Lizzy was just forming a large, complicated attack spell. That required weaving multiple spells into one. Since becoming a master wizard, this had been her custom to push her skills to the next level of development. Before speaking, she blasted off the twirling cacophony of bright balls of energy. When the swirling mass hit the target that had fully magically repaired itself. The victim was obliterated in a flash of darkness and light together.
“I believe, ma’am, I may safely promise you never to team up with him in any party of adventurers.”
“His pride,” said Charlotte with a knowing smile, “does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so wonderful a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favor, should think highly of himself. If I may express it, he has a right to be proud.”
“That is very true,” replied Lizzy moving away from the range to, “and I could easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine.”
“Pride,” observed Mary looking up from a book, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections, “is a widespread failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read. I’m convinced that it is very common, indeed. That human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”
“If I were as rich as Darcy,” cried a young Lucas, who came with his sisters, “I should not care how proud I was. I would keep a pack of familiars and drink a bottle of wine a day.”
“Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought,” said Lady Bennet; “and if I were to see you at it, I should take away your bottle directly.”
The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare that she would, and the argument ended only with the visit.
Chapter 10
It was several days following the visit to the Longbourn estate by Sir William Lucas and his family. During this time, the usual busy social calendar had been in effect. There had been some events with the nobles in the neighborhood where the dungeon master’s party had been present. At these social events, Jane had been seen in Bingley’s companies and sometimes even dancing in late-night parties. The latest party was just last night. Most of the members of the household were feeling the effect of such a night and were a bit slow this morning.
Unlike the others in the household, Lizzy was up at her usual time. This was for the early morning exercise, where Lizzy was able to get the practice room to herself. With five daughters in the family, there could be some tension over resources for improving oneself. It was before the orange light of dawn had lit up the world around the Longbourn estate. The rest of the manor had been quiet when she had left the sleeping Jane in their joint bedroom. She had practically crept through the corridor as not to wake anybody.
Now with beads of perspiration on her brow, she had been sweating with the straining exercise she was performing in her old familiar set of combat clothing. This outfit consisted of a light leather armor that her father had specially made for her. By the skilled Sir William. Then with the Alchemist's own skills, he had changed the surface of the armor. Enhanced it with some of his expensive potions. This made the whole set of armor a master level armor set with some unusual properties. Lizzy was happy at such a present from her loving parents and considered herself lucky.
Worn over her dark black form-fitting armor was a wizard robe. This appeared to be a simple robe, but unbeknown to most it contains symbols that produced certain magical effects. The tatty old wizard robe was of her own making. By referencing some of the older magical books in the family library, she had spent long hours developing the magical protective inscription. The inscriptions were all in and thread that was invisible to the untrained eye. Giving her outfit that looked like a low powered garment but still containing great hidden powers. She felt that this robe fit her personality well.
Her loving mother but image-conscious mother would have much appreciated it if her daughter brought a new robe and transferred the inscription over it. But Lizzy liked the old robe as it had been with her for a long time. Even though she often joked about getting rid of it, to her closest sister Jane.
If any had seen her, they would have thought her quite the sight of beauty. Living up the part of both a powerful wizard and to her mother’s joy, one of the so-called beauties of the county. Jane certainly had a more gentle edge to her personality and looks. While Lizzy was like a dangerous leopard, all silky danger with sharp claws in her nature to match. Like all the sisters of the handsome Bennet family, she was well proportioned with an athletic form.
She had just finished her morning magical warm-ups. Then turned her actions to her character states. That was proved by the goddess blessing:
Character Name:
Elizabeth
1st Class
Wizard
48
Major
Strength
Fortitude
Agility
Number
60
60
90
Major
Intelligence
Charisma
Knowledge
Number
392
20
200
Minor
HP
MP
Stamina
Carry Limit
Number
496
4348
460
130
Regen Sec
18
236.2
10
N/A
With a lot of hard work, since receiving the goddess blessing, the master wizard was getting to the point where she needed to get serious about developing her unique contribution to magic. This was to gain advancement from a master to a legendary level. It would be the most challenging obstacle to overcome that stopped most young aspiring wizards from gaining the mark of a legendary wizard.
Lizzy had been considering several ideas that were in her area of expertise but had not decided anything so far. It was not an easy choice as going down the wrong path could make her waste years of her life or even worse prevent her progression to her goal. Being a legendary level wizard would give her a measure of independence from the kingdom society. A noblewoman would gain more freedom with this advancement as the power could not be ignored by the kingdom. But on the other hand, as her mother often said, she would become an intimidating handfasting prospect. As unfair this was, to Lizzy’s point of view, many noblemen did not want a wife more powerful themselves.
She was brought out of this deep contemplation with a knock at the door.
“Come in! It is quite safe at the moment,” she said to the person just outside the door. She was annoyed to be disturbed in this early hour as she usually had the room to herself.
When the thick magical warded door opened, her father's face appeared around the door. He smiled at his daughter as he said in a mischievous tone, “Diligently practicing out of the way, ah Lizzy? I'm glad your mother doesn’t know you’re awake. As she would insist on telling you all the latest gossip this fine morning.”
Lizzy rolled her eyes at her sometimes mischievous father when it came to his wife’s dramas. She sighed, “What more news can she already have this morning, father? Dawn has not even broken!”
Entering the room with a laugh, the Alchemist said, “That does not mean that she was not using magic late last night to talk to her friends and acquaintances around the county.”
Lizzy nodded at her father as she knew her mother's abilities to communicate over distance was of great use. In her intelligence gathering network about the affairs of people in the county. Especially when it came to news about her darling girls.
She said to her fat
her, “Please, sir! If you could keep her from finding me for a few more hours, that would be most appreciated. I require some serious thought about my training.”
Her father's face of mockery fell. As he turned all serious with Lizzy’s words. He said in a compassionate tone of voice, “Still not decided on what to do for your research to go from a master to a legendary wizard.”
“Yes, it is a sticking point,” she said with sadness at her inability to choose the right area of research. “Of course, the biggest problem is the lack of a legendary wizard in the county to be my mentor in the process.”
Her father nodded as he closed the door behind him. He said, “Yes, Lizzy, that was so until recently. Not unexpectedly, you soon outclassed all the wizards in the county. But recently hasn't that changed my dear with the new addition to our social set.”
“Father!” said Lizzy with annoyance, “are you referring to that proud and inconsiderate wizard Darcy. There is no way on earth that I would go begging for his help now. As I am ‘just barely tolerable’ in his eyes. He would be the last man that I would bow down and ask for his help.”
Her father said, looking at her, intently, “You seem to be displaying some of the melodrama that I would expect from your mother. If that be the case, in this affair, I will not play with your emotions as I would do with your mother. As it is not your path to improvement. Maybe, I will just be slightly testing as it can be enjoyable for a father to vix his headstrong daughters.”
Lizzy was slightly surprised by her father's open admission. Of something that she had suspected for a while. About her mother’s and father’s game in the dramas of life. But she was still in the dark how this improved her sometimes apparently not so silly mother. If what her father said was true.
The older bearded man, now back with his familiar mischievous smile, informed his daughter, “This is one of the times that my news may be more vexing to you than normal. Daughter, unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for you. We have some news on the kingdom's response to the monster inclusion from the north...”
His daughter cut him off as she said, “I thought that a battalion of the king’s army was being dispatched to the county to deal with the creatures?”
“Yes, that is so. My somewhat impatient girl. Though firstly before they arrive, they want a party of the higher-level warriors and wizards to form a scouting expedition. To find out what's in the mountain and delay the creatures for a while.”
Lizzy smiled gratefully at the opportunity that had just been placed in front of her. With the experience against high-level creatures, she would at least get the boost in her levels to be at the legendary level. Then it was just the matter of the new magic she had to develop for her to gain what she so desperately wanted.
Her father said when he saw his daughter's pleased expression, “I see that you are pleased with the prospects of the event. That was the fortunate part of my news. Do you want to hear the unfortunate news?”
Lizzy snipped back, “I’ve never heard the good news delivered without the bad. As this is such good news, I'm sure the rest will not upset me.”
“I think it will. The expedition is to include the Netherfield dungeon master’s party. That, of course, includes your favorite wizard Darcy. Your mother is over the moon with the inclusion of Bingley as she sees great things in the developing relationship with him and Jane.”
“She would,” said Lizzy, “but don’t worry about me. I’m sure the man will ignore me as I’m just barely tolerable.”
At the point, with some apparent anger, she turned back to the target. Spellcasting a burning hot fireball with a dramatic wave of her hand. Out of her palm, she shot at first a jet of gas than a ball of energy. The fireball moved with such a velocity that it sent shock waves through the air. The reverberations of the shock waves caused the magical protective wards on the wall to light up. With energy filling them as they tried to dampen the magical effects. As the bolt of energy had hit the target, it disappeared into gases. Then a reverberating wave of energy reflected around the room, causing her father to step back.
Her father gave a smile and said, ”It certainly looks like my news doesn’t bother you, Lizzy. You have the rest of the day to prepare. I'm sure your mother will be finding you soon. So, make the most of your time alone.”
With that, he left the training room with a smoldering target. As he wondered if he was going to have to replace the supposedly indestructible dummy.
--
The rest of the day had been full. Of the preparation required for all the family and some of the retainers of the estate. Lady Bennet had been in an excellent mood as she organized her daughters for the trip. She primarily focused on Jane, her eldest, as she wanted her to be at her best. Even some of the more off-putting statements, from her husband, did not put her out of her good mood. At one time during the day when the two women were talking over clothes. He had pointed out that this was an expedition to battle dangerous creatures, not a ball. This statement was just met with ambivalence, by his naturally opinionated wife.
As was the family's custom, Lydia was the first to run out of the door on the morning of departure. She had done the least to help the family get ready on the previous day but was the most demanding to be off battling in the mountains.
“I can't help that I’m always ready,” shouted the impatient younger girl to her older sister Lizzy. The older sister had been standing at the doorway, trying to stop her sister from running off before the rest of the family was finally ready.
“Do you even have the pack that father wanted you to take? We all have one, you know,” she said in exasperation at the back of her running sister.
“Get Kitty to bring it,” she said over her shoulder, “I’ll meet you at the entrance to the Netherfield dungeon castle.”
With that last comment, Lydia flashed out of sight as she disappeared. Lizzy shouted, “Come back, Lydia!” But there was no answer from the surroundings.
She went back into the manor with an angry frown. Soon she was in the hall where the family were just finishing the last second preparation. When Jane looked at her, she just shook her head. Eying her father with a frown. Seeing that, he was only placing a pack into his inventory. Lizzy walked up to her father.
She said with a determined-looking expression, “Father, you need to do something about Lydia's behavior. She became more undisciplined as ever.”
He smiled and said in a joking manner, “She is a rogue!”
“Father, you know that's no excuse for her behavior. “
Not getting at satisfaction from her father, she went and picked up her own pack. Then picked up Lydia’s pack and threw it at Kitty.
Kitty shouted as she caught the leather bag of holding, “What did you do that for?”
Lizzy just replied, ”Ask Lydia! She said you'll take it.”
“I don’t see why...” Kitty was shouting when she was cut off by her mother.
“Right enough of that girl. Just take the pack, Kitty, it is not going to harm you.”
“But Ma, it's not fair Lydia gets away with everything.”
“Enough,” said her mother. Then she focused on Jane, “you look so pretty, my dear. Lizzy remember to cast a cleaning spell on her sister as often as you can. Of course, don’t let them see you do it. Right, we all seem to be ready, so let us depart.”
With that, she marched out of the door holding Jane’s arm and talking to her daughter. Jane was looking embarrassed as her mother gave advice on what to do and what not to do.
It was only an hour’s run for the family to the Netherfield Dungeon. They moved through the forest in the early morning light with the shadow crossing the path cutting up the golden light of the sunrise. Along the way, they found signs of some monster activity, but nothing attacked the party as they kept to the main pathways. As was normal, Mary was always lagging behind. With her mind on other things, but her father kept an eye on his middle child. Telling her to keep up and pay attention often.
It was fully light when the family climbed the pathway to the top of a large rise. They crested the hill in the forest that made up most of the county. They saw the open land spread out before them. In the distance, a few kilometers away were the towers of the Netherfield castles. The whole grand castle was an imposing structure in the middle of a large lake. That was surrounded by the forest that ran up to the lake shores. With a trees, half in the water at the edge, giving a green pleasant overhand into the still waters. The stone of the castle was sparking dark black as it was made of solid granite. It had many towers that twisted into the sky around two large keeps. One keep was the dungeon and the other the residency. On the top of the tower were engines of war that were ready to defend the stronghold at any time. A few adventures were making their way to the dungeon this morning, but they gave way to the noble party.
Lady Bennet smiled in happiness as she saw the castle now fully defended, “It's good that we have a younger, stronger dungeon master of Netherfield now. Look at how much he has spent on defenses so far. With Jane by his side, this will become a well sought after dungeon again. Then the thousand will change into hundreds of thousands of gold.”
“Mother! You presume too much,” said Jane in a shocked voice, “we have only met a few times.”
“And what good meetings they have been, my dear,” said the joyous Lady Bennet with a happy smile.
“Well, well, let's move,“ said Alchemist Bennet with a grin, “I’m sure Jane will want to see her new home.”
Some of the retainer adventures in the party chuckled at the entertaining antics from the Alchemist and Lady Bennet. This was always a source of gossip and entertainment for almost all of them.
Dawn of Adventure Page 7