"Mentor Ipha, is affinity for magic a naturally-given talent?"
"Yes, I suppose that's what you'd call it. Ikipto would say that all attributes, including affinity, are set at birth."
"Ikipto? Is that an elf in this village?"
"Oh, not at all! Ikipto is Status' ruler, the god of informational magic."
"He has an elvish name."
"Our kind named him as such."
"Are gods in this world, living among us?"
"No, not at all. They're Elswr. In other words, they're in an unreachable space, as Ordo has ordained."
"Ordo..."
---
Tensions have been rising in Altous. Winter has lasted far too long now. Because we're trading all our meat to the caravan, we don't have much food left in our stores. The season's don't seem to change so easily, lasting longer than I am used to on Earth. So, I have decided to take matters into my own hands. They're here today, warm and fat in their large stagecoaches. And we are left eating roots and apple preserves in the brutal cold. I approach them on my own. "Excuse me. We haven't talked much before, have we?" The bald man raises an eyebrow, sizing me up before scoffing.
"You're Wren. What do you want from us? We don't trade for cheap."
"Is... it possible for you to wait at least a week longer on the next meat supply?"
"Huh? What is it, you can't hunt a few beasts?"
"W-we need it to survive the winter." I shiver as I speak. The bald man groans, lets out a long sigh, and raises his voice to the back of the carriage.
"Cass!" At his words, a human woman with a thick veil peeks out. "This guy says he's starving." She raises the veil, and squints at me.
"Well, he's basically had nothing but plants, it looks like. Just like that hunter boy earlier." She closes her eyes and covers her face with the veil once more.
"Is that Status magic?"
"Never seen a diviner before? Don't tell me you were born in this village or something. No, no. You're not nearly tall enough to be half-elf." She bites her nails, holding back a laugh.
"Well... something like that. My life here is all I know of this world."
"Seriously? You might as well be the same as the long-legs!" She opens her mouth in laughter this time.
"...Look, we need to keep ourselves fed through the winter." I turn back to the bald man.
"You're gonna have to put in extra work hunting then, kid. If you can't get us the meat... you know what happens, right?"
"Let's just say there might be a few bad rumors going around. And rumors lead to Guild requests. And requests... lead to a 'cleansing.' Don't want that, do we, boy?" Cass smirks.
I am appalled. One thing dares not to go their way and they threaten to pull the trigger. Don't they know that if we're dead, they lose our benefits? Parasites. "I get it, I do. But we can't keep living and providing meat like this if we start rationing more than we already do."
"Are you threatening us?" The bald man clenched his jaw. "That's no good... I thought we trained you people better than this." He shifted his demeanor, smiling. "Okay. Enjoy your extra meat, kid."
Cass leans over the edge of the carriage. "Let it be your last feast in peaceful times. Know that you crossed the Haienna. Roderick. Let's go."