A New Star Chapter 25

I had thoroughly dissected the beast, of course, and stored away its core and a few other choice items, leaving most of the meat. I remembered the meat of bears on my homeworld was not only gamey but could even have a toxic component. Perhaps I was misremembering that, but I did remember they were at the very least unpleasant eating. I was sure as an alchemist I could use many of its organs for my purposes, but I chose to only keep the heart and liver, as I didn't want to lug around all that extra weight.  

I moved on to the next beast, a large mountain cat that had come down from further up in the Wilds, as did many beasts, migrating southward. It was mainly due to pressure from more powerful beasts, from what the current theory was; that theory wasn't likely all-encompassing, as there had to be weaker or slower creatures in an environment if only to maintain a stable food chain. At least, that was true from what I knew, but I was not a biologist or zoologist or anything of the kind, so I couldn't really comment without further study. There was clearly some kind of either migratory or incentive-based pressure or urge to move southward, though it was far more prevalent in lower-ranked beasts than it was in more powerful ones. That was rather good, of course, as having random T- or V- or X-ranked beasts showing up constantly from the Wilds to challenge the border would be untenable.  

The mountain cat proved no difficulty, and I moved on after cleaning it, finding a pack of wolves that posed little challenge. I had the element of surprise and the ability to teleport; enemies of far more power and cunning had difficulty in challenging me, let alone a few stray C-rank beasts. I cleaned the kills quickly before moving off, finding several valuable herbs as I headed for my next target. I harvested them all carefully, still able to do it at an appreciable speed thanks to my skill with alchemy. I found the next beast, an old bird-like beast with a fat body and stubby wings, on the ridge of the mountain, sunning itself before hunting for the day. Unfortunately for it, today it was destined to be the prey rather than the predator, and it stood no chance of resisting.  

Cleaning the kill, always annoying for something with so many feathers, I quickly packed up and moved off to the side, having sensed something unusual nearby. I found a little cave at the end of the ridge with something glimmering in the back; apparently, my little bird friend had found a small crystal it had become fascinated with and stashed in its nest for later. I quickly grabbed it, wiping it off before examining it, finding it to be a low-grade mana crystal. It wasn't particularly impressive, but it was useful for any profession, including alchemy, and I tucked the thumb-sized piece into my belt pouch before moving on.  

I spent about two hours killing and cleaning, as well as gathering materials. I didn't go at my maximum possible speed, as I knew it was not a good idea to ever fully reveal one's capabilities, but I went faster and worked more efficiently than I otherwise would have. I wanted to give grandfather and the count a good showing, and I also didn't desire to really hide my capabilities from either of them. They had both twigged to the fact I was not exactly who I seemed and playing the fool now would be more disadvantageous for my position than what I could win with a healthy dose of honesty. 

Strangely, as I pondered that, the warm feeling returned to my chest, a strange sensation that I had experienced several times before. I hadn't really paid any more attention to this at any other time, but now was different, a very clear sense of something other washing over me. I quickly darted up into a tree and slid into the dark paths, stopping to examine what was happening to me. It took me a few moments, but I quickly realized the biggest difference as compared to the last time I had this strange feeling was that I had a new affinity: Soul Resonance. It was very clearly something to do with that affinity, though I had no idea what the affinity was or how it worked. I had not had much time to research it, and by that I meant no time at all, but I had read extensively in my parents' library, and I had not seen mention of this exact affinity. There were, however, references to soul-based affinities, from which I had gleaned a few things. 

Firstly, the soul was, at its core, immutable. Soul damage and injuries were possible, and damned difficult to heal or counter, but they were not permanent, nor did they ever strike at the true core of the soul. Secondly, those with any kind of soul affinity had a much, much greater resistance to anything that damaged or influenced the soul. Note, however, that did not mean illusions and mesmerizing magic did not work on them; while the soul was tied into the conscious, they were not one and the same, and something that affected the cognitive centers of the brain wouldn't interfere with the soul. Mental and Soul affinities, attacks, and resistances were different and had very little overlap.  

The last thing I had learned was that people, beasts, monsters, spirits, and many other strange and Fae things communicated with or sensed the soul on some level. Having a soul affinity was a powerful defense, a powerful method of attacking, if one could figure out how to do so, and was an additional method of communication. I was quite wary, but that communication part was important, as nothing I sensed happening felt like any kind of attack. Instead, it felt very much like an attempt at communication, more like someone extending a greeting, or even more so, passing on a reassuring feeling. It was very puzzling, I must admit, as there was no one nearby, other than my grandfather and the count. The count I could dismiss out of hand, unless he had been prowling about the estate far longer than I knew. My grandfather, as well, I could dismiss fairly easily, as I had felt the warm feeling several times and most of those occasions he wasn't present at the estate at all.  

I tried to turn inward, to examine myself internally and see if I could find anything, a mark, a link, some oddity that would point to what was happening. I quickly found my mind's eye drawn to that room that contained the hovering orbs of mana that represented my affinities. The pressure or feeling seemed a bit stronger here, a sense more like warm liquid revolving in my chest making itself known. Just as I was investigating that, however, the feeling and sensations all disappeared, leaving me crouching in the dark with nothing to show for it but a deep frown on my face.  

I waited for a time, trying to re-establish that feeling or see if something happened a second time, the same thing or something new. Despite waiting for more than fifteen minutes without moving or giving any indication I was aware of anything, nothing approached me, pinged me, touched me, or caused any strange feelings. Still frowning slightly, I dismissed the episode to the back of my mind for now; it had not been dangerous, as far as I could tell, and I had some bigger fish to fry. Well, I would need a much larger pan for my grandfather, let alone the count, but I would get there eventually.  

************************* 

Emmanuel 

"So, what do you say now?" I asked as we hovered in the air, high overhead. The young girl, if we should even call or think of her as that, was below us, finishing off yet another beast in near-record time. 

"I still think it's dangerous here," her grandfather said to me. "Even if she is an Old Soul, she doesn't know the current times or understand this area." 

"She seems to be doing just fine," I said off-handedly, stroking my beard.  

"Well, she's doing alright," Joseph admitted. 

"Alright?" I asked, glancing at him where he hovered next to me. "In two hours she has killed a D-rank bear, a D-rank mountain lion, six C-rank wolves, a D-rank mottle bird, four D-rank iron claws, an E-rank death bear, and six D-rank shivering rats. Not only that, but she has found quite a few coins worth of materials on top of cleanly and efficiently skinning all her kills." 

"Well, yes…" he said slowly, frowning down at the girl, who had disappeared for a handful of minutes before popping back out of the dark. I glanced at Joseph out of the corner of my eye as we watched her silently stalk a second bear, the massive beast with simply no clue that a lethal predator had firmly locked onto its scent.  

"That's an F-rank," I said to him conversationally. 

"You think she'll have trouble?" he asked in a worried tone, snapping a quick glance at me. 

"Doubtful," I said with an airy wave, flexing the fingers of my right hand on the head of my cane. I really should just call it a sword for now, considering how little wood the brat had left on it with her attack in our little…spar. Yes, that's right, we would just refer to that as a light spar, despite the loss of dignity a fabled Y-ranker sparring with a D-ranker, if I didn't miss my guess, would bring. I cared little for such things.  

"She's very adroit," Joseph commented as we hovered high overhead. 

"Meaning?" I asked, quirking a brow at him. 

"Meaning I think she's a lot more than somebody that remembered a couple conversations or has some instinctive knowledge of a skill or two," he said. "It seems she has fully retained her memories, and certainly not those of being an A- or B-ranker." 

"Of course," I scoffed lightly. "If you had been the one in the ring with her, you would understand." 

"She's really that good?" he asked. I could hear he still held a faint note of incredulity in his voice.  

"Let me put your doubts to rest, young man," I said, calling him young if only to needle the seventy-year-old. "She has the skill and battle experience of someone a hundred times her age. The skill with her weapons, in particular, is no empty show, unlike some young whelps these days that get trained by some of those fancy dandies who've never experienced a real battlefield in their whole life." 

"Some even in our family," he said darkly. 

"Ha!" I returned. "You needn't worry. Provided we can assure this young monster doesn't die an early, ignoble death, your family will have nothing to fear for centuries." 

"The Settled Lands as they currently are cannot hold her," Joseph said, frowning deeply with a far-off look in his eyes. "She's too strong for that, for one. Likely too smart." 

"Some secrets are dangerous," I cautioned him strongly, the edge of steel in my tone.  

"I understand what you mean," he replied with a nod.  

"Well, perhaps she will be a breath of fresh air," I said. "She certainly has the potential, and she is quite strong. Do you know anything about her body?" 

"Other than she clearly started using mana, likely based on having her old memories, from an extremely young age? No, I don't know anything about it. I know she pulled some stunt in the basement that had some of the captains talking, but I don't know the details," he replied. 

"Let me elucidate you then," I said, nodding as I watched the girl execute a flawless ambush on her prey. She moved with a fluid, lethal grace that I had only ever observed in true warriors, battling the bear and taking it apart, piece-by-piece, almost in the manner a skilled butcher took apart a carcass. Which she would be doing again very soon.  

"She used a mana concentration array," I continued, coming up out of my observations. "She channeled not just the output, but a considerable amount of stored mana that the array had gathered in its holding runes, through her physical body. What that truly did, you can only imagine, but I imagine it was quite a boost to her body affinity, at the least." 

"Dangerous," Joseph grunted. "So damned dangerous. And how could she know that the runes and array are still the same? That was reckless behavior." 

"Reckless or bold, it's all about perspective," I shrugged in response. "Well, shall we?" 

"Yes, I think that's enough," Joseph answered, gliding through the air towards her. 

************************ 

Alexandra 

The third bear had been very strong, a big bastard that was the size of a small hill and had an earth affinity of some kind. Cutting through its flesh had been like trying to slice thick mud, and it was tough as old, soaked leather. I took my time carving it up after I had dealt the final blow, having to work around the large wounds I had dealt to its chest and stomach. Luckily, I could carve most of the damaged section away and still have a clean piece of hide big enough to cover my entire sitting room back at the estate. I sensed the approach of two massive power sources, sparing only a glance to check it was the count and grandfather, before going back to finishing with the carcass.  

"An impressive display," the count commented as they settled behind me. 

"I aim to please," I said in a deadpan as I finished cleaning the corpse. 

"What are you going to do with all of this?" asked my grandfather. 

"Take it into town and sell it," I explained calmly. 

"Into town? Umberton, you mean?" he asked with a puzzled expression. 

"Yes. I have contacts," I explained, noting the two of them exchange a quick glance. 

"When did you get to town?" grandfather asked, again seeming more confused than anything else.  

"I established contact there more than a year ago," I explained simply.  

"You've been going into town since you were…four?" he asked, doing some quick math, considering I had said more than a year.  

"Yes," I replied simply, that shortness that indicated a command or firm end of a line of questions. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my last life, and I certainly wouldn't be getting any quick agreements and following of orders from these two. 

"And who do you have contact with in town?" the count cut in, stroking his beard as he watched me finish scraping the hide. 

"A man by the name of Pietr," I replied, watching my grandfather frown slowly before a dark look overtook his face.  

"Pietr? The wannabe gangster and small-time smuggler, Pietr Ruskan? That's your contact?" he asked, clearly unhappy. 

"Yes, and I have kept track of the amount of business and paid into the local tax coffer, don't worry," I said staidly. "Sneaking money into the tax accountant's is much easier when you can teleport." 

"Taxes be damned, that's not the issue," my grandfather snorted angrily.  

"Well, whatever is?" I asked, confused, hoisting the massive pelt over my shoulder. I hated to transport stuff without giving it a proper drying time, but I wasn't worried about moving too fast and leaving these two behind. "Let's walk and talk. I don't want these hides to rot or mess more than they already will have." 

"Who is Pietr?" the count asked my grandfather as I began retracing my steps, having all the other valuables from the third bear in my backpack. 

"He's the leader of one of the two gangs in Umberton," my grandfather replied sourly. "He leads a petty little band of misfits, most of them not much more than D-rank, though each of those petty little criminal groups has a few heavy hitters. He mainly smuggles products in and out of town, mostly goods from the Wilds that people are trying to avoid the tax, or sometimes the proscriptions, on. He engages in a bit of petty larceny and drug running as well, though his operation is rather small-time." 

"I see," the count said. "And you have made contact with him?" 

The question was clearly directed at me as I grabbed a few more hides and secured them before heading for the next stash. "Yes," I answered simply. "Two of his thugs tried to jump me, likely hoping for a few coppers, I suppose, and I taught them what a bad idea that was. Then, I went back to Pietr's little tavern that he uses as his hideout and introduced myself to their boss, though he wasn't all that happy to see me. I have had warmer receptions. But, in the end, we came to a mutual understanding and now do some profitable business together." 

"I don't like this," grandfather stated flatly. 

"Your likes and dislikes aren't a concern," I replied coldly. "I will handle my business." 

"The hell you will," he snapped back, but got himself under control. "I can't believe you're consorting with criminal elements." 

"Access to the underground, un-monitored cash flow, far-reaching and apolitical connections, a network of eyes and ears off any official payroll, and an easily severable line to dispose of less-than-savory business," I rattled off. "The only dangers are in dealing with a criminal element that only cares about profit and their zone of control, coupled with an imbalance of power. Both are easy to solve." 

"Oh, well, I'm glad you have it all figured out," grandfather said sarcastically as I grabbed more hides, tying them to my pack. 

"These types are always simple," I continued, ignoring his tone. "Whoever has the bigger fist, wins. Not only is my fist bigger than theirs, but these types are also always simple. They see a bad idea or one that isn't to their advantage, but one that offers tons of coin, and they can't help themselves. They must jump on it. Once you get them on the line, reel them in slowly, and get them in your grasp, they're yours." 

"And how do you propose to do this?" the count interjected with some interest. 

"Ha!" I gave a short, sharp laugh. "This is not a future plan. I have already done it. I would not explain my plan otherwise; never reveal what you will do, just explain how you have already done it." 

"And what is this masterstroke?" asked my grandfather in some genuine curiosity. 

"Pills," I said simply, opening my belt pouch, extracting a bottle, and throwing it at him. He caught it quite easily and popped it open, sniffing the opening before pouring out a few pills onto his palm. He examined them, the count looking on with interest, before returning them to the bottle and resealing it, throwing it back at me far softer than I had thrown it at him.  

"I don't quite get it," he said, a bit puzzled. 

"How much have you sold?" the count cut in, eyeing me with a knowing look. 

"Over two dozen large bottles," I said coolly. 

"I see," he said. 

"I don't," said grandfather. 

"She has become a supplier for them," the count explained. "More than that, she has become either one of the primary suppliers or, in point of fact, the primary supplier. They are heavily reliant on her for one of their main products. Based on the quality of the pills and the size of their gang, I could easily guess that this has become their main source of revenue. They have become indelibly tied to her with nary a punch thrown. If she disappears, or something happens to her, the gang loses a massive source of money, and that is a source that is dependable and safe. Even if they haven't puzzled it out for themselves, they will have a gut-level understanding that she is their current golden ticket. Not to mention her own connections, being the daughter of a grand duke and grand duchess." 

"Oh, well, that's…interesting," grandfather said. 

"Eloquent," I supplied. 

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