First Spark
1016 Words
“…So, who exactly gave the commission?”
I couldn’t help myself.
Vel gave a small laugh, tone light. “No idea.”
When I frowned, she added as if obvious:
“We’re not supposed to know.”
She said it like explaining gravity.
“Mercenaries take the job, complete it. Who the client is, what they want that’s irrelevant. Curiosity isn’t part of the work.”
Then she smiled faintly, dismissing it.
“For us, knowing too much is nothing but trouble.”
“…But there is one thing I’ve wondered since meeting you.”
Turning toward me, her gaze steady.
“…Can you use magic?”
I froze, then shook my head.
Her brow arched. “Ah. Truly can’t.”
“Then illumination?”
I shook my head.
“Armor coating?”
Another shake.
“Support skills?”
Still no.
She observed me for a while, her expression unreadable.
At last, she let out a slow breath. “…Rare.”
She didn’t press further, but the silence weighed heavy.
After another look, she gave a thin laugh, shaking her head.
“Remarkable. How did you even reach this age?”
I stared blankly.
She continued evenly, words sharp and steady:
“No light. No defense. No reinforcement. You lack the basics of survival. How exactly have you lasted?”
No mockery in her tone, just disbelief, as if my existence simply didn’t add up.
Finally, she shook her head.
“…Living this long is already a miracle. This commission may be harder than I thought.”
She glanced at me.
“By the way. Your name?”
“…Lin Yu.”
She nodded once. Calm, definite.
“That will do.”
Vel raised a hand and traced a motion. A wall-stone went dark.
The corner of the room sank into shadow.
She looked at me, tone expectant.
“Go on. Relight it.”
I stared at the stone. Nothing.
Seconds passed. Still nothing.
Her brow ticked upward. A quiet laugh.
“…Not even that.”
She shook her head, faint smile edged with disbelief. “…Extraordinary.”
The stone stayed dark. I stayed frozen.
Vel’s eyes narrowed.
“…You’re not acting, are you?”
“…Huh?”
She scanned me, then gave a dry laugh.
“If this is an act, it’s too perfect. No one plays incompetence this well.”
Her tone was flat, matter-of-fact.
She tapped the stone; it lit again.
“…Strange. I thought the report exaggerated. Seems they were holding back.”
Ah, another blow. Calm words, sharper than shouting.
Every sentence sounded neutral, factual. Yet each one hit like a slap.
Vel bent down, picked up a stone, and rolled it in her fingers.
She flicked me a glance.
“Catch.”
She tossed it.
The moment it hit my palm, my arm crashed to the floor with a thud. I nearly faceplanted.
What the hell?? neutron star core?!
When I looked up, Vel was watching me with open disbelief.
She studied me for a while, then breathed out a quiet laugh.
“…Unbelievable. You don’t even seem raised properly.”
Her head tilted.
“Perhaps you’re some oddity from the Eastern Territory. If they sent you out, they should’ve taught you the basics. You slipped past Drestar once, but like this, being caught again is inevitable.”
Without warning, she touched my palm.
Something surged in jolting through me, like a new nerve snapping awake.
I gasped, fingers tightening.
“…What is this?”
“Mana,” she said, as if obvious. “Stored power is easier than drawing from the environment. Try it.”
I looked down. Silent. Still. Yet undeniably something was moving inside me. Strange, faint, but real.
Vel picked up the same stone. Its weight was gone.
She handed it over. “Again.”
I hesitated, then obeyed.
Both hands cupped around it, I shoved all my focus down.
And...
“…It lit up?”
A faint glow spread across the surface. Weak, but clear.
I froze.
The next second, I nearly burst out laughing.
“Holy s**t!!! It worked! I can actually use magic?!”
Vel’s smile barely moved.
“…Odd. You treat the basics like discovery.”
Her words calm, but they pressed down heavy.
“How have you survived this long?”
Another knife disguised as fact.
She pulled a small disc from her belt. Plain. Unremarkable.
With a touch, unseen energy flowed in, and a thin glow spread.
“Take it.” She handed it over. “Enough for a while.”
I clutched it, warmth and weight in my palm.
“You can’t draw from the environment. Use this.” Her tone didn’t shift.
“I stored mana inside. With it, you’ll manage light, defense, reinforcement. At least you won’t collapse every time you trip.”
I held it tight, eyes practically glowing.
Wow, A magic power bank. Incredible.
My pulse spiked. I almost howled.
Vel was still watching, gaze sharp with disbelief.
“…You’ve never handled one?”
Her tone calm, but it chilled me.
“This is your first storage device, isn’t it.”
My mouth opened soundlessly.
She sighed, lips curving faintly.
“If the report hadn’t said so, I’d assume you were pretending.”
Another plain statement, delivered like a slap.
Vel drew a folded sheet from her coat, smoothed it flat across her knee. An old map.
I leaned in, but it made no sense.
Lines, symbols, coordinates pure chaos.
? Paper maps? Seriously? This is medieval GPS.
Her eyes stayed fixed, tracing paths with clinical precision.
I stood there, useless.
At last, her gaze sharpened, lips curving faintly.
“…Not far.”
She folded it away, decision made.
Turning to me, her voice level.
“So. Do you have a destination? My job is getting you back.”
“…Back?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“…Back where?”
Vel let out a slow breath.
“Of course, that’s for you to decide.”
Her lips curved slightly.
“But if you haven’t decided… I have a suggestion.”
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