Accidental Elf: My Passive Allure is Ruining My Plans

In the tub, Alaster was enjoying a deep sense of comfort. The water temperature was perfect, and he let out a sigh of pleasure as he sank all the way to the bottom of the large wooden container, staying submerged for a few moments.

When he emerged, wiping the water from his face, he found Syrus standing in the barn.

The huge man looked at him for a second.

"Hey, Alaster, if you don't mind... do you think I could take a bath after you? Honestly, I think I need it more than you do." He raised an arm and sniffed his armpit, making a face. "Armor really doesn't help with sweat, especially when it heats up under the sun."

Alaster stood up to get out, and Syrus tried to turn away to respect his privacy and avoid seeing things he'd rather not see. However, he stopped when he noticed the elf had a soaked towel tightly knotted around his waist.

"Sure thing, man!" the elf said casually. "Honestly, my hunger is winning over the joy of a bath right now."

Alaster looked around for a place to change. There was no covered area except for a corner with a wooden wall. He stepped out of the tub, feeling the dirt beneath his feet.

«Shoot, I'll have to wash my feet after this,» he thought.

He headed over to the covered corner of the barn with the clothes he'd grabbed from the same crate where he'd snatched the bottle from Elise. As he was dressing, he noticed Syrus stripping down nearby.

"Can I borrow that towel?" the blonde warrior asked.

Alaster nodded, but gave him a puzzled look.

"What do you need it for?"

The big man glanced in one direction while pulling down his pants, then pointed. Alaster followed his finger to a window on the house that suddenly slammed shut.

"That window looks right out from where the girls are chatting," the tank said.

«Thank goodness I wore a towel from the start,» Alaster thought. «Or they would've seen me and probably chewed me out later for being an exhibitionist.» A thought that, of course, was completely mistaken.

Alaster dressed in a hurry, slipping into comfortable clothes: a grayish-white linen shirt and loose-fitting trousers. His soft leather boots were light and cool, since they weren't tall. Stepping out of the barn, he slipped his mage ring onto his left hand.

«I need to get used to wearing it on this hand if I want to wield a sword with the other. I really hope holding a metallic weapon isn't an issue when channeling and casting spells. Obviously, standard metal armor is a hard 'no,' but weapons are something I should test out,» he pondered for a moment.

Standing outside the barn, he heard the water splash as the giant blonde stepped into the tub. Alaster glanced at his left hand and absentmindedly cast a spell while lost in thought. A warm wind stirred around him, drying his hair.

«Even if I can't use a sword... I could use a spear with a wooden shaft...» he reasoned, right until he was dry.

"Alright, time to eat," he said to himself. "And then I'll question Denderatrix about a few magic topics. If she's staying for the duration of the mission, it wouldn't hurt to squeeze out some information. Besides, she seems eager to help, and I'm not going to stop her unless things get weird or she pulls one of her usual stunts."

He walked toward the house and knocked on the door of the room where he assumed the girls were staying, since it was the only one closed.

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?" he heard Elise's soft, muffled voice call from inside.

"It's me," the elf replied dryly.

"Who is 'me'?" a mature, sultry voice asked from within.

"Detrix," Alaster said. "It's me, Alaster."

"Valster?" another voice chimed in—this time Berona. "I don't know any Valster. Go away, suspicious stranger! There's a very aggressive black-haired elf in this house, don't make me call him!"

Alaster listened, cracking a slight smile. «They're teasing me,» he thought. He wanted to retort, but he was hungry and his patience was running thin.

"I'm going to eat, girls. We set up a bath out back. You can go in a bit once Syrus and Tagard are done."

Alaster turned to leave, but Remis's voice stopped him.

"You guys had your fun, now I want to bathe!" the party leader declared.

The blonde burst through the door like a whirlwind, catching up to him as he walked down the stairs.

They reached the living room just as Tagard came in through the back door with wet hair. Syrus was already sitting on a sofa with a served bowl of soup and several pieces of bread resting on his lap. Remis brushed past Tagard at a brisk pace and headed straight out the back door.

Alaster sat at a nearby table holding a pot of soup, chicken pieces, bread on plates, and a pitcher of citrus-smelling juice. He considered waiting for the girls to eat, but seeing Tagard join Syrus on the nearby couch, he decided to dig in.

«The girls are going to take forever to finish bathing anyway. They're girls, after all,» he thought.

"Alaster," the tank called out from the sofa, swallowing with some effort. "Alaster, what do you say we hit the town tavern tonight?"

Alaster, still chewing on bread soaked in broth, thought about it for a second. «I should go relax a bit. Soon enough, I won't have time for anything other than studying grimoires and fighting monsters.»

"I'm in. What are we doing besides drinking?" Alaster asked.

The big blonde smiled and stood up with his empty bowl. He walked over to Alaster's table, set the bowl down, and took a huge gulp from a wooden mug he picked up from the same table, letting out a satisfied, refreshed sigh from the sweet liquid.

"Well, besides beer, there's a traveling bard in town. Actually, I think he got stuck here when the goblin siege started. Apparently, he's got some really catchy tunes. Plus..." the big guy leaned in, lowering his voice, "...there are a few dancers who also got stranded on their way to Sibar. That's what I heard from the cooks and Norde, so the source is reliable. They say they're dancing to pay for their food and stay."

"Hmm, I see. Sounds interesting, I'm curious," the mage replied. "Drinks, music, and pretty girls dancing... sounds like a good evening."

"It's settled then," the blonde replied with a grin.

Tagard, sitting nearby, smirked.

"And there's another kind of girl not far from the tavern, too. Word is some local girls are very curious about outsiders."

Alaster raised an eyebrow. «A brothel?» he thought.

"Is there really a place like that in a town like this?" Alaster asked.

Syrus stepped in, looking at the elf and then at Tagard.

"It's not really a place. There are just a few girls with certain reputations living in some houses around town."

"They're just girls who need a little affection," Tagard chimed in. "Most of the guys leave for the city to find work, leaving a bunch of girls behind. So there's plenty to choose from."

"I'm not really interested in that," Alaster said.

Syrus shook his head.

"I'm married, and honestly, I'm well taken care of in that department."

Alaster raised an eyebrow. «I think Syrus and I are in a similar boat. To be honest, Mila completely drained my libido.» Alaster paused for a second. «Was it intentional, giving me that much sex before the trip?»

His thoughts were cut short as the girls entered the wooden dining room. The atmosphere instantly grew noisier. Syrus, who was leaning against the table near the elf, pushed off and walked back toward a sofa.

"Around eight, Al," he said.

The elf nodded, and Tagard smirked, adding, "Your loss, guys."

Remis and Denderatrix took the seats on either side of Alaster at the table.

"Did you wait for us?" Remis asked.

Alaster offered a wry smile, pointing to his now-empty bowl.

"Nah, I would've starved."

Elise gave him a strange look.

"You couldn't have been that hungry, Al." Her anger seemed to have evaporated completely; she was back to her cheerful self.

Alaster remembered something. He needed to claim his pantheon rewards before he forgot, and hand over the arrows to the archer. Focusing on an empty spot on the table in front of him, he summoned his rewards: mostly bread and arrows—around 21 sets of arrows and over 60 cards of fresh common bread. He separated the bread and slid the arrows toward Elise.

"Here," he said, reaching across the table.

She stared at him in surprise for a second until she recognized the arrows.

"Alright then," the mage said, standing up and glancing down at his side.

Denderatrix smiled as he looked at her.

"Do you need something from me?" the mage asked, dabbing a napkin against her lips.

"Um, I'd like to talk to you a bit about magic once you're done eating, if it's not a bother," Alaster said, a slightly hesitant smile on his face. He still remembered that time she asked him to have children. The mage wasn't unpleasant by any means, but she could be intensely direct at times. Right now, though, she seemed much more approachable, leading Alaster to rethink his initial impression.

The woman lowered her napkin and said softly:

"Handsome Alaster, that's precisely why I came—to make sure you have a proper range of abilities instead of just basic attacks."

Alaster smiled.

"I appreciate it," he said, turning to head up to his room.

He climbed the stairs calmly and reached the main bedroom at the end of an interior hallway lit by a large window. A chandelier hung above, though its magical candles were unlit. Stepping inside his room, he surveyed the furnishings: mostly raw wood, a soft bed, a nightstand, a few empty bookshelves, drawers for clothes, and an opaque, yellow-bordered full-length mirror with a wooden frame.

Alaster locked the door and concentrated his mana for a moment before tearing open a small spatial rift. From it, he pulled out parchment scrolls, a crude pencil, and prepared the book he had wanted to study in greater depth—the Armored Sil-Spider summoning manual.

«Maybe I can get Denderatrix to lend me her staff to test this spell. There's something about it that makes me curious... summoning is all about bringing creatures from another world into this one.»

Alaster pondered for a moment. Ultimately, he opened the spatial rift again to retrieve his basic magic textbook. It contained all sorts of general information, including summoning, though it didn't go into detail on execution.

There were three basic ways to summon beings from another world. The first was projection, which created a duplicate of the creature in this world—an avatar that could be summoned and dismissed at will with minimal risk, making it the safest method.

The second was transposition, which temporarily brought the creature from another world through specialized mana channels; it was less secure, but if anything went wrong, the creature eventually vanished.

The third method was the one used in the Armored Sil-Spider book: it created a tear in the spatial fabric to pull a specific creature through. The opening was rapid and sealed itself automatically.

Alaster paused. «It's just as I thought. Technically, it involves spatial magic, which means I might be able to pull one of those things through for a fraction of the mana cost.»

The elf spent time studying the summoning book until something interrupted him.

Knock, knock.

Alaster looked toward the door as he turned a page of the grimoire.

"Come in," he called out.

The door creaked open, revealing Detrix with her hair now dry and sleek.

"Handsome Al, I'm ready. I'm all yours."

Alaster sat up on the bed as he heard her. The mage smiled and shut the door behind her.

Alaster raised an eyebrow.

"We should go outside."

The mage tutted softly.

"Tsk! You have zero sense of humor, Al," she said with a smirk.

Alaster noticed the grimoire tucked under her arm.

"What's that?"

The girl smiled.

"Something I brought for you. It's to improve your defensive spells."

Alaster picked up the summoning grimoire from the chair—the one he had been reading before she arrived—and said:

"Alright, let's head outside."

As they stepped out, Alaster was followed closely by the rhythmic clicking of the mage's comfortable sandals. Denderatrix had changed into a long white dress paired with strappy sandals that showcased her neatly manicured feet.

The elf stopped in the middle of the backyard.

"Wait here," he told her before going back inside. A moment later, he returned carrying the dining table.

He set it up right in the middle of the yard. Detrix, who had been holding the grimoires while he worked, set everything down on top of it. They arranged their materials and sat down.

"Ahem..." Denderatrix cleared her throat before speaking. "Alright, Al, this is exactly why I came: to make sure you're prepared to be out there. Plus, there are things you just can't learn from a basic textbook. But first, tell me: how much do you actually know?"

Alaster smiled. «This is my chance to ask about everything I want to know—without bringing up spatial magic, of course,» he thought.

"Well, I know the basics. Like why mages have to use specialized weapons or focus items to channel magic, and how common metals make it impossible for a mage to cast spells. That spells can be boosted by injecting more mana than required, up to a certain limit.

I also know there are different disciplines within magic—like direct spellcasting, like my ice lances; enchantment, which provides offensive, defensive, or support buffs to yourself or others; and summoning, where you bring a creature from another world to serve you."

Alaster paused for a second before continuing.

"Then there are elemental attributes. As far as I know, having a fire attribute doesn't restrict you to only casting fire spells, but it does amplify that element in various ways for the caster.

And I know about item qualities: Normal, Refined, Superior, Rare, Dreadful, and Legendary. I think that's about everything I know."

Denderatrix held up a hand to stop him.

"Yes, that's pretty good! The information is accurate, though incomplete. For instance, those qualities only apply to items crafted by mortals. Items granted directly by the gods can have special ranks.

If we combine overall item tiers, the order from lowest to highest would be: Normal, Refined, Noble, Superior, Venerated, Rare, Heroic, Dreadful, Legendary, Transcendent, and Mythic. Those last two... well, everyone knows they exist, but no one's ever seen them. Dreadful and Legendary items are usually hoarded by royal kingdoms. But there's more you're missing."

Alaster nodded, absorbing the information. The mage, now leaning comfortably in her chair, smiled at the elf.

"You're also missing at least two core disciplines of magic. Technically there are many more, but among the fundamental ones, you're missing two.

First is Array Formation. That's... how do I put it? It's when you weave or write spells directly into the atmospheric mana. Formations don't require massive amounts of mana from the caster, but they take a huge number of magical symbols. They can take anywhere from a few hours to months—or even years—to weave complex magical arrays."

The girl made a face. "It's way too much work and utterly boring.

The second, equally boring discipline is Artifice Crafting. It's closely linked to formations, but it uses specialized materials and techniques, blending magic with disciplines like alchemy or blacksmithing. Someone who creates spell arrays is called an Array Master, while those who build magical devices are called Artificer Masters. Of course, before becoming a master, you're an apprentice. There are tons of long, tedious ranks to memorize that you probably don't care about."

Alaster, who had always loved gathering small details, chimed in quickly:

"No, no! Tell me, I want to know everything!"

Denderatrix frowned slightly.

"But Al..."

The elf reached across the table and took one of her hands, giving her an earnest, pleading look. Their hands met over the wooden surface. The girl flushed slightly, turning unexpectedly shy.

Alaster noticed, but pressed on. «Knowledge is power, and this girl holds a lot of it. I want it, even if I have to be a little bold,» he thought.

"F... fine," the girl said, gently squeezing his hand. She offered a brief smile before continuing. "You start as an Apprentice, and to do that, you have to find a Master in a Mage Tower. Usually, powerful mages build them to pass down knowledge and carve their name into history... plus, they charge fees..."

«Of course,» Alaster thought. «Money comes first.»

"Makes sense," he said.

"Anyway," she continued, "you start as an Apprentice, and then you get evaluated to move up the ranks: Novice, Initiate, Scholar, Expert, and finally Master. Once you reach Scholar, you're considered fully qualified, and the tower grants you a license to prove your expertise to any authority. So yeah, Al... you could go to a Mage Tower and study any discipline you want..."

Detrix paused, thinking for a second.

"I think that's all... No, wait, there's one more thing," she added. "Regarding metals: that restriction only applies to common metals. Common metal armor is off-limits for mages, but weapons aren't an issue unless you hold the weapon in the same hand as your focus ring... Though, mages aren't exactly known for physical strength, unless you have another class."

Denderatrix smirked. "Like an Advanced Class."

Alaster raised an eyebrow.

"Advanced Class?" he asked.

"I see you don't know about that," the mage said, finally letting go of Alaster's hand. "Mages—and all classes, as you should know—are chosen when a kid turns 13."

Alaster gave a crooked smile. Truthfully, he had no idea; until now, he'd assumed people were born with their class. «Looks like I was wrong.»

"Young people choose based on their natural stat growth. Anyone can choose to be a Warrior, Thief, Archer, or Mage, but how their stats naturally scale determines their suitability. Only those whose Intelligence and Mana stats scale well with levels can become mages, which is determined at birth by a priest or priestess.

Anyway, you already know that part, but what many don't know is that upon reaching level 50, you can select a second class derived from your original one," she explained.

Alaster replied:

"I hadn't heard that until now, though I've heard the term 'Advanced Class'."

Denderatrix nodded.

"That's because it's kept quiet from beginners so they don't rush into leveling up recklessly—that would be dangerous." Alaster nodded, and she continued:

"We only care about the Mage paths. At level 50, you can choose a path after completing a trial for a deity. It's usually fairly easy for a level 50 adventurer, but until you finish it, your level cap is locked.

When I finished my quest—which was slaying 50 Dragonoids in the Elicanteus Dungeon—I got to choose between three paths: Archmage, Arcanist, and Summoner.

Archmage is the most popular choice: it grants an extra +2 Intelligence and +30 Mana per level on top of your normal gains.

Arcanist—the class I chose—grants +1 Intelligence per level on top of the base +3 humans get, so I get 4 points per level past 50, along with +60 extra Mana. Since humans naturally gain +50 Mana per level, I now gain +110 Mana per level past 50.

Then there are Summoners, the rarest choice among mages. They gain +1 Intelligence, +1 Strength, +15 extra Mana, and +15 extra Health per level. That's how a mage becomes strong in melee combat, though most avoid it because spellcaster armor is ridiculously expensive.

The most important part of Advanced Classes, however, are the passive skills. Archmages get Clarity, which boosts concentration by 120%, making learning spells much easier. Arcanists like me get Mana Well, which increases our total mana pool by 250%. An Arcanist's mana reserves are astronomical."

Alaster looked at Denderatrix, wondering just how much mana she actually had. The mage seemed to read his mind, smiling as she held up six fingers.

"I'm about to hit six figures, thanks to my class and other mana passives."

The elf swallowed hard. His 1,700 mana felt like a drop in the ocean compared to her nearly six-figure pool.

«Does that mean this gorgeous, slightly chaotic girl has around 90,000 mana?!»

Alaster paled for a moment; the gap between them was immense.

"Pretty impressive, right?" she asked with a proud smirk.

"I have to admit, Detrix, that's incredible."

Her smile widened, but then she sighed.

"The downside, Al, is that I still need better gear. Even this staff can only channel 3,000 mana at a time."

That brought an important question to Alaster's mind.

"Hey... do you think you could lend me your staff for a bit? Just to test out a spell I learned," the elf asked.

The mage looked at him for a moment and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Al, but this staff is gender-locked to female users; you won't be able to channel through it." She paused, thinking for a second. "I can lend you something else, though you really ought to start thinking about upgrading your gear."

Alaster nodded.

"Yeah, I should. It's just that so far, the only things within my reach have been rings or orbs with less capacity than the ring you gave me."

Detrix facepalmed.

"Oh dear! You really don't know..."

Alaster looked at her with curiosity.

"Know what?" he asked.

The woman looked up and raised her left hand as her only answer. There, resting on her fingers, were three female-designed mage rings.

She looked at him with a smile and said:

"The capacity stacks."