Episode 44 

“To be honest,” Donnie added, hesitating again, “I’ve never seen a mage like you. When I heard you were heading to the frontier, I wondered… if perhaps there was a reason. A past, maybe. Forgive me if I’m overstepping.”

“No past. No revenge. No grand cause,” Curtis  said with a shrug. “I’m simply curious. I want to see it for myself.”

“You may be disappointed,” Donnie warned. “It’s not a land of wonder. It’s a nest of monsters.”

That’s exactly why I’m going, Curtis  thought.

Fighting the bandit horde had made one thing clear: most humans weren’t worth the effort. The lesser thugs gave almost no magical experience. Even the half-baked silver-tier leader had been barely worthwhile.

And Curtis  wasn’t about to slaughter the innocent for strength.

But monsters? Aberrations? Creatures of chaos that the world already condemned? Killing them wasn’t just allowed—it was encouraged.

“If the East is full of monsters,” he mused to himself, “then it’s full of progress.”

Of course, he wouldn’t speak that aloud. He had no desire to be branded a bloodthirsty madman.

“Well,” he said aloud, “we’ll see when we get there.”

And with that, he let the conversation drift away.

Nineteen days later, they reached Abaca.

The journey, all things considered, had gone smoothly. They had faced several minor encounters with creatures from the wilderness, but none posed any real threat—not to Curtis , at least.

His eyes, however, were now fixed on the horizon beyond the city.

The East was calling.

Curtis  hadn’t needed to lift a finger during the journey—but he did.
Not out of duty, but to glean even the smallest slivers of experience. His intervention earned him more than arcane progress—it won him respect. A mage who fought alongside mercenaries, not above them, soon gained a reputation as one who led by example.

[Water Manipulation Lv. 42]
[Progress to Next Level: 2%]

From the bandit raid to the scattered aberrations they’d faced on the road, and what little he could squeeze from self-training, Curtis  had finally nudged his control over water to the next level.

[Spiritcraft Lv. 35]
[Progress to Next Level: 4%]

As for his bond with the elemental spirit, that growth had stalled.
Not a surprise—he had seen this before with Water Manipulation. But something about it still gnawed at him.

“Why now? Why thirty-five, not thirty-nine?”

Perhaps it was a matter of affinity. Or maybe understanding. Water Manipulation always felt more hands-on. With Spiritcraft, his role felt more like… delegation.

Still, he knew the solution even if he didn’t yet know the cause.

“You’re cleared! Go on through!”

The gates of Abaca towered higher and stood stronger than those of Nizerte. Yet ironically, entry was easier. The guards, accustomed to every kind of traveler passing through, barely glanced up before waving him in.

And the city itself?

Chaos.

Curtis  had expected a lesser echo of Nizerte—a port bustling with trade and energy. But Abaca… Abaca was overwhelming. It didn’t pulse like a harbor city—it roared. Streets buzzed with voices, cartwheels, haggling, boots stomping. It was like stepping into a storm of civilization.

Sensing his unease, Donnie leaned close and offered a sheepish grin.

“Bit loud, isn’t it? Must be the schedule. One of the regular convoys from the frontier just arrived.”

“Ah… from the Eastern lands?”

“Yes, likely reached the city just a while ago. Hundreds of mercenaries coming off the front lines—it’s no surprise they’d go a little wild in civilization.”

“Understandable,” Curtis  murmured.

Understanding didn’t make it less irritating.

Reading the discomfort in Curtis ’s expression, Donnie suddenly lit up with an idea.

“Pardon, Lord Curtis , but… have you arranged lodging yet?”

“This is my first time in Abaca. I hardly know the streets, let alone inns.”

“Then please allow me to guide you. I know just the place.”

“Now?”

“We’ve arrived, haven’t we? The rest is just formality.”

Donnie waved down one of the other merchants, exchanged a few words, and broke off from the group. Curtis  followed—surprised by the sudden detour, but content to leave the crowd behind.

The inn they arrived at was nothing short of extravagant.

This was no comfortable common stop like The Brothers’ Shelter, where Curtis  had stayed before. This place gleamed. Stone walls polished to sheen, gilded signboards, attendants in formal uniform.

“Donnie?”
The staff recognized him immediately.

While Curtis  waited, Donnie whispered with the staff, then returned with a satisfied nod.

“The next departure to the frontier is in five days. I’ve arranged a room until then.”

“You… paid in advance?”

“Of course. A luxury suite, naturally.”

“Why?”

“Because I owe you a life debt, and haven’t done enough to repay it. Let me at least offer this much.”

Donnie laughed good-naturedly, adding that the Doris Guild provided him a generous discount.

Curtis  hesitated, but in the end, accepted the kindness.

“Very well. My thanks, Donnie.”

“Please, visit the guild anytime. We’ll be waiting for you!”

With that, Donnie bowed and departed to rejoin his caravan. Curtis , meanwhile, was ushered inside by the attentive staff.

The room was immaculate, almost intimidating in its elegance. A tub large enough to swim in, linens so soft they barely touched the skin, windows with views of the city skyline.

“I’ve stayed in rooms like this… but always with someone else’s coin.”
“Well—this time’s no different, is it?”

Curtis  bathed, scrubbing away the grime of travel, and sent his road-worn clothes off for a proper wash.

Even a water mage couldn’t replicate the luxury of a true inn bath—not without turning half his focus away from safety. Comfort and magic were different currencies.

It was still early for dinner, so Curtis  decided to take care of errands.

“To the Mercenary Guild,” he told the driver.

“Right away, sir.”

The Mercenary Guild in Abaca wasn’t large. Smaller even than Nizerte’s, which surprised him. The city likely had more mercenaries, not fewer. But then again, most of them spent their time beyond the mountains, in the frontier itself.

Perhaps there simply wasn’t much left to manage from within the walls.

He scanned the board.