Chapter 14: Goblin hunting.
As Maximilian and Zeke sat inside the carriage, they were both lost in thought. They were on their way to a nearby forest, where Maximilian had received reports of goblin sightings from the adventurer's guild.
"Goblins have been sneaking into nearby villages to steal food," Maximilian explained. "And they've even tried to attack kids who were left alone. They're not brave enough to fight an adult man one on one, but they'll attack if they outnumber their enemy."
Zeke nodded, understanding the danger that the goblins posed. He knew that they were vicious and cunning, and he would have to be on his guard.
"Goblins are only around 1.5 meters tall, but their muscles are stronger than their scrawny arms suggest," Maximilian continued. "Still, they're weaker than a grown man who works in the fields all day. You just have to be careful and watch out for ambushes."
Zeke nodded again, feeling a mix of nervousness and determination. He knew that this would be his first real test as a mage, and he was determined to prove himself. As the carriage rumbled along, Zeke couldn't help but wonder about Maximilian's experience in fighting monsters. He turned to his mentor and asked, "Do you have a lot of experience fighting against monsters?"
Maximilian gave Zeke a complicated look before answering. "I used to hunt a lot of monsters when I was still a student," he said. "By the time I was a third year, I was already a silver rank adventurer. But after that, I haven't been on any missions for the guild."
Zeke was confused. "Why not? Strong mages like you should be fighting all the strong monsters, right?" he said.
Maximilian looked sad at Zeke's question. "Most mages aren't used for fighting against monsters at all," he said. "They're used for something else."
"What?" Zeke asked, curious.
"War," Maximilian replied, his voice heavy with emotion. "Mages are often used as weapons of war, fighting on the front lines and using their magic to turn the tide of battle."
Zeke was stunned. He had never thought of mages in that way before, and he couldn't imagine using his magic for something as destructive as war. He was also very confused by Maximilian's words. "If mages don't fight strong monsters like dragons and giants, then who does?" he asked.
Maximilian's expression grew even more depressed. "Nobody fights those monsters at all," he said. "Monsters like dragons are not mindless beasts, but have human-like intelligence. They have their own lives and don't just roam around killing weak humans like the lower monster species do."
Zeke was shocked by this revelation. "Then why are there so many stories about heroes slaying evil dragons?" he asked.
Maximilian turned somber as he explained the next part. "It's actually humans who go into the habitats of those monsters and kill them for their valuable body parts," he said. "It's a brutal and dangerous business, and it's not something that I condone. But there are always those who are willing to risk their lives for the promise of riches. And when a dragon comes home and finds his nest plundered, his children and mate killed, what do you think the dragon is going to do?"
Zeke was horrified by this news. He had always thought of monsters as mindless, rampaging creatures, but now he realized that they were much more complex than he had ever imagined. They both spent the rest of the ride in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
As the carriage arrived at the edge of the forest, Maximilian turned to Zeke and said, "It's time for you to go on alone."
Zeke was a little nervous at the prospect of going into the forest alone, but Maximilian reassured him. "I'll stay hidden and follow you, but try not to count on my help if at all possible," he said. "This is your chance to prove yourself and show me what you're capable of."
Zeke took a deep breath and entered the forest, feeling a mixture of determination and anxiety. The forest was quiet, and he had the eerie feeling that something was watching him.
As he made his way into the woods, Maximilian called out to him. "The goblins should be somewhere towards the center of the forest," he said. "Keep your eyes and ears open, and be ready for anything."
Zeke nodded, taking a deep breath and steeling himself for the task ahead. He knew that this would be a crucial test of his abilities, and he was eager to finally prove himself.
After walking through the forest for about half an hour, Zeke started to hear strange noises in the distance. He followed the sounds, his staff at the ready, and soon saw three creatures that he recognized as goblins bent over a crate, eating something that looked like dried fish. They didn't seem to have noticed him at all, so he tried to sneak up on them, hoping to take them by surprise.
But as he approached, he felt a strange tingling sensation and somehow managed to dodge the clubs that were swung at him from behind. He turned to see two more goblins, who had been hiding behind the trees, trying to attack him from behind.
Zeke's heart raced as he narrowly avoided the goblins' blows. He knew that he had to act quickly if he wanted to survive against the five goblins that were now trying to surround him. Using his [Blood manipulation] magic, he increased the speed of his brain in order to keep track of his enemies' movements. At the same time, he increased the blood flow to his legs, using the increased strength to try to get out of the encircling attempts by the goblins.
With a cry of determination, he swung his staff at the head of one of the goblins. The goblin managed to dodge, and the other four seized the opportunity to attack Zeke. He managed to dodge three of the attacks, but one of the goblins managed to land a blow on his ribs with its club.
The blow hurt, but not as much as Zeke had expected. He realized that this was most likely thanks to his blood core, making his body stronger and more resilient. He gritted his teeth and fought on, determined to defeat the goblins and prove himself to Maximilian.
Zeke tried his best to hit the goblins with his staff, but he couldn't seem to land a single blow on any of them. They were fast and agile, and he struggled to keep up. He took several more hits from the goblins, including one to the head from a club, but instead of being disheartened by the flow of battle, he found himself getting excited.
As he fought, he realized that the goblins didn't have the means to do a lot of damage to him. Even when their attacks landed, his leather armor and helmet protected his vital areas, and his passive healing took care of the rest. This discovery helped Zeke to calm down a lot. He stopped trying to attack and instead focused on blocking and dodging, using the opportunity to analyze the goblins' fighting style, trying to figure out how they worked together. At first glance, they seemed disorganized, but as he watched more closely, he realized that there was always one of them that overextended its position on purpose, baiting him into attacking before dodging out of the way at the last moment. It was a clever tactic that Zeke could only see through now that he was calm and focused.
He decided to try to capitalize on this insight by faking an attack on the lead goblin, hoping to catch them off guard. He pretended to lunge forward with his staff, causing the goblin to flinch and defend itself. But instead of following through with the attack, Zeke changed position swiftly, moving around the goblins and catching them off balance.
The other goblins noticed what he was doing and tried to adjust their tactics, but it was too late. Zeke had already figured out their strategy, and he was ready to turn the tables on them.
Zeke attacked from the flank, taking advantage of the fact that the goblins were blocking each other's way and couldn't advance or retreat effectively. He swung his staff upwards, catching one of the goblins beneath the chin with a blow that was so powerful, it snapped the goblin's head back with a sickening crunch of bones. The goblin fell to the floor, lifeless.
Zeke was surprised by what had happened. He tried to figure out how it could have occurred, and realized that just before hitting the goblin, he had subconsciously started to boost the strength in his arms instead of his legs. He must have done that because he had been afraid that the goblin would dodge again.
This realization made him understand why Maximilian had told him that mages grow the fastest under pressure. He hadn't even tried to use his magic in such a way, but in the heat of combat, his body and mind had been perfectly aligned, allowing him to unleash a weapon strike that he had not thought himself capable of.
Zeke stood there, staring at the dead goblin at his feet, thinking about his magic, while the other goblins simply stared up at him in shock. This gave Zeke a few precious seconds to think about his next course of action. But when one of the goblins started to move, as if waking from a trance, Zeke knew that he had to act fast.
He braced himself for another fight, but to his surprise, the goblins all turned and ran away, disappearing into the forest. Zeke was confused. It was still a one-on-four fight, so why had the goblins run? He realized that the fact that they couldn't seem to damage him, combined with the fact that he had killed one of them with a single blow, had made them lose their desire to fight.
Zeke thought for a moment about what to do next. He could give chase and try to catch the goblins, or he could return to Maximilian and report his success. In the end, he decided to give chase, hoping to catch the goblins and finish the job. He knew that it was important to eliminate all threats to the nearby villages, no matter how small they might seem.
Zeke found it easy to catch up to the fleeing goblins, thanks to the boost in speed that he was getting from his [Blood manipulation] spell. He caught up to the first goblin, who was just mindlessly running away, and passed him on the left side before planting his feet firmly on the ground and swinging his staff with all the strength he could muster.
The goblin couldn't react in time to the sudden attack, and the momentum of its own sprint combined with the kinetic force of Zeke's blow resulted in a devastating collision. The heavy iron ends of the staff proved to be harder than the goblin's bones, and with the sickening crunch of breaking bones, the goblin was launched backwards and landed hard against a tree.
Zeke was stunned by the gruesome display, and he forgot to chase after the rest of the goblins. He stood there, staring at the body of the goblin, his mind racing with the implications of what he had just done. He had killed a living being, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. The first time, during combat, he had been too focused to think about what he had done. But this second time was different, he had hunted down his prey, and the lone goblin had no chance to even fight back. This time had felt not like a fair fight and more like he was a predator hunting down defenseless prey.
Zeke stood there, watching the dead goblin for a while, as he thought about what Maximilian had told him earlier about how monsters have their own lives. After a while, he heard someone approaching and turned around, his weapon ready. He lowered it when he saw that it was Maximilian.
Maximilian looked at the dead goblin and then at Zeke, a questioning look in his eyes. "How do you feel, after taking a life for the first time?" he asked.
Zeke sighed and shook his head. "I'm not sure," he said. "I think I feel bad about destroying the goblin's life."
Maximilian stared at him for a moment before chuckling. "You don't need to feel too bad about that," he said. "Monsters only develop what is known as the ego after a certain level of strength. That goblin was little more than a mindless beast, acting on instinct alone. It had no concept of its own life or the value of others."
Zeke nodded, taking in this new information. He still wasn't sure how he felt about taking a life, but at least he knew that he had been defending himself and the nearby villages from a threat. That thought brought him some small measure of comfort.
Zeke followed Max in silence as they walked through the forest, his mind still racing with the events of the previous fight. After a while, they came across a small hill, and Max began to climb it, motioning for Zeke to follow him. When they reached the top, they were greeted with the sight of a tiny, shabby village filled with goblin inhabitants. The huts seemed to be made of driftwood and stolen parts from a human village, and Zeke even saw one goblin who appeared to be living in an upside-down wheelbarrow.
Just as Zeke was beginning to take in the strange scene, Max suddenly spoke, shocking Zeke out of his stupor. "Do you know why some mages have middle names?" he asked.
Zeke looked at Maximilian with confusion clearly visible in his eyes. "I always thought that middle names were just a tradition for nobles," he said.
Maximilian chuckled and shook his head. "Nope, that's not it at all. Middle names are only given to accomplished mages. It's a way of honoring their achievements and contributions to the magical community."
Maximilian crouched with Zeke on a hill overlooking the small goblin village. He turned to the young mage and spoke gravely. "Zeke, you must be careful about the reputation you earn as a mage. I once knew a man, incredibly talented in both air and water magic. He had always dreamed of receiving the middle name 'Hurricane', and it seemed like the Mage Guild would grant it to him after a few more achievements. But then, one night at a ball hosted by the Mage Guild, he became too drunk. While relieving himself, he used his water magic to make the stream of liquid circle around him and forgot to stop it before returning to the party. He ended up spraying several of the most influential members of the mage community with his urine. Do you know what they ended up calling him?"
Zeke looked at Maximilian with a quizzical expression, not quite sure where the conversation was going. Maximilian gave a rueful shake of his head and sighed. "They called him 'Urinator'," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "And let me tell you, that is not a name you want to be known by in the mage community. I don't even remember what that man's actual name was, everyone just called him Urinator from then on."
Zeke's eyes widen in surprise and disgust at the thought of being known as the 'Urinator'. He couldn't imagine the embarrassment and shame that the unfortunate mage must have felt after such a public mishap.
Maximilian gave Zeke a serious look, his expression turning grave. "Remember, young apprentice, it is important to be careful what you are known for. Your reputation can make or break you in this world, especially in the world of magic. Always think before you act, and be mindful of the consequences of your actions."
As he spoke, Maximilian stood up from their crouched position, immediately drawing the attention of the around thirty goblins below. He turned to Zeke and told him to keep in mind what he had said, before raising his palm towards the village and concentrating for a moment.
"Pay close attention," he said, before uttering a single word: [Eruption].
A ball of concentrated fire shot out of his hand, flying towards the village. Zeke couldn't wait to see what would happen next. He watched with rapt attention as the fireball flew through the air, its heat and light visible even from where they stood. As the fireball flew towards the center of the village, Zeke braced himself for the explosion. But to his surprise, the fireball simply disappeared into the ground, causing the goblins to let out snickers and jeers at Maximilian. However, their laughter was short-lived as the earth began to shake beneath their feet. Suddenly, the ground erupted in a massive explosion, spewing fire and stone in every direction. The village was reduced to rubble in an instant, the screams of the goblins drowned out by the chaos. As the smoke cleared, a heavy silence settled over the area. Zeke stared in shock at the destruction before turning to Maximilian, his mind racing with the realization of the power this mage possessed.
Zeke watched as Maximilian stood tall, his face a mask of calm despite the destruction he had just caused. He remembered the full name Maximilian had given him days before: Maximilian Bombastus von Hohenheim. It was a name that commanded respect, one that spoke of power and influence. As he looked at Maximilian now, Zeke saw a man who had seen and done things that most people could only imagine. He saw a war veteran, with nerves of steel and a heart as cold as ice. This was a man who could unleash devastating magic with ease, and yet still stand tall and unshaken. Zeke shuddered at the thought of facing someone like Maximilian in combat, and felt a deep respect for the man's strength and control.
Zeke followed Maximilian down the hill and back into the forest, still trying to process the events that had just unfolded. As they walked, Maximilian's demeanor shifted back to the kind, grandfatherly figure that Zeke was used to. He turned to Zeke and said, "It's time to go home now." Zeke nodded, still lost in thought, and followed Maximilian back through the forest, their journey home was filled with a contemplative silence on both sides.
Chapter 14: Goblin hunting.
As Maximilian and Zeke sat inside the carriage, they were both lost in thought. They were on their way to a nearby forest, where Maximilian had received reports of goblin sightings from the adventurer's guild.
"Goblins have been sneaking into nearby villages to steal food," Maximilian explained. "And they've even tried to attack kids who were left alone. They're not brave enough to fight an adult man one on one, but they'll attack if they outnumber their enemy."
Zeke nodded, understanding the danger that the goblins posed. He knew that they were vicious and cunning, and he would have to be on his guard.
"Goblins are only around 1.5 meters tall, but their muscles are stronger than their scrawny arms suggest," Maximilian continued. "Still, they're weaker than a grown man who works in the fields all day. You just have to be careful and watch out for ambushes."
Zeke nodded again, feeling a mix of nervousness and determination. He knew that this would be his first real test as a mage, and he was determined to prove himself. As the carriage rumbled along, Zeke couldn't help but wonder about Maximilian's experience in fighting monsters. He turned to his mentor and asked, "Do you have a lot of experience fighting against monsters?"
Maximilian gave Zeke a complicated look before answering. "I used to hunt a lot of monsters when I was still a student," he said. "By the time I was a third year, I was already a silver rank adventurer. But after that, I haven't been on any missions for the guild."
Zeke was confused. "Why not? Strong mages like you should be fighting all the strong monsters, right?" he said.
Maximilian looked sad at Zeke's question. "Most mages aren't used for fighting against monsters at all," he said. "They're used for something else."
"What?" Zeke asked, curious.
"War," Maximilian replied, his voice heavy with emotion. "Mages are often used as weapons of war, fighting on the front lines and using their magic to turn the tide of battle."
Zeke was stunned. He had never thought of mages in that way before, and he couldn't imagine using his magic for something as destructive as war. He was also very confused by Maximilian's words. "If mages don't fight strong monsters like dragons and giants, then who does?" he asked.
Maximilian's expression grew even more depressed. "Nobody fights those monsters at all," he said. "Monsters like dragons are not mindless beasts, but have human-like intelligence. They have their own lives and don't just roam around killing weak humans like the lower monster species do."
Zeke was shocked by this revelation. "Then why are there so many stories about heroes slaying evil dragons?" he asked.
Maximilian turned somber as he explained the next part. "It's actually humans who go into the habitats of those monsters and kill them for their valuable body parts," he said. "It's a brutal and dangerous business, and it's not something that I condone. But there are always those who are willing to risk their lives for the promise of riches. And when a dragon comes home and finds his nest plundered, his children and mate killed, what do you think the dragon is going to do?"
Zeke was horrified by this news. He had always thought of monsters as mindless, rampaging creatures, but now he realized that they were much more complex than he had ever imagined. They both spent the rest of the ride in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
As the carriage arrived at the edge of the forest, Maximilian turned to Zeke and said, "It's time for you to go on alone."
Zeke was a little nervous at the prospect of going into the forest alone, but Maximilian reassured him. "I'll stay hidden and follow you, but try not to count on my help if at all possible," he said. "This is your chance to prove yourself and show me what you're capable of."
Zeke took a deep breath and entered the forest, feeling a mixture of determination and anxiety. The forest was quiet, and he had the eerie feeling that something was watching him.
As he made his way into the woods, Maximilian called out to him. "The goblins should be somewhere towards the center of the forest," he said. "Keep your eyes and ears open, and be ready for anything."
Zeke nodded, taking a deep breath and steeling himself for the task ahead. He knew that this would be a crucial test of his abilities, and he was eager to finally prove himself.
After walking through the forest for about half an hour, Zeke started to hear strange noises in the distance. He followed the sounds, his staff at the ready, and soon saw three creatures that he recognized as goblins bent over a crate, eating something that looked like dried fish. They didn't seem to have noticed him at all, so he tried to sneak up on them, hoping to take them by surprise.
But as he approached, he felt a strange tingling sensation and somehow managed to dodge the clubs that were swung at him from behind. He turned to see two more goblins, who had been hiding behind the trees, trying to attack him from behind.
Zeke's heart raced as he narrowly avoided the goblins' blows. He knew that he had to act quickly if he wanted to survive against the five goblins that were now trying to surround him. Using his [Blood manipulation] magic, he increased the speed of his brain in order to keep track of his enemies' movements. At the same time, he increased the blood flow to his legs, using the increased strength to try to get out of the encircling attempts by the goblins.
With a cry of determination, he swung his staff at the head of one of the goblins. The goblin managed to dodge, and the other four seized the opportunity to attack Zeke. He managed to dodge three of the attacks, but one of the goblins managed to land a blow on his ribs with its club.
The blow hurt, but not as much as Zeke had expected. He realized that this was most likely thanks to his blood core, making his body stronger and more resilient. He gritted his teeth and fought on, determined to defeat the goblins and prove himself to Maximilian.
Zeke tried his best to hit the goblins with his staff, but he couldn't seem to land a single blow on any of them. They were fast and agile, and he struggled to keep up. He took several more hits from the goblins, including one to the head from a club, but instead of being disheartened by the flow of battle, he found himself getting excited.
As he fought, he realized that the goblins didn't have the means to do a lot of damage to him. Even when their attacks landed, his leather armor and helmet protected his vital areas, and his passive healing took care of the rest. This discovery helped Zeke to calm down a lot. He stopped trying to attack and instead focused on blocking and dodging, using the opportunity to analyze the goblins' fighting style, trying to figure out how they worked together. At first glance, they seemed disorganized, but as he watched more closely, he realized that there was always one of them that overextended its position on purpose, baiting him into attacking before dodging out of the way at the last moment. It was a clever tactic that Zeke could only see through now that he was calm and focused.
He decided to try to capitalize on this insight by faking an attack on the lead goblin, hoping to catch them off guard. He pretended to lunge forward with his staff, causing the goblin to flinch and defend itself. But instead of following through with the attack, Zeke changed position swiftly, moving around the goblins and catching them off balance.
The other goblins noticed what he was doing and tried to adjust their tactics, but it was too late. Zeke had already figured out their strategy, and he was ready to turn the tables on them.
Zeke attacked from the flank, taking advantage of the fact that the goblins were blocking each other's way and couldn't advance or retreat effectively. He swung his staff upwards, catching one of the goblins beneath the chin with a blow that was so powerful, it snapped the goblin's head back with a sickening crunch of bones. The goblin fell to the floor, lifeless.
Zeke was surprised by what had happened. He tried to figure out how it could have occurred, and realized that just before hitting the goblin, he had subconsciously started to boost the strength in his arms instead of his legs. He must have done that because he had been afraid that the goblin would dodge again.
This realization made him understand why Maximilian had told him that mages grow the fastest under pressure. He hadn't even tried to use his magic in such a way, but in the heat of combat, his body and mind had been perfectly aligned, allowing him to unleash a weapon strike that he had not thought himself capable of.
Zeke stood there, staring at the dead goblin at his feet, thinking about his magic, while the other goblins simply stared up at him in shock. This gave Zeke a few precious seconds to think about his next course of action. But when one of the goblins started to move, as if waking from a trance, Zeke knew that he had to act fast.
He braced himself for another fight, but to his surprise, the goblins all turned and ran away, disappearing into the forest. Zeke was confused. It was still a one-on-four fight, so why had the goblins run? He realized that the fact that they couldn't seem to damage him, combined with the fact that he had killed one of them with a single blow, had made them lose their desire to fight.
Zeke thought for a moment about what to do next. He could give chase and try to catch the goblins, or he could return to Maximilian and report his success. In the end, he decided to give chase, hoping to catch the goblins and finish the job. He knew that it was important to eliminate all threats to the nearby villages, no matter how small they might seem.
Zeke found it easy to catch up to the fleeing goblins, thanks to the boost in speed that he was getting from his [Blood manipulation] spell. He caught up to the first goblin, who was just mindlessly running away, and passed him on the left side before planting his feet firmly on the ground and swinging his staff with all the strength he could muster.
The goblin couldn't react in time to the sudden attack, and the momentum of its own sprint combined with the kinetic force of Zeke's blow resulted in a devastating collision. The heavy iron ends of the staff proved to be harder than the goblin's bones, and with the sickening crunch of breaking bones, the goblin was launched backwards and landed hard against a tree.
Zeke was stunned by the gruesome display, and he forgot to chase after the rest of the goblins. He stood there, staring at the body of the goblin, his mind racing with the implications of what he had just done. He had killed a living being, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. The first time, during combat, he had been too focused to think about what he had done. But this second time was different, he had hunted down his prey, and the lone goblin had no chance to even fight back. This time had felt not like a fair fight and more like he was a predator hunting down defenseless prey.
Zeke stood there, watching the dead goblin for a while, as he thought about what Maximilian had told him earlier about how monsters have their own lives. After a while, he heard someone approaching and turned around, his weapon ready. He lowered it when he saw that it was Maximilian.
Maximilian looked at the dead goblin and then at Zeke, a questioning look in his eyes. "How do you feel, after taking a life for the first time?" he asked.
Zeke sighed and shook his head. "I'm not sure," he said. "I think I feel bad about destroying the goblin's life."
Maximilian stared at him for a moment before chuckling. "You don't need to feel too bad about that," he said. "Monsters only develop what is known as the ego after a certain level of strength. That goblin was little more than a mindless beast, acting on instinct alone. It had no concept of its own life or the value of others."
Zeke nodded, taking in this new information. He still wasn't sure how he felt about taking a life, but at least he knew that he had been defending himself and the nearby villages from a threat. That thought brought him some small measure of comfort.
Zeke followed Max in silence as they walked through the forest, his mind still racing with the events of the previous fight. After a while, they came across a small hill, and Max began to climb it, motioning for Zeke to follow him. When they reached the top, they were greeted with the sight of a tiny, shabby village filled with goblin inhabitants. The huts seemed to be made of driftwood and stolen parts from a human village, and Zeke even saw one goblin who appeared to be living in an upside-down wheelbarrow.
Just as Zeke was beginning to take in the strange scene, Max suddenly spoke, shocking Zeke out of his stupor. "Do you know why some mages have middle names?" he asked.
Zeke looked at Maximilian with confusion clearly visible in his eyes. "I always thought that middle names were just a tradition for nobles," he said.
Maximilian chuckled and shook his head. "Nope, that's not it at all. Middle names are only given to accomplished mages. It's a way of honoring their achievements and contributions to the magical community."
Maximilian crouched with Zeke on a hill overlooking the small goblin village. He turned to the young mage and spoke gravely. "Zeke, you must be careful about the reputation you earn as a mage. I once knew a man, incredibly talented in both air and water magic. He had always dreamed of receiving the middle name 'Hurricane', and it seemed like the Mage Guild would grant it to him after a few more achievements. But then, one night at a ball hosted by the Mage Guild, he became too drunk. While relieving himself, he used his water magic to make the stream of liquid circle around him and forgot to stop it before returning to the party. He ended up spraying several of the most influential members of the mage community with his urine. Do you know what they ended up calling him?"
Zeke looked at Maximilian with a quizzical expression, not quite sure where the conversation was going. Maximilian gave a rueful shake of his head and sighed. "They called him 'Urinator'," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "And let me tell you, that is not a name you want to be known by in the mage community. I don't even remember what that man's actual name was, everyone just called him Urinator from then on."
Zeke's eyes widen in surprise and disgust at the thought of being known as the 'Urinator'. He couldn't imagine the embarrassment and shame that the unfortunate mage must have felt after such a public mishap.
Maximilian gave Zeke a serious look, his expression turning grave. "Remember, young apprentice, it is important to be careful what you are known for. Your reputation can make or break you in this world, especially in the world of magic. Always think before you act, and be mindful of the consequences of your actions."
As he spoke, Maximilian stood up from their crouched position, immediately drawing the attention of the around thirty goblins below. He turned to Zeke and told him to keep in mind what he had said, before raising his palm towards the village and concentrating for a moment.
"Pay close attention," he said, before uttering a single word: [Eruption].
A ball of concentrated fire shot out of his hand, flying towards the village. Zeke couldn't wait to see what would happen next. He watched with rapt attention as the fireball flew through the air, its heat and light visible even from where they stood. As the fireball flew towards the center of the village, Zeke braced himself for the explosion. But to his surprise, the fireball simply disappeared into the ground, causing the goblins to let out snickers and jeers at Maximilian. However, their laughter was short-lived as the earth began to shake beneath their feet. Suddenly, the ground erupted in a massive explosion, spewing fire and stone in every direction. The village was reduced to rubble in an instant, the screams of the goblins drowned out by the chaos. As the smoke cleared, a heavy silence settled over the area. Zeke stared in shock at the destruction before turning to Maximilian, his mind racing with the realization of the power this mage possessed.
Zeke watched as Maximilian stood tall, his face a mask of calm despite the destruction he had just caused. He remembered the full name Maximilian had given him days before: Maximilian Bombastus von Hohenheim. It was a name that commanded respect, one that spoke of power and influence. As he looked at Maximilian now, Zeke saw a man who had seen and done things that most people could only imagine. He saw a war veteran, with nerves of steel and a heart as cold as ice. This was a man who could unleash devastating magic with ease, and yet still stand tall and unshaken. Zeke shuddered at the thought of facing someone like Maximilian in combat, and felt a deep respect for the man's strength and control.
Zeke followed Maximilian down the hill and back into the forest, still trying to process the events that had just unfolded. As they walked, Maximilian's demeanor shifted back to the kind, grandfatherly figure that Zeke was used to. He turned to Zeke and said, "It's time to go home now." Zeke nodded, still lost in thought, and followed Maximilian back through the forest, their journey home was filled with a contemplative silence on both sides.
