trivial quest. The requirement was one strike, which she knew was harder than it seemed.

"Come on. It's our turn." Willow pulled her out of her journal. Alexandra dispelled it and followed Willow's gaze. Standing in the doorway, a small priestess was looking at her wide-eyed. Oh, yeah. It had slipped her mind. Unlike Tash's clergy, Fanon's priests could receive their classes before the Platinum rank. Bamir had been Silver, like all the Hands in Baleria except their leader. So that priestess knew. Perhaps not her exact identity, but she knew about her divine class.

"Are you alright?" Willow asked.

"My friend here got bitten by a Thunder Viper."

"Thu—Thunder Viper?" the priestess said, her eyes refusing to leave Alexandra's face. Alexandra nodded slowly.

"Yes. Can I come in?"

"Ah. Yes. My apologies, miss." The priestess stepped aside.

"Please come inside. I'll go fetch the branch head." Willow frowned.

"For a Thunder Viper bite? That species isn't venomous."

"It's…" The priestess finally looked at Willow, noticed her white robe, then back at Alexandra.

"It's true. But—" Alexandra sighed.

"Look, I just want to get my arm fixed. Take me to the branch head if you need to, but let's get over it." The priestess nodded.

"Follow me." They stepped into the hospital. Willow gave Alexandra a look. They climbed up the stairs to the second floor, then the third, and arrived in front of a door. The priestess knocked. A man's voice invited them in. She opened the door. The room was small, with a single window opening to the roof of the neighboring building. A cabinet with a myriad of small drawers took the far wall.

An old man was sitting at his desk in the middle of the room, head down in some paperwork, leaving them to see his bald spot. His beard was long, white. He looked up, adjusted his glasses, and his eyes bore into Alexandra.

"Cia, I trust you know to keep silent." The priestess nodded. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Then you can return to work." She left, closing the door behind her.

"Miss Alexandra," the head said.

"I didn't expect you so soon." Willow raised an eyebrow and looked at her. Alexandra gave a weak smile in answer.

"Let's not beat around the bush," she said.

"I'm just here for healing and didn't intend on bothering you, sir..?"

"You can call me Rismer. I'm the head of our Kator branch. Ruby rank, to be thorough with the introduction." Alexandra took a glance at Willow, who looked utterly confused, if not baffled, at how the conversation was going. She coughed.

"Pleased to meet you. I believe you already know me, but I'm Alexandra." Rismer nodded, and his gaze moved over to her arm.

"Thunder Viper bite. I see." He waved his hand. The wound disappeared.

"There. Anything else?"

"Can you heal her scars?" Willow asked.

"For a price," Rismer said. He met Alexandra's gaze.

"I believe my Balerian colleague made that clear." Alexandra nodded.

"He did."

"A shame, what happened there. What was left of the local Hands made it out safely, if you must know."

"Unlike the rest of the city."

"A shame. As I said," Rismer said, his expression unchanged. Willow looked between the two.

"How much?"

"For her scars? Nothing you can't afford, Miss Dumries."

"Don't." Alexandra put a hand on her friend's arm.

"I'll pay for it myself, or I won't." She passed a hand over the scars on her face.

"For now, I'm thinking of keeping them as a reminder."

"Then I believe we're done here," Rismer said.

"My door is always open if you change your mind, Miss Alexandra. You too, Miss Dumries."

"You're not going to ask me anything?" Alexandra said. Rismer folded his hands on the desk.

"I have already gathered what was necessary."

"And what was necessary?"

"Whether you'd be staying in Kator long enough to become a problem." He looked her up and down.

"You will be, I have no doubt."

"And the Hands?"

"Cia saw your face. She's discreet, but she's not blind." He met her eyes.

"Word travels, Miss Alexandra. It always does." Alexandra and Willow stood up, bade their farewell to the Hand, and went down the stairs. Each priest and priestess they crossed paths with had their gaze fixated on Alexandra. Willow noticed. They exited the temple onto the street and started making their way back toward the hill. Two minutes passed.

"What was that?" Willow asked, walking beside Alexandra.

"Why do they know you?"

"I…" Alexandra trailed.

"I had some contacts with the Hands back in Esmera. They left before the city was destroyed." Willow shook her head.

"Alex, I like you. We're friends. Don't take me for an idiot. The different branches of the Hands don't keep each other updated on random Iron ranks." They took a turn into a narrow alley. Alexandra bit her lip. It was time to come clean.

"Not here," she said. Willow nodded. They reached the foot of the hill and climbed the stairs in silence. The gates of the Iron Library were not guarded but instead enchanted to only let authorized students, professors, and Keepers through. They passed under a tall archway flanked by two massive wooden doors opened to the side and entered the academy compound.

"My room," Alexandra said, her voice low. From there, it took them another five minutes to arrive. Alexandra sat on her bed, and Willow on the desk chair.

"So? What is your secret?" Willow smiled.

"You know, if you don't want to tell me, I'll understand. I was a bit pushy earlier. Sorry."

"No. I have been meaning to tell you for a while. It was never the right time." Willow's smile widened, and she clasped her hands.

"Great. Because I'm dying of curiosity." Alexandra took a deep breath and wiped her wet hands on her robes.

"Have you heard of divine classes?"

"The heroes' classes? Yes, I did."

"Well…" Alexandra summoned her journal into her hand.

"Erm, there you have it. Divine class, and all that comes with it." Willow blinked.

"What?"

"Heroine, Willow. I'm telling you I'm a heroine. Summoned by the gods, and all that." Alexandra's shoulders relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted off.

"What??" Willow stood up.

"But you're only Iron. You can't be a century old. Alex! I thought you were serious. I told you it was fine if you didn't want to tell me." Alexandra stood up too and grabbed Willow's arm.

"I am serious. Dead serious. I'm not a hundred years old, though. I've just arrived in Laika." Willow met her gaze. For a moment, neither spoke.

"When?" she asked.

"When did this happen?"

"Twenty-seven days ago."

"Impossible. You can't go from zero to beating five Bronzes in a few weeks." Alexandra scoffed and waved her journal in front of Willow's face.

"Divine class. It's broken."

"Are you really not lying to me?"

"I swear. This is all true." Silence. Willow drew back and settled into the chair.

"I can see why you'd hide that." Willow was quiet for a moment.

"I can also see that it would have come out sooner rather than later. It's as Rismer said: word travels. Hands or Keepers, rumors will spread, and everyone will know."

"I know," Alexandra said.

"But I hope this doesn't put our friendship into question. I don't want people to see me as a heroine first." Willow looked into her eyes.

"I get it. The heroes are a wall. At least for those of us born after their arrival. The older generation has a different view. There are quite a number of Keepers whose rise to power predates the Magus' arrival." Her eyes went wide.

"The Magus!"

"Well, yeah."

"You weren't kidding. You really met him. There's no way he wasn't behind your entrance into the academy." Alexandra sighed.

"Not only have I met him, I know him. From before our summoning."

"Did you tell him about my people?"

"Of course not. Who do you take me for?"

"Sorry. I just…"

"It's fine. I don't blame you. Though, again, he found me when I was nowhere near Kator. I seriously doubt he wouldn't know about a book-stealing organization in his own backyard. If he didn't act on it, he had to have his reasons." Willow closed her eyes.

"Tash preserves us. What have I gotten myself into?"