Chapter 24: The Goddess of Magic Watches Over You

In truth, many loyal earth drakes ultimately met rather unfortunate ends. Paimon was lucky; at least by following Chu Yun, he didn’t have to worry about being used as emergency food. As long as he carried some branches with him, he could be sure to eat his fill every day.

Riding on Paimon's back, Chu Yun found the experience quite satisfying. After all, this mount had cost him ninety gold coins; in both comfort and stability, it far outmatched any horse. Chu Yun tried meditating while on Paimon’s back. Though it was a challenge and much less efficient, it was still barely manageable on the plains. Once his skill level rose higher, he’d be able to meditate even on bumpy roads.

Paimon must have been bred in Dragonwalk, and everything in the outside world intrigued him. The fresh grass on the ground delighted him to the point of ecstasy, and his gratitude toward his master grew. As they traveled together, the bond between master and mount deepened. Paimon had been trained from a young age to carry loads; without something on his back, he felt ill at ease, almost empty inside.

The journey to Stonehold should have taken an hour, but Paimon covered it in half the time. “Well done,” Chu Yun said, tossing two extra raspberries he’d prepared the night before to Paimon. Paimon gulped them down in one bite, his eyes narrowing in contentment.

The raspberries conjured by the Divine Berry Technique brimmed with the essence of nature and tasted wonderful—Paimon was quite fond of them. The only drawback was their short shelf life; they would spoil in twenty-four hours if unused.

He was not far from gaining the experience needed to level up. Chu Yun glanced at the sun; it was already past two in the afternoon. “Never mind, I’ll make preparations today and set out tomorrow. I can level up once more before leaving.” Chu Yun planned to head for Blackstone City.

Whether he wished to forge weapons or grow stronger, Blackstone City was a better fit. Stonehold had few mages, making it difficult to find suitable targets for practicing spell skills. He disliked “slaughtering the innocent”—if he was to grind magic, it would be on evil magicians or condemned criminals in prison.

Blackstone City was one of the more prosperous border cities in the Kingdom of Ailnor and the closest large city to Stonehold. There would surely be plenty of candidates there.

The road from Stonehold to Blackstone City was long, so Chu Yun and Paimon set about gathering supplies. With the raspberries, food wouldn’t be much of an issue, but variety in meals was necessary, and Chu Yun had no intention of sleeping under the stars at night. The wild insects were vicious; their bites were a real nuisance.

Besides mosquito repellent and tents, Chu Yun also bought various types of stone powder, for the Stone Skin spell required the right materials to be effective. With Paimon to carry the load, he could stock up without worrying about weight.

After most of the day spent shopping, Paimon’s back was piled high with bundles, and Chu Yun returned to the inn in high spirits. The inn had a dedicated place for mounts. Though Paimon had already eaten raspberries, Chu Yun still arranged for a day’s worth of fodder to be placed in the stable.

Back in his room, Chu Yun suddenly remembered Xia, who was staying next door. He had promised to let her follow him for a few days, but now, leaving early would be troublesome. Bringing her along would make it inconvenient to use his Mirrorworld abilities, but leaving her alone here was equally problematic.

“Let’s check her mark first,” Chu Yun decided, approaching Xia’s door. Before he could knock, the door opened on its own. The cleaning maid appeared, but Xia was nowhere to be seen.

“Hm? Where is the guest staying here?” Chu Yun asked, puzzled.

Seeing that it was Chu Yun, the maid explained, “Sir, your companion left around noon. She left a letter for you at the front desk.”

“She’s gone? All right, carry on.”

Chu Yun, puzzled, went to the front desk to collect the letter. Remembering the scene he’d witnessed that night, he had a vague suspicion.

The handwriting on the letter was clumsy and uneven, but each character was written with clear intention.

[Esteemed Lord Chu Yun,

Thank you for rescuing Xia from the evil goblin lair.

I had intended to serve you as a token of gratitude, but I am only a useless demi-human slave. Surely you would not wish to keep me.

The slave mark on Xia has vanished, so as agreed, it is time for me to leave. Please do not worry about me. I am now capable of taking care of myself. I will never forget your kindness, but now I must grow stronger. When I am strong enough, I will return to repay your kindness. I hope you will not look down on me then.

May the Goddess of Magic watch over you! —Xia Avra♥]

As Xia’s body underwent its transformation, her heart twisted and changed as well, filling with suspicion and resentment toward the world. Yet deep within, the kind and gentle little Xia refused to let herself fall completely into darkness. After she finished the meal Chu Yun had so carefully prepared for her the night before, she made him the sole keeper of her last remaining kindness—a deep-seated conviction in her heart.

If the price of power was to fall into endless darkness, then only Chu Yun could bring her a glimmer of light.

Chu Yun had no idea what Xia was really going through, but her departure conveniently solved his dilemma. He couldn’t understand why Xia was so insistent on repaying kindness; on Earth, some people who were rescued would rather never see their benefactor again, and even at the funerals of heroes who died saving others, no one sent flowers.

In comparison, Xia’s spirit was truly admirable.

Chu Yun put the letter away—this was the first time in his life someone had written him a letter, and it was worth preserving.

Back in his room, Chu Yun set about executing his final plan before leaving Stonehold—entering the Mirrorworld to level up to Lv4.

Upon arrival in Mirrorworld, Chu Yun did not immediately begin grinding. First, he went to the stable where Paimon was kept. At that moment, Paimon was gleefully baring his teeth and claws, frightening the old horse in the next stall, not realizing that his master’s blade would turn on him in the next moment.

“Boom!”

Paimon was, indeed, a first-rank earth drake; struck head-on by a blast of magical energy, he still didn’t die. Chu Yun had to strike again, ruthlessly, before finally killing his mirrored mount.

Paimon dropped a bundle of experience, which Chu Yun picked up and returned to him. If he’d absorbed the experience, Paimon in reality would have weakened accordingly.

But that wasn’t Chu Yun’s aim; he killed the mirror image only to analyze it and better understand his mount.

[Earth Drake (Wind) Lv3: Health 50, Physical Attack 7, Magic Defense 5, Defense 6, Speed 23]

Paimon’s health and speed were high, and his basic attack and defense were impressive, surpassing even first-rank adventurers Chu Yun had defeated before.

Glancing at the old horse in the next stall, Chu Yun was struck by a sudden idea. With a burst of magical energy, he blasted it apart, then, with anticipation, fed the experience the old horse dropped into Paimon's body.