“How… is it… that you can still march on?” Eleonore asked Nido with a ragged breathing.

“What do you mean? We have walked for…” the enchanter took a look at the skies and judged the movement of the sun, “five hours, at most. I don’t understand why you, a Wanderer, is tired by such a light march.”

“Walking is not one of a bard’s forte.” The petite elf sprinted briefly to make herself on par with the human’s walking speed. “I only get two Dexterity point every level up, you know. I may have the stamina, but I can regenerate it fast enough.”

“Attributes aren’t the problem, but your physical complexion.” Nido explained as he toyed with a piece of wood and a knife.

“Are you calling me short?” The short bard raised her tone.

“No, I’m calling you sedentary.” He corrected. “Even the children are taking on the march better than you.”

“But they are children. They are exploding with energy!”

The enchanter thought a myriad of reasons why children couldn’t take a prolongated march as well as adults, but he considered it was better to keep his mouth shut as it would be a waste of words.

“Here, have this.” Nido throwed her the piece of wood. “Now you better stop complaining.”

“What’s this? I sense magic, but I can’t tell what it does.” Eleonore asked, incapable of deciphering the enchantments of the wood.

“A ring of Endurance.” The enchanter replied. “Equip it and check your Status.”

The bard did so and mumbled melodiously. “Ooh, plus one to Endurance. Since when were you making this?”

Since right now. Nido didn’t tell her that. I could spit on rock, and it would have better enchantments than most adventurers carry. Whilst the enchanter was strongly against the fact of enchanting pieces of metaphorical garbage for work, but he considered this as a measly exercise to practice his skills. Alike a master blacksmith forging a dagger or two from time to time.

“Since you started pandering.” The enchanter quickly followed to her question. “Carving the wood has been more of a problem than enchanting, truth be told.”

“How have you even managed to make it while walking?” The half-elf’s stamina problems were quickly solved once she put on the ring, her humor also got better.

“A firm pulse is one an enchanter’s keystone. Someone whose hand spams mid-engraving is not suited for the craft.” Nido added with a surprisingly serious tone. He was quick to revert it with a laugh. “And I also get a point to Dexterity every level up, so that does help.”

“But anyways, you can’t have more Dexterity or Endurance than me, how are you holding up better than I?” Eleonore asked once again, refusing to let the matter away.

“Before I came to the city of Marina, I spent half a day non-stop walking after I woke up after the shipwreck.” The enchanter continued with false backstory.

“And?” The bard jumped around, that point in Endurance proving far too useful. “What has to do with you being tireless?”

“That you are a weakling.” Nido taunted. “You are young, and certainly have more levels than the children over there. I don’t see why you couldn’t walk for four hours without getting tired.”

The ancient man was lying viciously. His stamina was much lower than the half-elf for sure. The only reason why he was perfectly fine after a non-stop march for so many hours was because his Tenet of Immortality prevented his from suffering any negative status. Tiredness was included in that pack. Actually, most things were included. From asphyxiation to hunger, the enchanter couldn’t perish by common physical means.

“I want you to know that I’m older than you. You should respect your elders.” The petite woman of elven descendance tried to sound authoritative.

Nido came to a stop, his kneels trembled and his head dropped, letting the staff support his weight. The man was currently using every bit of his willpower to not roll around on the ground while laughing.

He was able to contain himself after a tough battle and won with just an escaped whisker. “You aren’t much older than I, I know how half-elves work, don’t try to act as if you are an old and venerable elf.”

“Wait, have you meet other half-elves?” Eleonore had thankfully not noticed the enchanter’s laugh or chose to ignore it for more pressing matters. Either way, it saved Nido a tantrum for the woman-child before him.

“Sure, my master was one.” The human said truthfully, even if the man he was referring in question had perished a long time ago, prior to him obtaining his coiled ring. “Half-elves age slower than humans until they are forty, but after that mark, they are no different. So it’s pretty darn easy to see that you are not close to forty yet.”

“Are you insinuating about my height?” The bard’s gaze pierced Nido.

“What type of mental gymnastic did you went through to think I was calling you short? I’ve was just stating why you cannot be old according to common half-elf biology. I swear you are just trying to jump on me at the minimal offense.”

“Sorry, sorry. You are right.” Eleonore excused herself. “It’s just that my feet are killing me.”

“Are you really a Wanderer?” The enchanter could easily recall stories of the Acolytes of the Traveler walking across a continent in a matter of days and with no losses.

“Yes, yes I am.” She responded a bit offended.

“Why don’t you just mount on carriage. Everybody seems pretty amicable here, I doubt they are going to mind.” The extra weight. Nido held the last part to himself.

“No, I shouldn’t. More people are in more need than I.” Eleonore gave a not-so-much discrete look at a group of children.

“Ah, I see what’s happening here.” Nido grinned devilishly. “You don’t want to be compared to the children.”

“What? No, where did you get such ridiculous ideas.” The bard sprinted forward, separating from the enchanter, as she evaded eye contact.

Eleonore’s reaction amused Nido greatly. In the tedious and repetitive forest path, the bard had proven an invaluable source of entertainment. And she hadn’t even began playing!

“Stop rushing and take this.” Nido offered her his staff. Even if she inspected it, the lesser illusion properties would camouflage it as a common mage beginner staff.

“Are you sure? Wouldn’t you need it.” The half-elf asked in expectation. Her reaction not much different from a child who was gifted money by their grandparents and feigned they didn’t want to take it.

“I’m doing quite well here, and you sure would make use of a walking stick more than I.” The enchanter handed the masked birch staff.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” The petite bard faintly bowed as she took the oversized stick on her tiny hands.

“Don’t you have any healers, though? I have no problems, lending you my staff, as I’m not going to use it, but you must have a healer or two, right?” Nido could work as a de facto healer thanks to his ring’s properties and his affinity towards the Life element. Though he rather keep his limited uses of the ring’s Perks.

“We do have an Herbalist, but her remedies won’t help much with the sore feet of the whole caravan.” Eleonore explained, her mood brightened once more as she walked with the ring in one hand and the staff in the other.

“But you don’t have a real healer?” The enchanter reiterated. “Not to discredit her line of work or anything. But healing magic is much more… immediate.”

“We don’t have people with such classes here.” She said as a matter of fact. “Most healer types are Combat classes, to begin with. And if you hadn’t noticed, us Wanderers, aren’t much of the fighting type.”

Is healing limited to Combat classes? What sense does that make? The enchanter kept to himself. Healing is like one of the most profitable jobs ever. You can charge whatever amount you wish for mending an ailment, and people will happily pay you if that means saving their own lives. If that’s not a Profession class, I don’t know what it is.

“Why don’t you recruit a healer to your caravan, or pay an adventurer?” It seemed irresponsible to Nido to cross the lands without an expert in healing magic nearby.

“We sometimes hire a healer adventurer, but that’s pretty rare. Not a lot of people are okay with traveling hundreds of kilometers, even if we offer them carriages all the way through.”

“Makes sense.” The enchanter shrugged. “But it doesn’t seem like a precarious problem either way.”

“We are trying to instruct our younglings into becoming mages in hope some will become a healer, or at least, a decent spellcaster class. Though even if we manage to do so, it’s quite difficult to gain combat experience with our routes.”

“Talking about Combat classes.” Nido interjected her, the subject being of interest to him. “Could I battle some errant monster we find from time to time? I’ve noticed the caravan does have fighters and guards, but I would like to level up my class.”

“Why would you want to do that, aren’t you an Enchanter?”

“I have chosen Hybrid Specialization for my level ten Profession perk.” The human explained. “So I would wish to get some experience in my class. You wouldn’t have to worry about me being a liability, I’m practiced in combat.”

“Really?” The half-elf whose stature was more of a halfling turned around an expressed her doubt. “You don’t look to me like the fighting type.”

“Because I’m not. I have just been instructed.” Nido corrected her.

“Either way, what’s your class?” Eleonore asked as she walked backwards without much worry.

“Mage, though I’m level one.” The enchanter considered the information to have low value and would do more good than harm if he was truthful.

“Level one and you say you have experience in combat?” The bard snickered.

“What is you Combat class and level then?” Nido asked, already knowing what to expect.

“Why should I tell you that?” Eleonore tried to evade the question.

“Because of common modesty and manners, perhaps?” The mage added a shade of feign offense to his tone. “I have just told you mine, didn’t I?” Then he grinned.

“Augh, alright.” The half-elf groaned. “I’m a level one Ranger. Are you happy?”

“Yes, pretty much. Consider me amused.” Nido’s grin intensified. “What can I say but that I already expected this outcome. You don’t strike me as the fighting type after all.”

“You are exactly like Castor.” The petite woman mumbled.

“What? What did you say?” The young man asked even though he had heard it clearly.

“Nothing!” Eleonore finally faced forward, after having walked of this time backwards. “What if you become our healer?” She asked out of the blue.

“What? Why should I do that?”

“Well, you are an Enchanter and a Mage. It should be easy for you to get any healing class, and besides, healer stay at the backlines and never are in danger.” Nido chuckled at her explanation. “What are you laughing at?”

“Eleonore, sweet young Eleonore.” The enchanter belittled her. “Healers are the members of a group who are in the most danger. They are a walking target. A tank won’t fall down until the healer is alive. This makes it the top priority target.”

“Huh, I never thought about it.” She stopped dead on her track in ponderation. “But aren’t monsters to dumb to target the healers?”

But not other people. Nido realized that the half-elf, for young or old that she was, she wasn’t used to combat. To the point that she thought he only enemies were the creatures of the Chaos.

“Though I will admit that I’m not completely against the idea.” In the end, besides the Arcane, his strongest element was Life. The best element for healing for living people, more than Water and Light. “I can honestly see myself working as a healer. Double source of income, amirite.”

Money was usually a limiting factor for most enchanters. But when someone reached the point of the Divine Enchanter, money became meaningless. Powerful people that had the materials he wanted wouldn’t sell them for coin. Perhaps favors or other items, but never money.

But obviously, he wasn’t at that position anymore. If he gathered enough money to build a workshop a hundredth as versatile and good as the one at his tower, then he could regain most of his power in a couple of decades.

“Really? Do you want to become a healer for money instead of healing people out of the goodness of your heart?”

“Wouldn’t you?” Nido replied with a question.

“No!” Eleonore sounded quite offended by it. “If I was able to become a healer, I wouldn’t do it for money. I became a Bard because I loved music and the audience, not for money.”

“But it’s a plus, right?” He commented.

“Gonna say no to gifted money.” The elven bard shrugged.

Truth be told, Nido thought exactly like her. For him, enchanting wasn’t about the money. He had true passion for his craft, a passion so great that lead him to do crazy acts for craftmanship’s sake. Coin was only a way to make his job easier and better, allowing him to reach greater heights. The same was for the bard next to him.

The toll of bells could be heard as the duo turned their heads towards the sound’s origin.

“Finally!” Eleonore hopped in the spot in a cute manner. “Lunch time! Oh man, I was beginning to starve. Castor must have ordered a stop.” Though no one referred to Castor as the leader of the caravan, he was pretty clear the one who directed the community.

The enchanter hadn’t realized that the time to eat had approached this quickly as he was immune to the feeling of hunger, therefore, stunting his internal clock.

The Wanderer’s Caravan came to an almost instantaneous halt. The carriages displaced themselves out of the way, towards the forest, as they parked. The linear formation of the march converted into a semicircle gathered around a location for a future campfire. Nido already saw people bringing dry wood from their wagons, and children picking up branches from the forest to add them towards the pile.

Eleonore rushed towards Castor, who was talking with the cooks besides the unlit fire. So much for being tired, but you can run when it interests you. Nido snickered and followed the half-elf.

“How are you taking on your first march, lad?” Castor saluted him with his characteristic welcoming smile.

“Pretty well, I’m difficult to tire, after all.” Nido greeted him with a handshake. “I had to make an Endurance ring and lend my staff to Eleonore here.”

The tall man laughed. “Nora, how many times I must tell you that you mount on a carriage if you are tired?”

“I don’t need it, thank you very much.” The petite woman refused as she threw the staff back to the enchanter, who caught it with a swift movement.

As Castor and Eleonore stood side to side, a grin popped up on Nido’s face. The half-elf was more akin to a halfling in stature, whilst the human was as tall as a true elf. The disparity between the two, made them a more likely duo.

“Are you hungry?” The Wanderer asked the enchanter as the bard didn’t keep her own answer quiet whilst her stomach grumbled.

“Not really, not an avid eater, I’m afraid.” If it weren’t for remainders of his students in the tower, he would have spent centuries without eating as he didn’t take joy in the action.

“Wow, really? We have walked quite a handful of kilometers, you know? You don’t have to be timid. Divines know that Nora isn’t.”

“Hey!” The half-elf shouted in protest. “If I’m hungry I’m hungry.”

“No, sorry. I’m really not hungry.” Nido reiterated with a silent chuckle. “Though I wanted to ask you a thing, Castor.”

“Anything for you, lad. What is it?”

“I was wondering if I could help the guard in the caravan with some monster slaying. I would like to level up my combat class, and this seems the more suitable and sensible way.” The enchanter explained.

“Fine by me, though it should be them who you have to ask.” The Wanderer leader replied. “If you are mildly competent in a fight, I don’t see a reason of why they should accept you.”

“Thank you.” Nido bowed slightly. “Do you know where they might be right now?”

“They must be in the forest, preventing any wild animal from attacking the encampment.” Castor explain. “They normally eat after everyone for safety reasons.”

“Guessed that much, thank you anyways.” The enchanter raised his staff and departed from the pyre. “See you later.”

Even though the Wanderers were composed of a hundred people, they didn’t really take that much space without their tents settled up. The caravan was mostly composed of tens of wagons and a few repurposed carriages for long sustained travel. No one was currently on the vehicles whether it may be because they were full of materials or because the people wanted to stretch their legs.

The caravan’s guard were a small squad, especially considering the insane amount of people they needed to protect. He noticed three men and a woman, all human, waiting on the edge of the forest.

“Greetings.” The enchanter saluted the bored group. “How’s everything going here?”

“Hello there.” A man with a round shield and a broadsword greeted him. Most likely the tank of the group. “Who might you be? I don’t recognize you.”

“He’s the new enchanter, you moron.” Another man commented. This one wielded a bow and waited atop of a tree’s canopy. “Castor had presented him during the last Freedom’s Calling.”

“Oh, I think I remember now.” The tank said. “I was pretty wasted that day, not gonna lie.” The man cleared his throat and directed to Nido again. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, enchanter.” He offered a handshake.

“Pleasure’s mine.” The enchanter replied to the gesture. “Though call me Nido.”

“Alright, Nido.” The man nodded. “Then what are you doing here? Everyone should be eating by now.”

“Nothing’s special, I just wanted to tell you if I could join you with monster hunting a day or two.” Nido explained to the four-man party.

“The enchanter wants to join us? Ha.” The only woman of the group laughed. Unlike the tank who wielded a sword, the woman’s sheathed blade was much sleeker and longer. Probably a rapier. “How are you going to help us, little man?” She said even though they were around the same height, and she only a decade older at most.

“Well, I’m a mage, and I now a wide repertoire of spells that can aid in battle.” Nido looked around and examined the last member. A man who had pair of daggers sheathed on his heaps, a stereotypical rogue. “And you could certainly use the help of a spellcaster.”

“What’s your level then, if you are so confident in your skills.” Finally, the rogue talked. His voice was rough, as if he hadn’t drunk anything for days.

“One.” Nido added with confidence.

“One? Is he joking?” The swordswoman facepalmed. “How do you want us to accept you if you are level one.”

“Come on, Jeanne. Don’t be rough with the boy.” The ranger defended him. “It isn’t like we are in an adventurer’s quest or anything. We surely can get him a level or two.”

“Dorian’s right.” The tank replied. “Even if he’s level one, he can surely help. It’s not like his total level is one. What’s your Enchanter level, Nido?”

Nido considered for a moment if two tell them his Enchanter level, as it would be a quick way to quantify his power. “Fifteen.” He told. But it really didn’t matter, his power didn’t come from his Record-given attributes, but his enchanted items and his knowledge. Besides being one of the few mortals that had to manipulate the energies of creation.

“See?” The shield wearer added. “He has some level. And it isn’t like the first ten levels on a Combat class are important.”

“By the way, what are the spells you were talking about?” Dorian the ranger asked.

“Mostly offensive, though I know some healing spells?”

“Healing?” The rouge asked with a cough. Something told Nido that the man’s rough voice wasn’t from birth.

“Yeah, I’m aligned towards Arcane and Life, so I have some healing cantrips under my belt. Nothing compared to the works of a druid or a priest, but better than nothing it is.” The enchanter explained. “I was also thinking of crafting some trinkets to help with health regeneration, seeing the caravan’s current lack of healing.”

“You hear that, Jeanne? The boy may be level one on his Mage class, but his already more useful than you.” Dorian joked, though the swordswoman threw him a stern stare, that made the ranger almost fall from his branch. “Man, you are such a party pooper.” The man sighed as he recovered his equilibrium and descended from the tree with a clean jump.

“I just think we shouldn’t have a novice that just wants to play in our group.” Jeanne grunted.

“Two things.” Nido directed to the woman. “One, I’m right before you and this is pretty rude. And two, I’m afraid I’m quite serious about the offer. I actually think that the one who’s playing around is you.” He told her face to face.

Jeanne busted out laughing. “Level one or not, you certainly have some balls, boy.” The swordswoman grin quickly faded. “But don’t think that you can talk to me like that.”

“Neither can you.” The ancient enchanter looked her straight at the eyes.

Her expression worsened as the young man before him proved immovable. Jeanne threatened him by slowly moving her right hand towards the handle of her rapier. Yet Nido refused to give her a reaction.

“Alright, alright. Let’s calm down here. No need to be aggressive.” The tank, and by the looks of it, the leader of the group said. “You just want to hunt some monsters, right?” Nido nodded silently, still looking at the swordswoman. “Dorian, why don’t you take him for a quick trip? You were just commenting that you wanted some action, didn’t you?”

“Aye, aye, captain.” The ranger joyfully approached the enchanter. “Why don’t we look for a wolf or something while the beast here relaxes?” He whispered to Nido.

“I heard you, Dorian.” Jeanne commented.

“Perfectly, that was my intention.” He added with a grin. “What do you say, Nido?”

“I’m on board.” The enchanter lessened his stern expression. “We should hurry, or you might end up without a meal, though.”

“That’s what I like!” He patted Nido’s back loudly. “Let’s begin the hunt!”