Bidding farewell to his sponsor, Logan vowed to return after he knew what the class would do the following days. He was given some coins as pocket money as he left and told that should he need anything, he only needed to tell the main butler, Mr. Alric, to send word.
Logan felt a sense of comfort having two allies in this world who appreciated his ability. The daughter and father who had welcomed him into their home were easy to get along with—something he had never experienced in his otherwise lonely, difficult life. He remembered how he would come home every day to an empty house, where he cooked and did everything for himself. His mom was always busy with work, and it got even worse as he got older, and she began dating again.
She still took care of him, and they would speak for a few minutes after she came home, but the family was essentially broken. This was something he noticed was different with Rubina. Even though she didn't have a mother, she had the adoration of her servants, who seemed willing to sweep each step before she took it.
It was true; she did seem to lack something like him, but there was a slight difference in how they lived their daily lives.
Logan had long left the Rosengard estate, a place he knew he would return to soon. His monster needed Logan's help for training, and although it seemed to care only for food, he felt that, with time, this new bond would be just as friendly as any pet.
Suddenly, he thought about his dog who had died in a tragic accident, and it made him close his heart again.
[What pet… it was more interested in food than being with me.]
The boy sighed, trying to clear his negative emotions and keep what he ate down as the bumpy road started again, making him hold on to anything he could. He swore out loud at times, but just loud enough to not reach the coachman. Half an hour passed in this manner when the cart was stopped by guards to check its contents. One of them opened the door with a few knocks.
"Greetings, hero, it's good to see you. I hope the trip was to your liking. Seems everything is good here; that will be all, have a great night!" The burly but excited guard hardly gave Logan the time to respond and seemed content to see that the boy was in good health before letting them go with an overly formal salute, something the boy could not get used to.
It was not long before the carriage stopped and Logan got out, seeing the "Castle Inn," a name the others in the class had baptized the building with.
He waved to the friendly carriage driver and stared for a while as the weird dragon-faced carriage went on its way. He noticed that, just like him, others were also arriving in gaudy carriages, which led him to believe that it was a trend.
The boy then stared at the night sky, the various moons shining in different colors, which still puzzled Logan. It was a cold night that made him tremble, yet he felt a little happier with such nice scenery before him. He wondered what his mother was doing. Would she be looking for him? Would his father be doing the same, would he be with his new family as if nothing had happened or would he be with his mother and together trying to figure out where their son disappeared?
Maybe it was better to be here, but then he thought about the war that was the cause of all this, he looked around to see the expressions of the other students.
Logan wondered how they were coping with everything that had happened so far. He noticed a group of kids gathered around a boy who was making small flames dance on his fingertips. They cheered and clapped, momentarily distracted from their worries.
In another corner, a girl sobbed quietly, her friend hugging her tightly and whispering words of comfort. The scene was a stark reminder of the diverse ways people handled fear and uncertainty.
Logan's thoughts drifted back to his own situation, how despite the chaos the class was in, and the unknown future, these kids had a strange sense of unity among them. They were all together, facing the same challenge, but was he a part of this or did he need to find his own way?
He took a deep breath, trying to clear his negative thoughts once again. Just then, another carriage stopped near the inn's entrance. This one was a bit more normal than the rest. It lacked the gaudy decorations of the others and had a simple, elegant design that seemed almost out of place.
Curiosity piqued, Logan watched as the door of the carriage opened with the help of the coachman. Lisa stepped out of the vehicle with graceful elegance, wearing a nice white two-piece outfit that helped cover herself from the cold. It reminded him of what a priest would wear, and he knew right away that she had visited the Oracle.
Thinking back to his skills, he remembered that she could possibly be one of his tamed beings—a strange occurrence that might have happened by their accidental meeting the day before. Logan made a mischievous smile, thinking there was only one way to solve this mystery, and waited for the girl to come close enough.
[Hey Lizzy!]
The girl who was tired from a day full of people praising her for something she didn't really care for suddenly heard a familiar name she was called as a child. She stumbled a little to think about what was happening as it was clearly not from someone speaking, it was more of a thought.
It wasn't clear but it was a voice she heard very little these days, it was Logan's way of calling her as kids.
"Logan?" she whispered, unsure if she was imagining things.
Logan's smile widened. [It's nice to see you…] he said, testing his powers a little more while trying to keep a straight face after seeing her worried with his little joke.
Recognition dawned on her face, and she let out a small laugh. "Hey, that scared me… How did you do that?"
[You should stop talking like that, it will look like I am ignoring you. Anyways, it's kind of a mystery I wanted to talk to you about…] Logan thought, feeling tired from using a skill he had never tried before. He rubbed his forehead, which pulsed with discomfort.
Lisa watched him with concern. "Logan, are you okay? You look a bit pale."
Logan managed a weak smile. "I'm fine, just a bit tired. It takes a lot out of me to use that skill."
"Oh, well, now that we are talking about skills, why don't I try using one of mine? Stay there for a second." Lisa thought it was a good chance for revenge and got close to Logan, pretending she was going to heal him by putting her hand on his forehead.
Logan closed his eyes, expecting some sort of healing sensation. Instead, he felt a sudden surge of pain, causing him to cover his forehead with a yelp. Lisa burst into giggles, glad her trick from the past had worked.
"Hey! That's not healing!" Logan protested, rubbing his forehead.
"Hey, that isn't what you called me before. Now come here, this time I will be serious." Lisa pouted a little, disappointed that Logan had changed the way he spoke to her when speaking out loud.
She placed her hand near his forehead, focusing her energy. A warm, soothing sensation spread from her hand, gradually easing Logan's discomfort. Logan closed his eyes, feeling the gentle flow of healing energy.
"Better?" Lisa asked, her voice soft and concerned.
Logan opened his eyes and smiled. "Much better. Thanks."
Lisa nodded, satisfied. "Good. How about we find a place to rest? My feet are killing me, and I want to hear about this skill of yours before Alma and the rest of the class come back. I'm sure you will go back to your loner mode when that happens like always."
Logan had forgotten that he changed his way of acting and looked around to make sure the others were not paying them any attention. He was glad that only about six kids were around, but far enough that they wouldn't hear what they were saying.
"Alright, let's find a quiet spot," Logan said, nodding towards a secluded corner of the inn where a few benches were placed to view the well-kept garden.
They made their way to a cozy nook, where Logan sank into a seat, and Lisa sat beside him, rubbing her tired feet while using some sort of healing ability.
"So, about this skill of yours," Lisa began, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What exactly did you discover?"