Invictus had already pulverized ten raw magic crystals, but he still has a long way to go, considering the amount of the remaining raw magic crystals.
In the middle of the forest, where most birds and insects could be found, Invictus was seated on a pile of dry leaves. He was hammering the raw magic crystals with the mortar and pestle, then transferring the powdered magic crystals to the coconut shell he gathered.
It looks like a tropical forest where edible fruits were abundant and animals have plenty of food to survive the day. However, some feed on each other, keeping the food chain going. As the cycle of life and death should be.
---
Such an aromatic smell seeps through the gaps in the door, entering the room where Aeriel and Invictus were occupying.
Aeriel woke up to someone knocking on the door. Her eyes were still puffy, and her hair was a mess, but she did not care.
While still half-asleep, she climbed down from the bed, put on her footwear, then yawned before opening the door.
The innkeeper was carrying a tray of food, still oozing with hotness, a sign
that it was freshly cooked.
"Hi, how's your sleep?" Began the innkeeper, cheerfully handing over the tray of food to Aeriel. "Oh, my!"
The lady was quite surprised to see Aeriel's puffy eyes covering her agape mouth.
"It wasn't great." Answered Aeriel tiredly.
Carefully, she took the tray of food which was good for two people and placed them on the small table before going back to the innkeeper.
"Did you and your husband perhaps have a disagreement?"
She was not meant to pry into their relationship, but the innkeeper just could not contain her thoughts.
People mistaking the two of them as lovers, wives, and husbands, does not sound so bad in Aeriel's ears. If someone asks her, Aeriel is mostly likely, to tell the truth to everyone except for Invictus. All these years of spending her time with Invictus, seeing him almost every day, were bound to build up a platonic feeling in Invictus.
Her admiration for the man turns into infatuation. And when she realized that she was slowly falling for Invictus, Aeriel had to do the right thing.
She bottled up and put the feelings at the back of her mind, sealing them off
so tight that she would not see Invictus other than being her liege.
"It's not like that. It's just that..." Now, Aeriel was hesitant to share anything. Her feelings, what she's been containing, might get the better of her, and she accidentally blurts out the contents of his plan.
"Lord Meliora and I are not husband and wife. I am more of an assistant than a lover."
Her words were like a tiny sharp dagger piercing her heart at the thought that would forever stay in her imagination.
"But you wish the two of you were. I can feel it in your words, Aeriel."
Sadly, the atmosphere between the two became gloomy, causing Aeriel to somehow wanna open up to the innkeeper.
Slowly, with her eyes looking down on the floor, Aeriel tiredly walked towards Invictus' bed. She sat down. The innkeeper sensed that Aeriel now wanted to talk, therefore, she followed and sat down with her.
"That young man is like the sun, shining so bright in your eyes when you look directly into it. You would sometimes try to reach it with your hands despite knowing the fact that it is impossible to do so. So, what you did was admire the sun from afar, somewhat contented with being able to see the sun and feeling its warmth, although it is not touching you physically."
The two became quite sentimental. Aeriel sadly leaned her head on the innkeeper's shoulder, holding in the tears in her eyes.
"Do not be blinded by the sun's radiance and look at yourself in the mirror.
There is more to life than admiring the sun, Aeriel."
Finally, for the first time after Aeriel started to have feelings for Invictus and always cried whenever she suppressed her emotions, she did not break into tears. Instead, Aeriel was smiling and now realized that she will never hold a special place in Invictus' heart. She may, but it might be a small fraction of how much he can give.
"I've decided to give up," smilingly, she said. "Though, it will be
temporarily. I'll focus on myself for now. After all, tomorrow is another
day."
---
Two hours had passed since Invictus left the inn. He finished crushing the raw magic crystals into powders. Around the forest, he dug little holes last night and covered them with dry leaves.
He then proceeded to fill the holes with pulverized magic crystals after patching them with dry leaves to prevent them from getting wet. The same method continued for an hour and a half before he completely filled all the numerous holes he made in his plan.
"Phew!" He wiped his sweat off his forehead using his forearm due to his hands being dirty. "This plan costs me almost every money that Thorp gave me. This better works or else..."
Only a few Plata were left in his pouch. Invictus honestly does not know if his plan will work and if the money he got left with him is enough for another trip to his next destination.
"Hoo... Seems like the weather is on my side."
The sky was starting to be filled with dark grey clouds, brimming with all the evaporated water, and was eager to pour down.
"I'd better get back."
The process of making the Natrium metal was fast and convenient.
Invictus did not have to spend so much time manufacturing the water-reactive metal. Upon putting a considerable amount of powdered magic crystals, Invictus then put some dry leaves on top of it, and lastly, he placed a small cube of Natrium metal covering it again with more dry leaves.
The whole forest had a large number of dry leaves, which is highly flammable when lit, suited for Invictus' "fireworks display."