He’s a bit strange. The only men whom I’ve seen with their heads completely shaven are poor farmers fighting against the creatures who take root there, but he is far from such. He also wears earrings, two small studs, something usually reserved for women, along with a pendant, two thin bracers, and an ornate belt, all of them artifacts. Opposed to that, his feet are bare. Draped in thousands of crowns worth of equipment, I know you can afford shoes.

Oh wait. He’s not actually touching the ground. I bend down to make sure and yup, there’s at least a finger length of space between his heel and the ground. The hell? Is it training or is he too good to walk on the ground?

“Miss Kierra. We have been eagerly awaiting your arrival.” He gives her a brief handshake. To my surprise, he immediately turns toward me. “And Lourianne Tome. Our grand summoner is very excited to meet you.”

“Thanks,” I say, caught off guard. Huh. Thought this would be a repeat of someone important ignoring me. I guess this is different since, while Marquis Guiness did push my case forward, proving the existence of third affinity thralls is enough merit to get me admitted on my own. “A pleasure to meet you…”

“Aurelius. I am the teacher for those with an advanced air affinity.” He bows gracefully, flashing a serene smile as he turns his attention back to Kierra. “We will be peers from today on. I look forward to working with you.”

“Mm.” Her response is lackluster but her eyes are sparkling.

“I’d imagine you would be eager to settle down after such a long journey. If you’re ready, I will escort you to your residence. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have. We can also arrange a day for me to give you a tour of the city. There is quite a lot to see.”

“Why wait?” Kierra turns to give me a look. She wants to go right now? And if she’s looking at me like that, she wants me to go too. Alright, alright.

“Mister Aurelius? Would you happen to have a map to our residence?”

“I brought a general map for you.” He reaches into a pocket of his robe and hands me a smooth piece of paper tied by a red thread. “The address is the number 3 on Reddiford Street.”

I gesture Geneva toward me, snapping the thread and opening the map in front of her. Wow. This place is humongous. The vast number of symbols and small words are making me a little dizzy. I spot the residential area, nodding at the street he mentioned. “Geo, take the servants to the house. We’ll be back later today.”

“As you wish.”

She takes the map and heads to the driver’s bench. Gesturing for Earl and his sister to get into the carriage, she settles beside Nomad and Gajin.

Bell gives me an imploring look from my feet. “Coo?”

“You’re coming with me.”

With my permission, she climbs my body, holding on by my shoulders. Her tail waves excitedly, beating against my back.

My wife grins at me. “Where would you suggest we go first?”

“Are you sure you would like to go on foot? The city is quite expansive.” He gives me a quick look. Ah, he’s willing to trust her abilities but doubts my ability to keep up. Perfectly reasonable as I don’t have a physical affinity. No offense taken.

“Don’t worry about my Lou. She is far more durable than she looks. Besides.” She looks at me with a predatory grin. “This is good practice for what is to come.”

Haha. I’m suddenly very afraid for the future.

“Very well.” Aurelius lifts higher into the air. “Then shall we start with the market?”

-

I bend over with my hands on my knees, breathing heavily. Thirty minutes of outright sprinting to keep up with Kierra’s speed, which I know is much slower than her average speed out of consideration for me. Bell being on my back isn’t helping but I don’t have the heart to kick her off. And Kierra would be sure to tease me about it later.

We’ve arrived at the market. It’s the same design as every other market I’ve been to but the scale is entirely different. These are the widest streets I have seen and the made of the same gleaming white stone as the courtyard. There are two lines made of gold and two of silver, separating the carriages coming and going. Smooth stone on either side gives pedestrians a safe place to walk and gives access to stores without the worry of needing to dodge traffic.

The buildings are all of impressive size but more astounding is their variety. Some are the standard flat front, triangle roofs I’m used to. Others are more like spires. I see one that has a bowl-shaped roof, one that seems to be made entirely of glass, and more. All of them have magic signs advertising for them, filling the sky with bright colors and cheery, moving characters.

I feel like the hick that I am as I gawk, taking in the sights with rapidly escalating excitement. A sharp slap to my lower back snaps me out of it, followed by the soothing feel of my wife’s familiar mana refreshing me. The burn in my muscles remains though. She’d never heal me completely as otherwise, the muscles won’t grow. Then there’d be no point to the torture and she’d just be a bully.

Our small group starts walking down the gray path. “The Grand Hall was established to further humanity’s understanding of magic but also as a beacon of progress. It has attracted experts across many fields. You can find anything here, including the resources to start your own venture if that’s what you desire. As staff of the Grand Hall, our partnerships with businesses here are available to you.”

Aurelius’ voice is full of pride. I notice the people walking on our side of the road give space as he passes. We might have befriended a big fish. Has my luck finally turned?

“What kind of businesses?” Kierra asks, peering into the windows of the stores interestedly.

“Mainly artificers who make tools to assist in our work but we are also in good contact with a tamer who provides most of the staff’s mounts, a blacksmith who can make metal do amazing things, and the best cook to ever grace the continent. You’ve never had a better meal than his cooking, I’d bet a month’s salary on it.”

“What about a brewer?”

“Ah. There are plenty of teachers who like to unwind. Perhaps they can recommend a place.”

“And what about the students?” I ask.

“Student materials are covered with tuition and provided based on their chosen field. Anything beyond that is for them to find.”

Hmm? He answered my question and the smile never leaves his face but something about that response feels cold. Maybe because he didn’t look at me when he spoke. His eyes didn’t leave Kierra and he immediately jumps back into his spiel about the market.

Let’s not jump to a conclusion. He was nothing but courteous when he introduced himself. Besides, he came here for her. As an advanced teacher, he probably doesn’t have to deal with newcomers much. This doesn’t mean it’s personal, right?

A scream draws my attention down the street. People in front of us are hastily jumping out of the way as a carriage loses control. The driver falls off his bench as one of the bull-like creatures pulling for him jerks to the side, breaking free of its harness. The carriage tips to the side as the creature charges, barreling towards us.

Aurelius raises a hand but Kierra steps in front of him. She’s grinning as she faces down an animal that’s taller than her and easily ten times her weight, its girth almost taking up the whole stone path. She holds her glowing hands in the path of the ivory horns curved toward her, meeting the angry eyes of her opponent with a grin.

I can almost feel the tension in the air as they come together. No doubt the wide-eyed spectators expect her to be crushed. I simply shake my head.

My wife stands in the same place, gripping the bull by the horns. The confused animal shakes its head, trying to figure out how the small woman can stop it, but it’s pointless. It’s not going anywhere until she wants it to. After a while, it realizes it as well and settles down, glaring at her balefully.

Several men dressed in artifact armor come running down the road. After a quick conversation, she lets go of it and they take over. “Foolish,” she says as walks back to us. “One shouldn’t keep a pet they can’t control with their own hand.”

“An impressive display. The Grand Hall has great fortune attracting such a capable instructor.”

Oh, no.

There it is. Maybe from the surprise of the situation or he really is wowed by her physical display, but Aurelius’ mask slips. I don’t even know if I can explain how I know. I’ve just seen it too many times for me to miss it or mistake it.

For a second, I see his desire. He isn’t immune after all, he’s just much better at being subtle. A master level caster has his eyes set on my wife.

Saints damn it all.