And maybe—just maybe—earn a smile from Guildmaster Mirena that wasn't tied to a life-or-death lesson.
Willow's hooves echoed off smooth cobbles as the convoy rolled through the market gates of Usaris. Stalls brimmed with woven banners and carts of spiced meats. Children darted between wagons, laughter and shouts rising like birdsong. A faint tension lingered beneath the bustle—traders eyeing the freshly arrived silks with both hope and envy.
Mirena guided the last wagon into the guild's storage courtyard, where apprentices hurried to unload bolts. She turned to me, the morning sun glinting on her leather pauldrons. "Rest a moment. Then help Marla inspect each crate—she's found a tear in one already."
I nodded and let Willow nuzzle my shoulder before slipping free of the saddle. The yard smelled of damp wood and curing leather. Apprentices bent over a crate stamped with the guild emblem—a stylized loom and shuttle entwined. Marla knelt beside it, her brow furrowed. "Look." She peeled back the top layer of silk to reveal a clean slit, too precise for accidental damage.
I pressed my fingers against the fabric, feeling the grain of the weave. The cut edges were sealed by a barely perceptible gloss. It caught the light like a droplet of resin. In that moment, the tools I'd been given spoke to me.
I closed my eyes and reached out with Minor Alchemy. A faint hum threaded through my fingertips as the resin hardened into a translucent filament, bridging the tear. I tugged gently, and the silk held firm.
Marla's eyes widened. "You... mended it?"
I smiled, handing her the repaired bolt. "Temporarily. But it'll hold through shipment."
Mirena watched from the doorway. She waited until I slipped back the last bolt before nodding. "Clever. That gloss—who would have thought to use it?"
No one, except someone who understood materials beyond surface value. And now I knew there were agents at work trying to sabotage us.
Night fell over Usaris like velvet. Lanterns swayed along the main street, and a bonfire crackled at the festival's edge. I stood beside the guild's pavilion, admiring how the silk banners caught the firelight. Mirena approached, drink in hand. Her gaze drifted over the glowing colors before settling on me.
"Something's off," she said softly. "I'd planned a simple celebration—now I worry about tonight's shipment."
I lifted my cup. "Then let's keep watch. Together."
She hesitated a heartbeat, then offered me the lantern. Its flame danced in her dark eyes. "Lead the way."
We slipped through shadows along the warehouse wall, moving in silence. The moon was just a sliver, but the lantern's glow revealed a figure crouched beside a stack of crates. He wore a hood—too tall and narrow to be human.
"Stop!" I called, stepping forward. The figure froze, and the hem of his cloak twitched with elven weave—Wood-Elf craftsmanship. A poisoned dart lay between his fingers.
He glanced at Mirena, then smiled thinly. "I only wanted proof you'd guard these silks as promised."
I forced calm. "Go back inside. No one needs bloodshed."
He chuckled, standing. The dart gleamed in the lantern light.
Time spun slower. I flicked my wrist, and the dart flew harmlessly skyward—caught by a thread of telekinetic pull, then dropped at his feet.
He stared at the slender ribbon coiled at his boots. "Impressive."
Mirena's sword was already at his throat. "Join us if you dare."
He pressed a finger to the silk—an implanted rune glowed briefly. "You think this will stop me? I work for someone who wants this guild broken."
Before Mirena could strike, he dropped the dart and vanished into the night, leaving only an echo of laughter and the faint scent of forest mist.
That moment changed everything. In the flicker of a knife's shadow and the hush of silk, I understood the scope of what lay ahead. Usaris was no simple outpost; it was a battleground of interests threading through kingdoms and forest realms.
Mirena turned to me, tension easing into resolve. "We'll need allies—and answers."
I nodded, feeling the warmth of the lantern in my hand, the hum of hidden power beneath my skin. The world had opened its hidden seams. And I had the tools, however strange they seemed, to stitch them together.
No more simple errands. Tomorrow, we'd track the source of that rune. And I'd prove that even "useless" powers could unravel the most dangerous plots.
Author's Note:
Updates may be a bit slow. I'll do my best to speed things up, but I can't make any promises—I'm also working on my other novels.
If you'd like to check them out, here they are:
Only I Love MILFs: Transmigrated to a World Where MILFs Are Hated
My New System Helps Me Get MILFs
Cultivating with My Busty Landlady: MILF System Activated
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the ride!