"You don't want me getting so much attention with my white hair, no?" Pier spoke as he grinned at the cloaked man and Ciaran nodded his head in response.

"Alright," he said as he turned his gaze away from the young master.

Ciaran started to think about what he had just seen.

'Was he really like that?' He was baffled to see the young master talk with him as if Pier was talking with someone insignificant.

The young master's demeanor suddenly changed when Ciaran asked him if he was even important and it disturbed Ciaran slightly. It was his first time seeing a person change the way they speak and the way they carry themselves with just the blink of an eye.

'Hoh...' Pier thought as he watched the hooded man avert his eyes from staring at him.

Pier knew he was currently at a disadvantage right now and wherever he looked into it, he would lose.

He immediately became alert with Ciaran's possible joke of putting poison in his food.

'I'm getting too comfortable with him.' Pier was indeed getting too comfortable around Ciaran. He had woken up to the reality regarding his actions when Ciaran spoke about the food and his importance.

Shallow, some may say but Pier could not help but feel threatened at the action.

Who was there with him?

What if the man that he only knew by name and face really did put poison in his food?

What if they really do not need him?

The last one would have been doable for Pier but the former two basically meant that he's helpless.

"Thanks for the food, Ciaran," Pier said as he got up from the stool he was sitting on. The movement caused the stool to create a screeching noise on the wooden floor as it scraped the surface.

Ciaran was left on their spot contemplating Pier's sudden change towards him.

When Pier got out of the building, he allowed his eyes to roam around the Stone City.

It did stand up to its name because most of the buildings are made out of stone and some are mixed with wood, just like the building he came from.

He did not know the place so Pier simply decided to wander around the nearby areas where the carriage was located. He drifted from different shop to shop, looking through their different materials sold.

"Do you want to buy this, perhaps?" He turned to look at an old man who was guarding the equipment store he was looking in.

The old man was pointing at a flute that was placed in a glass enclosure.

"Ah, pardon, no-"

"You can buy this at a discounted price if you play well enough!" The old man persuaded Pier.

Pier scratched his cheek at the old man's offer.

"I don't have any money to pay for the instrument," Pier spoke and the old man's eyebrows furrowed at the statement.

"Then why did you even look through the display?!" He scolded Pier and the young master's eyebrows raised at the man's words.

'Damn, oldie got no chill.'

"Alright, I'll leave," Pier said as he went out of the shop without a second thought leaving behind a grumpy old man.

"Geez, I was just looking." He rolled his eyes as he started to walk back into the carriage.

He hummed as he walked through the stone pavements. It was afternoon right now and the sun was shining at its highest peak.

Pier looked up at the sky as he continued to hum.

'Hah, an absurd thought but I hope Ciaran takes me to a good place' He thought as he watched the clouds move silently as the wind carried them.

Oof!

Pier stopped walking when he bumped into something hard.

"Where have you been?" the deep voice asked and Pier flinched at the sudden interruption of his thoughts.

The dark-cloaked man named Ciaran suddenly blocked his way while he was looking up at the sky. Pier turned his head to look up at the tall man that suddenly interrupted his train of thoughts.

"Ah, I just went window shopping," He said and Ciaran had a confused look on his face.

"Window shopping? Where do you need the windows for?" He asked and Pier forced himself to not laugh at Ciaran's statement.

'He took it literally, pft.'

"Ah, I just remembered I wanted to change my windows back at the mansion so I went window shopping." Ciaran raised his eyebrows at the young master's expression that seemed to be containing his laughter.

"But you just came out of an instrument shop."

"Could you just stop asking?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? Just stop," Pier spoke while sighing.

He had been here for more than two months yet he still could not stop using the terms he used back in his previous life.

Ciaran only stared at the young master again as he passed through him.

His brown hair slightly peeked through his cloak and his green eyes followed the young master's movements.

When he got out of the building, he went to check the carriage if Pier had gone back there also but to his surprise, he could not find the young master.

So he searched through the entire city only to know that the young master had gone into an instrument shop in the next building.

'Window shopping?' He asked himself because he had never heard of the phrase.

He followed Pier back into the carriage silently. Regardless of his huge frame, his steps were silent as if he was not touching the ground itself.

"What happened to your eye by the way?" Pier asked when he got back inside the carriage and Ciaran followed him.

Ciaran stared at the young master for a moment and his green eyes met Pier's blue ones.

"It's a personal matter," He spoke and Pier pouted his lips like a child that did not get his favorite toy.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why, it is just personal," He said, mocking Pier's statement earlier.

Pier rolled his eyes at Ciaran's mockery as he went to close the door of the carriage.

However, before he could close it, Ciaran stopped the door from closing.

Pier remembered a certain scenario where a scumbag prince also stopped the door of his carriage from closing.

Without speaking, Ciaran took something out from his cloak and he handed it to Pier.

"This is?" Pier asked as he stared at the black pile of clothing in Ciaran's hands.

"The cloak you requested," He said monotonously and Pier raised both of his eyebrows.

"Wow, you're quick," He complimented how fast Ciaran was able to give him a cloak that looked like the one he wore.

Ciaran nodded his head.

"It is a spare one I have."

"Oh.... thank you then," Pier said before receiving the cloak and he went inside to fully unveil it.

Ciaran closed the door for the young master who had an excited look on his face.

'I really can't tell what you're like' He thought as he watched the white-haired person unfold the cloak excitedly before the door fully closed.

Ciaran then walked back into the coachman's place. The horses neighed as they saw their master get back up in the carriage.

Ciaran pulled on the reigns and immediately, the horses started to depart.

"Hey, Ciaran, how long until we reach the place you're taking me to?" Pier asked as he was trying to wear the cloak Ciaran had given him.

"Three days."

"Three?" Pier asked again as he stood up. The oversized cloak covered his arms entirely and the hood of the cloak was spacious enough that it was able to cover his entire face.

"Yes."

"Where are we going anyway? The Heron Kingdom?" He asked. Ciaran was indeed bigger than Pier. The young master only reached his chest and it made Pier happy that he had gotten an oversized cloak.

"No."

"Then where?" He asked again as he twirled around while wearing the cloak.

"The Mir Mountains."

"What?" Pier stopped for a moment.

If he based it on his memories and knowledge from the books, the Mir Mountains is a mountain range that is located in the south-eastern direction of the Taron Kingdom and Northwest of the Heron Kingdom.

It was famous for its dangerous vicinities that people are only able to venture at the foot of the mountains. Higher above, it was said that monstrous beasts and other magical creatures roam.

"Surely you do not plan on feeding me to the monsters at the Mir Mountains?" He asked and Ciaran shook his head.

"No, but that is where we needed your ice magic." Pier had an 'o' shape in his mouth as he listened to Ciaran's explanation.

'Am I going to slay monsters?' He thought about what he needed to do in the Mir Mountains.

The idea of him killing monsters and getting his own power rising quickly made him giddy.

But at the same time, he was also nervous. The Mir Mountains is the place where legends about various mythical creatures and beasts originated from. It was rumored to be so dangerous that explorers and adventurers avoided the place.

Pier felt his excitement slowly rising at the thought of meeting wondrous creatures there.

'Alright!' He fist pumped into the air.

---

Crash!

A part of the training grounds exploded and Gideon fell to the ground.

"Get up," Ronnovian said as he watched the knight struggle to even lift his head.

Gideon gritted his teeth as the painful sensation of getting hit with fire magic slowly started to rise in his burned arm.

He turned to look on the other side of the training grounds.

He watched as the infamous Headmaster of the House of Masters stood there with fire aura coming out from his body and shooting directly at him.

Each fire aura shot in his direction was hot enough to penetrate the armor he had been wearing.

He groaned as he stood up. His armor was now full of scratches and dents.

He had personally requested the Headmaster of the House of Masters to train him and it had not even been two minutes that he was already at the brink of defeat.

'Monster' Gideon thought as he looked at the father of his young master.

Ronnovian had a serene look on his face as he only stood there. He was open wide with no defenses. He was still wearing his usual outdoor suit but Gideon could not even approach him.

"You requested me to personally train you, but seeing your skills you are not even worthy of becoming my son's personal knight," He spoke and Gideon gritted his teeth in anger.

He knew

He knew that he was so weak to even stand up beside the young master of the House of Masters.

He knew he was not qualified.

"That... huff... That is why I am personally asking you,... huff... Headmaster. Please train me to become worthy enough as the young master's knight!" Gideon said as he held on his sword for support.

Ronnovian stared at the young knight who was burning with determination.

"Why would I? I can simply assign a veteran knight for Pier." Ronnovian asked and Gideon unearthed his sword that was stabbed on the ground.

He slashed the sword and dirt was removed from it.

"I guess you could, Headmaster...huff... However, I have pledged my life to serve the young master," Gideon spoke as he continued to take deep breaths.

"It is now my duty to protect him that no other knight could fulfill!" He spoke in a loud voice. He gripped his sword tighter and proceeded to do an attacking stance once more.

Ronnovian was perplexed by the knight's determination. It had been long since he saw a person so committed to his duty in serving another person.

"I heard you have just been knighted" Gideon nodded his head.

"That is correct, Headmaster"

"And you just became my son's personal knight in two weeks?" Gideon nodded his head again.

"That is also correct, Headmaster"

"Then why are you so devoted to serving my son? You just met him." Ronnovian asked and Gideon also stopped in his movements.

"The young master... he saved my life," Gideon spoke lowly but Ronnovian still heard it.

"Ah, I heard Pier slew a magic beast all alone. I guess you were that knight he had saved."

Gideon nodded his head. He had a bitter taste in his mouth.

"However, I still do not find that a reason to be so committed to serving my son. You can simply give him your gratitude," Ronnovian spoke as he pointed his hands at Gideon and without a second passing, fire aura started to envelop his body again and started to chase Gideon at the other side of the training grounds.

Gideon tried to dodge most of the fire aura shot at him.

Fire Aura was the highest form of fire magic one could use. It manifests around the caster's body and with the will of the person using it, the fire aura can shoot directly to the opponent at an extremely fast speed.

Basically, whatever the caster wants to do, fire aura will do it in any possible way.

And Gideon could not escape it.

Gideon stopped to dodge when he saw that Ronnovian also stopped shooting the fire aura at him.

"I could... huff... Headmaster... but that will not justify my resolve to serve the young master with all of my life!" He spoke as he took the chance of Ronnovian stopping his attacks to charge at him.

Ronnovian chuckled at the young knight.

"Hmmm," He hummed and his fire aura ignited itself once more.