elra

February Bonus Chapter

There once was a man named Adelard. Adelard was a simple man. He avoided violence and vices and tried to walk the path of virtue like the Church’s Zealots preached. He believed that the Church’s teachings should extend to his work, which was naturally based on his class. He wanted to be a virtuous Farmer. By growing virtuous crops, he figured the System would reward him.

Of course, nobody is perfect. Adelard always thought that the potato was a crop of sloth. Lazy farmers just threw...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 104

“The empty antidote vial, show it to us,” Holst said and the room seemed to freeze.

Nobles were used to dealing with [Awareness] users. Consequently, they were conditioned from an early age to maintain a neutral, unreadable expression. Lord Vedra's facade, however, shattered as the words came out from Holst's mouth. His calm expression changed to surprise, then fear.

“You can’t be serious. Despite our differences, I tried to help Sir Enric,” Lord Vedras said, his fear su...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 103

Lyra Jorn’s serene smile faded as soon as his eyes fell on Sir Enric.

Ashroot poison turned their victim’s skin black like frostbite while the muscle was drained of all liquid, leaving behind a dried, unrecognizable carcass. Yet, I could detect a hint of curiosity in the eyes of the girl. The man who walked before Lyra didn’t react to the gruesome scene. Holst.

Darius Holst was a man well in his forties, with the proud presence of someone raised in a noble household. His fac...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 102

A hand closed around my wrist, preventing me from raising the cup to my lips. The ballroom seemed to freeze in time. Raudhan’s cup slipped through his fingers, shattering against the table. His skin took a gray, sickly hue. He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but the only thing that came out was a repulsive yellow foam. Someone screamed. Then, Raudhan’s eyes rolled back and started convulsing.

Before anyone could react, Elincia jumped onto her feet, violently knocking the ...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 101

Lady Lyra Jorn shrunk in her seat like a trapped rat.

The party remained unaware of the small drama developing in the corner of the room. Music kept playing, dancers kept moving at the band’s rhythm, and the enchanted dinnerware flew undisturbed around the ballroom. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Duke Jorn. A part of me knew that if I lost sight of him for even a second, he could vanish into thin air. [Awareness] made clear that losing sight of him would be dangerous.

“It wa...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 100

AN: Being happy because of the 100-chapter milestone? wack. Being happy because 100 is a pleasing number? yay!

_____

“Every member of the Rosebud Fencing Academy is an orphan from the city; we don’t carry out any kind of selection process,” Elincia said, her voice carrying over the music and the guests' chatter.

Lord Osgiria’s expression remained unchanged, but thanks to [Awareness], I noticed the hints of an arrogant smirk tugging his mouth.

The nobles joined ...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 99

The barrier closed over our heads, casting a multicolor rain of sparks over the ballroom. I examined the crowd. [Awareness] informed me there were two kinds of nobles at the party: those who were used to the spectacle of lights and those who weren’t. A barrier of this level was probably used only to protect royal family members and important nobles. The lack of servants, the Sniffers at the door, and the impenetrable barrier had to be state-of-the-art security, so only those used to moving ...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 98

Elincia pushed me from behind, and I sat inside the carriage in front of Sir Janus. The man was unrecognizable. His hair was combed back, his beard cut short, and his uniform spotless. The crooked scar under his jaw was the only feature that hinted he was indeed Janus.

“Good afternoon, Sir Janus,” Elincia said with a curtsy.

“Don’t be so formal, girl. We both are lowborn,” Sir Janus sighed.

I wondered if Elincia had recognized the man or if she had overheard our br...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 97

It was finally time to pay my dues. [Awareness] bombarded me with the hundred and one different dangers of dealing with nobility. I took a deep breath and silenced the skill. We were not the prince’s key to victory but a small cog in his political machine. Our task was clear: support the royalist faction to cement their influence over the rest of noble families.

I wasn’t sure how my presence at the feast would help to achieve anything.

The invitation letter was brief; as a par...

Alchemist

Hey everyone! 

There's a bit of a delay on the chapters due to the awful Internet connection. The chapter is ready, but the connection problems prevented me from doing a line edit with my editor.  In the best case, the chapter will be uploaded tonight. If not, it will probably be ready by tomorrow.

Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for your support!

Elra out!

January Bonus Chapter

My five-step plan to modernize the orphanage progressed at the pace of a caramel river. Fencing lessons, looking after the little ones, doing housework, and learning runeweaving left me with little to no time. I couldn’t comprehend how Elincia used to manage the orphanage on her own. Even with Ginz around, there were days that we remained awake well past bedtime, cleaning the kitchen, fixing a loose shutter, or hunting for hungry rats.

Ilya’s [Mark of the Hunt]...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 96

Ilya summoned an ethereal fluffy white fox, and with a silent order, she sent it forward to scout the path ahead. The creature glided over the forest bed and got lost in the bushes, leaving a white trail of residual mana. Ilya’s smile warmed my chest. The girl couldn't stop smiling despite the cold and the fatigue.

The hunt had been an absolute success. Ilya had gained a level, a title, and two skills. One level might not have been a significant advancement, but the title made up for ...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 95

The Matriarch’s gray fur was stained with blood, but the wound was superficial. A collar of crystalline shards protected the creature’s neck. Risha’s attacks only served to anger the beast. The Matriarch huffed and stomped the ground before charging against the half-orc.

Instead of dodging, Risha planted his feet firmly on the ground and raised his iron shield. The impact sent metallic echoes through the forest, and for a brief moment, the half-orc managed to stop the beast's char...

Hunter

Hey everyone! Quick announcement.

I'm on a two-week trip with the family. Chapters might be a little late than usual depending on my access to the internet. The schedule remains the same.

Have a nice week!

An Otherworldly Scholar - 94

The cold northern wind bit our faces as we climbed the mountainous path into the Farlands. Ilya led the way in silence, her head hidden under her cloak as sudden gusts of wind pushed us back as if they wanted to prevent us from continuing our travels. My worries were unfounded. Despite her massive backpack, Ilya advanced with sure footing and a good pace.

“Almost there,” Ilya said as she led me around a patch of dangerous frozen rock.

Snowy peaks appeared behind the immense se...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 93

“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t your brightest moment. Luckily, Loki was there to shed some light on your work. Get it? Shed some light?” Elincia giggled, satisfied with her joke.

I lay in bed, my head resting on Elincia’s lap while she prepared a concoction of Health Potion and water. Although Loki’s flash hadn’t been strong enough to completely blind me, seven hours had passed since the incident, and I still saw small black dots floating before me. That hadn...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 92

“And then Rob smashed the royal soldier against the wall like a cook swats a fly with a ladle! There were seven of them. Rob crashed four before they could react; one was smart enough to flee, and the other two decided to fight back.” Captain Kiln said between sips from her mug; her cheeks flush from alcohol and the eyes of the kids glued to her.

Zaon stopped playing the harp.

“Now, that was a bad idea. Let me say it loud and clear. Rob summoned a barrier as sturdy as a Fort...

Fencer Class

An Otherworldly Scholar - 91

“This man is Robert Clarke, the instructor at the Rosebud Fencing Academy.” the Marquis said. “He is a Scholar, Prince Adrien.”

Despite the gasps from the nearby nobles, the prince didn’t react. Instead, he examined my appearance with a skeptical eye. A Scholar wasn’t supposed to match a warrior’s combat prowess.

Prince Adrien wasn’t as tall as Sir Janus or as imposing as the Marquis yet he radiated a dangerous aura. It had nothing to do with his arrogant posture o...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 90

The Marquis dismissed me, and I returned to the dueling arena with a lot to think about. But first, I had to grab the kids and return to the orphanage. We still had half a day to celebrate Ilya’s birthday, and I wanted to make the most of it. She deserved it.

I found Firana alone, practicing with the Aias Sword inside the private fencing room. The girl moved in circles around an invisible opponent, swinging her sword in wide arcs over her head. I watched the spectacle in awe. Firana�...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 89

Ilya’s sword left a blue trail as she tried to deliver a clean hit to Istvan’s mana shield. An unsuspecting observer would assume she was channeling great amounts of mana, but it was an illusion. The trick was working, though. The Marquis's stony countenance shattered, and his eyes shot wide open, trying to make sense of what was occurring at the dueling area.

Istvan Kiln backed up, defending his mana shield at all costs. His lack of offensive attempts enabled Ilya to open her guard...

December Bonus Chapter

Evil machinations brewed at Lowell’s Manor.

“You see, my dear Roberto, manual work has no intrinsic value to it,” an inebriated Ginz said as he pointed at me with a sharp knife. He sounded like a certain uncle from my dad’s family I didn’t want to remember. “You must convince the nobles that your product is the most prestigious item in town after the royal crown. The first step is to convince one or two nobles to use your stuff in public and the rest will quickly jump into t...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 88

The sparring room fell silent when I announced Ilya would be Istvan’s rival. The teenagers from the Farcrest team joined heads as they whispered to each other. Although I hadn’t inherited Elincia's keen hearing skills, I knew they were discussing my choice. Gnomes weren’t built to become warriors, or so people believed.

So far, I haven’t paid much attention to the other kids. Two distinct groups were sitting on the opposite sides of the bench: the nobleborns and the Guard’s re...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 87

A cold silence replaced the music.

“The Marquis is expecting you in the Great Hall, Master Clarke. He expects you to bring your team,” Corin said. “I’d recommend promptness. The Marquis looked restless when the message was relayed to me.”

All eyes fell on me, even Elincia’s.

“You heard Corin, class. Get ready.” I said, and without a second of delay, Firana, Zaon, Ilya, and Wolf rushed through the kitchen door. For some reason, Ginz followed them.

“Are...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 86

I woke up to the sound of applause. Before I knew what was happening, I straightened on my chair and started clapping too. Did I fall asleep during a graduation ceremony? Suddenly, the kitchen exploded in laughter. I blinked repeatedly until my eyes regained focus. Half a dozen orphans dressed in multicolor pajamas watched me with mischievous expressions.

“Alright, pretty funny. Laugh all you want, you critters,” I said as I rubbed my eyes and tried to align my spine. It seemed I wa...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 85

I couldn’t fall asleep. The confrontation with the guards was still too fresh in my memory, and not even Elincia’s presence beside me could ease my restless mind. The clash with the young guards had been a minor incident compared to my fight against Raudhan Kiln or Kellaren, but I couldn’t help but feel we were walking directly into a trap.

My mission remained the same: keep the kids away from the army. However, a part of me started to doubt my methods. Participating in...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 84

“Slow down, Firana! You are going to hurt yourself!” I said as the girl performed a reckless feint attack against Wolf. Ilya, Zaon, and I were cramped on the big stump, watching the match.

Firana ignored my orders and pushed herself to the limit, but not the usual way. It seemed she wanted to beat Wolf in a pure strength competition. I sighed, hoping her wrist put up to the abuse. My instructions at the beginning of the session had been clear: we would have an extended lesson at hal...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 83

I grabbed Elincia’s hands and dragged her into the manor, far from the guardsman’s prying ears. With the Stephaniss tournament just around the corner, the orphanage was about to enter the eye of the public. Until then, I would rather keep things private.

My initial assessment of Kellaren Odrac-Aias’s faction was wrong; he was no ordinary thief. Despite being unable to utilize the Aias name to back up his operations directly, he had a strong mercenary force. If I had to guess, he w...

An Otherworldly Scholar - 82

Nasiah moved the wand in a wide arc over her head, channeling the green mana from the wand’s core. A cascade of sparks fell upon the counter as the woman charged the spell to its maximum power. I raised the barrier and braced for the impact, expecting my mana pool to deplete violently, but Nasiah’s hand faltered before shooting the spell. The wand fell over the counter.

“Risha?!” Zaon asked, standing in front of the half-orc.

“Z, is that you?” Risha asked in disbelief....

Knight Class

[Knight] is considered one of the most powerful Basic Classes.