Page 90 of I Ran Away to Evil
Keith filled out the paperwork and slipped the guild attendant a gold coin with an extra order. Then they walked over to the platform.
Henrietta asked, “So, did you bring any golems with you? Aside from your epic wings?”
Keith grinned. “No, I’m going full Dark Magician today. I brushed up on my spells just for this.”
What was the point of having a giant draconian library with piles of spell books if you didn’t sneak around memorizing them throughout your childhood? Keith hadn’t wasted the opportunity and studied hundreds of the things.
His [Quick Read] perk and Intelligence eighty-five weren’t to be laughed at, and he had taken an hour to refresh his memory on the spell words and casting requirements.
The average wizard had access to the kingdom’s regular library and was free to study as they would … but your average wizard was level fifteen. Even famous adventurers known throughout the continent, like Lavender the Lizard Wizard, were only in their level thirties.
Keith checked his character sheet. His experience points gained from hunting and harvesting had slowed down in recent years, as he’d focused on golemancy and tinkering and running the entire Dark Enchanted Forest.
As you do.
“I can cast whatever you like, but I’m atrocious at healing. Though I can use the perk [Quick Buff] to enhance or buff your items durability by +1? Or better yet …” Keith lifted the hand he was holding and thumbed the heirloom ring on Ria’s finger.
Unlike his [Cantrip] perk, which only had five spell slots for an instant cast, the regular spells he knew were not limited to anything except his own capacity for learning. Each had complex formulae that were essential in shaping his mana into the spell diagram, and then a long verbal component he could thankfully skip with his [Quick Chant] perk.
“[Wearer’s Luck].”
[You have attempted to use the Skill:Magic (Wearer’s Luck). You have succeeded. 50% debuff applied to all Rogue-class Abilities attempted on this item.]
He watched his mana deplete and spent a bit more to make the basic buff last for twenty-four hours.
Henrietta looked her ring over, pleased. “Can you do my earring as well?”
“My pleasure.” Keith reached out and delicately ran a finger along Ria’s ear as he cast the [Wearer’s Luck] spell a second time. “Should I enchant your sword as well?”
Before he could touch it, Ria jumped a bit and waved a hand over her sword protectively. “Oh no, Jacqueline doesn’t like to be disturbed like that.”
Keith didn’t take it personally. Enchanted swords almost always came with personality. More so than his golems, even. “That’s fine. So you stab things, I light things on fire, and between the two of us, we’ll have a great time?”
“That sounds lovely, Keith!” Ria squared her shoulders trying to look professional, but she had a bounce in her step as they hopped onto the platform.
Ria looked out over the market while Keith distractedly checked his own equipment. As lines of blue light wove around them, he heard Ria mumble under her breath, “Oh shoot. She saw us!”
CHAPTER 57
Not Very Heroine of Justice
Henrietta
The idea of a date with Keith, walking hand in hand through a dungeon while a trail of monsters stretched behind us and the glow of [+1] experience points illuminated us in the darkness …mighthave been a deciding factor in my choice to abandon Lady Amy this morning.
“Abandon” was astrongword. I’d only agreed to go with her to the Damp Gizzard, and I’d done just that. We’d talked and had a lovely sleep—or at least she had—and I’d been happy to let her sleep in while I popped out to conquer a dungeon or two.
Alright, I was making excuses; it wasn’t kind to run off before she woke up. I’d let a moment of selfishness overcome me, which wasnotvery Heroine of Justice of me. Granted, I was only human. Maybe living with the Dark Horde was making me a little bit evil?
Something told me she would be there, waiting for us, when we finished the dungeon, and I would need to apologize. I was very good at apologizing; I’d had a lot of practice.
I would enjoy a lovely delve with Keith, and then regroup with my new … friend? We’d only known each other for a single day, but that seemed to fit. Were friendships always formed so quickly? Most of the people I’d met in the Dark Enchanted Forest had become my friends over the few weeks I’d been here … when back in Drendil, I just had Brownie and a few knights under my command that I could joke with.
Come to think of it, perhaps it was sharing a room. Back in Drendil, some of my knights had slept together every time we’d stopped at an inn on route to our quest. They’d told me they were friends with benefits. I always shared a room with the Knight Commander Havork, who slept on the floor or, if there was one, a chair.
So I guessed Lady Amy was my friend with benefits.
In the meantime, I waved an apology to the elf as Keith and I portaled to the first floor.
