“Experimental,” Alex harped on the word, making sure Lilith understood what that truly meant.

“I know, but what better time to test it than now?” Lilith asked, but her face pleaded for Alex to say yes.

“As long as you understand that such a tool is in an experimental stage. We haven’t fully replicated the barriers that we see around the cities and Inns. Even the ones that were made for towns aren’t close to how strong they are.” Alex looked up at the silent Lilith, who sat there, pleading with her eyes. “Fine. just promise that you won’t let your guard down even while using it.”

“I promise. Anything that will help me get to my destination, I will welcome.”

“I’ll get you it tomorrow. It shouldn’t be hard to do. Is there anything else while we’re on this topic?”

“Hmm, a spare uniform wouldn’t be a bad idea. I only have the one at home, and I would rather not risk traveling with only one. The magic woven into it will be far too helpful.”

“That shouldn’t be an issue either, but it will take a bit longer. Magic weaving isn’t that simple.”

“That’s fine, thank you.”

“Now then.” Alex brought Lilith’s attention back to the map. “Let’s go over your plan one more time with no interruptions. You leave here, then travel to Mystral, head to the Holy Empire, then northeast to the Dwarves. It’s simple and obvious.”

“Best to keep it simple.”

"Once you've crossed the bridge and exited the dwarves' territory, you'll come across these trails that guide you to safe camping zones," Alex explained, leaning back and readjusting his glasses while crossing his arms. “I expected some elaborate plan, but it’s so simple that I would’ve thought you came up with it at the last minute. And to make matters worse, it relies on luck far too much.”

“It could’ve been elaborate, but we know so little past the Scar that it becomes an in the moment situation.”

“Alright, and you read all the books?”

“Some more than once.”

Alex stared at Lilith. “Come,” he said as he stood up and headed to the door. “Off to the mailroom.”

Lilith quickly tossed her map back in the void, and gulped down the now lukewarm tea before following Alex with quick paced steps down to the mailroom, a floor that had its own type of chaos. People were running back and forth, organizing packages and letters. Preparing them to go to the district post offices or to determine the difficulty of the delivery and which rank could take the job. It’s the core of the building and what makes everything churn.

“It’s a large package, which is another reason such a trip would be hard for most people.”

“But it’s perfect for me, who can freely put things in a pocket that is nearly infinite.”

“Unfortunately, the bottomless bags aren’t truly bottomless yet, so yes. You are one of the very few.”

“Is it that large?”

“Yes,” Alex opened up the door, and after leading Lilith inside, presented the neatly wrapped box held together by ropes. It was larger than Alex, and far heavier than anyone could guess.

“That’s.. No joke of a package.”

“And it must be important. Can you store it?”

Blackened mana soared from her core up to her shoulder, down to her arm, then to her hand. It was as if an amalgamation of ants crawled to her hand as it seeped into every nook and cranny,  changing her once pale skin and clear nails into a midnight black. 

Black liquid formed underneath the large package bubbling while expanding and stopping when it covered the ground. Then, when Lilith closed her hand, the puddle shot up like spikes looking for a target. One at a time in quick succession until they wrapped around the meeting at the top, covering the package.

Loosening her grip and facing her palm towards the ground, she lowered her hand slowly and the black blob followed until it disappeared and all that remained was a blackened puddle that quickly disappeared right after.

 “Limitless,” Lilith said, as her hand returned to normal

“I can’t tell if that’s a curse or a blessing.”

"When it confines me to only very specific magic, despite having been blessed with a near endless mana pool, then yes. I would call it a curse. I could’ve been one hell of a mage if I wasn’t."

“You say that, but everyone who had the same curse was in a similar situation as you. Blessed with an abundance of mana.”

“Yeah, yeah. Coincidences.” Lilith shooed the logic to the side. “How long do you think the spare outfit will take?”

“Give or take a week. If you haven’t gotten taller or shorter, then I can get them to work on one right away.”

“Perfect. So the outfit and the barrier tool. Besides that, I have to replenish supplies and tidy up my place before I depart. Should I come get the spare?”

“I can get it delivered to you immediately when it’s done.” Alex paused, eyes filled with sincerity. "I want to emphasize once again. There is no time limit and there is no expectation for you to succeed. If you need to, then return.” Alex lightly sighed. “Do your best. Please. And make sure you don’t die.”

“I will make sure it gets to its owner, Branch Manager.”

Alex smiled. A weak smile. “Good… Good.” Alex paused. “I-I sincerely hope to see you again when it’s over.” He reached over, gently patting Lilith’s head. “I wish you the best.” He said, messing up her hair as much as he could before pulling away.

…………………….

“I wish myself the best, too,” Lilith said while readjusting her outfit in the mirror. Far more presentable than before, she sported her uniform, which was a dark blue suit, black buttons and accessory flairs, a white buttoned shirt and a black tie. Some may think it was strange to wear a suit, but because of the woven magic, it worked well and allowed carriers to be presentable. Her name and rank were woven into the upper left corner of her suit jacket, right at her shoulder.

Lilith Anderson

Rank: Platinum

Her now straight black hair rested just beyond her shoulders. Looking at herself one last time, she grabbed the flat cap resting on the counter which matched the color of her suit, and instead of a pair of dress shoes or heels, she slipped on a pair of slim boots which hid underneath her suit pants.

It was a unique outfit for what she does, to say the least, but after buttoning her jacket and activating the magic weaved into the fabric, a weird sensation enveloped her body, which disappeared shortly after. It took some getting used to as the weight of the outfit and the feel of it disappeared. She was clearly wearing the suit and she could see it in the mirror, but it felt as if she was naked. But this allowed the carriers to move around freely and to not be bogged down by any inconvenience. With that said, some carriers opted into more combat-like outfits wearing armour to give them protection, then switching to the suit when getting to town. Lilith could do that too, but it didn’t matter all too much for her, since she wasn’t a fighter, so all it would do was add on extra weight.

“Alright,” she said, checking herself one last time, and after making sure everything was in order, she blew out the candles in her room and headed out through the streets, then the gates.