Chương 248: Chapter 245 - Valmere flips the script

It turned out that a hundred years wasn't quite enough for everyone to forget about your antics and threats. They just didn't remember his face because… well, it had been a hundred years. It also would be completely insane for someone that threatened their entire society to be walking around their capital with a gold ranked badge. Ryan jumped throughout the city, waving his badge around so people didn't call the Adventurer's Guild on him. He decided he didn't like the city or its Guild.

The bronze and silver ranks were too stiff and military like and not like adventurers at all. Too much pride and self-righteousness to be an adventurer. Too much worshipping by the citizens. It wasn't quite the same, and that was weirdly unsettling. Everything was just slightly off and misaligned. A world somewhat familiar but where the details were just slightly off that it was jarring. It wasn't the world Ryan envisioned for Valmere nor was it one he recognized.

He decided to end his exploration and hurry things up. He quickly searched up where Fetters lived. Her address was public because she lived in the greatest research facility of the entire Kingdom and she probably didn't expect anyone to harass her now that she was considered a 'Grand Mage'. A rookie mistake. The building was—one again more imposing than it should have been. The Institute of Magic in Ulverra was like a grand academy for both students and adventurers alike. This…

looked like a grand palace that demanded your awe. Ryan entered without pause, flashing his badge everywhere. He had to admit it was convenient. Ryan hadn't thought this would be a solution to his aura problems but there it was. He could totally walk around a city with his aura flaring as long as they worshipped his status. He waved down a Mage in robes that was both studying and manning the front counter.

"Hi, is Fetters in? I heard she had some of my stuff." The Mage looked up and tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm sorry, Fetters?"

"Uh, Grand Mage Fetterue. I got my badge here." The receptionist blinked. She was still stuck on the idea that some gold ranker had a nickname for their grand mage. She scanned his badge then looked at something on a screen, then leaned back in surprise.

"Huh. Come this way please." To his surprise, she actually led him up the winding tower-palace; they went through multiple barriers and heavy doors that spiked his [Dangersense]. Fetters was a lot more paranoid than before. When they got to the top floor, she knocked on the door twice and Ryan recognized the voice that came out of the speaker.

"Enter." They entered into a massive open plan workshop. An entire three floors made into one with dozens of tables. Magical and mundane research equipment scattered about, manned by seven other workers that were working on separate projects. They looked up at his presence, then turned to their leader. Grand Mage Fetterue was striding out of her private workshop unhurriedly, like she'd been waiting for him the entire time. Ryan raised his arms and exclaimed in celebration.

"Fetters! It's nice to meet you again. Here I thought everyone was avoiding me." She looked… older. While a hundred years wasn't so much in terms of age for ninth realms, it was different when most of her life experience had been those recent hundred years. Fetters didn't even blink at her old nickname. She simply signalled to her open workshop.

"Come this way. Let's not disturb everyone else and their work." Grand Mage Fetterue commanded the room with just that. Everyone hurriedly went back to what they were doing and left them alone.

"I always knew you'd go far." She didn't respond to him, simply guiding him to a smaller room that was her personal workshop. There were so many different magical tools in there, Ryan couldn't really recognize what was being analyzed and what was a tool for research. Though he did recognize some of the stuff here. Namely, his own stuff. In the room was Luneia's gear on a table, positioned perfectly with a mannequin inside. Her other assorted armory was in neat magical containers by the side.

Ryan's class crystals were on another table entirely, also separated by enchanted glass. His sword, carefully lay flat on another table alongside the mink coat woven by the Witch Tyrant herself. The real surprising thing was that the bag of holding had a table all by itself. Fetters sat back down near the bag of holding with what looked like a microscope with a blue crystal at the end. Ryan couldn't help but look around and whistle.

"A lot's changed over the years huh?"

"And you are still the same. Walking around like you own the whole city. Without a care of the havoc you are causing." Ryan refused to take the full blame on that one, Agrinth hadn't even had the decency to meet him.

"At least I come bearing gifts. I meant what I said to the other adventurers, the armor on the table and everything inside the bag of holding is yours." Then he bowed humbly.

"A donation to the great Kingdom of Valmere for its future prosperity." The fake humility did nothing for Fetters.

"The enchantments are indeed fascinating. The way they slot into each other without interference suggests a significant leap in theoretical magical knowledge that we can't hold a candle to."

"I don't know, the city is pretty impressive on its own." Ryan didn't actually have much knowledge about city barriers but the upgraded mana cannons felt like they could obliterate him without a trace. Fetters shook her head.

"Simple measures of replicating and expanding on that mana cannon you left behind. What we need is… more theoretical knowledge. More people taking up magic to expand our borders of understanding." Fetters shook her head in annoyance. As if frustrated that her city hadn't advanced far enough in a century. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. She went back to focusing on the bag of holding.

"Though, I would say this would do more for the kingdom than anything else." She stared intently at the bag of holding. The microscope it turned out wasn't a microscope and was a sort of magical laser that was copying the enchantments and laying them out in a flat plane for better observation. Ryan blinked.

"A bag of holding?" Fetters flashed an annoyed glance.

"A dimensional bag. A portable, collapsible, distorted anchor in space that can carry objects. Do you not understand how something like this would change everything? Logistics? Exploration? Combat?" When she said it like that… Ryan tried to think about his own understanding about them.

"Eighth realm adventurers and above carry some weaker ones. Though some of the lower realm captains might carry them for emergencies. They're pretty expensive and count against your achievements if you use them in combat scenarios." Fetters still looked annoyed that he didn't seem to understand.

"The fact that they can be bought at all is insanity. I cannot even begin to fathom how one would weave this into something like fabric. A rigid box would be far, far easier."

"Huh, I think people do have chests of holding too."

"To think that it's so common… it would change warfare readiness on its head."

"I uh, we have portals connecting most cities so… it's not that…" Fetters paused for the first time and pinched the bridge of her nose." Of course you do. Next you'll tell me you create these enchantments in assembly lines of Mages."

"Okay I don't think that happens. The first bags of holding were given as drops from the system exchange. Then dragonslayer—I mean ascendant [Mages] figured out how to craft them and I think specialized [Enchanters] at lower realms can make them now." Fetters frowned and blinked.

"At least that's more reasonable. A higher power granting advancements and it spreading over time until it becomes common. Any chance you could bring one of the [Enchanters] here?"

"I don't know if you know this, but I'm uh, sort of blacklisted. Nobody's going to follow me into a Trial unless I kidnap them… which…" Ryan thought about it for a moment.

"You know, I could do that." Fetters gave him a weird look.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. Every single person I've ever kidnapped has stayed alive and healthy. Actually, I think both of them ended up liking me in the end." At least he had a feeling that Tar'el begrudgingly respected him now. Fetters looked more disgusted at him.

"We have a word for that."

"We do too. Hmm, maybe that's what I need to do more. Kidnap people and make them see things my way. I'll see what I can do about an [Enchanter]." Ryan rubbed his hands greedily as he imagined making a bunch of crafters into little Valees and Zedarts. Maybe Valmere would benefit too. Fetters just kept staring at him, uncertain whether she should be encouraging the behavior. On one hand she wanted a modern [Enchanter] from his world, on the other…

"It is a miracle that King Theskar chose to support you of all people." Ryan scratched the side of his head but didn't respond. Fetters wasn't there for their heart-to-heart discussion where it was just him the King and the Queen. There was no telling what she did and didn't know.

"Is there any chance you'll finish analyzing that bag anytime soon? I kind of wanted to keep that." Fetters turned her attention back to the bag and stared at it like it was the most precious thing in the world.

"You wanted to contribute to the Kingdom of Valmere? If I can reproduce this, it will do far more than anything else you've given to the kingdom." She took a glance back at him.

"Well… other than maybe the crystal you just swiped from the table. If you wish to elaborate as to what that is." Ryan lifted his hands up, the [Adventurer's Guide] class crystal in his right hand. He'd swiped it and changed classes while she'd been staring intently at the bag of holding. Apparently his thieving skills needed work.

"I uh, don't know if this is going to be useful to you at all. It's specific to me and my skills."

"How so?"

"They're uh, class crystals. Keep this a secret, but I can use them to change classes." Despite the big reveal, Fetters merely blinked in confusion.

"And what exactly are classes?" Ryan blinked back. Then he remembered, the trial people didn't know what system classes were.

"Classes are just classes. You know, you're a Mage, Vedit would be a Warrior. I'm a [Rogue]. Does that make sense?"

"Combat classifications?"

"Uh, not always. You can be a [Bard]. Actually, I think you can be a [King] too, though those classes are rare. It's classes, you know." Ryan waved his arms, trying to explain what classes were to someone that didn't get it.

"They're like the main concepts that define you, your identity and perspective. It can be something simple like [Warrior] or more niche like a [Magebane Amperdonslayer]."

"So these are how each of your are defined? The main role you take?"

"Sort of? Technically, I think everyone has a class because it's about what you embody over time with concepts." He completely lost her there because Fetters had no idea what concepts were. Meanwhile, Ryan was having a slight moment of crisis because he as the [Conceptual Metamorph] didn't know how to explain to someone what a concept was.

"Hmm wait, let me try something." Fetters instantly raised a spell as he activated a skill. It didn't matter, because she wasn't prepared to block a skill combination like his. [A Glimpse of Perspective] + [Conceptual Meditation] And there she was, a Spellcaster of the Kingdom. Magic and dedication in service to the crown. Only during times of safety like this was she allowed to pursue what she truly wanted—a Dedicated Researcher pushing the frontier of—"Enough!" Fetterue's outburst broke Ryan's concentration.

She had a spell in her hand ready to fire at Ryan's chest. Her hand was trembling." What did you just do?"

"I checked your perspective and concepts. You do have them. Your classes would be something like [Spellcaster of the Kingdom] and [Magical Researcher]." With [Conceptual Meditation] he could actually see clearer the concepts that surrounded people. Back on Earth he could really only get glimpses of their class when they were resonating with them. Fetters lowered her hand. She was more than a little startled by the fact there was something that could be used on her through her shields. Ryan was curious.

"What did you feel when I used that skill on you?"

"Like you were peeking into something that was both fundamental to the world and private to me."

"Sorry about that." It explained the looks that the Secretary and Pinkie had given him when he'd done something similar on Earth. That wasn't good.

"Don't do that again."

"I'll uh, keep that in mind. I'm seriously sorry." This really wasn't the Fetters that Ryan knew. Gone was the nervous wreck of a woman that could only speak up when there was immediate danger. Here stood someone that knew what needed to be done and what to say.

"And all of these crystals are… classes? Crystallized classes with your aura in them?" Now they were getting into dangerous territory. He really didn't want to give any of them up.

"Yeah but they can only be used by me. Attuned to the aura on my arm." Fetters observed him squirming for a bit. Could he try to swipe these and run?

"You think I'm going to keep them from you?"

"Uh, you're not?" Fetters scoffed and shook her head in exasperation. Then she strided across the room as Ryan scooped up the rest of his crystals and put them in his pocket. Fetterue stopped by a cupboard beneath a display case with red aura crystals that Ryan had left behind nearly a century ago. They were still glittering like they were new. Fetters then took out what looked like a stiff arm cast. Something that you might wear if you somehow broken all the major bones in your entire arm.

She walked back and handed it out to him.

"Here. Try this." Ryan took it in two hands dubiously.

"Try it on." He checked it with [Spellweave Perception]. It was unfortunately not good enough to figure out the immense amount of spellcraft that had gone through it.

"This won't cut off my arm, will it?"

"No. If I wanted to do that, I'd just do it myself." It was a good point. He'd seen how fast her barrier had gone up. There was likely nothing he could do if she attacked, especially considering this was her workshop. He put his right arm through the cast and it started to vibrate—it clamped and—visibly reduced the amount of aura that was coming out of his arm. At least for a moment, then it started overflowing out towards his torso. Fetters scowled.

"Your aura's stronger than expected."

"Well, I haven't been idle. Still, I'm surprised you were working on something like this." Ryan marveled at the device. He had no idea magic could restrict his aura like this. He knew high realm barriers could stop even passive aura but an enchantment like this felt like it was specialized, tailor-made just for him. Fetters just watched him messing around with her project.

"You still don't get it."

"What do you mean?"

"We have been researching your abilities, your aura crystals, your volatile mana, and your swordcraft. King Theskar has also adapted our society as a whole to reflect what you wished. All of it, the entirety of the Kingdom of Valmere, has been manipulated for you and you alone. If you say you need your aura crystals, if you say you need that bag of holding, then you will keep them."

"Oh." Giving him the gold rank badge despite society remembering Artigan, the workshop dedicated to analyzing his gear. None of it had been a mistake or a hurried move by the Kingdom. They'd been preparing for him all this time. Ryan had come into the Trial hoping to give the Kingdom of Valmere a fighting chance against the threats from the Trials. The Kingdom of Valmere dealt with those threats by themselves and flipped the script on him. They were here to uplift him.