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He exuded an air of nobility, clearly not a local.

I tilted my head, feigning ignorance.

“Well, let’s see. Where was Samael again?”

“Hmm, I’m sure it was in this direction. Strange.”

There was no malice in the man’s tone, nor any trace of mana.

But appearances can be deceiving.

“By the way, who are you to be looking for Samael?”

“Haha, it’s a personal matter…”

“I know Samael well. Follow me!”

‘What a damn fool.’

Palge interrupted.

I glared at Palge, but he seemed oblivious to his mistake. His eyes were filled with pure goodwill as he looked at the man.

“Pig.”

“Don’t call me a pig.”

“Fatty. How many times do I have to tell you to be more aware? You don’t even know if he’s friend or foe, and you’re just going to trust him blindly? If he were an enemy, you’d lead him straight to Samael. You’re a future traitor in the making.”

“I’m not a traitor. His eyes looked kind.”

I sighed and shook my head. The man, who had been watching quietly, spoke politely.

“I see now. You must be from Samael. There’s no need to be so wary. I’m Alvin from Valpong. I’ve come to see Kazen, the Clan Head.”

“See!”

I smacked the back of Palge’s head and racked my brain.

Valpong. That was the merchant group Kazen had mentioned.

The Valpong Merchant Group and the Marais Clan.

The two who had extended a helping hand when Samael was in dire straits.

They had said it would take time to secure funds without arousing Urgon’s suspicion, and it seemed they had finally arrived.

I introduced myself with a modicum of courtesy.

“I am Ruin of Samael. Recent events have left the clan on edge, so I apologize for my earlier caution.”

The man named Alvin nodded understandingly.

“Think nothing of it. I understand.”

“Follow me.”

As we returned to the clan with the procession, Alvin broke the awkward silence.

“I heard the news on my way here. I was worried I might be too late, but it seems things worked out well. You even drove out Bayern.”

“It was nothing major.”

My dismissive tone surprised him.

“I see our assistance wasn’t needed after all. I came anyway, as we had promised, but I feel a bit embarrassed now.”

I shook my head. Their decision to help in our time of need was meaningful enough.

“Samael is grateful.”

It suddenly occurred to me that Valpong had no prior connection to Samael.

I was curious about their motive for helping, but I decided not to pry. He was a guest here to see Kazen.

In the midst of an awkward silence, Alvin chuckled.

“Speaking of which, I hear there’s a Crazy Mage Commander in Samael.”

“…”

“Khaoto’s reputation precedes him. I’m curious to know what kind of person he is.”

At that moment, I looked intently at Palge, communicating with my eyes.

‘Fatty, it’s your time to shine.’

Misinterpreting my gaze, Palge averted his eyes.

He had been so eager earlier, but now his lips were tightly sealed.

Such a clueless fatty.

Not wanting to say it myself, I feigned disinterest and kept walking.

As we walked, I observed the procession. The actual merchant group members seemed to be few in number.

Most of those at the back were burly men who looked like laborers.

Soon, Samael’s main gate came into view.

Between the guards lined up on both sides, the guard Captain saluted crisply.

“Sir!”

Alvin looked slightly surprised at the disciplined guards. Meanwhile, the chief attendant came out to greet Alvin.

“Are you from the Valpong Merchant Group?”

“Greetings. I am Alvin, an official of the Valpong Merchant Group.”

“This way, please. The Clan Head is waiting for you.”

Wright led Alvin into the Clan Head’s quarters, and the laborers who had followed waited to the side.

Feeling full and having nothing to do, I strolled around, idly patting my belly.

* * *

While I was lazing about, I heard a soft chuckle.

Kazen and the elders were coming out of the Clan Head’s quarters with Alvin.

Seeing Alvin leave the clan without further ado, it seemed he had indeed come only to deliver the funds.

He had arrived with laborers, but he was leaving with only his merchant group members.

Following Kazen’s orders, Wright led the laborers further in.

Wright headed towards Mount Khaoto, leaving the manor behind. He stopped where the slope became steep and began giving instructions to the laborers.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at where Wright was standing.

It was a place where Samael could be seen at a glance, and it was the first thing you saw when you passed through the main gate.

It was the heart of Samael.

‘What are they doing?’

My curiosity piqued, I approached them. The laborers were surveying the slope, making strange markings on the ground.

I went up to Wright and asked,

“What did you tell them to do? It looks interesting.”

The answer came from an unexpected source.

“We’re going to rebuild the Ifrit Temple.”

Kazen had approached me at some point.

“Why the strange look on your face? Are you surprised, Ruin?”

Caught off guard, I didn’t respond. Kazen looked at the laborers for a moment, then muttered in a calm voice.

“It’s time to move forward. We’ve taken a long detour, but I have no regrets. It has only made Samael stronger. Of course, there will be greater challenges ahead. But.”

“…”

“Just as our ancestors did in the past, we will not forget the identity of Samael.”

It felt like a vow Kazen was making to himself.

“The Ifrit Temple will be the first step. Thanks to you, Ruin.”

Kazen, the current Clan Head of Samael, had decided to rebuild the temple he had destroyed long ago.

It was a moving moment.

Ifrit.

Even though he’s made up his mind, Kazen probably doesn’t yet realize the true significance of Ifrit to Samael.

And it’s not just Kazen.

The elders, Hector, all the mages… this is an era where they’ve forgotten the essence of the magic they wield.

Forgotten, and thus forgotten. And because of that, it has vanished and weakened.

The roots have withered, leaving only a hollow shell.

‘But they will know.’

Eventually.

One way or another, they will know.

What they’re missing.

Those who have forgotten the essence and taken the easy path, trapping themselves in limitations, will eventually realize. They will see it with their own eyes. The resurgence of the magic that once shone so brightly.

As I was lost in thought, Kazen smiled and said,

“By the way, it’s been hard to see you lately. Come by more often.”

Kazen gazed intently at the heart of Samael, and I looked at his profile.

His internal injuries seemed to have healed considerably. Kazen’s complexion looked much better.

* * *

Back at the manor, I wandered around, looking this way and that.

‘Where did they go?’

The Crazy Mage Squad was training diligently, but the elders were nowhere to be seen.

I had wanted to chat with them since I had a chance to talk with the Clan Head after a long time, but they had disappeared.

I was sure they were somewhere around here just a moment ago.

Of course, I had a rough idea of where they might have gone.

When I was training alone in the mountains, I would occasionally hear their voices.

To be honest, I was a bit uneasy.

I kept remembering how they had wanted to throw Spirit Stones at me.

Why on earth did they want to throw Spirit Stones? I was worried they might have collectively gone senile. I’d rather not have nightmares about old hags again.

‘Nah, they wouldn’t do that.’

Unable to find the elders anywhere, I headed back to Khaoto City.

The crimson lanterns that once adorned the eastern district were gone.

Instead, the white lights that had been hidden by the lanterns were now revealed under the night sky.

General stores, blacksmiths, herbal shops, workshops… small but cozy lights illuminated the streets, mingling with the moonlight.

The locals bustled about, enjoying the lively atmosphere of Khaoto.

I smiled as I walked, then suddenly bit my lower lip, trying to maintain my composure.

It felt like people were staring at me. I couldn’t help but walk with a melancholic gaze, trying to look cool.

“Oh my, look at that guy.”

“Did he poop his pants or something? It’s an eyesore. Oh, wait. Is he the Crazy Mage?”

“Nah, no way. The Crazy Mage wouldn’t walk around looking like he just pooped himself.”

They couldn’t possibly be talking about me.

A little later, a building surrounded by black outer walls came into view.

* * *

“Hmm?”

As soon as I opened the door, I sensed something was amiss.

Kant, who was always dozing off by the door, was nowhere to be seen. I went up to the second floor, and the hall was gone, along with all the furniture.

It was completely empty, like a restaurant that had gone out of business.

‘Did he run away?’

After looking around for a while and not finding him, I went back down to the first floor, where I saw a familiar face.

“Young Master Ruin?”

“It’s been a while. You’ve grown up a lot.”

It was (former) Mustache. His mustache had grown considerably, making him look almost like his old self.

“Where’s Kant, and why are you here? Are you not open for business?”

Mustache replied as if he had been waiting for this question.

“We’ve temporarily relocated. I stayed behind, expecting you might come looking for us, Young Master. Please, come this way. I’ll escort you.”

“So it did go bankrupt.”

Mustache navigated through the back alleys of western Khaoto, eventually leading me to a shabby inn.

At the counter, I saw a familiar face nodding off.

I rang the bell at the entrance and said,

“Hey, innkeeper. We’d like a room for the night.”

Kant looked up and grinned.

“We have guests.”

“You’re not a very attentive innkeeper. You don’t even get up when guests arrive. How do you expect to run a business like this?”

“Running an inn is harder than I thought.”

“Enough with the excuses. Show us to our room.”

Kant got up and led us upstairs, opening the door to the room at the very end of the hallway.

In the simple room, furnished with only a bed and a table, a figure in a black mask awaited us.

I sat down on a chair and said,

“So, Masked Man is here too. Take off the mask, Marco.”

He didn’t respond, probably thinking I was making a silly joke.

Kant sat down across from me and asked,

“Did you like the gift?”

“It was alright. Thanks to it, I had fun messing with that Bayern guy.”

“You handled it cleanly and efficiently.”

I met Kant’s eyes and replied,

“Are you evaluating me?”

Kant smiled enigmatically and said,

“I heard Urgon came too.”

“Yeah, some guy calling himself the Azure Dragon Magic Division Squad Captain or something came. Do you know him?”

“He’s from the Azure Dragon Magic Division. The Captain is young, but he doesn’t have a good reputation.”

“A bad reputation?”

“Yes.”

I fiddled with a scone on the table and replied,

“He seemed promising to me. That’s strange.”

Among those who were drawing the Water Spirit, he had decent fundamentals. He was talented.

Moreover, judging by his decision-making, he wasn’t lacking in leadership qualities either.

Kant shrugged and said,

“We’ll keep an eye on Urgon’s movements.”

I nodded in agreement.

“By the way, Vanilla Sky finally closed down, huh?”

“No customers. No one was looking for the Dream of the Night or rare stars. Business was bad, so we shut it down.”

“That’s why I told you to smile more. You can’t expect to run a business with such an unfriendly innkeeper.”

Kant shook his head, as if to say he couldn’t argue with that. Just then, the door opened, and Mustache came in with some dried snacks and drinks.

“Oh, you’re actually serving guests today.”

“Haha, I knew you’d like it.”

“See, people need to fail to learn. Failure is a great teacher.”

As I downed a cup of alcohol, Kant spoke up.

“To be honest, the lack of business was a secondary issue. Thanks to you, Young Master, the changes in Khaoto have been too abrupt. In times of heightened attention, we need to be cautious.”

“Good thinking. I wasn’t too keen on selling hallucinogenic herbs anyway.”

I met Kant’s eyes and asked,

“Are you planning to move?”

“I’m considering it. I’m not too fond of Leon either. For the time being, I plan to stay here and observe the situation.”

I nodded and took another sip of alcohol. I was the only one drinking.

The masked man clearly had no intention of taking it off, and Kant wasn’t even touching his drink.

“Aren’t you guys drinking?”

“I’m not particularly fond of alcohol.”

“Why?”

Kant replied casually,

“It makes me sneeze. I prefer tea to alcohol.”

It was the strangest excuse I’d ever heard.

It sounded like a lie, but I wasn’t going to force him. I respected people who didn’t drink.

I continued to empty my cup without saying anything. Every time I finished a cup, Kant would take a sip of his tea.

Unexpected silences like this often occurred when I talked to Kant. We enjoyed our own moments of peace in the silence.

As I filled my last cup, Kant spoke.

“Is there something you’d like to say, Young Master?”

“Something came to mind.”

“Feel free to speak.”

I downed the last cup and looked directly at Kant.

“Are there any other clients in Khaoto besides me?”

———