TBATE - The Help of a Certain Being

Nightfall

"Uh... So I know we're supposed to go to the floating castle. I get that," Arthur commented under the wind, "But why exactly are we releasing our killing intent again?"

"It's because we're-" Olfred started before I cut him off.

"It's to keep the fodder away. Regardless of our strength as mages, humans are wusses, so the Beast Glades are still a mystery. To them, at least."

I felt eyes on me and could tell it was Varay and Olfred.

"I'm not the dog sheltered by its master here. I've hunted SSS Class mana beasts for almost five years."

Olfred glanced at me with a daggerish gaze before looking away. Varay just acknowledged my arrogance and returned to her task.

"Only you could say something like that and get away with it," Arthur half-joked. "If only Bairon were here."

Nico spoke up under the wind in amusement. "Boy, what I'd pay to see his reaction."

I snickered. "I'd be doing more than just carrying you two if that was the case."

**

The following few hours of daylight we had remaining was dedicated to covering ground until Varay slowed down to a halt just as the sun began to fall under the horizon.

"We will stop here for the night," Varay said as we descended into the mountains, Olfred and I following shortly behind.

I remembered reading this before, but I wasn't so sure my memories were even reliable at this point considering everything I'd done already.

A stone hut formed out of the ground with a flick of Olfred's wrist.

"You will do nothing," Varay warned before retreating into a second hut Olfred had formed.

"Well, isn't she just so much fun," Nico spat quietly.

"Can't even blame her," Arthur commented, petting Sylvie's head as she quietly laid in his arms.

"Anyway," Arthur turned his gaze to me, "you. Explain yourself."

I raised a sound barrier around the three of us and sat on the ground.

Nico began constructing a large hut for the three of us as I began.

"Couple years ago, I killed a mana beast with a corrupted mana core. It was well within the scope of SS Class, and I had actually ended our fight by chance.

When I pulled out the mana core, I couldn't help but feel something... off. Like some kind of toxic mana, or something to that end.

I didn't know what was up with it at the time. But it sent chills down my spine every time I tried to feel the core's mana patterns."

Recalling my memories allowed me to reminisce on the battle that lasted me nearly a whole day.

"It was the first time I actually felt inclined to leave something alone." I chuckled to myself at the ironic remark.

"The long story short is, I decided it would be better in the long run to just kill anything that had even a sliver of that potential power."

As Nico finished his construct, I brought down a nearby tree and split them into sizable parts for a bonfire.

My core surged open and I grabbed at the earthen material surrounding us.

The ground flattened and slabs of stone flipped up in a circular fashion, while the center of it dipped into a large pit.

I dropped the firewood into the pit after extracting the water out of it and set them ablaze.

"For an arrogant son of a bitch, there's beauty in that magic of yours," Nico commented.