I stepped inside,

The interior was dark, but that wasn’t an issue.

I dropped the mage unceremoniously onto the cave floor and immediately pulled out a length of rope from my pack.

Tying his hands together, I secured the knots tightly enough to prevent him from slipping free but loose enough to keep his circulation from cutting off.

With that done, I took a step back and exhaled, rubbing my temples.

Now came the waiting.

I sat down, leaning against the cave wall with my arms crossed.

My mind drifted back to the battle, replaying every moment, every decision.

“Where had I gone wrong?”

“Where could I have been faster, sharper?”

The energy bolt he had been casting was stronger than I expected.

“I believe I would be able to dodge most of them, but I am not sure aboutout that.”

“I also believe I give too many chances to that dark tentacle mage.”

“I needed to kill him faster and finish the battle as soon as possible.”

“I did not make it fast because I wanted to keep on fighting, keep on fighting to learn and have fun...”

If I had been slower in my reaction or miscalculated the timing of my Spirit Attack, I might have been overwhelmed.

There were still gaps in my abilities.

“It seems like not having formal training shows itself in a real battle.”

My magic control had improved significantly, but I lacked variety in my spells.

If I wanted to survive against stronger opponents, I needed to expand my arsenal beyond just offensive attacks.

“If not for Spirit Attack, my energy bolts would not be that useful.”

“What would I do against an enemy that is capable of resisting Spirit Attack and has enough magical defense to not get injured by my energy bolts?”

“I do not want to see that at all.”

Looking at Sacril as I thought about the battle,touched him and smiled.

“You saved my life again,” I murmured.

“If it weren’t for you, I might not have noticed the poison in my food, and I could not fight against the golden energy bolt using the mage and his friend’s dark tentacle using the mage at the same time.””

Sacril huffed in response.

My eyes flickered back to the mage.

He was still out cold, his chest rising and falling in slow, rhythmic breaths.

It wouldn’t be long before he woke up, and when he did.

I tapped my fingers against my knee, thinking.

“Interrogation wasn’t something I had much experience with, but I had been in enough situations to know that fear was a powerful motivator..”

“This mage had been sent to kill me—he had no reason to tell me anything willingly.”

But there were ways to make people talk.

A slow smile crept across my face as I considered my options.

For now, I would let him rest.

About one hour later.

The mage's eyes slowly fluttered open, his breathing uneven as he adjusted to his surroundings.

As soon as he saw me sitting across from him, watching him,, he tensed.

I could see it in his posture, in the way his fingers twitched against the ropes binding his wrists.

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He expected pain.

He expected torture.

I exhaled a cold breath, letting the chill settle in the air between us.

I didn’t need to do anything except the except the expectation of torture,, causing him enough fear.

“I’m not going to torture you,”

His body stiffened for a second, then he blinked in surprise.

“I have no reason to,” I continued, leaning back against the cave wall.

“I just want to know where I stand in all of this. The moment I do, I’ll decide what happens next.”

He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he processed my words.

His shoulders relaxed just a fraction.

“What… do you want to know?”

I tilted my head slightly.

“Let’s start with the basics. Why was I attacked?”

The man let out a dry, humorless chuckle.

He shifted slightly, testing the tightness of his bindings, but when he realized they wouldn’t budge, he gave up and instead met my gaze.

“You think you’re not important, don’t you?” He asked, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

“You’re right. As you are right now, you’re nothing.”

He let out another short laugh, shaking his head.

“But that’s not the problem, Marsil. The problem is what you could become.”

His words sent a chill down my spine, but I didn’t let it show.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Explain.”

He exhaled through his nose.

“You’re dangerous. Not because of what you are, but because of what you will be.

“People like you—you’ree like sparks in dry grass. Left alone, you’ll burn everything down before anyone can stop you.”

“And someone like you getting close to Eval Morningstar? That’s a wildfire waiting to happen.”

I frowned.

“So this was about Eval?”

He snorted.

“Of course it was. Everything is about him. The man is a walking problem.”

I remained silent, processing what he was saying.

Eval was dangerous to be friends with; that I can see with ease.

The fact that my mere proximity to him warranted an assassination attempt told me two things:

One, Eval’s enemies were greater than I had assumed.

Two, there were people out there desperate enough to eliminate potential threats before they even became real threats.

That meant I was on someone’s list.

I didn’t like that.

I tapped my fingers against my knee, my mind racing through possibilities.

“And who exactly ordered my execution?”

The mage hesitated.

I gave him a slow, deliberate look.

“Don’t make me ask twice.”

He wet his lips, then let out a frustrated sigh.

“I don’t know exactly. I take orders from people above me, and they take orders from people above them. But if I had to guess…”

He trailed off, glancing away.

I stared at him, my patience thinning. “Guess.”

His jaw clenched.

“Freedom of Amber,” he admitted, his voice quieter this time.

“Or at least, people connected to them.”

That made sense.

Freedom of Amber was one of the most prominent magical organizations out there, and unlike Time Wave, which focused on research, they were more involved in politics and power struggles.

It is said that they have many “Nobles” in their ranks and work with the Empire and the Nobles to control the “power” all around the world.

At least the known world in their mind.

If Eval’s plans threatened the current balance of power, it wasn’t surprising that some factions within Freedom of Amber would want to eliminate any loose ends before they became problems.

Even if Freedom of Amber would do nothing, the Empire and Nobles could not give up their “nobility,” which would make them make a move against Eval Morningstar.

And apparently, I was a loose end.

I exhaled slowly, then leaned forward slightly.

“So, let me get this straight. You were sent to kill me not because of what I’ve done, but because of what I might do in the future?”

The mage’s smirk returned, but there was something bitter about it.

“That’s how the world works, Marsil. It’s not about what you are;; it’s about what you could be. People don’t like uncertainty, and you? You’re an unknown factor.”

“It is not like I don'tt like you or people who give the orders have any problem with you.”

“As long as there is a tiny chance that you may be detrimental to their plans, it is easier to kill you than than to just try to understand you.”

I let his words settle.

I had always known that the path I was walking would eventually put me at odds with powerful people.

But I hadn’t expected them to come for me this early.

It wasn’t paranoia.

It wasn’t some vague warning whispered in a dark alley.

It was real.

And I was in the middle of it.

He had given me useful information, and while I could press for more, I doubted he knew anything deeper. He was a pawn, just like many others.

That meant I had a choice.

I could kill him.

Or I could let him go.

I studied him for a long moment, then finally stood up, stretching out my limbs.

“You’re going to leave this place alive, not because I’m merciful, but because I don’t need your blood on my hands.”

“Before you leave, I need more answers.”

The man nodded; his face clearly showed his surprise.

He did not expecto be given a life or not to be executed at all.