Dawn hadn't quite broken when Ryo opened his eyes, already awake and alert. He hadn't really slept, spending most of the night preparing for this meeting with Elena. The tavern's common room was still littered with evidence from yesterday's hasty evacuation – overturned chairs and half-finished drinks that he'd been too preoccupied to clean up.

"Might as well make some tea," he muttered, knowing Elena would arrive exactly at dawn. Military types were always punctual.

He deliberately used the manual method to heat the water, despite being able to boil it instantly with magic. Old habits of maintaining his cover died hard. As he worked, he reflected on the story he'd prepared – plausible explanations for yesterday's events that wouldn't expose his true abilities.

The door opened precisely as the first ray of sunlight crept over the horizon. Elena entered alone, dressed in plain clothes rather than her knight's armor. A subtle attempt to make this look like a casual visit rather than an official interrogation.

"Tea?" Ryo offered, maintaining his slightly nervous tavern keeper persona.

"Drop the act," Elena said, closing the door behind her. "We both know it's just us here."

Ryo poured two cups of tea, considering his options. "I'm not sure what you mean. This is just how I am."

Elena placed something on the table between them – one of his magical stones, slightly cracked from yesterday's battle. "Is it? Because this is possibly the most sophisticated piece of stored magic I've ever seen. The amount of control required to create this, to make it look like an ordinary rock while containing that much power..." She leaned forward. "That's not the work of a magically inept tavern keeper."

"I found that stone near the evaluation tents," Ryo said smoothly, the lie well-rehearsed. "Must have been charged by the crystal, like I said."

"The crystal that you manipulated with a technique I've only seen used by high-level Royal Academy graduates?" Elena took a sip of tea. "Interesting coincidence."

Ryo kept his face carefully neutral, but internally he was reassessing the situation. Elena knew more than she'd let on, and she was done playing games.

"What do you want?" he asked, not quite dropping his act but letting it thin slightly.

"The truth would be nice," she replied. "But I'll settle for cooperation. Those blood mages weren't here by accident. They were drawn to this area by something – or someone – with significant magical power."

"And you think that's me? The guy who can't light a candle?"

Elena's expression hardened. "I think you're someone powerful enough to hide in plain sight for over a year, skilled enough to fool Royal Academy testing equipment, and capable of creating stored-magic devices that shouldn't be possible outside of the highest circles of magical research."

She paused, letting that sink in.

"And I think," she continued, "that you're going to have to make a choice very soon. Because those blood mages will be back, and next time, they'll be better prepared for any 'magical stones' that might get thrown at them."

Ryo sat back, turning his tea cup slowly in his hands. The peaceful life he'd built here was balanced on a knife's edge, and Elena was pushing him toward a decision he didn't want to make.

"Let's say, hypothetically," he began carefully, "that someone wanted to live quietly, away from politics and power struggles. Would that be allowed?"

"Normally? Yes." Elena's voice softened slightly. "But these aren't normal times. The kingdom is facing threats that most people don't even know about. Those blood mages? They're just the surface of a much deeper problem."

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A memory from his previous life flashed through Ryo's mind – of being promoted against his will because his skills were "needed by the company." Some things, it seemed, were universal across worlds.

"And if this hypothetical person refused to get involved?"

"Then I'd have to report everything I suspect about them to the Royal Academy." Elena's tone made it clear this wasn't a threat, just a statement of fact. "They'd investigate, and your quiet life would end anyway – just with less control over how it ends."

Ryo stood up and walked to the window, watching the town slowly come to life. He could see Turner already setting up his merchant stall, Anna checking on her herb garden, Beth preparing her morning baking. These people had become more than just cover for his disguise – they were his community.

"The blood mages," he said finally, still looking out the window. "You said they're part of a bigger problem. What kind of problem?"

"The kind that's getting people killed," Elena replied. "The kind that's making powerful mages disappear. The kind that has the Royal Academy worried enough to conduct nationwide evaluations looking for anyone with significant magical potential."

Ryo turned back to face her. "And what exactly would you want from me? Hypothetically speaking."

"Information, initially. Your ability to hide your power is extraordinary – we could use that expertise to help protect others. And if things escalate..." She left the sentence hanging.

"I won't be someone's weapon," Ryo said firmly, letting a small fraction of his real self show through. The temperature in the room dropped slightly, though he quickly controlled it.

Elena raised an eyebrow at the display but didn't comment on it. "We're not looking for weapons. We're looking for allies who can help prevent a disaster."

Before Ryo could respond, rapid footsteps approached the tavern. Someone pounded on the door.

"Ryo! Are you awake? We need help!" It was Anna's voice, filled with panic.

He exchanged a quick look with Elena before moving to open the door. Anna burst in, out of breath.

"Turner's missing!" she gasped. "His stall is overturned, and there's... there's blood on the ground!"

Ryo felt his careful control slip for just a moment, and several mugs on nearby shelves cracked from the sudden pressure of his magic. Elena noticed, but Anna was too distraught to pay attention.

"Show me," Ryo said, already moving toward the door. He paused for a split second, looking back at Elena. "We'll finish this conversation later."

"Sooner than you think," she replied, following them out.

Turner's stall was a mess, goods scattered across the ground. The blood Anna had mentioned formed a distinct pattern – one that Ryo recognized instantly as a blood magic tracking circle. They'd used Turner to get a trace on whatever power they'd sensed in the area.

Which meant this was his fault. They'd taken Turner because of him.

"I'll alert my knights," Elena said, reading the situation quickly. "We can organize a search—"

"No need," Ryo interrupted, his voice changing subtly as he dropped more of his act. He could sense the magical trail left by the blood circle – amateur work compared to his capabilities, but they hadn't been trying to hide it. They wanted him to follow.

It was a trap, obviously. They were using Turner to draw out whoever had interfered with their plans yesterday. They were expecting someone powerful but cautious, someone who'd approach carefully with backup.

They weren't expecting the person they'd sensed to be right here, or to be willing to act immediately.

"Anna," Ryo said, his voice gentle but firm, "go tell Beth what's happened. Elena..." He met her eyes. "I assume you want to see what I can really do?"

"You'll expose yourself," she warned, though she was already checking her weapons.

"They took one of my people." Ryo straightened up, letting his carefully maintained slouch fall away. His presence expanded, no longer hidden and suppressed. "They don't get to do that."

Anna took a step back, finally noticing the change in him. "Ryo? What's happening?"

"I'll explain everything later," he promised. "Right now, I need to go get Turner back. Elena will make sure everyone in town stays safe."

"But you can't even—" Anna's protest died as Ryo raised his hand and the scattered goods from Turner's stall rose smoothly into the air, arranging themselves neatly back on the restored stand.

"I'm sorry for lying to you," he said quietly. "But right now, I need you to trust me and do as I asked. Please."

Anna nodded slowly, shock evident on her face, and hurried toward Beth's bakery.

"Well," Elena said as they started following the magical trail, "I guess we're doing this now."

"You wanted to know what I could do," Ryo replied, his eyes focused on the trail only he could see. "Just remember – you asked for this."

The sun had fully risen now, casting long shadows through the trees as they headed out of town. Ryo could feel his peaceful life slipping away with each step, but Turner's life mattered more than his cover.

Sometimes, he reflected, the quiet life had to be put on hold to protect what made it worth living in the first place.