Time passed. The next evening, Silver Heaven Marketplace pulsed with life. Lanterns glowed amber over the cobblestones. The melody of a lute floated through the crowd.
Inside a cozy tavern tucked in one corner of the square, four familiar figures sat around a low wooden table. The soft light flickered across their faces—no longer bruised and battered, just a few faint bandages marking yesterday's chaos.
Shaun flexed his wrist, wincing slightly. "Never thought I'd end up having dinner with the guy who tried to blast me into a tree—twice."
Shaumin smirked, raising his cup. "And yet you're sitting here. Guess I was too soft on you."
Natasha crossed her arms, leaning back with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Soft, huh? Then I suppose that's your shield, Skyline. I could never be that merciful."
Shaumin chuckled. "Now that's terrifying. Remind me never to fight you, Lady Lightning."
Sabastian laughed softly. "Please don't. The marketplace can't survive another one of your duels."
Their laughter mingled with the tavern's warm noise, drawing a few curious glances. For once, there was no tension—just a quiet bond that hadn't been there before.
As the noise died down, Shaumin's tone shifted. "You know… yesterday opened my eyes. Commoners aren't as weak as most nobles think. You two—" he looked at Shaun and Sabastian "—you've got strength that doesn't come from rank or privilege. You fight like people with something real to protect."
Shaun smiled faintly, his tone grounded but proud. "When it's about protecting family or friends, everyone can become strong. Strength doesn't come from blood—it comes from what you care about."
Shaumin hummed thoughtfully, tracing the rim of his cup. "Maybe that's why most nobles feel hollow. We're trained to value power and prestige, not people."
Sabastian leaned forward, intrigued. "What's life like for you, Shaumin? Being the son of a minister must be amazing."
Shaumin gave a wry laugh. "Luxurious, yes. But empty. Every day feels the same—ceremonies, tutors, expectations. No sea breeze, no sweat, no challenge. Sometimes I envy lives like yours. At least they sound real."
Sabastian chuckled. "Real? Try waking up before sunrise to drag nets heavier than yourself."
Natasha smiled softly. "Or being forced into training every morning in a dojo until your hands go numb."
Shaun joined in with a grin. "Or tending the fields under a blazing sun while your father yells that you're too slow."
Shaumin laughed for real this time. "See? That's exactly what I mean. You call it tiring. I call it living."
A comfortable silence followed until Sabastian broke it with a question. "So, what are everyone's aspirations? You know, our dreams."
Shaumin was the first to answer, leaning back. "Mine's simple. I want to prove myself—to etch my own name in history without relying on my father's title or the Skyline name. I'll rise as my own man."
Sabastian nodded with quiet respect. "I like that. Mine's to master Water Magic, strong enough to return home someday—to the coast where I was born—and heal the ocean that once kept us alive."
Natasha smiled warmly. "That's beautiful, Sabastian. As for me…" Her tone shifted, proud yet soft. "I'll become a Thunder Magus stronger than my father. He's a High Arcane Commander, but someday, I'll surpass him."
She hesitated for a heartbeat, then added with a faint blush, "And my second dream is… to marry Shaun."
Shaun nearly choked on his drink. "W–what?! Natasha!"
Shaumin burst out laughing. "By the gods, Thunderhawk, you've got guts! I'm actually jealous—you bagged a beauty like her. She's totally my type, you know. Your married life's going to be a firecracker!"
Natasha's glare burned brighter than lightning. "Shaumin, one more word and I'll show you just how much."
He raised both hands in surrender, smirking. "See? Firecracker."
The table erupted into laughter again, even Shaun struggling to hide his grin.
When the laughter faded, Shaun leaned forward, his voice steady but filled with resolve. "As for me—I'll challenge the Three Supreme Magi one day. And when I do, I'll stand at the top as the World's Strongest Magus."
Shaumin tilted his head, expression unreadable. "I already heard that in class," he said with a faint grin. "Still… I wonder if you can really pull it off."
Shaun met his gaze without hesitation. "I will."
Natasha's smile softened. "Then let's support each other with their dreams to fulfill and make them happen—together."
Sabastian nodded firmly. "A promise."
They raised their glasses of orange juice, the flicker of lamplight reflecting in the amber liquid.
"To dreams—and friendship," they said in unison, clinking glasses with a quiet chime.
The clinking sound that followed was small, but it carried the weight of something new: trust.
**********
As the laughter faded into the night, Natasha's eyes sharpened. "Still… what Albus and his friends did today can't go unanswered. They might try it again with someone else."
Shaumin's grin turned sly, a spark of mischief glinting in his storm-black eyes. "Don't worry. I—"
Before Shaumin could finish, from the corner of the tavern, a young boy approached their table. Without a word, he placed a folded piece of parchment and a small blue crystal in front of Shaumin, then slipped away into the crowd before anyone could stop him.
The four of them exchanged bewildered looks. Shaumin unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the words inside. Slowly, a sly smile spread across his face. Then his fingers brushed the crystal, a faint blue pulse shimmered beneath his touch—gone as quickly as it came.
Natasha frowned. "What is it?"
Shaumin tucked the note into his sleeve, that familiar spark of mischief lighting his gaze.
"A ticket for a funny show," he said smoothly, his storm-black eyes glinting with mischief. "Like I was saying—I already have something in mind."
Shaun raised a brow. "That smile worries me."
Shaumin's chuckle was low and confident. "Relax, Thunderhawk. I'm not picking a fight with someone this time… just returning the favour someone owes."
The four of them exchanged knowing glances. Outside, the marketplace lights dimmed, the night wind brushing past with a whisper—as if carrying the promise of the storm yet to come.
Shaumin leaned back, the sly curve of his lips returning. "Curious, aren't you? Then watch closely."
He tapped the small blue gem on the table. A faint hum pulsed through the air, and the Crystal flickered to life, its surface rippling like liquid glass.
"What's that?" Sabastian asked, leaning forward.
Shaumin smirked. "A Third Eye Crystal. It's a surveillance relic—lets you see what the crystal's twin is witnessing elsewhere. Nobles use them to spy on rivals, generals to monitor troops, parents to watch their heirs."
Natasha raised a brow. "So basically… a magic eye."
"Precisely," Shaumin said, the gem's glow deepening. "And right now, it's showing us something entertaining."
**********
The crystal shimmered, light twisting until an image took shape—steam rising from marble walls, the echo of water splashing. Then the scene sharpened: Albus and his friends, half-dressed in towels, lounging in the Noble Bathhouse.
Natasha immediately turned crimson and looked away, her voice sharp. "Shaumin! Have you lost your mind? How dare you show a lady four half-naked idiots bathing?!"
Shaumin snorted. "Relax, Lady Lightning. Think of it as poetic justice in progress."
Inside the bathhouse in one bathroom, Albus, Cedric and Blaise were sitting in a bathing pond, soaking their naked bodies in the water while Jasper was sitting outside, washing his head with soap.
"Tch. That whole perfume plan went down the drain. If that bottle hadn't shattered early, that filthy Sabastian would've been the joke of the week!" Albus sneered.
"Don't blame me! You're the one who was holding that fish-stink oil disguised as perfume. How could you let that brat Shaumin snatch it so easily?" Cedric shot back.
"Guys, stop. Just think—what if they tell the imperial guards? You think they've figured out it was our plan?" Blaise asked, uneasily.
"Relax, they can prove nothing. We'll just blame it on the shopkeeper, say he sold the wrong bottle. As for those four, we'll make a new plan. Next time, we'll humiliate all of them—Shaun, Natasha, Sabastian, and even that arrogant Shaumin!" Albus said, grinning wickedly.
The four in the tavern exchanged glances. Shaun's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing like drawn blades. Natasha, still refusing to look at the crystal, huffed.
"Ugh! Are we really wasting time watching those naked idiots? Shaumin, are we planning or peeping?"
Shaumin, however, only smirked. "Patience. Watch."
In the bathhouse, Albus stretched and waved at Cedric. "Hey, pour that fragrance soap in—the expensive one I bought from the shop."
Cedric groaned. "Always ordering me around." Still, he grabbed the small crystal bottle and poured its entire contents into the bathwater.
A few moments passed. Then Blaise sniffed. "…Uh, do you guys smell that?"
Jasper frowned, wrinkling his nose. "Smell what?"
"That smell. It's… familiar." Blaise gagged. "Wait. Isn't that the same stench from—"
Before he could finish, Albus caught a whiff and recoiled. "By the Emperor's beard—why do you reek like fish guts, Blaise?!"
They all froze as realization struck. The steam thickened with the vile odour. Jasper panicked. "It's coming from the water!"
Cedric's face drained of colour. "The bottle! I poured the whole thing! It's from that fragrance soap!"
"YOU WHAT?!" Albus roared.
The nobles erupted into chaos, splashing frantically as they tried to escape the tub, towels slipping as they tripped over each other. Blaise stumbled out first, gagging as onlookers outside began to wrinkle their noses and whisper.
"By the stars, what is that smell?!"
"Are those nobles bathing in rotten fish water?!"
**********
Back in the tavern, Shaun covered his face, torn between disbelief and laughter. "No way…"
Natasha shook her head, unable to hide her smirk. "Serves them right."
Sabastian's mouth fell open. "Wait—how… how did you even manage that?"
Shaumin's grin turned wolfish. "The boy who brought me the parchment earlier? He's one of our family's loyal attendants. On my command, he replaced Albus's fancy fragrance soap with the same perfume they used on Sabastian."
Sabastian blinked. "So that's—"
"Tit for tat," Shaumin interrupted proudly, leaning back with a satisfied smirk. "A noble response to noble stupidity."
Natasha couldn't help but laugh. "I must admit, that was brilliant."
Shaun groaned, though his lips twitched. "You're cruel. Poor them."
Shaumin lifted his cup like a toast. "Maybe. But I'm also effective. Trust me, they won't show their faces for at least a month."
The image in the crystal faded, leaving only the faint shimmer of magic and the sound of their laughter echoing through the tavern.
Outside, the lanterns of Silver Heaven Marketplace flickered in the night breeze—four new friends sharing one quiet victory beneath its warm glow.
**********