A ray of bright sunlight shone on Klaus, Keira, and Thorne's faces as they stepped out of the dungeon. Klaus took a deep breath of fresh air, relieved to be out of that dungeon that was filled with blood and beast remains.
The pungent smell in the dungeon had made him nauseous, and as he looked around, he couldn't help but appreciate the beauty of his new surroundings. It was a stark contrast to the dungeon he had just left.
The forest was vast and verdant, with towering trees that seemed to reach the sky, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers.
Klaus was still admiring the area when the wind became unsettled. He turned towards Keira and Thorne, wondering if it had anything to do with them, but as he caught them looking ahead, his gaze followed in their direction.
"What is that?" Klaus exclaimed, pointing towards the flying broomstick that was flying towards them.
The sight of two broomsticks moving erratically in the air caught him by surprise, and as he continued to watch the two brooms, he couldn't help but find the scene fascinating and unsettling at the same time.
"They are called enchanted broomsticks, Keira explained. "They are artefacts employed by mages as means of transportation."
"Mages?" Klaus repeated, furrowing his brows in confusion. "You mean people with mana, right?"
Keira nodded her head in response. "Yes, mages are people with the ability to harness mana, the magical energy that flows through everything in the world."
Klaus's stare seemed to pick up the interest of the two brooms, and they started to circle around him. The wind blew gently, rustling the leaves of the nearby trees, and Klaus's black hair danced around his face.
He stood his ground, watching the brooms with a mix of curiosity and apprehension on his face.
The brooms seemed to be studying him, their movements becoming more deliberate as they circled around him. It was as if they were deciding whether he was a friend or not.
As he watched the broom, one moved clockwise while the other moved anti-clockwise; their movements were synchronised yet unpredictable. Klaus felt a sense of awe at the beauty that was unfolding before him, but also a sense of caution.
Suddenly, one of the brooms darted forward and smacked him on the backside without warning, causing Klaus to yell in pain. He spun around, trying to grab the broom, but it was too quick for him, darting and weaving through the air with ease.
Klaus cursed under his breath, rubbing his sore behind, and as he watched the other broom circle around him mockingly, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
"They like you," Keira said, her eyes fixed on the broom that just smacked Klaus and the other broom circling around him.
Klaus looked at her with his brows raised in confusion. "What makes you say that? Is smacking someone in the butt a way to express your liking?" He asked.
"It's a classic sign of affection for the broomstick," Keira replied, her expression turning serious a moment later. "Don't go around smacking people in the butt; if you like someone, you should tell them with words."
Klaus nodded his head.
Keira took a deep stare at Klaus before calling over one of the broomsticks. "We need to get going; it's already getting late." She said and then sat on the broomstick.
The other broomstick flew towards Thorne, and as Keira met Klaus's eyes, she extended her hand towards him. "Come on, you will fly with me." She said.
Almost as though he had been waiting for those words, he took her hand and climbed onto the broom behind her. As soon as he made contact with the broom, it vibrated beneath his hand.
"Hold on tight," she instructed, "and whatever happens, don't let go."
Klaus gripped the broom tighter as it began hovering in the air. He felt a rush of excitement mixed with a twinge of fear as they soared through the air.
The broomstick dipped and swerved, performing playful loops and swings that left Klaus breathless. The wind rushed through his hair, and he felt like he was flying weightless and free.
Occasionally, Keira glanced back, checking if he was okay, and as she saw the ecstatic look on his face, a smile couldn't help but appear on her face.
Throughout the ride, Thorne had his eyes fixed on Klaus, and he was prepared to take action at any given moment.
An hour later, two flying brooms appeared in front of a village.
The sun had just begun its slow descent below the horizon, casting a warm glow across the sky in Clover Village. The air was filled with the sounds of spells being cast and the swish of swords and blades cutting through the air.
In one corner, a group of children and adults were immersed in the practise of magic, and nearby another group was engrossed in the art of combat, their movements fluid and precise.
As Klaus flew over another group of children, he watched in amazement as they conjured flames in the palms of their hands, levitated objects, and summoned a gust of wind.
Klaus kept his gaze fixed on the group performing magic when Keira's voice interrupted his thoughts. "We're descending now; hold on tight," she said calmly. Klaus tightened his grip on the broomstick and braced himself for the descent.
As they touched down in the village, Keira dismounted gracefully from the broomstick. Klaus clumsily followed suit, his heart still racing from the exhilarating ride. He glanced over at Thorne, who gave him a stern look and then turned to Keira.
"Does he always look like that, or is it just me?" he asked.
Keira smiled. She was about to speak when a middle-aged woman came running to her. "How was the trip?" The woman asked.
"It was fine; the dungeon is cleared. There won't be a case of a dungeon break," Keira replied.
The woman's face brightened with excitement, and she couldn't resist wrapping Keira in a tight embrace. "Thank you so much! This means a lot to us!" She exclaimed.
Tears began to gather around her eyes, and as she announced the news to people in the surrounding area, the sound of cheers and happy cries filled the area. "Is the chieftain still in the village?" Keira asked politely, and as the woman nodded her head, she and Thorne headed to Chieftess's house, with Klaus following behind.
As Klaus caught up with Keira's brisk pace, he voiced his concerns. "That woman kept staring at me weirdly, Could it be because she couldn't sense any mana around my body?"
Hearing Klaus's question, Keira shook her head and said, "Everyone has mana around them, except if you choose to conceal it. She would have thought you concealed your mana, so I don't think that's the reason why she looked at you that way."
"So what's the reason?" Klaus asked with a straight face.
He couldn't help but be perplexed, as when he walked past the other women in the village, they stared in the same weird way as the previous woman did.
Keira looked at Klaus and then chuckled. "Oh that's right, since you properly don't remember anything about yourself, you also don't know how you look."
Klaus's brows furrowed, not understanding what Keira was getting at. "What do you mean?" He asked.
"You will see," Keira answered.
Klaus was even more confused now, but before he could ask any questions, they arrived at the chieftess's house and went in to meet her.
The chieftess's house was a moderate house; however, books and papers were strewn around the house. As Keira entered the house, she made sure not to step on any of the scattered paper and also warned Klaus not to.
Klaus followed Keira's movement, and as they entered a room, they encountered a woman seated behind a wooden desk.
Greetings, Aunt," Keira said politely.
The woman looked up from the book she was reading and broke into a sweet smile when she saw Keira. Ah, Keira, you're back." She said it warmly.
"Yes, aunt. We have returned from the dungeon." Keira returned the smile.
"You are stronger than I imagined, princess. You just cleared a C-Rank dungeon in just one hour; even your father wasn't this strong at this age."
Keira's expression turned grim at the mere mention of her father. She took a deep breath. "There is something I need to tell you, Aunt."
Sensing the change in Keira's voice, the woman slowly placed the book on the desk, keeping the page of the book open while her eyes were fixed on Keira.
"What is it, Keira? Did something happen in the dungeon?" The woman asked in a concerned voice.
Klaus who had been standing in the corner soon walked forward as Keira turned towards him.
The woman turned to him, amused. "And who might this handsome devil be, Keira? Don't tell me you found a lover in the dungeon." The woman said it with a playful smile on her lips.
Keira took a deep breath and proceeded to narrate everything that had occurred in the dungeon to her aunt. As she spoke, several emotions flashed through the woman's eyes.
When Keira was done telling the story, the woman stood up from her seat, her expression unreadable. The air in the room became chilly as she approached Klaus, her footsteps deliberate and intense. Keira, sensing the change in her aunt's demeanour, pulled Klaus behind her.
The woman stopped in front of Keira; she looked at Klaus, her eyes cold and devoid of emotion.
After a moment of silence, the woman's voice cut through the tension in the room. "Leave the room, Keira and Thorne. There's something I need to discuss with this young man," she said, her gaze locked onto Klaus.