Chapter 10

The rest of the journey, Hina and I didn't exchange many words—especially me, as I was still somewhat tense. After several hours of walking from the forest, we finally arrived at the village.

"We've only been away a few days, yet it feels like so much time has passed," I mentioned.

"That's normal. These past days have been quite intense," Hina replied.

"Yes, I'd like to rest for a week, but I don't think Aedric will allow it."

"He'll probably put us to work intensely starting tomorrow," she said.

We both entered the large courtyard of the house. The door opened, and Aina greeted us from the entrance, relieved to see us. Drust emerged from Hina's shadow and ran toward her.

"I'm glad you've both returned safely," Aina commented, her worry dissipating.

"We're back," Hina said with a smile.

"Master Aedric and Quindle are in the workshop. I'll go notify them of your return. You two should rest—you must be exhausted."

We made our way to the living room, setting our backpacks beside the sofas before sitting down. Drust curled up in Hina's lap, and she began to gently stroke him.

After a few minutes, Aedric and Quindle appeared.

"Did you get it!?" Aedric asked excitedly the moment he entered the room. I rolled up my sleeve and showed him the insignia.

"You really did it!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"Did you doubt me that much?"

"I trusted you, but let's say Isobel is quite special. Not everyone knows how to handle her."

Quindle approached me and stared intently.

"You seem... different."

"I suppose I've changed a little over these past days."

"By the way, we have something to tell you," Hina interrupted.

I recounted what had happened to me in the forest and my encounter with the great fairy.

"Wow, a great fairy—you've had quite the adventure. It's the first time I've known someone who's actually seen one," Aedric said.

"Is it really that rare?"

"Even the most powerful mages in the world haven't come close to their power. They're spirits that have been alive since the planet was born. You can imagine how rare they truly are."

"I don't know how to feel about her revealing herself to me, especially considering what she told me."

I still couldn't stop turning her words over in my mind. If I truly would bring chaos, I could cause many problems for many people. And she called me a shadow—was she telling me that despite creating new memories, I would never be a person without my old ones? Was she telling me I had no right to exist?

"I wouldn't dwell on it too much. I don't think any of us know exactly what she meant. For now, follow your heart, and surely you'll find the way," Aedric tried to encourage me with those words. But did I even have a heart?

"Rest today. Tomorrow we'll begin your training," Aedric said.

"Training? What kind of training?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'll teach you to use magic. Without it, you won't survive in this world."

It was true—this was a world of mages. I'd already felt a bit of their power thanks to the pendant in the forest. For some reason, I had expected they would take longer to teach me.

Aedric and Quindle returned to the workshop, and Aina took the backpacks to put away what was inside them. I stood up, planning to take a shower before heading to my room to rest.

"Navnlos, would you like to take a walk with me later?" Hina asked from where she was still sitting on the sofa. She seemed a bit embarrassed.

"A walk?"

"You haven't seen the village yet. If you'd like, I could show it to you?"

"Of course, I'd love that."

Hina was speaking with some hesitation, betraying her shyness. To be honest, after the journey, I was surprised she still had the energy to show me around, but I had nothing else to do during the day, and it was still relatively early.

"When we're both ready, if that works for you," I suggested.

"Sure."

After that, I went upstairs to the bathroom to shower. Once I finished, I changed into fresh clothes. Hina went in to shower as well. About an hour later, we were both ready and left the house.

"Since you've obtained the insignia, this will be your home for a while, so it's better you know the surroundings," Hina said as we began our walk.

"I've been so busy these past days that I hadn't even realized."

We started walking, and I noticed the distance between houses was quite substantial—they were spread far apart. It wasn't a village like the ones I had imagined. I couldn't tell if this was normal for this area or if the places I came from had entirely different village layouts.

"Having the houses so spread out with so much nature around has its charm, doesn't it?" Hina asked.

"With the houses so far apart, it makes it harder to get to know people. It seems a bit lonely," I replied.

"The townspeople gather on weekends for activities together. Aedric doesn't usually go, but the village people are quite close-knit, even if it doesn't seem like it."

"Do they know about Quindle's existence? I have a feeling if people saw a lizard your size walking on two legs, they'd be frightened."

"He uses transformation magic," Hina said with a laugh. "Besides, in his human form, he's quite popular with the women."

"I don't know how anyone could stand him."

We eventually reached a large wooden bridge that crossed a vast lake. The sunset was beautifully reflected in the water.

"Wow, that's beautiful," I said, impressed by the sight.

"It's my favorite place in the village," Hina replied.

We stopped midway across the bridge to watch the sunset.

"Navnlos," Hina said, her tone becoming more serious.

I turned to look at her.

"At grandmother Isobel's house, you said you were running away. Now you're closer to earning your right to stay here. When you achieve that... what will you do?"

"Until now, I thought that having a peaceful life was enough. But after being attacked by spirits, learning grandmother Isobel's story, and seeing the great fairy, I think I want to learn more about this world."

"Will you travel?"

"I don't think I'm ready yet, so if they allow it, I'd like to stay with Aedric longer."

"I want to see the world too. I'm sure there are many interesting things out there," she said.

"When the time comes, we can go together," I proposed.

"That's a promise," she said, extending her small finger to form a hook. It was the first time I'd seen this gesture, but I knew what I had to do. I linked my pinky with hers.

"It's a promise."