"Oh, no…" Alicia gasped, taking a clear look of what had happened.
Although Baston had technically won the sparring match, the victory looked far from glorious.
His arm hung at an unnatural angle. The bone beneath the sleeve clearly displaced from the heavy impact of Luke's strike. Any ordinary fighter would have lost their grip on the sword the moment such force traveled through their arm.
Luke was quick and stronger than most boys of his age yet his body was still limited on how much power he could truly exert.
Baston, however, had never intended to fight as an ordinary person. The body who was standing in the training hall was not his own.
Inside the puppet's sleeve, the bone had cracked from the collision. Baston could feel the damage through the faint connection that was linking from his consciousness to the puppet, but the sensation came only as the distant information rather than the pain. If he had used his real body, the duel would have ended much earlier.
The disguised Baston let out a quiet sigh. There was still a limit to what these puppets could endure.
He had been fortunate that Luke was not overly powerful. If his opponent had been someone like Tasco, the entire puppet's skeleton would likely have shattered from the force of the strikes. Once destroyed, the puppet would dissolve into fragments of mana and return to the old book.
By then, he would have to wait an entire day before summoning it again. Of course, the much trouble was on how he could explain any of the incoming event.
He slowly grasped his arm before he twisted it hard.
"CRACK…"
The sound echoed sharply through the training yard, making several nearby people flinched.
Baston calmly bent the arm back into place as if he were adjusting a crooked branch. The bone shifted again with another dry snapping noise before it was finally aligning correctly beneath the skin.
It was the third time this had happened since he arrived in Luminos City. A strange thought crossed his mind.
If the puppet fell from a cliff, would it survive the fall?
And if it did, what kind of shape would it end up in?
Would he have to fix dozens of bones before it could even stand again?
The idea lingered for a moment before he dismissed it. Anyway, the arm finally looked normal again.
Truly, the puppets were miraculous tools. Through them, he could take the risks without exposing his true body to danger. The puppet master remained hidden while the puppet suffered the damage.
"Your body is really something!" Luke laughed as he walked closer and gave Baston a friendly pat on the shoulder, "That's already the second time I've seen you break it."
Baston forced a smile, "Actually… it's the third time…"
However, he kept that thought to himself.
"By the way…" Luke continued, glancing toward the entrance of the training yard, "We have guests here. Let's greet them first…"
"Guests?"
Baston turned and he finally found what he had been waiting for. At the far side of the courtyard, Alicia stood looking at him. Beside her, two men that he knew all too well accompanied her which were Angus and Harry.
All three of them were staring directly at him.
The fat boy quietly closed his eyes, pondering whether it would be a trouble about what happened earlier.
During the sparring match, he had focused entirely on Luke. His senses had narrowed to the rhythm of the duel, ignoring everything else around him. Only now did he realize someone had been watching the entire time.
And worse, they might have witnessed the moment he fixed his broken arm. He rubbed his forehead as if he was tired.
To ordinary warriors, resetting a dislocated bone was not entirely unusual. The knights often suffered injuries during training yet what made the scene strange was the complete lack of pain.
There was no grimace, no groan, and no hesitation. It was just the quiet snapping sound of the bone shifting back into place.
That detail alone could provoke the questions. Such questions that he could not easily answer.
The next real problem was Tasco.
The old knight had once seen him do the exact same thing during their training sessions. If the old knight mentioned it casually while speaking with Alicia and the others, she might begin noticing the pattern.
There would be two different people and two identical habits. Surely, the girl was not someone who ignored such strange coincidences.
If she started investigating, it might provoke her unwanted intuition. The thought alone made him uneasy since her imagination was far too sharp.
Given enough time, she might even reach the absurd conclusion that Baston and Sebastian were the same person.
It was absurd and yet, not entirely impossible which meant he needed to prevent such a conversation from happening as soon as possible.
"I think I should return to my room first," Baston suddenly said.
Without waiting for objections, he turned and walked toward the room. The excuse was simple which was changing the clothes.
In truth, he had not sweated even a little during the fight. The puppet did not tire the same way a human body would.
Inside the quiet room upstairs, Baston closed the door and immediately opened the old book that was resting on the table.
A faint ripple of mana spread across the pages. Another puppet emerged and this one took the form of a small bird.
The bird fluttered its wings once before soaring through the open window and disappearing into the sky. Its destination was clear which was Tasco's barracks.
If he reached the old knight first, he could warn him.
He could tell him to not mention about his broken bone, his special training, and anything suspicious. With luck, the conversation would end there. By the time the Xavierius family arrived, everything would already be handled cleanly.
*****
Baston took a deep breath before leaving the room again. Hopefully, Alicia and the others would not be in a hurry.
If they rushed to meet Sebastian immediately, his entire plan could collapse.
By the time he returned to the training yard, Luke and the others were already waiting. Angus stepped closer and lowered his voice.
"Kid…" he said, giving Baston a light pat, "What a coincidence seeing you here."
His tone carried a faint hint of amusement, "I wonder have you already spent all the money?"
Baston twitched slightly. Angus was referring to the payment that he had received earlier. It was a rather large sum for someone like him. He was poor and rich at the same time which had become an anomaly.
"But, something doesn't make sense…" Angus continued, "Luminos City usually doesn't allow people of low status to enter freely. Even if you have money, your status still matters here."
Baston scratched his cheek, "I'm working as Luke's temporary servant during this vacation. That way, I can stay in the city and earn some extra money."
He added the final sentence with a helpless sigh, "You know that every coin matters when you're poor."
Angus snorted since he clearly didn't believe that explanation.
He knew exactly how much money that Baston had received during their previous dealings. The amount had been handed over in full cash. There was no way the boy could have spent it all so quickly.
After all, living frugally from the beginning had already shaped his behavior to save the money as much as possible.
The fat boy looked careless but Angus had long suspected that Baston was far more capable than he appeared. In some ways, the boy reminded him of Alicia.
He was quiet, observant, and always thinking several steps ahead. Such people were rare and that made him so unique for the people who recognized his value.
Baston, however, simply ignored the suspicious gaze. The truth behind his current situation had nothing to do with the money. It was only for the quest that could force him to enter such luxurious city.
The old book had given him a task which was to kill a noble.
Because of that order, he had been forced to remain near Luke while searching for an opportunity. Becoming a servant was simply the most convenient disguise.
At least, he was not introduced as a slave.
If that had happened, Angus and Harry would have asked far more questions. He would rather avoid those questions with all of his strength.
"I didn't know you were also talented with a sword," Alicia suddenly said.
She had stepped closer without Baston noticing. Her eyes studied him carefully.
"It's just a coincidence," Baston replied lightly.
"Really?"
Her tone made it clear that she was unconvinced. And in truth, the explanation was not entirely false.
Before coming to Luminos City, he had been worried about Viktor. That concern had pushed him to search for someone capable of training him properly.
That was how he found Tasco.
After several days of hard practice under the old knight, he gradually adapted to the fighting style. It was just enough to hold his ground in battle, but then, the dark wizard appeared.
Everything changed and his plans became tangled.
The quest grew more dangerous yet in the chaos, he managed to create an opportunity. He had taken it until the target was finally dead.
The reward had been extraordinary which was exactly why he intended to hide it. Displaying so many talents would only bring unnecessary attention.
"So…" Baston said, changing the topic, "What brings you here?"
Alicia opened her mouth to answer but suddenly, she hesitated.
"We…" she began before she stopped.
"What is it?" Baston asked.
Angus coughed loudly, "We're simply visiting the city since Alicia won the competition at Prius Academy. Because of the occasion, we decided to celebrate."
"Celebrate?" he wondered, glancing at Angus and Harry, "With both of you present?"
Inside his mind, he already understood the real reason but outwardly, he smiled, "I see...
Congratulations on your victory then…"
Alicia crossed her arms, "I demand a rematch…"
Baston immediately shook his head, "No..."
"This time, we will fight properly."
"I'm tired…"
"How about tomorrow?"
"Still tired…"
"I'll pay you…"
"Nope… I don't need your money…"
Luke burst into laughter while Angus and Harry exchanged silent looks. They had already watched the recorded duel from Prius Academy.
Most spectators believed Alicia had won fairly but experienced fighters could tell the truth. Baston had controlled the entire match from the very beginning.
If he wanted a victory, he could have taken it easily.
Alicia clicked her tongue. Before she could argue further, Harry spoke calmly.
"We should leave... We're in a hurry…"
Alicia slowly nodded but before they could turn away, a voice halted them.
"Wait!" Baston raised his hand, "Luke, you wanted to discuss something important, didn't you?"
Luke froze for half a second, then he noticed Baston's subtle signal.
"Yes…" Luke said quickly, "It's very important. I just need a few minutes."
Angus narrowed his eyes, thinking if there was a hidden motive in such action.
"All of you just arrived anyway," Baston continued casually, "Surely, resting for a moment won't hurt. Unless, there's somewhere else you urgently need to go."
His gaze lingered on Angus, "I wonder where that might be…"
Angus coughed again, "Of course, we're not in a hurry… We only booked a restaurant earlier. It would be a shame to miss it."
Harry remained silent and Baston studied them carefully. He understood exactly what they wanted. They were trying to meet Sebastian and he was trying to stop them for now.
If they rushed toward Tasco's place, everything could unravel.
The rumors would spread and people would investigate. And once Sebastian's existence became the public knowledge, new trouble would follow.
Eventually, Alicia and Luke entered a nearby room to speak privately.
Meanwhile, Baston stayed outside. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. His consciousness drifted toward the flying bird.
Through its senses, he could see the rooftops of Luminos City which was rushing past him. The puppet was getting closer to Tasco's barracks.
*****
Inside the room, Luke carefully checked the door. Only after confirming they were alone did he speak.
"Alicia… can you tell me more about the cult?"
Alicia's eyes widened a little, "The cult? Where did you hear that name?"
"It's from Baston..." Luke's expression darkened, "He said the dark wizard who worked along with my uncle was connected to them."
Alicia stiffened, "What?"
"He also believes that wizard caused the explosion at Prius Academy…" Luke clenched his fists, "The problem is that wizard might escape."
Alicia stared at him in disbelief. Everyone in the city believed the dark wizard had already been captured.
That was the official story but the rumors were spreading. Some said he had been killed while the others claimed he was still roaming around silently. The truth remained hidden until now.
"Are you certain about it? I mean about the explosion at the academy before…" Alicia whispered.
Luke nodded slowly, "That's what Baston told me."
Alicia exhaled then she began explaining everything.
From Baston's warning at the academy to the strange clown named Joker. To the horrifying experiments that promising false eternal life and to the hidden cultist that was discovered on her family's land.
Each event connected like the fragments of a hidden puzzle. A pattern was slowly emerging from the shadows.
The cult had always been there. They were watching and waiting but no one had noticed them until now.
Luke listened in stunned silence.
At the end of the story, only one thought echoed inside his mind.
All this time, he had been living like a frog trapped at the bottom of a well.