Baston felt a quiet satisfaction that settled in his chest though it never fully bloomed into comfort.
Growing closer to Alicia was something many would envy, yet to him, it felt like walking along the edge of something uncertain. Wherever he went, the trouble seemed to follow.
Of course, there would be also many advantages of being close to the daughter of Xavierius family. One of them was having a free meal whenever he wanted.
Her gratitude was genuine and he could see it in her tone, in the way that she lingered near him, that she was always finding a reason to stay. That sincerity made things difficult.
Rejecting her without a reason risked stirring the unnecessary suspicion, or worse, giving her room to imagine something that did not exist.
In the end, he endured it and waited. His patience was not born from the tolerance but from caution.
There were too many variables around her.
At first glance, she appeared straightforward which was grateful, earnest, and perhaps even slightly naïve. But he had learned, through repeated misfortune, that people that was connected to the nobility were rarely simple. Their actions often carried the consequences far beyond their intentions.
Surely, Alicia was no exception. It wasn't her behavior that troubled him but it was more about the timing.
She had grown closer to him precisely when everything around him had begun to spiral. From after the dark wizard, after the unexpected attention, and after the strange coincidences that refused to align cleanly.
It was too convenient that he did not believe in coincidence, not anymore after what had happened in his meagre life.
He recalled the moment that she first insisted on staying near him. The way her tone carried something more than gratitude.
Yet, every time he tried to examine it more closely, the thought slipped away, leaving behind nothing that he could prove which made it worse.
Because in such uncertainty, unlike the danger, could not be confronted directly. It lingered and waited just like he did.
*****
The departure was set for noon.
Before returning, Baston discreetly activated his puppet and assumed the identity of Sebastian. The transformation was seamless, practiced to the point where even his own presence seemed to disappear beneath the merchant's familiar weight.
As Sebastian, he went directly to Tasco's barrack.
The request he made was simple, yet deliberate to summon the Xavierius family under the pretense of urgent instruction regarding Gale magic.
The excuse was plausible. The valuable knowledge always carried urgency, especially when it was tied to something rare.
When Harry received the message, he did not hesitate. He arrived swiftly, bringing Angus and Alicia along.
Sebastian beckoned Alicia forward. Without unnecessary ceremony, he raised his hand and placed his palm lightly upon her head.
A faint current stirred silently just like the ceremony.
At first, it was subtle and barely more than a whisper that was brushing past the skin. And then, the air shifted and a delicate spiral formed around them.
It was invisible yet it was undeniably present as though the wind tried to dance among them.
Neither Harry nor Angus spoke. They stepped back instinctively and their excitement was restrained by the caution. Whatever was happening, it was not something meant to be interrupted.
"To claim Gale magic…" Sebastian said slowly, "Your effort alone is insufficient. You must first understand the wind before you can move further."
The words stirred something inside Alicia. It was just like the fate that was sleeping inside began to wake up.
"You possess the wind within you but that does not mean you live as the wind does."
Alicia's expression tightened and her focus was unwavering, "What must I do?"
"Freedom…" Sebastian replied, "You have to learn the meaning of the freedom and apply it on your life."
After that, Sebastian continued preaching, "You are bound by the hierarchy, by the expectation, and even by your own restraint. Everything inside you restrict the path of the wind. Learn to think without the walls, move without hesitation, and accept the change without resistance."
Alicia lowered her gaze, absorbing each word, "How will I know that my path is already the correct one?"
Sebastian chuckled softly though the sound lacked warmth, "You just know it… When that happens, the next lesson will continue by itself..."
Alicia hesitated before she pressed further, "Is there any example that I can follow?"
For a moment, Sebastian said nothing before he uttered something valuable, "The boy suggested that you observe my way of living."
Alicia's eyes flickered, "The boy… That fat boy?"
"I am a merchant. I could pursue wealth, stability, and status yet I choose the adventure. I travel somewhere, I lose somehow, and I gain something. None of it binds me."
"Such lifestyle brings me a freedom… It's just like a wind…"
For a brief moment, the wind around Alicia felt changed. Sebastian felt it too or rather, Baston did.
The fluctuation was slight but it did not escape his awareness. The Gale magic that he guided was not truly his own yet the control he exerted over it allowed him to sense even the smallest irregularities.
He continued speaking as if nothing had happened, maintaining Sebastian's calm demeanor. The lesson proceeded smoothly with each word measured and each movement controlled.
But inwardly, his thoughts shifted.
He marked the anomaly carefully. The silence followed and Alicia nodded slowly though the uncertainty that still remained in her eyes.
"I don't fully understand it yet..." the girl looked hesitated.
"You don't need to be embarrassed of your lacking…" Sebastian replied, "You only need to follow the teaching..."
He withdrew his hand, "The seed has already been planted. You may go now…"
To an outside observer, the scene might have seemed strange and almost unnatural. A merchant was speaking like a sage and a lesson was delivered without the book yet it was carrying the unmistakable depth.
However, Alicia did not question it because she already had her answer. After all, Sebastian was only the messenger. The true source came from Baston.
If she wanted to clear her misunderstanding, she could just bother him secretly.
By the time they returned to the inn, the sensation remained. Something faint was building inside her and something solid was growing.
As she walked quietly, trying to grasp the sensation within her, a subtle discomfort surfaced beneath her concentration.
The feeling was unfamiliar, yet at the same time, it was encouraging her to move forward.
The seed that Sebastian spoke of did not feel like something that belonged to her entirely. It responded to her thoughts but not always in the way she expected.
When she tried to focus, it shifted. When she relaxed, it stirred. It was as though it followed a rhythm she had yet to understand or worse, a rhythm that was not hers.
She opened her eyes slowly.
For a brief moment, she thought she heard something like a whisper that was carried on a distant breeze. The sound was too faint to distinguish and it was gone before she could react.
She turned her head instinctively but there was nothing. The surrounding remained usual yet the sensation lingered. While she wanted to work hard, she understood that forcing herself was not a good way.
There would be a time when she would understand everything.
As they walked, her attention shifted. Across the street, she noticed a familiar figure.
Baston was hanging around the place. He stood near a shop, unmoving as if he was waiting.
Her steps slowed down but he didn't call out and didn't approach. He simply remained there until she passed from the view.
A quiet warmth spread through her chest. In the end, he had come. He did not speak but he was there just to make sure.
Baston, however, had already turned away long before her gaze left him.
He had noticed nothing. His attention had been fixed on something far more mundane, deciding what to buy as the souvenirs.
The thought felt oddly important.
Luminos City was not a place that he intended to revisit often. What he took with him now might be the only reminder left behind.
The old book could store everything safely. No one would find it and no one could. That, at least, was certain unlike the Luminos card in his possession.
He glanced at it briefly, pondering what he should do about the money. The value it held was another matter entirely. A faint frown crossed his face.
Spending it all at once felt wrong. It was not dangerous but just unnecessary. In the end, he kept it for later.
As he stepped away from the shop, a fleeting thought crossed his mind. He stopped since his intuition poked his head to halt the steps.
The street behind him was quiet, too quiet that his mind strangely warned him about something.
He turned slightly, scanning the surroundings without drawing the attention. The shops remained open, the people still engaged in their routines, and the passersby was moving at an unhurried pace.
Everything appeared normal yet his intuition just told him that something was not quite right. Even though he checked on everything, he didn't find something worth to be noticed.
He clicked his tongue softly and continued walking, "Perhaps, it was just my fatigue…"
When he returned to the inn, Luke was already waiting.
The noble boy appeared composed though his urgency had faded. Whatever concerns he had regarding his uncle had already been resolved.
"Baston…" Luke called, preparing the carriage, "Will you accompany me to my family's estate?"
Baston shook his head, "Just drop me at the village or town near the academy. I'll rest there for a while."
Luke studied him briefly then nodded, "I'll find a suitable location then."
The word suitable carried a weight. Not every place welcomed someone like Baston. Some turned him away politely while the others did not bother with courtesy.
To many, the poverty was not merely a condition. It was a stain and nuisance. Something that had to be removed yet the kingdom allowed it to persist.
It was a big question toward many people. In the end, few cared to ask and fewer still wanted the answer.
*****
The carriage soon departed without issue. The security remained tight at the city gates though Luke's prior dealings ensured a smooth passage.
Soon, Luminos City faded into the distance.
For the first time in many days, the road was quiet. There was no ambush, no interference, and no unseen pressure that was closing in.
Baston exhaled slowly, allowing his body to relax. It was over or at least, that was how it felt.
The road stretched ahead in silence.
Luke remained focused, guiding the carriage with steady control while Baston rested with his eyes half-closed.
To any observer, the scene would appear peaceful but beneath that stillness, something shifted. Far behind them, at a distance that was too great to notice directly, a faint disturbance rippled through the air.
Far from the road they traveled, another story continued.
*****
In the town near Prius Academy, the kingdom's guards had yet to leave.
Their presence lingered longer than expected, stirring unease among the residents.
Officially, they were investigating the aftermath of the Blizzard incident. Unofficially, that was not the only reason. Inside a temporary office, the tension had begun to rise.
"Any results?"
"None, sir…"
There was a pause before a reply came, "None?"
The word fell heavier the second time, "You were already given such precise information."
The silence answered him and the supervisor's expression darkened, "Are you telling me that the intelligence is wrong?"
"No, sir..."
"Then, the failure lies with you…"
No one argued because no one could. The information had come from the highest level. It had never been wrong before which meant it was not wrong at present.
The supervisor stepped outside. His thoughts were unsettled about a hidden lair, a high-ranking dark wizard, and a threat that was significant enough to demand priority.
And yet, there was still nothing to be found.
There was no trace, no disturbance, and no sign that anything had ever existed except the Blizzard incident.
At the time, it had seemed unrelated and it might be a coincidence. Now, he wasn't so sure. He returned to the reports once more. This time, he was ignoring the official summaries.
Instead, he focused on the inconsistencies with minor details and the statements that had been dismissed as irrelevant.
One entry caught his attention, saying that a witness account was discarded early in the investigation.
The report claimed that during the Blizzard incident, someone had seen the movement within the storm itself. Someone was inside and it was just like the person was the perpetrator of the storm.
At the time, it had been attributed to the panic. The hallucination that was caused by fear and extreme conditions. But now, the man read the line again.
"A figure was standing silently at the center of the storm yet it was never affected at all…"
His grip tightened slightly.
If that statement held even a fraction of truth, then the Blizzard incident was not an accident nor a coincidence. It might be a cover for everything.
"I wonder…" he muttered quietly, "What we failed to see…"
Somewhere within the town, the target that he had been looking for was still hidden. Deep beneath the quiet atmosphere, where neither the sunlight nor the ordinary perception could reach, a presence stirred.
It had not been discovered until today.
The layers of concealment overlapped, not merely masking the location, but distorting the recognition itself. Anyone who passed near it would simply fail to notice.
Within that unseen space, something pulsed faintly.
It was not magic, not entirely but something close enough to imitate it. And at its center, a fragment of magic circled endlessly.