"Do you really have to go?" asked the young woman with tearful eyes, watching the back of the man she had married just two seasons ago, as he put on his boots at the doorway. The concern and sorrow in her voice already implied she knew the answer all too well. An overwhelming tumult of emotions weighed down on her, knotting her throat in layers.

Please... There must be a way... Please don't go! Don't leave me! Standing there, all she could do was silently scream and plead.

The young man quietly continued to put on his boots. He did not respond to her. He couldn't. It seemed as though he had a lot to say but couldn't express it. He would open his mouth, only to close it again, releasing nothing but a wordless sigh.

It was as if he feared that the worry and fear he was trying to hide from her would slip into his voice. While his hair fell in front of his eyes and his back was turned to her, his face might have been indiscernible, but the soft, trembling sighs that escaped him were not quiet enough to elude her ears.

Both of them knew, both of them were afraid.

Finally, the young man took a deep breath and stood up. Without turning his gaze to her, he looked out the doorway for a moment at the other men, like himself, saying farewell to their tearful families with their belongings in hand.

A young man, ripped away from an aging father and mother, appeared to be at the end of a long farewell. He looked a few winters younger, perhaps around sixteen years old. Another was a chubby young boy. Right next to him, another boy, thinner than he, walked down the gravel path toward the town square. The expressions on all their faces reflected a common torrent of emotions.

Fear, anxiety, excitement, uncertainty, grief...

The latter was only valid for those who had someone to bid farewell to. For those like him...

"Rorik..." The young woman's soft, fragile voice echoed faintly in his ear. It was the only sound he wanted to hear now, and perhaps...

No. Who was he kidding?

He would certainly never hear that voice again.

When he finally turned to look at her, he saw how her hazel eyes had welled up with tears, her lips quivering to suppress a sob. Seeing her in this state was like an arrow piercing his heart.

The one expression he never wanted to see on that beautiful face he would never see again.

As he clenched his teeth, he felt the rooted pain of fear and grief in his heart. His skin was pale, his heart racing. No matter how hard life had hardened him, he was still human. He knew that he, too, could fall victim to this seemingly endless war. He knew, but it did not make him feel any more prepared.

Could this even be called a war at all? They were no different from the victims set before their hunters.

Rorik could never forget those days. Every day was a new fear, a new sense of being trapped. They lived on edge, not knowing what to do. People could not sleep peacefully even in their beds at night; a slight noise or the hooves of a horse passing through the village at night was enough to send shivers down their spines.

What if they come?! What if it's them this time?!

Are we going to die?!

Survivors who managed to escape from destroyed villages and towns brought with them news filled with fear, and it would be a miracle that people did not remain in terror.

Demons! They are coming! They destroy everything in their path! They bring blood!

Somehow, from village to village, town to town, and city to city, the news finally reached the capital, where real preparations began to be made. The fact that no messenger had managed to reach the capital was too much to be called a mere coincidence or misfortune.

The inhabitants of villages and small towns were evacuated to cities or large castle towns surrounded by walls. The men among the populace were armed to provide security against the demons at the border regions, and patrols were dispatched.

But each time, the death toll was higher.

When the young man recalled that day, his heart raced with horror. The trauma he had endured since childhood was now vividly resurfacing in his mind.

At the break of dawn, when horse hooves shook the ground, the townspeople were awakened by the loud announcements of hundreds of soldiers. As they passed through the town, they brought with them the bodies of those who had died on patrol, covered with white sheets. One by one, each corpse was displayed to the townspeople to identify their kin and relatives.

He and his mother anxiously waited in front of their door, fearing that one of those bodies would be his father. And indeed, it was.

When they lifted the cover, they could not recognize him at first. His father's... His...

...face was gone. His skull was shattered, his brain spilled out. He was unrecognizable, a horrifying, sickening sight. The only way they knew it was him was by the birthmark on his stomach.

What if he shared the same fate?

What if he was brought back as an unrecognizable corpse?

As the woman placed her hands on his shoulders, he tried to suppress the nausea caused by stress. "I... I..." He could hardly find the strength in his voice. He couldn't say, 'I'm scared.' The words just wouldn't come out.

He was very afraid, for both his own life and that of his wife. This war would ultimately be a real fight against the demons. But he was deathly afraid of those monsters. He would die, but what would happen to his wife left behind?

If this war was lost, what would happen to this homeland, to these people?

The young man's face, now pale with anxiety, was slowly settling into a deep melancholy. Seeing his wife's tearful face only added salt to his worries.

Many men, including himself, would not have chosen to go to war if they did not have loved ones to leave behind and a habitable land to preserve for them. Either way, it wasn't really their choice in the first place.

When the woman, with sobs escaping her lips, hugged him tightly, Rorik also wrapped his arms tightly around her, deeply inhaling her scent. They both knew these were their final moments together, and they could find no words to say. All they could do was perform a tearful dance of their shared grief in each other's arms.

When they finally parted, their teary eyes reflected a mutual sadness and longing, as if they were already missing each other before they had even separated. Their eyes silently spoke of farewell, while their lips, unable to utter the parting words, trembled sealed between them.

"Um, excuse me, madam." Just as I was about to turn the page of the book, the voice of the person addressing me shifted my focus upward, to the owner of the voice.

Standing before me with a strange smile was a young man, holding a thin leather bag and dressed in the white robe worn by academy students—like the one I was wearing at the moment. Judging by the green striped embroidery on the sleeve, he seemed to be a novice student like myself.

"Yes?" I asked, glancing back at the page I was on just in case, before turning back to him.

The young man gestured towards the empty space on the bench I was sitting on. "Would it be alright if I sat here?" he asked, his hazel eyes twinkling with the same sparkle I had seen in Tee'yhan.

As the cold wind whipped my hair about, I looked over the other seating areas on the deck of the long ship. Most were empty, understandably so due to the cold weather, with most people, including Tee'yhan, staying inside.

With so many empty spaces, why would he want to sit next to me?

I narrowed my eyes slightly at him, pondering internally. Does he know I'm a demon? If so, why would he approach me? But even if he doesn't know, it still wouldn't make sense for him to come over.

Subtly, I touched my thumb to my middle finger. The stone ring was there. That meant the illusion was still working.

"With so many empty spaces available, why choose here, sir?" If I had learned anything from my time in the elven palace, it was to approach everyone with suspicion. I only understood the true meaning of the strange looks I had been attracting for years when I learned what it meant to suspect someone.

Even though my appearance had been altered by illusion to not betray my true race, I was never approachable.

Not with these emotionless looks.

The young man raised his hand to scratch the back of his neck, chuckling awkwardly, but it sounded forced even to my ears. "Actually, I've been away from the academy for quite some time," he said, his gaze drifting from me down to the white bustling city lying beneath the canopy of the flying ship's deck. "So, I'm having a bit of trouble finding someone to talk about common interests with..."

Well, you know, I wouldn't say I consider myself a prime target for friendship searches. And I'm not sure that's why you came.

Besides, I was in the middle of reading a novel.

"I mean, I'm certainly not here to bother you, of course. But I couldn't help being drawn to the book you're reading." He said, pointing at the book. "Could you possibly be reading 'The Tears of Blood'?"

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Huh? Uh, yes, I am but how did you know?

I flipped the book in my hands without losing my page, looking at the cover. The title read 'Upetos Rielda', which meant 'The Tears of Blood' in Ige, an ancient, undetermined language that I didn't expect this young man to know.

Raising an eyebrow at him, I asked, "Do you understand this language?"

He grinned slightly, "Armies put yeuz, miess daerex." The eyes of the armies on the horizon, marshal(madam).

Oh? So you do understand. Now this is getting interesting.

"Eind yhet i' aes ull o' ties, sere dial." And by dawn, they will all be gone, lieutenant, I replied.

This was the opening scene of the novel. His translating 'marshal' as a woman must have been addressed to me—since the marshal in the story was male.

In this scene, the Marshal was leading the army, and despite giving an encouraging speech to his soldiers the day before the battle, the next day he murmured these words with a fearful expression to the lieutenant while looking in the direction of the enemy soldiers clad in dark armor.

The novel then continued, shifting between multiple characters. Whenever I thought someone was the main character, they died, and the story continued from someone else's life. This narrative style was unlike anything I had encountered before, and I really liked it.

When the final battle scene arrived, after several days of fighting, a bloody scene unfolded under the breaking dawn. Thousands of corpses lay in a bloody sea, just as the marshal had said, by dawn, they were all gone.

They died.

Nearly every man of the Herq was slaughtered in that battle, and the end of an ancient kingdom found its conclusion in the dry leaves of a novel.

"May I ask what page you are on?" he inquired, leaning slightly closer to glimpse the open page of my book.

"Hmm, I think I'm around page 440," I glanced briefly at the page. "Yes, that's right." Which meant there were about 350 pages left.

"Oh? So you haven't reached that part yet, huh?" he noted.

Oh, no actually I have.

The remainder of the novel depicted the enslaved Herq people living under the oppression of demons after the war. The events were described with such detailed divine narration, down to each person's thoughts, it was as if the author had seen everything during the events.

I'm really curious about who this author is. However, the book is so old that it's not even clear who wrote it. Yet, it still possesses a writing style that remains understandable today...

...which is indeed intriguing.

Coming back to the topic, if I hadn't read the novel before, no matter how curious I was, I wouldn't have asked him what he was referring to. After all, I am someone who enjoys reading. If I had found out what happens later in the story, even I would have been spoiled.

Not exactly, but at least mentally uncomfortable—if I hadn't finished the story.

"Actually, I've started re-reading it, so I'm not unfamiliar with what you mean," I said, leaning my hand against the railing of the ship.

He furrowed his brows slightly, "I don't understand?" He touched his hand to the back of his round ear and leaned forward. "Could you say that again?"

Oh, I guess that was normal. The cold wind was howling in my ears so loudly that I couldn't even hear myself. We were too high up.

Raising my voice further, "I said, I've read it before! So, I understand what you mean!" I repeated.

Upon hearing this, his eyebrows lifted as he looked at me. What? Is that so surprising? After a moment, a broad smile spread across his face, and he began nodding his head rapidly. His brown, wavy hair bounced in sync with the movement. "Oh, I see! That's great! You must really like it then." The sparkle in his eyes grew as he glanced again at the empty space next to me, "If you don't mind, I would love to discuss the story with you." His voice carried a note of excitement that reminded me of that silly one. I wonder if they would get along.

As I closed the book cover and nodded slightly, "Alright, let's talk," I said, inviting him to take the seat next to me.

After all, there are few better things than talking about books, right?

Plus, I'm curious where he learned this language.

...

His eyes were on the window, half outside, half catching his own absent-minded reflection in the blurry glass.

Inside was warmer than the outer deck, which suited his frail body best. The crackling sounds of the fireplace heating the area blended pleasantly with the murmurs and conversations of other students, creating a nice nuance in his distant mind.

He listened to discussions about the upcoming oral exam on Mana Senses.

Mana Senses, huh? Mana Eye, Mana Nose, Mana Tongue, Mana Skin, and Mana Ear.

Oh, what creative names.

"Yes, sometimes when I try really hard, I actually hear faint hums. I'm not sure, it kind of sounds like ringing but different... I don't know how to explain it," the young elf spoke with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. She was sitting closest to Tee'yhan at the table.

"Are you sure it's related to the ambient mana, Yue? Maybe there's just something wrong with your ear seal," said a bespectacled elf boy sitting at one end, glancing occasionally at a paper in his hand. There was no trace of mockery in his voice, which suggested he was genuinely offering his opinion. His beige skin tone, slightly drooping ears, and subtle accent marked him as a wood elf.

The girl responded coldly, "Are you mocking me, Gorie? It was definitely related to mana. They were the audible symbols of mana, I have no doubt about that." She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, "And there's nothing wrong with my ear seal," she concluded, pursing her lips.

"Can you make any sense of those symbols now?" asked another girl sitting beside her, her voice tinged with mild curiosity. There was a slight cunning in her eyes, typical of human nature. "I mean, can you decipher the... what was it? Oh, audible symbols of mana dispersed in the air when a spell is cast somewhere and understand what spell was used?"

Yue was silent for a moment, "Well, I... haven't progressed that far yet, but that's why we're at the mage academy, aren't we, Kai?"

"That's true," said the young man sitting opposite Yue, nodding in agreement as he joined the conversation. "I've made some progress too. Until two weeks ago, I couldn't smell anything but ordinary scents, but now I can detect the scent of mana. I might not be able to distinguish the specifics of a spell yet, but I can identify all of you by your mana scent in this room."

"Come on," the girl teased. "We both know that's not true. You can't possibly identify someone by their mana scent that quickly, Kai." Her face twisted into a sour grin. "And what good is having a mana nose anyway? What are you going to do, sniff out prey like a hound?"

Kai furrowed his brows at her comment. "It might be more useful than being a jealous bitch, Jana."

Wow, rude. Yue internally chided, bringing a hand to her mouth.

Jana clenched her teeth and glared at the boy, her eyes blazing with anger. "You bastard– Ouch!"

"Hey, now. Everyone calm down," Gorie intervened, trying to keep the peace. One finger touched the nape of Kai's neck, the other touched Jana's, eliciting a slight whimper from both. "You're forgetting the Prince is here." Luckily, the reminder of Tee'yhan's presence helped them realize their mistake, prompting them to end their hostility. Gorie's fingertip warmth might have also helped deter them. His ability to manipulate tactile sensations seemed quite advanced.

Meanwhile, Tee'yhan sat silently at the table closest to the window, his arms crossed, staring out through the window. It wasn't that he was undisturbed, but right now, he didn't care. His mind was elsewhere.

He was thinking about Reagan.

What should Reagan do? She possessed a Mana Tongue, and her sensory abilities with mana were more advanced than most. She could easily discern the effects and side effects of things by taste.

But that was all.

Yet, isn't the beauty of this ability the power to manipulate the taste of something, making it better or worse? If he had this sensory power, he would definitely use it to change the flavors of foods he disliked and make them tastier.

But Reagan suffered from it.

While everyone else could enjoy their meals, even pushing their plates away in excess, she couldn't even eat.

He had felt her gaze on him several times while he was eating; she was watching him.

Surely, she must be curious. What it feels like, what kind of activity and enjoyment it is.

As Tee'yhan continued to gaze absentmindedly out the window, his mind was drawn back to the moment at the table.

It was an image that wouldn't easily leave his sight. And even if he forgot for a while, it would come back to his mind.

Reagan had smiled.

How? Why?

Since the moment they met, for eight years, he had never witnessed her smiling. No, there were smiles, but they were forced and unpleasant. They were the clumsy attempts of the Reagan he knew.

But the smile he witnessed at that table...

It was genuinely beautiful. So much so that Tee'yhan couldn't have believed Reagan was capable of such a beautiful smile if he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes.

It was much more beautiful than usual...

What was behind that smile, Reagan? What brought about that smile on your face that I had never been able to induce before? Was it those two fae?

Tee'yhan didn't think that was possible. I mean, what? Just because they blew kisses, could two little fae create such a beautiful smile on her face?

Nonsense!

But no, at that moment, it seemed like there was a deep and meaningful look in Reagan's eyes. As if she was thinking about something else. It resembled the expression that might form on someone's face while recalling a memory from the past.

What were you really thinking at that moment? And you...

Contrary to what we believe, could you actually be feeling something?

When Tee'yhan asked her, Reagan looked at him with vacant eyes and asked what he was talking about. She seemed unaware that she had even smiled. And when Tee'yhan asked her what she was thinking or if she felt anything, she said 'no' in her usual monotone voice.

With Reagan, no matter how long Tee'yhan knew her, he could never be sure. She was like a box, hidden both from the outside and the inside.

What really happened at that moment?

"Your Highness," Yue gently touched Tee'yhan's arm, pulling him out of his thoughts. A faint sparkle was visible in her green eyes. "What do you think? Do you feel you've made progress with your Mana Sense?"

Tee'yhan shifted his gaze from the window to the group of friends at the table who were now looking at him. His thoughts gradually cleared as he found himself the center of attention.

Ah, now that you ask...

"Ahem, are you asking if I've made any progress? Well, I can comfortably say that I have noticed some developments," he said confidently. No, he hadn't really made much progress, but he wasn't going to admit that to their faces. As a royal prince, he couldn't embarrass his mother.

Their eyebrows raised with interest, especially the girls who seemed even more intrigued. "What kind of developments, Your Highness?" Jana leaned forward slightly, resting her hand on the table, her interest apparent.

Ah, great...

Damn! I'm forced into a gamble again!

Tee'yhan, with a self-satisfied smirk, looked at her and said, "For instance, by looking at you right now, I can see how much progress you've made." He pretended to scan her from head to toe as if he could see her meridians and dantians—the indicators of her cultivation progress. When his blue eyes finally met Jana's, his face bore a mix of mischief and arrogance. His confident facade showed no cracks—at least none that they could see. "Would you like me to tell you?" he asked suggestively, as if to say, 'do you want me to reveal your embarrassing progress?'

The girl's cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment at his words. "I, uhm, think there's no need, Your Highness."

Tee'yhan internally breathed a sigh of relief. Phew... Dodged a dart there.

Oh, wait. Did the others buy it?

When he looked at the other trio—with a self-satisfied mask on his face and seeing their increased interest—he felt reassured once more. The person in question was busy looking at her nails, trying to hide her embarrassment.

He crossed his arms and leaned back, letting out a soft sigh.

He was working hard not to embarrass his mother, and so he had to appear perfect even if he was not. Although the Queen never said anything about it, being raised in the palace and admiring his mother, Tee'yhan could not accept appearing unsuccessful.

Only Reagan knew how foolish he was.

"Truly as expected of the prince," Kai commented with a mischief look at Jana, struggling to hide his smirk. It was clear he enjoyed Tee'yhan's disruption.

Yue, with a sparkle in her eyes that she could barely hide, smiled slightly at Tee'yhan. "Indeed. I'm sure our Prince could become a successful physician in the future if he wishes, with such skills."

Eh? Well, sure, even royalty can have jobs. But that wouldn't be the job for me. I mean, blood and all that... you know.

Kai shook his head, "I think he has the talent to be a skilled investigator. Imagine how cool they look while investigating brigands."

Oh? That's not a bad idea but meh...

"Or an illusionist," Gorie finally chimed in from across the table. A subtle grin appeared on his face as he looked straight at Tee'yhan through his glasses.

An illusionist? Is that even a job?

But why does it sound so appealing and simultaneously underhanded? It doesn't really suit such a person like me, at all.

An illusionist, huh?

Illusionist...

Doesn't sound too bad after all.

Tee'yhan, with a faint smirk on his face, slowly stood up. After adjusting his robe a few times, he glanced smugly at each of them and said, "I shall take my leave then." He turned dramatically, leaving behind four people watching him depart. His destination was the door leading outside from the inner deck.

Ah, I guess I looked quite cool just now. Ehehe, I should tell Reagan about this.

As he stepped down the last stair and opened the door, a cold wind slapped his face.

Bang!

He hadn't even thought much before quickly closing the door again. "Uff off..." When he looked back, he realized he had drawn the attention of many of the students inside and quickly suppressed his reflex to shiver.

Before slightly reopening the door, he reconsidered whether he really should go out. But he had already come this far; he couldn't turn back and make a fool of himself. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, pushing himself out briskly.

Ah, damn it! It's so cold!

He wrapped his arms around himself and started walking slowly across the outer deck. Supposedly, the ship was designed to keep the cold air away from the deck.

My ass! Then why am I freezing?!

Oops. I swore again.

But I only said it in my mind, right?! I never let these things out!

Ah, that duo of people. Maybe I should hang out less with them.

His teeth clattered from the trembling of his jaw as he walked. "Is the only useful thing about this ship that it prevents snowflakes from falling on it?" he muttered to himself while walking slowly on the deck.

The mage academy should be a bit more generous with these matters. He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

Anyway. Let's find Reagan without getting more frustrated. He thought as he looked around.

She must be around here somewhere.

With not many people around at the moment, he thought it wouldn't be difficult to find her. Reagan had a distinctive look and aura about her, and although the illusion she wore somewhat masked this, it was still evident.

But this time...

...why couldn't he see her?

Tee'yhan placed his hands clad in black leather gloves on the silvery railings of the ship's deck and turned his gaze towards the city for a while.

The place where he was born and raised... As his eyes wandered to the distant forested area, a warm smile spread across his face.

"Are you sure this is a baby wyvern?" the little girl asked, prodding the small reptile with a stick, while her other hand occasionally flipped through a book.

"Of course!" the little elf immediately replied. They were in a large forested area, surrounded by a few royal guards for protection. "I'm very knowledgeable about these things!" he declared with a self-satisfied smile, scratching under his nose with the tip of his index finger.

The girl was silent for a while, flipping through the pages. "Oh? But it doesn't say that here."

Eigh?!

The smug smile on the boy's face quickly dissolved, replaced by a foolish and childish panic. "But but- I'm sure–"

"It's a gecko. It's classified as a type of lizard. Here’s what it says. Geckos are four-legged reptiles that can climb walls and ceilings, even the slickest surfaces. Their eyes glow like magical lights at night, and..."

As the girl read on from the book for more than a few minutes, the boy felt dizzy.

I-I swear I'll never pretend to be knowledgeable again!

As Tee'yhan returned to the present from his thoughts, he couldn't help but chuckle softly at the memory. Despite having made that vow as a child, he had broken it many times, hadn't he? Even today, he had fallen into the same mistake.

He pushed himself off the railing and, before walking further along the deck, released the tension from his reflex to shiver.

Ugh, maybe I should start using those mixes Reagan gave me for my iron deficiency and appetite problems.

As he walked lightly on the wooden deck, he noticed two people in a corner.

Hmm? Who are these?

One looked like a young man, with wavy brown hair that reached his chin and bronzed skin, bright hazel eyes.

Frankly, Tee'yhan didn't really care.

Then his gaze shifted to the young woman next to him. Her short black hair was neatly cut and slicked back. Her fair skin, with slight redness on her nose, cheeks, and elven ears from the cold, was highlighted even more. Her vibrant green eyes, mixed with indifference—more aptly coldness—occasionally fell on the boy as she shuffled through a book.

Tee'yhan thought to himself. A beautiful woman, but very distant...

He shook his head. Now's not the time to think about this. I need to find Reagan.

He turned his gaze away and took a step forward to walk away.

But the second step never came.

Wait a minute!

When he looked back at the duo, he focused on the woman again. Sharp facial features, pointed nose, small eyes.

And most importantly, those vacant stares...

Damn, I almost missed it! Right, it's her!

Tee'yhan momentarily forgot that this was Reagan's illusionary appearance when he couldn't see the white hair, black eyes, and especially the one horn he was accustomed to seeing on Reagan.

But this realization caused his brows to furrow.

Who is this guy next to her? And what's he doing with her?

Tee'yhan felt something stirring inside him. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he definitely didn’t like it.

What are they talking about?

He selected a nearby seating area to listen to their conversation without making himself noticeable.

Damn, it's so cold but...

I need to find out what's going on.

*