After such a tasty meal, he felt so content that he could have lain down and gone to sleep right away.

Like a child. At least two days.

He stretched his tired body and walked down the narrow road leading to the city.

Aiden decided not to go through the main entrance.

Fatigue and the regular rhythm of his steps numbed him.

He let his guard down a bit, startled by the sounds behind him that didn’t match the nighttime cacophony of the forest.

He could not determine it.

Maybe a medium-sized animal? He doubted it was human.

Rumors of dangerous creatures roaming here and there spread to every corner of Iridia.

Made for scarecrows’ sake.

He looked around, waiting, every muscle tensed, his mind ready to fire the fatal arrow.

In a moment, however, everything fell into place again, and he continued.

***

Lantera huddled as close to the tree as possible.

She was sure he had found the paper.

An old man in the market gave it to her today, as always.

Fortunately, Tunka and Melog have no idea that she is following this man.

When it goes wrong, she’ll sort it out with him herself.

I softened. Thought annoyed Lantera. She was quite fond of them, having shared many experiences together.

The man she was following looked around for a moment, then continued on his way.

He knew this place, walked with confidence, and ignored every sound around him. She had passed the village and been in the area many times but never noticed this path.

After a moment, she took a step back toward him.

The man walked with a gentle, almost meditative pace, taking in his surroundings.

Lantera has to find the right moment.

They searched for a long time, but aside from a few wizards in the cells beneath Castle Murkon, was hard to find anyone else who could use magic.

She wasn't sure, but it seemed like this one had some knowledge, although it was not very well-developed.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The Murkon affair may also have been an idle rumor.

She had to convince this man.

As soon as possible.

***

As they approached the city, she noticed the mage was not himself.

He took something out of his pocket, a beautiful stone emitting dark blue light that compelled her to come closer.

The man tilted his head, and the blue light flowed through his veins, pulsating and fading after a moment.

A whirlwind swirled around him, lifting particles of dust and leaves before calming down again.

The man's eyes shone like sapphires, and she recognized the protective spell; she hadn't seen it in a long time.

***

They encountered a surprise as they hurried towards the city's side entrance.

Four men stood in front of the gate.

Lantera was still hiding.

If they tried to attack, she was ready to strike.

***

The guards at Aiden's side entrance surprised him. This city had a bad reputation and little to protect.

But recent events changed that.

"Where are you from, boy? Do you live in Sentara or work here?" One of the four moved towards him.

"I'm just passing through the city, guys." Aiden tried to sound friendly. "As you can see, I'm empty-handed. However, I'm urgently expected in Kolun to assist their city councilor."

"At night?" The second one began to question him.

"A little fun on the way won't hurt, right? I heard that Sentara knows how to have a good time. But tell me, where is the best place to drink?"

Aiden reached into his pocket and threw two gold coins to one of the guards.

He didn't want to push them too hard, but he didn't have time to negotiate.

So they chatted for a bit, and they mentioned the Full Pot.

Finally, when he spoke with them, he promised to say a few good words about them to the city councilor.

Finally, the gate opened to let Aiden through.

As he stepped forward, a drunken man stumbled past him, shuffling his feet and casting a bloodshot-eyed glance in Aiden's direction as if recognizing him.

"You are... I know you!" He pointed a bony finger at Aiden and came closer.

But Aiden kept walking.

"He's a mage! Catch him! You filthy snake!" He grabbed his cloak.

A few people nearby turned their heads.

The last thing he needed was this.

The mage turned around, punched him hard in the face, and the man fell obediently to the ground.

He took him by the shoulders, slung one arm over himself, and together they hobbled towards a bench nearby.

The man muttered something incomprehensible.

"Of course, buddy, I understand you. Sit here, and if you don't want me to turn you into a pig, shut up." He stared into his dull eyes but couldn't tell if he heard him.

He straightened up and patted him on the back. "My friend drank too much tonight."

It must have been a typical scene in this city since nobody paid attention to them after a second.

"This city smells like a sewer." He complained more to himself than anyone else and set off to find The Black Boar tavern.

Aiden strode down the street, marveling at the strange juxtaposition of the rundown buildings and the sleek new ones.

The vibrant energy pulsing through the air, the raucous laughter of revelers spilling out from every direction, and the playful giggles of women weaving a spell of intoxication.

It was as if the street itself was alive, infused with magic that made the old buildings sing, and the new ones dance.

Magic was not dead. But most mages were.

The remnants of magic still lingered in the air, a faint echo of a once-powerful force.

Yet, the number of mages had dwindled to a mere handful, the rest lost to time or tragedy.

Aiden couldn't help but feel a sense of loss as he wandered through the city.

It was strange to be one of the few left, like a rare breed of animal on the brink of extinction.

And yet, as he walked through the busy streets, surrounded by the chatter of the mundane world, he couldn't shake the feeling that he could accomplish more than it seemed to.

And that the magic was not fading but waiting.

Suddenly, a gaunt man beside a small tavern with the quaint name of "Tiny Bell" called out to him, "Hey, traveler! Care to indulge in a little Curaqa with me?"

Aiden thought who came up with that name must have had an odd sense of humor, but he liked it.

But, unfortunately, the flowers on the porch had seen better days.

"Damn," Aiden muttered, his mind preoccupied with everything except the number one problem at hand.

The ignored, an emaciated man pulled out a pipe and watched the stranger closely.

He had been in this city for a long time and knew how to identify those who came seeking something specific.

It was usually pretty simple, but this stranger had something peculiar about him.

He senses energy. And it was probably just his imagination, but there was also a subtle vibration he could barely perceive.

"Listen, son," the gaunt man said, gesturing for Aiden to come closer. "I can sense that you have a gift. A gift for unlocking the mysteries of this world. But you have to be careful. Not everyone in this town is who they seem. Some will try to exploit your gift for their own selfish purposes. And those who will try to kill you."

The man burst out laughing as if he had just told the greatest funny joke in all the realms.