"Supplies secured, he turned back toward Elvira, if anyone could help him make sense of this world, it was her."
He found her gazing at the sky, lost in thought.A small breeze tugging at her hair, she felt distant as if looking at something beyond the clouds, when the steps reached her. She blinked, pulling herself out of the memory, her eyes seemed older than her face allowed.
"Elvira, I need your help." He kept his tone even, though it tasted bitter. Asking for help had never sat right for him.
"Do you know of any places selling supplies?"
She studied him, weighing his intentions. "It depends on what you need. The general store is close by, near the main road if you need provisions. But for more specialized items..."
Her eyes flicked to the dagger sheathed at his side. "There's a shop to the right selling poisons and elixirs."
Vergil nodded in approval, she was practicality with her words. A comforting quality for someone to have.
"Thank you."
He wanted to ask more, bust restrained himself. Too many questions would invite suspicion.
"Be careful with that place." Her eyes lingered on him for a moment too long. "The old man there isn't your average merchant."
It wasn't just a warning. It sounded like she'd said those words once before, and no one had listened.
Playing with the customer. Amusing, but troublesome. Still, he would manage.
---
Ding. Ding. Ding.
The shop felt half-dead before he even stepped inside, the bell jingling as the door creaked open. Outside, the sign dangled loosely.
Shelves lined the walls, crowded with bottles of every shape and color, each row arranged with obsessive care.
Behind the counter hunched an old man, a vial in hand. His skin was like parchment, his robes blotched with stains of countless experiments. One eye was murky grey, the other amber, both gleaming with mischief. The scent of herbs clung to him like a second skin.
Each movement was slow and deliberate, the essence of time itself weighing him down.
"A new day, a new face," he croaked, coughing lightly before smirking. "Welcome to my abode of oddities. The name's Osric. What do you seek?"
Suspicious. Definitely. But Vergil needed what he offered.
"I'm looking for a paralysis potion," he said firmly, straight to business.
"Ah, a boy who knows the value of an unfair fight. I can respect that." Osric's tone carried subtle interest as he leaned back. "For an E-rank potion, a vial will run thirty silver."
"And what about an E-rank health potion?" Vergil asked.
"Restoring life is always trickier," Osric said thoughtfully. "That will be sixty silver."
They were expensive, but worth it.
"I'll take one of each."
The old man chuckled, reaching behind the counter and setting down two vials. One shimmered dark green, the other glowed faintly red.
"A fine choice. But be careful with the paralysis. You wouldn't want to paralyse yourself by mistake."
"I'll keep that in mind," Vergil muttered, sliding the gold coin across the counter.
The moment it left his hand, a notification flickered before his eyes.
[Inventory Unlocked]
[You now have a storage capacity of 20 items! Additional space can be unlocked using Astralyth stones or other rare materials.]
Finally. He tucked the potions safely into his inventory instead of carrying them in his pouch. The dagger, though, he kept at his hip. Too dangerous to pull it out mid-battle.
With supplies secured, he decided to return to Elvira. The world was complicated, and information was a must. Understanding it would give him the edge he needed and maybe even leverage.
Wait, he thought. Wouldn't my system know something?
[If you already learned the information, then I can tell you. Otherwise, I'm just a useless system.]
The voice sounded sulky. He rolled his eyes. This was what he had to deal with now.
---
Elvira was still at the same spot when he returned, watching him approach with a curious gleam, with an unsurprised look, if anything smile flickered at the corner of her mouth.
"We meet again," her tine was light, unreadable. "Did you need something else?"
"I… want to know more about the world."
Her expression shifted into deep thought. "Shouldn't you already know that?"
His gaze dropped briefly. . "I lost my memories. When I woke up, I was already here." He spoke quietly.
She studied him, eyes searching quietly, then rose.
"Poor soul," she murmured. "That explains a few things." Her sigh wasn't putting, but of a sound of someone's who's seen too many wonder's.
She gestured toward her home. "Come inside. If you plan to survive, you'll need more than instinct."
Vergil stepped inside, eyes flickering around the room. The warmth should've been comforting, instead he felt uncomfortable. He knew he didn't belong here.
With a nod, she indicated the chair. Shelves of books and scrolls lined the walls, dust settling on the untouched volumes.
"Sit here, Vergil," Elvira said, motioning toward the chair opposite her.
Plucking an aged leather tome from the shelf, she laid it open on the table. A hand-drawn map sprawled across the double paged mountains, seas, borders. Entire kingdoms waiting for their stories to be told.
"Being ignorant is bliss," she said quietly. "But too much ignorance will kill you. So listen well."
"In total, their are seven powers dividing the world. The first is Vaeloria…"
Her hand swept east, pointing to a neutral land. "A kingdom without a sovereign. Not bound by royalty or faith it exists as sanctuary for those who seek freedom. It's also where we are."
"A nation without a ruler… impressive."
"Vaeloria doesn't follow kings or emperors," she tapped the capital. "A Council governs the land, and only the most capable members rise to lead.
She tapped to a place near the capital. "The Academy of Hunters trains prodigies from across Eternia in a two-year program starting in two months."
Verhil clenched his fingers, gaze lingered at the acdemy. His mouth twitching slightly.
"Aurelia." "The Holy kingdom that worships the goddess of light Aurelia, it's people live in devotion, yet even they shook to the core when the goddesses own daughter who descended vanished during the First Demon war."
"Where could she be?" Vergil asked
"Thats a question only the Goddess herself could maybe answer."
"I'd rather not meet another god again.' Vergil grimaced, leaving the matter there.
Finally, she pointed north to a dark, shadowed continent. "The Demonic Continent. Once the heart of an empire, ruled without opposition. After the Demon War ten years ago, they retreated."
"So they're… gone?"
Her gaze lingered on the northern edge of the map, and for a heartbeat, something colder passed over her face. "Some say the demons are hiding. Others claim they were forced into retreat. And there are whispers that some never left…"
"That's enough for now," she said, standing. "I have somewhere to be."
"However there is one more thing I need to explain before you leave," Her eyes narrowed.
"Tears," she added.
Vergil's tilted his head in confusion at the word. "Tears?"
"Some are temporary, releasing monsters. Others are permanent, gateways to other worlds. If left unchecked, they can release entire armies. Guilds only handle the Tier 0 tears and they are the weakest ones."
"So remember, no matter what. Never go into one" she put her arms on his shoulders, sligtly trembling.
"Promise me."
Vergil nodded repeatedly. Fists clenchedinh and eyes lowered.
"...I promise."
Elvira glanced at the small wooden clock. "That's enough for today. Let's continue this another time."
Vergil inclined his head, smiling faintly.
"Take care, Elvira. If I need more help, I'll come back."
As Vergil stepped outside, a system panel appeared once more.
[Relationship with the Retired Mage Elvira has increased to ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (2 Stars)]
"Two stars for that?" he muttered, squinting his eyes.
[Your response at the end pushed it to two, and the relationship is now mutual.] the system responded.
He blinked, considering. 'The Retired mage huh.' 'Then she must know magic.
He let out a bitter laugh. "So many forces, yet that wasn't all of them. Im... so behind."
Vergil turned around. "Should we make our way to the forest?"
[Finally, something simple, trees don't talk politics.]
"Let's hope not."