The scandal and the birthday ended much to Anna’s satisfaction. She and Wolf excused themselves and left early on account of them heading out for a mission in the morning.

And yet, the young woman’s good mood didn’t last long.

As soon as she and Wolf left the city random problems started cropping up. The first of many was that Wolf “forgot” to bring tents. At first he wanted to bring one, but then decided against it. He was certain Anna would simply take the tent for herself and leave him to sleep outside.

Wolf didn’t dump assorted camping supplies into his bedroom for no good reason. He had a plan. Back when they collected Snow Petunias, Anna mentioned huddling for warmth at night.

Wolf naturally brought up Anna’s idea, and she just stared blankly at him.

“Are you insane?” she asked. “You want us to hug and sleep in the middle of the road? It’s February, and it’s not that cold. Besides, even if a sudden cold snap happens, don’t we have Protection from Elements active at all times?”

Anna destroyed Wolf with the same logic he didn’t dare to voice back when he accidentally ruined their tents. However, it wasn’t all bad.

Wolf got to hold hands with Anna as much as he wanted. They slept with their bedrolls next to each other, gazing at the clear starry sky. It was cute and romantic, save for the fact Anna wheezed a bit when she slept. Wolf didn’t mind it, it was just another background sound he heard while meditating.

As for Anna, she minded quite a bit as the little pervert tried to stick his hand into her bedroll. Thankfully, after berating him a couple of times, Wolf gave up.

“So, will you tell me why you disguised yourself as a beggar?” Anna asked a week after they’d left Silver City, once Wolf started behaving properly.

She was curled up in her bedroll and her pristine eyes were focused on the starry sky above. The young woman didn’t even glance towards her boyfriend, unsure of how he’d react to the question.

“And why did Young Miss Annabelle Didot go out pretending to be a maidservant?” Anna’s question was awkward, and Wolf tried to change the topic immediately.

“It’s rude to answer a question with a question. A man and a woman shouldn’t hold secrets from each other. I mean just look at my family.” Suddenly Anna turned to face Wolf. “You are aware that we’ll get married sooner or later, right?”

That serious expression and intent gaze of those intelligent eyes made Wolf feel uneasy. He had plenty of secrets he couldn’t share with Anna. Even though she was legally a grown woman, she acted no different from a child. But Wolf had a feeling he would lose something important if he lied or ignored her now.

The young man took a deep breath, then spoke solemnly.

“My father asked me to lay low until I entered Silver City’s Mage Academy,” Wolf said steadily, trying to hide the unease he felt about exposing this vulnerable part of his. “The best I could come up with was to pretend to be a street urchin. That’s the reason. Also, I have some secrets that I need to hide from you for now. I hope you understand.”

But, if he couldn’t tell the woman he loved, who could he possibly tell?

“I…” Anna’s voice quivered. “I ran away because I didn’t want to end up like my mother, who despite her talent and brains, is only recognized as a good womb.”

Anna couldn’t help the tears running down her face.

“I work hard, but my talent is ordinary, and I think I won’t get very far as a Mage,” she confessed, nowhere nearly as delusional as Wolf believed her to be. “I’m afraid my father will sell me for benefits, so that my brother will have a shot at climbing higher. I... I don’t want to be beaten…

“They both try to hide it from us, but we’re not blind. We can see what’s happening and when mother is limping. I don’t want to live like that. I want to love the man I’m with, and I want him to love me too. I want to be happy.” Anna’s voice cracked as she struggled for words.

“I don’t want my daughter to catch me with the stableboy while my husband is away. I… I don’t even know if I want to have children. I’m scared of those things. That’s why I want to be a Mage, or an adventurer and roam the land. I… Can you promise not to beat me when we get married? … And not to force me to do anything?” Annabelle begged and chills ran down Wolf’s spine.

Was this the kind of life sheltered noble children lived? Did they take it out on those who didn't have the power to fight back? Many questions and stray thoughts swarmed Wolf’s mind as he gazed at Anna’s bitter tears, however one of them was by far the loudest and most definitely not a stray.

Did I just make the woman I love cry? But I didn’t do anything. Not knowing what else to do, Wolf awkwardly wormed his way closer to Anna in his sleeping bag and hugged her.

“Let go of me you dummy!” Anna tried to shout, but just ended up sobbing.

Wolf didn’t let go. Instead he tightened his grip. Wayde once said that when women say no they mean yes and Anna proved him right just now. She hugged Wolf and cried harder.

After a while Anna stopped crying.

“Thank you,” she mumbled into the wet sleeping bag while hiding her face.

“You’re welcome,” Wolf said seriously and let go. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Everyone has their own circumstances.”

Wolf hoped Anna would hug him again. Maybe he could get a bit of snuggling out of this awkward evening, but the girl just smiled sweetly and nodded without saying a word.

Then Anna turned her gaze towards the stars until she fell asleep. Wolf glanced at her every now and then, but once he was certain she was fast asleep and that he wouldn’t get any snuggling tonight he sighed and entered his Mind Hall.

***

Days passed and the pair traveled peacefully. The most intimate thing Wolf got to do with his girlfriend was hold her hand and watch over her as she bathed in ponds and deep enough streams they passed along the way.

Even though he enjoyed the pleasant sight, Wolf couldn’t really understand feminine obsession with cleanliness. You should naturally wash up when you’re dirty, but you’re not dirty every day.

However there were exceptions when Wolf believed it was fine to bathe even when clean. For instance when running into a hot spring. Archibald used to love those and he imparted his passion to Wolf.

Initially Wolf was relatively satisfied with how things were going. However, as days passed, holding hands quickly became old and boring. The only thing he looked forward to now was watching Anna bathe.

He naturally suggested that the two of them should take a bath together, but Anna adamantly refused. She wanted Wolf to act as a lookout, so that nobody else could sneak a peek. The youth wholeheartedly agreed with her. He didn’t want anyone else watching his woman bathing.

However, as things usually went with manlings, even this wonderful sight, which used to fill Wolf with excitement, soon became bland and common. Luckily, the pair reached their destination before Wolf began feeling well and truly frustrated.

Two youths calmly approached the gate of a mining settlement called Coalshaft. The palisade looked old and worn out, just like the tiny town behind it. A pair of scruffy guards watched the rundown gate. One man was in his thirties, while the other was close to Wolf’s and Anna’s age.

“Good day sir,” Anna started politely. “My name is Annabelle Didot. I’m a student of Silver City’s Mage Academy. I was sent here to aid you with your problem.”

Anna’s introduction didn’t seem to touch the shabby guards. However, the younger one ogled her in such a way that made Wolf feel like digging out his eyes.

The elder of the two guards looked at his lecherous partner.

“Go tell the boss that the reinforcements he was waiting for have finally arrived.” The guard in his thirties said mockingly to the fifteen year old youth.

The youth dashed into the poorly fortified settlement. After a while a clean and well dressed man in his forties appeared.

He bowed fancifully and introduced himself. “My Lords, thank you for coming. My name is Yoki, the administrator of this operation. Please follow me inside. We’ve already prepared a room with a hot tub for you to wash up and clean yourself from your difficult journey.”

Wolf looked at the man, his dust-free blue uniform, black shoes which were almost completely clean. His face was cleanly shaven and his thin mustache had a couple drops of water. This Yoki must have just washed his face to make himself as presentable as possible, but the rest indicated he took good care of his outward appearance.

The coal mine administrator led the Mage Academy students to a small cottage and then awkwardly stopped before it. Just as Wolf was about to bless the man for his consideration, Yoki had to open his mouth.

“I didn’t expect a lady and a gentleman would pay us a visit. We prepared only one house. If you give us half a day we can have another building cleaned up for your use,” the man said slightly nervously. He only expected a single person when he’d issued his request, but he couldn’t say that.

Wolf inwardly sighed, then took a deep breath. This was one of those times when he was supposed to act like a gentleman.

“It’s fine. You don’t have to clean up a house for me. I’m fine sleeping on the porch.” I won’t even get to see her bathing while we’re here. Wolf grumbled inwardly.

The settlement administrator nervously wiped his sweat with a white handkerchief.

“Thank you for your understanding Lord Mage,” he smiled subserviently. “If you need to take a bath just let me know. I’ll clear the bathhouse just for you.”

Oh just piss off. You and your bathing and walls and doors. I’m getting sick of all of it already. Even though that’s what he thought, Wolf still thanked the man with a polite smile, thinking the administrator would leave.

However, the man refused to budge. Apparently he expected Wolf to follow him and freshen up.

Seeing Yoki still waiting there, Wolf frowned.

“You may leave,” he said, allowing some of his annoyance to seep into his voice.

“Yes, Lord Mage. Once you’re ready for the meeting just grab anyone and they’ll escort you to my office,” the annoying fellow said as he scampered away.

While watching his departing figure, Wolf wondered whether the man had a white carpet in his office and where he could find a mud puddle in which he could dip his shoes.

“You’re thinking something bad. Aren’t you?” Anna said with a light smile.

“Who? Me? Never! Where did you get that idea?” Wolf replied jokingly, eliciting another bright smile, which improved his mood quite a bit.

***

As expected, Anna freshened up. As expected, Wolf didn’t. But he was civil enough not to look for filth to step into before visiting the mine official.

Wolf guessed it, the office was spotless. The shiny wood flooring wasn’t carpeted, but it was close enough to Wolf’s mental picture.

The manager sat behind his desk, his shoes right next to the door. Anna probably didn’t notice them and walked in with her shoes on. Wolf noticed it and understood Yoki’s intention, but didn’t give a damn as he waltzed right in.

The Mage Academy students sat down into the comfortable chairs, across the desk from their host. Awkward silence filled the room as the young Mages waited for their host to speak.

Yoki still gazed at the dusty footsteps left on his lacquered parquet, his eye twitching ever so slightly. However, he refrained from saying anything about Anna’s and Wolf’s shoes.

I hope you have a sneezing fit while suffering from diarrhea, the man uttered a silent curse.

“My Lords, Coalshaft has been producing high quality coal for centuries. With each year we dig deeper and deeper to unearth more of this precious resource for our empire,” Yoki began what had the potential for a very long narrative. “Last year our expert Geomancers found a silver vein. The ore was so pure that it didn’t even require refinement, we just took it straight out of the ground, earning a large profit. The ore was found when the team seventeen was looking to make a new fork in the mine in search of—”

“Could you please just tell us the relevant bit?” Wolf asked abruptly.

The way things were going this fishlike fellow would keep talking for the better part of the day.

Yoki pointedly didn’t frown and shortened his exposition. “We focused on silver after discovering the vein. Everything was going fine until one day, three months ago, the miners working in the silver shaft didn’t return after their shift ended. After that I sent two of the town guards to check what’s going on, but they didn’t return either. So, I sealed that part of the mine and notified my lord.”

“Has anything happened since?” Wolf asked and Anna kicked his shin, stubbing her toe.

“Has anything happened after you sealed the mine?” she asked, fighting back the tears.

Wolf looked at her awkwardly and shut up. He was already so used to going on missions and interacting with nervous captains and mayors that it came to him naturally.

Besides, he really disliked this mission. There was no information. How did the Mage Academy estimate this as appropriate for a Fourth Order Mage? It could in theory be a job for a True-Namer, not for Anna.

“Nothing happened on the surface,” Yoki answered Anna in a considerably less passive aggressive way than Wolf. “Inside the mine there were no traces of miasma, nor any tremors. Whatever the danger was it may have already passed, or it could be localized to the vicinity of the silver vein.”

Yoki shook his head despondently. He liked it when easy money fell into his lap.

“I really don’t know. I can tell you that the silver was found in the deepest part of the mine, over a hundred meters down. We use canaries, but it’s possible that the poison down there is extremely potent and that it killed everyone in an instant. It’s rare, but not impossible. As for the other shafts, there was no danger and the operation is still ongoing, despite the grumbling of the workers,” the man concluded his explanation, without really explaining anything.

Damn. Wolf hoped that something had happened. He didn’t care whether it was good or bad, as long as it gave them a clue as to what was going on.

“Can we see the silver that was mined out? There could be a hint there?” Anna suddenly asked after tapping her lower lip a couple of times.

Wolf felt relieved. He was afraid the woman would say something like ‘well, let’s go then!’ while being all enthusiastic.

The manager shook his head with a regretful expression. “Unfortunately, we’ve already shipped it two months ago. We have regular shifts of guards and miners every other month. We receive supplies and fresh people, while sending back people who are exhausted or sick, as well as the security for the ore and coal we’re shipping.”

“Well, that’s the only thing I could come up with,” Anna surrendered, then faced the youth whose shin she’d just kicked to make him shut up. “Wolf, do you have any other ideas?”

“I think we should rest today and then check the shaft ourselves tomorrow. Do you mind showing us a map of the tunnels, or taking us to see the sealed passageway?” Wolf had an idea. He could scry and see what was going on. That way he could at least spot underground monsters, assuming monsters were the problem.