Chapter 4 Shadow Magic and Unusual Talents

"When you and Mister Alleman went your separate ways in Halle, the capital of Mercôt, you received your very first payment," Selena informed Wendy as she placed the last of the silver coins in her hands. She then added, "Here you are. Let's head over to the guild office in Halle now, we have some documentation to take care of!" Stunned by the amount of silver coins in her hand, Wendy asked, "This much?" "The guild regulations state that as a beginner, you'll receive a smaller portion, but once you become a full member, you'll be entitled to an equal share," Selena clarified.

As Wendy expressed her surprise, saying, "This is much more than I anticipated. I did my research on the average income of guild members and unaccredited warriors, and this seems like a lot," Selena understood her reaction. She then clarified, "I charge a premium for my services, and Mister Alleman was pleased that we arrived two days ahead of schedule!" Wendy was confused and asked, "What premium?" Grey interjected, "We didn't mention it, Selena." Selena then remembered, "Oh? Oh, yes, I forgot." Grey sighed as Wendy pressed for an answer, "Didn't mention what?" "I am a shadow mage," disclosed Selena, "which entitles me to a premium that guarantees my success." Wendy was shocked into silence. Grey clarified, "Selena doesn't use her shadow magic though, so we didn't tell you, in case you actually believed this guaranteed success stuff." Wendy's disbelief was evident as she asked, "You charge people for being a shadow mage and don't -" but trailed off. Selena shrugged and replied, " 'It was a success,' she shrugged, 'and I am a shadow mage, so if I wanted to...'" Wendy pointed out, "But you said you're a spell-sword." Selena confirmed, "I am." Wendy raised an eyebrow and expressed her surprise, "That's quite uncommon. Shadow mages typically don't rely on other forms of magic." Selena asked with a wry smile, "Don't they?" "That's right, they don't. Have you not met many other shadow mages?" Wendy asked. She continued, "It's so uncommon that some scholars have theorized that they may be incapable of practicing other forms of magic." Selena shrugged and said, "I guess I prove that wrong." Wendy examined Selena's expression closely, and Selena met her gaze, accustomed to this level of scrutiny. When Wendy inquired, "How did you acquire this knowledge?" Selena responded, "Well, I suppose I just picked it up. I didn't attend any school either-" Wendy interjected, "Of course, there is no school for shadow magic-" Selena started to say something, but Wendy interrupted and asked, "How did your normal magic manifest?" Selena simply replied, "I made a conscious decision to learn it." Wendy repeated in surprise, "You decided to take it up?" Selena gave Wendy a small smile, prompting Wendy to question whether she had accurately guessed Selena's age. "Do I pass?" Selena inquired. "I see that you don't often use your shadow magic," Wendy observed thoughtfully, pointing to the shadows around Selena's eyes. "They shouldn't be there." Selena's smile faded as she replied, "It's nothing." Wendy wanted to learn more about shadow magic and its combination with other magical arts, so she suggested they talk more later. "Your usual magic is something I would like to witness," she expressed to Selena. "If you want to get your papers filled out before midnight, we need to head over to the guild office," Selena interjected, shifting the conversation. Wendy reluctantly followed them, wondering how she would prove herself while traveling with a shadow mage. As they arrived at the guild office, a clerk placed a stack of papers in front of Wendy, including various forms that Grey offered to help her with. "This is the standard membership form. Don't worry too much about them, if you can actually read and write, you're ahead of most of the guild members," he said, explaining the forms to Wendy. Feeling overwhelmed by the complicated paperwork, Wendy considered going unaccredited. However, Grey warned that she would have trouble without a reputation, so she continued filling out the forms, hoping to become a full member of the guild.