Silence returned once the wounded tortoise left the area. However, it didn't last long.

From a pit on the mountain slope, a voice whispered, "I think it has gone away."

It belonged to the mercenary, whose helmet was pressed against the ceiling of the small cave in search of any sound that could tell them otherwise. Once sure that it was all clear, they approached the young mage, now sat on the ground with arms crossed and a frown on her visage. Is she mad at me for ruining her heroic act? While pondering how to teach the girl that being overconfident in one's skills could turn deadly, the sellsword resorted to flattery once more in the hope of lifting her mood.

"I am astonished at how you could cast different spells in such a short amount of time without completely depleting your mana resource. I'm feeling tired after using a single spell."

This time she reacted to the praise by correcting them.

"What thou sawest was caused by the usage of a single spell. By manipulating the flow of mana through thy perception, an enchantment can result in various outcomes. For instance, the fire spell thou hast cast can also take the form of a feeble beacon of light if the caster so wishes. 'Tis basic learning for a mage. If one doth not know how to handle magic and keep track of their mana, then they are a failure as a magic user."

After the long lecture, she fell silent and seemingly stared at them. Does she want me to say something? I'm not even sure if she's looking at me because of her holeless mask. How can she even see through it? Despite her unusual appearance and age, the girl seemed an expert in the magic field. Even with their little understanding of magic, the mercenary could tell that her words were a valuable lesson that they should remember. However, her overconfidence in magic was a double-edged sword.

"I understand that you are more knowledgeable than me in magical matters. Nevertheless, what you did during the fight with the turtle was reckless."

Before they could continue the discourse, the magic user soon came up with a rebuttal. "Reckless? That was the most logical solution to the predicament we were in. Thou hadst no weapon, thus I was the only one capable of fighting. Instead of berating thy saviour, thou shouldst be grateful of being alive."

Ouch. My mercenary's pride. Knowing that her logic was indisputable, especially when they didn’t make a significant contribution to the battle, the sellsword’s shoulders sagged a little. The girl probably understood that her words had hurt their feelings because her features softened a moment later.

"That daring plan of thine was not so terrible, particularly for something conceived offhand. For that, I must commend thee," spoke softly the mage in an attempt to comfort her disheartened partner.

"I was not aware that the beast hid another arm in its beak. Perhaps my initial plan was fated to fail at the end," she concluded with a hint of disappointment. That tentacle thing was surely a shock. The mercenary was glad that the appendage hadn't caught them and above all that the giant turtle had quit its pursuit. Deceiving its sense of smell was improbable, therefore tricking the beast into thinking that they had descended to the first district was the only thing they could do at that moment.

"I can't blame you for not knowing of that tentacle. That was probably the turtle's secret weapon, so it wouldn't reveal it unless necessary. I'm more surprised that you knew its other quirk, the sense of smell. At any rate, I have to thank you. If it wasn't for your magic, I would have gone to my grave by now."

The girl looked pleased with their gratitude. Noticing her cheerful demeanour, the sellsword tried again to address her flaw so that the child couldn't make the same mistake twice. Seeing another person die before their eyes, especially knowing that they could have prevented it, was something unbearable for them.

"What I was trying to say before you interrupted me was that you could have lost your life if I didn’t intervene. A battle is always unpredictable, even if you have enough information on your adversary. Relying too much on your magic isn't a good thing: trust more your judgement and gut feeling. My intuition has saved me in some dangerous circumstances, so listen to it if you ever feel in danger.”

"So that was the reason for thy distress," the magic user said while looking like she had had an epiphany at their words, her O-shaped mouth being a reliable indicator of that. For a moment she assumed a pensive pose and then as if she had made up her mind on something, a small smile crossed her youthful face.

"Thou dost not need to fret about my well-being. I am more than capable of protecting myself. Nonetheless, I swear on my mother that I will take thy advice to heart and be mindful of my limits the next time a fight breaks out," the young girl proclaimed in a decisive tone to appease their concern.

For their part, the mercenary hoped that she wouldn't have to fight again. Children should enjoy their childhood instead of wielding a weapon and risking their lives. Well, look who's talking! A mercenary who learnt how to kill a person when they were only an infant. This was what their inner voice seemed to say. Thoughts of the past aside, they wondered why she was unaccompanied when they had first met. Did she get separated from her parents?

"By the way, where are your parents? If you have gotten lost, I may walk you home or accompany you to the closer guard station if you don't remember the address. It's not safe to let a child wander a big city alone, especially when a giant turtle is walking around."

The mage seemed surprised at the question and proceeded to look down at the ground with a brooding expression. Did she run away from home?

"Your parents must be looking for you everywhere. I'm sure they won't be angry at you once you reunite," the sellsword reassured her. However, after studying the silent girl for a bit, they didn't perceive a tinge of guilt or fear of being busted from her posture and face. She looked more confused at how to address a difficult topic.

"Mother hath always been my only family. Now 'tis not the right time to visit her though" was all she uttered.

Visit her? The mercenary reflected on her words. By assuming that she was swearing on her mother's grave a few minutes ago, the girl's reply would make a lot more sense. An orphan. In the end, the two of them had something in common. With a mother dead at childbirth, their father was the only one to take care of them, but unfortunately he died two years ago. Now they were all alone.

While trying to drive away the negative thoughts, the sellsword spoke again.

"Forget about my previous question. Let's change the subject. I have another thing to ask you if you're okay with it."

She nodded, encouraging them to go ahead.

"Was this district evacuated on the guards' orders by chance?"

Excluding the obvious query about the presence of the great tortoise, what was nagging the mercenary the most since their awakening was one thing: why the streets were deserted. If the residents were ordered to evacuate the district, everything would be explained. Aside from the appearance of the abovementioned creature, of course.

The magic user was quick to respond this time.

"In the aftermath of the downfall, Soldra hath become a lawless city. The guards thou spokest of had shut themselves inside the castle on the orders of the queen herself, a viper who left her poor subjects to fend for themselves. Those fiends would not move a finger even if they see an innocent person be devoured by the undead."

The sellsword was taken aback by her sudden slander against the guard corps and the ruler of the kingdom of Solaria. Rumours about the diligence of the Solarian soldiers and the good deeds of the young monarch were widely spread across the other nations they had visited, therefore learning that they were false was quite a shock. However, something else troubled them. Why did the mage make it seem like this ‘downfall’ had happened in a remote past? Considering that the earthquake had started at dusk and they had awakened in the morning, then half a day had passed. How could things change so drastically in a short time? And what about the undead? Was it a figure of speech of this country?

"Thou shouldst obtain a weapon to defend thyself. I need time to recover the mana I exhausted during the fight with the beast, thus thou wilst be alone for now."

"Wait a minute! What's the 'downfall' you talked about? If it's the name you gave to the earth tremor, then why are you speaking in a faraway past when it happened yesterday? Furthermore, my sword is certainly at the place we've met. How can I retrieve it if that turtle can smell me from a long distance?"

A barrage of questions flowed out from the mercenary's mouth, and all the while the magic user murmured some incomprehensible words. Once she stopped, a deformed bubble formed around them. She soon clarified what happened.

"I have cast a barrier that doth not let the air flow in. Thou canst still breath, but no odour willeth spread in the air. If thou art stealthy, the beast willeth not find thee. But be aware that the spell cannot last more than a quarter of an hour."

Then, after making a hole in the ceiling of the small cave, she handed something over the bewildered sellsword: it was a charcoal stick carved with bizarre symbols.

"Is it perhaps an artifact?" they asked.

They learnt from an antique dealer, one of their former employers, that artifacts were ancient magic tools with the most diverse powers. Because of their rarity, only the wealthy could afford such expensive items. The mercenary gulped. If the pencil was a real artifact, selling it would guarantee them a comfortable life for a long time. Nevertheless, they didn’t succumb to greed: what they really needed were answers.

“Artifact? I am not aware of what an artifact is, but this pencil willeth prove useful for thee. If thou value thy life, heed my advice: flee this district. The beast hath marked it as its territory, thus it willeth not leave this area unless necessary.”

“I wish thee the best, eternal warrior.”

With these final words, the girl disappeared before their eyes.