The following night passed without much happening. Seraline had managed to salvage one of the satchels containing the tent materials, so they didn't have to sleep outside. The only downside was that it was enough for just one tent, meaning the two of them had to share. Fortunately, the tent was fairly large, so it wasn't too cramped.
The next morning, Magnus woke to the relentless sounds of nature. The chirping birds pulled him from deep sleep, while the soft rumble of the nearby river finally nudged him awake. As he stretched, sitting up, he felt a bit uncomfortable—after all, they only had thin sheets for bedding and pillows. But he wasn't sore, nor did his body crack when he stretched, a perk of how he'd restructured himself. After being tackled by that mana beast, his body had regenerated in a way that, if he took a similar hit again, he'd only rupture an organ or two and fracture some bones.
That was a stark improvement compared to before, when his skeleton had been utterly shattered and his organs crushed and pierced by bone fragments.
Glancing around the tent, Magnus saw that Seraline was already awake. Her blankets were neatly folded and set aside. He rubbed his face and was about to stand when he noticed he wasn't wearing his mask. He almost panicked, but then remembered—Seraline already knew his real identity. He'd put the mask away in his storage ring the night before, not keen on sleeping in something so stuffy. He'd only need it again when they reached their destination and took on the assignment. Cain was only required then.
Stepping outside, Magnus was greeted by the crisp scent of fresh air and the distinct smell of cooking fish. A fire had been built, and over it, skewered fish were roasting in the heat. A little farther off, he noticed their clothes hanging to dry from the previous night, after they'd washed them in the river.
Then Magnus spotted Seraline. She stood near the riverbank, spear in hand, practicing.
I saw it during the Live Examination, but her spearmanship is on a completely different level from anything I've ever seen before.
Seraline knew how to wield her spear without ever losing momentum. Whether she thrust or swept, she turned her body and bent her arms just right, so each attack flowed seamlessly into the next. There wasn't a moment where her spear halted or her feet stayed still. The result was an endless barrage, as though she could attack in any direction around her body. Even though her spear never touched the ground, the force from a single spin carved lines into the gravel, creating a distinct pattern beneath her feet.
She only began to slow down and come to a stop when she noticed Magnus approaching.
"So, is this your morning routine or something?" Magnus asked.
"Yes. I alternate between spear practice and exercise every morning. It doesn't always lead to noticeable improvement, but it sharpens my focus," Seraline explained.
"Huh. Did you wake up early to catch those fish?" Magnus gestured toward the fish roasting over the open fire.
Seraline shook her head.
"No, I woke up about an hour ago. I always get up around this time."
Jeez, talk about an early bird. The sun's not even fully up yet.
After chatting for a bit, the two sat down by the fire and started digging into the fish that had finished cooking. It was a bit bland without any seasoning, but it was filling enough.
"So, like I said yesterday, there are a few villages between here and Freyborn," Magnus began, taking a bite of his fish.
"But I think we should head to Dimfield. From what I saw, it's the biggest one on the way. Looks like a farming village, so they're probably our best shot at finding horses."
He paused before adding, "The only problem might be money."
He'd brought what money he had left, but wasn't sure if it'd cover the cost of two horses.
"Don't worry about that," Seraline said, standing up and walking over to their drying clothes. She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a medallion with her family's crest.
Returning to her spot at the fire, she explained, "All noble families have these. They can be used for identification, but they allow us to make purchases by essentially sending the bill to our families. No need to pay upfront."
It was a privilege only noble families that had been around for generations were granted.
Now that I think about it, Mia used something similar to that when we first got to Arlcliff City, didn't she? I guess it makes sense that high-ranking military personnel would have a similar system.
"Well, if money's not an issue, then Dimfield it is." With their destination set, they finished their meal, tossing the sticks into the fire before stamping it out. Their clothes were still a little damp but dry enough to wear. After packing up the tent, blankets, and other supplies into the satchels, they cut through the forest until they reached the path again. Dimfield wasn't too far—if they kept up a good pace, they'd reach it around noon.
Along the way, they didn't run into any more mana beasts, but they did encounter a few monsters. One of them was a moss-covered giant centipede that blended perfectly with the forest floor. When fully stretched out, it was around twenty to thirty feet long, its mandibles sharp enough to tear through stone, and its mouth able to spit corrosive venom. Luckily, like most insects, it didn't fare well against fire, making it easy for them to handle when it attacked. Another creature they came across was essentially a giant moose, so large that Magnus initially mistook it for a tree. Its antlers blended with the surrounding branches, and it simply stared at them from within the forest.
It didn't attack; it just seemed curious about the humans moving at blinding speed near its home. It wasn't until Seraline pointed it out later that Magnus rechecked his memory and realized he had overlooked it. A few hours after these encounters, Magnus and Seraline began to notice the trees thinning out and the road, which had been rather flat, despite lack of maintenance, starting to rise into hills. After a few more minutes of walking, the tree line finally broke, revealing a vast meadow.
"Oh, wow..." Magnus muttered, taking in the scene ahead. The forest ended in a rough circle, giving way to a vibrant green meadow. Soft blue and purple flowers dotted the grass, which reached about ankle height. The sunlight bathed everything in a golden hue, even the towering hills in the distance, creating an almost enchanting view. The path ahead wound through the meadow, leading toward their destination—Dimfield Village.
The village took full advantage of the open space, appearing quite large from a distance. A tall wall, made of wooden supports filled with stone, surrounded it. Even from where they stood, Magnus could see the tops of buildings just beyond the wall and the watchtowers positioned along the perimeter. Two figures stood guard near the open gate leading into the village.
"This place is different from what I imagined," Seraline remarked, and Magnus had to agree. Most villages were struggling without the military's help, as monsters and mana beasts became more frequent across the regions. They'd experienced that firsthand, having been attacked several times already. But here, the serenity made it hard to believe any of that was happening.
They slowed their pace, walking more casually toward the village. As they got closer, they could make out more details of the surrounding area. The land immediately around the village walls was empty, save for the path they were walking on. But off to the left, they saw farmland stretching across the meadow, with farmers at work, loading harvested crops onto carts pulled by horses. A wide creek cut through the center of the farmland, flowing from somewhere uphill in the forest and into the village through a channel built into the wall.
"Magnus, something's off..." Seraline muttered in a low voice. Magnus glanced over and saw that she looked tense.
"What do you mean?" He asked. It did seem strange that the area was so peaceful, but he didn't think it was worth worrying about—yet.
"There's something surrounding this village—no, the entire meadow. But I can't figure out what it is or what it's doing," Seraline explained, her expression uneasy. Knights had the ability to sense all kinds of things, including fluctuations in mana, which the average person couldn't detect.
"Are you saying there's some kind of spell here?" Magnus frowned. If a spell was in place, that was definitely concerning—it would mean a mage had to be nearby to maintain it. But why would a mage be all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?
"No, it... feels different from magic. I don't know how to explain it." Seraline looked frustrated with her own words, glancing around but seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Whatever she was sensing was bothering her, her sixth sense warning her that something was off, but she couldn't pinpoint it.
"Hm..." Magnus thought for a moment. He couldn't sense things the way Seraline could, but the rhythm glitch allowed him to detect hostility and predict attacks before they happened. Whatever field Seraline was picking up hadn't triggered anything on his end, meaning it likely wasn't directly malicious.
But of course, that doesn't mean we are completely safe. Whatever it was could just be dormant—like a trap waiting to spring.
"Whatever you're detecting, let's stay on guard. The first sign of trouble, we retreat," Magnus whispered, and Seraline nodded. Her leg hadn't fully healed yet, putting them at a disadvantage if a fight broke out. Running instead of fighting would be the smarter option, at least until they knew what they were up against. As they reached the front gates of the wall surrounding the village, they were immediately stopped by the two guards on duty. Each wore mostly leather armor, with swords at their waists. In the watchtowers, archers who had likely spotted them from afar narrowed their eyes, watching the two of them closely.
The guards didn't appear hostile or make any aggressive moves—just cautious.
"We'll need you both to identify yourselves and explain your reason for being here before we can let you through," one of the guards said.
"My name is Seraline Sostenza. We're just here to replenish. We won't be staying long."
"Yeah, what she said. We're just here to buy a few things. Oh, and for the record, I'm Magnus Wright. We're students from Takerth Academy," Magnus added, pointing to the emblem on his uniform, hoping the mention of Takerth would smooth things over. And it seemed to have worked—he saw recognition flash across the guards' faces. It didn't matter how far from the capital a village was; unless you lived under a rock, everyone knew about the Ten Great Magic Academies. But then the guards' reactions turned strange as they exchanged a glance and smiled at one another.
"So, you're the mage and knight," one of them said, pointing at them with a suddenly friendly tone. Magnus and Seraline couldn't have looked more confused if they tried. Even though Magnus had mentioned they were from Takerth, how did the guard know he was a mage and Seraline was a knight?
The other guard must have noticed their confusion and quickly apologized.
"Sorry about that. I know this must be a bit confusing. It's just... the Mystic told us you two were coming, though we didn't know exactly when to expect you," he explained.
"The Mystic?" Seraline repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, that's right. He told us to bring you to him as soon as you arrived," the first guard said, turning to his partner.
"Brenden, mind covering for me while I take these two to the Mystic?" Brenden nodded without any hesitation.
"Alright, you two, follow me," the guard said, turning to lead them into the village. Magnus and Seraline exchanged a glance before doing just that. They couldn't deny their curiosity about this Mystic—how he knew they would arrive, how he knew one of them was a mage and the other a knight, and why they called him a Mystic instead of a mage, despite clearly understanding what mages were.
On the other side of the wall, they saw the path they were on continued straight through the village, acting as the main street, while other roads branched off it in different directions. It wasn't like Arlcliff City, where every street seemed meticulously planned. Here, houses and buildings of all shapes and sizes dotted the village—some looked as though they had been standing for decades, while others seemed more recently built. One bonus though was that the path was wider now and much better maintained than the one outside the walls. Children could be seen playing with sticks or whatever else they could find, their imaginations running wild, while some villagers stood around chatting casually, and others busied themselves with work.
Just like the meadow, the village felt almost unnervingly peaceful.
"Normally around this time, the Mystic is in the village center, meditating or teaching," the guard, who eventually introduced himself as Sabris, explained as he led the way. Along the walk, Magnus and Seraline began asking questions.
"So, who is this Mystic?" Seraline asked.
"Uh, well, we don't really know his name. He never gave it to us. Instead, he called himself a... what was it again? Stream-Enterer? Yeah, something like that. Anyway, he arrived early last month and has been staying with us ever since. He's been a real blessing, I tell you. Helped heal some of our sick and started offering lessons to anyone who asks, free of charge. Even the kids sit in every now and then. And ever since he showed up, things have been pretty peaceful—no monster attacks, and hardly any crime, except for a few petty things."
"Huh, sounds like a real miracle worker," Magnus commented as they passed through the bustling market area. Villagers called out to passersby from their stalls, and shop doors stood open, inviting anyone inside. The smell of freshly baked bread and food from restaurants lingered in the air, but as they moved on, those scents faded. Finally, they arrived at the village center, where a large well stood at the intersection of the village's main streets. The roads formed a wide circular path around the well, marking the heart of Dimfield.
Magnus noticed a small crowd gathered around the well. Some were sitting on the ground, while others stood a bit farther back.
"Ah, looks like he's teaching," Sabris said. That's when Magnus and Seraline finally spotted the so-called Mystic. He appeared to be a middle-aged man, his dark hair just beginning to gray. He sat on the edge of the well, smiling, dressed in a simple orange robe. The moment Magnus's eyes fell on him, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him, just as the Mystic's words reached his ears.
"As we near the end of our time together today, I want you to remember this: all things in this life are temporary—our joys, our pains, even our very lives. Nothing stays the same. Just as the sun rises and sets, everything moves in cycles. But this is not a cause for sadness; it is simply the way of the world. Clinging to things, trying to make them stay as they are, only brings suffering. It is by accepting impermanence that we find peace. When we let go of the need to control or possess, we begin to free ourselves from the suffering that comes from attachment. Think of the flower that blooms—it is beautiful, but it does not last. And yet, we can still appreciate its beauty without holding onto it, knowing that it, like all things, must pass."
As the man finished speaking, his eyes slowly shifted toward Magnus and Seraline.
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[WARNING]: A glitch has been detected!
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