Critical Misclass

Hello, and thank you for reading the latest chapters ofCritical Misclass!I hope you continue to enjoy the story. We're getting fairly close to the end of the first part of this overall story, at which point I will be doing amajorround of edits and rewrites, based on what I've learned in the process of writing, as well as feedback from readers. As such, your comments are always welcome and appreciated!

CHAPTER 34 - Stacked

"Is there a pr-- oh, my."

The woman seemed to be as surprised as I was; neither of us seeing quite what we were expecting at the door.

She looked as though she might be a little older than me, maybe in her mid-thirties. Striking lavender eyes blinked at me from behind a pair of round, wire-frame glasses, which were perched on a small, upturned, nose. Her wavy, white, hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. Her dark green cloak, almost the exact color of the trees surrounding us, did little to conceal the woman's voluptuous figure, as evidenced by the way her full chest was pressing against the fabric.

Most of those details went unnoticed by me at first. I was initially caught up in how this woman was a few inches taller than me - something that I rarely ever saw - but appeared eventaller... due to the long, white, rabbit ears standing straight up on top of her head.

"You only need to head due south, and you'll reach the main road towards the city." She spoke calmly and patiently, with a hint of an unfamiliar accent that sounded vaguely Nordic to me.

"Uh, no, sorry." I cleared my throat. "We were actually looking for someone. A scholar, sometimes called 'The Elder'?"

The rabbit-woman sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. It was a moment too late, but I had a suspicion as to why.

"That wasn't amusing twenty years ago, and only growslessamusing with each decade. Safe travels."

She firmly shut the door in my face. I turned back to Ves and Thia, hoping they had a suggestion. The former's eyes were narrowed and ears flattened, while the latter was still staring at the door with her head up, as if in a trance.

One of Ves's ears twitched. "Do you thinkshe'sthe Elder?"

I replied with frustrated nods, to which Ves scoffed.

"Well... whatever. If she's gonna be like that, who needs her." She sneered and turned away from the cabin.

I could never say that our first quest was pointless, or a failure, considering the time I'd spent with my partners and how we'd grown closer. But for our primary goal to end like this - by accidentally upsetting someone and being turned away? I wasn't about to give up so easily.

Thia hadn't looked away from the door, so I nudged her. "You okay?"

She shook her head and blinked a few times. "I-- yes. What shall we do?"

"Well... I'd at least like the chance to explain why we're here."

"Yes, of course. If one is so interested in their research that they would circumvent the law, I imagine that one would enjoy sharing some of that information with interested parties."

"Right." I lowered my voice and bent down. "And I might be able to provide some unique info, too." I didn't want to shoutI can borrow and share class abilitiesthrough the door, but I was hoping I could eventually tell the scholar about my whole situation, if it meant that she could help us out.

I knocked on the door again. "I'm sorry about that, and meant no offense! We've been looking for information on classes, and, well... I'm sure I don't need to tell you howthatwent in Vanndrenvar. We got some second, or maybe third-hand, information about a scholar out here."

After waiting for a few seconds, I continued. "We each got our classes not too long ago, but it's been... difficult. Anything you could share with us would be massively helpful."

Still no response. Thia looked over at Ves, who was still facing away from the cabin, then stepped up to the door.

"I was granted the Defender class, but it has not felt... deserved. My family has the highest expectations for me, and I would not dare to say that the Goddess was mistaken, but..."

With aclick, the door opened. Thia's mouth dropped open as she craned her neck to look up at the much-larger woman, who adjusted her glasses.

"I could hear everything. Please, enter, and we will see if you would like to share your 'unique info'."

Guess her ears aren't just for show.As Thia crossed the threshold, I turned to Ves. "Are you alright?"

Ves sighed and shook her head while she moved towards the entrance. "She, ah... it's nothing."

There was clearly something we had to discuss later, but this was our chance to properly meet with the so-called "Elder". I followed Ves inside the dimly-lit cabin.

Despite the cabin looking small enough from the outside, I couldn't believe how cramped it felt inside. The cabin consisted of just a single room, throughout which were many shelves filled with tomes and papers, as well as piles upon piles of books. I spotted a few chests and wooden boxes, and could only imagine that they contained more research material.

The bespectacled scholar smiled at us, more politely than friendly. "There are chairs... somewhere around here. Hmm. I suppose you can sit on the bed. I will prepare tea for us." She motioned behind us, and sure enough, there was a tiny bed that would be uncomfortable forme, much less a taller person. And, of course, there were a few books on top of it. We each grabbed one, and Thia took them, gently placing them in a stack on the floor.

I wondered what might happen if we were to cast the cleaning spell in here. It wasn't dirty, so much as it was extremely disorganized, but it would probably be best to leave a room like that before casting, in case books started flying around haphazardly.

The tall woman maneuvered around her books and tables, and sat at the only chair that didn't have anything on it, next to a small desk with an inkpot and parchments upon it.

"I apologize for my rudeness. It's not often that I see visitors, and then to hear that ridiculoustitleyet again..."

I felt genuinely bad about unintentionally insulting her. "We really didn't know--"

She held up a hand. "I believe you. And," she looked at Thia, "You are correct. I am quite fond of discussing classes, under the right circumstances."

Thia was still staring in awe at the woman, as though she were some kind of divine figure. "Oh! Thank you, Professor...?"

"I'm no professor. Call me Sveja. But perhaps we should clear the air, as they say? You all came here to speak to me, yet you all seem so... bewildered?"

I didn't expect Thia to blurt out a reply so quickly. "I-- That is, I had heard that yrrven were tall, but..."

Hearing Thia say "yrrven" reminded me that Ves had once mentioned this species to me. She had said that they were rabbit-like in the way that she was cat-like, but still, I hadn't expected that they might be so... statuesque.

Sveja chuckled. "Quite the contrast with aevrana women, hmm? Were you aware that yrrven women, on average, are taller than yrrven men?" The tea kettle whistled, and as she rose to attend to it, she muttered "Or so I've heard."

Thia looked like she was having trouble processing this information. She looked at me. "She is nearly as tall as mybrother... amazing."

Kael was almost a foot and a half taller than Thia, but since they were the only two aevrana I had ever seen, I hadn't thought too much about their significant height difference. Based on Thia's reaction to meeting Sveja, I wondered if male and female aevrana normally had such a large disparity in size.

I glanced over at Ves, and she no longer looked upset, or nervous - instead, she was smirking at Thia's reaction to Sveja. Something (my enhanced senses, maybe) told me that she wasn't completely comfortable, however.

Sveja called out to us from her kettle. "I don't recall if I ever had a serving tray, so if you'd like tea, you're free to pour some over here."

I offered to fetch some for Ves and Thia, who both accepted (Ves asked for extra sugar). As I squeezed past Sveja and a stack of books, desperately trying not to knock it over, she sat back down in her chair.

"So. You've traveled a fair distance to learn about classes, yet you didn't know about the traditions of Vanndrenvar, I take it?"

Ves crossed her arms. "No, I mean, yes-- well, we came to the city for a different reason, mainly. We figured that we could also learn about our classes while we were at it."

"And what was this primary reason?"

"We found a rune and wanted to figure out what kind it was, basically."

With great caution, I carried the tea cups over to my partners, and chose to stand nearby instead of trying to squeeze back onto the bed and risk a spill. Sveja unclasped her cloak and adjusted herself to be more comfortable. Her chest was pronounced even with the cloak draped over it, but I wasn't prepared to witness its full glory... and neither were Ves or Thia, based on how wide their eyes had opened.

Beneath the dark green cloak, Sveja wore a brown dress, which prominently displayed her ample breasts. Even my partners, extraordinarily stunning women by any standard, struggled to comprehend the vision that sat before us. Good thing her legs weren't visible, or we'd have gone blind.

I couldn't tell if a split-second had passed, or several minutes, and forced myself to say something. "You... you wouldn't happen to know anything about runes, would you?"

Sveja shook her head gracefully, her hair swishing. "That is not my area of expertise, but I know some of the basic elements. I am more interested in your questions in regards to your classes, and what you have to tell me. But even before that, I don't believe I heard your names?"

In spite of everything, I laughed. "Sorry, it's been a weird week for us. This is Ves, Thia, and I'm Jeremy. Nice to meet you, Sveja."

"Likewise." Sveja looked somewhat amused at us, and I hoped that our uninvited visit would turn out to be enjoyable for her, if nothing else. "Thia already mentioned being a Defender, but I believe I can safely say that Ves is a Vitality Mage, and you, Jeremy, a Rogue."

"That obvious?"

She narrowed her eyes at me as her smile grew. "Ihavebeen researching classes for the better part of sixty years."

Iluriar had said that "the Elder" was banned from the university half a century ago, but that fact had slipped from my brain as soon as I actually saw Sveja. I didn't want to embarrass her or myself, or get us off-track again, so I chose to just assume that yrrven had elf-like lifespans, and not pry into it just yet.

Sveja directed her attention towards Thia. "You mentioned feeling that the Goddess may have been 'mistaken', correct?"

Thia blushed. "I was strictly expressing the way that I felt, and not--"

Again, Sveja simply held up a hand.She'd make a great teacher... but a distracting one."Please, don't worry. Trust me when I say that I understand what you meant. That information is useful to me, and later, I would like to know more about the circumstances under which you were granted your classes - all of you."

I hadn't asked Thia about her story, out of respect for her privacy, but I knew that Ves's was tragic in addition to being deeply personal, and I wondered how she might feel about telling this stranger she was already uncomfortable with.

Sveja continued. "Now, let me be clear. While there is little I relish more than discussing classes, I am referring to knowledgeable, provoking, discourses, and not mere lectures. I did not choose to reside here so that students could visit at their leisure and receive free lessons. You claim to have information that will interest me, and I choose to believe you. Proffer said information, and I will decide if it's enough for me to spend my time teaching a party of neophytes." She smiled politely and sipped her tea.

I looked down at my partners. Ves shrugged, while Thia gave me a single nod. Both read to me as "it's up to you."

"Well, alright." I turned to Sveja, who looked back at me expectantly. "Shortly after receiving my class, I discovered that I had a special ability. A unique one, I should say."

The lovely yrrven smirked. "Are you sure? You have all already admitted knowing little about your classes."

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure." I drew my dagger and held it out, pointed up. I did my best to do this as naturally as possible, without thinking, and in a few seconds, the blade ignited.

Sveja's lips parted, and her eyebrows raised. I could tell she was considering all the ways that this might have been faked, so I kept going. Holding out my other hand, I pressed the flaming dagger onto it, burning my palm with ahiss. It hurt like hell, but I knew the pain would be gone momentarily. I dismissed the flames and sheathed the dagger. My hand filled with warm light as I raised it again and began channeling the healing spell. I touched my palm and it quickly healed, but the burning was immediately replaced by a sharp sting - I was still having trouble with that.

Rising to her feet, Sveja looked incredulously at me, and then my party. "How...?"

I smirked back at her. "If you give me a minute, I can grab Thia's shield and you can hit it with something to show you I can block better than a Rogue. Actually, we haven't really practiced that one yet."

CHAPTER 35 - Like a Truck

Sveja had been pacing around the room, which was more like bouncing between various shelves, chests, and stacks of books. In addition to showing her my ability-sharing power, I ended up telling Sveja about how I had come to Fielende from Earth, figuring that it might be relevant.

"You are certain that, in this 'other world', you did not already have a class?" I opened my mouth to answer, but she cut me off. "Oranykind of magical, or extraordinary, abilities?"

"Again, no." I chuckled, partly out of the absurdity of everything that had been happening to me, and partly out of frustration from repeating myself. "Nothing like that exists in my world."

Sveja continued moving around, muttering to herself. An idea popped into my mind. "Maybe it's not even my ability. Maybe it's Ves's?" I turned to the netharri. "You were the first to use another class's ability, when you dodged that attack."

Ves blinked. "Iguessit's possible, butyou'rethe one who's not just from another world, but got a unique message from the Goddess."

"Yes, that message..." Sveja stopped in her tracks. "You said that you mentioned it to Ves before you knew what message everyone else heard upon being granted their class. It's possible that your memory is simply incorrect, but what you claim to have heard is too specific."

I shrugged. "I don't have the best memory, but there's no way I made up stuff like 'child from beyond my grasp'."

There was no reply from the yrrven scholar, or even any indication that she was listening, but she grabbed a few tomes from around the room, sat at her desk, and flipped through many pages. All of this was done quickly, yet gracefully.

We waited for a few minutes, expecting Sveja to find something that she wanted to share with us. Eventually, she took her quill and began to write notes on some parchment, more focused than before.

Thia leaned towards me. "I... do not think she will be finished for quite some time." She cleared her throat politely. "Excuse me, Sveja." When that didn't work, she fake-coughed louder. Sveja's quill stopped mid-word.

"Mmm?" She didn't even bother to turn away from her desk.

"We fulfilled our end of the bargain, did we not? Our time is precious, so if you might provide us the information we seek, we will leave you to your research."

We heard the scratching of the quill as Sveja, presumably, finished her sentence. She sighed, placed the quill back in the ink pot, and rose from her desk.

"You simply don't understand. Classes have been unchanged since the beginning. There have been new methods of harnessing their abilities and talents, of course, but it has been exceedingly rare to discover new applications." She removed her glasses, staring at me with her lavender eyes. "This... is something entirely new. Youmustunderstand what this means to me."

I nodded slowly. "I get it, I really do. But we've told you everything we know, and... well, we can't even demonstrate anything else without actually learning more about our classes."

"Regardless, I must look into this immediately, so I might be able to better help you."

Ves got off the bed and stood up. "We can't sit here forever. Help us out, and maybe we can come back when we have more to show you. Or, hell, come and visit us."

Sveja pursed her lips, clearly pondering what to do. I noticed her cheeks reddening, and she was no longer looking me in the eyes. "I suppose that does make the most sense. In fact..." She turned back to her parchments, organized them into a loose pile, checked the spines of the books on her desk, and picked them up. "I may be able to kill two birds with one stone. Well, one-point-five birds would be closer, but I digress."

I stepped aside, narrowly avoiding her as she rushed past me. "Uh, what did you have in mind?"

She didn't reply right away, as she was looking for the proper shelf on which to place one of the tomes she carried. "Ideally, you would have full-time access to my collection." One book was shelved, and Sveja moved to another spot. "I know that, being adventurers, remaining in one location like that is... uncommon. Even were you to keep just a select few volumes, and had a pack of plenty which could support them in addition to your usual gear, that would still be cumbersome. So..." She looked up and down at a stack of books before shrugging and placing the last one in her hands on top. "I will compile some constructive information into some abridged guides."

"Are you sure? That sounds like a lot of work."I never thought I'd want to see the old office copier again.

"Yes, but that's where the bird-and-a-half comes into play. In addition to helping you, I will be able to take note of new information, provided by each of you, based on the way that your abilities function with other classes. Of course, I'll write it as if it were purely hypothetical, but I have enough years of data to justify creating theories along those lines."

"If you're sure..."

Ves poked me. "Hey, if she's offering, don't make a big deal out of it."

Now Sveja was scouring her cabin fordifferentbooks, and had already grabbed a couple. She slapped her forehead as her smile widened. "Oh, my Goddess! I could later sell the abridged guides to others. 'A Practical Compendium of Classes for the Distressed Adventurer,' perhaps. I've been in need of additional funds, and it's been years since my last publication."

I shrugged. "Better than calling people 'dummies', I guess."

Focused on her own ideas, Sveja didn't hear me. "This is more like three or four birds. I'll have to put my other research on hold, but this does take priority."

Thia stood up. "Thank you for your support. How long will it take you to complete our guides?"

The yrrven's eyes darted around, as though she were doing complex mental math. "If I work through the nights, then I could be finished in about a week."

"A week?!" Now Ves rose, exasperated. "We can't afford to stay here a week!"

Sveja waved this off dismissively, and sat at her desk with her fresh stack of books. "Just sleep here. I keep plenty of food in the cellar, but you can also go hunting while you wait." She paused, looking up from her desk. "Actually, I'd greatly appreciate that. I haven't had meat in years. Just not worth the import fees, on top of what I pay to have items delivered here."