NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26 - School of Order
Nova thought back to his distant life of blacksmithing on the fringes of a new world. He had been born on the ship sailing there, so the new world was the only world he knew. And it was extremely hostile.
Since he wasn't allowed to join the hunts as a child, he instead started learning the trade of smithing. And at the young age of thirteen, he surpassed all his teachers. After that, not a day went by when he didn't keep perfecting his craft.
After all, the hunters thinned in numbers all too often without him.
'If I had focused on fighting instead of smithing, I would have been the only one remaining after some time. But still, it was my most peaceful life. At least since my first.'
Eager to see what the system had to say about his fragment, he pulled up the status window.
[Fragment of Nova Gorton]
[Core Stats]
[Soul Power: 16168]
[Soul Purity: Bright]
[Compatibility: 87%]
[Time Limit: 122 min]
[Essence]
[66418/66418]
[Aspects]
[Physical Force: 10638]
[Physical Control: 8601]
[Physical Resilience: 9506]
[Mental Force: 7809]
[Mental Control: 9959]
[Essence Generation: 8827]
[Essence Capacity: 8375]
[Soul Traits]
[Divine Focus] [MYTHIC]
[Your concentration can reach heights normal humans could only dream of, and can last for as long as necessary.]
["He once sat still for three days, hammering a simple piece of metal. A prosthetic, for a young girl to dance again."]
[Material Resonance] [LEGENDARY]
[You can sense the true nature and potential of materials through touch alone, understanding their strengths, flaws and optimal uses.]
["The metal sings to him, each in their own unique voice. And he creates symphonies."]
Nova felt a wave of emotion hit him when seeing the commentary, causing a tear to appear in the corner of his eye. One of his proudest moments was seeing the smile on that young girl's face as she danced.
"And she danced… God, how she danced. The Clockwork Ballerina…" He took a deep breath, calming himself. "I'm getting sentimental in my old age…"
With that prosthetic, he accidentally started a technological revolution, launching his reputation even higher in the new world. Even the first captain leading the expedition had a smaller statue.
'... I hope they're still doing well. It had turned into a major city before my death. Maybe they're even taming the wilds these days?
Shaking his head from the nostalgic reminiscence, he studied the stats more closely, finding nothing too surprising. The higher Soul Power was expected, but the traits were greater than he expected.
'Divine Focus… I don't know if I would call it that, exactly. Although… thinking back, I probably lost the ability to focus perfectly after that life. But I thought it had more to do with the chaos of the next one.
And Material Resonance… I thought only the material of that world could sing, but perhaps it was an innate ability after all… I have missed the sound.'
The urge to equip it and look at the materials in his core was great, but he knew he wouldn't have time to use it anytime soon. He had a mission of great importance and urgency.
'The new time limit will definitely help me a lot—two hours for the Gorton fragment and nearly three for the Noctis one.'
Returning to his preparations, he looked through his remaining souls to find a suitable human one. It wouldn't have any notable traits, but its name and aspects would need to be decent.
'... This one looks nice! Soul of Arthur Pembridge, sounds like a suitable name. There is the risk of choosing one that will be recognized, but in a city of hundreds of thousands, I would have to be cursed to be that unlucky.'
He equipped the soul, feeling his body go back to that of a normal human. Clenching his fist, only the power of his body cultivation remained.
'Damn, there's that too. If I can find good material for the other four elements, my body will become so much stronger. And the iron keys were the bare minimum of metal essence, so I should find a replacement for that as well…'
Noticing his distracted thoughts, he shook his head and focused on the task at hand. The first thing he did was use the Inner Blossoming Invocation to increase his Soul Power to 34, using up all the essence in the soul.
Afterward, he could start absorbing some more souls into the one he had equipped. But a thought struck him just in time.
'Wait, can't I do this to all the other fragments as well? Increasing their Soul Power before absorbing them? Damn, I should have thought of that earlier!'
After a short debate, he decided to take some more time to prepare, going through each remaining soul and using all the essence to increase their Soul Power. It was an advantage only he had, so he needed to use it to the fullest of his ability.
'I wish I could buy all the souls in the city and sell them for a profit. But I could only do that if I wanted a giant target on my back. It would be discovered immediately that I have a unique skill. I can't even sell these souls now.'
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After half an hour of going through each remaining soul and using the invocation, they had grown by an average of 40%. So now, he could equip the soul of Arthur Pembridge again and start absorbing.
[Beginning absorption process...]
[Soul of Bearded Salamander absorbed. Soul Power +27.]
[Soul of Michael Ewing absorbed. Soul Power +39.]
[...]
He stopped once the soul power reached eight hundred, thinking it would be a good idea to give this soul to Governor Newark when the time came. It should also be more than enough for the church to mark him as a talent, letting him into their school.
'Still a white purity soul, and very good aspect ratios. My temporary life as Arthur Pembridge has now started!'
Quinn looked tired when Nova returned to the shop, absentmindedly sharpening a knife. He didn't even notice Nova entering the room.
"How are you, Quinn?" Nova asked warmly.
"Oh! Hey, Nova." He turned to look at him, knife still in hand. "I'll be alright. Just a lover's quarrel."
"... Your wife?"
"On paper, yeah." Quinn set the knife down with a sigh. "In reality, though..."
"You don't have to tell me. I think I've figured out most of it."
"Yeah?" Quinn's lips twisted into a half-smile. "Us normal humans are that simple to you?"
"Well, I don't know the whole story." Nova leaned against the doorframe. "But I know my room once belonged to a child, and I know what can happen to a family after tragedies."
Quinn nodded, sighing deeply. "Then you're not far off. But it's not something you need to worry about." As he spoke, he lifted one of the crates filled with ice onto a display table near the window. "Are you headed out?"
"Yeah, I was just on my way. Uhm, there was one thing I meant to ask."
"You can bring her here." Quinn didn't look up. "There's nowhere else, right?"
Nova was surprised he caught on so quickly. His question was indeed if he could bring Millie back to the shop. "You're taking on a lot of risk, Quinn. The church will likely turn every stone to find her, and they already know I'm connected to your shop."
"They only know you visited. You might as well have been a customer." Quinn shrugged. "And besides, I'm sure you'll protect the place once she's here."
"Well, true. Thanks, Quinn."
"Don't worry about it. I'm not sacrificing much."
Nova let the silence stretch, studying the fishmonger's hollow expression. 'It's not so much that he's selfless, but that he doesn't care for his own life… Perhaps housing a small girl will help? Someone to love and protect?'
Nova cleared his throat. "There's one more thing. Could you write a letter to the church, telling them I've lost both my parents and that you wish to enroll me there?"
"Ohh, like a cover story?" Quinn's eyes lit up with understanding. "Nice thinking. Give me a moment." He retrieved a quill and notepad from behind the counter. The words came slowly, punctuated by long pauses as he formed each letter.
"There, done." Quinn held up the concise note, which was written in harsh, blocky letters.
Nova took the letter, squinting at the rough handwriting. "That's perfect! Probably."
"I aim to please." Quinn's beard twitched with a hint of pride.
"I'm headed out, then. See you later!"
"Yeah, good luck."
For the first time in a while, Nova released his Mirror Skin Invocation, letting his full power—or rather, Arthur Pembridge's full power—flood into the air around him.
He walked a few thousand steps, and then a few thousand more, before finally reaching the grand cathedral. The building dominated the skyline, and every surface was adorned with intricate marble and gold carvings that caught the morning light.
'There's a barrier protecting every surface. No wonder they can afford to be so flashy… Now, do I just walk in the main door? This isn't the school, but maybe they can take me there?'
Nova tugged at his sleeve, adopting the mannerisms of a nervous child. "Ex-excuse me, mister!" He called to a passing man. "I-is this where the s-school of order is?"
The man's face softened at Nova's apparent anxiety. "Oh, it's right nearby. You go to the side of the cathedral, that way." He pointed toward the sun-lit side of the building. "Just follow the white wall, then you'll see a flashy building with white and gold doors. That's the school."
"Okay, th-thank you, mister!" Nova bowed deeply, then hurried down the smaller road beside the cathedral, playing his role to perfection.
'Arthur is nervous around adults. Arthur stutters when he's nervous. Arthur comes from a family of fishermen, and he lost his father to the sea when he was three. Then his mother got sick and needed medicine, so she sold her husband's soul. But she still died, and that's when Arthur completed his soul. His aunt told him to go to the school after sensing his Soul Power, hoping he would live a decent life there.'
"I hope Aunt Mary is right," Nova mumbled, hunching his shoulders slightly.
His path took him past several narrow streets shrouded in shadow. The cathedral's proximity to the lower district meant scattered groups of hoodlums lurking in corners. They were clearly planning something unsavory, but with no children involved, Nova kept his deal and walked on.
Soon after, he arrived at a set of white and gold doors, just as described. Above the door was a large sign, but Nova still couldn't read it.
'I can tell there's a strong barrier here… I pray this works. But I don't think the gods in this world will help me with this. Fooling churches has that unfortunate side-effect.'
He knocked on the door, first with way too much strength, then with nearly no strength at all, acting like someone with recently obtained powers. He shuffled his feet, playing up his nervousness as he waited.
It didn't take long for movement to be heard inside, and soon, it swung open, revealing an old man. He stared at Nova with wide eyes. "Light and Order, child! You're strong!"
"Th-Thanks?" Nova stuttered, not sure how else to react.
The old man leaned out, peering around the empty street. "Are you here to enroll? Is no one with you?"
"Y-Yes, sir!" Nova clutched Quinn's letter tighter. "Aunt Mary to-told me to come here to study, sir!"
"Hmm..." The old man stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, you certainly seem strong enough. But I would like your parents to bring you, otherwise we might make a mistake."
Nova hung his head, slumping his shoulders.
"My parents aren't here anymore. Mom was sick…" His lower lip trembled as he drew a shaky breath.
"Oh, I'm sorry child. May they find peace." The old man held his arms together, holding both of his wrists in some sort of prayer. "But… this makes it hard for me to accept you in. Do you have a note or anything from your aunt?"
"Y-Yes! She g-gave me this," Nova fumbled in his pocket and thrust the paper forward with trembling fingers.
The old man unfolded the note eagerly, but his brows drew together as he read. "... Is your aunt good at writing?"
"I-I don't know, sir. It seemed like she was."
'Quinn, what did you write?'
"Hmm..." The old man glanced between Nova and the note, stroking his chin. "Well, I think I understand it, despite the mistakes... Fine, I'll accept you in. You've got a talent, so it would pain me to deny you."
"T-thank you, sir!" Nova bowed so low his white hair nearly touched the ground, then straightened with an eager expression.
"You can call me Brother Morrin." The old man's eyes crinkled kindly. "What's your name?"
"Arthur, sir! Arthur Pembridge!"
Brother Morrin's eyebrows lifted. "Pembridge, you say? From the theater up in the upper district?"
"No, Brother Morrin," Nova nervously scuffed his foot against the ground, with a hint of real nerves this time. "I'm from the docks."
"Huh, I guess it's not an uncommon name." Brother Morrin gestured inside. "Follow me, Arthur."
"Yes, sir!"