I walked through the mansion's two giant doors, which were at least three times my height, and gazed at the luxurious sight in front of me. Two couches were spaced far apart, with a large, fancy table between them. A chandelier hung gracefully above the room, and two indoor balconies were on each side of the room, leading down with stairs. At the back of the room wall were three tall windows that gave me a glimpse of the brilliant courtyard outside.

Zeph was already out of sight, and Myla seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, taking in every sight.

"Right this way, please," Bertly gestured for us to follow.

Myla seemed to snap back to reality at his words, and we both followed behind him. As we walked through the manor, I saw random paintings of beasts, like dragons or lions, along the walls. There were other small decorative items here and there, mostly to fill up space in the large mansion. It still looked nice, though.

I was drawn away from the random paintings and decor by the smell of food, which was amazing and welcoming. The different scents clashed well together, and it almost made my mouth water. All I had eaten until now were on-the-road foods.

It had been too long since I ate a home-cooked meal, even if it wasn't my home. The thought of my parents disappearing into the crowd resurfaced along with emotions I couldn't explain.

If I felt like this, there was no telling how Myla actually felt. She always had that silly smile on her face, but I could tell she was sad as well, maybe still.

I was pulled out of my state of melancholy at the sight of the dining room. A long table with many chairs was in the center of the room. Another giant chandelier hung from the roof, but this one seemed to dance and glow. The table was filled with many dishes, too many to count on two hands.

Zeph, though, was already sitting down and enjoying his food. "Well, guys, what are you waiting for? An invitation? Come sit down and eat," he said. His face was stuffed with food as he waved his hand for us to sit.

Myla giggled, "If you eat too much and too fast, you'll choke, uncle."

Zeph swallowed his food and bumped his chest with his fist a couple of times, "Faliya used to tell me that all the time, but my motto is, 'you eat as much as you can when you can,' because you never know if it will be your last meal."

Myla seemed to be thinking over his words, and she took a seat at the table, "Fair enough."

I took my seat as well, ignoring Zeph's rambling, and started to make my plate.

He turned his attention to me, "So, I'm thinking of starting your training tomorrow. I have a training facility in the back with mana crystals all around, so it's mana abundant and good for meditation at the lower mana core levels."

"And I can use this place as much as I want?" I asked as I swallowed a particularly flavorful piece of grilled meat. I wasn't really surprised he had a personal training room in this giant house. Instead, I was more interested in these mana crystals he mentioned.

"Well, yes. You will be staying here now, so it's only fair, and most of your training will be held in that room anyway." He took a sip of a caramel liquid from his glass, "Myla, you will be training with me and Fal as well. You still need to train your caster abilities for the academy entrance exam."

Myla nodded in agreement and took a sip from her glass as well.

“So, how's the food, Zephyrus?” an unfamiliar voice asked from across the room.

I turned to look at the source of the voice and saw a tall woman in a chef's uniform. Her cooking apron was hanging loosely on her body and her chef hat was tilted to the side of her head. She appeared a little fatigued.

"I went all out for your homecoming, you know! A thank you would be nice," she said.

"Yes, Loria, it's amazing as always. Thank you," he replied, already defeated by the woman's words.

"You're welcome as always," she said as she headed over to the table, and her face seemed to light up at the sight of Myla. "Oh my, so pretty! You look just like your mother. I feel as if I've gone back in time."

Myla's face turned beet red, and her words flustered. "T-Thank you, Miss Loria."

Miss Loria turned to me, and we made eye contact.

"And this handsome young man with an otherworldly gaze! You look like your mother as well, but I can see some of Melvin here and there."

"Thank you," I responded coolly, taking another bite of grilled meat. "The food is amazing. The chef who made it must be an angel."

This filled her with laughter. "You're a sly one, kid, but I'm glad to have someone around here who actually appreciates my talents." As she said this, her eyes met with Zeph's.

"I do appreciate your talents!" Zeph cut in.

"Then eat my food with grace! Don't just shove it down whatever hole it fits in!"

Zeph went quiet. The whole table was quiet until I let a laugh slip from my lips.

Finally, Zeph managed to gulp down his food. "What's so funny, brat?"

"She's right, you know," I said. "This food is too good for you to just shove it down your throat. Have some grace," I teased.

He gave Loria and me a look of defeat. "You win this time, but I can't promise I won't be back to my old ways soon."

I figured as much, and from the way Loria looked, she did as well. "It's not like I expected much from you, Zephyrus."

After a bit more conversation, Chef Loria left the room. From the way she and Zeph spoke to each other, it wasn't hard to tell she had known him for a long time. It got me somewhat curious about my family's past, but I didn't dig too deep into it.

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Myla and I were already finished by the time Loria left, and Bertly showed us to our rooms. The rooms were giant, too big for just guest rooms, in my opinion. In my room sat a bed that looked to be made for a king. Beside it and up against the wall were a desk and chair. On the desk sat an oil lamp, an ink pen, and blank papers. On the other side was a door to my own personal bathroom. In the middle of the room sat an antique couch with a coffee table. There was also a window that gave me a better view of the courtyard. I walked over to the window and looked down at the courtyard. The brilliantly cut bushes and nice flowers meshed together made it a sight for sore eyes. I had never been interested in greenery or anything of the sort, so I didn't know why I felt this way.

Looking away from the window, I sat down on the antique couch. Despite its looks, it was oddly comfortable. I released my baggage from my storage ring, and as I did so, Rye hopped out of my body. He began to stretch and hopped on my bed, making himself comfortable. "Since this is our bed now, I assume you don't mind."

I rolled my eyes. "Do as you please."

I turned back to my bag, which I had placed on the coffee table, and searched for the grimoire that Zeph had given me. Once I found it, I opened it up to the Dark Negate spell page and began to practice. I was now able to hold the spell for around 20 seconds, which was decent, if I do say so myself.

The Dark Negate spell wasn't like a wind slash or wind bullets; it was more like a barrier type spell. When cast, I had to constantly supply it with mana at an even rate, and any small mistake or inconsistency would cause the spell to dissipate. If I wanted to make the spell larger to negate a bigger spell, I would have to supply it with much more mana and keep it consistent, which was much harder.

The size I practiced was just big enough to block a water or fireball spell of decent size. I decided that once I could hold this size consistently for 30 seconds, I would attempt a bigger size.

After about three hours of practice, I was on a good run.

Twenty-three.

Twenty-four.

The spell flickered, looking as if it was about to dissipate. Come on. Focus.

Twenty-five.

Twenty-six.

'So, Fal, what do you think of Zeph so far? I personally think he's a weirdo.'

At Rye's words, a picture of Zeph's stupid mug appeared in my mind, disrupting my focus. My face grew despairing as the spell dissipated into nothing before my eyes.

I turned to Rye, my expression cold. Don't you know how to read the damn room? I was at twenty-six seconds, and you had to bring up that fool.

‘Oh come on. You've been doing that same spell for hours; you have to be bored by now,' he said, now on all fours jumping up and down.

No, I was not bored, I replied, trying to calm myself. Blaming Rye for my failure was pointless. Hell, if I were in a real battle, I could probably only hold the spell for no more than five seconds anyway. It took a lot of focus. But to answer your first question, Rye, he is a walking bottle of inconsistencies. Why do you ask?

His feline gaze turned pensive. 'It sounds odd, but when you're around him, I can sort of sense something more coming from him. Like another soul.'

Wait, you mean like a familiar? I asked, interested in what my bond had to say.

'Yeah.'

I pondered Rye's words. If Zeph did have a familiar and Rye could sense it, it would make sense how Zeph knew I was bonded with Rye because his familiar could most likely do the same thing.

Rye, I called, staring at my familiar seriously. I've decided that on my first day of training, I'm going to introduce you to Zeph. Are you alright with that?

Rye didn't seem to hesitate in answering. 'Yeah, sure, I was tired of hiding in your body all the time anyways.'

This would be good for us. If Zeph did have a familiar, he could help me learn more about Rye and how bonds work. Besides, he already knew Rye existed, so even if I did keep him hidden, it really wouldn't change anything.

As I concluded my thoughts, I heard a knock at my door.

“Who is it?” I asked aloud, still sitting down on the couch.

“It's me, kid,” Zeph's voice rang from the other side of the door.

‘Speak of the devil,’ Rye laughed as he jumped back into my body.

I got up and opened the door. "What's up? Do you need something?" I asked.

"Oh, it's nothing really. There is just a place I want to take you and some people I want you to meet," he replied.

"It's like 9 p.m.," I said, wondering what the hell he could be talking about.

He put his hand on his forehead and sighed. "This isn't the sticks, kid. The city is still as lively as ever. Just come on."

"Fine," I said. "What about Myla? Is she coming too?"

"No, I had one of the maids ask her, but her stomach still hurts from the Warp Gate. I had Bertly pick up some pills, so she should be fine by tomorrow."

"I see," I said, closing the door. "Let me just take a quick shower. I've been up here practicing that damn spell you gave me."

"Training first over self-hygiene. What a warrior," he teased.

I shut the door in his face.

"I'll be waiting at the front door. Hurry up," he said from the other side.

I ignored him and went to get a pair of simple clothes out of my bag, then walked to the bathroom and immediately turned on the hot shower.

I stared at the shower with delight. It's been so long.

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I walked down the mansion's stairs feeling refreshed. I could get used to this.

As I made my way down the steps, I saw Zeph at the front door. He was dressed in a brilliant hoodless cloak with his sword at his side. His usually unkempt hair was still a little messy but looked good on him. His black pants and gray boots looked professionally tailored.

I looked at my own outfit and then back at his. "Is this place fancy or something? I've never seen you so dressed up."

"No, this is my usual attire when in the city. What you're wearing will be just fine for where we're going," he said as he walked out of the mansion's front doors. "We'll be walking there."

"Oh? Noblemen Zephyrus doesn't have a carriage to use?" I mocked.

"Shut up, brat," he shot back. "It's better this way."

I looked at the moon sitting in the starlit night sky. "I'm fine with whatever, but it's already late. How long is the walk?"

"It shouldn't take long, kid."

It took us around ten minutes to get out of Zeph's gated neighborhood and into the city. To my surprise, it was as lively as Zeph had said. There were many streetlights along the busy sidewalks and roads. Many restaurants and shops were still open with people still handling their business. As we walked, I could see city guards here and there, keeping an eye out for crime. I eventually came to a stop at a gutsy street performer. A group of people watched in amazement as the guy juggled six balls of fire while simultaneously blowing fire out of his mouth. He danced and moved near the crowd, staying ever vigilant. The people tossed coins in a bucket for the man's talents and amazing entertainment.

Zeph apparently saw me come to a stop to watch the man and watched with me. He tossed a coin into the man's bucket. "Pretty impressive, huh? I used to be interested in stuff like this when I was a kid. Being able to use magic opens up many careers for you, and they all pay well."

I looked at the man's coin bucket. It was filled with bronze coins, and I could even see some silvers in there. If he did this every day, he could have a good life somewhere in the countryside in no time. "Yeah, I see why my parents didn't hesitate to have us receive proper schooling in the capital."

Zeph chuckled. "Any parent would. It's the best thing to do if the option is available." He walked away from the street performer, and I followed behind.

It didn't take long after that to get where we needed to go.

"We're here," Zeph said, a huge grin on his face.

"Are you serious?" I said, deadpan, as I stared at a building that read "Klarens Tavern" in big letters.

I turned to Zeph, a little more than annoyed. "Don't tell me we just walked all the way here for nothing. Am I even allowed in this drunkard place?"

"Relax, kid, and of course, you are. You're with me," he said as he walked through the tavern's front doors.