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Chapter 13 [Not I. We.]

"Oi! This here should be the one!" I called back, then ducked into a fallen, rotting tree that looked to have been carved out by the local fauna. It was dark and damp, and I could hear my boots squelching as they pressed against the wet wood. Ahh, there you are. Patches of lengthy, glowing mushrooms dangled from the ceiling of the massive log, casting a dim purple light throughout the hollow.

I poked my head around the entrance to check on Aurora and Nathaniel. Aurora stood next to one of the few trees still standing in this area. Her gaze was tense as she studied the lengthy claw marks that marred its thick bark. She ran her hand along one of the grooves while Nathaniel stood behind her, glaive at the ready.

While they investigated the area, I sat my bag down, grabbed one of my throwing knives, then reached for the closest of the hanging clusters. Aside from farming Beasts for Essence, I hadn\'t intended on harvesting any resources on the lower Floors. In my opinion, the return wasn\'t worth the time spent, but since we\'d already been this far north due to our impromptu stop, I figured we could make the trip.

We\'d left the cavern the morning prior, after only having stayed the one night. Though the location would eventually become a decent source of income, the minerals wouldn\'t be ready to harvest for another few decades. Even then, gathering it wouldn\'t be worth it for their group, as a pound of the same material from the Twenty-Fifth Floor onward would be worth just as much as that entire cave.

For someone who preferred the relative peace of the Third Floor, however... Well, information about its location could serve as a valuable asset in the future. Perhaps we can trade its coordinates to an interested party...

With a gentle tug and a flick of my knife, the luminous mushroom dropped from the dying wood. Careful not to damage the gills, I used my blade to remove the cap. Once it was separated, I placed the stalk in one of my empty pouches and tossed the rest out into the midday sun--where it instantly dissolved. My hands moved swiftly, plucking and slicing the plants until the cluster was cleared entirely. Then, before storing the last of the stalks, I called Aurora and Nathaniel over to review its details.

[Name: Alma Fungi (Stem)]

[Class: Material]

[Rank: 1]

[Description: An alchemical ingredient used primarily in the creation of minor Essence recovery tinctures. The toxic pileus had been removed. This material will quickly dissolve if exposed to direct sunlight.]

"So this is what they used to create our daily brews in the Academy," Aurora said. "May I?"

"Go right ahead." I handed her the stalk so she could look over it. "The brew these create won\'t be as potent as those provided with our daily meals, but they\'ll accelerate the healing of the fractures your soul sustained. Better than nothing, yeah?"

"Certainly," Aurora gingerly placed the herb back in my hand. "But, how did you know where they were? There\'s enough here to supply a group of ten for a month!"

"Ahh," I grinned. "Let\'s just say that I\'m well-learned. Now, tell me about the marks on the tree. What did the two of you learn?"

Aurora pursed her lips, and it looked like she wanted to make a fuss, but after a few seconds, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Alright, Professor Wilder. The gouges were deep, and whatever made them moved up the tree. Since that bark is difficult to damage, we can assume that not only are the Beast\'s claws sharp, but it also has an incredible grip. Since we still haven\'t advanced past the Fifth Floor, it had to be a member of the Primate Class."

When she was done, she gave me a smug look, and I nodded. "Well done, well done. Now," I glanced to Nathaniel, who stood a few paces behind her, constantly glancing out of the small passage. "Nathaniel, do you have anything to add?"

"Mmh," he mumbled, then nodded toward Aurora. "She\'s right about the Class, the claws, and the grip."

Aurora looked victorious and was about to say something but stopped short when Nathaniel continued, "But, Aurora kept referring to it. That\'s a problem since we aren\'t dealing with one enemy but several. Judging by the fact that we didn\'t come across a single Beast all morning, I\'d say that we are in the territory of a Primate troop and that they are away for the day, likely hunting."

Aurora turned pale, then rushed to the entrance and looked toward the massive tree. I watched as she scanned the clearing, likely noticing for the first time how the felled trees were in a perfect hexagonal shape around the immense tree in the center. Its limbs extended far, reaching the branches of other trees outside of the fortifications, making it easy for any arboreal Beasts to travel back and forth.

My smile widened, "Very good. What else did you discover?"

Nathaniel looked down and used the point on the butt of his glaive to scratch a spot on his shin. He seemed to give it some thought before he spoke, "Based on the piles of fruit skins and bones I saw in the bushes on our way in and the number of marks on the tree, I\'d say the troop has at least two dozen members. There were a few grooves that were deeper than the others, so it\'s likely that a bunch of Crazed Beasts have gathered around one of the Corrupted Rank."

"That\'s right!" I beamed at the man, then gestured to Aurora, who had gone completely still. "Now, Aurora, based on your and Nathaniel\'s observations, what would be the best method to handle this threat? By my estimations, we have approximately four hours before they return. I\'d like you to take point on this, and we\'ll do whatever you decide."

"Y-You want me to... What?!" she asked incredulously. She looked to Nathaniel for help, and he simply stared back, waiting patiently. It took her almost a full minute to gain her composure. "Okay... what if I say we should run away?"

"Then that\'s what we\'ll do," I replied. Aurora looked at me skeptically, so I walked over, placed a hand on her shoulder, and looked directly into her eyes. "If that\'s what you wish to do, then that is what we will do, Aurora. If we didn\'t believe in your judgment, we wouldn\'t have invited you into our Party. You were the number one student at the Academy and have all the knowledge you need to be an incredible Wielder. You just lack the experience."

"We are a Party," I gestured to Aurora, then Nathaniel, and finally, myself. "If you feel that you\'re not ready for this, then that means that we aren\'t ready for this. We can walk away, neither of us will hold it against you, and plenty of opportunities will be available in the future once you feel we are ready."

...

Aurora stared at Rowan for a long time, completely shocked by what he\'d said. Usually, the man would joke and try to get a rise out of her, especially in the heat of battle, but this...

Does he really mean that? He sounds like some old veteran. Almost like the men that my father used to bring around the house. What in Tara\'s name made him like this? Is he actually... No. This can\'t be the Rowan that shared my classes in the Academy. But... does that even matter?

Regardless of who this man was--or wasn\'t--he was trying to help her. She could see that. Still, it baffled her. The Rowan she\'d known, who\'d shared multiple classes with her since her early years, he was quiet and reserved, and he\'d never worked very hard. But... Well, that isn\'t true, is it?

Not including the few days on the Origin Floor when he and Nathanial had saved her from Zachary, they\'d been traveling together for just over a week, so they\'d had plenty of conversations. Rowan wouldn\'t say much while they were on the move, but at night, while the stars shined above them, he spoke openly.

The man refused to reveal his secrets, constantly dodging or redirecting any questions about his knowledge when Aurora tried to catch him unawares. Still, he would talk about almost anything else. They sat around the fire at night, and Rowan would tell them tales about his father, how the man had died, and about some of the things they would do together.

Every few minutes, he would cast Cleanse, which Aurora didn\'t think she would ever get used to, yet she had. One night, after she\'d finished describing her time in the Academy and how she\'d almost always stayed in the library or her dorm, studying... Rowan had told them about his experience. Her heart clenched as she listened to him, and she couldn\'t help but hate herself for all of her initial negative thoughts.

Rowan had spent the better part of his time in the Academy hunting Boars in the woods. Every day, after classes had ended, he headed out to the forest and farmed the Beasts for Essence, putting aside everything so that he wouldn\'t lose the estate his father had left him.

Unfortunately, the limitations imposed by his age had made it very hard on him. Since he had no one to act as a guardian, he couldn\'t temporarily rent the manor or the shop to make ends meet, and it took all of his spare time to make the Essence he needed for the payments.

No... my assumptions were never true. Rowan has always worked harder than me... probably harder than everyone attending the Academy. And, even after all of that, he still managed to place fourth overall. That\'s nothing short of incredible.

Aurora clenched her fists, then observed her surroundings again, this time taking into account the information the others had provided. Every one of the fallen logs was hollowed, likely by the very Primates that had somehow managed to place them. According to what little Rowan had told them on the way, each of them had a fair number of fungi clusters.

She thought of her parents and how they\'d given up so much for her. Yet, here, right here, there was enough material to pay back nearly all of her tuition costs after discounting what they could have sold the banker\'s Relics and Cards for. Would she really leave it?

Rowan had said there would be more opportunities, but if she ran from this one, what would stop her from running from the next? You can\'t keep running, Aurora. Not if you\'re going to find your dad. Not if you want to make your parents proud.

But, I can\'t- She turned to find Nathaniel and Rowan watching her, patiently waiting for her decision. No, not I. We. And we can do this.

"Alright," Aurora nodded slowly, then beckoned for the two to come closer. "Here\'s what we do."