The guards had warned them. The merchants they had met along the road had given them bothered stares; they themselves all had had at least five guards with them. They were at the edges of the country, in the area packed with trees where the patrols from the large cities would not bother to look. Sure, the elven country lacked bandits. But there was a reason why the country lacked bandits.
Yrmar was a country enchanted with life magic that allowed the trees to retain their leaves during the winter. The soil was abundant with mana.
It also meant that numerous monsters lurked within the forests.
Shaden’s eyes instantly snapped open the moment something entered his sphere of thin mana. Around twenty meters away, something hostile had appeared. Its violent flow of mana within its body signaled the fact that it was a monster with a mana core inside. His caution rose as more violent points of mana moved into his senses.
Seven. There were seven hostile creatures. Usually, the more dangerous a monster was, the more violent its mana signals would be. By the looks of it, he could handle them. But there were seven of them.
He looked at his tutor, whose eyes were still closed. It was around four, but the winter nights came early. The sky was already turning dark blue, and the sounds of the birds of the evening were filling the air. There was no way that she hadn’t sensed that—which meant she wanted Shaden to take of it.
He glanced at Eilae, who was sleeping without a worry. She looked so delicate under her blankets, cheeks rosy and breaths short and soft. He frowned. Her cheeks looked too rosy.
But he would take care of the imminent threat.
The horse was strolling on, ignorant of its surroundings. His aunt had cast something on it—like mind control—which had caused it to steadily trot on forward along the highway. She always got up when they passed people, but this was the first time they had encountered monsters. Though it was the highway, the security was still lax; they were leagues away from any major city, after all.
He increased the pace of his circulation to clear his mind. Taking a deep breath out of the cold, winter air, he crawled on top of the roof of the moving cart and sat down. He looked around.
They hadn’t emerged from the trees yet, the monsters, but they were steadily approaching. They were now ten meters away, hiding behind the thick trees.
He didn’t want to kill them. His hands always became too bloody, even with practice. But there was something interesting he had learned recently from Eilae, and he wanted to test it out. She had briefly explained the concept to him.
Intimidation magic.
“The whole point in mind-controlling others is not getting caught,” she had explained. “The nobility are all adept in magic, and it’s illegal to influence others with spells. You’ll quickly get caught if you ever use a spell, so it’s best not to.”
“But?”
“But! It’s another story if you don’t get caught. Our families’ arts share similarities, after all—not getting caught. While you can erase your presence, we can…make people feel like they’re not being controlled.”
“Do you know how to do it?”
Eilae had puffed out her cheeks and had said, “I wasn’t taught. Too young.”
The basic idea around magic that affected the mind was seeping your mana into theirs, mixing it to cause them to feel certain emotions and suggest thoughts. The process was highly complicated, very delicate, and was a field of research all throughout history.
Inserting one’s own mana and influencing the flow of the other’s mana. It couldn’t be so hard, could it? Everything began with a small step.
He patiently waited for the monsters to appear on top of the cart. If he could intimidate them, he wouldn’t need to kill them. Apparently, there were things like bloodlust and threatening others with your aura, but his tutor had advised against it.
“The most important thing for you right now is being hidden. What’s the point of hiding if you let your opponent know about your killing intent?”
Well, he was slightly too lazy to kill seven monsters. A little scare would be enough.
He finally spotted them, and his breath was taken away. Beautiful silver fur that shined even in the fading daylight, pairs of glowing, yellow eyes that watched him with curiosity. The large wolves continued to watch him and the cart, moving around and sitting occasionally like dogs. They vanished and appeared amongst the trees like ghosts.
Yet, they didn’t look like they were about to attack.
Shaden almost yelped when his tutor touched his shoulder.
“Aunt! Don’t do that!”
She smiled. “Pretty, aren’t they? It’s good that you didn’t attack them.”
Shaden frowned. “Aren’t they monsters?”
“Monsters, yes, and dangerous too. But not hostile. They guard the forest.”
“So…I can’t attack them?”
“Please don’t.”
He touched his cold cheeks. “Should’ve told me earlier. I was trying to intimidate them with magic.”
“Ah. The thing that the girl mentioned. You probably shouldn’t. Magic that affects the mind works differently for monsters.”
Shaden bit his lips. “That’s sucks.”
Lytha put her hand on Shaden’s head and patted it. “Go back to the carriage. If there are wolves, then it means that we’re close to a city.”
Following his aunt’s instructions, Shaden crawled back into the cart. Eilae was still sleeping peacefully, oblivious of what was going on. It was sad that he didn’t get to try out a new way of using mana, but he would have plenty of opportunities in the future. The elven kingdom was very advanced in terms of magic spells compared to chantless skills.
Come to think of it, there were so many things he didn’t know about magic. He had focused so much on stealth that he hadn’t explored the realms of magic even further.
But an opportunity would come.
The Headquarters of the Union of Magic was located in the country, after all.
〄 〄 〄
The highway transformed from solid, hard dirt to neatly fitted stone along the way. Around half an hour later, they passed by the patrols—elven soldiers clad in green and brown winter robes, complete with bows and arrows and curved blades strapped to their sides. Shaden assumed that they were elven as their faces looked slender and beautiful. He couldn’t spot their ears. All of them had a crest on their shoulders, something that looked like a flower.
Come to think of it, the only elf he knew was that friend of his dad’s who had visited once. Lia…something. He couldn’t recall her last name.
The number of patrols they passed by increased as they neared the city, and the roads became cleaner and neater. Around three hours in, the stones of the road became white instead of the grey it had been. The ground was clear of snow, and the trees began to thin out.
The most marvelous thing was the lanterns. Shaped like large flowers, they lit up the highway on both sides, illuminating the night so that they could see. It was very magical, traveling through the night. The cold air felt refreshing, the horse’s hooves clacked on the floor rhythmically, and the sight of Eilae’s round eyes enjoying the scenery made everything better.
It was relaxing. There was a sense of safety and comfort, being on this road.
“Will the city’s gates even be open during the night?” Shaden asked. The moon was completely up in the sky now, and he couldn’t see anything that looked like the city gates in the distance.
“Ofphlendum is always open. It’s one of the largest trading cities in Yrmar. You’ll see why.”
But when they reached the city, Shaden was majorly disappointed. What awaited him was not a grand walled city of trees, houses built upon nature, but rather, a humble, well-lit town with various elves (and humans, surprisingly) walking through it. It was bustling with people, but it wasn’t a city like Danark.
There hadn’t even been guards or gates. Nor were there any significantly large buildings. The elven buildings, tall and slender, were beautiful and new but were still far below his expectations. Compared to the fancy road, the place felt lackluster. Similar to that of a cozy neighborhood.
He kept quiet and patiently waited. His aunt continued to guide the horse through the streets.
“Security feels really lax here,” commented Shaden. There were guards walking around, all in robes, but they were rare. Some were even chatting loudly with other elves or humans.
“This place only serves as the shipping area, so it might feel that way,” answered his aunt.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, you’ll see.”
They approached a giant building in the distance after continuing along the main street. There were much more people now, and Shaden spotted even more humans, some dark-skinned, waiting in…a line?
They themselves stopped behind the line, and Lytha let out a yawn.
There was a tall wooden wall connected to the large building that covered the back area, blocking off Shaden’s view of the horizon. The building itself seemed more like a gate than a building, and he wondered what they were waiting for. Was this a hotel?
“What is this place?”
“Just a toll gate.”
The line shortened very quickly, and it finally was their turn to pass the area with guards. Lytha passed her token-piece to the inspector, and he nodded, handing it back to her.
“I’m afraid the carriage will have to stay. Services for large vehicles are only available on the South and North gates,” the inspector stated.
Lytha took out a gold coin and placed it on the desk.
“Can it be delivered to the Main Port?”
“Why, yes. Please, state your name and fill out a paper.”
Lytha quickly scribbled in the information on the provided sheet of paper, and the elven inspector took it and nodded.
“The horse will be fed for a week. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
He took out three silver coins and two copper ones and handed it to Lytha. “Enjoy your stay in the city.”
After Shaden and Eilae got out of the cart, it was taken away by a guard to the side somewhere. They themselves moved along the building and emerged from the back. And Shaden understood what his aunt had meant all this time.
A giant lake stretched before him, and in the center of it, an island of gold illuminated the darkness. Tens of dozens of ships, small and large, were docked on the port. They were led into the ship everyone was entering and got up on board by a small bridge.
The elves knew how to create good scenery. The boats were adorned with lanterns that gave off a yellow-golden light, and the group sat down on the seats that were laid out on the deck. The boat had a large, white sail, but Shaden had no idea how it would work in the windless night.
The air was slightly chilly, and Eilae coughed. Shaden cast some warmth magic around her, and she thanked him with a small voice. She looked very tired.
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They waited around twenty more minutes. Finally, the bridge was raised, and the boat began to move. There was an elven magician at the back chanting a spell, which created wind that pushed on the sail of the boat. He was clothed in a thin robe and held a long, wooden staff with a clear crystal at the top.
“It looks a little inefficient,” said Shaden.
“It’s for the tourists,” said Lytha. “The toll fee is quite a lot, and people would be disappointed if they didn’t put on a show.”
“Elves care about those kinds of things?”
“It’s more about the image than the money. They are a prideful bunch.”
The boat sailed across the lake smoothly, guided by the magic of the elven magician with golden locks. The large city became even larger as they neared it, and Shaden soon realized the sheer magnitude of a flourishing city of trade. Ofphlendum was ginormous—perhaps even bigger than Danark. The buildings grew taller as they neared the center of the city, reaching unbelievable heights, towering over the area. Even near the water, the buildings were of considerable size. No, this city was definitely bigger than Danark.
He was speechless. It was the first time he had seen a city this bright.
〄 〄 〄
The group stepped onto solid ground, and Shaden stretched his back, letting out a groan. The bag he was carrying was much lighter now since they had eaten all of the food, which was convenient. They would have to stock up again within the city. Eilae’s suitcase was in her hands, though she had this pale look on her face.
“You look sick,” Shaden said.
Eilae coughed and smiled weakly. “I think I’ll get better after some rest,” she said.
Silently, Lytha came up to Eilae and stretched her hand out, putting it on Eilae’s forehead.
“You have a fever. You should have let me know.”
The little girl averted her eyes. “We were traveling. It would have been inconvenient.”
With a sigh, Lytha picked up Eilae without saying anything in a princess carry. The girl looked perplexed but remained silent.
“You Veurbois are always like this. Keeping your emotions to yourselves, pretending to look perfectly fine.”
Eilae’s face didn’t move, but her eyes faltered downwards.
“How bad is it? When did it begin?”
“……I thought it would go away in a day or two.”
“Which means, four days ago.”
Guiltily, she nodded.
“This is your first time traveling outside, isn’t it?”
She nodded again.
“And your first time sleeping in the wilderness.”
She nodded once more.
Lytha sighed. “I should have noticed sooner. Traveling with that boy—”
She glanced at Shaden,
“—made me forget how weak children are.”
“I think you don’t treat me like a child,” muttered Shaden.
“You definitely don’t act like one. What kind of child never cries?”
Shaden pouted. “A strong one.”
“That’s why you’re an odd one. Children are…frail, dependent. They put up tantrums and are selfish. You two should act more like children.”
“I’ll try.”
“I cannot. It’s simply not being responsible.”
Lytha raised an eyebrow after hearing Eilae’s statement. But she looked up into the brightness of the city lights and paused for a moment.
“Yes. It is irresponsible,” she finally stated. “But if you can’t act irresponsibly now, then when else?”
Eilae looked uncomfortable as if she wanted to argue with what her tutor said but kept silent. Because at the moment, she was acting like a child—weak and dependent within an adult’s strong arms.
〄 〄 〄
Again, the world felt like a dream. Not because of the wonder of Ofphlendum’s atmosphere, but because Shaden could recognize everything that was written on the signs and banners.
“Aunt, correct me if I’m wrong, but…they’re all speaking elvish, aren’t they?”
“Nflerin, to be exact.”
“And everyone speaks that here.”
“Naturally.”
“Then why can I understand them all?”
There was a short moment of quiet as Lytha stopped in her tracks. A few seconds passed before she began speaking again.
“I’m not so sure myself. Then again, father mentioned how you learned the language of Skotos in a day.”
Ah, so he had told her. He had been sure that he told his grandfather that his father had taught him. He scratched his inner mind. Lies were exposed very quickly, weren’t they? Another incident that displayed the extent of his grandfather’s abilities.
“Is there some kind of translation magic in this world?”
“Yes, but you would need a device that interprets the languages themselves or a mage who understands both languages very well. And there are none of them here.”
“Meaning…”
“It’s a mystery. But very convenient.”
“Maybe it’s a blessing from a god.”
“Where did you get that idea from?”
“Well…just a thought.”
Despite the cold, Shaden had his hood off. The warmth from the city lights erased any sign of winter from the streets, and bustling sound of the city of trade filled with drunk men, bartering merchants, and yapping dogs vivified the air with life. They continued along the stone floor of the city, making no sound in their stepping.
“A god. Maybe you could call them that. Blessings…some claim that they exist. But in order for a blessing to stay within a person for all of his life, the god would have to exhaust an incredible amount of mana continuously. The lack of blessings proves that the gods are selfish creatures, wanting to keep their power to themselves. Only an omnipotent god would give away blessings selflessly.”
She briefly looked at Shaden. “You have no signs of bearing a blessing. Every living creature has their fingerprint of mana, and the only print you possess is yours.”
“How do you tell?”
“A god’s blessing is a potent one. It would go against logic if such a power was undetectable.”
“You make it sound like gods do exist after all.”
“It is all speculation. They do exist, powerful beings.”
“Have you met any of them before?”
After being asked this question, there was a long moment of silence as they continued to walk. She seemed to be thinking.
“Maybe,” Lytha said finally, “but I do know where one is.”
She didn’t speak any further.
〄 〄 〄
By the time they entered the bedroom of a somewhat fancy inn, Eilae had fallen asleep, taking short, frail breaths. Lytha gently placed her on the bed and motioned for Shaden to leave. Realizing that she was about to undress the girl, Shaden quickly left the room and closed the door behind him. He sat down on the floor and put his chin on his arms, supported by his knees.
Eilae’s condition was far worse than he had thought. She had used mana circulation to keep her appearance healthy, and Shaden knew by experience that circulating did help relieve fatigue and pain to some extent. It sped up recovery, but for Eilae, who didn’t have an infinite amount of mana, she couldn’t keep it up endlessly. Once the effects subsided, her illness had rammed into her with great force.
He closed his eyes and put his forehead down on his arms. Maybe if he had learned some illness-treating magic, she wouldn’t be in pain so much. Maybe if he had noticed sooner, they would have rested for a longer period of time. Maybe if he had used some magic to create warmth, she wouldn’t have gotten sick.
He had been numb to her pain. He hadn’t needed magic to warm himself. He could constantly circulate. That was what he had been trained to do. He had gotten insensitive during the time he had been training.
“Stupid idiot…” he muttered to himself. Eilae was just a young girl after all. She gave off the mood of someone older, someone more mature. He had been too oblivious.
She had been putting up a strong face for the team. He opened his eyes and blinked. Who was he kidding? Eilae was away from her family among strangers, traveling to an unknown place with limited information, without anyone close by her side. She must have been under a lot of stress.
He wasn’t entirely sure. She had never shown it in her expressions. Was she really under stress? Maybe it was just her body that was weak. Then again, she was nine years old.
Things suddenly felt a lot more complicated to him. It was funny how fast his mindset changed when someone was ill. Had he really been that insensitive?
The door suddenly flung open, shattering his line of thought. Shaden got up on his legs as Lytha closed the door.
“How is she?” he asked.
“Very ill. I’m going to go get some medicine for her. Stay here, Shaden. The city is relatively safe, but it’s better that you stay with the helpless girl. Just sit on the empty bed until I come back.”
“Got it.”
Lytha stroked his head with a gentle hand. “You look tired and worried. She won’t die from this, so don’t fret too much. It serves as an experience. Both you and Eilae will learn from it.”
Shaden nodded, and Lytha gave him a calm smile. Then getting up, she walked away and vanished. Seeing that his aunt was gone, he quietly opened the door of the room and closed it behind him as softly as he could. The room was dimly lit by a lamp in the corner. There were two beds, and Eilae was on one of them, a wet towel draped across her forehead. She looked calmer now, and her breaths weren’t as erratic as before. But her cheeks were still red with fever.
He sat down on the empty bed and watched the delicate girl sleep. She looked like a weak doll that could break at a slight touch. He still couldn’t believe that she had taken down the monster during her trial.
“Is…anyone…there?”
Weakly, Eilae whispered through her pale lips. Her eyes looked barely open, struggling against the weight of her ailment. Shaden got up and walked up to her bed.
“Do you need anything?”
“Who…?”
“It’s me, Shaden.”
“Ah…that’s…right.”
She sounded a little disappointed.
She stopped speaking again, and her eyes shut completely. The girl had fallen asleep again, her breaths still short and shallow.
There was something he could do.
Shaden lifted his hand to the girl’s head and cast healing magic on her. Not the one that closed wounds, but the one that healed bruises and relived fatigue. He wasn’t sure if it would work on illnesses, but he knew it would make her body more comfortable.
He sighed in relief when Eilae’s face loosened slightly, turning calmer. The shallow breaths were still there, but she looked more at ease.
This was the most he could do. He returned to the empty bed and sat down. If only he knew more magic…
There were so many things he did not know. So many things he hadn’t explored for two years. Hiding was excellent, but it lacked practicality in everyday life. Had traveling always felt this stressful?
His aunt returned after twenty minutes, and in her hand was a bottle of elixir. It glowed dully under the dull lamp. Eilae was woken up from her half-sleep, and after ingesting the liquid, fell back asleep, this time deeper. Her shallow breaths grew deeper, and her face faded into pink then finally to her healthy color.
Shaden, too, fell asleep after quickly washing his body. It was the most relaxing bath he had had during that week.
〄 〄 〄
He was the first one to open his eyes in the morning. Because the curtains were closed, he checked the time by casting a spell. A faint light displayed the time as around eight in the morning.
After pushing off the blankets off his legs, he looked at the opposite bed. Eilae was still sleeping, this time more peacefully, while his aunt was slouched on the couch in an awkward position. Had she been there the whole time?
She had insisted on taking the uncomfortable couch over the bed. She couldn’t have Shaden become sick—was her excuse. He had been tired and had agreed, but looking at her now, he felt a sense of guilt.
Just to make sure (and out of curiosity), he quietly went over to Eilae and placed his hand on her forehead. Sure enough, the fever was gone. He sighed in relief. He retracted his hand and observed her face.
Just like a…charming doll. Skin the shade of porcelain, smooth as a baby’s. Silver hair the shade of moonlight. Thin lips, blue eyes cold as ice.
“…ah,” he uttered.
“Are you finished staring?”
Shaden took a small step back as Eilae sat up weakly on the bed. She straightened her back and hair. Finding some knots within it, she used her hands to untangle them.
“Did she take care of me?” she asked, looking at Lytha.
“Yes. She fed you medicine.”
“I see.”
Eilae then looked at Shaden straight in the eye and he maintained it.
“Am I being a bother?” she asked him.
“What makes you say that?” he replied.
“If I had taken care of myself better, I would not have gotten sick.”
“Even if you hadn’t, we would still be here. You probably didn’t affect anything too much.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. Feeling better now?”
“So-so.”
Using his mana-hands, Shaden opened the windows slightly so that the sunlight wouldn’t hit his aunt.
“Wait here. I’ll bring you something to eat.”
After fetching his emergency pouch with a few silver and copper coins in it, he went downstairs and asked around the area. After finding the dining room, he ordered a large bowl of soup for Eilae and some bread and cheese for his aunt and himself. There was still some jerky stored in the bag.
The elven owner asked if he needed assistance, but he politely refused it. Looking around, there was a variety of people. Mixed in with humans were dark-skinned elves and beastmen. The place looked lively, full of laughter and the jingling of coins. He never knew that an inn could be so lively even in the morning. His order of bread and cheese came in a neatly wrapped paper-like sack (but much more flexible—a peculiar texture) while the soup came in a wooden bowl. He placed the provided spoon into his sack and balanced the items carefully on his hands.
When he returned to the room, Eilae had changed into another black dress from her suitcase (but a more comfortable design) while his aunt had come out of the bath, her hair wet. Shaden went over to the small table at the side of the room and placed the food on it.
They had a short meal.
“What’s the plan for the day?” asked Shaden after they had finished.
“We were going to explore the city, taste some foods, experience some entertainment. But Eilae needs more rest. The air is still very cold.”
“Please, leave without me,” encouraged Eilae. “I can stay by myself.”
“I knew you would say that. Well?”
They both turned their heads towards Shaden. He leaned back a little.
“Why me? Why do I decide this?” he complained.
“This trip is essentially for you,” said Lytha.
“And Eilae?”
“She is unwell.”
“I get that, but—”
He glanced at Eilae. She smiled at him.
“What will you do if we go outside?”
“Meditate, practice my skills and circulation,” she replied instantly.
“Hah…”
Shaden let out a small laugh.
“Yeah…nope.”
〄 〄 〄
The day hadn’t been so bad. The earnest boy had insisted that it was either all of them or none at all. He had stayed within the room, claiming that he could help her out with her circulation, give her some tips. The Lady had gone along with the situation, but she didn’t look very content about it. Saying that she had work to do, she had left the room, probably to enjoy the city for herself. She had heard from her mother that the lady was a very unpredictable person—fun at times, horrifying at others. But mostly, she cared about herself. Her mother had been surprised when she had heard that it was the eldest daughter of the Limen family who would take care of her.
“She’s very selfish, so be careful,” she had warned with a pout.
Perhaps she was. But she hadn’t shown it. She had even nursed her.
And this Shaden boy. She was glad that he had a sensible head on his shoulders. All the boys that she had met had all been so…haughty? Proud? Nobles’ children were annoying to deal with. Shaden, on the other hand, was mild compared to their presumptuous approaches. He lacked proper education but had common sense at least. Perhaps it was because he wasn’t noble-born.
She respected the Limens. They all did. The tales of what they could achieve, their miraculous abilities of taking lives like a farmer harvesting his wheat with a scythe. But staying close to them, hearing their conversations felt surprisingly normal.
The funny thing about Shaden was that he had focused completely on circulating without even talking to her for hours. She was impressed at his concentration but taken slightly aback at his lack of approach on her. She was pretty, right? All the other boys had said that she was pretty. Shaden hadn’t complimented her once. What a weird boy.
She had slept through parts of the day when her head had felt too light. Whenever she woke up, Shaden had been on the same spot, circulating. For how long she didn’t know. What she did know was that his spirit felt limitless.
Controlling mana was not her forte—she was still too young. She understood that children did not have large mana capacities. It was the second reason why the arts of her family weren’t taught until they were older. The first was that children should not be taught the power to control others. They knew too little.
Honestly, she had been jealous of Shaden, just a little. He had already learned his family arts. It would only be a matter of time before he learned theirs. And his mana capacity…just what had he done to increase it to such a size? She didn’t know exactly how big it was, but he had been circulating minute after minute, hour after hour.
It unnerved her, just a little. The Limen family were still very mysterious.
〄 〄 〄
Demund opened his eyes.
“That was a long week.”
A fun one, no doubt. Filled with boring hours of traveling, but still fun, nevertheless. He couldn’t wait to return once more.
But now was the time for reality.