By the time Edris left the faction, it was already dusk.

Under the tinted sky, the Mage Faction rose as a mountain, stretching towards the setting sun. He gave the tower one last glimpse, then turned away.

"Hey."

Ace's deep voice echoed from behind, and Edris turned around.

"Edris." The man stared at him with deep, obsidian eyes. "I remembered."

Edris fell silent, his mind entering a blank. Perhaps assuming he'd misheard him, Ace spoke again.

"After getting out of the room, a memory came back to me."

"A memory?" Edris keenly caught the essence of his phrase. "What is it?"

"My name." Ace breathed, casting his gaze to the sky above as a light breeze blew past them. "It's 004."

Silence dawned upon them.

"...004? Numbers?"

"Correct."

Edris didn't know how to feel about the situation. Despite his internal confusion, his expression remained passive as he peered at the white-haired man.

"That's all you remember? Just your previous name?"

"Correct."

Ace's face held no emotions to them as he recited his newly gained memory, as though it had nothing to do with himself and was only another piece of impartial statement.

It didn't take long for Edris to come to terms with his words. He didn't ask Ace for the specifics, nor did he pose any particular reactions. On the side, Celio's round eyes darted back and forth between the two men, puzzlement written all over his face.

After a few seconds, Edris turned his body so that his back was to Ace, his face to the glimmering sun at dusk.

"Ace sounds better."

Despite the Slums explosion five days ago, the streets of Nolmes quickly returned to their usual, everyday peacefulness. For most citizens, the incident was just another event to gossip about, another section of the daily newspaper.

Children chased pigeons around the fountains while their parents sat and chatted with one another. On Lennet Street, people hovered and lined around restaurants, hitting the supper rush hours.

Edris, Ace, and Celio were all in robes, so they could move around freely without fearing being recognised by other citizens.

The way back to Mosky Inn was quiet, but not stale. Countless microexpressions rotated on Celio's as he trudged along. He couldn't stop staring at the white-haired man, who returned the action every now and then, just for the sake of it. Edris walked between them, feigning ignorance of the staring contest between the two.

"Master." Celio swallowed, his wide eyes still fixed on Ace. "Is he really the spirling that was with us? The cute and fluffy pink thing?"

His mind flashed back to the fist-sized fluff ball that always stayed in Edris's pocket, comparing it with the daunting white-haired man currently walking beside them. Celio thought back to all the times he squished his cotton-like body or called him cute…

He shuddered on the spot.

The contrast was too much for the seventeen-year-old to handle, and Celio could feel his head began to spin. It felt even worse than when he threw up on the Crown Prince back at the Slums.

Ace gave the beast tamer a look, and the latter instantly turned away with a jolt. Edris shook his head, smiling.

"Not sure about the spirling part, but the pink, fluffy thing with us? Indeed he was."

Celio scratched his head, shivering once more. He looked as if he wanted to say something further, but a shadow passed his eyes as they stared off into the crowd. Celio scrunched his nose.

"Celio?" Edris waved a hand his way.

"Ah. It's nothing." The beast tamer cleared his throat. He looked at Edris with a grin. "Master, are you hungry? We're almost at the inn, and there're some really nice bakery spots around here. Shall I go and buy something for us?"

"There's a pub first floor," Ace said plainly.

"Ah, but that's…"

"I guess some pastries would be nice." Edris smiled at the beast tamer. "I'll leave it to you, Celio. We'll meet back at the inn."

"Sounds good!" Celio grinned. "I'll be back soon with a lot of sweets!"

Watching as the young boy faded into the crowd, Edris turned to Ace.

"You knew that he was trying to make an excuse to leave, yet you intentionally gave him a hard time." He eyed him with amusement. "Is it because he called you 'cute'?”

"Fuck off." Ace continued walking, and Edris let out a small laugh.

Even with the thick coat and hood hovered over him, Ace's inherent intimidation continued to ooze outwards. He was tall and postured, taking each stride as if he was the only person in town. Several curious looks were thrown at him along the way, but the man didn't notice them at all.

Beside him, Edris strolled along lazily. He shoved his hands in the cloak pockets and stared down the street.

"So, what are your plans now?"

"I'm going to find Nest."

At his response, Edris gave a knowing smile. Back at the Underground Prison Sect, they had met a man who introduced himself as Robin, a member of Nest. Robin didn't specify at the time, but he had acted as if he knew something about Ace.

"The Crown Prince said they were affiliated with the Adalan Kingdom," Edris said.

"Then I'm going to Adalan."

"What a coincidence, me too."

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Ace cast a sceptical glance at his words. Edris blinked innocently.

"I thought you wanted to buy a house here," Ace said.

"I do, but not now. I've had enough for this kingdom for now." He gave a nonchalant shrug, then snickered. "The Crown Prince must be overwhelmed by guilt at the moment. The person who helped the kingdom with all these things had to resort to a personal request just to be left alone. Hopefully, that'll give him an insight into some fundamental issues with this kingdom."

"So you're just going to leave like this?"

"Why not?" He turned towards him with eyes casual but unwavering, glinting under the night sky. "I am a traveller, after all."

Like everywhere else he's been to, Nolmes ended up only a stop, not a destination.

They traversed the rest of the way in silence. After several minutes of walking, a familiar sign entered their vision.

In the distance was Mosky Inn, its familiar vibrancy brimming through the entrance, intermingling with a cacophony of voices loud enough to reach all the way here. Dinner time was always the peak for customers.

"Oh, but don't get the wrong idea. I'm not helping you out for free. We're still under a contract, and as long as it's still effective, we must help each other. Unless you want to breach our contract. Fifty thousand gold yones, don't forget." Edris smiled, and before Ace could throw out an insult, he patted a firm hand on his shoulder. "So what do you say, travel buddy?"

"…Under one condition."

"Hm?"

Ace brushed Edris's hand off his shoulder. "If you learn anything about my memories, you must tell me the first chance you get. You cannot hide anything from me. You cannot lie to me like you did today."

"…Pft." Edris covered the lower half of his face with his hand, stifling a laugh. He hunched over, shoulders shaking for a few seconds before shooting back up.

"Of course," he replied solemnly, ignoring Ace's unamused stare. "Listen, I lied to you this time because I was also unsure whether they'll really end up finding your memories. That archmage, Saire Harkness, told me that the Dread Chamber was a replica and that it lacked many features of the original.

"I didn't want to raise your hopes, then dump ice water over your head. See—we ended up getting no results after all, am I right?" Edris sighed. "I was trying to be considerate on your behalf, but you only see my actions as intentional deceit?"

"Yes," Ace replied without hesitation.

"…"

"I feel wronged and misunderstood, Ace." Edris stepped back, staring at him as though grievously wounded. "Fine. From now on, I'll tell you everything, down to the smallest inkling of possibilities. Don't come to me crying if you end up being disappointed!"

"Write it on the contract." Ace crossed his arms, unfazed by his provocation.

"…"

"Is this how you see our relationship? After all we've been through, we're still just two parties bound by a piece of paper?" Edris shook his head dismissively. "In all fairness, then, I'm going to add a condition too."

Ace arched an eyebrow.

"Ace may not do anything that will intentionally put Edris in danger," he declared. "Don't think I forgot about your teleportation shenanigans at the Dolan Zacriya's banquet. You almost killed me."

"But you survived."

"I was stabbed, Ace."

"But you lived."

"What if I didn't?"

"I like to assume first that you would."

Throwing out protests under his breath, Edris yanked out the piece of paper from his Spatial Pouch. Spreading it on a nearby bench, he scribbled down the new conditions and signed his name. He tossed the contract to Ace, who studied the content intently before writing down his own name.

"Happy now?" Edris clicked his tongue and shoved the paper back into his bag. He spun his head towards Ace, only to realise that the man's eyes had flickered past him, towards the space behind his shoulders.

Following the direction of his gaze, Edris found himself staring down at a young girl with a bob cut.

"Mister Edris," the girl said.

Edris blinked twice. "And you are?"

"I'm Darcie's sister. My name is Doris." She glanced up at him with her round, brown eyes. "You saved us from that dark underground place."

A few memories flashed in Edris's head at her words, and he nodded in epiphany. "How is your sister?"

When Viscount Eathe activated the Plunge, Darcie was the first victim. Edris didn't know how long she had been stuck to the artifact, but by the looks from when he rescued her, she had sustained some severe injuries.

"Darcie's…Alive. She's no longer an Awakened. The incident hurt her physically and mentally, so she's recovering at the Healing Faction right now. People from there said most of her mana was sucked out, and her mana channel was damaged permanently." As she explained everything, the girl kept calm, speaking as though she was recounting a distant story. "They said she would have definitely died if you didn't use the potions."

She then entered a deep bow. "I know that the potions are expensive. I don't have the money right now, but I will pay you back everything eventually. Meanwhile, if you have any requests for me, I'll do it."

"Hey, how old are you?"

At Edris's unexpected question, Doris lifted her head. "I just turned seven." As if struck by a thought, she quickly added, "But I can do many things. Darcie and Gran always said I'm way more composed than kids my age."

"But you're only seven. You're not even old enough to work."

The legal working age in the Zacriya Kingdom was thirteen-years-old. Fifteen years for full-time, one year before adulthood.

Of course, these laws only applied to the civilised, prosperous areas of the kingdom. In places like the Slums, every person was to themselves from the moment of birth.

"I…" Her voice trailed off, and the girl stared at her feet.

"Kids." Edris shook her head, watching her flinch as he did so. "Really not fond of kids."

Beside him, Ace let out a scoff. "Is that why you're so lenient towards them?"

"Yes," Edris said, a bit softer than usual. "Because I dislike them."

At the same time, someone called out to them. Edris didn't have to turn to know that a certain golden-haired boy was back from his secret rendezvous.

"Master! Ace! I got snacks! They're from your favourite bakery, the one with the kind old lady!" Even from a distance, Celio seemed to be glowing with vitality as he sprinted their way with one hand holding a bagful of food and the other waving intensely. "She even recognised me and gave me a free sample.”

When he was less than five meters away from them, Celio slowed his steps, halting right in front of the little girl. He glanced up at Edris, then Ace. With his free hand, he jabbed a thumb at her in confusion.

"Whose kid is this?"

"The one who gave you samples," Edris said. "She's her granddaughter."

"Wait, really! What a coincidence." Celio bent over, examining her with smiling eyes. "She's so cute! Like a little round radish."

Doris's face scrunched into a pout at his words. Edris stifled a cough while Ace looked away. Naturally, nobody responded to the beast tamer's strange analogy.

Taking the bag from Celio's hand, Edris bent down to the girl's level. Under her puzzled gaze, he reached in the bag and pulled out a limberry-flavoured cream puff. "Here."

When she didn't move, Edris grabbed hold of her arm and tucked it in her hand. Doris's eyes widened.

"Your sister may be a normal person now, but you're still an Awakened. You should use that to your advantage and get stronger."

Doris kept quiet, and Edris let out a soft sigh.

This was why he disliked kids. They were innocent, powerless, and easily scared. Yet many would grow up to be some of the world's most selfish, powerful, dangerous beings.

In his trance, Edris didn't notice that he had fallen quiet for quite some time. Perhaps he was silent for too long, but the next second, the girl raised her head, her limpid eyes staring straight at him.

"I may be a kid—" Despite her trembling hands, Doris's words were steadfast and clear. “—but I can learn."

"Learn?" Edris blinked twice. "Yes…Yes, I suppose you can. Attend the academy, or something. Knowledge is power. People say that, right? Go on, learn a lot, get stronger, become a civilised member of society, and live a comfortable, peaceful life. Especially the last part, that's very important."

"Live a comfortable, peaceful life…" Doris carefully repeated his words, and then gave him a determined nod. "I will remember it."

"Glad to hear that." Smiling in satisfaction, Edris stood back up and lightly patted her head.

His action seemed to have taken Doris by surprise, as she reflexively reached for his wrist. The girl's tiny hand landed right on his scar, the one he gained at the underground chasm.

As her rubbery hand made contact with his skin, both of them froze.

Edris's eyes widened, and his blood ran cold in his veins. Memories from the underground chasm resurfaced in his head, and Edris stared dazed at the child in standing in front of him.

Before he could even process what happened, Doris had already stepped back.

"I will take your advice to heart. Thank you again." With both hands by her side, she entered another deep bow before whirling around and dashing down the streets.

"Master? Is something wrong?"

Celio's voice dragged him out of his trance. Still half dazed, Edris withdrew his hand midair and grazed past the scar with his fingers. He peered towards the darkened street, which was now sparse with people.

"Master?"

"… It's nothing." Edris shook his head as he retracted his gaze.

Was it his imagination?