“My, my, my.”

A young man lowered himself from the bar he was dangling on, lightly landing on the ground with a tap. He accepted the towel from the person next to him—a girl with long grey hair and light grey eyes. He wiped away the sweat quickly, focusing on the text that had materialized before him.

“So, she has arrived.”

“The red girl? Rayn, she’s dangerous.”

The girl pouted, crossing her arms. The man placed his hand on her head, patting it, and the girl relaxed, a slight blush rising to her cheeks.

“Don’t worry,” Rayn smiled, fetching his clothes from the table. “Nothing I’ve done has ever gone wrong.”

“I know, but…I’m worried she might influence you.”

“Oh, Drema.”

He turned around, heading towards the door. “The stage has been set, but there are still a few uncertain variables dangling around. There’s no time to waste. Did you do what I was asking for?”

“Well—”

She lowered her head, scurrying after him. “I didn’t think we would move so soon.”

“Procrastination is a bad thing. But I know that part about you. Could you finish it by tomorrow?”

Drema nodded.

They emerged from the dark room into an area filled with machinery and screens. All the while, Rayn moved his hand before his eyes, touching and adjusting the interface before him. A bystander would find it strange as his power was invisible to anyone but him. His mind was always thinking of the best possible path that would lead him to his goal.

“And…ah.”

He clapped his hands, gaining everyone’s attention in the room.

“The next mission has been given,” Rayn announced. “We’re leaving at dawn. Bronny, make sure to take your knockout kit and a handful of explosives. Throw some ones that stick to walls in there.”

“Alright, boss.”

“Lumina, Wane, you’re also coming with me. The rest of you will head to Point B and set up base there. Ken, there will be a large patrol three kilometers southwest of the point at 10:23, covering around a square kilometer. Make sure to steer clear of it. They will be moving west.”

“Got it.”

“You need me for anything?” the man on the computer sighed. “What’s the point of me being here if you know everything already?”

“You know I can only know this because you’re here. You’re doing your job simply by existing,” Rayn told the man.

“Fine, but at least let me complain.”

They shared a short grin.

“Right. Get plenty of rest. We’re going to go up against a couple of Class As. En will send you the details. They’re the ones currently at Point A and one newcomer who will arrive tonight.”

“Right away,” the man on the computer whistled.

Everyone got up and began to pack their belongings. One of the members of the group got up, walking towards Rayn, who looked away from his invisible screen to turn his attention towards him.

“You’re curious why I’m taking you,” Rayn spoke before the person could speak.

Wane nodded. “You know I’m powerless. I’m content with doing the minor stuff. But why?”

Rayn chuckled, putting a hand on Wane’s shoulder.

“Why else? It’s because you’re crucial,” he said. “We’re going to bring someone important with us. And it’s someone you know.”

“Someone…I know?”

“Yes. You’d be surprised. There’s no need to be nervous. Think of it as a short walk in the park. I know you’ve wanted to make contributions. This will be one of them.”

Wane nodded. During the months he’d been with the group, this would be the first time he would directly be included in Rayn’s team. Though he wasn’t sure what Rayn expected of him, since he was a normal person with no superpowers.

“So,” Wane asked, “What’s this person’s name?”

⤙ ◯ ⤚

Shaden looked around the room, nodding in satisfaction.

Seven people had gathered there, including him, for the purpose of learning magic. It had been a couple of months since he’d first begun to teach them; winter and spring had passed, allowing the touch of summer to arrive in the northern lands. With it, the activities they had to complete grew, but none of the people present wished to forfeit their time of learning magic for something else, like chopping wood or making cheese. They’d been wary of casting spells at first, worried that it would exhaust them, but because he was there, they had come to love their sessions after dinner.

Shaden liked to think of himself as a good teacher. All six of his students could cast more than ten spells. Though they were all very basic, the difference between being able to create fire or water out of thin air and not being able to do it at all was a great one. Even the soldiers at Fort Avagal had known one or two, some even none.

“Remember to practice controlling the flow of mana into your spell,” Shaden told them, walking around the room. “That is what separates a good mage from a bad one.”

To be honest, he was reciting things he’d read from books, sometimes adding his own flavor to it. He’d never been taught how to teach, nor had he taught anyone properly besides Eilae. He had been awkward at first, but he believed that now, he was pretty adept at teaching others.

Then again, he had no one else he could compare himself to. Well, it wouldn’t matter. Considering how people used magic sparingly in Bughast (or at least in Enthimer), he was a great teacher.

“Shaden, could I get a resupply?” Tina waved.

He went to her and placed his hand on her back. It was the most efficient that way, he’d discovered. After a few seconds of casting a rejuvenation spell, Tina was bubbling with energy once more, ready to practice further.

“You’re wasting too much of your mana,” Shaden noticed, sensing the excess mana from Tina’s earth spell. “Try tightening the path.”

“I’m trying,” she complained, “but it doesn’t work.”

He’d never seen other people use magic very much, so his knowledge of how much a ‘normal person’ could do was limited. During the time he’d taught the youngsters, he’d found out just how limited and awkward their use of magic was, starting from their mana pools. During the beginning, they’d all feel dizzy after one or two spells.

Now, they could all cast more than five and still feel fine. He was proud of that. Because he resupplied them every time they used up all of their mana, they were improving at many times the rate of a normal person—or so he liked to believe. He was probably right as well.

“Do I need to show you again?”

“Yes, please!” Tina nodded, reaching out with a hand.

He took it, stepping beside her. “Cast the spell.”

“Earth, float and fly. Bend to my will and rise high – Summon Rock!”

The pile of dirt before her shivered and began to condense into a ball, rising to her hand. Again, Tina was using much more mana than the spell required. He was partly at fault for that, accidentally teaching them to not hold back since he never had. But now that he was leaving soon, he wanted them to be efficient.

“Can you feel it?” he asked, controlling her flow of mana into the spell with his own. “Contract the pathway.”

“Yes, yes, this is it,” Tina agreed.

He let go, observing her progress. She was good for now. The problem was—

“I remember the feeling when you help,” Tina sighed, letting the ball drop into a pile of dirt. “But I always forget after a day or two.”

“That’s why you have to practice until you can do it without me,” Shaden told her. “We can practice every day.”

She sniffed but focused on her pile of dirt. “Okay. Thanks for the help.”

“Shaden, could you help me with this?” Mila requested. “I want to change the shape of the dirt. I can feel it on the tip of my fingers, but I can’t seem to do it. What was the word for shape?”

“Shape,” he replied in the elven language. While there was the newer system of magic created by Saiton the Sage that used the common tongue, he found the old system to be more flexible and easier to learn. The elven magic system understood that ‘Sparks, bring forth heat – Fire’ and ‘Red hot flames, manifest – Fire’ were the same thing. Though the latter had a stronger effect it could be fixed through one’s control over their mana. The newer system, on the other hand, was very technical. One wrong word and the spell wouldn’t work. And not only the word; if one didn’t activate the spell through a specific pattern of mana, the spell wouldn’t register.

It had taken way too long to get even one of them to use the newer magic system. So, they were focusing on the older one instead, since with Yrmar as their neighbors, they knew a little elvish.

Looking at his students, he wondered how he had managed to connect to both systems so easily. He’d sensed his words stir something in the air and had connected to it—which had worked. It wasn’t that he felt like a genius. It was simply that…everything had been so simple, like his body was on autopilot, his mana doing all of the complicated formulas for him.

It was fortunate for him, but he hadn’t known about the true complexity of magic until he had begun teaching. It had led to some awkward moments, but he was okay now. He wished he could attend a magic university or something similar, but there weren’t any like that in Enthimer.

“Earth, float and fly, your shape will bend – Summon Rock.”

The ball within Mila’s hand began to flatten on the sides, turning into a square. She let out a satisfied laugh.”

“I’ll need to learn more elvish,” she decided. “Will touring the country for a few months really improve my understanding of the language by a lot?”

That was the excuse he’d given them when they’d asked why he was so adept at elvish and elven magic. Shaden scratched his cheek.

“If you try really hard?” he said.

Realistically speaking, none of the people there were wealthy enough to go on a tour in the country of the elves. Mila was the wealthiest of them all, her family being one of the richest families in the city, but even then, it paled in comparison to what the Jakhar Kishaks had had. The food there seldom changed in variety, and spices and sweets were rare if not unavailable. Among the girls and the children, he was the most exciting thing they’d gotten in a long time.

But he was having fun. After being with stuck-up, stubborn soldiers, their naivety and curiosity relaxed him. Not to mention that the girls treated him like a younger brother, fawning over him whenever they got the chance.

It was there that he realized that he was more handsome than he had thought. Well, cute would be the better word, but as he aged, he’d become the best-looking—

“I guess I’m not going to become a mage,” Mila sighed, bringing him back to his senses. “Thanks, anyway.”

“Shaden, give me more energy!” Enson yelled, pulling on his arm. His clothes were covered in dirt.

“Did you spill it on your clothes again?” Shaden asked, carrying the boy to where he was. “I told you to be careful. Your mom doesn’t like it if we get dirty, and it’s after dinner.”

“You’ll clean it, right?” Enson smiled. “You can use magic.”

With a twirl of his hand, Shaden gathered the dust and dirt that had been scattered into his hand, dropping before Enson. He clapped in delight.

“You shouldn’t spoil him too much,” Beila said from the side. “Make him clean up after himself.”

“Well, he’s seven. This much is fine,” Shaden shrugged.

“You’re always cleaning up after them,” Beila shook her head, putting her hands to her hips. “They’ll become careless and lazy.”

Enson stuck a tongue out at Beila, who raised her hand. He cowered behind Shaden, grinning from ear to ear.

“Look at Rasso. Look how clean he is.”

She pointed to the boy, who looked up at them. While it was time to be practicing magic, he seemed more interested in making a dirt house.

“You can’t touch me,” Enson teased. “Shaden’s here.”

“Ah, nope.”

Shaden picked the boy up with one hand, placing him before his sister. He froze, turning to him with a look of betrayal.

“You have to listen to your sister,” Shaden told him, giving him a thumbs up. “I can’t have you becoming a brat.”

Enson squirmed while his sister grabbed him by the head and began to dig her knuckles into his temple, keeping him locked in. She did it for a few seconds until he broke free and retreated to the corner of the room, sticking his tongue out.

“What, you want another?” she threatened.

“Sorry!” Enson yelled, taking a seat again.

It was true that the boys, especially Enson, had become rowdier since he’d arrived. There had been a time when he’d cleaned the whole place by himself, but when Perela had found out, she had strongly been against it. The children had to learn discipline, and a life without discipline was a life without purpose.

He agreed to some of her beliefs. He’d been spanked a few times when he had been younger, and thinking back, he had been mischievous during those times. During his time with Lytha, pain and fear had been his strongest motivators in the beginning. Sometimes their methods felt too uptight, but this was how they lived; he wouldn’t change it.

If there was anything he’d learned during his time with the soldiers, it was that going against his environment would ruin his relationship with the people. He didn’t want that to happen again.

“Shaden, could you explain why I would use ‘Float’ here instead of ‘Flight’?

“Ah, that’s—”

He went to Loyra to help her out with her sentence. She loved to write things down and was the unofficial scribe of the group. Of course, he’d given them notes with words to study, but she was the only one who went beyond her readings to create things on her own.

Shaden nodded in satisfaction. He truly had wonderful students.

Belia, on the other hand—

“Children, ladies! You’re still here?”

Ponya swung into the room, tapping on the wall to get their attention. “The sun has gone down. Young ladies like you should not roam the streets at night. Come on, time to go. We have to prepare tomorrow for the reception, so this will be it for tonight.”

“Madam, can we come tomorrow?” Mila asked. “Perhaps I can invite everyone over to my house instead.”

“We will be very busy.”

“But if we finish quickly?” Beila asked. “Mother, Shaden will be going soon.”

“You’ll have all of next week.”

“Mother, please? Enson and Rasso won’t be lazy.”

She shot a glare to her brothers, who nodded furiously.

Ponya thought for a bit, then gave them a nod. “I’ll decide after seeing how well you do. But you have to let your friends go now.”

Time passed too quickly when they were having fun. Unlike the grudgingly long moments of walking and waiting and scouting he’d had to do in the mountains, his time in Enthimer was like a rollercoaster ride, passing by before he knew it.

Because the day after tomorrow, Commander Pevel and his children would come home for the rest of the week. It was already summer. It meant that he’d be seeing Nicar and Pillen again.

He’d had a lot of time to think in Enthimer. But even now, he didn’t know how he would face them. With joy? With indifference? They’d separated on a terrible note. While he was enjoying himself with their family, they would have been painfully completing the Winter Trials, fighting cold and hunger.

By their definition, he was a failure. Just like the soldier who’d stolen his belongings at the beginning had been sent away, he’d been sent to Enthimer because of his actions. He’d thought long and hard about how he’d react.

“Shaden, would you be so kind as to take the girls home?” Ponya asked with a pleading smile.

He nodded.

Though they all lived in the city, the city was by no means small. The girls’ houses were far away, and he knew the only reason why they’d become friends with each other in the first place was because of their statuses. Mila was the daughter of the Head of the Marketplace; Tina was a distant relative of the Eurssi, one of the two royal bloodlines that ruled the country; and Loyra was the governor’s niece. Beila was the granddaughter of the Commander of Fort Avagal.

The Nieuts were prestigious, he’d come to learn. Everyone in the city respected and admired them, and becoming one of the few at the fortress was no easy task. They were known as the eyes that none could escape from, seekers in the snow, death from a mountain away, and other titles the girls had told him. He could see why. The Nieuts were talented, and their aim with their blasting rods was exemplary.

Yet—his awe for them was nonexistent. Perhaps it was because he’d lived with them and had seen their ways. The people here admired it, but him—he’d come to hate that kind of restrictive lifestyle.

He understood why soldiers were not meant to think and only obey. It was the reason why he’d never become a soldier again.

“I hope I can see you guys tomorrow!” Tina waved, going into her home. She was the last of them, and Shaden lit the path with a finger-orb as he and Beila made their way back home.

Beila. She was a good learner, but she seemed to take a lot after Nicar. She was stubborn, wanted to be in control, and was sometimes hypocritical, often telling her brothers to do one thing and not doing what the ladies asked her to do. When he’d asked why, it was because she was old enough to not need orders.

To be fair, she was acting as a teenager would. But because he’d seen Nicar, he couldn’t help but compare the two together. Time had let him see past that. And beyond it—

He felt pity.

What separated the others from Beila was that they all had their fathers at home. Men in Bughast would normally serve in the military after they came of age, then discharge after three years. When they married and had families, their obligation to serve would be nonexistent. But for Beila, her father was a general. Rasso’s father was an officer as well, though he had Enson to interact with.

He wondered what that would feel like, having no dad. Of course, they’d meet once or twice a year. But daily interactions would be impossible.

It wasn’t like her life was fun either. They went through the same chores every day. While Enson and Rasso played with each other, she had no one to who she could relate. The women of the family were much older than her. Her friends were her only source of fun, and even then, they could meet only after she’d completed everything. The only reason why they could meet daily now was that learning magic was an expensive and rare opportunity, something he was providing for free. Without him, she would return to her bland life until she was married off to someone.

They all would be married off someday. They talked about it like it was a natural thing. It felt natural and strange at the same time for him, who lived in two different worlds.

“Are you looking forward to meeting Nicar?” he asked. She’d always talked fondly of her.

“Of course,” Beila nodded. “She didn’t come last year, so I’m looking forward to it even more.”

“And your dad?”

“Him too,” she said, though less enthusiastically.

They walked on. Unlike the other girls, Beila rarely initiated a conversation.

“Would you want to become a soldier like Nicar?” Shaden asked, “Since you admire her.”

“No. I would hate to live such a disciplined life,” she replied. “I would rather get married and raise children.”

“Huh.”

Their feet softly crunched on the ground.

He sniffed. “Why do you think Nicar became a soldier?”

“Because she would protect the country herself rather than letting others do it for her.”

“Maybe she didn’t want to get married.”

Beila frowned. “What? I don’t think so. Nicar likes children more than anything.”

Well, that was surprising. He raised an eyebrow at Beila.

“You met her, right?” Beila asked. “You would know how kind she is.”

“No, I do not,” he bluntly said. “She was very strict with me.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. But,” He sighed. “I guess she cared for me. A little.”

“You…were a soldier, right?”

“Kind of.”

“Maybe that’s why.”

“Maybe.”

He simply couldn’t see Nicar being kind to children. She’d shot his wyvern down and had shown little remorse, treating him like he didn’t exist during the beginning. Only after he’d demonstrated his power had she begun listening to him, and even then, it hadn’t been kind. The moments where she had been were too few to count. They hadn’t talked much.

“When I’m gone,” Shaden said, “what will you do?”

“The same things as always,” she answered, “until I get married.”

“That’s a little sad.”

“Sad? How is that sad?”

“You could do other things. Learn magic, for example.”

“I’m not talented like you. Sometimes, you say weird things,” Beila chuckled. “By your logic, aren’t you sadder than me? You don’t have the choice to decide what you want to be.”

Shaden blinked.

He’d never thought about it. But what he was doing right now, going around the families and learning their abilities, doing what he was told to do—wasn’t that the same as having no freedom at all? Most of the time, he hadn’t even enjoyed it. This wasn’t the fantasy life he had been envisioning. It was more like—an obligation.

Responsibility to a family he knew little about. In the end, what would he become? An assassin? Lytha and his grandfather had never explained things properly, telling him that he would understand in due time. Why was he learning these things if he could call it quits and waltz off to learn about magic?

The techniques were very useful. There was no doubt about that. But he was practically being dragged around, being put into situations he didn’t like. What was stopping him from leaving? He had the ability to hide, for goodness’ sake.

“You know, I never thought about that,” he told Beila.

“Well, my life’s not sad,” she snorted. “People say politics is fun, and I hate politics. I’d rather raise children.”

“I guess you’re getting practice with Enson and Rasso?”

“They’re my brothers, not my children. It’s different.”

He could not see the difference. But he nodded.

Shaden looked towards the sky. There were only a couple more days left before he’d leave the north and go to the Seines.

What did he truly want?

He wanted to have fun. He wanted to get to know people without feeling stressed. He wanted to be free of stupid responsibilities and live as he’d lived during his touring trip with Lytha and Eilae.

This much was definite—

He wouldn’t be dragged around in the mud again.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

The Nieuts arrived quietly, yet the whole city seemed to know about their presence. After they had settled in and unpacked, people from all over the city came to greet them, bringing food or other small gifts. Sometimes, he would see the neighborhood children peek from across the streets to get a glimpse of the soldiers who had returned.

Though, the city was quiet enough. When the initial buzz dissipated, they were left alone in the quiet of their home with more than enough time to talk and bond with each other.

To be honest, it was very awkward for Shaden, even after all the time that had passed. He kept his mind clear throughout the whole ordeal, but he found no happy words coming out of his mouth as he looked at Nicar and the men. It brought back bad memories. So it surprised him when the men invited him to drink at the local tavern after they’d eaten dinner.

“No hard feelings, yeah?” Pillen told him, taking a swig from his cup. “It’s all in the past now. Has my family treated you well?”

“Yes,” Shaden replied, looking down on his drink. “Aren’t I too young for this?”

“You’ve experienced the Winter Trials. You’re a man now,” Pillen muttered, already tipsy. “There’s no one here who doesn’t know what you can do.”

“I couldn’t do enough.”

Pillen remained quiet for a moment, taking another mouthful of his beverage.

“It’s not your fault,” he told him. “I didn’t teach you well enough. Everyone who comes to the fortress has already been trained somewhere else, so when they arrive, it’s fairly simple to instruct them. But you were just a kid with no experience. I should have known that.”

Benavon and Perren were to the side, talking with other men, but Shaden sensed them glance towards their direction. It was subtle, but they were listening.

“When you learned so quickly, I thought you understood everything. I should have paid more attention.”

He drank again. Already, his face was red.

“It didn’t fit me,” Shaden told him. “I never should have become a soldier.”

“Maybe. It’s over now. I’ll be out soon enough. I’ll get married, have children, become a farmer or a woodsman…away from all of the yelling and shooting…”

The young man sank into the table, burying his face into his arms. It wasn’t characteristic of him to show weakness like this. Even during their time together in the squadron where drinks had been poured, he’d never let himself be off guard.

Shaden silently took a sip from his drink. The substance went down his throat and warmed his stomach. He knew what being intoxicated felt like after becoming drunk as his other self. He’d never let himself be affected by it as Shaden, but tonight, he wanted to feel the buzz.

Nicar came into the tavern, spotting them. She took a seat at the bar and ordered a large drink.

Shaden sat there, spacing out. They were all in the same room, but everything felt distant. Around him were noises as other men of the city cheered for the Nieuts and the return of summer, but his mind was still, wishing for time to pass by. He emptied his cup, not circulating to feel the effects of the alcohol.

“Brother, you’ll be the next head,” he heard Perren whisper. “You have to make peace with him.”

“I know.”

Shaden wished his hearing wasn’t so good. Ever since his body had undergone a breakthrough, things were clear even when not circulating. The alcohol didn’t affect him as much as it did his other body. He poured himself another cup, instantly downing it.

Someone had come to their table and had smacked their cup on it. Shaden didn’t bother looking up.

“What’s a lad like you doing, looking so glum?” Nicar complained. “Haven’t you had enough fun down here while we were all up there?”

Her face was beet red. “Too drunk to answer?”

“Not as much as you,” Shaden replied, opening his eyes. “Look at you. A captain who’s already drunk from just a few drinks.”

“What did you say?” Nicar snarled, calling for the waiter. “Here, two bottles of Winter Spirit! We’ll see who the real drinker is.”

“Nicar, you’re going against a child,” Perren dissuaded, appearing by his sister’s side.

“You’ve never seen him do things,” Nicar said, pushing him away. “Waiter. Two bottles!”

No one stopped them when they each received a bottle of a clear liquid that smelled strongly of hand sanitizer. Shaden stared at it, wondering what he was doing with his life.

“You’ll be able to stomach it, won’t you?” Nicar dared. “You’ve stopped an avalanche. You have so much power, but if you can’t handle a drink, what kind of man is that?”

“Look at yourself, trying to beat a kid,” Shaden rebutted, “but I’ll emerge victorious.”

“Don’t think about relying on your magic either. That’s cheating.”

“Hmph, I don’t need magic to beat someone like you.”

The bystanders watched with uncertainty, but it wasn’t five minutes before everyone was shouting and hollering as Shaden and Nicar each drowned cup after cup. Shaden’s mouth felt like it was on fire, and his mind was spinning, but he held it in. His body was strong enough.

“What, giving up?” he grinned after seeing Nicar struggling to finish her last cup. She wiped her mouth, glowering at him.

“I never give up.”

Shaden thought he heard Benavon slap his forehead. At the same time, he felt Nicar’s mana stir within her. She was circulating.

That was when the real competition began.

“Bleeeehheerrghh—”

They were on their third bottle when Nicar’s mouth exploded, spraying liquid and other filth all over the table. Shaden waved his arms victoriously as bystanders cried and yelled, lifting his chair with him on it in celebration. For the first time since he’d come to the Nieuts, he felt victorious. He’d won, and that was a fact.

Still, Nicar kept her composure, wiping her mouth. Her eyes were a little loose, but she didn’t fall over, staring at him.

“Fine, you won,” She spat, accepting a glass of water from Perren. “But only because I haven’t been drinking for a while. Next time, it won’t be the same.”

“I’ll accept your challenge any time!” Shaden declared, and the men began chanting his name.

Everyone was very drunk because in the next moment, they had taken him outside of the tavern, parading him through the streets while yelling his name at the top of their lungs. He felt strange, being intoxicated. But it didn’t feel bad.

The parade was short, and they returned to the tavern. But by then, the men’s wives were arriving, dragging their husbands by their ears back home. Ponya and Heina also arrived, and Perren supported Nicar while Benavon carried Pillen after paying the fees. Ponya gave them an earful after smelling the alcohol on Shaden, and she didn’t believe it when Benavon dumbly tried to explain that Shaden had beaten Nicar.

“That doesn’t excuse you two from being irresponsible!” she fussed. “It’s your first day back home, and you'd rather spend your time drinking than with your children? What will they think?”

The two men couldn’t reply. Shaden suddenly felt bad for participating in the chaos.

“Do you want to stay drunk?” Shaden asked. “I can fix it for you.”

Benavon opened his mouth—

“Of course they don’t,” Ponya answered instead. “They have to put the children to sleep, and they can’t do it while smelling like dogs.”

The men exchanged sad looks, but Shaden knew it was for the best. Placing his hand on the two, he cast a spell and removed the alcohol from their system.

“Some days, we have to get rid of everything we’ve held in,” Benavon sighed. “Let us rest, dear Ponya.”

“You can rest with the children,” she said. “They have been looking forward to meeting you all year.”

“I…suppose so.”

When Shaden offered to detoxify Nicar and Pillen, Benavon shook his head. “Let them rest until tomorrow.”

Shaden nodded.

But in the end, he detoxified them all after Perela scolded them all for being weak drinkers who couldn’t control themselves.

It wasn’t the perfect reunion. It was a rough one at best. But that night, laying on his bed, Shaden felt his grudges melting away, replaced with some sympathy for the family. They were all human before they were soldiers. They’d never let it show at Fort Avagal, but it was different down in Enthimer. They were weak, unsure, and imperfect. Perhaps their order was something to hide their weaknesses with.

He wished that the cheerfulness from the alcohol wouldn’t wear off.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

“It was a…good experience.”

In the end, they’d ended off on an awkward note. They’d had a brief goodbye party with more dishes than usual, and he’d received a badge as a gift. The Nieuts weren’t wealthy; unlike the Jakhar Kishaks, their gift was modest and their celebration small. Their prestige was great, but honor didn’t amount to money.

But he didn’t mind it. He’d gotten hugs from the children and kisses from the girls and had managed to resolve his distaste for the soldiers. Not completely, but enough to make it leave his thoughts. They were all far away now, and maybe one day, he'd look back on the memories fondly, seeing how far he’d come.

“You’re different from when I last met you,” Practol examined with a hand on his chin. “Fascinating. Simply marvelous. I take it that you learned everything properly?”

“Naturally.”

“Wonderful. Our family’s art requires much dedication, and with your ability to vanish completely, you may think it may be unnecessary to learn it. Perhaps it is. But you will find it quite useful if you learn it, as your grandfather has.”

Shaden observed the room. The sun was gently shining through the window, basking them. They were in Melern in the capital city of Raconel. Naturally, he’d thought that the Seines would be a great noble family with a large estate like the Veurbois as that had been what Eilae had told him, but the building they were in was small compared to the other structures he’d seen during his way there. They weren’t even in the noble district; they were where the commoners were. There hadn’t been any fancy crest or sign that showed that the Seines were there, and he’d only found them by following the tugging sensation that had manifested in him again. Practol had been quite surprised and pleased when he found him, welcoming him warmly.

“May I ask what your ability is?” he asked.

“Our art allows you to be whatever you want to be,” Practol told him.

“Whatever I want to be?”

“Yes. But it will require practice.”

Shaden liked the sound of that. But he was worried about one other thing.

“Will I be required to do any tasks?” he asked, twiddling his thumbs.

The man laughed. “You will be too invested to worry about anything else. Do not worry. We will assist you in everything so you can learn as quickly as possible. Nothing else will be required of you.”

Shaden felt himself relax. After two years of normality, it felt like he was finally being treated properly. Perhaps he’d made the mistake of learning too quickly with the other two families. It had made them expect more from him. This time, he would take it slowly. There was no rush.

“I look forward to it,” he told the man.

“And I as well.”

They shook hands. It would be the start of a new beginning. And this time—

He knew exactly what he wanted from the experience.