Since I couldn't bring the dozens of heavy crates home at once, I decided to leave behind most of the equipment in Kath's care for now. I offered to pay her for the burden, but the woman graciously told me she'd do it for free. A debt to repay in the future.
After fitting my wagon to full capacity with the crates of equipment, I decided to pay the Chief a visit to let him know of my future plans as well as to ask some questions. Even if I had a guide, it would be prudent to know more about Halros once I made my visit in the future, and Bran was the perfect person to ask since he lived there for a long time.
As I climbed the long stairs to the Chief's house, my attention inadvertently went to my mana circuit. While I was carrying heavy crates to my wagon earlier, Mr. Marion's mana expenditure had naturally gone up since he had to exert more effort. Normally, the minimal mana cost would have been instantly replenished by my high rate of regeneration, but this time, it took a bit longer to recover the cost. A closer analysis of my mana circuit revealed to me that since there were fewer holes to emit mana, there was also less mana that could enter my body. It seems that cloaking my aura by closing the holes on my mana circuit had its own drawbacks. Hmm, should I return to my previous method of cloaking my mana?
As I contemplated which method I should use to cloak my aura, I finally reached the Chief's house. I could detect four familiar sets of clothing inside with my fabric sense, which made my brows crease with confusion. Three of the people inside shouldn't be inside the same building lest they destroy it. Aside from Bran, the three other people were Belka, Kazimir, and Samantia.
Before I even knocked on the front door, I felt the three of them tense at my presence. Their ability to sense my approach was unsurprising given their capabilities.
Bran's face when he answered my knock was one of immense relief as he saw me. “Mr. Marion! It's so good to see you. Come in! Come in!”
Bran eagerly started pulling me by the arm as he led me inside. When we arrived at his living room, I saw the reason why.
On one side of the room sat Kazimir and Samantia, their faces set in deep frowns. The Night Wardens wore plain civilian clothing, but they had their weapons within easy reach. Kazimir's repaired sword leaned against the couch beside him while Samantia idly caressed the paper talismans in her hand.
On the other side of the room was Belka. Despite being seated, the Head Hunter's presence loomed as she glared at the Night Wardens with her arms crossed beneath her chest. She had no weapon with her, but I knew her fists were deadlier than most blades.
At first sight, the situation looked tense as Belka and the Night Wardens glared at each other, but the reality was even worse. In my mana sense, the small room was filled to the brim with the auras of the augmenters and the mage. Belka's hot and fiery aura dominated her side of the room, while the other half was filled with Kazimir's stormy aura and Samantia's cryptic one.
No wonder Bran was so eager at my arrival. He may not be a mage with fine senses to detect mana, but like all ordinary people, he could feel the pressure of strong auras. And without a doubt, the people inside the room were capable of emitting powerful auras.
“My friends!” I shouted as I entered the room, pointedly ignoring the powerful auras. “It's very nice to see all of you, although I think it would be nicer if everyone calmed down, yes?”
“We are calm,” Belka said without averting her gaze from the Night Wardens. The way she said it with her jaws clenched easily told me she was lying.
“You look like you're about to wrestle with a warg, Belka,” I said bluntly.
“That's because I am,” Belka replied as her aura pulsed sharply. “Two wolves in sheep's clothing have infiltrated the village.”
“A testament to the lacking skill of the hunters in this village,” Samantia said with a scoff. “The one who trains them must be very incompetent. No wonder some of them want to leave.”
“You bitch!” Belka growled as she stood up sharply, her chair splintering from the force.
“Hey, hey! There's no need to be rude to each other!” I shouted as I tried to interject myself between the two groups, but they ignored me. Unsurprising since I had no experience in trying to de-escalate a confrontation. What the hell am I supposed to do?!
“I suggest you sit back down, Head Hunter,” Kazimir said menacingly as his hand slowly inched for his sword's hilt. “You forget where we are. You disrespect the Chief's hospitality with your actions.”
“I don't think this is—”
“You're the one who forgets where you are!” Belka spat. “This is Wildpost, and Night Freaks like you are not welcome here.”
“Come on, guys—”
“The only freak around here is you who cannot even garner the loyalty of her own troops,” Samantia said with a dry laugh.
“You guys better stop—”
Belka's eyes darkened as her fists suddenly blazed with fire. The Night Wardens followed suit as Kazimir drew his sword and Samantia's aura roiled as she prepared to cast magic.
Before any of them could take a single step forward, I opened the holes on my mana circuit and unleashed my aura upon them. “Enough!”
The wave of mana washed over them like a flood, snuffing out their auras like candles in a storm. All three had panicked expressions as they turned to me, their earlier argument forgotten.
“All of you are the ones who forget where you are!” I shouted furiously. “All of you stand before my presence, and I deserve respect.”
My aura pulsed and everybody in the room fell to their knees. The windows shattered and some of the furniture splintered. The cups of tea on the table were knocked away like leaves in the wind and splattered fragrant liquid all over the place. When I heard the wall behind me crack, my senses returned and I hurriedly reined in my aura. What have I done?
The damage was already done. Bran's once cozy living room now looked like it was devastated by an earthquake. Pieces of furniture were strewn all over the place and the floor beneath my feet had spiderweb cracks. Bran is going to be— Shit!
I hurriedly turned around to check on the old man. Unlike the rest of the people in the room, he was just an ordinary person, and to experience the full brunt of my aura would be enough to kill an old man like him.
But when I looked behind me, the old man was nowhere to be seen. I focused on my fabric sense and breathed a sigh of relief when I felt the Chief's robes outside the house. He was sitting on the steps halfway down the stairs that led to the village center. Fortunately, he was far enough to avoid the full force of my aura, although I wasn't sure if he felt that.
“M-Mr. Marion?” a shaky voice called behind me.
When I turned around, I realized it was Kazimir who spoke. He was already standing, although I could tell his legs were trembling. Meanwhile, Samantia looked horrified as she sat on the couch, her face pale as she stared at me with wide eyes.
When I looked to the other side of the room, I saw Belka standing by the far wall, staring at me with wary eyes. This is bad.
I believe Master is right, Mr. Marion interjected in my mind.
●●●
To be honest, I absolutely had no idea what had gone over me when I unleashed my aura. As much as I wanted to use the excuse of ‘preventing Belka and the Night Wardens from fighting,’ I knew that wasn't the real reason for my outburst. The true reason was way pettier: I got mad for being ignored.
As an adult in a child's body, I always prided myself on my mature outlook on life compared to others my age, although the recent events made me doubt myself. I already knew the possible ramifications if I unleashed my aura, but it seems knowing something doesn't automatically correlate to making good decisions.
Or rather, knowledge does lead to better decisions, except when extraneous factors come into play. For instance, when the hell did I start demanding respect from people?!
Despite my massive power, I've always treated others as my equals. Being arrogant is foolish and counterproductive, things I strive to avoid. Which was why it came as a shock to me and everybody else when I suddenly started going haywire with my aura and started demanding respect. It was such a big deviation from my normal behavior. The only other time I remember myself deviating from my usual behavior was when I was Awakening, but a quick self-check was enough to confirm that I underwent no such thing, or else my abilities would have gotten stronger and my mana pool larger.
Hold on. Back in Erfeld, there came a time when I started feeling urges that influenced my behavior. The time when I started getting annoyed whenever I saw hideous clothing on other people. Those urges eventually led to an Awakening…
Oh shit. I am nearing another damn Awakening.
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A hesitant voice broke me out of my reverie. “Mr. Marion?”
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply to calm my emotions. The last thing I wanted was to experience an Awakening right now. I had to keep a tight leash on my emotions.
When I opened my eyes again, my emotions were tranquil. I think. The first thing I saw was Bran's worried face.
“Is everything fine?” the old man asked.
“Yes, I'm fine,” I replied curtly.
Bran nodded, but he still shot worried glances in my direction. I'd be worried too if I dealt with a man who went bananas all of a sudden.
Looking at the old man's nervous face made me uncomfortable, so I averted my gaze to our surroundings instead. We were still inside the Chief's living room, although it was no longer apt to call it that. The place was a mess and the only things standing upright were the chairs we were sitting on. A feeling of guilt washed over me when I remembered that I was the one responsible for it.
Bran and I weren't the only people in the room. After my outburst earlier, Bran returned to his house and requested everyone to return to a more peaceful exchange. The Night Wardens sat beside Bran while Belka was content with leaning on the wall away from her two enemies.
Bran began speaking. “As I was saying earlier, I think the most prudent solution to our plight is for both sides to resolve their conflict through peaceful discussion.”
“This isn't something that could be solved through mere words, Bran,” Belka said. Unlike earlier, she was more composed now.
“Then what do you suggest? Violence?” Bran asked with a quirked eyebrow. He shot a glance at me, and Belka followed his gaze. There was a silent understanding between the two of them, although I had no idea what it was. I pretended not to notice their glances.
“Fine, I will agree to parley,” Belka said with gritted teeth after a short pause.
“You're no longer in a gang, Belka,” Bran pointed out.
Belka was once part of a gang?
The large woman shot him an annoyed glance. “I will agree to talk, then.”
Bran nodded in satisfaction before turning to the Night Wardens. “Both of you agree as well, yes?”
The old man's words seemed to pass by the Night Wardens' ears. Unlike Belka's composed expression, Kazimir and Samantia still had pale and fearful faces. Their eyes were wide and staring straight at me. Oh right, I almost forgot. I almost killed them that time when they trespassed on my territory. I guess they have all the reasons to be terrified after seeing my aura.
“The Chief asked you a question,” I said in a soft tone, but I might as well have shouted at full volume from how the Night Wardens flinched at the sound of my voice.
“A-Apologies, Chief Bran. A peaceful discussion appeals to us as well,” Kazimir replied while shooting nervous glances at me. Bran gave a curious look at the Night Wardens before nodding.
“Hold on,” I said, making the Night Wardens freeze in place. I ignored them and kept my attention on Bran. “May I ask what the issue is in the first place? Belka and the Night Wardens were already at each other's throats when I got here, so I have no idea what they're fighting over.”
Belka spoke up before Bran could reply. “The problem is that those two bastards are about to take away Emily from the village.”
“Emily?” I asked confusedly.
“Emily is one of Belka's hunters,” Bran explained. “As I'm sure you already know, Kazimir and Samantia had been participating in the hunters' training every morning and helping out with thinning the monsters in the forest. Because of their… commendable actions, the Night Wardens have impressed quite a lot of hunters.”
Belka snorted at that, but Bran ignored her.
“Which is why when Kazimir and Samantia announced their imminent departure, most of the hunters were saddened. Nobody wanted them to go.”
“And this Emily wanted to come with them?” I guessed.
“That is correct,” Kazimir interjected. The discussion seemed to have evaporated some of his fear, although he still couldn't meet my eyes. “Emily wants to come and stated her desire to become one of us. Who are we to deny her the chance to become a Night Warden?”
“Emily's not going anywhere, and she sure as hell won't be turning into one of you,” Belka snarled. This was the first time I saw the large woman's pure wrath, and I was glad I wasn't on the receiving end.
“You can't stop her, Head Hunter,” Kazimir shot back with a frown. “Emily can make her own life choices. You don't have the right to dictate what she could and couldn't do.”
“Oh but I do, Night Freak,” Belka said with a laugh. “Emily is an orphan, and like all orphans of Wildpost, they made their choice on what profession they wanted to have when they grew up. Emily chose to be a hunter, making me her foster parent. I have every damn right to stop her from going with monsters like you!”
The Night Wardens looked shocked at Belka's words. They looked to Bran for assistance, but the old man only shook his head. “I'm afraid Belka is right in that regard. The orphans of this village choose under which Village Head they desire to work with, and since Emily chose to be a hunter, the Head Hunter becomes her foster parent. Emily is only fifteen years old, which means she is still subject to her foster parent's care. If Belka does not allow her to go, then the child cannot go.”
“But this is what she wants!” Kazimir exclaimed. “How can you stop her from trying to achieve her dream and force her to stagnate in a place like this?!”
Belka laughed loudly. “You arrogant bastard. Just because you've impressed Emily with your skills, you think you've inspired within her a heartfelt dream to become a Night Warden? I didn't know Night Freaks nowadays are narcissists as well.”
Kazimir gritted his teeth in frustration, but before he could shoot back a retort, Samantia spoke up beside him. “Even if you do have the right to stop Emily from coming with us, all you're doing is giving her a chance to hate you. Is that what you want?”
“Your words are proof enough of your immaturity,” Belka said with a snort. “I may only be a foster parent, but that still makes me a parent. Emily can hate me her entire life if she wants, but she won't be able to do that when she dies fighting the Dark,” she spat.
The Head Hunter's words mollified the Night Wardens somewhat, but Samantia still pushed on. “Still, Emily won't accept this easily and you know it. Once she turns sixteen, she'll have the freedom she needs and strike out on her own, heedless of your wishes. If she decides to become a Night Warden then, she won't have us to keep her safe. Are you content with letting a girl who lived in this village her entire life strike out into the harsh world on her own? Is that what you want?”
“That's if she still wants to be a Night Warden a year from now,” Belka replied through gritted teeth, although I could tell even she was uncertain of how things would turn out in the future.
The room had gone silent once both sides ran out of things to say. Despite both sides defending their stances expertly, none of them looked satisfied. They recognized that each side had good points.
“I see,” I said softly as I crossed my arms and contemplated. After a few moments, I came up with a possible solution that would go along with my plans. “Now that I've heard both sides of the argument, I have a good idea I'd like to suggest, which is related to why I visited Bran's house in the first place. You see, I've been aspiring to establish my own company ever since I came to this village, and that dream has come nearer to fruition when Rella successfully delivered the equipment I ordered last week.”
Bran nodded in understanding. “Yes, I do admire your ambition, Mr. Marion.”
“Wait, you already knew of it?” I asked, befuddled. Belka also didn't look surprised. Only the Night Wardens seemed to show shock at the reveal.
“Everything that happens in the village eventually reaches my ears, Mr. Marion,” Bran said with a wink.
“I shouldn't have expected less from the Chief,” I chuckled. “Anyway, when I finally finish my preparations and establish my company, I plan to travel to Halros to make my debut. Since both sides can't come up with an agreement, how about we settle for a compromise?”
Belka and the Night Wardens looked uncomfortable at my suggestion, but they remained quiet.
“I propose that Emily and the Night Wardens come with me to Halros. Since one of your concerns involves Emily's lack of experience out in the world, this journey would give her a taste of what leaving the village entails. We can stay in Halros for several days to let her acclimate, and when it's time for me to come back to Wildpost, Emily can make her own decision: whether to go with the Night Wardens or come back with me to the village.”
The room was silent as I finished offering my suggestion. All of them looked thoughtful as they contemplated my proposal. All of them except for Belka.
“No,” Belka said adamantly. “I cannot agree to that.”
“May I ask the reason why?” I asked calmly.
“Don't misunderstand, you're suggestion of a compromise is good,” Belka admitted. “As much as I despise the idea of Emily joining the Night Freaks, she'll eventually grow old enough to ignore my warnings and strike out on her own, which would be risky for a village-born girl like her. The Night Freaks, at least, were right about that part. What I don't agree with is Emily going to Halros. I'm not letting her enter that hellhole.”
“Is this about the city being dangerous and filled with criminals?” I asked.
Belka snorted. “That's a big understatement, but that's one way of putting it. Halros is a damn cesspool, and a girl like Emily won't be able to handle that.”
“You're not giving her enough credit,” Kazimir said with a sniff. “Emily is not as weak-willed as you think, else she wouldn't have voiced out her wish to come with us despite knowing your dislike of Night Wardens.”
Belka pursed her lips but stood her ground. “Still, Halros is too much. That place would destroy her.”
“I understand your concern, Belka,” I said soothingly. “But remember that I'll be with Emily the entire time, not to mention Kazimir and Samantia. Even if Halros is as bad as you say, do you think thugs and lowlifes would be able to get past us?”
“The damn crooks aren't the only threats in that city, Marion,” Belka replied. “Halros itself can destroy a person. The filthy streets, corrupt guards, backstabbing merchants, the blatant crime, all of those would destroy even the most strong-willed person given time.”
I wanted to tell her that she was exaggerating, but I couldn't say that when I haven't even been to Halros yet.
Bran cleared his throat. “I agree with everything that Belka said. Halros is no ordinary city. I know you are quite powerful as a mage, Mr. Marion, but in Halros, physical and magical prowess aren't enough to keep you alive. What use would your power be when the corrupt nobles find you a threat and declare you an enemy of the kingdom? Not even you can stand against the might of Edria.”
I knew Bran was saying that because he had no idea I had an Authority, but even if I was an Ascendant, would I be able to stand against an entire kingdom? Legends in this world may tell of Ascendants capable of toppling countries by themselves, but I was merely a child. I'm not powerful enough to fight an entire country, not to mention that this kingdom probably has its own Ascendant within its ranks.
Just when I thought my suggestion was going to be shot down, Bran continued speaking. “That is why I propose that Belka come with you as well to Halros.”
“What?!” Belka cried out. “You're asking me to go back to that blasted city?!”
“I'm not asking you to go back there, I'm asking you to accompany your child and make sure she does not fall victim to that city's influence,” Bran said as he looked directly into the Head Hunter's eyes.
As they stared at each other, an unspoken understanding went between them. Belka closed her eyes and sighed in resignation. “Fine, I agree with Marion's suggestion on the condition that I come with them and that Emily will always stick by my side the entire time.”
I didn't really have any problems with the conditions, so I looked at the Night Wardens to see if they had any complaints and was glad to see their nods of agreement.
“Then I'm glad everything is settled, then,” Bran said at last as he stood up. “Just let us know when you intend to depart for Halros, Mr. Marion.”
As everyone, including me, apologized to Bran for the destruction of his house and started leaving, the old man clutched at my sleeve. “Can we speak for a moment, Mr. Marion?”
“Sure,” I replied as I sat back down on the couch opposite the Chief. I already knew the old man would want to talk to me after revealing my aura earlier. Belka and the Night Wardens looked at us with intense interest as they left. They probably wanted to stay too, but a single glance from Bran was enough to send them on their way.
Once he was sure that we were alone in the room, Bran spoke first. “You have a, ah, a very powerful aura, Mr. Marion.”
“Yes, I do,” I said succinctly.
“I didn't know you were that… powerful,” Bran said hesitantly. “When you fought in the defense of the village a long time ago, I assume you were holding back?”
“Yes, I was,” I replied. “I only displayed enough might I thought was necessary to avoid frightening the villagers during that time.”
“A very wise decision,” Bran said with a nod before grimacing. “Unfortunately, I believe your earlier… outburst, has changed the situation drastically.”
“How so?” I asked as dread slowly crept into my mind. I tried my best to keep my emotions in control.
“Your aura was powerful, Mr. Marion. Powerful enough to encompass the entire village,” Bran said. “Everybody in Wildpost felt it.”
My jaw dropped in disbelief. “S-Surely you're exaggerating. I find it hard to believe that my aura reached that far.”
“But it did,” Bran said seriously. “Long before you unleashed your aura, I already knew the situation in my house would soon escalate, which was why I chose to hightail it out of there. A wise decision on my part. By the time you unleashed your aura, I was already halfway down the stairs towards the village center, and so I had a good view of Wildpost and the people walking on the streets. All of them froze in place and stared in your direction when your aura emerged.”
I sighed in resignation. I messed up big time. “What do you think of the situation?”
“Well, if you ask me, I think the situation is not as bad as it seems,” Bran began. “But it's still bad. We're lucky the woman who substituted Kane was already long gone before you unleashed your aura or else news of a powerful mage would already be making waves across Halros. Unfortunately, the workers we hired to build the new wall are not from the village and thus cannot be trusted. Be assured that they will start talking once they return to Halros. You happen to be a licensed mage, yes?”
There was a pregnant pause before I answered. “Uh, yes?”
“Your hesitation to answer is worrying, Mr. Marion.”
“Alright, fine. I may not be a fully licensed mage,” I admitted. I felt my cheeks heat up as Bran sighed. “Er, is it that bad?”
“Not yet, but it's about to be,” Bran said. “The Mage's Guild is very strict in monitoring their members. They always make sure they know the whereabouts of their members at all times, and when they learn of a mage in Wildpost, they'll send people to investigate.”
I sighed tiredly as I slumped in my seat. I messed up badly, and now I had to start running again. Months of work here in Wildpost, gone because of a single moment of carelessness.
“Oh don't be so down, Mr. Marion. There's still a way to get out of our predicament,” Bran said when he saw my dejection.
“You mean my predicament. There's no need to get the village caught up in my problems, Chief.”
“Nonsense. This village cares for its own,” Bran scoffed.
I stared at the old man. Despite my mask, he seemed to sense my stare and gave me a big smile. “Who said you aren't a part of Wildpost, Mr. Marion? The moment you stood with us in our time of need, you were already a part of us.”
The room was silent as the Chief and I exchanged looks. The old man's gaze was warm and sincere, and he truly meant what he said. I spoke up hesitantly. “But my aura… everybody felt it. I'm sure everyone in the village is afraid of me now.”
Upon hearing my words, Bran laughed loudly, much to my confusion. “The situation is the complete opposite of what you said, Mr. Marion. When the people felt your aura earlier, they didn't flee in terror. Granted, they may have been frightened a bit, but a lot of them looked worried. Worried for you. Some even tried to climb up the stairs earlier to check the situation, but I sent them back to give us some privacy.”
“Seriously?” I asked incredulously.
“I am not alone in thinking that you're a part of us, Mr. Marion. Everybody else thinks so too,” Bran said with a warm smile. “Now stop sulking and listen to my plan to get us out of this conundrum.”
“I'm not sulking!”