We walked through the quiet streets on our way back, and the moon hung high in the sky, casting a gentle glow upon the city.
The festive atmosphere lingered in the air, and the distant laughter and music provided a soothing ambiance for our footsteps. Myra looked up at me, her eyes still shining with excitement.
"Thank you so much, Darian! I had such a wonderful time tasting all the food!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I replied with a subtle smile, but my thoughts were somewhere else.
I couldn't help but come back to the moment the Count appeared on the stage. I waited for a long time to lay my eyes on a real mage, and I finally have someone to compare myself with. But all I could feel right now was anxiety stemming from my own powerlessness.
'I have a long way to go...' I thought bitterly. From a single glance, I could sense a feeling of unfathomable power radiating from him, and I knew right away that I was no match for him.
But every coin has two sides... That brief moment also helped me strengthen my determination. Now that I have a sense of what the real mages here look like, I will strive to train even harder. So that one day I may look into the Count's eyes without the slightest bit of fear...
We walked in silence for the rest of the way. The further we went from the main square, the quieter the streets became, and only a few stragglers roamed them, their voices fading into the distance.
As we approached Myra's house, I felt a pang of sadness that the day had come to an end. The festival had been a pleasant escape from the endless cycle of working and training.
Although I was determined to work hard to realize my dreams, I knew from my previous experiences that there had to be some kind of respite once in a while so that I didn't burn out. That is why I hope to embrace such moments of calmness in the future too.
"Goodnight, Darian," Myra said softly, breaking the silence. "Thank you again for everything." She looked at me for far longer than usual, as if she wanted to add something more, but then she just quickly turned her head away and ran inside her family residence without giving me a chance to reply.
I just stood there for a while under the moon's soft glow before I let the night embrace me as I disappeared into the alleyways on my way back to my own dwelling.
I wasn't dense like some novel protagonists. I was aware that Myra may have developed some kind of romantic feelings toward me. But I wasn't certain if I felt the same way about her. Sure, I enjoyed Myra's company and her outgoing personality, as I was able to forget about all my troubles when I was with her...
However, my true passion lies with magic, and I don't want any kind of distraction that would keep me away from my practice. Besides, as I didn't have much experience with romance and dating in my previous life, I was totally clueless about what to do about all this.
So in the end, I decided to stop thinking about it and not do anything for now. I will let it play out on its own, and I will decide what to do when the time comes...
***
The next day was the start of the annual Autumn Market. I took a day off from work since I wanted to get everything done before the crowds of peasants from the neighboring towns and villages arrived.
I woke up nice and early and equipped with my long shopping list, I made my way to the Market Square in the Southern Quarter, where it takes place every year.
Apparently, many residents had the same idea as me, so the square was already bustling with activity despite the early hour. Nevertheless, it wasn't anywhere near as cramped as it will be later in the day.
First, I went to my uncle's to ask if I could borrow one of their carts so that I had a way to transport my supplies back to my room in the Northern Quarter.
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"Ah, Darian, what a pleasant surprise! Are you heading to the market?" My aunt warmly welcomed me as I knocked on the door of their house. She still seemed very pleased by the fact that I attended Konrad's wedding the other day, despite the somewhat strained relationship we had.
"Yes, can I please borrow one of your carts to transport the goods?" I asked her.
"Well, of course! You can pick any from the workshop's courtyard..."
"Thank you, Aunt Ingrid! I will return it before the end of the day."
I went through the passage to the courtyard of my uncle's carpentry workshop. I didn't bother with buying my own cart, as I knew Leif had plenty of carts available for transporting various tools and materials as he mainly worked on construction projects around the city.
On my way out, I also asked Ingrid when my father would arrive in the city for the market so that I could greet him.
I quickly found out that my father apparently has a lot of work right now and wouldn't be able to come until the day after tomorrow at the very least.
That worked for me just fine, as by then I would have finished all my winter preparations and could stop by my uncle's house in about two days.
On the market, I purchased two bags of grain, a smaller bag of dried meat, and some root vegetables that would last a long time. Firewood was cheaper to buy directly from the people who gather it in the City's forest, so I left it for later.
Instead, I went inside one of the shops on the main street and purchased a nice warm coat that I can wear over my regular clothes during the winter. It was kind of expensive as it was coated with fur, but I liked it, and I certainly can afford it now.
Happy with my new coat, I loaded everything on the cart and pulled it all the way back to my apartment. 'It's so nice to finally have some money...' I thought as I hummed a tune of my favorite song along the way.
***
As the autumn Market and all the festivities that come with it ended, I continued with my peaceful routine. I managed to finish all my winter preparations in time, and now I had enough food and firewood to last me the whole winter.
It made me feel proud of myself, as it was the first time I had ever done everything on my own. All that remained was to wait to see how harsh the winter would be this year.
On one of those particularly rainy days at the end of autumn, Isadora called for me. I apparently got a message.
'Hmm, who might it be?' I raised an eyebrow, as it was the first time someone had sent me a letter to the shop.
At first, I thought it was from Myra, as I hadn't stopped by to visit her in a while, but then I looked at the folded piece of paper and found out it was from the Alchemist's apprentice I sold my Moonlight Asters to. He apparently wanted to meet with me.
Isadora looked at me with suspicion in her eyes. As she was the one who received the letter from the messenger, she read it too.
'Hey, what about some privacy? I know that the letter wasn't sealed or anything, but still!' I complained internally, as I could already predict what her reaction was going to be like.
Isadora then promptly questioned me. "What is the meaning of this? Why does he want to meet with you?"
"I have no idea," I replied honestly, but my curiosity had been piqued by this nonetheless.
It was clear from Iasadora's expression that she didn't believe me. "I will allow you to go to that meeting, as it would be very rude to decline such an invitation."
"However," she quickly added, "you mustn't do anything that could damage the shop's reputation, and you will tell me everything you two talked about. Is that clear?"
"I promise," I replied as I tried to put up the best honest-looking expression I was capable of.
Promises carried a lot of weight around here, and it was very rare for someone to break one, as people in this world cared deeply about their honor and reputation. So Isadora seemed content with my response as she returned to her work.
I, of course, am not of this world, so lying comes quite naturally to me. I'm surprised every time by how easy it is to get away with a lie in such a truthful-speaking society...
Nevertheless, I was eager to find out what this meeting was all about. So, I set out to the address he provided, which turned out to be one of the inns in the Southern Quarter.
When I arrived, he was already seated in a corner. I recognized him at first glance as his piercing gaze landed upon me the moment I entered the hall.
I approached the table cautiously, still wondering why someone of his status would go out of his way to arrange a meeting with me.
He quickly stood up to welcome me, saying, "Ah! I'm glad you came. You're Darian, right?"
"Yes, that is me. Greetings, Master...?" I replied with a puzzled face. I realized he hadn't given me his name the last time we talked.
"Oh, please forgive my manners!" He quickly interjected.
"My name is Theodore von Stonfeld, but you can call me Theo as my friends do. Come sit with me; we have so much to talk about..."