Re:Birth: A Slow Burn LitRPG Mage Regressor

In a blink, Bob materialized inches from Adom's face. Adom yelped and stumbled backward, landing hard in the snow.

"Holy shi-!" Valiant's tail went rigid.

Adom chuckled, brushing snow from his cloak. "Bob, you really need to stop doing that when it's not expec-"

"Ya feckin' eejit!" Bob yanked him into a bone-crushing hug, beard scratching against Adom's face. "Two months! Two bloody months! Searched every pub, every street, every dark corner in Arkhos!"

"Bob, I can't breathe-"

He really couldn't. What was it with small creatures like leprechauns and dwarves having that ridiculous amount of strength anyway?

"Thought ya were dead in a ditch somewhere!" Bob's voice cracked slightly. He pulled back, holding Adom at arm's length, sharp eyes examining every inch of him. "By the old gods, look at the state of ya! Where's yer proper cloak? Tryin' to catch yer death out here?"

"I'm fine, really-"

"Fine? Fine?!" Bob's face went red under his wild beard. "Last I saw ya, ya were runnin' around that cursed academy with some half-baked plan about-" He stopped, finally noticing Valiant. "Who's the mouse?"

"Um." Valiant raised a paw in awkward greeting. "Hi?"

"This is Valiant," Adom said, finally managing to stand. "He helped me escape the dungeon."

"Dungeon?" Bob's bushy eyebrows shot up. "What feckin' dungeon?"

"It's... a long story."

"A long story, he says!" Bob threw his hands up. "Go missing for months, show up in the middle of nowhere looking like ya fought a dragon, and all ya can say is 'it's a long story'?"

"Well-"

"Sìth is Solas!" Bob grabbed Adom's ear, twisting slightly. "I ought to box yer ears for the worry ya put me through!"

"Ow! Bob, come on-"

"Don't you 'come on' me, laddie!" But he released Adom's ear, running a hand through his own wild red and grey hair. He muttered something in the old tongue that made the snow around his feet briefly melt.

"What was that?" Valiant asked.

"None of yer business, that's what!" Bob snapped, then turned back to Adom. "At least tell me ya solved whatever mess ya got yerself into?"

Adom and Valiant exchanged glances.

"Not... exactly," Adom admitted.

Bob's face darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe we could discuss this somewhere warmer?" Valiant suggested, teeth chattering. "Preferably with food?"

"Ach, ya both look half-frozen." Bob's expression softened slightly. "Should get ya somewhere warm before-" He paused, something crossing his face. "Though I suppose ya should know... yer parents have been in quite the state."

Everything stopped. The cold, the wind, the snow - it all fell away. Adom's eyes went wide.

"My parents?"

"Yeah, about that..." Bob tugged at his beard, a habit Adom knew meant trouble. "Ya might wanna sit down for this, lad."

Adom looked up from his spot in the snow, one eyebrow raised. "Bob, I'm literally sitting in frozen water right now. How much more seated would you like me to be?"

Valiant snorted, quickly turning it into a cough when Bob shot him a glare.

"Yer da's about to rebel against the Empire."

The words hung in the freezing air. No one spoke. Even the wind seemed to pause, letting snowflakes drift silently around them.

Somewhere in the distance, a branch cracked under the weight of ice.

"...what?" Adom's voice barely carried through the falling snow.

Bob exhaled, his breath misting. "Ya remember sending me to get yer father, telling him ya were in trouble? Well, by the time we arrived, you vanished. No trace. Nothing." He kicked at the snow. "He started asking questions. Searching. But every lead went cold."

The wind howled between them. Adom sat perfectly still, listening.

"Then the Crown Prince showed up in the city few weeks back. Told yer father to stand down - said he was causing too much chaos for a Star Knight of his rank." Bob's face darkened. "Said they were 'handling' the investigation, but wouldn't give any answers about what happened at the academy, where ya disappeared."

Valiant's head snapped up. "Wait - his father's a Star Knight?"

"689th Commander of the Iron Wolves," Bob nodded. "Four hundred of the finest Star Knights in the Empire." He glanced at Adom. "I meself was surprised."

Adom's hands clenched in his lap. He'd known involving his father would draw attention - that's exactly what he'd been trying to avoid. But with Gale in the picture, another Star Knight and a mage to boot, he'd had no choice. But to this extent...

Holy fucking shit.

"The Iron-" Valiant's whiskers twitched rapidly. "Those are the elite corps that-"

"Aye. And when the Prince ordered him to stop searching, with no explanation..." Bob shook his head. "Well, yer father called in his entire battalion." Adom's head dropped in a deep sigh. "The Prince didn't like that - said he was overstepping. The argument got heated. Yer father demanded to investigate the Undertow, said something wasn't right about the whole thing."

Snow collected on Adom's shoulders as he sat, unmoving.

"W-what happened now?" asked Valiant.

"Now?" Bob continued, "Yer father's given the Empire an ultimatum. Either they open the city gates and let him conduct a proper investigation into yer disappearance, or explain what really happened at the academy." He paused. "Or he'll come in and find out himself, permission or not."

"And the Empire?" Valiant asked quietly.

"Sent fifteen hundred imperial troops to Arkhos. They're waiting at the gates." Bob's voice grew grave. "Both sides are dug in. One wrong move, and..."

The wind filled the silence that followed until Valiant's small voice broke it. "But... Adom's back now. Won't that fix everything?"

Adom pushed himself up, snow falling from his shoulders. His legs felt unsteady. "It'll make things worse." He brushed more snow from his shoulder. "Think about it. My father raised an army because I vanished. If I just walk back in now..." He let out a shaky breath. "They'll say I ran away. That my father mobilized the Iron Wolves for nothing. Started a rebellion over a rebellious son."

Another shiver ran through him, and this time it wasn't just from the cold. He tilted his head up, watching grey clouds spill endless snow over the world. "I just crawled out of a dungeon, and now..."

"Why not just tell the truth?" Valiant asked.

Bob shot the mouse a look. "For someone who managed to escape a dungeon, yer not exactly the brightest spark in the forge, are ya?"

"Hey!" Valiant's tail bristled. He was quiet for a moment, then: "Oh. Oh shit."

"The Crown Prince had his reasons for blocking the investigation." Adom's voice trembled slightly. "Reasons that probably involve him. If I show up now..." He wrapped his arms around himself. "Best case? They label me a runaway. No one believes anything else, no matter what I say. My father loses all credibility - and at his level, that's as good as a death sentence." The snow kept falling, collecting in his hair. "And then things get worse. Much worse."

"Ya should go see them," Bob said, his voice softening. "Yer mother's there too. Sweet lady, worried sick about ya."

Adom's face softened for a moment, almost saying yes, then he straightened. "I will. Today. But I need help first." He pulled his thin clothes tighter. "And somewhere to stay - can't go back to the academy now."

"What d'ya need?"

"Proper clothes. Warm cloaks. For all of us." He glanced at Valiant. "And... I need you to tell my parents where I'm going."

Bob's face darkened. "For feck's sake, lad, ya can't keep running off-"

"I'm not running," Adom cut in. "But if we want to end this, we need proof. About the Children of the Moon, about what they're doing. I need to prepare first." He met Bob's glare. "After you help with that... bring my parents to me?"

"Where?" Bob growled.

Adom turned toward Arkhos, squinting slightly. His vision, though better than before - good enough to go without glasses now - was still weak, but improving. Through the falling snow, he could make out shapes in the harbor.

"The Veyshari usually leave when winter comes, but..." He pointed toward the beach. "Their ship's still there. Probably stayed because of all this chaos." He lowered his hand. "I'll ask them for shelter, for now."

Bob stared at Adom for a long moment, then dragged a hand down his face. "The Veyshari. Ya disappear for weeks, the Empire's about to have a civil war, and yer planning to hide out with the bloody Veyshari." He let out a harsh laugh. "Perfect. Just perfect. Why not throw in a few pirates and maybe a demon while we're at it?"

He paced a few steps, snow crunching under his boots. "Ya know what? Fine. I'll get yer clothes. I'll tell yer parents. But ya better have a damn good plan beyond 'let's hide with the nomads and gather proof.' Because right now?" He gestured toward the city. "There's fifteen hundred imperial soldiers down there who aren't gonna care much about proof once the fighting starts."

He stopped, turning back to Adom. "And yer father? He's not gonna sit quiet once he knows where ya are. Man's been ready to burn down half the Empire looking for ya."

Then Bob vanished.

Valiant shook his head. "What a grumpy leprechaun..."

"Aren't they all?" Adom said.

"RIGHT?!" Valiant's tail swished excitedly. "I didn't want to say anything, you know, don't want to stereotype and all that, but I always heard leprechauns were grumpy. First one I ever meet and - surprise! - grumpy as can be. Coincidence? I think-"

Bob materialized right in front of Valiant's face, making the mouse squeak and stumble backward into the snow. A bundle of clothes hit Adom in the chest.

"That was fast..." Valiant looked around. "Hey, where are mine?"

"Nothing in yer size," Bob grunted. "Yer small enough to fit in his pocket. Nice and warm in there."

Valiant's whiskers bristled. "Now listen here, you-"

"Alright, alright," Adom cut in, already pulling on the heavy cloak and warmer clothes. The fabric was thick, well-made. "Thanks, Bob."

They exchanged nods, Bob's expression softening slightly. "Just make sure ya don't vanish into another dungeon before I bring yer parents, yeah?"

Adom nodded again, and Bob disappeared into thin air, leaving them alone in the falling snow.

Adom exhaled deeply, examining the clothes Bob had brought. Everything was exactly his size - thick wool socks, sturdy leather boots lined with fur, dark trousers, a warm tunic, and a heavy cloak with deep pockets. The fabric was high quality, dyed in deep blues and greys. There was even a pair of gloves. Had Bob been keeping these ready?

"We better g-" He started to open his cloak.

Before he could finish, Valiant had already darted into the pocket, rustling around before settling. "Hate to admit it, but that grumpy leprechaun was right. It is nice and warm in here."

A small smile tugged at Adom's lips. "Just stay quiet, alright? We need to get through Arkhos, find a strider, and make it to the beach." He adjusted his cloak. "That means no weird popping sounds with your mouth, no commentary, nothing."

"I'll try," Valiant said, then added under his breath, "No promises though."

Adom shook his head and started walking, snow crunching under his new boots as they headed toward the city, leaving their footprints to slowly fill with fresh snow behind them.

*****

It took them almost two hours to reach the city. Adom stuck to the paths he'd discovered during his years here - narrow alleys between buildings, service entrances, gaps in the old walls where stones had fallen away. The hood of his cloak was pulled low, a strip of cloth covering his face below his eyes. Only his blue eyes were visible, scanning the streets constantly.

Arkhos felt wrong. The usual bustle was gone, replaced by an eerie quiet broken only by the crunch of boots in snow. Imperial soldiers patrolled in groups of three or four, their red uniforms stark against the white ground. The few civilians hurried past with their heads down, darting from doorway to doorway like scared rabbits. Shops were closed, windows dark. The snow kept falling, making everything look softer than it was.

He stopped abruptly. There, posted on a wall, was a notice with his face - a sketch from his first year, showing him smiling next to Sam. His hair was shorter then, his face rounder. The word 'MISSING' was printed below in bold letters.

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Sam. He wondered how his friend was doing, and Eren too. A bitter ache filled his chest as he remembered their meals together in the city, laughing over Old Mary's meat pies. He glanced toward her place now - closed. Another casualty of the current situation.

"Stop squirming," he murmured as Valiant shifted in his pocket.

"Just getting comfortable," the mouse whispered back. "Do you know how hard it is to find the right spot in a pocket? There's always a seam or a fold in exactly the wrong place..."

"Shh." Adom kept walking, keeping to the shadows. More soldiers passed, their hands on their weapons, eyes suspicious of everyone they saw.

"Oh no..."

An apple rolled across the snowy ground, stopping at Adom's feet. He picked it up, its red skin bright against his gloved hand. It was firm, heavy - the kind that would burst with juice at the first bite. His mouth watered; after weeks of nothing but monster chicken and water...