4. The Archmage gets Kidnapped

Adolin found himself in a peculiar situation.

He was being surrounded by a dozen bandits with blades, forming a semicircle around him. Adolin didn’t feel danger from any of them.

His instincts had never let him down before. That didn’t mean they were right. It was a new world, with rules different from his. He lacked the necessary information about the goddess’s blessing before he could trust them again. His current body was too weak. And his mana pool was almost nonexistent.

The bandits wore dark clothes, with hoods that hid their faces. Their swords looked decent and properly cared for. Their movements were rough, but coordinated enough. If the blessing didn’t enhance them too much, they weren’t a threat to him.

The bandits were already in position, spread in a tight circle, cutting off any escape routes.

Adolin didn’t want to start his new life with a dozen corpses on his first day. They were making his day more complicated, but it still wasn’t enough for him to do something drastic. He didn’t even know the Empire’s laws yet.

Adolin smiled gently and waited for them to make the first move.

The man in front of him took a step forward.

“You’re the priest who healed in the slums?” he asked, his voice calm.

Would that count as a lie? He wasn’t a priest. And he didn’t like them that much.

“No,” Adolin said, clasping his arms behind his back.

The men in front of him chuckled. “Kid, why make this harder for yourself?”

He had forgotten what he looked like now. The gentle smile and his stance. It probably looked ridiculous. Not intimidating.

He scratched the back of his head. “What do you want with me?”

“You’re coming with us. Don’t make this difficult.” He lifted the blade a fraction, angling it toward him.

“Will there be food?” he said, still scratching the back of his head.

The man looked him up and down, chuckled and said, “Yeah, and a bath.”

His face lit up, a grin forming, “Lead the way!”

He couldn’t wait to shower and eat something.

This was working out surprisingly well for him. Going with Lira might have ended badly. Her mother wouldn’t welcome someone who looked like, or smelled like he did. He wouldn’t have either.

Now he was getting kidnapped and offered food and a bath. The day was getting better. He felt a flicker of pride. He hadn’t stumbled over his words.

The man stepped closer, pulling a strip of black cloth from his pocket.

“Is that really necessary?” Adolin asked.

“Yes. We can’t have you leaking our location.”

He clicked his tongue and held out his hands.

“Fine.”

A moment later, the cloth covered his eyes. His hands were tied tight, and he was led away.

He found himself disliking his mana pool more and more with each passing second. Being blind felt wrong. His Mana Vision had been active for most of his life. Now, casting it would empty him in seconds.

His kidnappers weren’t talkative. He tried to extract some information from them, mostly about the world, but was met with silence. Only the sound of footsteps on rocky ground kept him company.

He tried to keep track of where they were taking him, but quickly lost his sense of direction. The city was new to him, and Dareth’s memories didn’t help.

Adolin felt like they were walking in circles. He kept track of time, and wherever they were taking him, it was taking too long. After a while, they entered a building. He heard a door open, and the noise outside went quiet. They kept moving for a long time after that. It felt like a tunnel, but he couldn’t be sure. One thing was certain, his legs were starting to hurt. He needed to start training this body.

A few hours later, they finally stopped. He could barely feel his legs.

“We’re here.”

All he could hear was the wind and the constant chirping of birds. They removed his blindfold and untied his hands. He blinked as the light hit his eyes, then looked around. It was early morning. The sun was just rising, its light spilling through the trees that surrounded the area. They were in a forest. Tall trees rose around him, their bark dark, almost black. The leaves glowed a vivid green.

It was beautiful.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

He just hoped it wasn’t as dangerous as the forests in his world.

In front of him stood a massive mansion, its walls rivaling a village palisade. Faint markings ran along the surface. Enchantments, most likely. He couldn’t tell what they did without studying them.
Two armored guards stood at the gate, spears in hand. His guess was right. The people who kidnapped him weren’t bandits.

“Priest, this will be your new home.”

It was the same man who had spoken to him earlier, now without the mask. He looked to be in his early thirties, with a short, full beard. Blue eyes or maybe they were green. He wasn’t sure. His vision was still adjusting to the light.

“I’m still not a priest. Lead me to the food,” Adolin said.

The man just shook his head. “I’m Eduard. Welcome to the Count’s mansion.”

“Adolin,” he said.

“Follow me,” Eduard said, walking toward the gate.

Adolin shrugged and followed. They entered through the gate. The guards didn’t even glance at him. He stopped once they were inside. The mansion was more like a small village than a regular estate.

Eduard stopped and waited.

Adolin took in the scene. There were more than a dozen buildings, with a large mansion at the center. Everything was built from white marble; even the small paths leading through the gardens were scattered around.

He clicked his tongue, and muttered, “Rich.”

Eduard smiled faintly and gestured for him to follow.

They walked through one of the garden paths that led to the farthest building on the right side of the estate. The garden was filled with pink flowers, their petals were almost translucent in the morning light. They swayed gently with the wind, giving off a faint, sweet scent.

Adolin sensed mana leaking from them. Alchemical ingredients.

“The prime ingredient for a health potion,” Eduard said.

Adolin just nodded.

They arrived at the building. Three maids were standing in front of them, giving him dirty looks. It still stung.

“Ladies, take care of Adolin. Get him in a presentable form.” Eduard winked at him, “You’ve got an hour.”

Eduard left after that, and the maids led him inside the building. It was a bathhouse. The whole place was filled with steam, with a large heated pool sitting at the center, water gently rippling.

Adolin stepped toward it.