Chapter 191 - Jimike

“There it is!” Adion called out and jumped to his feet. In the distance, he couldn’t finally make out the faint outline of a town. 

“Good,” Minru said with a small smile. 

Adion was almost more happy for Minru than himself. Even if Minru never complained, Adion could tell he was getting exhausted.

The winds hadn’t been terrible during their journey, but they weren’t particularly strong either, so it had been a full five days since they left Teru. With Minru steering the senba while manipulating sand, it wasn’t strange that it took its toll on him. 

“It’s so big,” Adion couldn’t help but say as they got closer to the town.

“Jimike is almost big enough to qualify as a city. They even have a few first tier family clans, so don’t go around acting arrogant, this isn’t like the small villages we have visited so far,” Minru said.

Isn’t it always you who arrive with your aura flaring for all to sense your strength? Adion thought helplessly.

“Whatever. Are the strongest mages in the Diamond stage here, then? Or are there Soul mages?” Adion asked.

“How common do you think Soul mages are?” Minru questioned with an incredulous expression, “A Soul mage is the head of a Noble family, you won’t see one of those in a place like this.”

That’s comforting. Even if I should be careful with Diamond mages about, I won’t have to worry about anyone seeing through my aura. 

Adion knew his aura control was far above the average Silver mage. Only prodigies from Noble families who had been guided by a Soul mage could compete with him. 

As they got closer, Adion spotted another senba approaching the town from the west. But Adion wasn’t sure it could even be called a senba, it was at least ten times the size of the senba he and Minru were traveling on. 

“What is that?” Adion asked.

“It’s just a slightly bigger senba,” Minru said as it were an obvious thing, “The wealthier family clans and merchant companies wouldn’t use anything less. If you’re planning on heading to Kerrick Hold, it’s probably one of those you’ll be traveling on. That’s at least what I recommend, it should be safer and not much more expensive than hiring a small senba privately.”

“I see,” Adion said with a nod, “I guess I’ll stay for the night and take a look at my options.”

When they arrived at the outskirts of town, a few hundred feet from the town wall, Minru parked the senba at a designated spot for private senbas. You had to pay a small fee to park your senba here, but it would guarantee that it wouldn’t get stolen.

“Make sure you grab all your belongings,” Minru said as he jumped off the senba with a light bag over his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I have everything,” Adion said. He had filled his backpack with as much food and water as he could fit. He didn’t bring any painting materials, as they were all Minru’s. He planned on buying his own stuff in town before he continued his journey. 

He also left all his previous paintings except the one of his mother. It would be his gift to Minru for the ride. Minru had already made it clear that he didn’t want any payment when Adion had brought it up.

“Have you been here before?” Adion asked as they walked to the town gates.

“Of course,” Minru said, “I can show you a nice inn that isn’t too expensive if you want.”

“Thanks,” Adion said, “Will you also be staying there?”

“No, I have a few acquaintances here that I might as well visit. I’ll probably be here for a few days before leaving. If you have any problems during your time here, you can come to me, I’ll help you out,” Minru said.

“Thanks,” Adion said with a smile.

“That’s if no family clans are involved. If you offend one of those mages, you are on your own,” Minru said. 

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll behave,” Adion said, waving him off, “But I thought the Sabamin appreciated the talented. How does this differ from Kerrick Hold if I can’t offend anyone?”

“Generally, the mages from family clans aren’t so arrogant here,” Minru said, “But it is still a world ruled by the strong. If you meet the wrong person at the wrong time, anything can happen. Always be careful.”

“Got it,” Adion said, not really worried. He didn’t plan on offending anyone anyway.

They entered the town without problems. Even if this town had Diamond mages, a Gold mage was nothing to scoff at, and the guards at the gate didn’t even dare to look at them as they entered. 

It took them about 15 minutes before they arrived at the inn Minru recommended. 

It looks decent.

The building was made out of a mixture of clay and wood, and was two stories high. Adion hoped there was an underground section, as he felt it would be far too hot to stay in a room above ground. 

“Alright, kid,” Minru said, “You’ll be on your own again from hereon out. Have a safe journey. Ask for the Hushina family if you need anything in the coming days.”

“Okay. Thank you for everything, Minru,” Adion said with a slight bow of gratitude.

“Alright, alright. Don’t get all weird. When your paintings get renown all over Shiora, I’ll come to take a look,” Minru said, turning his back and walking away.

“I’ll make sure to host you when the time comes,” Adion said with a smile.

I guess it’s a little sadder to say goodbye than I thought.

Adion shook his head slightly and entered the inn. 

Luckily, they had rooms below ground that weren’t too hot. Adion booked one for just a single night. He didn’t want to stay longer than necessary.

He was brought to his room by an attendant, and he couldn’t help but feel sleepy as he looked at the bed. 

No. It’s only noon, I have a lot to get done. 

Adion emptied his backpack of the non-essentials and left the inn to find a senba that could take him to Kerrick Hold. 

As he walked through the streets, he was on the look-out for a shop where he could buy some painting materials. He could probably find something in Kerrick Hold, but it would take a while to get there. He didn’t want to spend the entire journey without any way to regain his memories. 

After wandering around for a few hours and asking about information at various shops, he soon found himself by a building outside the gate on the west side of town. The building belonged to a merchant company, and Adion saw several senbas of varying sizes nearby. 

Adion entered the building, but he couldn’t see anyone around. 

“Hello?” Adion called out. But there was no reply.

Adion spread his space mana to investigate. There was someone on the floor below ground, but as he sensed the man’s aura, he felt it was a Gold mage.

Better not bother someone like that unless it’s necessary. 

Adion could also feel that there were a few people moving about on the back of the building. Looking closer, he could see a door leading outside at the back of the room. 

Adion walked through the room and opened the door at the back.

“Alright, good job everyone,” Adion heard a rough voice as he stepped outside, “See you back here at dawn tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

Adion saw a middle-aged Gold mage speaking to a group of eight mages. They had varying strength ranging from Bronze to Gold. 

They gave Adion a quick glance, but didn’t bother addressing him. Adion didn’t interrupt either, and stepped to the side to wait for them to finish.

“Shindo,” The same man, apparently the leader, called out to the Bronze mage, “If you don’t start pulling your weight I’m going to have to dock your pay. I know you’re just a Bronze mage, but an Iron would have done a better job than you this trip.”

“Sorry, captain,” The young man called Shindo responded, “I’m still getting used to it. I’ll do better tomorrow.”

“Haah, see that you do,” The captain said with a sigh, “Not everyone is fit for this kind of job. But it would be a shame if someone with your talent didn’t make the most of this opportunity.”

Adion looked a little closer at the man named Shindo, examining his aura carefully. He was about the same age as Adion and already a low Bronze mage, which was pretty talented. 

I guess that’s why he can get a job here where everyone else is at least a Silver mage. 

Adion couldn’t help but get a strange feeling about the young man, though. There was no familiarity, quite the opposite actually. Adion couldn’t quite understand what it was, something just felt a little off. 

I wonder where he’s from?

Adion could tell that Shindo’s Shiorin wasn’t quite fluent, so he shouldn’t be from the desert. He also had hair that was so blonde that it was practically white. From certain angles, there was even a hint of blue showing. 

“What can I do for you, kid?” One of the Silver mages finally stepped up to Adion and asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“I’m going to Kerrick Hold, do you have any senbas going there?” Adion asked.

“Our ship is going there next actually,” The man said with a laugh, “We will be making a few stops along the way, though, so it will take a while to get there. If you want to go there directly, you’ll have to wait for a week or look somewhere else.”

I don’t mind stopping a few times. It’s nice to stretch my legs once in a while.

“Can I get a ride with you then? How much is it?” Adion asked.

“Three gold coins will do it,” The man said, “Prices are higher now with the war.”

I have dozens of gold coins, so that doesn’t matter. Wait.

“War?” Adion asked. He didn’t want to get caught up in some war while trying to get back home. 

“You haven’t heard?” The man asked, surprised. “Heavenly Light attacked the Valis Kingdom, everyone is talking about it.”

The Valis Kingdom.

Adion felt a slight sense of panic. He knew he was from the Valis Kingdom. 

Taking a deep breath, he relaxed. He could somehow tell that his family wasn’t there anymore. Even if he didn’t know exactly where they were, he trusted his instincts.

“I see,” Adion said, “Will the war reach us over here?”

“Not anytime soon at least,” The man said with a shrug, “And I doubt it ever will. Say what you want about the Empire, but they wouldn’t allow that to happen. Besides, I heard the Academy is getting involved.”

“The Academy?” Adion asked, feeling a slight sense of familiarity with the word.

“Yeah,” The man nodded, “With the Academy participating, it won’t take long before this war is over. Anyway, we’re leaving at dawn tomorrow. Don’t be late if you want a ride.”

“I’ll be here in time,” Adion assured.

The man walked away and Adion was just about to leave when he noticed Shindo looking at him. As soon as their eyes met, Shindo looked away and carried on with his business.

Hmm.

Did it feel a little strange just now? Or was I imagining something?

Adion decided he would have to keep an eye on that guy during their journey later. He shouldn’t ignore even the slightest sign that something was wrong when he had enemies out there.

I’m in a big town now, they could have people stationed here. Maybe I’ve been a little careless walking around in the open. 

Adion started heading back to his inn, thinking about possibly buying a mask to hide his identity.

I feel like that would stick out too much. If I were looking for someone, I would immediately suspect anyone wearing a mask.

Besides, a mask in this heat would be torture. 

I’ll just keep my wits about me during my stay here, I’ll be leaving tomorrow anyway. 

Just to be safe, I’ll skip painting tomorrow so my Will is well-rested. 

When I feel everyone on the senba is trustworthy enough, I can afford to start training my Will again. 

But first, I need to find some painting materials.

Adion had yet to find any, but he wasn’t going to give up just yet. Even if he planned on being more careful in the coming days, he didn’t want to be stuck somewhere without the ability to paint. It was his only way of remembering his past so far. 

I’ll ask about the war while I’m at it. The more I know about the current situation, the safer I’ll be.