Meanwhile, over at the village green, where the carnival competitions are taking place, Ace writes his name on the participants' board under one of the teams.

"I wonder if it's cheating since I'm stronger than them," he mutters to himself as he walks toward his team.

"Look, with this, we have a chance of winning," a man from another team says, increasing his muscle size with magic.

"I guess not," Ace notes after seeing this. He meets his team members, who are preparing for the soccer event. "We need one more member," says the captain.

"I'll do it," Ace offers with a grin.

"And what's your name, boy?" the captain asks.

"Ace. And you?" he asks, extending his arm for a handshake.

"Jeffrey," he replies, shaking Ace's hand before pulling him in closer. "Listen here, boy. We don't joke with these games. You mess up, and you're out," he warns.

Ace yawns and replies, "If by the end of this first event I'm not on your good side, you can kick me out."

A few moments later, on a field with patches of grass and sandy areas, a makeshift goalpost stands. The teams, barefoot and excited, play football.

Among them is Ace, standing in the goalpost, his clothes soaked with sweat and covered in dirt. After a few more goals, Ace moves on to the next event.

"Pull!" the men shout during the tug-of-war, with Ace at the forefront of his team. The grunting and back-and-forth struggle ends when Ace pulls more firmly, giving his team the win.

They move on to the racing event, and Ace takes his stance. "Come on, boy, let's go three for three, and your lunch and dinner are on me. Don't let me down now, boy," Jeffrey shouts.

"Funny guy, that was the plan all along," Ace mutters.

The referee starts the call. "On your mark, set, go!" Everyone bursts into a full sprint except Ace, who slips and falls, his legs suddenly encased in ice. "Ow. What? Who?" he exclaims, looking back at the frozen ground.

Ace just laughs. "You know what? I'm not even mad. I didn't even notice that," he says, walking to the finish line last.

Jeffrey, fuming, demands a rematch, accusing someone of cheating, but to no avail. His team ends up in second place overall.

Later that day, outside a bar, the team celebrates their achievement. "Bring a bottle for the boy!" Jeffrey shouts.

"I'm not allowed to drink," Ace immediately says.

Jeffrey pauses, then yells, "Thomas, get the boy some juice!" before sitting back down.

Ace takes a bite of his meat.

Why does he have to be so loud?

"Do you like the food?" Jeffrey asks.

Ace, his mouth full, gives a thumbs up.

"Good. So, what brings you here?" Jeffrey asks, now serious.

"Came to catch a monster running loose around here," Ace replies.

"Oh. So it was a monster causing all that noise," Jeffrey comments.

"What are you talking about?" Ace asks.

"Some days ago, Father Kayden said he was going to strengthen the barrier around the village, specifically around the mill and the barn," Jeffrey says, taking a drink.

"Does he do that often?" Ace inquires.

"Yeah he's the barriers maintainer. It extends to the outskirts of the village right around the mill," Jeffrey explains.

"Oh, okay. You were saying something earlier?" Ace prompts.

"Right, a normal routine for him caused a lot of noise. By the time we gathered, he was back, but with torn clothes and bruises, like he'd been in a fight," Jeffrey says.

"Why didn't you go earlier? He could have died," Ace questions.

"Father Kayden and the Lord's guards are the only ones who can use mana. My men and I are just ordinary people doing the best we can," Jeffrey says.

"So anything involving mana is handled by Father Kayden and the Lord's guards?" Ace clarifies.

"Exactly. We handle the day-to-day stuff and step in if they ever ask for our assistance," Jeffrey replies.

"Were his injuries from something animal or human?" Ace asks.

Jeffrey stares into space for a moment. “I can't say for sure, but he looked ragged. Definitely not something an ordinary human could pull off against the priest." he says.

"Is he that strong?" Ace asks.

Jeffrey chuckles. “You'd find diamonds in your backyard before finding anyone within the West Valley that can challenge that man.”

Hmm so it's probably is a monster, vampire maybe?

Ace nonchalantly tapping his finger on the table“I see. Then what happened next”

“He asked Radcliff to lead his team to the mill. I assume they faced off with whatever it was there," Jeffrey says.

"I'm guessing they didn't win," Ace speculates.

"You'd be right. The mill and barn are off-limits, so it's a good guess they didn't catch what they were hunting for" Jeffrey replies.

Ace, clearing his plate, takes a moment to think. "Do you know Father Kayden's magic ability?" he asks.

Jeffrey leans in towards Ace his voice dropping to a whisper. “That's some high level information kid. I doubt even Radcliff knows, " he responds.

Ace strikes a smile at Jeffrey, while he taps on his wristband and a bag of coins appears.

“But, word on the street says? ” Ace asks.

Jeffrey smiles, patting his full pocket. “ word on the streets say it's a form of veil or barrier magic”

Oh, something similar to athena.

"Okay, but does the barrier stop people from entering or just night creatures?" Ace asks.

"I'd only say night creatures and evil charms. I've seen the barrier burn through a man's necklace once when he passed through it," Jeffrey says.

With his hand on his chin, Ace stares into space briefly.

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Maybe some kind of divination ability. I'll confirm at the mill or barn.

Ace lets out a heavy sigh.

I can't believe Athena barrier training is actually being useful.

"Did you think of something?" Jeffrey asks, snapping Ace out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I just need to confirm something. Which is closer, the barn or the mill?" Ace asks.

"The mill. It's a short walk behind the village green, where we competed," Jeffrey answers.

"Thanks. It was an honor working with you, Mr. Jeffrey," Ace salutes the man.

"The feeling is mutual. See you next carnival," Jeffrey replies.

"I'll try," Ace says as he starts to walk away, then turns back.

"You need something?" Jeffrey asks.

"Yeah.”

Shortly after leaving the tavern, Ace now walks through the village center, carrying a basket of food and a bag of snacks. Lost in thought, he notices a group of women run past him in the direction he's going.

"Let's play with Inara next time. I miss her," a little girl's voice echoes through his ears. Again, he stops and looks around, seeing no one who could have said that.

Is this some voice assistant from the wristband?

Ace wonders, inspecting the band on his wrist. He stumbles upon a crowd listening to a bard perform.

He sighs, "Let's see what this is about," as he pushes through the crowd to hear the bard's song.

"One night they catch him by surprise,

And take him to the town square to die,

The clown begs and pleads for his life,

But the people are determined to end his strife.

They hang him from the tallest tree,

And cheer as he swings helplessly,

They dance and sing and laugh out loud,

And celebrate the death of the clown, so proud."

"Okay, that is just weird and creepy," Ace mutters as the crowd praises the bard with cheers and coins.

Yeah, these people don't know good music.

He walks away, navigating through the noisy crowd, his ears prick up, and he turns with a frown upon hearing a woman's voice.

"Are you the fool I'm looking for?" the voice asks.

That was definitely not in my head. Someone here said that.

Looking around frantically.

Whoever said that knows I'll be the only one to hear them. Or were they testing to see if someone would react?

A pat on his back interrupts his thoughts, he turns to see Radcliffe standing over him.

When did he get here?

"Are you okay? You look… a bit frightened," Radcliff asks.

Ace takes a moment to compose himself, grinning slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Well, good. Your friend is pretty angry with you for running off," Radcliff says.

"I know. I just got a bit distracted when the kids passed us with their ball. How did you find me, anyway?" Ace asks, changing the subject.

"It's hard to miss someone making a name for himself in this year's carnival games," Radcliff says, showing Ace a poster drawing of him receiving a medal.

"Wow. These people work fast. Can I keep that?" Ace asks.

Handing it over, Radcliff replies, "Here you go. Now let's get you back to Inara.”

"Oh yeah, but first, can you come with me to the mill?" Ace asks.

Radcliff raises an eyebrow. "I've been investigating too," Ace adds, puffing out his chest.

Radcliff sighs, "The barn isn't far from the mill, so let's go. We'll meet up with your friend and Sister Lily once you're done."

"Sister who?" Ace asks.

"Oh, right, you didn't meet her. She's one of the nuns working with Father at the church," Radcliff explains.

"Oh."

As they start walking, Ace asks, "You think she'll let me live after all this?"

"Only the gods can save you from a woman's wrath, boy," Radcliff replies.

"Fair point," Ace concedes.

They begin their walk towards the mill, The echoes of laughter and cheers from the carnival games fade into the background as Ace approaches the outskirts of the village.

Arriving at the area, the festive atmosphere is distant, now replaced by an eerie silence that settles over the abandoned building.

The mill stands in disrepair, its once white walls now marred with long, dark scratches. The air is thick with the scent of old wood and dust, mingling with the faint metallic tang of dried blood.

I feel like throwing up.

Ace with a napkin covering his nose makes his way round the building. "Did you get a good look at the monster?" Ace asks, examining the mill.

The barrier should be somewhere here.

"Sadly, no. It covered itself in darkness. We know it can move on all fours and stand like a man. We thought we cornered it, but it escaped through the shadows," Radcliff says.

“Noted, ” Ace yells from the other side of the mill. Looking away into the forest he looks down.

Just as Ace thought, there's no barrier around the village anymore.

“Did the creature break through the village barrier” Ace yells unbeknownst to him Radcliffe has moved to join him behind the mill.

Now closer to Ace, Radcliff replies. “It did but we've managed to repair the damages so far.”

Okay what is this guy? I didn't even hear him come close.

“That's good to know,” Ace says, massaging his chin. Doing well to hide his rising heartbeat.

I don't like where this is going. What to do, what to do.

He ponders for a moment before smiling. "Well, I'm done looking. Let's go find Inara."

"Did you find anything to help your cause?" Radcliff asks as they walk away from the mill.

"Meh, not really. I'll just have to hope Inara found something on her side," Ace responds nonchalantly.

A brief moment later, Ace and Radcliff arrive at the barn to see Inara going through some rubble with a frown on her face.

"A hungry man is an angry man," Ace quips, catching her attention.

Inara stares daggers at him, ignoring his earlier statement.

Ace smiles awkwardly, thinking to himself, "Well, she's definitely angry."

"Inara, where's Sister Lily?" Radcliff asks.

Oh yeah, a nun is supposed to be here.

"She went to get someone to help me lift some of the rubble since someone left without a word," Inara replies.

"She's talking about me, isn't she?" Ace asks.

"Who else?" Radcliff confirms.

"Uh, Mr. Radcliff, can you excuse us while we settle this issue?" Ace requests.

"Of course. Take your time. Just return to the village by nightfall," Radcliff says as he walks away.

"You! What kind of—" Inara starts, but Ace interrupts her.

"Wait," Ace says, surveying the area. "Quick, follow me," he gestures to her.

Inara sighs in annoyance but reluctantly follows him. They arrive at a spot with a good view of the mill.

Clasping his hands together, Ace begins to apologize.

"I'm really sorry for ditching you like that. I promise I wasn't messing around. I've found some clues and been to the mill as well, so I hope that's enough to make you not angry anymore."

A period of silence follows.

He looks side to side avoiding Inara's gaze.

The silence is deafening. Please say something.

Inara finally sighs and opens up the screen on her bracelet, pulling out a picnic blanket.

"What?" Ace says in astonishment, before a smile washes over his face

I'm saved.

Inara sets the blanket on the grassy ground and takes a seat, crossing her legs.

"I didn't know pockets could do that. And I've been carrying this basket of food all this time," Ace mutters to himself.

"Well, aren't you going to sit down?" she asks.

"Oh, right. Here, pick off whatever you want," Ace says, taking a seat as he opens the basket and bag of food.

A brief period of silence follows while they eat, with Inara occasionally glancing at Ace. "She's been looking at me since we started eating. Is she still angry?" he wonders to himself.

"So, what did you find in the barn?" Ace asks to break the tension.

"You go first," Inara sharply replies.

She's not letting me off easy.

With a smirk on his face, he points towards a rock a few meters away. "That's where it stops," Ace says.

Inara looks at him with raised eyebrows. "I'm lost. What am I supposed to see?"

"There's supposed to be a barrier around this village, put up by Father Kayden. It should stop around that stone, but it's not," Ace explains.

"How could you tell?" Inara asks.

"If the barrier was up, I would have sensed it the instant we stepped foot inside. But I can only sense traces of it," Ace responds.

"That still doesn't explain how you can sense the barrier," Inara presses.

"I've had a lot of studying and training with Athena. So I'm a bit sensitive to this kind of thing" Ace admits.

Inara takes a moment to process this. "So, you think Father Kayden removed the barrier on purpose?" she asks.

"That, I'm not so sure about. A villager said he went to strengthen it, then ended up fighting a monster. He sent Radcliff and his men to finish the job at the mill, but they couldn't," Ace says.

"Wait, you said Father Kayden fought the monster at the barn, right?" Inara asks.

"Yup," Ace confirms.

"Then the whole church, maybe even Radcliff and his men, could be our enemies," Inara says, her tone serious.

"Whoa, chill. I think you're jumping to conclusions here," Ace cautions.

"I don't think I am. Sister Lily, the nun with me earlier, wasn't human. And the marks on the ground around the barn were definitely scorch marks from a demon," Inara insists.

"Are you sure about what you're saying?" Ace asks, his tone matching her seriousness.

"Yes. My — " Inara sighs. “— just trust me on this,” she says.

Ace sighs. “Just from what you're saying, this test just got a lot scarier," he says with a worried face.

"I don't think this is the test," Inara says.

"Anything demon-related is treated as taboo across every realm, especially Plict," she continues.

"And your point?" Ace asks.

“I don't think they'll ever use demons as a test. I think we're actually in danger here. We should find Mr. Himey," Inara suggests.

Ace takes a moment to think. "Although I've never faced one before, Hades and Persephone have given me a good idea of what to expect against demons," he reflects.

"So the question now is, do we risk forfeiting the test or take a gamble on our lives?" Ace asks.

"That shouldn't even be a question. A test is pointless if we're not alive," Inara replies.

Ace just stares at her in silence.

A few minutes pass in contemplative silence.

"We'll keep going," Ace finally says.

"And you're saying this because?" Inara probes.

"If our lives were truly in danger, Himey would have intervened by now or will later. So let's keep hunting the monster and see what happens. We have three days anyway," Ace reasons.

Inara thinks for a moment before agreeing. "Okay, let's do it. But let's make one thing clear: if things go wrong, test or not, it's every man for himself."

"Sure, you don't have to worry about me," Ace replies as they shake hands.

That should keep her calm for the meantime.

"Let's agree on where to meet up," Inara suggests.

"Why, though?" Ace asks.

"Because our pockets don't have any signal right now. I sent you a message earlier when I was looking for you. It still hasn't gone through," Inara explains.

"Right, I forgot we could even message through this thing," he says, glancing at his wristband.

"Let's meet back at the village center by nightfall. Is that okay with you?" Inara proposes.

"Yeah, that's good with me. We still have some places to check. I'll check the forge—" Ace starts.

"Just leave the fields and refractory to me. You'll be too slow to get to them and check them anyway," Inara interrupts.

"What? What makes you think I'm slow?" he asks sarcastically.

Inara glances at Ace, with raised eyebrows. 'I'll check the fields and refractory,' she says before vanishing into a crackle of white lightning, leaving behind a faint, tingling energy in the air.

Ace left speechless rubs his eyes. “Well that's rude,” he says taking a step towards the residual sparks in the air.

"Ouch," Ace says, feeling the residual energy. "I'm actually jealous," he mutters to himself.