“I wonder how much I’ll get for today’s harvesting…” A man murmured to himself.

A female let out a burst of light laughter, smacking him on the back. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get enough for today!” She encouraged him as others kept to themselves, walking into a building.

“Tch, today better have some good missions posted.” A bulky, toned woman fidgeted with her long sword that hung against her back.

“Yeah, or else we’ll have to move to another town.” A smaller male huffed to himself.

Aemilia stared at the groups huddling in front of a building blankly before pulling on Ethan’s sleeve. “Hey, what’s going on over there?” She glanced at him for an answer.

“Well, that building is for the Hunter Association. It’s an organization that hires strong or nimble people to gather materials, whether it’s animals, herbs, crystals, minerals, and so forth, or to take care of any danger on behalf of the merchants in the city.” He pointed to the man who held a small sack and the woman with the long sword. “Because of the nature of the work, most Hunters stay single or are orphans.” He scratched the back of his head and bit his bottom lip, glancing at the groups briefly. “But they can be hired for individual requests, such as bodyguard or construction work as well.”

“I see…” She stood there, her lips curling into a small smile.

It’s like those adventure guilds they talk about in games and stuff… I wonder what the building looks like from the inside.

“C’mon, Aemilia, we need to go to the church already!” Ethan held her sleeve and tugged on it to indicate that he was going to walk. She immediately followed without sending another glimpse to the Hunter Association.

Her heart soon quivered as her eyes darted around. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

I wish I asked what the church was like. What if it’s not like the churches back home? Or what if it’s like a cult or something scary? Or maybe it’s a completely different concept?

And how could they heal me? Does this world have magic? Or some kind of light powers as games like to put it? But I haven’t seen others use magic before…

Should I ask? But Ethan seemed a little annoyed that we were wasting time earlier.

As she remained consumed in her thoughts, she didn’t notice Ethan standing completely still until she slammed into him and fell to the floor. “...Ethan? Is something the matter?” She stood back up and then patted her skirt so that the dust would come off.

“Ah, oh, uh, well…” His cheeks flushed a light pink. “H-hello, Sir Cardinal!” He bowed to an old man with a refined expression.

“Good morning, my boy. Are you on your way to the church?” With perfectly long, white hair that was tied back and a pair of gentle, twinkling eyes with a shade of grey -- the Cardinal’s expression left the two feeling a sense of calm and security.

“Yes, sir! My friend hit her head really hard so I wanted to go to the church to see if they can heal her injury and maybe even cure her amnesia!” Ethan’s voice turned high pitch and energetic. He stood stiffly with a very straight posture.

“Hey, Ethan, is there something amazing about this Cardinal?” Aemilia whispered to him. His face turned rigid as he faced her with a passion so big that it burned her eyes.

“Ahem, this respectable, amazing man is the Fluoric Cardinal of Maris Stella! You probably can’t remember, but there are two major religions between the country of Vetus and the country of Novus Mundus! Novus Mundus’ main religion is Potentialism, while Fluorism is the major religion for Vetus.” His hands remained on his hips as he waited for the acknowledgment that she understood.

“Vetus… Is that where we currently live?” She let out a peal of nervous laughter.

He took a few steps towards her with twinkling eyes. “Yes! So the religion most people practice is Fluorism!” He gripped her arms, shaking her back and forth. “And that’s why this respectable, amazing man is so respected here! Not to mention that he’s our pride since he’s someone who’s originally from Maris Stella and the fact that he decided to come back here as the Cardinal just makes us so happy!”

“Right, okay, okay…” Aemilia patted his arm so he could release her.

The Cardinal coughed in his hand, red tinting the tips of his ears. “I was actually on my way to the capital of Vetus, but I can heal her wound right now if she’s okay with that.”

“That would be most appreciated.” She bowed to him respectfully. “Are there any side effects that I should be aware of? Before the treatment happens?”

He let out a small chuckle. “Nothing to worry about. I’ll be using an ancient artifact so you shouldn’t feel anything painful nor will you get any side effects.”

“Ancient artifact?” She echoed. Her curiosity brimmed in her eyes.

Does that mean there are magical artifacts in this world?

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

His lips then curled into a soft smile. “Yes, it actually used to be owned by the Founder of our Church.” He moved his sleeve us, revealing a thin bracelet -- gold with intricate letterings that she couldn’t decipher. “But let’s not waste any more time so you can be on your way again.”

“Thank you, sir.” She bowed to him respectfully, feeling a bit skeptical about whether the artifact could really heal her injuries or not. As she then took a step closer to him, heavy gazes turned her way, awe and envy flickering in the eyes of everyone around her.

So awkward…

Ethan took a seat at a nearby bench, watching the two closely.

The Cardinal placed his hand on her head ever so gently. Silence -- not even the cry of a cricket entered their area. If she squinted her eyes towards his hand enough, she would just barely see faded, white particles coming from the bracelet and entering her wound. But since his hand was on her head, she had no way of knowing whether this bracelet could really do anything about her injury.

How long is this going to take?

“Seems like you were wounded by someone and intentionally too. Maybe to kill you.” The Cardinal murmured to himself, loud enough for her to hear. He glanced down at her. “I suggest you be careful of the people around you. It never hurts to be wary.”

“How do you know all that?” She didn’t mean to be rude as she couldn’t help but ask him out of pure curiosity. “I mean if that’s confidential, then you don’t need to answer though…” She whispered the last part.

While his eyes never left her wound, he explained, “There are limits to my own power, but because of my experience in using this artifact, I can easily attain simple information like that.” The crown of her head warmed up, her vision swirling around. She stumbled backward, but he held her arm, so she wouldn’t fall. He let her down slowly as she then sat down on the floor. “Almost done. Hang in there.”

For a brief moment, white -- that’s all she could see. Then, a swirl of rainbow colors danced around, cracking into shards of nothingness and explosive sparks of bright yellow. And when she got a hold of herself, she found the Cardinal and the city of Maris Stella in front of her again.

The dull pain in her head from before disappeared. Her sight and focus sharpened, leaving nothing unnoticed around her.

“We’re done.” He helped her stand up again. “You should have no issues with daily life now.”

“Thank you, Sir Cardinal.” She bowed to him once more, this time in appreciation. It only answered her question of whether magical artifacts existed -- or perhaps, the better term would be, highly advanced items.

“Thank you, sir!” Ethan ran up to them with a huge smile. The Cardinal nodded in acknowledgment of their thanks.

Aemilia smiled and let out a sigh of relief when she suddenly found herself holding her breath out of instinct.

What--

Her mind screamed at her, blaring flashing red lights, as it pointed at the person in front of her. The Cardinal -- his presence grew bigger and bigger until it seemed like it could swallow and tear her apart.

Take a step back. TAKE A STEP BACK!

Her foot staggered to move behind her. Her hands trembled, her heart palpitated uncomfortably, and sweat trickled down her forehead.

Her thoughts -- silent, only painted with overwhelming terror.

“Aemilia.” Ethan grabbed her arm. She blinked, no longer feeling that huge presence anymore.

Did I imagine… No, no, there’s no way I just imagined that.

“Aemilia, you okay?” Ethan’s eyes narrowed at her.

“Ah…” She turned to face him. “Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine. I feel much better than before. So what do we need to do next again? Your training?”

He scratched the back of his head, still narrowing his gaze at her. “Aemilia--”

The Cardinal slightly motioned his hand to capture their attention. “I apologize for interrupting but I must be on my way. Since you seem to be fine, I’m sure you can go about your day as normal, but if you feel like something feels wrong, be sure to head back to the church to get examined again. Please keep in mind that the artifact isn’t always perfect so keep a close eye on your condition for the next few days.”

“Of course. Thank you, sir.” Aemilia managed to answer, attempting to calm herself quickly. He nodded to her and then began to walk away from them. She faced Ethan again. “So what’s next?”

We need to get away from him. NOW. Hurry, Ethan!

She bit her bottom lip harshly.

“--my training with Bastian. Let’s head back to the inn now.” His lips curled into a relieved smile.

As the two started to head back to the inn, the Fluoric Cardinal of Maris Stella stopped in his path. He glanced back at them briefly. “Amnesia… Is it really that, or…” He shook his head and continued to go on his journey to the capital of Vetus.

That Cardinal…

Aemilia walked slightly behind Ethan with her eyebrows furrowed and expression hardened.

I don’t know why it felt like he was going to suffocate me with just his presence, but… He’s scary.

Remembering Ethan’s previously sparkling eyes made her frown deeply to herself.

Who cares if he’s some super respected person? He’s terrifying. Plus, I feel like if I get mixed up with him, I might be dealing with something I can’t handle!

Her feet faltered before walking again. She let out a small sigh.

Yeah... Let’s avoid him. That way, we won’t be pulled into something dangerous.

Her throat immediately tightened up the moment she recalled the terror she felt as she stood in front of the Cardinal.

I’m so relieved that he’s not going to be here for a while…

While I rarely listen to my gut feeling, I think I’ll listen to it this time.

“Aemilia, are you listening?” Ethan shook her arm before letting go.

“Huh, what?” She blinked, expecting to see the younger male, but instead of him, she found, under the bright light, an older male with neatly cut, black hair that accentuated his healthy, pale skin. His footsteps, as he took his time walking towards them, remained silent. “Who?” She voiced out.

“It’s my brother’s teacher, Aemilia!” Anne suddenly pulled on her hand.

The older female scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “Oh… So that’s Bastian.”

“Yeah, so let’s go!” The younger girl led her to a grassy area. “We have to wait for my brother at the edge of the training area, here.” She grinned and pulled out dry meat. “Want some?”

Aemilia smiled back. “Yeah, that would be great.”