Chapter 112: Humility and Pride

Chapter 112: Humility and Pride

Chapter 112 - Humility and Pride

Kai ended up soundproofing Keas room for free. It didnt feel fair to profit from that. And he didnt need money, at least not the sums his sister could afford.

Kea did look slightly impressed when his scribbles worked as advertised. Blocking noise was one of the few enchantments that could be sustained in the low mana density. A basic absorption script could siphon enough essence to keep the runes going indefinitely, if they werent damaged.

The more pressing issue was restocking his ink supply. The one he used for soundproofing was a cheap blend, good for experimenting and little else. It would decay quickly if used with mana-hungry scripts.

To make a gathering array and improve their shower situation, he needed something stronger. Choosing the right type of ink and material was fundamental to inscribing a successful enchantment.

His reliance on Dora was once again slammed in his face. Half of the herbs he used to concoct the more exotic types of ink came from her garden.

If they had warned me they were going to leave, I would have restocked.

Brewing alchemical compounds wasnt his forte. They required mineral or animal ingredients that behaved differently from herbs. He never stocked up on those materials, and he only had four half-used jars from previous projects.

Dora had made him study several tomes on the topic regardless. As she pointed out, the main advantage of pursuing multiple crafts was when those fields met. The generic ink he could buy from merchants would never work as well as those he specifically made for a task. All famous enchanters brewed it themselves or worked closely with an alchemist.

Right, the book!

With a thought to his spatial closet, Practical Potions from the Baquaire Archipelago fell into his hands. Hed been too busy to properly check the recipes, and their embarrassing names didnt help.

Sitting at his desk, Kai opened the leather cover to the first page. Written with neat cursive words, he found an unexpected message.

To my dearest pupil,

I hope this book will prove of help in your journey and light the way forward. The exploration of alchemy is never over.

Theodora

The sudden storm of emotions left him unprepared. Kai blinked repeatedly and turned the page to look for the index.

He skimmed through the forty-nine entries, cringing at names as he tried to guess their purpose. He found a few promising recipes, N. 26:Kais Handy Mixture, N. 33: Kais Trusty Ink and N.42: Kais Unforgettable Signature.

Just why?

With his ears burning, he browsed the book and quickly found the respective pages. N. 33 and N.42 were both beyond his capabilities. He might manage the first if he wanted to dedicate a month to the project, which he didnt.

He focused on N.26, it was one of the longer entries, sixteen pages total. Besides the basic recipe, Kais Handy Mixture contained dozens of possible alterations to suit the ink to his needs. More importantly, the ingredients didnt look hard to source.

Its certainly handy.

It was too late to buy the materials he didnt have at hand. Kai spent a few hours reading about all the possible variations. The process wasnt totally foreign, but it would have to wait till after his excursion into the jungle.

The next day, Kai prepared any potion that might prove useful, fastened his sword at his side and took a satchel to mask his ring. Kea was too unpredictable to be trusted with such a secret.

Moui and Alana were already waiting in the kitchen, talking softly. Their words were too quiet even for his keen ears. To make matters even more suspicious, they turned quiet when he arrived.

Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well? His mother's tone was guiltily cheerful. No doubt they were talking about him.

Yes, Ive never felt this rested, Kai observed them closely. With the new soundproofing runes, he had truly slept wonderfully.

Alana wasted no time piling breakfast in front of him. How are your wounds? If you need more time to heal.

We can always do another day. Moui reminded him.

My scratches are fine, Mom, He showed her his arms. See, like they never happened.

Kea appeared minutes later, strangely also in a good mood. Soon they were ready to go.

Be careful, Alana saw them off at the door. And come home for dinner.

Ill make sure to bring them back before sundown, Moui promised, exchanging a long look with his mother.

Kea rolled her eyes, loudly clearing her throat. We need to go if we want to come back early. Were already late.

Exiting the gate towards the fields, Kai silently looked between his companions. Moui walked at the front, inscrutable as usual. His sister kept pace with a smug smile.

He had been the one to propose this trip, but now he wasnt sure how to act. It had been a long while since they did something together.

So, where are we going?

In the jungle to hunt, Kea said with the smart-ass tone of a teenager. Dont worry, Ill protect you from any scary beast.

Moui stiffened, speaking with cold courtesy, Hi, Tridel. We are just passing through. I seem to remember there is no problem with that.

No, of course not. You know Ceilas rules. As long as you move on quickly, Tridel observed him more closely than it was comfortable. Have a fruitful hunt.

The unpleasant man walked away. They headed directly for the opposite edge of the grove.

Whats his deal? Kai whispered.

Some hunters are a bit particular.

So, hes an asshole to everybody?

Moui got a complicated look. Its my fault.

How so?

I came out of nowhere and I beat him in the last three hunts.

Oh yeah, thats entirely your fault.

Anyway, most people arent that bad. If you want, Ill ask permission to show you around next time.

Thank you, Uncle. I mean, if its not a problem. He really wanted to see what kind of materials were sold by high-level hunters.

From what little he did see, their grade was far higher than average. Anyone past their early twenties had reached Orange . A few might possibly rival Mouis race level.

Hed tried to be discreet with Mana Sense in case someone would recognize his touch. They already seemed a touchy bunch.

Dont worry. Despite what Tridel makes her appear, Ceila isnt an unreasonable woman, shes just prudent.

They found Kea chatting idly with a pair of teenagers. From their attire and weapons, they were apprentices too.

You need to do as I say from here on out, Moui reminded him.

Its not my first time hunting, Uncle.

Kea scoffed. When was the last time, four years ago?

About a month, actually.

They looked at him as if they expected him to burst into laughter for a joke.

Damn, Im sure I told them I went into the jungle a few times. Did they think I went picking flowers?

From the look in their eyes, they probably did. Did they imagine he spent his day throwing random herbs in his cauldron while reciting arcane mumbo-jumbo? He could understand his sister, but even his Uncle?

I thought you were apprenticing as a mage, Moui finally said.

Yeah, I also use magic to hunt. His frustration was rapidly rising in front of their surprised expressions.

Ive been too humble, time to show off.

Without further words, they headed back into the lush vegetation. Kai diligently scanned their surroundings, hoping to find the chance to shatter their assumptions.

His sister kept throwing looks at him, frowning deeply. Kai fluidly moved through the vegetation and made it look effortlessthough it was not. Unless she was blind, his hunting experience would be obvious. It wasnt something that could be faked.

Moving silently in the shadows was an art Elijah had given him no choice but to learn. He was only allowed a pass when he successfully stalked an orange-grade snake for half a day. Kai had lost count of all the times he had to repeat the exercise before getting it right.

Masking his mana was the other half, but Kea wouldnt be able to appreciate the nuances required for the finer control.

Unfortunately, no awakened beast crossed their path. They checked upon half a dozen traps, four of which had caught something. Kai had to admit he was a bit impressed by their design. He understood little of the mess of rope, knots and weights.

Kea quickly regained her bravado as her fingers expertly pulled them apart and reassembled them. Want to try setting one? she asked with an amiable smile.

I prefer to make traps for awakened beasts.

Yeah, sure.

They had just touched upon the inner area of the jungle to check their last trap when Kai froze in his tracks.

Whats wrong? Moui asked.

Kai took a moment to realize what was going on. The murmurs of Hallowed Intuition were whispering in the back of his mind. It was different from how they usually presented. They were indistinct, and yet the meaning was clear. Danger awaited in that direction.