“Checkmate.”

The boy, Brogen Arte, groaned as he tipped his king to the side. He could not believe that the girl, Tin Tin, could beat him in chess the same day she learned how to play it.

The two were inside Tin Tin's shack, passing the time by having a game of chess. When Brogen managed to convince Tin Tin to let him stay, he offered to teach her how to play chess. It was his plan to forge his first true friend.

The first few games went to Brogen, who had some experience playing it with his mother. But he did not expect Tin Tin to be so cunning. Years living on the streets had forced her to have a sharp mind. After the first five games of analyzing the game's mechanics, Tin Tin won the rest.

“Wow, I can't believe you're so good at this game!”

“You're just dumb.”

“Hey!”

Tin Tin snickered at Brogen's indignant expression. She still had conflicting emotions when it came to the boy. She wanted to think that he was just like the rest of the other people who helped urchins like her just to satisfy their own egos and think of themselves as altruistic, then walk away. Those people did not care whether she starved the next day or the day after that. All they cared about was that they helped, and that was it. They may be doing it from the bottom of their hearts, but Tin Tin did not care. Witnessing hundreds of apathetic stares every day as she begged them for spare change altered her young mind to have a cynical outlook in life.

But spending the afternoon with the boy made Tin Tin reconsider. Throughout his stay, not once did Brogen treat her differently because of her status. Sure, he pinched his nose in disgust and called her stinky, but he did not do it out of malice. The boy was just a child, and he said whatever came to mind. Tin Tin could understand that. After all, life on the streets made a young child like her mature faster. Brogen may be older, but it was obvious who was more mature of the two.

“I think it's getting late already. The sun's going down.”

Tin Tin looked outside and saw that indeed, it was almost dark. For the first time, she lost track of time from enjoying herself too much. She looked at Brogen, who was preparing to leave. A part of her wanted him to stay and play with her some more, but unlike Tin Tin, Brogen had a parent who would worry about him if he wasn't back home by six.

“Are you gonna come visit here again?”

Tin Tin adopted a look of indifference, but her hopeful eyes suggested otherwise.

“I don't think I want to hang out in this place in the near future, if possible. It's cold and there's no light,” Brogen said while observing the small gaps in the wooden walls of the shack where cold wind seeped in. When he looked at Tin Tin again, he saw her glaring at him.

“W-What I meant to say was, why don't we hang out at my place in the future?”

Tin Tin stared at Brogen with surprise in her eyes. She tried to look for any signs of deceit in his face, but all she saw was an expectation. Tin Tin wanted to believe that Brogen was actually trying to befriend her, but she didn't want to hope too much. Some part of her still doubted the boy's motives so she made sure to be careful. But she still accepted his offer. Who knows, maybe there's free food to be had.

“Alright, we'll go to your place next time. Now get out, I want to sleep.”

“Alright, good night Tin Tin!”

“G-Goodnight.”

●●●

December, the Year 1226 A.C.

I analyzed the magic device in front of me, trying to make sense of it. Mother Betha lent it to us every winter. Placed in one corner of the living room was a small metal box spewing hot air to keep our house warm during the cold months. Each side had a length of about six inches and was inscribed with glowing magical runes. Two of the sides had vents, one that sucked in cold air and one that blew hot air. I couldn't hear any kind of machinery operating inside the box, so that meant this thing was powered entirely by magic. Awesome…

“You've been staring at the box for the past fifteen minutes.”

“Shush, Tedd. I'm trying to study the magical shenanigans operating the device.”

“Pssh, you don't even know how to cast magic.”

I flinched at my own— I meant, Tedd's insult. Four years had already passed and I still didn't know how to cast magic despite my already-large mana reserves. Training my Authority every day improved my mana pool tremendously, but I could only use it for my Ascendant power. I wanted to use real magic.

My inability to use magic didn't stem from my lack of will, but from the lack of a mentor. I needed somebody who was versed in magic to teach me how to cast spells. Their guidance is crucial if I didn't want to injure myself, especially after that incident four years ago.

Back then, I was super excited to try my hand at casting magic, even though I knew the risks. When I tried to do what Mother Betha taught us about manipulating the mana flow inside our bodies, I messed up.

When I attempted to accelerate my mana flow, I tried to feel the mana inside me, the ‘heat’ that emerged every time I used my Authority. Since I couldn't feel it without using my Authority, I decided to use my power first and then start manipulating the heat I felt.

When I felt the first signs of heat, I willed it to circulate inside my body just a tad bit faster. What I didn't expect was the mana to keep accelerating even though I stopped ‘willing’ it. By the time I stopped using my Authority, I was already writhing on the ground with my body covered in light burns. I remembered Mom finding me in that state and panicking as she carried me to the chapel. Aaah, good times.

After that, I was explicitly instructed not to dabble in magic. I initially planned to do it secretly anyway, but Mom's threatening look and her raised palm when she suspected me was enough to dissuade me.

I even tried to get Mother Betha to mentor me but she refused, stating that only mages with teaching licenses could teach magic. I doubted that was the real reason why she refused since nobody would find out if she taught me anyway, but I just accepted her decision.

I detected a group of familiar clothes enter my fabric sense, which now covered about half a football field of distance. There were five of them, headed towards our house.

A short while later, somebody knocked on the door. I opened the door and just as I expected, it was Terric and the gang.

“What's up, Brogen?” Terric said, imitating my style of speaking. Years of spending time together with the group eventually led them to unconsciously adopt my speech.

Over the past four years, I became close with the kids, although they could no longer be called kids. The boys, who were now eighteen, were now significantly taller and had deeper voices.

Terric was now one of the most handsome men in Erfeld, with girls trying to flirt with him every single day. His lean but muscled figure coupled with his good-looking face gave him a very heroic look, a good thing since he wanted to become a knight in the future.

Garin still had a chubby figure, but not as much as four years ago. The years of helping his parents on their farm probably contributed to his slimmer figure, but sadly, none of the town's women were interested in him at all. It wasn't because of his looks, but because of his tendency to criticize other people without any filters.

Ralf, meanwhile, had become the most terrifying— I mean, ‘intimidating’ man I have ever seen. He was taller than both boys, but unlike Terric, his body had a gangly appearance. His hunched back loomed over anybody shorter than him and his grim face could scare the Boogeyman himself.

“I'm fine. You guys wanna come inside?”

“Thanks.”

The three boys walked in, Garin waving his hand at me and Ralf nodding his head in greeting. The boys were wearing decent-looking clothes except for Garin, who was wearing an outfit caked with mud and marred with tears. I felt a tinge of annoyance at seeing Garin's outfit, but remained silent. After them came the girls.

Liz had grown up to become a beautiful woman. Her long hair, tall height, and the cold look on her face gave her a professional appearance. Some boys in town already tried to woo her, but Liz never gave them any attention.

“Good morning, Brogen,” Liz greeted as she took off her thick woolen coat and held it in her arms.

“Good morning, Liz. There's some hot soup on the table if you want some.”

Liz nodded then followed after the boys. The last one to come in was Maly. She had grown a bit taller and her red hair was still tied in twin-tails, but significantly longer. She grew up to be more cute than beautiful. Maly always had a cheerful smile on her face, and her big round eyes gave her an innocent look.

“Hey, Brogen! Ready to go out and play again?”

“I don't think I want to play outside in the storm, Maly. Maybe next time.”

“Why?! We could do that ‘snowball fight’ thingy again, the one you suggested the other day!”

“Yeah, but playing in a snowstorm is just plain stupid.”

Maly pouted as she followed the rest of the kids. I took a look outside and felt the strong winds as snow fell in heaps. The streets were covered in thick layers of snow. Thankfully, our house was built at a higher elevation. It was obvious that the girls had made an effort with their winter outfits, which pleased me greatly.

I joined the other kids by the dining table, already helping themselves to the soup Mom cooked before she left to work in the chapel. The group always hung out in our house since Mom wouldn't allow me to go outside by myself. They thought Mom was just a strict parent, but the real reason was because of me being an Ascendant. Mom and I understood that we couldn't take any risks, so staying at home all the time was fine for me. But I admit that my childish side always yearned to roam around Erfeld with my friends, maybe even visit their houses. Unfortunately, I was limited to playing in front of our house.

“So, what are you guys gonna do today?” I asked as I got myself my own bowl of soup.

“We have no idea yet,” Terric answered. “There's a blizzard, so we can't really do much outside.”

“How about we play some indoor games?” Maly offered.

“Like what?”

“Like, um, oh! How about some riddles?”

The rest of us looked at each other and shrugged.

“Might as well. We're stuck indoors until the storm outside abates anyway,” Terric said.

“I'll go first!” Maly chirped excitedly. “Umm, let's see. Ah, I've got a hard one! What rises in the morning and sets in the evening?”

All of us stared silently at Maly, who looked so confident that we would have a hard time answering her riddle. She didn't notice our looks of pity.

“The sun,” Garin said mercilessly.

Maly had an incredulous look on her face. “How did you find out so fast?! It took me three da— I mean, even I had to think for a short while…”

The rest of us just chuckled at her, and then looked at me. Looks like I'm next.

“Hmm. Oh, I know. What can be touched but can't be seen?”

“Magic barriers,” Terric answered confidently.

“Magic barriers shimmer in the air when touched, Terric,” Garin said as he shook his head. “The answer should be a man who drank an invisibility potion!”

“I disagree,” Ralf said calmly. “The question utilized the interrogative word ‘what,’ so the answer couldn't be a person, or else Brogen would have used the word ‘who.’ I believe the answer is the legendary Cloak of Invisibility worn by the infamous Rupert the Thief.”

Liz chuckled at my exasperated face. I forgot magic could do all sorts of stuff here, and of course, invisibility was one of them. Riddles from Earth weren't applicable here.

“Er, let me clarify. What I meant was, what part of the body can be touched but cannot be seen?”

I made my riddle more specific so that the list of answers was limited. Who knew how much invisible stuff there was in this world.

“Oh, I know! Our innards!” Maly said with a cheerful face. “We can't see them because they're inside us, but technically we're touching them, because it's inside our bodies!”

“Ah, well said Maly. I haven't thought of that,” Ralf said while he nodded at the smug-looking Maly.

I think this would be the last time I played riddles with the others…

“The heart,” Liz said suddenly.

I looked at her as if she was my savior. Finally, someone with some sense of normalcy.

“Yep, the answer is the heart.”

“What?! But, but—”

“Sorry Maly, you weren't specific enough.”

I laughed at her as she pouted and crossed her arms across her chest. After that, we continued our game for several more riddles until Garin changed the topic.

“Hey, did you guys hear about the recent news regarding the hunters?”

“Is that about the increasing number of monsters in the woods?” Terric said.

“No, no, this one is fresh news. The hunters managed to fell an adult Grisly Bear this morning.”

The others gasped in shock, including me. When I finally learned to read and write this world's language, I read a few books, one of which was a monster almanac. A Grisly Bear was a powerful monster that evolved from a normal bear that was exposed to too much mana. A young Grisly Bear was already considered a D-rank threat, and an adult could reach C-rank. The only difference between Grisly Bears and normal bears was that the former was significantly bigger, stronger, faster, and hungrier.

“How did they manage to kill a monster like that? Isn't it the job of adventurers?” Maly asked.

“From what I heard, the hunters put poisoned bait in the Grisly's territory. They came back earlier this day and found the corpse.”

“What shocks me more is the presence of such a powerful beast near our town,” Ralf added.

That couldn't be right. According to the monster almanac, monsters in the C-rank are immune to most mundane poisons. The only monsters that could be killed using normal poisons were the weakest ones, the E-rank monsters, and D-rank monsters to some extent. In order to kill a monster like the Grisly Bear, the hunters would have to use a really strong poison, one that was magical in nature. There was no way hunters out here in the boonies had that kind of lethal weapon hidden. Unless…

“Are those hunters hired by the Baronet?” I asked Garin.

“Hm? Yeah, all hunters in Erfeld are under the Baronet's payroll. He's also the one that paid them to kill the Grisly Bear.”

Suspicious things seemed to surround the Baronet. Not only did he have potent and likely illegal poison in his hands, he also had a private army: the town guards and the hunters. This Baronet was starting to look less like a town chief and more like a crime boss.

“You guys wanted to do something fun, right?” Garin asked us while grinning widely.

“What do you have in mind this time?” Liz asked as she stared at Garin with a suspicious look in her eyes.

“Oh, nothing much. Just a stroll by the Baronet's mansion. And maybe take a little peek at the monster corpse.”

Everybody stared at Garin in silence for a few moments. Then Terric stood up and pointed at him. “That's a great idea!”

“I wanna come too! I wanna see a real monster!” Maly chimed in from the side.

“The monster is a rare specimen around these parts. I'll come with,” Ralf said.

“How about you Brogen?” Garin asked me with a grin on his face.

I was about to say no because I didn't have permission from Mom, but I was also tempted to take a look at the Grisly Bear. In the ten years I spent in this world, not once had I ever ventured outside the town, which meant I also had no chance to ever see a monster in the flesh. I only knew them from the pages of a book.

I looked at the time.

2:32 p.m.

Looked like I still had enough time before Mom came home.

“I'm in,” I replied, a hint of excitement leaking into my voice.

We all turned our heads toward Liz, who fidgeted in place because of all the gazes directed at her. “I'll go too, I guess.”

We all cheered as we cleaned up the dining table and prepared to head out. I just hoped I'd be back home before Mom.

●●●

We took the shortest route to the center of town and arrived outside the Baronet's mansion after a fifteen-minute walk. The snowstorm had abated while we walked, but it was still snowing. It was my first time coming here, so everything was new to me. I made sure to lessen the range of my fabric sense since I always got a headache every time I detected too much fabric presence in my mind.

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The center of town was basically a large space with the Baronet's mansion smack dab in the middle. Compared to the outskirts of Erfeld where most of the area was filled with fields and animal pens, the center of town was full of shops and stalls. One street that led to somewhere else had a higher concentration of traffic than the others, and when I asked Liz, she told me it led to the town square where stalls were set up and merchants sold their merchandise. Maly also told me that her father worked in their own stall there. I often forgot that Maly had a merchant for a father since I always associated them with crafty and devious people. Maly wasn't really the prime example of a crafty girl…

Maly glanced at me with a questioning look, as if she could read my mind. I looked away and pretended to take interest in a pile of horse shit on the street.

“So, what do we do?” Terric asked as we observed the mansion in front of us from a distance.

It was a large two-story house made out of stone with decorated windows and walls painted white. Compared to the rest of the houses in Erfeld, it looked a lot bigger and more imposing.

The mansion was surrounded by stone walls on all sides. There was a gate at the front where two guards that looked more like thugs lounged in their chairs, their spears rested on their shoulders. I initially thought that the guards would be wearing full-plate armor, but these ones only wore leather armor. Makes sense. Metal is expensive.

The guards were playing cards, not even bothering to stay vigilant and do their jobs properly. I bet they were only hired for their intimidating faces and violent personalities.

I put my fabric sense on max range for a bit and detected two more guards patrolling inside the walls by the mansion's front entrance. My senses also reached inside the mansion and revealed six more guards.

“How are we going to get past all those guards?” I asked.

Garin looked at me like I just grew another head. “We never intended to trespass into the Baronet's mansion, Brogen. That's just asking for death.”

“Then how are we going to see the bear?”

“By peeking over the walls of course. I'm not taking the risk of getting beaten by the guards just to get a glimpse of a dead monster.”

Fair point. The walls weren't actually that tall. It was slightly taller than an adult person, so we could just have some of us carry the others so they could peek over the walls. Luckily, there were no guards that patrolled outside the wall's perimeter.

With a good plan in hand, our group casually strolled around the mansion, trying to find the perfect spot where we could see the Grisly Bear and avoid attention at the same time.

We chose a spot that overlooked the mansion's southeast side. We did a short rock-paper-scissors game to decide who got to peek first. Terric and Liz won, so Garin and Ralf positioned themselves by the wall and let the two climb on top of their shoulders while Maly and I watched out for incoming guards. Since the mansion was in the middle of an open area of town, some people stared at us as we did our thing. Hopefully, they wouldn't tell the guards.

“Don't raise me too high, Garin!” Terric whispered. Guards were patrolling the area, and the last thing we wanted was to attract their attention.

“There's no bear in here,” Terric whispered.

“Maybe it's inside the mansion?”

“Who would put a large, smelly carcass inside their home, you idiot?” Liz said harshly. I could tell she wasn't enjoying risking ourselves like this.

“How about the stables?” Ralf suggested.

We agreed with his suggestion and switched locations to the other side of the mansion. This attempt turned out to be more fruitful, as evidenced by Terric's wide eyes and open mouth.

“Is it there?” Garin asked as he breathed heavily while carrying the muscled teen on his shoulders.

“It's huge!” Terric exclaimed quietly. Even Liz had a look of awe and a bit of fear on her face as she stared silently over the wall.

After a few more moments, Garin and Ralf took their turn to peek. Garin had a more exaggerated look on his face, smiling like a madman and laughing quietly to himself. They ducked their heads from time to time to hide from the patrolling guards.

Ralf also looked quite amazed. It wasn't obvious on his face, but the way he licked his lips showed that he had the same creepy interest in monsters as Garin.

And then it was finally my and Maly's turn. I positioned myself on top of Garin's shoulders as he took hold of my legs. Before I peeked over the wall, I extended my fabric sense first so that I would know when the guards were coming. Looks like they're still far.

“Ow, my shoulders are starting to hurt…” Garin muttered below me. I ignored him as I finally looked over the wall. I could feel the shoulders I was standing on trembling a bit, but I would only peek for a short while, so Garin didn't have to carry me for long.

The stables were constructed beside the mansion. It was a small wooden structure that housed the Baronet's prized horses, but currently, there were no animals present inside. My eyes spotted a big something in front of it, and my eyes widened like saucers. I heard Maly gasp beside me as she also saw the beast.

A massive lump of black fur lay in front of the stables, almost as tall as the wall which almost reached two meters. Despite it lying down on its front with its limbs sprawled out on its side, the Grisly Bear still loomed. If it stood on its short hind legs, it could easily have reached three meters in height, maybe even more. Its long, glossy black fur shone under the afternoon sun, giving it a majestic look.

But despite the grand appearance, the tongue lolling out of its mouth and its bleeding eyes proved that the massive creature was dead. I could only imagine the kind of pain it must've felt before it died. According to the monster almanac, C-rank monsters wouldn't die that quickly from simply ingesting poison, even if it was magical. With the creature's size, it must've taken the poison a very long time before the monster finally succumbed to it.

I was feeling a bit of sympathy for the monster. People around here called these creatures ‘monsters,’ but from what I observed from the almanac, I knew they were just animals that had a different path of evolution. The almanac explained ‘monster’ behavior, and from what I've read, the Grisly Bear basically did everything that a normal bear would do, except that it just had a larger appetite. They were just a part of nature. The only thing that made them ‘monstrous’ was the presence of magic.

But I knew I was only thinking like that since I never experienced one of those dreadful monster attacks that were commonplace around the world. I was just basing these opinions on this single instance of seeing a monster that died painfully. Liz, who already experienced a monster attack and even lost her parents to it, had a very negative opinion about monsters, which was justified. If the same thing happened to Mom, I would also have the same opinion as Liz, maybe even do something about it, especially with my Authority.

I snapped out of my reverie as I heard Garin's huffing breaths below me. Oops.

“Er, sorry about that Garin. You can put me dowWHOOAA!”

Garin collapsed beneath me as he tried to catch his breath. At the last instant, I managed to latch my hands over the wall so I wouldn't fall on top of him. I may have overestimated the chubby boy's endurance a bit. I thought he always helped in their farm?! How could he work there if he couldn't even carry a ten-year-old for a minute?!

My heart skipped a beat when my fabric sense suddenly alerted me. Before Garin collapsed, I sensed one of the guards coming, but I disregarded it since I was about to go down anyway. When Garin fell below me, I got distracted for a bit, failing to keep track of the guard. Right now, I was hanging on the wall with my head completely visible. And I was staring at a dumbfounded guard who just spotted me.

“What do you think you're doing, you brat?! Hey, we've got trespassers trying to scale the wall!”

Oh shit! Without hesitation, I let go of the wall and dropped down, scraping my arms on the wall's rough surface along the way, but my panicking mind didn't register the pain. Shit, shit! We're fucked!

When I got back down, I saw the others looking at me with horrified eyes and frozen in place.

“What are you guys waiting for?! We need to run now!” I shouted at them. I could feel my hands trembling in fear. I never experienced being in this kind of problem before! Not even in my previous life!

“Wait, something's wrong with Garin!” Terric said while panicking.

I looked quickly at Garin, who was red in the face and still trying to catch his breath. I finally realized that something was very wrong with him. His breathing shouldn't be this ragged just from carrying me. Shit, does he have asthma?!

I didn't know what could have triggered his wheezing and shortness of breath, but it didn't matter because the guards would find us soon! I looked at the others and saw that they also didn't know what to do. Liz was chewing her lip in nervousness while Maly was on the verge of tears. Ralf and Terric were trying to help Garin, but all they could do was support him as he struggled to stand.

We couldn't just run away and leave Garin behind. Carrying him would impede us too much, which would let the guards catch up to us. There's only one thing left to do. Shit I don't want to do this…

“Guys, carry Garin and take him back to the house! I'll meet you there!”

“Wait, Brogen! Where are you going?!” Liz whispered with panic.

Before they could stop me, I was already running towards the wall's corner. When I turned the corner, my eyes greeted the sight of two gruff-looking guards running in my direction. I couldn't let them turn the corner and see the others, so I ran away from my friends, towards the street that led to the town square. I was the only one that the guards saw peeking over the walls, so they would assume that I was alone.

“Hey, stop there you little shit!”

I could hear the stomping of boots behind me as the guards chased after me. My heart was beating so fast I feared it would jump out of my chest. I took a glance behind me and breathed a sigh of relief when the guards never spared a single glance towards where the rest of my friends were.

As I continued to run to the town square, more people started to populate the street. Despite the snowstorm, there were still a lot of people outside. They must have left their houses when the snowstorm started to weaken. Thank the Holy Mother for the crowd.

The guards were gaining on me, what with my little legs being too short to make large strides. It was only a matter of time before the guards caught up to me. What do I do?!

“Watch where you're going, you stupid shit!”

I activated my fabric sense and felt one of the guards stumble as he collided with a random guy. I could lose them in the crowds!

I accelerated my pace further until I arrived in the town square. I was starting to get tired from all the running, but I pushed on. My eyes took in a large space filled with stalls as merchants shouted and hawked their goods. The ground was clear of snow as workers with brooms swept them away before they could accumulate. The area was noisy as the voices of shouting merchants and haggling customers mixed together to form a cacophony of chaotic sounds. A perfect place to lose the guards.

“Stop right there, brat!”

When I heard the shout behind me, I immediately took off and plunged into the large crowd. My fabric sense was flooding my mind with information and gave me an intense headache. An old coat draped over thick linen tunics, an expensive dress made out of soft cotton, a bunch of torn rags wrapped inside a thick woolen blanket.

Useless information about the clothes around me bombarded my mind as I pushed my way through the crowd. Keeping my focus was starting to get harder as I continued to run from the guards. I didn't expect my power to have this kind of side effect!

Fortunately, my small stature that was a disadvantage in a direct chase was now an advantage as I navigated through the throng of people. I could feel the guards' clothes and leather armor struggle to push their way through the dense crowd, and not even their status as the Baronet's men was enough to clear the entire square just to chase a child. I tried to subtly manipulate the guards' clothes to drag them down a bit and slow them, but my Authority didn't function well when I tried to control clothing that didn't belong to me, so the effect I had on the guards was negligible.

I hid behind a stall selling stuffed toys and tracked the guards' clothes. My headache was now an intense migraine and I was starting to lose consciousness, but I gritted my teeth and stayed awake until I felt the guards' presence leave the radius of my fabric sense.

When I was sure that they weren't coming back, I immediately deactivated my fabric sense entirely and collapsed on the ground. I never liked turning off my fabric sense because it always felt like depriving myself of my sight or my hearing, but right now it gave me intense relief. I laid down beside a crate and realized my vision was starting to darken. Shit, I'm gonna pass out…

Just before I completely lost consciousness, the back door of the stall that I was hiding behind opened and a man with red hair walked out and saw me resting by the crate. The last thing I saw before I passed out was the man reaching down to pick me up.

●●●

“Bye Helly! See you tomorrow!”

“Bye Linny!”

Helen exited the chapel's large wooden doors, making sure her woolen coat was snug on her body. She made sure her scarf was secure around her neck then raised the coat's hood over her head. She began her walk home.

She was carrying a basket filled with steaming hot meat buns that Sister Lina baked earlier. Helen hoped it would at least remain warm until she made it back home. Brogen didn't like cold food. I wonder what he's doing, Helen thought.

She trudged through the thick snow piled up on the seldom-used street as she made her way home. Helen thanked Mother Betha in her mind for letting her go home early every time there was a storm. The blizzard over Erfeld today would surely worsen later on in the evening, so she was glad that she wouldn't have to walk home under the worst of it.

When Helen finally arrived at their house and opened the door, she expected to hear Brogen's voice welcoming her home as usual. She knew her son could detect her clothes' presence from far away. But what she heard instead was a babble of familiar voices. Ah, looks like Brogen had his friends come by again.

She smiled at the sweet thought that Brogen had good friends that would keep him company every day. Helen felt a bit guilty for not spending enough time with her son due to her work in the chapel. They spent less time together ever since Brogen was old enough that leaving him home alone was fine. Thank the Holy Mother he has good friends.

“Hey, guys! I brought meat buns with me!”

Helen greeted the children cheerfully as she took off her thick winter clothing. When she was answered with silence, she looked up with a confused expression. She was greeted with the sight of Brogen's friends adopting nervous expressions on their faces. Helen wondered whether they did something naughty again when she realized Brogen wasn't with them.

“What's wrong guys? And where's Brogen?”

Helen tried to keep her voice cheerful, but her voice quivered a bit. When she saw their guilty expression while Maly cried quietly in the background, she felt her heart drop as she immediately assumed the worst. Did they find out about his Authority?!

Before Helen could rush into her bedroom and pack her bags with her and Brogen's clothes, Liz answered Helen with a quiet voice.

“Brogen, he… he used himself as a distraction to lure the Baronet's guards away from us when we were caught peeking over the mansion walls.”

The group of children cringed with guilt when they saw Helen's face contort with fear.

●●●

My eyes slowly opened and an unfamiliar ceiling greeted me. My mind still hurt from time to time, but the pain was significantly weaker compared to before. How long was I out?

I got up from the blanket placed beneath me as a makeshift bed. I was inside a small room with shelves lining up the walls. They were filled with all sorts of stuffed toys and other knick-knacks. Wait, this was the stall I used earlier as a hiding spot…

The door on the back wall opened, and a middle-aged man entered. He wore a moderately fancy tunic made with dyed cloth and designed with colorful embroidery. He also wore a thick red coat, and my fabric sense was telling me it was made of expensive wool. The coat matched his familiar red hair, and his kind face gazed at me with curiosity.

“Good evening, kid. You're finally awake.”

Good evening? I must have slept for a few hours if it was already night outside.

“Good evening, sir. Sorry for imposing, and thank you for sheltering me.”

“Don't mind it. The Holy Mother would smite me if I didn't help an unconscious boy behind my stall. Would you like some snacks? They're still hot.”

The man dressed in expensive clothing offered me freshly baked cookies wrapped in cloth. I thanked him and gobbled it down. My last meal had been several hours ago, and it was soup.

Then I realized I forgot to introduce myself.

“Oh! I'm sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Brogen.”

“Haha, it's quite alright. I'm Hayes, nice to meet you. Wait, did you just say you were Brogen?”

Hayes looked at me with recognition in his eyes.

“Yes, sorry but have we met?”

“Oh no, but you have already met my daughter. She always talked about you every time she got home.”

I was confused for a moment until it all clicked. Maly always bragged about her father who sold toys in their stall in the town square.

“You're Maly's dad!”

Hayes chuckled at me. “I'm glad you immediately recognized me. Thanks for hanging out with Maly, there are not many children around here who would befriend her willingly. In fact, some children in the past used to bully her.”

“What? Why?! She's a fun companion to spend time with.”

A look of hesitation passed by Hayes' expression, and then he sighed in resignation.

“Maly always says you're smart, so I guess you would understand what I'm about to tell you. Not all people here in Erfeld are as open-minded as your friends, kid. In the eyes of people here in Edria, my family and I are outsiders. We come from Ocrana, a neighboring kingdom, and the two countries aren't exactly in a good relationship right now.”

I was shocked to learn that Maly was bullied. I never realized until now why Maly was always happy and cheerful every time she spent time with our group. It turned out we were the only group of children that welcomed her without prejudice.

Mother Betha taught us years ago about the geopolitical situation surrounding our country, but I severely underestimated the ‘strained relationships’ between Edria and Ocrana. This was the first time I encountered discrimination in this world, but I wasn't shocked that it also existed here. As long as there were differences in cultures and beliefs, there would always be discrimination.

“Then why are you here in Erfeld in the first place? Are you a traveling merchant?”

Hayes chuckled at my question.

“No, I'm not a traveling merchant. That job is too dangerous, what with all the bandits roaming around the countryside right now. My family moved here in Erfeld a long time ago, way before the relationship between the two kingdoms soured.”

“Oh. Well, that's unfortunate.”

“That it is, kid. That it is.”

After I finished eating my cookies and chatted with Hayes, my eyes chanced upon a clock hanging on the wall.

7:41 p.m.

Wow, it was pretty late already. Pretty late… Oh shit! Mom's going to kill me!

I shot up from my seat.

“I apologize sir, but I just remembered that I should have been back home hours ago.”

Hayes laughed at my predicament, and I couldn't help but join him as I accepted the fact that Mom was going to punish me when I got home.

“I bet your Mom would be very worried. Alright, let's go.”

I had a confused expression when Hayes stood up and gestured for me to follow him.

“What, you think I'm just going to let a young kid like you go home by himself this late?”

When I looked outside the door Hayes opened, I saw that it was dark already. Oh yeah, there was a storm.

“Er, thanks. Sorry for the trouble.”

“It's quite alright.”

We wore our thick winter clothing and trudged outside through the strong winds. When we got to my house, my heart started to beat faster and faster as I imagined all sorts of punishment Mom would inflict on me when I got back.

When Hayes and I finally arrived at our house's front door, I gulped nervously and entered. A wave of warm air hit my face as I invited Hayes inside after me.

The first thing that greeted my sight was my friends staring at me with relief in their eyes as they sat by the dining table. I was glad to see that Garin was no longer huffing, although his face was a bit pale, like the other children.

Before I could further analyze their faces, I saw a blur going straight for me and wrapping me in its embrace.

“Gah!”

“Oh, my baby!”

Mom trapped me in a fierce hug as she cried into my shoulder. Damn it, I made Mom cry again.

“Are you alright?! Did those bastard guards do anything to you?!”

I was shocked to hear Mom curse. This was the first time I heard her curse in the ten years we've been living with each other. I forgot that Mom's hatred for the guards was intense ever since that night she was beaten up.

“I was looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?!”

Mom kept asking me questions as she sobbed on my shoulder. I patted her head as I tried to comfort her, and I saw Hayes at the corner of my vision smiling at me. I blushed in embarrassment.

Although I didn't like seeing Mom in tears, I was relieved that Mom didn't punish me right away. Who knew, maybe she wouldn't punish me at all. Hah, dream on, Brogen.

After everybody calmed down and I changed my shirt that was covered with Mom's tears and snot with a clean one, we all sat down by the dining table.

“Good evening, Ma'am. My name is Hayes Matson, toy merchant and Maly's dad, a pleasure to meet you.”

Hayes greeted Mom with a gentlemanly bow and explained his involvement in the situation. Mom nodded awkwardly while wiping her nose.

“Nice to meet you too, good sir. I can't thank you enough for sheltering my son. Oh, and I'm Helen, by the way.”

“Don't think too much of it, Miss Helen. You would have done the same thing for Maly.”

“Yeah, Aunt Helen is kind!”

Maly inserted herself into their conversation cheerfully. Now that I was safe and sound, everybody could now breathe in comfort as their worries were abated. I felt a fuzzy feeling inside me, knowing that there were people who would worry for me.

After everyone was sat down, I told them everything that happened during the chase except for the parts where I used my Authority. Everybody had a look of amazement on their faces as I narrated my story, so I added some dramatic flair to amaze them even more.

I described the ugly mugs of the guards chasing me in excruciating detail, how they shouted threats at me as I ran like my life depended on it, which it technically did. I told them how the guards would have caught me if I never thought of losing them in the crowds of the town square. In my passion, I even mimed the guards' twisted expression as I shouted “Wait 'till we catch you, brat!”

By the time I finished my story, everybody was already on the edge of their seats. I grinned like an idiot, proud of my storytelling skills. Up until I saw Mom's horrified face. Her face was pale and her hands trembled as she gripped the hem of her shirt tightly. Oh, I think I shouldn't have added too many details…

Mom burst into tears for the second time that night.

●●●

After thanking Hayes and sending everybody home, Mom and I sat on the couch. There was an awkward silence between us as Mom just stared blankly at the air in front of her. I squirmed in my seat, uncomfortable at the current situation.

“Mom? I'm sorry for going out without your permission…”

Her eyes snapped back to reality and she looked at me. There was no trace of anger in her gaze, only sorrow and guilt.

“You don't need to apologize sweetie. It's my fault you stay cooped up in the house all day. I'm sorry we don't get to spend as much time together these days.”

Mom wiped her eyes then hugged me. I was surprised that Mom wasn't angry. In fact, she was the one who was apologizing! Although she was right that I was starting to get tired of staying in the house all day, my actions were still inexcusable.

Mom must've been feeling guilty ever since she decided a year ago that I should stop coming with her to the chapel every time she worked. The daily training of my Authority made my power significantly stronger than before, and she feared that I might accidentally lose control of it and reveal it to the public someday. Her solution was to keep my exposure to other people at a minimum, which I understood and agreed on since we couldn't take any risks when our lives were on the line.

“It's alright, Mom. Me staying in the house wasn't your decision alone, it was also mine. So please, don't blame yourself anymore.”

Mom chuckled at me as she caressed my head.

“Look at you, worrying over your mother when it should be the other way around. Alright, from now on, you can go outside whenever you want, sweetie.”

Whoa, for real?! Heck yeah!

“But! Promise me you won't go anywhere near the Baronet's mansion and be back by five in the afternoon.”

“I promise!”

Even if I was given the choice, I would never go to the Baronet's mansion again. If the guards saw me again, I was sure they won't let me go so easily this time.

Just as I was about to go to the bedroom and talk with Tedd and Cuddles, I felt a nagging feeling in my mind. I looked at Mom and saw her clothes.

She wore a long white nightgown that was fastened by the hips with laces and covered her legs entirely. It was made of linen, softened over the years of usage. The hem of her short sleeves was frayed at some areas, while small tears and rips dotted her skirt. For some reason, looking at the worn dress annoyed me.

At that moment, I recalled my great idea of making money easily.

“Oh, Mom, I have a proposal.”

“Hm? What's that sweetie?”

“Can I establish my own clothing shop?”

There was a short pause as Mom processed what I just said.

“Clothing shop? Like a boutique?”

“Yeah, something like that, but it will not be limited to fancy dresses. It will also include cheap practical clothes for common people.”

“But you don't know how to sew?”

“Yeah, so maybe, I don't know, you can teach me?”

I looked at Mom with a shy look, and she just laughed and agreed. The thought that I was just ten years old and already wanted to open a shop didn't even register in her mind.

“Alright sweetie, I'll teach you, but I don't think a single person can supply a clothing shop all by himself.”

Heh, I was waiting for her to say that.

“I know, but a person with a power that controls thread could do it, right?”

I looked at Mom with a smug look, but the moment she understood what I said, Mom's smile froze on her face.

“…What was that, sweetie?”

“I could use my Authority to make clothes much faster, so we could basically supply the store all by myself!”

“No.”

I looked at Mom with an incredulous look on my face.

“What?! Why?!”

“It's too big a risk. I cannot agree to this knowing it would put you in danger.”

Mom's eyes looked determined, and that was not a good sign. Every time she looked like that, it meant she wouldn't budge on any decision she made.

“But I'll make sure to be extra careful!”

“No means no, Brogen.”

“But I want to do this! This is the only time I've ever asked for something like this!”

Mom wavered a bit after I said that, but remained resolute in her decision.

“I'm not putting you at unnecessary risk again, Brogen. You were almost captured by the Baronet's guards today!”

“That doesn't have anything to do with this!”

“It's got everything to do with it, Brogen!”

I was shocked speechless when Mom shouted. She was crying all over again, and her lips were trembling. If I thought that she was already calm from the revelation of me nearly being captured by the guards, then I was wrong.

“Everything I do, I do it to keep you away from that vile Baronet! If that bastard learned that you're an Ascendant, he will not hesitate to hunt you down! He will turn you in, and you will become a simple plaything for all the nobles of this kingdom! And this afternoon, he came this close to capturing my baby! I'm not risking you again, not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”

Mom was breathing heavily now, and the house was silent. The steady hum of the magic heating device in the corner was the sole noise in the room. Mom was looking at me, her face a mask of fury and determination. But then it broke when she realized I had the same expression on my face.

“You said all those years ago that you wanted me to have a choice to choose my own future.”

Mom winced as she recalled the time she got into an argument with Sister Lina in this very room. I was a baby at that time, but Mom didn't notice that fact as I continued.

“How will I do that if you're the one chaining me down? How could I choose my own future if you don't give me the chance to make my own choice?”

I was crying now, my hands gripping the hem of my shirt tightly. It pained me to see Mom's hurt expression, but the fact that I was the one that hurt her in the first place made it worst.

But I couldn't just stay quiet and keep my thoughts to myself. I knew I was just a kid and Mom had every right to decide what was best for me, but I wasn't a normal kid. Even if I acted like one because of my young body's influence, I always had a good head on my shoulders, even better than some of the adults around here. I always did everything while knowing the consequences, and I always took responsibility for my mistakes. I was a mature man in a kid's body, and Mom knew that.

“But you're still so young…”

“Mom, please. Give me this chance to choose my own path.”

Mom had a conflicted expression on her face. I knew her rational thinking and her instinct as a mother were clashing. I never thought Mom's intense love for me would lead to this predicament.

“Sweetie, maybe you can do this after a few more years…”

Mom was pleading now. I didn't want to see it. Mom, who only did everything she did for my own good, was pleading to me. I ran to her and hugged her tightly just so I wouldn't have to see her like this.

“Please Mom, please.”

I felt Mom's arms surround me as she embraced me.

“Promise me, Brogen. Promise me you'll be careful. Promise me that you will never meet the Holy Mother before I do.”

I felt a shiver down my spine. I realized once again that I was risking my life for this. One single slip and we would have to go on the run, evading the king's agents aiming to hunt me down.

I clenched my fists in determination.

“I promise, Mom.”

“Good.”

We stayed in each other's embrace for a while as Mom caressed my head. Even if I acted all brave and determined earlier, I was still afraid of the risks I was taking. But I could do this even with my fears because I knew Mom would always be there to support me.

As long as I had Mom by my side, I could take on everything the world threw at me.

●●●

“Let's cut to the chase.”

Once again, Mother Betha was in the chapel's meeting room with the two nuns. The only difference this time was the hot meat buns placed on the table. Sister Lina refused to attend a meeting without something to munch on.

Mother Betha tried to ignore the chewing noises as Sister Lina ate and continued what she was saying.

“The Holy See won't be able to send reinforcements.”

The chewing noises stopped, replaced with sounds of choking.

“The King denied the Holy See their request to send additional Templars, deeming it an ‘aggressive act’ during these tumultuous times.”

“Don't tell me the Holy See took that at face value!” Sister Lina exclaimed.

“Of course not. The Holy See is still pushing for it, and chances are high that Edria will give in eventually.”

“Then there's nothing to worry about, is there?”

Mother Betha spotted Sister Tillie shaking her head in disappointment beside Sister Lina.

“The problem is,” Mother Betha continued, “it would take a long time before the Holy See succeeds in their negotiations.”

“Is the war imminent?” Sister Tillie asked.

“As far as I know, tensions are high between Edria and Ocrana, but not enough to justify a full-blown war yet. This kingdom's nobles are also having a hard time maintaining their armies, what with the shortage of food ravaging the northern territories. The people at the Holy See are also sure that the war will not begin before they could send their reinforcements.”

“But aren't they worried that something might happen to Brogen while they dawdle?” Sister Lina asked while chewing on a meat bun.

“They don't really have a choice,” Mother Betha answered. “As long as they don't have clearance from the old fool on the throne, sending Templars across the borders would be an act of war.”

“How are you so sure that the Holy See will succeed in the negotiations, Mother?” Sister Tillie asked politely.

“That's because Edria can't afford to wage war on Ocrana and the Church of the Holy Mother. Unless Edria is allied with the Empire, the Holy Mother Church would decimate this kingdom's army faster than they could muster it.”

Although the Empire of Aglaria was considered the strongest nation in Gigas, the gap between their military strength and that of the Holy Mother Church was small. The Kingdom of Edria in the meanwhile was considered one of the weakest ever since its decline. Years of corruption had crippled the kingdom, and what was left was now just a husk of its former glory.

This was why Mother Betha was confused about Edria's intention to wage war against Ocrana. The King did not declare war just yet, but it was already obvious with how the army was conscripting soldiers from all over the kingdom. There didn't even seem to be any purpose to the war. It reeked of schemes by the nobles.

“So what do you guys think does the Holy See want with Helen and Brogen?” Sister Lina asked with a conspirational look.

Mother Betha froze in her seat. Of all the topics this bumbling idiot could think of, it had to be this?

“The Holy See never mentioned anything about it. I've tried asking them about it through our communication channel, but they deem the information strictly classified.”

“Aww, I was hoping they would tell us after years of helping the two!”

The pastor never told the two nuns about Brogen's status as an Ascendant. The Oath of Secrecy she swore was the main reason, but the other was to keep the two nuns from getting too involved. Mother Betha had raised the women by herself ever since they were orphaned. She viewed them as her own daughters, and she would never let them get involved with the danger that came with knowing the secret.

Mother Betha was glad that Sister Lina wasn't the smartest girl around. It was extremely easy to divert her attention every time she became curious about the Holy See's interest in Helen and Brogen. The problematic one was Sister Tillie.

The sly and crafty woman had been suspecting Mother Betha for several years now. Sister Tillie likely knew that Mother Betha had more information regarding the situation, but her respect for the pastor was too great for her to even think of directly confronting her adoptive parent.

But Mother Betha knew she couldn't keep them in the dark forever. They may not be able to get the truth from her, but nothing would stop them from finding it out from Helen or Brogen themselves. She just hoped they were wise enough to stay uninvolved once they did learn the truth.

“Alright, that's it for today's meeting.”

“More like ‘for this year's meeting,’” Sister Lina said as she stood up. “Why does the Holy See contact us only once a year anyway?”

“They're very paranoid about spies intercepting our communication channels, so they try to keep it to a minimum.”

“What are these ‘communication channels’ you keep speaking of?”

“You're not allowed to know that,” Mother Betha answered with a smirk.

The three women filed out of the room to return to their duties as Sister Lina grumbled.