After borrowing a weapon from his uncle, Edmund had been waiting for Rohan at the entrance to the underground for quite some time.
'This is a waste of time. I'll go without him.'
'…But that would be reckless. It hasn't even been three days since I became an Indigo-level mage.'
'Even with the weapon Uncle Barba gave me, I'm still lacking real battle experience.'
He exhaled slowly, forcing his impatience down.
'No. Charging in blindly isn't strength, it's stupidity. If I move, I do it on my terms. Prepared. Calculated.'
He soon made a decision. He would ask a certain someone for help. Someone he respected, despite how foolish he acted. Why? Because he was capable.
Without further delay, he made his way toward the entertainment district of the city.
And after walking for nearly an hour, he finally arrived.
As Edmund stepped into the district, he saw that the lanterns were already lit, though the sun had yet to set, their glow faint beneath the pale daylight. A few establishments had their doors open, music drifting out into the street, softer and less crowded than it would be at night.
The air carried a lighter scent of wine and perfume, not yet overwhelming, but present enough to linger.
Compared to the rest of the city, the streets were quieter. Only a handful of nobles and merchants moved about, accompanied by attendants or guards.
Soon, Edmund found himself standing before a particular building.
Unlike the others in the district, this one did not try to blend in.
Its exterior was polished to an almost unnatural sheen of pale stone. Tall windows framed with intricate carvings stretched across the front, their glass tinted in faint shades of blue and gold.
Decorative banners hung from the upper levels, each marked with elegant patterns that served no purpose other than display.
Even the entrance stood apart. Double doors of dark wood, lined with silver inlays, stood slightly ajar, as if inviting attention rather than visitors.
Anyone who saw it would understand. This place belonged to someone who wanted to be noticed.
Edmund walked forward until he stopped before the front door. After he knocked for several times, the door finally opened.
The man who opened the door looked effortlessly composed.
His blonde hair flowed past his shoulders like it knew it was important, soft, perfectly maintained.
"Edmund… wow. It's been, like, a really long time. So tell me, what's your business coming here?"
But before Edmund could open his mouth, Augustus just kept going.
"Hold up a second," Augustus said, squinting like he was trying to read really small print. "I've been hearing these rumors, okay? About how you, like, became an indigo-level mage… in one night? That's… wow. That's really, really ridiculously fast."
"I mean, I'm not saying I don't believe it," he added, lowering his voice a little, "but… it's kind of hard to believe, you know? Like… really hard."
"Yeah," Edmund said. "It is hard to believe."
"You hear something like that, your first instinct is to laugh it off. People don't just… become Indigo overnight. That's not how the world works."
"But the world doesn't care about what you think is supposed to happen."
"You see this sword," he continued, tilting it just enough to catch the light. "Frostisword. My uncle didn't hand this to me because of rumors. He gave it to me because I proved it."
"So you're right, it should be hard to believe. But that's not my problem."
Augustus blinked. Once. Twice. His face tightened like he was trying really hard to process something important.
"Okay… wow. That was… intense. Like… really intense."
He leaned in a little, squinting again.
"So… Frostisword, huh? That's a cool name. It's, like, very… wintery."
He straightened up, nodding to himself like he'd just figured something out.
"I mean, I get what you're saying. You proved it. The sword proved it. There's, like… a whole proving ecosystem happening."
"But also, have you ever thought that maybe people are just confused because it happened so fast? Like, if you had maybe… spaced it out a little? Over, I don't know, a month? People love a good progression arc."
He then gave an encouraging smile.
"Not saying you didn't do it," he said quickly. "Just saying… maybe next time, pace yourself? Let the audience catch up."
"Still though, very strong vibe. Very powerful. I'm feeling it."
Despite the way Augustus spoke, skirting the edge of mockery without ever quite meaning to, Edmund didn't take offense. He was used to it. Augustus had always talked like that.
Edmund didn't waste any more time and began explaining the purpose of his visit.
"There's something I need," he said. "A gathering. Hidden. Just outside the city. And I want you to help me investigate it."
Augustus didn't hesitate. "Yeah, no," he said immediately, shaking his head. "That's a whole situation. Secret gathering? Outside the city? That's exactly the kind of thing that turns into a story where people don't come back, and I really like coming back."
Edmund didn't react. "In a month," he said calmly, "my uncle will begin an expedition to a Tower Labyrinth. Near the northern mountains."
Edmund continued. "I'm allowed to bring three capable people with me. If you help me, you'll be one of them."
Augustus pressed his lips together, thinking.
"…Okay," he said slowly. "That's… different."
He glanced away, then back again.
"You're talking about a Tower Labyrinth," he went on, quieter now. "Not rumors. Not, like, some half-baked ruin people exaggerate about. An actual one."
"That's not just dangerous," he added. "That's… important."
He shifted his weight, clearly torn now.
"I already said no," Augustus muttered, almost to himself. "I committed to the no. It was a strong no."
"…But that was before the tower."
He looked at Edmund again, squinting slightly.
"You're very strategic, you know that?" he said. "You waited. You let me say no first. That's… that's manipulative. But, like… in a focused way."
"… and I'm not saying yes," Augustus said, holding up a finger. "…but I'm also not saying no anymore."
He exhaled.
"Which, for me, is a big shift."
And then Augustus asked, "When do we go?"
Edmund didn't hesitate.
"Now."
Augustus didn't move immediately.
"…Okay," he said, raising a hand. "Before we go charging into what is very clearly a terrible idea, I need… a moment."
"A moment," Augustus repeated, already turning back toward the building. "A very quick one. Efficient. Minimal delay. You won't even notice it."
Without waiting for a response, he stepped inside.
Edmund remained where he was.
From inside, the faint sound of movement could be heard. Drawers opening. Something metallic clinking. Footsteps crossing the floor at a pace that suggested urgency… or at least Augustus' version of it.
"…Where is it…" Augustus muttered faintly from within. "No, not that. That's for formal settings…"
"Ah. There we go."
A few moments later, Augustus returned. With a sword now resting on his waist.
He then brushed a hand through his hair, as if finishing some invisible adjustment.
"Alright, now I'm ready."
He glanced at Edmund.
"…Relatively."
Edmund gave a small nod.
"Good."