Chapter 28: Eyes Across the Crowd

The mage standing in front of us asked for food. Moonlight spilled across the river, silvering the surface and turning every ripple into a string of tiny lanterns. I didn't detect any foul odor from him; his clothes looked clean and well kept. Maybe mages tended to travel cleaner—long range, little need to squat by fires.

"Can you spare me some food? I'll pay for it," the stranger asked.

I didn't answer immediately; I checked his status.

'Medium water affinity, Aqua shield, .... more magic skills. What about traits…. Principled…., Magically inclined… Nothing bad I see here but I can't just let my guard down.' I thought, cautious.

The man shifted, then glanced toward my right where Liora sat. "Uh—sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Lex. I'm a B-rank adventurer. Here's my ID card." His voice was awkward but honest.

I looked at the card. I'd never seen a real one before, only the soldier's passes on the carriage. I sighed and summoned a bowl of food from inventory. The bowl appeared behind me, then I slid my hand out and guided it on a thin gust of wind until it floated before him at chest height. The bowl rocked gently, steam curling from the broth into the cool air.

"Are you a mage too?" he asked.

"Take this, and please leave." I replied, voice flat.

He paused, catching his composure. "Sorry—I'm just very interested in magic. Please, take this money." He thrust a small pouch forward.

"I don't need the money," I said.

"I can't just take your food and not pay—please—" he protested.

"Leave." I held my hand out, palm open and steady toward him.

Maybe he understood the tone; it took him a moment, but he nodded. He grabbed the bowl and began to walk away.

The man halted after a few steps. Unseen to most, I felt the slight prickle of presence—an undercurrent of mana.

After a while

'What is he planning? He could be dangerous. But he hasn't tried anything yet.' I thought.

"Let's sleep." I told Liora. We settled near the river under the tree, the night thick with insect song and the low rustle of water. I kept watch while she slept in my lap.

A few hours later, the first pale light smudged the horizon and the river caught it like a mirror. Liora still slumbered against me. The man remained a little ways off, camped where he had stopped the night before.

'He didn't move the whole night from there. What does he want?' I thought, frowning.

[ Master, he employed multiple area-of-effect spells overnight; they appear to be non-targeted and did not concentrate on you. ]

'Yeah, I know. And he himself was in the area so it shouldn't be a skill trying to hurt us. Unless he has equipment so the skill doesn't affect him.' I thought, turning possibilities over.

[ There are no negative statuses or debuffs recorded. Even if you are immune, attempts to apply a debuff typically register as notification on system. Master ]

'Can't think of much. Let's just keep going, and if he still follows us, he'll have some questions to answer.' I thought, resolved.

I woke Liora, washed our faces at the river. The man rose and began to walk away. I felt both relief and an uneasy curiosity.

'He finally left. But what was he up to?' I thought as the question lingered.

[ Perhaps he wanted to stand guard for you, Master—as a way of protecting you through the night, a quiet thanks for the food. ]

'He didn't look like a bad person but I couldn't sleep properly; I kept monitoring him. He made the night more worrisome for me.' I admitted, feeling the annoyance in my chest.

We ate a quick breakfast and resumed our journey.

An hour later

[ Master, according to the map, you should see the city soon. ]

After a few more minutes of walking we broke out of the forest. Before us rose another city, its high walls topped by patrolling soldiers. Unlike the last place, there were no knights at the gate—only uniformed soldiers with spears and helmets, the kind of regulars a kingdom keeps on duty.

I swept Liora into the air and rode the wind, careful this time to control the wind pressure. From high above the city the layout revealed itself: a vast white castle took up nearly a third of the walled area, its towers and gardens immaculate, reflecting the sunlight like polished stone. Around it clustered the noble residences—large, carved, and proud—but move further out and the quality of the buildings fell away.

Middling homes gave way to tighter, squalid rows, and beyond them spread an immense slum that took up nearly half the space the common folks residence was taking. From this height I could see people crowded in slum.

The contrast was raw: a marble castle and manicured gardens shadowing a city where the poor fought for scraps. The air carried a mix of scents—fresh bread baking near the market, the sharp tang of tannery smoke, and under it all, the sour rot from the slums. I felt my mood sink as we descended.

I dropped a little way from the gate so my arrival wouldn't blow like a herald. No gust announced me this time; I let the wind settle to a gentle sigh. Around the gate, soldiers inspected travelers and wagons with bored efficiency—their faces impassive, their armor utilitarian. I adjusted Liora in my arms and prepared to pass through.

We walked toward the gate and went through the same procedure as in the last city: press the hand to the book inside the box, pay the toll, and step inside.

"Did you see them coming? When did they arrive at the gate?" a soldier asked his comrade.

"Now that you mention it, I didn't see him — he just appeared." the other replied.

'I guess that experiment of deflection of light was a success.' I thought, satisfied.

'I just controlled the arrangement and behavior of molecules and guide the light around us instead of touching us making others to not see us and making us invisible.' The process replayed in my mind.

'Though it took a bit of practice. They were looking at me in air when I was flying. It seems they saw parts of me being visible while I was practicing.' I recalled the faint trails I left behind as I'd experimented.

We walked through the city streets: decent wooden houses, shops with painted signs, and warm-lamped taverns. People strode by in the usual worn city garb — linen, leather, and patched wool — the same sights you'd expect in a typical isekai town.

A commotion stirred ahead. The crowd parted as a line of knights thundered through, banners snapping on long poles, their crests gleaming. Hooves kicked the dust and the very ground trembled beneath the passage. Behind them came a luxurious carriage drawn by warhorses, plunging the square into a press of bodies and murmurs.

"It's the crown prince. He went to the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom to ask about the kingdom's future." someone in the crowd said.

"I've heard the Saintess can only make one prediction a century, and she denied the prince's request." another voice answered.

"I heard the kingdom is doomed — that was the prediction. They're using the Saintess's denial to hide it." a third man muttered.

"The taxes are suffocating us and nothing is being done about the crime. We pay and we suffer." a woman snapped.

"It must be a curse from the slums after what they did. Now we all will suffer because of the royals." someone else hissed.

'The saintess…huh? I wonder if they're talking about the one Sebas was talking about.' I thought, curious.

[ Apologies, Master. I cannot identify which Saint they mean without the temple's name. It is possible multiple saint-blessed individuals exist this century. ]

'Or they could be just talking about random and made up rumours. Should I look for an intelligence agency? But finding them looks a pain in anime.' I thought, weighing options.

A sudden sensation tugged at my attention — a focused gaze. Across the road, a girl stood still, long black hair framing her face, eyes a hard, hunter's red. She watched me without blinking. When someone called her name she turned and walked away, but the intensity of that look stayed with me.

'I was only able to see her face but.... who was that. Why was she looking at me? Or was she looking at Liora? ...But I definitely felt the gaze on me though.' I thought, puzzled.

We continued walking. Near the district that adjoined the slums, soldiers patrolled a cordoned-off area — more like a prison than a neighborhood. Gates and shutters sealed rows of small houses. No one moved freely. The scene made my chest tighten.

'Is that why I saw no one asking for money anywhere?. They have kept poor people in a rotten place...... The situation here is really bad. I should leave soon.' I thought, unease settling in.

After walking for a while

[ Master, we have arrived at the Adventurer's Guild. ]

'Making Sebas follow multiple people that looked like adventurer to find the place worked..... I couldn't ask anyone myself.' I thought, relieved the plan had paid off.

"Papa, what is thwis place?" Liora asked.

"It's… a place for jobs. People here help others. Papa will help others too." I answered, smoothing the words for her.

'I'll just get the ID and leave soon.' I thought, recalling my original plan.

'Let's get registered then.' I added mentally, ready to step inside.

to be continued…

Author's Note:

I’m sorry the last few chapters have felt a bit slow. Since Liora just joined, I couldn’t bring myself to skip over her moments—I really wanted to capture them. That said, I’ll do my best to balance the pace better moving forward. From here, the story is starting to ride the flow, so thank you for being patient and sticking with me.