I smiled faintly, realizing I might have gotten a little carried away describing my abilities.
"Well, let's just say it's more of an empathetic connection with nature. Nothing too flashy, just a subtle understanding of the natural signals some animals give off."
"Elemental magic allows for that?"
"I didn't know either, Magister. How do you manage it?"
I shrugged. "Why not."
The mistake had already been made, so I might as well see it through in style, right?
A small squirrel appeared, joining our walk and hopping happily at my side. My companions' gazes flickered between astonishment and admiration. Even Griffin couldn't help but look surprised.
Piper leaned down to stroke the squirrel. "This is incredible, Magister. Your bond with nature is really special. I can only sense magical disturbances in nature. Mira, it's almost like a psychic magic spell, isn't it?"
"Indeed." Mira watched the squirrel with curiosity.
Griffin remained silent, though his expression revealed some puzzlement.
I simply smiled in response. Lesson learned. Talk less, reveal less…
Meanwhile, we continued walking with apparent calm, letting the squirrel frolic around us. Piper kept asking questions, always eager to learn more about my magic and its possibilities. She even asked me to become her mentor, which I politely refused, claiming I wasn't good at teaching, having learned everything on my own. But instead of dampening her enthusiasm, she became even more admiring, saying I was a genius and other such things.
The rest of the team listened attentively, even if Griffin maintained his serious demeanor, focused on the mission.
Eventually, unable to endure Piper's questioning any longer, I suggested she focus on the upcoming mission. After all, we were approaching the village of Javal, and it was time to prepare for the confrontation with the criminal we were seeking, right?
Piper, though slightly disappointed to end the conversation, understood the importance of our mission. I had enjoyed passing the time chatting during the long walk, but when it all revolves around you, it becomes more of a chore than anything else.
The village of Javal appeared on the horizon, the trees giving way to the first houses.
As we neared the outskirts, the picturesque houses stood before us, and I could see figures moving in the distance. That's when Griffin turned to me, a serious look on his face.
"So, Magister, what's the plan?"
I blinked, slightly taken aback. Strange—I thought Aunt Libel had already explained everything during our briefing. But apparently, she had omitted some details, and now I felt a bit disoriented.
I scratched my head, trying to gather my thoughts. "Well, you know, Warden Piper studies nature to detect magical disturbances, Warden Mira reads thoughts for clues, and you, Warden Griffin, be ready to intervene in case of an attack. That's right, isn't it?"
The team exchanged puzzled glances, clearly not convinced by my answer. Griffin frowned. "Yes, Magister, we already know that. But how do you want us to enter the village?"
I froze, perplexed. Enter the village? Aunt Libel hadn't given us instructions for that. Why was Griffin asking me now?
Then Mira spoke, her expression impassive as she stared at me. "Should we enter directly, or conduct our investigation discreetly? It's obvious the villagers must not come into contact with magic."
Her question was valid, and I felt a bit foolish for not thinking of it sooner. After all, we didn't want to cause panic or suspicion among Javal's residents. Why hadn't Aunt Libel mentioned this? What should I do now?
"Good question. I think we should observe the situation from a distance first before making a decision. We don't want to arouse suspicion, do we?"
The team nodded, seeming relieved by this more cautious approach. The first weapon of a lazy person is patience. After all, waiting gives you time to nap.
We moved toward a discreet observation point.
The sun was slowly setting behind the hills, bathing the village in a calming light.
Sitting on a small ridge, hidden by trees, we had a perfect view of the village.
The serenity around us could have lulled me into a restorative nap if not for the mission weighing on my shoulders.
Piper leaned forward, carefully scanning the village.
Her expertise in magic allowed her to detect the slightest disturbances in the surrounding energy. I watched her, amazed by her focus while I was perfectly content to let things unfold without much effort.
"So, do you see anything?"
"No, nothing at all. This village is too calm, too normal. No traces of magic."
"Maybe she's not here, then." As they say, no news is good news.
I was about to stand and head back to the guild when…
"Or maybe she's hiding very well."
Mind your own business.
I sighed, unsure what to do.
"We need to get closer, talk to the villagers. Maybe they've seen something suspicious."
"And how are we supposed to do that without raising suspicion?"
Exactly, Griffin. The best thing would be to return to the guild… Wait a minute.
At that moment, Aunt Libel's words came back to me: "The faster you complete this task, the sooner you can return to your quiet life."
And damn it!
"I'll go alone, posing as a traveler. You stay here, telepathically connected with Mira. If I find anything, I'll let you know."
"Is it really wise for you to go alone?"
As for the risky part, I doubt it—but if it's just tiring, then yes, it will be. I'm already thirsty just thinking about it.
But I want to get this over with quickly.
"Don't worry. I can handle myself. And remember, I am your Magister. If anyone's going to dive into the tiger's den among us, it should be me, right?"
You have to at least look cool under all circumstances.
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and turned to Mira. She immediately handed me a slip of paper covered in enigmatic inscriptions.
"This is a talisman that will allow me to track your movements and stay in contact with you."
"As for mind-linking, I'll need to connect to your mind. It's…"
Those words hit me like a dagger.
Connect to my mind?
A wave of panic surged through me. Such a connection would give her access to my memories, wouldn't it? Access to my innermost thoughts… No way!
Luckily, she at least warned me before acting.
As she explained her spell and who knows what else, I racked my brain to figure out how to get out of this situation.
Come to think of it, I was the one who suggested this approach earlier. What was I thinking? I really need to stop blurting things out.
You know, being lazy doesn't mean you're lazy in your head. Thinking can be exhausting sometimes, but when it's critical, that's a whole different story… And as I pondered at lightning speed, the memory of a spell came to mind.
Yes, with this, I could manage!
"Wait. Your method has too many flaws. Not only could it be intercepted by the enemy, but the information would only be between the two of us, leaving Piper and Griffin out of the loop. Actually, I have a more effective spell."
I spoke without thinking (apparently, I haven't always learned from my mistakes), hoping my bluff would work.
My teammates watched me with a mix of astonishment and curiosity.
"Another spell, Magister? You never cease to surprise us!"
"I'm not sure I understand how elemental magic could facilitate remote transmission, Magister. Could you elaborate?"
I took a deep breath and launched into an improvised explanation, hoping my words sounded convincing.
I realized I might have talked too much about my magical abilities again, but there was nothing I could do. Between that and letting her read my mind, the choice was easy.
I closed my hand, paused dramatically, and reopened it to reveal a tiny polished stone.
"With this."