Wisdom of a Retired Mage [Private]

"15% finished. This update might take a day." Red alert sighs, staring blankly at the guildless job board from his table. He would receive glances from other mages, some commenting on how his armor might be merged to his body. Or they'd make up their own conclusion as to why this mage is always wearing the same armor everyday, but it didn't seem to smell either. What they said were merely baseless theories.

He was ready to leave and head towards Magnolia in hopes of finding the man in the picture, until he bumped into someone. Not physically, but they just stood in front of each other. He was met with a man whose head was those of an owl, and his body is covered in brown feathers of varying shades, although desaturated due to his age. He wore what seemed to be a typical wizard robe, a brown one with gold intricate designs. The back of his robe depicted what seems to be a fortress of some sort. Beside him are what looks like guards, except without the man. Animated armors, he thought, armed with pikes with razor sharp edges. The owl-man turned his eyes on him.

"You look like you're troubled. You're headed to Magnolia, correct? It's not safe in the wilderness, so let me go with you. I'm headed towards there as well." The man said, and Red Alert was taken aback by him, as if he could read him. Literally.

"Mhm. We should probably get going before the sun sets." Red Alert said, ignoring the fact that the man had two animated armors behind him. "Oh. I'm not too worried about the dark, sonny boy." The two left the inn, with Red Alert opening the door for him.

The two had left Rose Garden, travelling by foot. The old man didn't seem too tired. After awhile, the sun set, and it was already dark out. Red Alert had trouble seeing through the darkness of the forest, but the man on the other hand had no trouble at all, as if he could see through the dark. Finally, the two stopped to take a break before continuing their journey.

He turned to face the old man, and he looks like he's casting his magic. "Guardian Magic - Light" he said, as he created another animated armor, one that looks like a sorcerer wielding an orb of light, illuminating their radius. "What magic is that?" He asked. "Guardian Magic. It lets me conjure animated personnel. And I have more to show you later on." The two finished resting and went back to walking towards Magnolia.

A couple of hours later, Red Alert could feel himself getting tired, or sleepy. The old man felt the same as well. This left him worried about the old man because he thought the wouldn't survive in the wilderness. "We should build a camp for tonight. I feel you need to get some sleep, yes?" He said, smiling, as he knelt to the ground. He ordered the animated armors to stay back.

"Fortress Magic - Minor Base!" he casts, as a huge magic circle appears on the ground. Walls would rise forth, as well as some buildings. As everything was finished, lights from torches would illuminate inside. Animated armors appeared as well, looking heavily armored and some armed with crossbows. "Well, let's get inside and get dinner." Red Alert just stood there, both in shock and surprise, thinking how powerful could this man be. He shrugs it off and went inside with the two of them.

As he entered what seems to be a mess hall, he was greeted by a buffet of delicious food waiting to be eaten. He helped himself with whatever he can eat. As he sat down in one of the tables, the old man sat next to him. "You thought I'm just an old man that can't take care of himself, am I right?" he said, and Red Alert just swallowed his food. "Yes. Are you a retired wizard, perhaps? I have not heard of you nor did I have any data of you."

"Indeed I am. You see, I had my share of battles for the past decades. My magic let me shelter the weak, and protect those who cannot fend themselves. As for me being this fluffy old man you see before you, it is inherent. You know, I was just an ordinary carpenter when I was your age. I didn't know any other magic, and I've always thought that I was powerless, until our village was under attack by a dark guild. Every one fought back, but I saw bloodshed. I felt scared because I couldn't do anything. And that is when I tried to use magic out of desparation. I knew it was futile, but I was still trying. You want to know what happened?"

"I saw walls surrounding our village. Towers, gates, and a barracks. Out comes our saviors, animated armors wielding greatswords and shields, protecting us and driving them back. Arrows would fly out o the towers, attacking them. And it was until later that the dark guild retreated, and I passed out, drained from using that magic. In the following years, I practiced my magic and got stronger. Eventually, I lead the village just south from here. I just retired, leaving two of my children to lead our people. I took this opportunity to wander around the land. And so, if you ever thought you can't fight because you have no magic, or can't use magic for awhile, you can at least try something else."

Red Alert was inspired by his story. He was listening attentively while eating his food. He looked at the status of his update. 60% finished. A few minutes later, the two finished eating their meals. The old man stood up to leave to his room. "Get some good night's sleep, alright? You room's just on the left."

And he did. He had a dream about talking with the man whose face is a blur. A memory, relived. But his sweet dream came to an end when he woke up. He got himself up and went out of his room. He saw the old man, all packed and ready to leave for Magnolia.

As the two went along their way, he turned to face the small fortress, sinking down into a magic circle.


"I think you should meet Shinsou. He's a good kid."