"Have you completely lost it?"
The AI's voice erupted in Kyle's mind, practically vibrating with panic.
"Oh, look who rebooted," Kyle observed coolly.
"System startup achieved in 0.1 seconds, surpassing 99.99% of known processing speeds," the AI announced smugly before pivoting sharply. "But that's hardly relevant right now. Are you actively trying to get us killed? Why would you reveal you're an impostor?"
"That's not what matters."
"Then pray tell, what does?"
"Michelle's reaction to it."
Kyle kept his gaze trained on the sorceress as he conducted this internal dialogue.
And just as he'd predicted, Michelle barely acknowledged his confession. She merely let out a contemptuous snort, not even deigning to shift her position. His revelation seemed to leave her utterly unmoved.
The AI lapsed into stunned silence before muttering, "I must be experiencing a critical system error. Clearly my security protocols have been compromised."
"…"
Kyle could hardly blame his digital companion for struggling to keep up. Michelle's thought process was labyrinthine, and it had taken him considerable time to untangle it himself.
True, his earlier attempts to probe for information had been riddled with errors. The inconsistencies in his story were glaringly obvious. Those slip-ups had made Michelle question his identity, even suspect he might have somehow switched places with the real Lither heir.
But paradoxically, it was the very obviousness of those mistakes that had preserved his life.
Because the errors were so blatant, after initially doubting his identity, Michelle's paranoid mind had leaped to a second, more elaborate conclusion:
What if this was all an elaborate ruse? What if Kyle was deliberately making mistakes, trying to convince her he was an impostor?
Michelle had tied herself in knots with her own cunning.
Here's what Kyle imagined was running through her mind:
[Kyle's theatrical reconstruction of Michelle's paranoid logic, played out as an overwrought melodrama:]
"You're not Grant Lither - reveal your true identity!"
[Kyle envisions himself switching to mustache-twirling villain mode] "Indeed! The real noble heir is safely hidden away!"
"Where have you taken him? Speak, or forfeit your life!"
"Oh, I'll tell you… for a price. Meet my demands, or the young lord returns to his family and exposes your schemes. Mwahahaha!"
"Treacherous cur!"
[Imaginary Kyle continues hamming it up]
Until suddenly Michelle has her dramatic revelation: "No… this is all a ploy! You ARE Grant Lither, attempting to deceive your way to freedom!"
[Villain-Kyle's triumphant laughter dies] "How did you divine my scheme?"
"Your tricks cannot fool one such as I!"
And thus, no matter what increasingly outlandish performance Kyle might attempt, Michelle had made her decision: this WAS Grant Lither! He could start speaking in tongues while juggling flaming swords, and she'd still insist he was the genuine article.
"…that's the gist of it," Kyle concluded his explanation to the AI. "She's now convinced that anything I say is just another layer of deception."
After a weighted pause, the AI finally responded:
"…that is the most preposterous deduction I've ever processed."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Kyle replied serenely.
While his imagined scenario might have veered into theatrical excess, he was confident he'd mapped Michelle's psychological maze correctly. It was the only explanation that made sense of her otherwise inexplicable behavior.
When the realization first hit him, he'd wanted to tell Michelle she was massively overthinking things. But considering her position, he could almost understand. She'd sacrificed everything for this vault, watching her network of allies crumble to nothing. The possibility that Kyle wasn't actually Grant Lither would mean all her carefully laid plans had been for naught.
So she chose to believe he was Grant Lither, because that belief kept alive her hope of claiming the vault's contents.
People see what they wish to see.
Viewed through this lens, Michelle suddenly seemed less the untouchable sorceress and more… human. With the Church's hunters closing in, she was under as much pressure as he was, walking the knife's edge between survival and doom. She simply wore her desperation better, maintaining that veneer of icy control.
And in the end, since Kyle truly wasn't Grant Lither, all her machinations would dissolve like morning frost.
It was almost tragic.
Of course, if an enraged Michelle decided to flay him alive, he wouldn't be in any position to sympathize with her plight. However pitiable her situation might be, she still held his life in her hands.
Unless…
Kyle seized that gossamer thread of possibility.
"Michelle, what treasure lies in that vault? What could be worth such extreme measures?" he asked, his tone carefully modulated.
"That's none of your concern." Her clipped response betrayed mounting tension.
"Come now, how can I not be curious? You've methodically sacrificed every ally at your disposal. Few prizes could drive a mage of your caliber to such lengths. I find myself… intrigued."
Kyle could hear the deliberately grating quality in his voice, and it made his skin crawl. But necessity demanded it - his life hung in the balance. He had to play this particular gambit, distasteful as it was.
He needed to confirm his other "deduction."
The one that could upend everything.
"Your curiosity is misplaced." Michelle's patience was clearly fraying.
"Oh, but there's so much to consider! For instance…" Kyle pressed on, deliberately needling.
Michelle finally snapped: "SILENCE!"
Finally.
Kyle felt as if he'd found a crucial draft of air, excavating his way through a sealed cave. A ray of hope touched his face.
"You want me to be quiet?"
He dropped the deliberately irritating tone, his voice suddenly grave.
"Yes. You talk too much." Michelle remained oblivious to what was coming.
"Then… why not silence me yourself? Use that binding spell again, as you did before. Didn't you say you 'hoped I wouldn't cause further trouble'?" Kyle's words came slower now, measured, his heart pounding with each syllable. "Or could it be… you fear to use your magic?"
Michelle went rigid.
Though he couldn't see her expression beneath the cowl, Kyle knew her razor-sharp composure had cracked.
Something had been nagging at him since Michelle's attitude had soured, though he hadn't been able to place it until now. In that moment of clarity, everything clicked into place. His earlier needling had merely been to confirm his theory:
If Michelle so desperately wanted him to shut up, why not simply recast the binding spell?
The last time she'd bound him, he couldn't even speak. The spell clearly had the power to render its target mute.
After repeated testing and observation, the answer was plain: She couldn't use it. Or more precisely, given the presence of the Cleansers, she didn't dare. She feared detection by the Church's hunters.
Following this logic, the Cleansers must be able to sense magic within a certain range.
When she'd used the binding spell earlier, Annie had only just left, not yet fallen to the Cleansers' blades. So when they detected the flare of magic and spotted Annie in her witch's robes, claiming to surrender to "House Lither's pursuers," they naturally assumed she was the sorceress they hunted - the one who had cast the binding spell.
And so, without hesitation, they had "cleansed" Annie.
Afterward, believing they'd eliminated their quarry, the Cleansers planned to patrol briefly before taking their leave. Meanwhile, Michelle would slip away right under the Church's nose. Whatever crimes had put her in their crosshairs would now be attributed to the deceased Annie.
It was an elegant plan, achieving three objectives at once: eliminating Annie, escaping the Church's pursuit, and cutting off Kyle's chance of flight.
The only flaw was that she couldn't use magic while the Cleansers remained within range.
That's why she was so desperate to shut him up, but wouldn't risk another binding spell.
"You have the right of it. I cannot use magic - the Cleansers would sense it. Even without magic, those Church dogs would normally be able to track us. Their senses are uncanny. I've had to employ… unconventional methods to avoid detection."
Michelle finally spoke, her tone carrying a new note of caution. "But what of it? Even without magic, do you truly believe you can escape me?"
Kyle couldn't suppress a smile, shaking his head.
"I'm not planning to escape you. You'll be the one fleeing from me."
Michelle's confusion was evident. "What is thy meaning?"
Instead of answering, Kyle closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. With a subtle ripple in the air, he intoned an incantation.
The water sphere spell.
In Kyle's mental landscape, the pale blue triangular sigil trembled gently. Silent notes resonated from his soul, echoing through reality for the first time. In some unknown corner of the aether, water elements surged like a tide, responding to an unseen will, materializing and condensing in his palm…
In an instant, a sphere of water floated before him.
A fragile orb no bigger than an infant's fist, seemingly ready to rupture at the slightest touch - yet it seemed to freeze time itself, making all creation tremble.
Kyle's triumphant smile reflected in its surface.
"No one to take the fall for you this time," he remarked, glancing in the direction the knights had departed, his tone laced with irony. "The Cleansers will be coming. You should run."
Michelle stared at the tiny water sphere, utterly stunned.
She had outmaneuvered Kyle by exploiting his ignorance of the Cleansers, but he had turned the tables by concealing his magical ability.
Once the Cleansers sensed the water sphere, they would resume their hunt. Michelle couldn't hope to escape their pursuit while dragging Kyle along as dead weight. She would have to abandon him. And Kyle need only play the helpless hostage for the Cleansers to return him to House Lither.
Of course, she might kill him in a rage, but Kyle judged that unlikely. The added crime of murdering a noble would only compound her woes. The Cleansers were dogged hunters - leaving Kyle alive would slow their pursuit, affording Michelle a better chance of escape.
Thus, Kyle would secure his freedom, while Michelle's schemes would come to naught.
Perfect.
Unable to match her in raw power, Kyle had carefully played the weakling, guiding the confrontation into a battle of wits. Finally, with one small counterweight, he had tipped the scales of victory.
What more could he say?
"Who's the poser now, son? I pulled off a complete uno reverse with a single water balloon! Certified genius, baby!" he crowed mentally at the AI.
"…"
The AI remained silent for a beat before projecting an image of a sweating emoji into his field of vision.
"Hey, no fair! Since when can you use emojis?" Kyle sputtered indignantly.
The AI seemed to briefly short-circuit before responding in a measured cadence:
"I wouldn't pop the champagne just yet, boss. Call it a hunch, but something tells me Her Wickedness won't throw in the towel that easy."
True to the AI's warning, Michelle appeared to be recovering from her shock.
She glared at Kyle, biting off each word: "Who said anything about a scapegoat? I'll just drape my robes over your cooling corpse. The Cleansers won't care if you're some noble's whelp - they'll purify you all the same!"
Kyle remained unruffled.
"Yes, you could do that," he agreed placidly.
But as the AI had noted, Michelle wouldn't surrender so easily.
She wouldn't abandon her quest for the vault's secrets.
And Kyle - or rather, his identity as Grant Lither - represented her best hope of attaining them.
She couldn't kill him if she wanted the vault's contents, or she'd be forced to orchestrate another abduction. Given how disastrously this first attempt had unfolded, could she truly hope to pull off a second? Where would she find more disposable pawns?
She also couldn't keep Kyle with her while evading the Cleansers. As with their earlier flight, he would slow her down, and the knights were relentless. With Kyle in tow, they would be overtaken in short order.
Her only recourse was to let Kyle go and hope for some manner of cooperation. However unlikely that might seem.
Either way, Kyle now held the advantage.
"Lady Michelle, shall we… discuss new terms of partnership?" he inquired, mimicking her earlier measured tones with a hint of mockery. "Let me go, and in exchange, I'll help you obtain what you seek from the vault. Surely that's more efficient than this tiresome game of cat and mouse?"
Michelle lapsed into silence before finally sighing in resignation.
"You win," she ground out.
For the second time in over five hours, Kyle heard those words.
Thank every deity in the multiverse, he was going to live!
It felt like he'd been climbing through an endless abyss for a small eternity, enduring countless moments of despair and hardship, choking back every surge of panic until his muscles screamed and his body threatened to give out entirely.
Finally, he glimpsed the first ray of dawn.
He was a noble's heir, after all. Once he got through this waking nightmare, a life of luxury and privilege awaited…
As these thoughts flickered through his mind…
"Look out!" the AI suddenly warned.
Before Kyle could react, a fist like lightning struck his left cheek with a sickening crack.
What in the seven Hells?
With shocking abruptness, Michelle had channeled her inhuman strength into a devastating punch. This was the same monstrous power that had allowed her to haul him up a tree one-handed like a sack of grain.
That strength, combined with the fury of having been outplayed, made for a truly jaw-dropping wallop.
Kyle saw only darkness before slipping into blissful oblivion.
Related Chapters
The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI Chapter 10: A Rude Awakening
In a daze, Kyle dreamt once more.He was back in middle school. A drowsy afternoon, the math teacher at the front, back turned as he wrote on the chalkboard. The chalk struck the board with dull, heavy clacks.Kyle's head spun.He couldn't make out what was being written, everything blurred as if out of focus. His gaze locked onto the raised lines of the teacher's shirt, the only clear detail in a sea of haze.Kyle stared, transfixed, neck and cheeks itching.The math teacher turned. It was his boss's face, a man in his forties, spectacled, lips painted.Pointing at Kyle, he bellowed: "Moon Prism Power, make up!!""…"Kyle jolted awake once more.Emerging from the bizarre dream a second time, he felt like he'd been crammed on a subway for hours, ready to hurl. Mercifully, he wasn't bound in some strange locale or wracked with pain. Only a dull ache in his left cheek, slightly swollen.His left cheek…Senses returning, Kyle recalled what had transpired.Michelle's fist, slamming into h
The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI Chapter 11: A Long Night, Sleepless
"Young master, you can return to your rest. Leave Mr. Fur to us," a middle-aged man in a butler's uniform stepped forward after the interminable silence, defusing the awkward scene.Young master?Kyle's interest was piqued."Yes, I'll leave it to you then."Sure, watching a man wallow in a veritable ocean of human waste was entertaining enough, the kind of spectacle that would normally merit a few extra gawks and maybe a sneaky picture or two for the 'gram. But as the perpetrator, Kyle could hardly stand back and enjoy the show - best to make himself scarce. And if he was being honest, he didn't much care what became of the victim. Roaming the halls at witching hour playing at ghosts only to get doused in excrement… that was just karma at work.Besides, Kyle had bigger fish to fry. Namely, his own situation.Judging by the onlookers' behavior and the manor's lavish decor, he had a sneaking suspicion about his current circumstances.He was back with House Lither.Granted, the specifics
The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI Chapter 12: Benjamin and Grant
In the span of a single instant, Kyle envisioned countless potential outcomes for this encounter.The strange man might blanch in terror and flee. He might lunge at Kyle, knife flashing, leading to a desperate struggle. With luck, some member of House Lither would come bursting in to subdue the intruder…Eyeing that gleaming blade, Kyle harbored no illusions about the man's intent.Ill intent? More like murderous intent.Arson, assault and battery seemed well within the realm of possibility.In that frozen moment, Kyle's mind suddenly kicked into overdrive. What to do? Try to fight him off? Not bloody likely - in his scrawny, freshly-isekai'd body, taking the man head-on would be tantamount to assisted suicide.Scream for help, then? Probably his best bet, certainly better than trying to brain the blighter with a water sphere. Though who could say if any guards were close enough to respond in time…But just as he was about to let loose a mighty bellow, his knife-wielding visitor did s
The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI Chapter 13: Becoming Benjamin Lither
The night passed in the blink of an eye."Young Master Benjamin, 'tis time to greet the day. The Dowager requests your presence at the morning repast."The butler's voice, accompanied by a brisk knock at the door, yanked Kyle back to cold reality as he lay abed.Was it dawn already?He laughed bitterly to himself. Who would have thought that simply assimilating Benjamin Lither's memories would keep him toiling from dusk till daybreak, not a moment spared for rest?The fault lay not with the AI, as such. The condensed memory package was indeed sufficiently abbreviated, providing a general overview of his circumstances within half an hour's time. No, the crux of the issue was that it was perhaps a touch TOO concise. Kyle had scoured the recollections for any hint of the scoundrel who had sent the assassin after him, but to no avail.Thus, he had been compelled to refine his search, querying the AI for more granular details buried within the memories.Alas, this line of inquiry proved ak
The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI Chapter 14: First Contact with the Church
Holy light envelops the world.Legend has it that this was the first divine decree issued by the Almighty at the founding of the Church. In the turbulent years of war, the first Pope recited these words as he held aloft the faintly glowing sacred light, allowing it to ascend into the night sky during humanity's darkest hour.In the millennium since its establishment, the Church has grown from a humble charity in the eyes of the masses into a colossus that dominates the continent. Three centuries ago, the Horian Kingdom was founded around the Holy See, becoming the mightiest nation on the landmass. Though the kingdom has a royal family, everyone knows they are mere marionettes dancing to the Church's tune, forever prostrating themselves at the feet of the divine.It can be said that every child born in this realm is a subject of the Almighty. From their baptism at a hundred days old, to their wedding vows, to their funeral rites, the will of the divine permeates it all. This is how the
The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI Chapter 15: The Method of Digging for Inheritance
Before long, Benjamin left the confessional.He blended into the bustling crowd, leaving St. Peter's Cathedral without drawing any attention.This conversation with the Archbishop had been quite fruitful for him. Firstly, he learned that he was cursed. Though this was bad news, it was still better than finding out only after something went wrong. You could say it was a form of gain, in a sense. Secondly, and most importantly, he had obtained information about Michelle.After the Archbishop nodded his assent, he shared some intelligence regarding Michelle with Benjamin. Only then did Benjamin learn that Michelle had a long history of nefarious deeds. Starting from five years ago, she had been active in the vicinity of the capital: assaulting nobles, stealing treasures, spreading rumors, preaching heretical ideas… Not only that, she had survived the Church's relentless pursuit for five years without a scratch, never even going into extended hiding.You coul
The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI Chapter 16: Revenge of the "Shitfaced"
Grumbling under his breath, Benjamin entered the living room to face his father."Father, I've returned."The duke, seated in the place of honor, regarded Benjamin silently. Not a hint of warmth graced his features, only a glimmer of reproach that set Benjamin's nerves on edge.What in the world had happened?Benjamin had carefully studied the memories related to his father, Claude Lither. The man was head of the family, a duke of the realm, and occupied a position of utmost prestige among the Horian Kingdom's aristocracy. A staunch traditionalist through and through.As a dyed-in-the-wool noble, Claude held fast to the old ways. Loyal to crown and church. Prideful of his blue blood and the chasm it carved between himself and the common man. Obsessed with reputation and appearances, clinging to the tattered remnants of nobility's bygone glory. In short, the man was a hopeless relic, his thinking mired in the prejudices of a feudal past.On a
The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI Chapter 17: The Old Lady's Antics
"Well then, this old crone has no business here anymore. I'm a bit tired, so I'll go rest now."Just as Dick was eagerly clutching the chamber pot, ready to pounce, the old lady who had been sitting silently on the sidelines - Benjamin's grandmother - suddenly spoke up.Benjamin was a bit surprised, and everyone else's attention was immediately diverted as well."If you're tired, Old Madam, please go rest. These are all trivial matters. No one would fault you for not wanting to be here," Ikes Fur immediately chimed in before Claude could open his mouth."At my ripe old age, I have to show my face when something happens, otherwise people might start thinking I've gone to meet my maker. Wouldn't you agree?" the old lady retorted, her tone as nonchalant as ever, as if she were mocking him, or perhaps just stifling a yawn.Ikes hurriedly shook his head, saying, "Old Madam jests…"Benjamin stood to the side, quietly listening to their exchange. The moment his grandmother spoke up, the conf
Latest Chapter
- The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI
Chapter 40: The Silver Pistol
Hearing this, Benjamin hesitated for a moment before replying, "But I haven't bought a gun yet."He wasn't planning on heading home just like that.The other knight immediately tried to persuade him: "Lord Lither, you've seen the chaos of the outer city for yourself. What if the heretic who abducted you shows up again? Please, it's best if you return home for now."Benjamin thought for a moment, and suddenly hatched a plan.Whether or not he bought a gun was beside the point now. He could milk a bit more out of these knights.Putting on a stubborn, resolute air, he declared firmly, "No can do! These heretics are so powerful, without the means to fight back, what's the difference between the inner and outer city? You saw it yourselves - if I hadn't opened fire, today's heretic wouldn't have even fled. Soon enough, my father will take this pistol back, and then if the heretics slip past your watch and come for me, what am I to do?""This is…"The knights weren't as silver-tongued as the
- The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI
Chapter 39: The Academy of Silence
Before long, Benjamin left the warehouse where they'd been lying low.On his way out, he gleaned some intel about this"Academy of Silence"from the two young mages.When the Kingdom of Horia was first established, the Church cemented its position and began hunting down mages with a vengeance, forcing them to take their activities underground. The surviving mages banded together, trading spells and know-how, helping each other evade the Church's pursuit - and thus, the Academy of Silence was born.Later, as the Church's power grew, eclipsing even the monarchy, they only intensified their mage-hunting efforts. At the time, a handful of the strongest mages joined forces to ensure their survival, founding the Academy of Silence with the goal of keeping the magical arts alive and the dream of building a brand new mage-ruled nation.The Academy's headquarters lay hidden in the mountains to the west of the kingdom. The terrain there was treache
- The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI
Chapter 38: When Mages Have to Perform Surgery
The elder mage had been stashed by his two students in a sack, shoved into a corner of the warehouse.When Benjamin watched Stumpy brusquely hauling their teacher out of the burlap, the first thought that popped into his head was that if this mage knew what his disciples had done, he'd be pissed enough to rise from the grave - even if he was already six feet under.But he wasn't dead yet, so he probably wouldn't find out what had transpired.At least, not dead yet."What cosmic crime did your teacher commit to deserve students like you…"Benjamin couldn't help but marvel."Teacher's said stuff like that too!" There was a bizarre note of glee in Stumpy's voice. "He's always saying if we didn't have crazy good elemental affinity, enough to cast spells even when we botch the chant, he wouldn't have taken us on in a million years!""…"Benjamin had decidedly mixed feelings about Stumpy's little speech. He opted not to comment.Better to focus on saving a life. Right, saving a life, that was
- The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI
Chapter 37: What's More Terrifying Than One Idiot?
The situation had reached a bit of a stalemate.Every time the knights shattered a Water Barrier, the elder mage would just conjure up another one. Their longswords couldn't lay a scratch on their foes. But it was much the same on the other side - the two younger mages were too dense, so the trio couldn't do much against the holy knights either.However, Benjamin knew this gridlock wouldn't last long.Judging by the elder mage's easy, unconcerned demeanor, it was clear he still had tricks up his sleeve. Right now, he was just trying to show these newbies the ropes, sticking purely to defensive magic. The moment he busted out some attack spells, these two holy knights would likely be toast.And if they couldn't hold the line, Benjamin would be in deep trouble too.Sure, he was starting to feel a little bad for the elder mage, but right from the jump, the guy had declared his intent to silence them all for good. Benjamin didn't dare gamble on whether
- The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI
Chapter 36: Adventures in the Outer City
Unlike the inner city, Havenlet's outer city remained bustling even as night fell.Although this world had yet to invent electric lights, the glow of oil lamps still illuminated the streets, with plenty of residents out and about. Most shops were still open for business, with a steady stream of customers coming and going, showing no signs of closing up. And that was to say nothing of the taverns, where the raucous din of patrons could be heard from a dozen meters away.But that was to be expected. The Church's curfew only applied to the inner city. The outer city was simply too vast, and enforcing a curfew would require a staggering amount of manpower. The Church couldn't be bothered, so they simply let it develop as it would.The Fur family, for instance, derived most of their income from the outer city's entertainment industry. With such intricate ties binding them, the outer city's nights were even less pious. Devout folks who enjoyed their peace and quiet either became priests and
- The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI
Chapter 35: Lend Me That Gun
In the military, under any circumstances, strength is king.After experiencing it firsthand, Benjamin's understanding of this point deepened.Thanks to the shooting interface that had somehow popped up from the AI, he had stunned the entire marksmanship camp with a single shot. The attitudes of these new recruits towards him had taken a rollercoaster ride. There was no longer any mockery in their eyes, replaced by a fair amount of respect and admiration, and occasionally even a hint of envy.Benjamin felt a bit guilty about this.Unlike these people who had trained hard, he had relied entirely on external help, which wasn't exactly honorable. If it hadn't been for the sudden appearance of the shooting interface, he would have made a fool of himself. It was just that when he had the gun in his hand, his mind had gotten hot and he really wanted to fire a shot to test it out. Once the muzzle was raised, there was no backing out, he could only go with the flow.Therefore, after flexing a
- The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI
Chapter 34: Coach, I Wanna Flex Too!
Around the middle-aged man, a group of young recruits turned their heads in unison, staring at Benjamin with less than friendly eyes.Benjamin immediately sensed trouble brewing.Those scenes from the novels weren't really about to play out, were they?Taking a deep breath, Benjamin had no choice but to steel himself and walk over."What's your name?" the middle-aged man asked.Benjamin pondered for a moment, deliberately omitting his surname, and answered, "I'm Benjamin."The middle-aged man, however, had no tact. He curled his lip and said, "You're the Lither family's kid, the useless one, right?"A burst of laughter instantly erupted from the crowd.Benjamin could feel that when the word "Lither" was uttered, the eyes of those around him changed again, becoming a mix of envy and disdain.He could only sigh inwardly.The military held a unique position in the Kingdom of Horia. They didn't fear the nobles, not even the royals. Although they claimed to be loyal to the nation, in reali
- The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI
Chapter 33: Military Training?
Over the next few days, Benjamin enjoyed a rare stretch of peace and quiet.He got up on time, ate on time, ordered Jeremy around on time, and didn't set foot outside again. The relentless barrage of shenanigans seemed to have died down all at once. His father Claude was away on a tour of the domain, and the handful of people left in the house kept to themselves, exchanging little more than daily greetings.After finishing "The Beginner's Guide to Thaumaturgy", Benjamin had long since returned the book to Grantt's desk. The little episode in Grantt's bedroom that night was treated as if it had never happened, a tacit understanding between the two.Every day, Benjamin would hole up in his room pretending to sleep, then cultivate in his inner world. Sometimes he'd "meditate" to strengthen his triangular sigil, other times he'd speed up the condensation of his new sigils, encountering no further issues along the way.But he knew this peaceful training routine couldn't last long.What he
- The Church, the Mage, and the Snarky AI
Chapter 32: Choosing Skills
Benjamin had to admit, he was a total skill junkie.Just like when he used to game back in his old world, he couldn't care less about graphics or story - all that mattered was the skills. As long as a game had a wild, wacky, endlessly inventive set of abilities to play with, he was hooked. Leveling up barely registered as a blip on his radar, existing solely as a means to score more skill points. Every time he unlocked some shiny new technique, his sense of achievement went through the roof.And yet…Here he was, finally spirited away to a realm of magic, only to be told he could only have THREE measly skill points to his name?And one of them had already been wasted on freakin' Aqua Sphere?"This build is borked, I wanna reroll," he groaned, glancing skyward as if pleading with the cosmos."You do realize talking to yourself like that just makes you seem chuuni as all get-out, right?" the AI chimed in, its tone bone-dry. "It's not li