"Here we are," Valeria said, her voice a whisper in the gathering dusk. They stood before the cemetery, an imposing façade of silence that belied the tension simmering beneath its surface.
Klaus, clad in black trousers and a russet shirt, stepped through the gates. His face was obscured by a sleek, mirror-like mask that reflected the last vestiges of the setting sun.
Around them, the air hummed with a silent anticipation, like a bowstring pulled taut before release.
As Klaus made his entrance, a ripple of awareness swept through the crowd. Heads turned, and stares lingered, as if drawn by an invisible magnet.
The crowd's eyes traced the lines of his figure, their gazes lingering on Valeria as well. He returned their scrutiny, his gaze as cool and impassive as his mask.
The standoff lasted only a fleeting moment before the crowd turned away, their attention once again captured by the spectacle before them. But Klaus' eyes remained, moving across the crowd like a hawk surveying its terrain.
His gaze fell on clusters of mages first. They were enrobed in cloaks embroidered with arcane symbols, their hands clutching staffs, spellbooks, or weapons. Their eyes were alight with knowledge and power, a testament to the magic simmering within them.
Next, his gaze drifted to the warriors. They were clad in gleaming armors, their weapons—swords, spears, and sabers—catching the dying light. Their faces were etched with the weariness and determination that came from a life lived on the edge of a blade.
In one corner, the rhythmic clanging of metal against metal resonated through the cemetery. Two warriors sparred, their movements a graceful dance of strength and precision.
Elsewhere, a group of mages was engaged in a display of magic that sent sparks flying into the sky, but Klaus's attention was drawn elsewhere.
His gaze settled on a handful of figures standing apart from the crowd. They were men of towering stature, their bodies rippling with raw, primal strength. They gnawed on chunks of meat, their actions radiating a feral energy that was almost tangible. Beside each man rested a weapon, massive and deadly.
A colossal axe, its silhouette dwarfing the majority of the cemetery's population, punctuated the skyline.
"Who are they?" Klaus asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Following his gaze, Valeria's eyes landed on the group of towering men. "Barbarians," she answered, her tone flat.
"These men are warriors of a brutal kind, embodiments of raw, untamed strength and primal instinct. They draw power from the land itself, forming a deep, spiritual bond with the natural world," Valeria elaborated, her gaze never wavering from the distant figures.
As Klaus remained silent, his attention still fixed on the barbarians, Valeria continued, "They are ruthless, fearsome—forces of destruction in their own right. Cross paths with them, and you're bound to regret it."
No sooner had she finished speaking than one of the barbarians turned his gaze towards them.
He locked eyes with Klaus, his expression unreadable. Ripping a chunk of meat from the bone he held, he let out a low, rumbling laugh.
"Klaus, stop staring," Valeria murmured, her hand brushing against his arm in a gentle warning. But Klaus remained rooted to the spot, his gaze locked with the barbarian's.
The air between them seemed to grow denser as the staring contest continued. Suddenly, the barbarian extended the hunk of meat in Klaus's direction.
"Want some?" he asked, his voice a gravelly rumble.
Klaus slowly shook his head, breaking eye contact and shifting his gaze elsewhere.
"Good!" Valeria said, her relief palpable. "Let's not stir up trouble before it's necessary."
As Valeria's words faded, she noticed the crowd's gaze had shifted. The subject of their intense scrutiny was not the unfolding spectacle, but Klaus. More specifically, the mask obscuring his face.
Whispers began through the crowd almost immediately, each one speculating about Klaus's identity.
"Could he be from a powerful guild?"
"He looks young, but there's something about him..."
"That mask... It's not just a disguise. His mana, his presence are completely concealed. It's like he's both here and not here at the same time."
Nods of agreement rippled through the crowd. Their theories about Klaus grew more extravagant with each passing moment, each whisper adding fuel to the fire of speculation.
Valeria, standing beside Klaus, could barely contain her frustration. The low murmur of the crowd was audible enough, their conjectures bordering on absurdity.
She was about to interject when a new voice rang out, "What about the girl next to him?"
"Her mana's solid, but not refined. Disciple level, I'd wager."
"If he has a disciple level maid, he must be at least a master, maybe even a grandmaster."
As the crowd started to look at Klaus with newfound respect, Valeria's face flushed a deep crimson. Anger flared in her eyes as she clenched her fists.
The casual dismissal of her abilities, her reduction to a maid, was more than she could bear.
"Let's find somewhere else," she snapped, not even waiting for Klaus's agreement before storming off. Klaus, taken aback by her sudden departure, quickly followed behind her, leaving the murmuring crowd to their theories.
As Klaus hustled after Valeria, the crowd's eyes lingered on him. Their faces wore expressions of surprise but also admiration.
"A remarkable display of humility," remarked a middle-aged man to a young boy beside him. "Despite her being his servant, he still treats her well. Learn from this, my boy."
"Remember, no amount of power should make one too proud."
Hearing the man's words, Valeria felt a surge of indignation. She shot the man a withering glare and then quickly turned away, her face flushing with barely suppressed anger.
In a more secluded part of the cemetery, Valeria took a deep breath to calm herself. She turned to Klaus, her face softened. "Are you okay?"
Klaus nodded. "Yes, I am."
His gaze shifted to a mage casting a spell within a circle of light. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched her, recognizing the flaws in her casting.
"I can see you've noticed the imperfections in her spell circle," Valeria said, reading his expression. "But let's not draw any more attention to ourselves. Keep your insights to yourself, okay?"
"Yes."