An Anti-Hero's Origin

Unironic Falling

^^ Aster ^^

Buying Poison, I learned rather quickly, was not a remarkably difficult task, as a Conjuration Mage. While most people would face a decent amount of social backlash, -after all, you are buying something that is closely associated with Murder and Assassination,- as a Conjuration Mage, you can simply explain it away as saying 'My Master says I need to learn how to detoxify ingredients to make Potions from them,' and herbalists become helpful pretty quickly. Selling the oil of Hobgoblins and Goblins, (which had been easy enough to collect, given the hundreds of Goblin Corpses easily retrieved on the first floor of the tower at any given time,) was also without challenge, and I was quickly capable of paying in actual coins for the Herbs and Poisons, instead of rabbits I hunted on the mountain; But hiring someone to enchant Runes for me, apparently, was quite different. Whereas poisons were things I could mix and alter myself, (though with rather mediocre success,) and I knew how Restoration Runes worked, not many Restoration Mages were willing to give me the time of day.

Finally, after about three weeks of being ignored and pushed aside every time I tried to ask for someone's time, even when I offered the money I'd made so far selling goblin oil, I swallowed my pride and teleported to the tower balcony of my family's home; the place I'd called home just one month ago already felt foreign and different, and the view felt boring and vague compared to the city in the clouds, Hightower.

"... so you've already started teleporting everywhere, little brother? Impressive... for a novice." My elder sister gazed at me from my chair on the balcony, unfazed by my sudden appearance.

"I'm gone for a month, and you've already stolen my chair again? How Petty..." I shook my head disappointedly, smirking at her instant bridling.

"Sh-Shut up!!! This is the best view in the city, and someone should use it!!!"

"Ahh, and because of this, that someone is you, of course? Who would've thought my sister was such a selfish person..." I responded dryly, leaning against the railing.

"Self-??? You little brat!!!" She growled playfully and dove at me in a blink of motion, but instead of smacking into me, she went throughout portal, and over the side of the tower.

Of course she caught herself without much trouble by building some construct or other out of light, but by the time she was back up top, I was seated in my seat, sketching in my journal her surprised face as she'd flown over the edge of the tower. "Regardless, you have my thanks for keeping my seat warm, dear sister, it's quite nice to not freeze one's buttocks on a metal chair. Have you seen mother around? I came to speak with her and perhaps engage her services in a Restoration Rune problem that's been troubling me."

She glared at me for a few moments, a mix of begrudging admiration and annoyance marring the cool beauty of her symmetrical elven features, before relaxing and throwing herself into another chair. "I haven't, but she did summon me here... I thought she summoned you, as well?"

"She did not, no. I am not due to meet her with Lady Hiram until the day after tomorrow? That is, unless I've lost track of the days... which is entirely possible." I frowned, trying to count the days and failing due to my many sleepless nights.

"Well, given your mastery of Intermediate Conjuration Magic, it doesn't surprise me that you've been very busy this past month. Perhaps in another few years you'll be a proper ArchMage, like the rest of the family?" She smirked at me infuriatingly, turning back to the novel she was reading when I arrived.

"To be clear, I mastered Intermediate Magic by the end of the second week; I'm currently studying the Master-Level Conjuration Spells, and my Mana Sea is already three times the size of yours! In another few years, I'll have more magic than Eight ArchMages combined! You've been studying for twenty years, and you've just barely peaked!" I fired back, sticking my tongue out at her glaring countenance immaturely.