Magnus breathed a sigh of relief as the guard departed, thankful that he was able to make the guard ignore the commotion with the two maids.
Rivia retrieved her fallen mask and retreated to a safe distance from Magnus.
"How did you kill her?" she asked somberly.
"I punched her spine and slashed her throat," Magnus answered reluctantly, feeling uneasy about sharing the gruesome details with Rivia.
He didn't want to hurt her feelings, even though she might not consider him a friend. In this world, she and Ava were the only ones he felt comfortable talking to.
Silence hung heavy in the air.
Rivia closed her eyes and looked up at the sky, while Ava spoke up. "At least you gave her a quick death."
Magnus was surprised by Ava's optimism. He had expected Rivia and Ava to hate him for killing one of their own.
Rivia remained silent, and Ava continued, "At the end of the day, we didn't personally know her. If you killed her because she knew your secret, then so be it. I just hope you're not tricking us."
Magnus felt conflicted. Ava was too kind to him who had just killed a Cynthian woman.
"Do you want to know more?" he asked Rivia.
"If you kill another Cynthian woman, I will not stand by you," Rivia warned, her eyes fixed on him.
Magnus nodded, having already opened his eyes. He wouldn't kill another Cynthian woman if it could be avoided. He was doing it not just for Rivia, but also for himself. He wanted to change and stop himself from killing.
"I will give her a proper burial," Magnus said.
"Bury her and let us know when you're done. We will mourn with you," Ava said, her tone gentle and understanding.
Magnus felt glad for Ava making things easy between him and Rivia. Otherwise, he might not be able to placate her. Things would've gone messy by then.
"How do I give a Cynthian a proper burial?" Magnus asked.
He was fully aware that he was in another world. The burial ceremony he was familiar with might not apply in this world.
"..."
Ava and Rivia turned to look at each other. They were both surprised at Magnus' sensitivity. Although Rivia was reluctant to admit it in her heart, she could tell that Magnus was genuinely sorry for killing Caitlyn.
"Under the bright moon, her soul shall rest," Rivia answered.
Magnus solemnly nodded his head.
"We should go. We have been missing for a long time," Ava said to Rivia.
The two of them had gathered her for too long. If Farqos looked for them during the time they were gone, he would be suspicious of their absence.
The duo looked at Magnus for a few seconds before leaving. They hastily walked back with sand splashing behind them.
Magnus watched them leave. He turned and looked at the carriage before him.
He thought about things for a bit before deciding that he shall bide his time. He would continue his plan to get the full Solar Art before leaving the Bravodel Clan.
Magnus jumped onto the back of the carriage and inspected the reddish and brown rocks in front of him. Standing in front of them felt suffocating. He couldn't explain why.
'It must be the Sol…'
Farqos talked about it earlier. These Sol Agate rocks could be used to consume Sol into the body.
A thought flashed into Magnus' mind. It was an intrusive thought that might result in him being punished.
'I want to try.'
Magnus placed his palm on the Sol Agate closest to him. It was a big rock. He expected it to feel cold as he remembered touching a boulder before and feeling a cold sensation.
But instead of that, he felt a steady warmth. It kind of reminded him of the sun's warmth during the morning. It wasn't just hot but also pleasurable.
'So this is Sol…'
Magnus was amazed. This was the first time he was able to come into contact with it. He was curious if he could absorb some into his body.
Magnus was familiar with the idea of cultivation, magic, and shamanism. These ideas generally stemmed from absorbing energy from the air.
Magnus looked out of the carriage and saw no one was observing him. He turned around, but a second later, turned his head very quickly to see if someone was secretly watching.
He sighed in relief once he was sure no one was spying on him.
Magnus sat on top of one of the Sol Agates. He sensed the warmth slowly spread up into his legs and into his body.
It flowed through his pelvis and reached his chest. It didn't stop and journeyed through his neck, and finally, gathered in his forehead.
The sensation was entirely alien to Magnus. He shivered a little as it felt slightly ticklish.
'This is Sol Energy…'
Magnus was amazed and excited. Who knew what kind of magic he could do? But it wasn't called magic in this world. Using Sol was called Solar Arts, and the mages were called Solar Artists.
Magnus took out The Brave Sun Warrior Solar Art he received from Farqos. It was his first step into changing this world.
With strength, he could shatter the very foundations of this world and ignite the hearts of the people. But if he remained weak, those in power— the ones who benefited from the status quo— would snuff out his light.
Magnus then read out the contents of the Solar Art.
-----
The body is the palace of the Sun. A Brave Sun Warrior can shoulder the Sun behind his back and destroy all that is evil.
A budding Solar Artist starts by sensing the abundant Sol in the Sun's light rays. By bathing under the Sun, a Solar Artist can create a connection with the Sun.
The body is naturally disconnected from Sol. The more connected one's body is with Sol, the more talented he is.
-----
'This is more complicated than I thought.'
As Magnus read through the booklet, he was in a daze. It contained a lot of words that he etched into his mind. Most of which, he couldn't understand.