The days that followed settled into a routine.
Riven trained. Repeated the same movements. Refined them. Vaern's Basic Martial Arts grew smoother with each repetition, the qi flowing better, wasted motion fading little by little.
He got closer and closer to perfection.
Every day, he left the manor and went to the Mercenary Guild.
Leyla came with him each time. At first she had followed without asking. After a few days, it simply became expected.
Riven checked the mission boards every time. Carefully. Systematically. Looking for something fast. Something worth the time.
But nothing changed.
Escort missions. Long routes. Multi-day commitments.
Nothing he could take.
He didn't comment on it. Just turned away and came back the next day.
At the manor, the atmosphere shifted.
The "young master" was no longer hiding away.
Servants began greeting him more openly.
"Glad to see you on your feet again, Young Master."
Riven responded with short nods. Nothing more. But he noticed the relief in their expressions.
On the second day, a new servant introduced himself.
"Evan."
He bowed quickly, almost too quickly. Young. His uniform still looked new, barely worn in.
"I've been assigned to assist you, Young Master."
There was a clear eagerness in his voice.
"I'll do my best."
And he did. Always nearby. Always ready. Trying harder than necessary.
Riven didn't mind. A new servant meant no he had to do less things himself and had more time to train.
Leyla commented on Evan.
"He's new," she said once on their way back from the guild. "Recently assigned. This is probably the highest position he could get right now."
Riven didn't respond, but he understood.
Now the comments he'd heard from other servants made more sense.
"Why him?"
"How did he suddenly—"
The voices always stopped when he looked over.
But he hadn't overlooked them.
There was something else that changed as days went by.
Leyla.
At some point, she stopped calling him "brother."
"Alric."
The name came naturally each time.
Riven noticed.
Eventually, he asked.
"Why the change?"
Leyla answered without hesitation.
"It's better practice. If you're going to act like him, you should get used to the name."
Riven looked at her for a moment.
Then nodded.
"…Makes sense."
Days passed like that.
Training.
Guild.
Observation.
Nothing changed.
And yet, something beneath it all felt increasingly off.
It was too peaceful.
About a week passed like that.
This evening Riven returned to his room.
The trip to the mercenary guild hadn't yielded any results again.
He pushed the door open.
And stopped.
Someone was already inside.
Standing by the window.
One arm.
Still.
Facing away.
Alric.
The real one.
I knew it was too calm to be true...
Riven's eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped in, closing the door behind him.
"…That's not your room anymore."
Alric didn't turn immediately.
"…You're getting used to this place fast," he said instead.
His voice was calm.
Then he glanced back.
"I'm here to give you a heads up."
Riven didn't respond.
Alric continued.
"Some of my sect mates will visit soon."
Riven's gaze sharpened.
"How well do they know you?"
A brief pause.
"Not very well."
"But try to avoid them either way."
Riven's mind moved quickly.
"…Then I'll just stay out of sight."
Alric nodded.
His eyes met Riven's.
"And if you have to appear—don't talk."
"At least not a lot."
"Don't give them anything to be suspicious about."
Riven held his gaze.
"…And you? Why don't you just meet them? Aren't they here for you?"
Alric turned back toward the window.
"They're not exactly here for me... And also I'm leaving."
That made Riven pause.
"What do you mean?"
"It doesn't matter. Just hide in the mansion. You're on your own. I have other stuff to do."
Riven frowned slightly.
He wanted more answers.
But Alric wasn't the type to give those.
"…Got it," Riven said instead.
Alric gave a faint nod.
"Good."
Then he moved.
Crossed the room.
Stopped at the door.
And without another word—
Left.
Riven stood there for a moment.
Thinking.
Then turned.
And left as well.
>>>
Inside the main room.
The manor head listened without interrupting.
Riven stood across from him, expression steady.
"He said his sect mates are coming," Riven finished. "I think it's better if I leave for now."
A short silence followed.
Then—
The man nodded.
"…Agreed."
No objection.
"If there's even a small risk, it's not worth taking."
His gaze lingered on Riven for a moment longer.
"Return after they leave."
"…Understood."
Riven left the hall.
His steps slowed slightly as he walked.
He had already checked the Mercenary Guild today.
Nothing useful.
No convenient missions.
So—
He thought.
For a moment.
Then—
An idea formed.
…This is a good chance.
He still had the map from Verdance.
It wasn't detailed.
But it showed enough.
Combined with what he had picked up from Leyla and the guild—
He had a direction.
Blackweb Hollow.
A cave system about three days away.
Known for housing ironfang spiders.
Feral.
Aggressive.
Perfect.
He'd asked about how to advance his predator spider back at the Venom Hall in the sect.
And one of the ways was to kill other spiders.
This would be a good way to spend his time while waiting for the Knight's Order disciples to leave again.
There was also another place closer.
The Whispering Hollow.
But—
Riven shook his head faintly.
He wasn't going back there for that.
Returning gratitude with murder wasn't something he planned on doing.
With his decision made—
He didn't waste time.
By the time he returned to his room to store whatever small stuff was still there inside his ring, it was already late.
The manor had quieted.
Most lights dimmed.
Leyla would be asleep by now too.
Riven stepped back into the corridor.
Evan was there.
Waiting.
As usual.
"Young Master?"
"I'm leaving for a few days," Riven said.
Evan blinked once, surprised, but didn't question it.
"…Understood."
Riven paused.
"Tell Leyla tomorrow."
A brief hesitation.
Then—
"…Tell her I'll bring her something back."
Evan nodded quickly.
"I will."
Riven turned and left the place soon after.
The manor gates stood silent as he stepped past them.
No guards came forward to stop him, the manor lord must have already informed them.
And just like that—
He was gone.
Riven didn't look back.
The manor faded behind him quickly, its ordered silence replaced by the suppressed quiet of the city. His steps were steady, unhurried, but efficient.
He didn't waste time and quickly left the city too.
The first night passed without incident.
Riven didn't push himself unnecessarily. He traveled until the surroundings grew too dark to navigate cleanly, which wasn't that much longer, then found a suitable spot off the main path to rest.
No fire.
No noise.
Just stillness.
He cultivated briefly, drawing in what little ambient qi he could, letting it circulate through his meridians before settling back into his dantian. It wasn't much.
But it was something.
After that—
He pulled out a tent from his spatial ring.
The more time passed the more grateful he got for the Knight's Order girls spatial ring.
It had everything he needed and more.
Having a tent and blanket at hand even in the most remote locations was nothing short of amazing.
Riven set it up and went inside, his eyes closing in peace.
Even though he wasn't sleeping inside a house right now, it somehow felt better than back at the mansion.
Safer.
Which was weird.
But maybe he just didn't trust the Silvercrest folk enough.
Riven turned lightly.
But even so he wouldn't enter a deep sleep here.
No matter how safe it felt, this was still the wilderness.
>>>
Nothing happened.
The next day—
He moved faster.
The terrain shifted gradually.
Less road.
More wilderness.
The signs of human activity faded, replaced by uneven ground, scattered rock formations, and thicker clusters of trees. The air felt heavier here, quieter in a different way.
Riven adjusted without thinking.
His awareness expanded.
His steps grew lighter.
More controlled.
He was starting to get into prime ambush territory for bandits.
By the second day, the land had changed again.
Rockier now.
The ground rising and falling in uneven slopes.
Vegetation thinned out, giving way to patches of exposed stone and dry soil. The wind carried less warmth, brushing past him in slow, steady currents.
Riven continued forward.
The map in his mind aligned with what he saw.
He was close.
Another day, maybe less.
His hand brushed lightly against the beast pouch at his waist.
A faint presence answered.
Quiet.
Waiting.
Riven's gaze remained forward.
The sun had begun its descent when he noticed it.
Movement.
Far ahead.
Three figures.
Small at this distance.
Standing along the path he had been following.
Riven's steps slowed.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he got a closer look.
"…No way."