"Heavens!" I exclaimed with unabashed delight as I sank into the bathtub, causing the water to spill over its wooden confines.

  It was an unexpected yet very pleasant surprise to discover a bathtub in this rustic village. Though it lacked the grandeur of the one in my room, being somewhat cramped with its wooden border instead of ceramic, and the water lacking the sweet scent and warmth, I was grateful for the luxury after my long journey.

  As I luxuriated in the tub, gazing at the open sky now tinged with orange, since it was situated outdoors, behind the house, surrounded by wooden walls and a curtain serving as an entrance. It was from behind this curtain that a voice called out, "Miss Arianna, it's me, Madeline. I've got some clothes that I think might fit you."

  "Alright," I responded, emerging from the tub to accept the clothes from Madeline's outstretched hand.

  Madeline, the villager tasked with hosting me, was a woman in her mid-fifties, with graying hair tied in a high bun and a kind yet weathered face that bore the marks of years spent under the sun. Her hands, roughened by manual labor, exuded a gentle touch as she handed me the clothes.

  "Thank you," I said sincerely.

  When I left the chateau, I brought only a few possessions: my staff, wand, and some clothes, those I wore and a hood I "borrowed" from the stable guardian. I primarily used the hood to conceal Impotence, my staff, knowing it would draw unwanted attention. Additionally, I wished to obscure my appearance with the hood, as I tended to stand out. Before arriving at the village, I had to decide between concealing my staff or my face with the single hood available to me. Considering the circumstances, I chose to hide the staff and present myself openly to the villagers, rather than appearing with my face obscured. It was this "transparency" that led me to go as far as to seek hospitality for at least a night.

  Moreover, I was done sleeping on hard ground. Each I did so reminding me of the luxury I had grown accustomed to during my time in the castle. Reflecting on this, I acknowledged to myself that my time there had made me soft, which meant that I needed to put more effort into regaining my edge, but for now it was relaxation time.

  Once done with my bath, I quickly changed into the clothes handed to me by Madeline. The tunic was made of a coarse, sturdy fabric, dyed in a dull brown hue that blended well with the earthy tones of the village. It had a loose fit, providing ample room for movement, yet still managing to convey a sense of modesty and practicality. The sleeves were long and wide, allowing for flexibility, while the hem fell just above my knees.

  As I adjusted the tunic, I couldn't help but think that this was the kind of clothes I should be dressed in ahead of my journey. Being dressed in a knight training outfit or with my cloak with hood on was a little too conspicuous, drawing unwanted attention.

  However, if I had one complaint about this outfit, it would be that it lacked a wand holder like my knight training outfit did.

  Once fully dressed, I stepped out from behind the curtain and went back into the house from the back door. Madeline, who was the first to notice me, nodded in approval, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

  "It is less baggy than I expected it to be," she remarked at the sight of me. "But you still look great in it. I hope you like it."

  "Of course, I do," I said, being genuine in my words. "But I fear I may be imposing on your generosity by wearing them."

  Madeline waved off my concern with a dismissive smile. "Nonsense. It's just a set of clothes that had grown too small for me. The next in line to wear them was Lily, but it'll be some years before she can fit into these, so it's good that you're making use of them now."

  Despite her words of reassurance, I felt unsatisfied. I was not the kind to like imposing myself onto people’s generosity. In fact, I prided myself on being independent, which is why this gesture of kindness coming from them didn’t quite sit well with me. The outfit looked similar to what most villagers wore, humble attire suited to their simple lives. Yet, I sensed it was different. Though the fabric wasn't top-notch, it surpassed the usual village dress code. My inner sense of refinement whispered, "It's just fabric, nothing extraordinary." But as someone who had lived through various lives, often in hardship and want, I recognized it as a "special occasion" dress. Wearing it so casually, especially so soon after meeting them, felt uncomfortable.

  I considered adding something about it, but seeing how my first attempt was deflected, I ultimately settled on offering her my gratitude once more. However, before I could do so, Just as Madeline mentioned Lily, the young girl appeared from across the room with curious eyes. Lily, a ten or eleven-year-old with a mop of unruly chestnut hair framing her round face, approached me with an eager expression.

  "See? I told you she'd look great in it, Maa," Lily said, leaning in to inspect me closer.

  Madeline nodded in agreement.

  "She does, doesn't she? I was thinking that too," she replied kindly.

  Lily turned her gaze back to me, her eyes shining with admiration.

  "You're beautiful," she said earnestly.

  "Thank you," I replied, not denying the compliment because I was. "You too are beautiful."

  Lily shook her head. "Not as you," she insisted. "What do you do to look so beautiful?"

  I chuckled inwardly at the girl's innocence. "I don't know, dear. I didn't do anything. My family’s amateurish attempt at genetics did most of the job," I thought to myself.

  The girl's expression turned thoughtful. "I want to be that beautiful too," she said wistfully.

  Before I could respond, Madeleine stepped in, her voice gentle but firm. "Stop bothering our guest," she chided gently.

  The girl pouted. "I wasn't bothering her, Miss..." she trailed off, forgetting my name.

  "Arianna," I supplied with a small smile. "No need for 'Miss,' just Arianna."

  As I said those words, I also looked toward Madeleine, who responded with a nod.

  "Alright, Lily, now stop pestering. I'll go fetch you two some supper. Arianna must be hungry after her journey," she said before retreating to one of the few rooms of the house.

  Lily, to whom the words were directed, didn't seem to have heard anything of what was said, for her gaze was locked onto something in my hands, my wand.

  Lily, seemingly oblivious to the exchange, was fixated on something in my hands, my wand.

  "Is it a wand?" she asked, curiously.

  I nodded before asking, holding out my wand toward Lily, "Would you like to hold it?"

  Her eyes widened with excitement as she eagerly nodded, her chestnut curls bouncing with enthusiasm. Carefully, I passed the wand into small hands, watching as her eyes lit up with wonder at the object.

  "It's so pretty," she breathed, turning the wand over in her hands, examining it from every angle. "What’s this blue gem called?"

  "This gem… It’s called a manacyte."

  "What does it do?"

  If it were a random person, I wouldn’t have deemed this question worth answering, but the girl seemed to already know a lot about it, so I said, "It helps me perform magic."

  Lily's eyes sparkled with delight as she listened, her imagination undoubtedly conjuring images of magical adventures.

  "Arianna, are you a magician?" she asked, looking up at me with hopeful eyes.

  "Magician, huh? I guess I’m something of a magician."

  Magician was a subclass of the wizard core class. There was very little I knew about the subclass except its basic stats, the kinds of skills and abilities they unlock, and their leveling graph, but I knew that, along with necromancer, swashbuckler, and elemental mage, it had to be one of the most commonly known subclasses. Even Peons, who don’t have access to the system, knew about them. Just right now, one living in a village that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere knew about it, and I had a feeling I knew exactly who she knew about it and where she heard about it.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Can you show me some magic?" she asked, her eyes begging for a yes.

  I hesitated for a moment, considering the implications of doing that. I considered giving a no as an answer; however, the girl's begging and the remembrance that she believed that I was a magician eventually got me compromising.

  "Alright," I agreed with a smile. "But let's keep it a secret between us, okay?"

  Lily nodded eagerly, her grin widening in excitement.

  While, unlike the lesser-known Hexcaster Sorcerer counterpart, Magician is a widely recognized subclass, few would be able to accurately explain its specifics. In fact, most individuals would even struggle to discern the nuances between a Magician and other magic-focused core classes, such as mages or wizards.

  Wizards, as a magic-centric core class, occupy a middle ground between mages and sorcerers. Like mages, they harness "magic" and cast it through magic circles, and akin to sorcerers, they wield "spells." Additionally, they frequently possess psionic abilities like telekinesis, bridging the realms of magic, spells, and mental prowess.

  This blend of skills and abilities makes wands the weapon of choice for many wizards, being smaller and more agile. Unlike mages, who rely heavily on magic circles, or sorcerers, who cast spells with just a flick of the wrist, wizards can do both.

  As a subclass of the wizard core class, the Magician dabbles in illusions. However, unlike the Illusionist subclass, which also resides within the wizard's repertoire, Magicians explore a diverse array of magical feats, including telekinesis and transmutation. Moreover, it's not uncommon for Magicians to possess martial skills or heightened dexterity, elevating them above their magic-centric peers in physical prowess.

  Anyway, that is to say that even if I were to show any of my skills, which tend to be ice-geared, I doubt anyone would be able to tell what I am. Most likely, they’ll assume my class is something they’re more familiar with, like a magician.

  With a flick of my wrist and a simple mental command that activated my skill [Cryogenize], with which I seemingly conjured a small flurry of snowflakes, letting them dance through the air before gently melting away. Lily's eyes widened in awe, her laughter filling the room as she reached out to touch the magical snowflakes.

  "That's amazing!" she exclaimed, her face beaming with joy. "You’re really a magician! Like those wandering magicians in stories."

  Wandering magicians, huh? Out of all the particular reasons for which magicians, a subclass, were so commonly known compared to any other subclass, that had to be the main one to be blamed or to be thanked for the subclass's popularity.

  The Wandering Magicians were a children's bedtime story, or to be exact, a nursery rhyme, one that I doubt I will forget. I remember the first time I heard of it; it was the first time I ever spawned into this world. The woman who was my mother back then narrated it to me. It was the story of seven magicians: Eldor, Mirabel, Thalos, Lyra, Darius, Sylas, and Arian going from town to town on a long adventure across Fiendfell. It’s been decades, and this nursery rhyme is yet to be forgotten. I couldn’t help but sigh internally. Having reincarnated into the Wei?, having never heard of this bedtime story anymore in this childhood, I’ve begun to believe that perhaps the bedtime story had finally been lost to time. It turns out I was wrong; I was just born in an environment unfamiliar with it. The world out there didn’t forget about it, and that for some inexplicable reason brought a smile to my face.

  "Can you show me more?" Lily asked.

  I was just about to answer the question when from behind the door I heard a commotion.

  The commotion outside caught my attention, the sound of steps and people talking, mostly men's voices. I frowned, wondering what could be the source of the disturbance. Just then, Madeline emerged from the other room, reacting swiftly to the noise she must have heard outside. With a certain level of apprehension and curiosity, I asked, "What's that commotion?"

  Madeline quickly reassured me, explaining, "Nothing to worry about. It's just about the hour of the day when the men of the village come back."

  "They're at the mine all day," Lily chimed in.

  I had been beginning to think that their population being just women was causing the existing problem of this village, but it turned out they did have men, they were just busy elsewhere most of the day.

  As I mulled over this revelation, another thought scratched at my mind. Most of the women I had met in the village were middle-aged, so unless something unusual was happening here, the men must also be around that age segment. Unless, perhaps, the young women also went to the mine, but I doubted that.

  "So nothing to worry about," Madeline concluded with a reassuring tone.

  "I see," I replied.

  Wiping her hand on the apron over her tunic, she said with a warm smile. "Dinner is ready. Please, come to our table and eat."

  It seemed from the way they waited for no one that dinner would just be the three of us. The dining room was the same as the kitchen, with the dining table tucked into a corner, just enough space for four or perhaps, with a little effort, two more. Needless to say, it was nothing like the needlessly long table in the chateau, but there was a much more pleasant atmosphere here.

  The dinner was brought in, made of vegetables and feral meat, the latter being an animal native to this world similar to a tangue but without the spikes which I guess made it look closer to a fat rat than anything else. Once again, while nowhere near as garnished as that of the chateau, there was a charm to the simple dinner we three had.

  As we ate, Madeline tried to keep the mood from becoming awkward by either scolding Lily who was bombarding with questions about my power as a magician and asking her to let me eat in peace or trying to strike up a conversation, most of the time by asking questions. Despite asking questions, she didn't seem intent on probing too deeply, so most of her inquiries were ones I could effortlessly answer, whether by sharing what I could share or when it wasn't something I could share, outright lying.

  After dinner, I entertained Lily for some time, showing her a few additional magic tricks until she was eventually sent to bed by Madeline, who then joined me in the dining area. "Sorry for that," she said, with a hint of concern in her voice.

  "For what?" I replied.

  "For Lily. She was truly relentless today, more than usual. You must be exhausted."

  "It's alright," I reassured her. Sensing her lingering concern, I added, "I didn't mind it at all. In fact, it was refreshing to see such enthusiasm. It reminded me of someone."

  "A little sister?" Madeline guessed.

  I shook my head. "No, a little brother. His enthusiasm for magic rivals hers."

  "I see… this little brother of yours must be missing her big sister then."

  The mention of her little brother brought about a change in my expression, something that I didn’t immediately notice. It was only as Madeline asked, "Is there a problem?" that I came back to my senses.

  Quickly composing myself, I summoned a smile on my face and replied, "No, sorry, it's nothing. I just spaced out. But to answer your question, I guess you're right. He must be missing his sister."

  "I see…" Perhaps not wanting the mood to sour, she continued after a moment of silence, "I think that you, too, reminded Lily of someone."

  "Who?" Madeline inquired.

  "Her father," I replied purposefully.

  "Your husband?"

  Madeline chuckled softly. "No, I'm not... I'm Lily's grandmother, not her mother."

  "Oh, I see. Sorry for that..."

  "It's nothing. I can't really blame you for thinking that, in fact, I'm happy that you thought that seeing us, but well, that's how it is."

  Since she mentioned her family, I decided to continue the conversation. "So her father is your son?"

  Madeline shook her head. "No, he was my stepson. It was his wife that was my daughter."

  "Oh, I see," I nodded, noting how she used "was" for both.

  As soon as they agreed to let me stay in their village, the elder wasted no time to inform me of the village's situation. Despite the area being relatively free of monsters, there were still some lurking about, albeit mostly harmless. So, while the village didn't have a monster problem per se, it was plagued by a different menace, bandits. This issue had arisen in the wake of the previous chief's demise, some five years prior. Ever since the previous chief's passing, whose parentage I had recently uncovered, the village had been subjected to occasional raids by gangs of bandits seeking its resources, I was wondering what the said ressources was but hearing the mention of mine earlier, I understood immediately what it was. It was due to this that the elder was, understandably, torn between allowing me to stay and risking my safety or letting me continue my journey, which also carried its own set of dangers.

  "...so that's how it is," I mused out loud, adding, "and her father was a Verdenkind too," making it sound like I was also a Verdenkind.

  Madeline nodded. "What was he... I mean, what class was he?"

  "He was a Warrior," Madeline replied, her voice tinged with a touch of nostalgia. "Incredibly skilled with the sword, he was. Well not exactly "sword", what this fool wielded was more of a machete but still... Watching him brandish it was like witnessing a graceful dance intertwined with deadly combat."

  "Warrior..." I echoed, feigning contemplation. Although I was well-acquainted with the class from a past life, I played ignorant. "They're known for their agility and stealth, correct?"

  "Yes, indeed," Madeline affirmed with a nod. "He excelled in many things, including hunting, which, looking back, might have been what captured Lily's mother's heart." A chuckle escaped her lips, but it quickly faded into a somber expression.

  Ignoring the shift in mood, I pressed on, "Can you tell me how strong he was?"

  Rather than asking the simpler question of his level, I opted for a more nuanced inquiry. Many individuals, particularly those not well-versed in the system, were unfamiliar with its intricacies. Some lived their lives oblivious to its existence, viewing themselves and others simply as people or monsters. Heck, some were oblivious to the distinction between Verdenkind, Highbreed, knowing the latter just as "Nobles".

  The reluctance of both groups to disclose details about the system didn't help either with this common perception, preferring to be seen as naturally gifted rather than products of a structured system. Hence, instead of boasting about their attributes obtained through the system, they often described their strength in vague terms, strong, very strong, weak, weaker, weakest, avoiding the specific metrics provided by the system unless prompted by someone familiar with the concept. Even then, they hesitated, recognizing the advantage of keeping their stats concealed.

  So it was to my surprise that in this moment, looking at me with an amused expression, she asked, "You mean what level was he?"

  "Yes," I admitted while nodding.

  "Well, it's not like I could give you a sure answer to that, but I believe he—" she began, only to halt herself the moment she heard a commotion that I also at the same time noticed. It was similar to the sound we heard earlier, except that this time, instead of the noise of footsteps, it sounded like the sound of horses.

  "Those aren't the sounds of miners coming back from the mine again, are they?" I asked.

  "No." With a grave expression, she shook her head. "... this is too early..." she muttered half to herself, rushing to the door. As I approached Madeline, reaching for my wand on the table, I asked, "Are those the people you've warned me about?"

  She nodded. "Yes, bandits."