Leon watched the girl leave before returning to his practice. Mind stuck pondering on their conversation even as he began to recite his sword movements.

  Issa’s problems had been foreign to him, or at least the situation she currently found herself in. He had always been dependent on others, similarly to how she was dependent on her friend–or more likely her husband, he supposed–but his situation had never been so dire. There had never been a risk that his parents, or later his nanny, would be unable to provide for him or be forced to do something dangerous to provide. He could imagine himself feeling useless in such a situation.

  Of course, his nanny had been in tremendous debt by the time of her passing. Having not been made aware of the fact until afterwards, when the fiances fell to him, he had been shocked. He tried to imagine what he might have done had he known, which is perhaps the reason he had never been told.

  Certainly, she must have been trying to keep him in the dark so that he could continue pursuing his goals unrestrained. In a sense, it seemed he and Issa did share more than he had thought, the only difference being she had been keen enough to discover the issue while he had not.

  Smirking, he brought his blade down into a swing, the air parting around the edge in a small flurry. Perhaps he would have something to say next time she visited.

  The notion that she might visit again was a strangely pleasing idea. There had been precious few pleasant interactions with others ever since he had been left alone. Having a friend would be nice, even if she were a commoner. Perhaps he could even find her husband in the Guild and acquire a proper party member. Even if they were weak, he would not mind so long as they were reliable.

  Dismissing the thoughts of his new friend from his mind, he focused on his own issues. It was true that his coin purse was dwindling once again, and he had been anxious about approaching the Guild ever since the last fiasco, only going in briefly to inquire about having his mana unlocked. He had had no idea his reputation was so poor that the entire Guild would turn on him so easily. It was an issue.

  He would need to be more conscientious about engaging monsters when out on missions, lest others accuse him as had happened last time. Issa had recommended he train unranked and weaker bronze-tier’s to try and make coin was not a terrible suggestion.

  Training others would allow him to train as well, albeit in a limited manner, while still accumulating coin. It also meant he would stay within the city, which meant none could slander his name for ‘loot thieving’ or other ridiculous claims. It may also improve his reputation. If it came that only his students respected him, that would at least present some team members which he could use that he would know the strengths and weaknesses of.

  As he continued his regimen, the idea became more and more appealing.

  ~

  Leon swallowed his nerves as he stood among the adventurers currently in the hall. He was regarded with slight suspicion, those around him whispering so that he could not eavesdrop on their mission details. It would be these people he would be trying to win over; needless to say, it was a daunting prospect. Nevertheless, he once again went to stand on a chair and prepared to announce himself.

  “Excuse me, everyone,” he projected confidence that he could not feel into his voice.

  The silence of the tables around him helped to accentuate the volume of his own voice. This time he had no need to speak a second time as everyone turned to look at him, the mirth of their gazes from last time he had announced something to the hall replaced with barely hidden disdain. He took a deep breath before continuing.

  “I am taking on students to train—'

  There were a lot of eye rolls and sneers aimed in his direction, but he pressed on.

  “Regardless of what you may think of me, you know it is true that I slew three direwolves alone.”

  He could see a couple of reluctant nods at the declaration, a sure sign at least that his skills were recognized.

  “If you are interested in getting that strong, then come and find me. I shall be in the training fields.” Jumping off the chair, he slowly walked out as people stared and went back to their conversations. He was not expecting much, but even one student would be enough, at least for now.

  Walking out of the guildhall, he made his way to the training field, schooling his expression as to not appear desperate as he eyed for anyone moving to follow. None did.

  He was granted a fair amount of space in the communal training fields, those around him opting to avoid the area around him.

  Do they think I will cut them down?

  Leon attempted to ignore them as he trained. He did not yet know any skills, but there were some in his father’s manual. Those would take time to learn though, and he needed students now.

  Lacking skills did not mean he could not show off fancy fighting, however. Each swing was done with enough strength for the air to buffet the straw of nearby mannequins. Each stab pierced straight through the magically self-regenerating iron plate of the mannequin. It was tiring, but hopefully flashy enough to garner some attention. Indeed, there were quite a few people out in the field not actively training, but just watching him. Annoyingly, it did not seem any wished to approach him.

  After a few hours of rigorous overexertion, he took a break. Sitting down, he leaned against the mannequin, eyes clenched shut in frustration and exhaustion as sweat dripped down his face. Not a single soul had approached him, those that had gathered to spectate him had gradually walked off, while others training in the field had been replaced as their training ended.

  Leon took some deep breaths to calm himself as his muscles relaxed. He could not afford to become angry. If a potential student came by and sensed his mood, then it would have all been for naught.

  Still, he could also ill-afford to work out so vigorously for the entire day. He would have to trust that his earlier demonstrations had been impressive enough on his own. Instead, he pulled his father’s manual out from below his breastplate and found the page he was most interested in, the one detailing the Flame Blade skill. It had been the skill that his parents had always demonstrated for him whenever he wished to slack on his training, and the skill that he always imagined when he required motivation.

  If I could show a noble skill off, that would surely attract students.

  Looking around, he failed to spot even a single interested adventurer in the field, they simply did not care for his swordplay, no matter how impressive. Mind made up, he left the field with new resolve, his formerly desolate training area quickly being overrun.

  The cost of unlocking one's mana was not cheap, but he had been saving and scrimping for it. It would eat up all the funds he had accumulated so painstakingly since becoming a bronze-tier, and he had been hoping to give himself a small cushion of extra coin before unlocking it, but so long as he gained students, it would be a worthwhile investment. Already knowing where to go to have his mana unlocked, he headed there without delay.

  ~

  The Guild had its own building for the purposes of unlocking adventurers' mana veins. It was a short and sturdy building made of stone brick standing removed from any of its neighbors, alone in the center of the street. He knew that those with naturally powerful mana veins could cause explosive damage upon unlocking them, so it was hardly a surprise, but it was still impressive to see a building with so much free space around it in the often overcrowded streets of Torid.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  He paused outside the building, pondering if this was truly the correct choice. Skills were but tools, or so his parents had always emphasized, and as with any tool it was important to not build an overreliance on them. Time after time he had been told that he should master his basics before he tried to incorporate skills, lest he fail to have a fall back if his mana waned.

  Were his abilities developed enough that he could take this step?

  He made his way inside the building, shaking his head to dispel the worry. One may never enjoy the shade if they waited for the tree to finish growing. He would keep getting better, his abilities always improving, and he was confident that he was ready.

  Through the door, he walked into a small and empty waiting room. Sitting before a further door was a rather bored looking elven mage scrawling magical pictures in the air with her finger. Upon seeing Leon, she quickly dissipated her magic and sat up straight.

  “Welcome, you must be here to have your mana unlocked. I just require proof of bronze-rank or higher along with the fee.” The elf gave him a small smile as he pulled out his identification and coin purse.

  “Fifty silver, right?” he asked as he began pulling out the coin.

  “Fifty silver now, and a signed declaration of an additional two gold should you fail to reach silver-rank in twelve months.”

  His hand paused as he deposited more coin onto the desk. “Two gold?”

  He received a nod in response. “It’s an expensive procedure. Think of it as the Guild investing in you. If you fail to live up to their investment, you’ll need to compensate them accordingly.”

  Her smile did not falter as she explained it, even as he had stopped collecting coin. Two gold was quite a bit of coin, even with a full year to collect.

  “Of course, should you advance into silver-rank, then there is no additional cost,” she explained, perhaps having noticed his indecision.

  Leon grabbed more coin from his purse, and stacked them onto the table. If there was no cost upon reaching silver-rank, then there was no issue; he would not be so much of a failure that he would be relegated to bronze. Silver in a year would be child's play for one such as himself.

  Once all fifty coins were deposited and the mage counted them, she motioned for him to follow her. He put his now depressingly light coin purse back under his chestplate while the mage slipped his coin into her own pouch, and walked through the door behind her desk with him in tow.

  She led him into a large square room with a canine beastman in robes reading a book in his chair. The man looked up at them, and put the book face down onto his chair as he stood.

  Crouching down, he pulled a pouch out of his robes, pouring some powder out of it onto the ground. Leon’s elf guide turned back to him as the beastman began drawing something onto the floor with the powder.

  “We just need a few minutes to set up the ceremony, we appreciate your understanding.”

  She went over and poured some of her own powder, opposite where the beastman was, and began drawing. Leon, meanwhile, was forced to awkwardly stand around and hope he did not interfere with whatever runes they were drawing. Letting out an internal sigh of relief, he was thankful that neither of them seemed to dislike him on principle as many of the adventurers did. Luckily, it seemed that few involved in the administrative side of the Guild held a grudge against him.

  As he waited, the shape of the rune the mages were drawing started to become clear; it was a large circle with various strange lettering and patterns scribbled within it. Each mage had gone through at least three pouches of powder in the few minutes he had been waiting. Presumably, the powder must have been some sort of special magic material that made up the large cost of the ritual. Soon enough, the circle came to completion, the beastman stood to one side and closed his eyes as the elf moved to the opposite side.

  “Please stand in the middle of the circle and remain still. There will be some pain, but it should recede quickly,” the elf explained, waiting for him to move to the center before closing her eyes as well.

  As soon as her eyes closed, the circle lit up as if a portal to the sun had opened, bright white light blinding him as he closed his own eyes from the sudden flash. He felt a small sensation building up in his head, like water slowly filling his skull.

  At first, it was almost calming, but it quickly filled his head to the limit, and the sensation turned into a pressure threatening to blow his head open. When he thought it might blow out his eyes and ears, the pressure finally found escape down his spine. It spread like lightning through his body as what felt like burning oil snaked its way down his spine and through his nerves. His entire body burned from the inside out until the pain finally gave way.

  His eyes were still closed, and he could hear nothing through the ringing of blood through his ears, and yet he could perfectly sense the room around him. It was ethereal, as if his consciousness had expanded to fill every corner of the room. He felt the cool smoothness of the stone walls, the dryness of the air, and the humidity of the three breathing within. The magic circle which had once glowed so painfully was now a beautiful orchestra of color. It almost seemed to call to him, not through sound or sight, but with the sensation of music and beauty.

  Then his eyes snapped open. He was lying on the floor, the magic circle having disappeared entirely. The beastman was back in his chair, reading his book. The elf hovered over him with a curious expression. She smiled as he looked up to meet her gaze, and she extended a hand for him. He took it, his legs feeling weak after the experience.

  “Congratulations. If you would like help training your mana, the Guild offers tutors. You may inquire at the Main Hall if you’re interested,” she explained as they made their way back to the front room.

  The world was depressingly bland after his experience. The lost look must have shown as the elf gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

  “Don’t worry, most have difficulties adjusting right after. Give yourself a few hours and you’ll be right as rain.”

  He attempted to collect his thoughts as she sat down behind her desk once more. The mages seemed completely unfazed while he was making a fool of himself. Blinking back his wonderment, he straightened his back.

  “There are four skills we have on hand for new adventurers: Keen Edge sharpens the edge of your weapon; Arcane Shot converts your mana into a bolt of magical energy; Strong Arm increases the strength in your arms; and Barkskin increases your natural defense, although it may be quite taxing on those who just unlocked their mana,” she explained, eyes focused on her desk as she did some paperwork.

  Pride told him that he need not accept an inferior ‘handout’ skill from the Guild, that his strength would see him through, and he could very well pay for any skills he may need to learn. Alas, pride did not account for the feather-like qualities of his coin purse, nor the lack of teammates. Survival and success dictated that he grab any opportunity presented. Besides, it was not as if there was a limit of skills that could be learned.

  “May I ask what my magic power rank is?”

  After the experience he had gone through, he was sure it would be an impressive rank. Rumors told of prodigies that often unlocked their mana already in C-rank, and while he was not so bold to expect himself a genius, he could at least guess at an upper E-rank.

  “Hmmmm, you should be able to check for yourself now. Visualize your stats and they should appear.”

  Leon did just that, and just as the mage had said, his stats appeared in the air as a blue fog that quickly formed into words and numbers.

  [Leon]

  Strength - D (68/100)

  Agility - E (34/50)

  Dexterity - E (31/50)

  Constitution - D (50/100)

  Magic Power - F (7/10)

  His face fell at the revelation, he was an F-rank. The elf seemed to notice his disappointment, and quickly waved her hand before him, dispersing the status window.

  “Don't be discouraged. Plenty of adventurers begin at F-rank, and there isn’t really all that much difference to those who start in E. You can catch up to everyone else in no time if you keep taking missions and killing monsters.”

  The attempt at soothing words fell on deaf ears, the fact was that his mana was below average for even commoners. Trying to wrangle back some confidence to his expression so as to appease the elf, Leon considered his options.

  The low mana meant that Barkskin was an automatic no; although given his steel armor, he likely never would have chosen such. While Arcane Bolt would provide him a ranged option, he lacked any training at aiming, and the more time spent on that, the less he could spend on his actual talents. That just left Keen Edge and Strong Arm, two fairly useful if bland skills. Considering the risk of overlap between Keen Edge and the skill he already wished to learn, it made the decision obvious.

  “I will take the Strong Arm skill, please.”

  Reaching down beneath her desk, she pulled out a few pages bound together with a ribbon of red silk and handed it over to him.

  “You can study this here, then come back if you run into any difficulties.”

  Still feeling somewhat inadequate at his display and abysmal stats, he gave the elf a polite bow. “I shall return another time then. I thank you for your assistance.”

  She gave him a reassuring smile as he turned and left. The rank was concerning, but ultimately it did not matter too much. All he needed mana for anyway was to use skills, not for any mage spells.

  Forget Strong Arm, there was only one skill he cared about right now: it was time to learn the Flame Blade.