Sorry for the delay. My new job happens to be quite taxing on me, so I haven't been able to write as much...I have less and less time to do the things I enjoy....*sniff*

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“I’m afraid that we may have to part ways here.” Briar said suddenly. The sentence cut Rien’s words short as if they were a knife.

“WHY?” Rien panicked. “Does Briar not like us anymore?” She ran over to grab at Briar’s shirt. As if by simply holding onto the cloth, she could prevent Briar’s leaving.

Briar looked Rien and Karu in the eyes. “I’m bound for the Ten-year Students Contest. My master will be there, as well as my teacher. It’ll be a very dangerous place, surrounded by dangerous men, which is why it’s not the place for little children.”

“Noddindrums and Frasselfuds! No one would dare lay a hand on my grandchildren! If they did, they’d be dead.” Grandpa Thur snorted. “Besides, it’s been a long time since I’ve been out and about, and such festivities sound just about perfect to me!”

A vein in Briar’s head throbbed. Stupid Geezer! You’re probably just going there to gamble!

She sighed, “You’ll do what you want, no matter what I say, won’t you?”

“Of course.” Grandpa Thur huffed. “Besides, I may run into some old friends here. There was that one person that really liked to gamble…I wonder if they’re still alive after all this time.”

“Fine, do what you want, then.” Briar replied, “Now, who here thinks that we’ll make it up to the top before nightfall?”

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Helen stood in the kitchen, spreading butter on a biscuit, because she wanted something to snack on. The honey pot, as well as several tiny jam jars, started slowly sliding towards Helen down the length of the kitchen counter. She absentmindedly placed a hand out to stop them, as she ate her biscuit with the other hand, while reading her book.

“Helen!” Madam Rothema called from somewhere in the house. “Where are you?”

“I’m in the kitchen!” She called back.

“Good! Can you secure the jam jars away in the pantry? We’re almost there, and I’ve lost so many jam jars that way!”

Helen looked at her biscuit, and then at the jam jars. Then she continued eating her biscuit as she frowned and made a waving motion at the jam jars with her hand. They floated up and arranged themselves in the pantry, where the cabinets then shut and barred themselves. After doing so, Helen leaned back in her chair and sighed as she began to feel tired.

This wasn’t actually a spell. It was more of a method to practice mana manipulation. Madam Rothema had her practicing this as a way to gain greater control over her mana, as opposed to Thera’s unorthodox barrier practices.

Helen opened the nearby window and leaned out into the wind. The passing breeze cooled and refreshed her as she looked forward to the Great Piercing mountain range. Each mountain was incomparably high and pointed rather like a sword. There was only one mountain amongthat range which differed from the others. That was Plateau Peak.

A long time ago, in a fight between a Magi and a Black Class Martial Practitioner, this mountain was not only severed near its roots, but vaporized so that nothing was left but flat plateau at the top, which was dwarfed by the surrounding mountains.

Now, seeing it for herself, Helen held her breath. Although it looked small now, she knew that once they got closer, it would be many, many times greater than Madam Rothema’s flying mansion. Even though it looked no larger than a pile of dirt surrounded by tall, towering spikes, its true size was monstrous, even for mountains.

Almost like the entrance of a castle! Helen’s smile began to glow with excitement.

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“Ooh! What’s that smeeelll?! It smells so yummy!” Rien said, trying not to drool at all the tantalizing scents of roasted meats and baked goods.

Having arrived at the top, Briar and her companions had found themselves just outside a city built on the edge of the great plateau. Aside from the trees inside the city, there was no bush or shrub to be seen for miles.

One could almost see clear to the other edge of the mountain if not for a group of stones standing up, piercing the setting sun on the horizon to connect the heavens and the earth. That was the arena for the Ten Year Students Contest.

Briar had wanted to visit it, but the setting sun made it clear that it was getting late, and they should enter the city to find an inn. So they had booked two rooms at the Dancing Cat Inn. Grandpa, Rien and Karu slept in one room; Briar slept in another.

Now, it was the next day, and they were out and about, exploring the marketplace after a hearty breakfast.

“You just ate breakfast, though!” Karu objected to Rien’s seeming never-ending desire to eat. “I’m older than you, and have a bigger stomach, and I’m so stuffed, I can’t even think of eating another bite!”

Rien stuck her tongue out. “I said it smells yummy! I didn’t say I wanted to eat it right now. But maybe we can have some later, for a snack, right Grandpa!?” Rien turned her sparkley-eyed attack on Grandpa Thur.

“Maybe. But you’ll have to be good and stay by my side if you want me to get you any.” He warned. “Otherwise, you’ll get lost” He looked at the stone and wooden buildings with their brightly-colored awnings and scarves and rugs covering the windows.

“Ah, how nostalgic!” He sighed, breathing in the dusty air. “This way, follow me.” He instructed. The two children immediately stuck to their Grandpa. Briar followed along behind, curious where they were going.

He led the way down several streets, and through several alleyways until he came to the wall that surrounded the largest mansion in the city.

Um…I’m pretty sure this is the city mayor’s mansion…Briar thought to herself as she looked up at the fifteen-meter high stone wall.

“And we’re here, why?” Briar finally asked.

“Nothing much. Just to see an old friend of mine.” Grandpa Thur replied.

“Grandpa, do you need to go inside?” Rien asked. “But, the gate is over there. Why are we here?”

The corner of Grandpa Thur’s mouth rose in a sort of smirking half smile. “No need. Who needs the gate when I can do this~” He pushed his hand against the wall, and a rectangular section moved back noiselessly.

“Whoah! Nice!” Rien and Karu clapped their hands in admiration.

Meh. It’s just earth manipulation. Honestly, I’d be more surprised if he couldn’t do something like that to the wall. Briar shrugged and followed the three people into the manor.

They came out into a garden filled with various fruit trees, edible flowers, and flowering fruit bushes. Briar’s interest was sparked at the stark contrast between this garden and the barren plains outside the city walls. Why couldn’t anything grow out there, but in here the plants were thriving, seemingly?

Briar also remembered seeing the high prices for fruits in the marketplace. Putting two and two together, she muttered a low ‘ah.’ The situation was the way it was in order to create a monopoly on the fruit trade, probably to hike prices up. She was curious if the condition of the ground outside the city were that way naturally, or if it were a result of someone unnaturally tempering with the environment.

“Come, follow, this way. He most likely will be expecting me anyways, since my appearance has been noted by the city guards at the entrance.” Grandpa Thur urged as he walked towards the stone wall of the house.

Are we going to walkthrough every single stone obstruction to get there!? Briar inwardly groaned. But her face betrayed none of her thoughts as she once more stepped through the newly-created stone doorway and came face to face with a group of spears pointing at her.

Now, any other person would have jumped back, and grabbed their weapons, Briar stood calmly, raising her hands up above her head.

“Is the master of the house in?” She asked lazily, knowing full well that she had fallen for Grandpa Thur’s petty trick. She planned through half-opened eyes how she was going to get back at him as the men neither advanced, nor relaxed their poses, keeping the spears aimed at her throat.

“Why should we tell you? A man whose face is not known in this house is not allowed to know who comes or goes.” One of them answered harshly. By his appearance, he was the captain of the group, having much fancier-looking gear than the rest of the guards. Briar blinked in confusion for a moment.

Ah, that’s right. I still look like a man. She remembered. To tell the truth, Briar had gotten so comfortable that she had entirely forgotten that she was still wearing a magic disguise.

I need to remember to get rid of that soon. She made a mental note, since her mission could be considered to be accomplished.

“What if I said that I’m an acquaintance of an old friend of his?” Briar asked.

“It would have to be confirmed by the friend.” The speaker said.

“Ah! In that case, you can ask him-” Briar turned her head to look behind her and paused. There was no one in the passageway behind her.

THAT GIANT BAG OF HORSE EXCREMENT!! Briar inwardly cursed him. He had left her to fend for herself, leading Rien and Karu away from the violence that would soon break out in that room.

She turned her head back to the men. “Sorry about that. It seems I was mistaken. I don’t suppose you’ll just let me walk away and leave this place, though?”

“You are not mistaken, young warrior. If you wish to pass through us, you will need to defeat us all.” The speaker said, readying his spear.

“And I was so hoping to be able to resolve things peacefully today…” Briar sighed, as she closed her eyes.

“Arrest him!” The captain shouted, and the spearmen sprang into action, aiming to incapacitate Briar by injuring her arms and legs.

Briar waited until the last possible moment before the spears would strike, and then her figure seemed to disappear as the spears struck nothing but empty air.

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In a certain hidden room in that mansion, a man was staring tensely at a glowing crystal with a flat surface cut at the top. On that surface, the image of the ensuing fight was being transmitted with perfect clarity.

“Impressive, right?” The man jumped and spun around to behold Grandpa Thur, standing in a magic-made doorway.

“Oh, it’s you.” The man sighed with relief. “You really need to stop doing that! Disappearing whenever you want, and then reappearing without even so much as a warning! It’s enough to scare a man’s ghost right out of his body.”

“Even if I did, you’d probably jump to the wrong conclusion and I’d come in to you ramming one of your ornamental swords down my throat. You were always a bit jumpy like that, even when you were a child, Bradley.”

Humph! Don’t bring up my childhood at a time like this.” Bradley grumbled. “I take it you have a reason for bringing this monster into my mansion?” He waved towards the crystal displaying the ensuing battle.

“More or less, I suppose. But first, I’d like to introduce my grandchildren to you.” He moved aside to show the two children behind him. “Rien, Karu, come and meet your Uncle Bradley.”

The two children came forward and stared at their Uncle Bradley, suddenly quiet. Bradley stared back at them. Then, the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile.

“So there was a reason for you to bring up my childhood, I see. Come here, you two. Come closer, and let me have a look at you.” He waved them forward with his hands.

They came a few steps closer.

“Rien and Karu, huh?” Bradley pursed his lips. “Which is which, though?” He stretched his arm out, to signal them to stop. “Wait, don’t tell me!” He put on an expression of extreme concentration. Then he pointed at Karu.

“You’re Rien, right!?” Immediately after that, he pointed at Rien. “And you must be Karu! Nice to meet you!” He extended his hands out for a handshake.

Karu had a strange expression on his face, unsure whether this man was joking, or serious. But Rien had no problems. She giggled and said in correction. “No, that’s not right at all! He’s Karu, and I’M Rien!”

Bradley jerked his head as if taken aback. “Oh my! For me to make such a basic mistake, I heartily apologize. Quite frankly, I’m rather embarrassed about this~” He said playfully. With that small display, Rien and Karu started to warm up to him.

“Uncle Bradley! What is this shiny rock?” Rien asked. “And why can we see Briar-ni on it?”

“Cough! This is a special kind of crystal That is found in the forests of illusion.

I actually have many small fragments of this crystal placed throughout the mansion. But they’re all connected here to this main crystal through some sort of natural magic wavelength. They can capture any movements and display them on the main crystal, here.

Impressive, right?”

Karu suddenly burst out with applause. “Wow! Briar-ni won against all of them! If I knew Briar-ni was this amazing, I would have asked for pointers from him weeks ago!”

Bradley coughed awkwardly. “Why DID you bring this Briar person, here, Grandfather?”