At least fifteen mosquitoes were circling around the two of them, and Aurelio was having a hard time fending them off with his two hands. He got up and walked over to Gloria. Gently, he placed his left hand on her shoulder and gave her a nudge. Gloria jolted awake, and her right hand instinctively reached for the left side of her waist, grasping at thin air. There was no sword hilt there. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she asked, "What's going on?"
"Go back to your room and get some sleep. You've practically fed the mosquitoes to their fill." Aurelio said, pointing at her right arm. Gloria turned her head and saw seven or eight swollen, red bumps on her fair arm. Looking at her left arm, she saw a similar sight. Once she noticed the bumps, an irritating itchiness set in.
Aurelio took out a small bottle from his waist pouch and placed it delicately on the table. The bottle was about the size of a thumb and was filled with over half a bottle of light purple liquid that resembled some kind of oil. Pointing at the bottle, he said, "Use this. It's for mosquito bites."
Gloria nodded and picked up the potion from the table. Still a bit dazed, she was about to put the bottle to her lips.
"No! It's for external use." Aurelio quickly reached out with his left hand, grabbed her wrist, and retrieved the bottle.
Gloria was still a bit muddled. She looked at Aurelio a few more times before fully coming to her senses. She chuckled self-deprecatingly and applied the medicine to the mosquito bites. After applying it, she put the bottle back on the table. Looking up at Aurelio, she said, "You've got a bump on your face too."
"Where?"
"On the right, below the cheekbone.
Your right side.
A bit to the left.
Lower." Despite the female knight's several attempts at guiding him, he still couldn't accurately locate it.
"Let me apply it for you." Gloria said, somewhat resigned. Without waiting for his consent, she picked up the bottle. She poured a small amount of liquid onto the tip of her right index finger and then gently dabbed it on Aurelio's face.
Aurelio wasn't used to being in such close proximity to others. Seeing her staring intently at him and applying the medicine with a serious expression, he felt extremely ill at ease. He kept his eyes closed until Gloria was done.
"Okay. Thanks for the medicine." The female knight smiled. Just a few minutes had passed, and she could already no longer feel the discomfort on her arm.
"Keep it." Aurelio shook his head and declined the bottle she offered to return. "It seems the mosquitoes have a preference for you."
"Taking your things again... Is that really all right?"
"Valentino gave it to me for free. You should be thanking him rather than me." Aurelio said. "If you want to sleep, go back and sleep." He pointed at the open window and added, "There are far too many mosquitoes."
"What about you? Aren't you going back to sleep?"
"I need to finalize the design of the magic spell before dawn."
"Thank you for your hard work." Gloria thanked him with a smile. "But actually, there's no need to rush like this, right? I didn't say that I absolutely have to learn it tomorrow."
"Let's make the most of our time. The sooner you learn it, the sooner you can have peace of mind." Aurelio said. "Meet me in the backyard at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. If I'm late, knock on my door. It's on the second floor, at the end of the right corridor, the left room."
"I'll remember. Good night!"
After seeing the female knight off, Aurelio returned behind the counter and resumed his calculations with haste. His calculations proceeded smoothly. When he completed the design and wrote the final incantation on the manuscript paper, the first rooster crow in the city of Ventona in the year 886, on June 9th, rang out precisely.
The spell he designed consisted of only four words, concise and to the point, perfect for a beginner. He set down the pen and read the incantation silently, over and over. Each time he did so, he could sense the magic flowing smoothly within him - it almost seemed eager to burst forth from his palms. After committing the incantation to memory, he began the actual casting. He chanted it section by section and tested the performance of each part.
He gazed at the golden light scattering from his palm and recollected the feeling during the casting. He thought, "The container is fine, and the infusion is smooth." He then cut off the supply of magic and observed the transformation of the ball of light from the side. Nearly five minutes had passed, and it remained as bright as before, without any indication of fading. "It's stable enough."
Magic is akin to boiling water. Once boiling water leaves the stove and ceases to be heated, it will commence cooling. When boiling water is placed in a sealed container, the container obstructs the flow of air and slows down the cooling process. The "container" of magic serves a similar function. If the container is adequately sealed and sturdy, the magic energy will dissipate more slowly, which implies better stability. And magic with enhanced stability will prove more satisfactory in terms of range and power.
Aurelio waved his left hand, and the ball of light shot straight out. The ball of light made contact with the back of a chair and then passed through it without a sound. It continued its flight, then landed on the table and vanished without a trace. It was equally quiet when it disappeared.
This did not signify that the ball of light lacked lethality or that the design had failed. Because holy light possesses a special characteristic. It exists in two states. One is the "flowing state" in which it coalesces into a ball by itself; the other is the "condensed state" in which it adheres to other substances.
What Aurelio exploited was the first one, the so-called "flowing state". In this state, the holy light is incapable of acting on inanimate objects, but it has the ability to penetrate them, albeit with limited penetrating power. The spell that Aurelio cast could only penetrate one layer of wood. When it reached the second layer, it became ineffective.
"The penetrating power is mediocre. It's not flawless yet." Aurelio evaluated in his mind. "I can't ascertain if the power is sufficient either." He was somewhat concerned about this. How could he commence improving the spell if he couldn't confirm its power until actual combat? And after testing a failed spell in actual combat, would the caster have a chance to return unharmed?
"Unless, I make myself the target." Aurelio could only conceive of this idea. "This spell doesn't consume much energy, and she's a novice. If she can inflict even the slightest harm on me, then she's a prodigy."
"The design is complete." He murmured softly. The spell wasn't perfect, but given the knowledge he had in his head, this was the best he could achieve.
Contemplating that he was embarking on his teacher's unfinished business - this might be a more long-term plan than seeking revenge, he felt a tinge of excitement. He stood up, stretched his shoulders and neck, and walked out of the inn's door. He looked up at the early morning sky. The guards on both sides saluted him, and he responded with a nod.
It gets light remarkably early in summer. At this usual time, there should already be some pedestrians on the street. And during the ensuing long day, the street should be bustling. But now, the entire city was hushed, as if it had not yet awakened from its slumber.
It was wartime. Whether during the day or at night, the city was as desolate as in the dead of night, only with the occasional patrol of soldiers passing by. Most people had already sought refuge. The only ones remaining were some old people, women, and children. They wouldn't venture onto the street without a particular reason.
The only aspect that remained unchanged was the chirping of the birds. Sparrows, skylarks, and turtledoves commenced chirping incessantly as soon as they beheld the light in the early morning. They flitted from one branch to another, chasing and frolicking, and chirping without pause. The tragedies that had transpired and were about to occur on the ground were of no concern to them.
Aurelio took a deep breath. The tranquil air was devoid of any trace of gunpowder or the stench of blood.
The clock chimed six, and almost simultaneously, the clerk on the morning shift entered the hall. He was a tall, slender man, approximately in his thirties, who appeared intelligent and efficient, and like Aurelio, he was not very talkative. The two swiftly completed the handover, after which Aurelio was free to leave.
Aurelio returned to his room. There was still ample time before the appointed hour, so he could catch some more sleep. He remade the ice pack and returned to bed with it.