The next morning, Gideon, Grimsby, Clonk, Berenyn, and Shylvena headed down the mountain pass to Emberly. Gideon had told Berenyn that he didn’t need to come if he wasn’t feeling up to it. However, the elf insisted that exercise was precisely what he needed, and Shylvena seemed to follow him wherever he went.

The five of them together were quite the sight. Elves were a minority in Acretan, and Grimsby had once again donned his complete disguise. To top it off, they were accompanied by a knight in full plate mail during the hottest days of summer.

The cart was almost empty, except for a few apple pies that Grimsby had baked for Aurora and Simeon as a token of appreciation for their continued assistance. Gideon walked next to the cart, enjoying the aroma of the pies. Grimsby had forbidden anyone from trying them until the pies were delivered, but Gideon’s stomach was already rumbling.

He was eager to pick up their new window from Aurora and procure more building materials from the village. He still had some of the money Kelvan had given him and was hoping that if he and Clonk could take care of a couple more Blight Tunnelers, they could make up the slack.

In the back of his mind, however, he kept thinking about returning to Prospera. After talking it over last night, he realized he felt less worried than before. Though Elysion’s heat was beating down on them, Gideon’s steps felt light and easy.

Before setting out that morning, he’d had another duel in Kelvan’s mirror, followed by half an hour of meditation. The duel went more smoothly now that Gideon was a little more comfortable with the environment and knew more of what to expect.

He had bombarded his reflection with a volley of [Hail of Stone] spells, wearing down its defenses before following up with a [Quake]. Unlike Gideon, the reflection did not seem creative with its use of magic. Once trapped by the [Quake], the reflection hadn’t been able to free itself before getting hit by an [Echo] of projectiles from Gideon’s staff. Constant aggression, without a moment of pause, had trounced the reflection. By the end, Gideon was sweating but completely unharmed.

Best of all, he hadn’t even received the dreaded [Low Mana Warning].

Kelvan had promised that the mirror would be a more formidable opponent next time—that with each victory Gideon achieved, Kelvan would slowly ramp up the difficulty. Gideon was already considering alternate strategies to win the next round.

He walked with his new staff hanging from one shoulder, which he had placed in a durable canvas carrying case to protect it from the elements. He’d found the case amongst Kelvan’s old things in the training chamber. Though weathered, it seemed well taken care of, and Kelvan had approved of Gideon using it. The initials K.K. were stitched onto the top of the strap.

Though his robes were still the gray color of a novice, Gideon was now an apprentice and should have worn dark red robes instead. The thought made him smile. He had spent so many years dreaming of advancing as a wizard when he was still at EnviroCharm.

Clonk was at the head of the group, humming to himself as they walked. Gideon thought he recognized the tune as a famous battle anthem, though he couldn’t quite place it. Meanwhile, Shylvena and Berenyn were having a quiet conversation in Elvish at the rear.

Gideon walked in the middle, still trying to decide what he wanted to do that night after they returned. Should he read more of the [Appraise] skill book or return to his geomancy studies and try to practice [Seismic Wave] and [Geosense]? Or crack open the vitamancy book he’d found in the library for the first time?

There were so many options that Gideon found himself daydreaming. In truth, he wanted to do everything. Still, he also realized he needed to make the most of his time. One of the things recommended in the [Appraise] skill book was to practice the skill as much as possible on as many different targets, even if it would only give him minimal information until he became more adept at it.

Surreptitiously, he pointed his finger at Clonk’s back and tried to imagine the skill in his mind. He looked with both his eyes and his magical senses, trying to perceive what lay underneath the surface level of reality in the flow of Clonk's mana, just as the book had instructed. He almost shouted, “Appraise!” before an image of Kelvan shaking his head popped into his mind, and he closed his mouth. After a moment of concentration, a status window suddenly appeared in his vision.

Congratulations!

You have used the skill Appraise for the first time. Appraise has been added to your skill list at Wood Rank, Grade D.