When Ted lifted Ivan down from the top of the carriage, he was surprised to find Ivan's body unusually light, as if weightless. After gently placing Ivan down, Ted continued his work and set him on a nearby tree stump.
To others, they appeared to be a wealthy merchant family on a journey. The elderly master sat comfortably in a reclining chair, enjoying the sunset in the Bartson Forest, while the close bodyguards remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings. The family tutor or private secretary strolled along the forest path, and the young master dozed off, perhaps on his first trip. Two servants busied themselves with tidying up, everything appearing quite ordinary.
However, the people on the merchant's carriage viewed the situation quite differently. "Is that the boy and the horse we passed by just now?" the young master asked.
"Is he the rider who passed us just now? The one with equestrian skills as excellent as yours?" his sister asked curiously.
"What is he doing?" the youngest of the bodyguards inquired.
"I don't know, probably dozing off. The journey is tiring enough; I'm feeling a bit exhausted myself," another bodyguard remarked.
"It seems like he's meditating," the young lady speculated.
"You're right, miss. That young man is indeed meditating," came the voice of the old man from behind. "It appears that the magical disturbance I sensed earlier was caused by him."
"Is he powerful?" the young master asked. He wasn't particularly interested in magic; his only concern was the opponent's strength.
"For his age, it's unlikely that he possesses strong magical power. However, the strength of a magician is not solely determined by the amount of magical power one possesses. This young man can trigger the resonance of the wind, something that most magicians who have studied magic their whole lives cannot achieve. Therefore, based on talent alone, this young man is exceptional. I believe his future is limitless," the old man said with a slow and wise voice.
"A potential huge threat," muttered the leader of the bodyguards.
"Brother, should we?" the girl gestured a line across her neck, her meaning quite clear.
The young man pondered for a while, then shook his head and said, "There's no need to stir up trouble."
"Correct choice, at least that's what I think," the old man nodded in approval. "And we need to be prepared; I sense danger slowly approaching here."
"The one we've been waiting for has finally arrived," the leader of the bodyguards said, his tone filled with determination.
"Good, hopefully, this person can take care of that troublemaker as well," the young girl said, her eyebrows slightly raised. For those familiar with her character, it was clear that she was plotting something.
Ivan, meditating on the tree stump in the distance, was unaware of the scheming happening around him.
Perhaps due to the presence of people or the disturbance caused by their activities, the wind spirits that freely flew through the depths of the forest also seemed to dislike these sudden intruders.
The wind spirits gradually dispersed.
Ivan no longer sensed anything and slowly woke up from his meditative state.
As he fully regained consciousness, a strong aroma of roasted meat wafted into his nostrils.
His stomach growled loudly; he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, and now he was feeling quite hungry.
In the distance, Ted was focused on grilling two marinated beef steaks, carefully applying honey repeatedly to evenly coat the meat.
Large drops of fat dripped onto the blazing fire below, sending flames shooting up.
The blue smoke enveloped the tantalizing aroma, dispersing into the air, driving away the wind spirits.
Ivan's hunger intensified.
"Feeling hungry? Here, this is for you," Audrey's voice came from behind as she handed him a plate with conch meat coated in a thick sauce.
Although equally delicious, the aroma of the roasted meat was more tempting to Ivan.
However, he was well aware that the real Ivan Baindite never consumed meat.
Sometimes, that unique diet was a burden for him.
Knowing there was no room for change, Ivan silently took the plate and began to eat. Yet, the rich aroma of the roasted meat remained irresistibly enticing.
Ivan sighed inwardly, resisting the temptation to devour the food in front of him. His current identity was Ivan Baindite, so everything had to be exactly like the real Master Baindite.
Audrey had told him countless times that a person's habits and hobbies were the easiest way for others to accept their identity, but also the easiest way to expose it. In these aspects, there could be no mistakes.
After dinner, as the night grew deeper, Ted lit several oil lamps around. The dim light of the oil lamps couldn't illuminate everything, but at least it dispelled the eerie and terrifying feeling of the forest at night.
Mr. Hyde disliked the smell of smoke; during their travels, he always preferred to breathe the fresh outdoor air, so they rarely lit campfires when away from home.
In the Bartson Forest, large predators were rare. Over the centuries, human footprints had traversed this dense jungle, driving the wild beasts to the remote and secluded areas deep within the forest. It was rare to hear of large animals appearing along the main roads for tens of kilometers.
The deep night in the Bartson Forest seemed so peaceful and tranquil, with only occasional laughter and chatter from the distant merchants.
After resting for a while and letting the food in his stomach digest a bit, Ivan returned to his tent to rest. His tent was modest, only accommodating a sleeping mat, but for a traveler, it was sufficient.
Lying in his bedding, Ivan pondered the astonishing discovery he had made during the day. He had never imagined he could sense the presence of the wind spirits. If only Lavash were by his side now, he could clarify this matter.
Upon waking from his meditation, Ivan keenly felt the surge of magic within him, a sensation he had never experienced before. He wondered if such miraculous occurrences would happen again in the future, perhaps only possible in the remote and uninhabited depths of the forest.
As the night grew deeper, the forest was not as quiet as Ivan had imagined. The night belonged to the small creatures, filled with the chirping of insects and frogs, occasionally accompanied by the melodious bird songs cutting through the sky.
The rustling of leaves rubbing against each other and the murmuring of flowing water added infinite vitality to the silent night. Listening to the symphony of nature, Ivan drifted into a deep sleep.
The night was dark, the moon rising high, a time when sleep was favored by humans.
After an unknown period of time, Ivan suddenly woke up, hearing unusual sounds outside. It was the cautious footsteps of someone approaching through the water.
In the curriculum set by Herbert, one task was to maintain vigilance while asleep. For someone who lived in the world of danger and shadows all day, the night was often the most perilous time, where deadly daggers or crossbows could emerge from the darkness at any moment.
Therefore, the ability to detect unusual circumstances while sleeping was a skill every assassin must master.
In fact, almost everyone in Mr. Hyde's estate possessed this skill.
In order to acquire this skill, Ivan had endured a lot of hardship. However, Herbert's training was extremely challenging, and after a day of it, he was already exhausted, making it impossible to maintain vigilant sleep at all times.
Nevertheless, Herbert's education was not in vain. When Ivan had more leisure time and was no longer as fatigued each day, he found that he could perform as excellently as most people in the estate.
Although this was commendable, perhaps from now on, the sweet and deep sleep would become a distant memory for him. Just like the warm and tender life he had once shared with Aunt Jenny, this incredibly heartwarming life would never return.