After breakfast, I stepped into the lounge with Allira at my side. Conversation dimmed the moment we entered. Dozens of eyes turned toward us, officers, adventurers, nobles, all waiting for direction.

  I cleared my throat. “Just wanted to let everyone know, we’ll be landing within the hour. We’re crossing the lake now,” I said, gesturing toward the wide expanse of water shimmering through the lounge windows. “We’ll look for a clear spot on the north shore to land.”

  A ripple of acknowledgment moved through the crowd.

  “My lord,” an armored man stepped forward. I recognized him from last night: Fredrick, the leader of the adventure company. His armor gleamed, freshly polished for arrival.

  “Thank you again for getting us here,” the man said, bowing his head slightly. “Once we’re on the ground, we’ll head northwest. Last year’s expedition found signs of ruins near the foothills, so our mission is to map the terrain.” He paused, scratching his beard. “If we find anything worthwhile, we’ll come back next year for a full dig.”

  He chuckled, and his companions followed suit, the easy laughter of people blissfully unaware of the trouble they might stumble into.

  “I wish you luck,” I said, shaking his extended hand firmly. “And I’ll promise to wait for your team…” I kept my face perfectly stoic, maybe too much so. His smile faltered, and concern appeared in his eyes. Only then did I allow the grin to break through. “We’ll be here for you,” I added lightly. Relief washed over him so quickly that it was almost worth the setup. I turned toward the far corner, where General Kitch sat with several of his officers. “General Kitch?”

  He immediately straightened, closing the small book he had been reading. “You enjoy messing with people sometimes, my lord?”

  “Only when the tension gets thick enough to cut with a dull knife,” I replied. “Any changes in your orders?”

  “Our mission remains the same, my lord… we’re here to safeguard Their Highnesses and the Princess throughout the expedition.”

  I nodded. “Good. Understood.”

  My gaze swept the room one last time, adventurers sharpening blades and trading stories, mages drinking, soldiers standing at ease but watching everything. The quiet hum of preparation filled the hold. Do mages drink a lot?

  “If there’s nothing else,” I said as I paused at the door, feeling every eye in the room shift toward me, “I’ll see you all on the ground shortly.” With that, I turned and headed for the bridge, Allira’s boots clicking in a steady rhythm beside mine.

  The Enterprise settled into the meadow with a low hiss of steam and a swirl of snow, the turbines winding down until only the wind remained. For a moment, everything held still, as if the land itself was holding its breath. Then the shutdown sequence finished, and the decks beneath our feet went quiet.

  I left the bridge and headed for the side corridor, my boots softly echoing against the decking. At the external hatch, four members of the flight crew waited with Allira, Marlena, Allyson, and Aria. The flight crew each carried a rifle slung over their shoulders. With a muted thump, the hatch locks disengaged. The side door swung open, and the ramp extended to meet the snow-dusted ground below. The flight crew stepped out first, crisp and efficient, followed by the rest of us. Cold air cut across my face as we emerged, sharp and clean with the scent of pine.

  The meadow lay wide before us, its edges hemmed by dark trees and ridges of snow. In the distance, the mountains reared high into the western sky, their white peaks glowing against the pale sun. Southward, water glimmered beneath a crust of ice, vast and still. The scene tugged at my memory, a dream half-remembered, a warning I couldn’t place.

  Combat golems rumbled from the belly of the ship and took up positions with heavy, deliberate steps, their crystal eyes flaring faintly. Allira’s voice rang clear over the wind as she issued orders, the constructs responding with silent precision.

  “We’re being watched.”

  My words hung in the cold air. I scanned the tree line where the shadows shifted, not movement exactly, but the feeling of eyes.

  “They’re in the woods,” I added quietly.

  Allyson handed me the prototype rifle without a word. The weight settled comfortably in my hands, warm from her touch, humming faintly with mana. I stepped away from the ramp, snow crunching beneath my boots. The flight crew spread out, keeping a loose perimeter. Marlena moved to my left, her breath misting pale in the chill.

  “What is it, David?” she asked, voice low but steady.

  “This is the place,” I said, eyes still on the trees. “There’s something here. I can feel it.”

  The air was still, the kind of stillness before a storm. Then behind us, the passengers began to disembark, their laughter and chatter cutting across the hush of the meadow. Subtlety had never been their strength.

  A sound tore through the quiet, a long, metallic screech like steel on stone.

  Screeek.

  Every head turned. One of the adventurers shouted, “East! A griffin!”

  Chaos erupted. The creature burst from the forest in a flurry of wings and snow, sunlight flashing off its talons. It sharply banked, casting a shadow over us as it let out a shriek that rattled the airship’s hull. The adventurers scrambled for cover, two releasing arrows that vanished harmlessly into the sky.

  I cocked the rifle, the lever snapping into place with a sharp clack, and brought the weapon to my shoulder. The world narrowed around me, my heartbeat, the line of the barrel, the creature’s chest as it turned for another pass.

  I exhaled.

  Pulled the trigger.

  The air cracked. A blinding line of blue-white energy ripped across the space between us, and the griffin jerked mid-flight, wings seizing before it plummeted, crashing through the snow in a spray of feathers and ice.

  [DING]

  [2,000 Kinetic Weaponry XP Gained]

  You have slain a Griffin, a mythic-class beast, using a method never before recognized by this world’s mana system.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Your understanding of applied kinetic energy has given rise to a new branch of skill recognition.

  A new Skill has been created: [Kinetic Weaponry]

  Category: Combat (Technology / Mana Hybrid)

  [Divine Adjustment in Progress…]

  Calibrating energy patterns to account for non-magical acceleration.

  Cross-referencing with Archery and Elemental Conduction frameworks…

  [DING]

  [Skill Initialized – Kinetic Weaponry: Level 1 → Level 6]

  Base Proficiency Established.

  Your synchronization with mechanical focus increases accuracy by 15%.

  [DING]

  [Skill Evolution Event Detected]

  External system anomaly: Technology-Magic Integration (Tier Unknown)

  [Skill Surge – Temporary Advancement Granted]

  [Level 6 → Level 10]

  You have surpassed conventional limits.

  Mana flow automatically aligns with conductive materials (rails, coils, and magnetic paths).

  [DING]

  [Skill Level Increased – Kinetic Weaponry: 10 → 13]

  Threshold reached: System Recognition Complete.

  The world now acknowledges your discovery.

  You have permanently established the discipline [Kinetic Weaponry] within the global skill framework.

  Next milestone: 548 XP to Level 14

  For a heartbeat, no one spoke. The only sound was the faint hiss of cooling rails.

  I lowered the rifle and glanced toward the sprawled creature. “Is Griffin meat edible?”

  I stood there, the rifle still warm in my hands, watching the tree line where the Griffin had come from. Behind me, the commotion grew as people rushed toward the fallen beast. Prince Theodore and Ajax stood near its side, their expressions caught somewhere between awe and disbelief.

  I made my way back to them, Marlena falling into step beside me, her cloak brushing against the snow. “David,” she murmured, her eyes fixed on the corpse, “that thing could have torn through half the group before anyone reacted.”

  “Exactly why I built it,” I said quietly. “And why only the maids or I can use it.”

  Up close, the creature was even larger than I’d thought, massive wings folded awkwardly, feathers streaked with frost and blood. The hole through its chest still steamed in the cold.

  “Brother!” Prince Theodore’s voice carried. “What a kill! Did you do this?”

  “I had no choice,” I said, studying the wound. “But it’s a magnificent beast, even in death.”

  Before anyone could respond, a cry went up from the adventurers.

  Movement at the forest’s edge is heavy and deliberate. The snow broke beneath enormous feet as three hulking shapes emerged from the treeline.

  Orcs.

  They stood as tall as my combat golems, skin the color of fresh moss, armor cobbled from bone and iron. Each one carried scars like medals, and the air seemed to tighten around them as they approached.

  Allira moved to my side, her hand near her sword. “Orders?”

  “Hold,” I said calmly. I slung the rifle across my shoulder and stepped forward, Marlena and Allyson matching my stride.

  Prince Theodore and Ajax hurried to follow, though their faces had gone pale.

  When the lead orc stopped, the air vibrated with his voice.

  “Ugnigh menitaw yoddick,” It rumbled.

  I looked up at him, meeting his gaze without hesitation.

  “Kinkdiy David,” I replied in his tongue.

  The orc grunted, a short, approving sound. Then he turned, signaling the others. They gave a curt nod and trudged back toward the forest.

  The silence that followed was almost sacred.

  “Brother,” Theodore whispered, still staring after them, “what was that?”

  “They wanted to know who was in charge,” I said. “I told them.”

  Marlena blinked. “You… speak Orcish?”

  I smiled and took her hand. “It seems that I do.”

  In my old life, I only knew English. I’d tried to learn other languages, Spanish, Japanese, and even Mandarin, just for fun or future travel. But nothing ever really stuck. I could count to ten in a few of them, sure… but now? Apparently, I’m multilingual, as long as the Gods think I need to be.

  Back near the griffin, mages Parryw and Woodwarde were scrambling around its massive corpse, snatching up loose feathers. I tilted my head, confused, until Samual caught my look.

  “They go for at least a hundred gold pieces each,” he said, watching them work. “Wing feathers? Over a thousand, easy.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “So this…” I gestured at the dead creature, “Is it a big deal?”

  “A huge deal, my lord,” he confirmed. “That thing? Whole? You’re looking at half a million gold or more, and maybe more, depending on market conditions. Problem is… storage. Normally, caravans up here bring water mages to freeze and preserve carcasses like this before transporting them. A week from now? That’ll be a maggot-ridden heap.”

  I stood over the griffin. Towering. Majestic. Expensive. I raised my hand. In one smooth motion, I stored it. Gone. No flash. No fanfare. Just… gone with a pop, leaving just a depression upon the ground. The crowd gasped. Several took instinctive steps back, eyes wide, mouths slack. Others looked about for where the creature had gone.

  Turning to Samual, "We can have a feast when we get back," I said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

  I turned toward the ramp of the airship, just as Fredrick jogged up.

  “My lord, we’re planning to head out shortly. We want to reach the ruins to the west before dark,” he said, pointing toward the distant foothills at the base of the mountains.

  I didn’t look at the hills. My gaze drifted higher, to the heavy grey clouds massing above the peaks.

  “Shouldn’t you wait until that storm passes?” I asked.

  “I wish,” he admitted, following my eyes. “But it’s a tight schedule. We have three days to survey the site and return here. Otherwise, it’s just a sightseeing trip the crown paid for. What are your plans?” he asked, also looking at the clouds with concern.

  “While you head west, we’re moving east. That cliff line looks promising.” I motioned to the rock wall rising above the forest.

  “I wish you luck, my lord.” He dipped into a bow, but I stepped forward and offered my hand.

  “No need for that, Fredrick.”

  He smiled, shook it firmly, and turned back to rejoin his party. At the tree line, he paused, looked back, and waved. I returned the gesture.

  “Master,” Allyson said softly behind me, “we’re still being watched.”

  “I know. One stayed behind, hidden in the trees after the others left.”

  “Shouldn’t we be worried?” Samual asked, his tone cautious.

  “Unless they become hostile,” Marlena said, “I’d recommend we ignore them.”

  “I agree,” I said, turning toward the ship.

  As we stepped onto the ramp, Allira marched up with Melissa at her side.

  “David,” Allira reported, “I’ve stationed four combat golems along both sides of the ship. Additionally, two of your ‘musketeers’ are deployed with overwatch protocols. No one’s getting close without us knowing,” she added, her voice crisp with confidence.

  We entered the lounge to find that everyone who had remained behind was relaxing in the open space. I made my way through the room and took the open seat beside General Kitch. He was watching the dark clouds swirl around the mountain peaks to the west.

  “Earl,” he said without looking away, “I hear we have Orcs watching us from the forest line.”

  “Yes, General. Just one, from what we can tell,” I replied, accepting a cup of tea from one of the maids.

  “What do you plan to do about it?”

  “I was thinking… a late lunch,” I said with a small smile. “Feels like a standoff. They watch us. We watch them. If they meant harm, they’d be more discreet.”

  “You may be right. A lone Orc warrior isn’t a match for…” Kitch began, but Bishop Varent interrupted as he approached.

  “Orcs? We have Orcs?” he squawked, looking alarmed.

  “Yes,” Kitch said evenly. “Apparently, the Earl had a conversation with a few of them earlier. Now it seems one’s observing us.”

  I took another sip of tea while the bishop drained his glass in one gulp.

  “Now what?” Varent asked, voice tight.

  “Now? Nothing,” I said. “My golems are stationed outside. If something happens, I’ll know. Otherwise, tomorrow I intend to explore the cliffs to the east.”

  I set the teacup down. “If I had to guess, General, your unit is here to make sure certain individuals don’t get into too much trouble?”

  Kitch followed my gaze toward the bar, where the two princes laughed with Samual. “Yes,” he replied. “That’s exactly it.”

  “Do you know much about Orc tribal customs?” he asked, turning back to me.

  “Not particularly,” I admitted. “Haven’t had the pleasure of reading up on that yet.”

  “Well,” he began, “in Orc society, everything is earned. To speak with a member of a specific ring, you have to defeat someone of that rank in combat or be considered worthy of that ring. The first ring is where their children pass into adulthood.”

  “I’ve heard of those trials,” Varent added, sounding uneasy. “I’m not sure we’d fare well in them.”

  “True,” Kitch said. “Prince Theodore might have a shot at the first ring, if only barely.”

  I swirled my tea, watching the amber liquid roll against the white porcelain. “And you think I could do better?”

  “Earl, or David, if I may, I’ve given up trying to predict what you’re capable of,” the general said with a dry smile. “You’ve broken more assumptions than I can count.”

  “General…” Varent began, but I cut in before he could finish.

  “To be blunt, I’m not sure what my limits are,” I said, draining the rest of the tea. “Gentlemen, I’d like to do some reading before bed. But in the morning, how about the three of us visit our Orc friends? If things go well, they might offer more than just curiosity.”

  I stood, patting the Bishop on the shoulder as I passed.