From Gamer to Mage: The Reincarnated Hero's Tale

Chapter 3: Dang, how could i let it slip?

"Dang, how could I let it slip?"

I muttered, my Bag of Holding secured to my waist as I hastened towards the prison complex.

I ought to have made her liberation my top priority. Instead, I'd squandered hours upon hours exploring, leaving her to languish in confinement. The sun had begun its descent, and I chastised myself for expecting events to unfold as they would in tales of fantasy.

When I finally arrived at the young woman's cell, I found myself breathless. "Are you... alright in there?" I managed between gasps.

Her eyes widened, and she cried out, "No! Stay back!"

Puzzled, I stammered, "Hey, it's okay! There's no need to be scared of me!"

"Keep your distance, you vile creature! You Fiend!"

In that moment, I understood that her gaze was not fixed on me but on something behind me. I turned slowly...

"Groo?" My loyal ogre guard, who had trailed me into the prison, cocked his head quizzically, awaiting my command.

""I...uh, didn't mean to spook you. Could you hear me out for a sec? I'm not with those bandit guys or any... beast, as you put it. I'm not here to harm you."

Silence was her only response.

The young woman had receded to the farthest corner of her cell, casting me cautious glances. In the moment I comprehended the issue, I had dismissed Groo, my ogre guard. But the impact of his presence was already etched into her eyes.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that describing her as a young woman was quite fitting. She was likely in her late teens, draped in a plain, sweat-soaked dress that clung to her form and accentuated her curves. Her hair, a cascade of fiery curls, and her spirited disposition betrayed an energy that was almost palpable. She appeared ready to lash out if I ventured any closer. Nevertheless, I steeled myself for another attempt at communication.

"I swear to you, I'm not deceiving you. That creature I just dismissed is a being I conjured through magic to serve me. There's no cause for alarm."

"But if you have called forth such a fiend... does that not align you with their kind?"

The term "fiend" surfaced again, I noted. It must be a unique phrase here in Dravus. Otherwise, I'd have a reference point for it. Given that my ogres are consistently mistaken for these "Fiends," there must be some resemblance. Yet, based on this girl's reaction and the bandits' earlier responses, these "fiends" were clearly feared and despised.

"I've been trying to explain," I attempted again, "I am merely a mage, a practitioner of magic."

"Mage? And what am I to make of that?"

Considering the girl's reaction and the earlier conversation with Karyon, it seemed likely that there was no equivalent term in the Dravus tongue for my form of magic, or perhaps the concept was simply obscure From the pieces I'd gathered, my magic and what Karyon referred to as "weaving" were likely two distinct systems, functioning in entirely different manners. It might explain why my protective spell failed against Karyon's ice arrow...

I caught myself, halting the train of thought. Those inquiries would have to wait. There was a more immediate issue at hand.

"Listen, if I were allied with those bandits, do you think they would have tossed me around like a ragdoll and thrown me into a cell? You witnessed them dragging me out of that one over there, didn't you?"

"Perhaps... a disagreement amongst yourselves?" She suggested, her voice hesitant.

I endeavored to see the situation through her lens. It was only fair that she was skeptical of a stranger who had suddenly appeared, proclaiming that he was here to liberate her. Even I was struggling to wrap my head around the bizarre chain of events that had led me to this point. However, I believed that she was beginning to grasp some of what I was saying. If I remained patient, I could possibly persuade her...