Another One

Though the history of the ruins it was built upon was ancient in comparison, the city of Lancea itself had a lengthy history. As such, the streets had been torn and renovated several times over, whether it be by the way of city planning or by magic-related accidents. Due to this, one might find several dead ends or empty lots trapped behind buildings with no apparent road leading in.

Convening in one such empty lot was a pair most peculiar, consisting of a brutish-looking, broad-shouldered youth, and a refined boy around twelve or thirteen of age, bearing a mole beneath his left eye and hair akin to silk.

Sat upon a boulder in this isolated lot overrun with greenery, the boy extended his Aether from his body, shooting out of his skin in thin needle-like streaks. The 'needles' then divide upon reaching a certain distance, separating into yet more needles as they continued to spread out wider and wider.

As the Aether spread, the feedback was sent to the boy via the thin trail of Aether in the air left behind by the needles. The clarity of the feedback was inferior to that transmitted by, say, Aether that takes the form of threads, firmly connected instead of loose in the air, but it was more than sufficient to know if anyone were hiding behind the walls, listening in.

With the knowledge that they were indeed alone, the boy shifted his posture on the boulder, crossing his arms and legs as he gave off an air of importance. Gone was the soft expression on his face, replaced with a brooding scowl.

"Barnaby," the boy said with a tender yet imposing tone, "I'm not impressed with what happened back there. You've gone overboard. If that courier had died, an investigation would no doubt ensue. I have enough attention on me as it is and I rather not have more."

"I apologize, Master Henrich," said Barnaby as he immediately lowered himself. "But that girl, she had the 'smell' of a thief. She had the scent of fear about her, her heartbeat racing the moment I called out to her, and her eyes darting as if a trapped fish. I had no doubts that she was up to no good."

"Your instincts had never been wrong before, but you've always lacked a bit of tact. Even if she *was* a thief, she wasn't *our* thief, was she? And what about the details in regards to the curse placed on the apprentices-in-name? Why is it that this is the first time I am hearing about this?"

"It's just something I've heard growing up. The curse was something devised by one of my clan members you see, and they were quite proud of it. I didn't think the details about the apprentices-in-name would be of any importance to you."

"I'll be the one to decide what is important. If it happens in this city, I don't care if it's a dog's fart, you will report it to me!" Along with those words, the boy named Henrich uttered a deep sigh. His servant might be loyal, but with him growing up within a clan of mages had left him with many of their prejudice, most of which were more hamper than help.

"What of Salome?" Henrich continued. "Did you catch the 'scent of a thief' off of her as well?"

"Salome?" Barnaby, his head lowered from Henrich's reproach, quickly responded. "I can't say I have. As always, she smelled of rats and fowls. I do not think she is our thief."

"Agreed. Though she might put on a brave front, Salome is a coward at heart. She wouldn't be able to pull off pilfering from us in broad daylight. Of course, she might have been working with our actual thief, but if she was, I don't understand what motives she would have in returning the catalyst to us. I've gone through great pains in gaining the master's trust for him to lend me the catalyst wand. Losing it would make all my work thus far worthless. It would have been an effective move against me, so I can't fathom stealing it from me only to return it. Now, if only we could have talked to her some more; we would have been able to find out more about where she found the catalyst. Who knows? Perhaps we'll even know more about our thief. If only had someone not made her mood sullen."

"I... I have no words."

"Well, no matter. We're already surrounded by enemies as far as I am concerned. This one would just be one amongst many. Besides, if we pursue this too deeply, we might find ourselves in more trouble than we bargained for. I rather not overextend and reveal my nature to the mages."

"If I may add, milord?"

"You may."

"We also learned today that Salome has a soft spot for that courier. There was an unmistakable change in her when she's facing that girl."

"Is that so? Perhaps we can use it against her one of these days. Still, Salome is hardly our main concern."

"Is she not?"

"Despite being an elder's apprentice, she's not that powerful. I have even heard that she originally had no ability to wield Aether as well. It was only thanks to Elder Gesborne was she able to wield anything close to magic. So, while there might be a slight possibility, I highly doubt that she's a Demon Lord Larva. My opponents remain hidden still."

"What about that rumored prodigy? The one who the Circle made an exception in enrolling and immediately became an apprentice to an elder?"

"I wonder..." Henrich softly touched a knuckled to his chin. When he heard the rumor a while back, he hadn't yet made a conclusion about it. Since then, no new information had come, which only made him more suspicious. "I wonder if such a person even exists. Perhaps they're just something made up by the elders to lure the rest of us out in the open. Alternatively, they might be trying to raise a Demon Lord of their own to use against the rest of us. After all, who better to hunt down the Demon Lords than another Demon Lord? One way or another, the Aether will draw us to one another and only one will remain."

"So, what should we do about it?"

"Nothing, unfortunately. Our influence in this city is still too small for us to make any big moves. Be it catching a thief or hunting down a Demon Lord, it will cost us more than we gain if we act recklessly. We can only lay low as we grow our power."

"I understand, but I must confess that all this waiting around is making me rather antsy. I am quivering beneath my skin for some carnage."

"Patience. You will have your bloodshed in due time. But for now, we will have to take it slow and make our preparations as best as we can. As the saying goes, the battle is won before it begins. I have every intention of coming out on top."

"And I'll be there with you all the way, milord."

After a few more banter between the two, they concluded the meeting and switched gears, becoming as they were, the brutish Barnaby and the refined and soft-spoken Henrich, moving under their guise as they prepared for the battles ahead.

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End of Chapter 60

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