《Soulblade Chronicles》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    A victim of talent


    In a world of perpetual snow, there was only frost that devoured everything. The mountains stretched endlessly, covered with infinite layers of ancient ice. Night cast its heavy cloak over the mountain slopes, while cold shadows clung to every rock and piece of ice.


    The harsh, unforgiving wind gave a sense of what life was like in this place, if any life existed. The few trees that managed to carve out their history had become mere rigid skeletons, struggling against the icy winds.


    What lay beyond the visible range was hidden under the weight of the icy fog, blending with the white. There was no warmth, no colors except faint shades of gray and pale blue. In this world frozen in time, the days were similar, with no clear sun or day. Even the night here was just another extension of coldness, dark and eternal.


    Ice was the sole ruler, and with it came silence. A silence that choked the world, and no one dared to break it except for the occasional crack of rocks under the immense pressure of the ice, or the sound of the wind screaming through deep valleys. But even those sounds quickly disappeared into the vast emptiness.


    Somewhere in this dead world, a small child, no more than four years old, lay asleep in the deep snow. Around him, there were strange and transparent things.


    Days passed, and the child remained in the same place, untouched by anything. The snow itself kept its distance from the child''s resting place as if in fear. So, not much changed...except for the strange and transparent things.


    The change was not significant enough to be noticed. But with each passing day, the strange and transparent things seemed to recede.


    Days went by until nothing remained. Accompanying this, the child opened his eyes to the world around him, white eyes devoid of any definition of interest or emotions.


    What is there...? thought the child.


    There is nothing, the child concluded.


    The child slowly sat up, feeling nothing, unaffected by the nature around him as if it ignored his existence.


    First-person P.O.V


    Why am I here...where there was no sun.


    My vision was limited...but I felt the darkness around me.


    I raised my hand...I possessed a transparent gray form...strange?... And that was all.


    I felt nothing...no, rather, all I felt was emptiness.


    And there was nothing for me except my eyes.


    I rose from my place and began to walk...alone...without direction.


    The things my eyes saw held little meaning.


    The things my eyes did not see ceased to exist.


    And so... I walked, and walked, and walked...until I felt something - disappointment.


    Strange..?


    I continued walking in the empty icy world, unaffected by its harshness...until I remembered something - my disappointment.


    Third-person P.O.V


    The small child continued walking without direction, bothered by the new emotions from his past. He remembered his interest, his lack of talent, and his disappointment.


    His foggy spiritual form was unaffected by the harsh environment, but his inner emptiness continued to fill with something he once was.


    And one day... he stopped walking. Not much had changed in his surroundings to stop his walk into the unknown, but the small child remembered something... his family.


    He sealed the memory in his foggy mind and continued his walk.


    At some point in time, the child reached a semi-enclosed area surrounded by towering mountain walls. Before him stood three majestic giant stone pillars rising towards the sky. The snow fell heavily, covering the ground with a bright white layer, illuminating the pillars with a mysterious heavenly light.


    The child walked alone and steadily toward the mysterious pillars. Suddenly, a sharp ice shard pierced the cold wind and sank before him into the frozen ground, leaving network patterns on it.


    On the scattered black rocky mountains, multiple groups of icy blue eyes focused on the child''s foggy spiritual form. The first spear was just a warning to turn back.


    The child, unable to understand the warning, continued his steady walk toward the towering three pillars, ignoring all the ice spears aimed to kill him, but they simply passed through his immaterial form.


    The child stood before the pillars, and the view before him expanded his perception for the first time since he awoke.


    First-person P.O.V


    I found something strange. Behind the pillars, there was nothing but nothingness.


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    That was...the first time my eyes were astonished.


    Without color, without smell, without sound, without anything else, just there.


    It was the closest thing to ''void'' my eyes had ever seen.


    I approached this ''void,'' and there was nothing.


    First-person P.O.V


    I opened my eyes wide, resisting the temptation to close them again. I stared at the ceiling of my room for an indefinite period, lost in my thoughts.


    With a lazy sigh, I reached my hand under my pillow and pulled out my old phone to check the time. It was nine-thirty in the morning, my usual wake-up time that refused to change, even if I hadn''t slept the entire night.


    My mother was probably still out, as usual.


    I played with my phone for a while, checking this and that, nothing important to write home about. Time passed quickly until I heard the sound of keys unlocking the door.


    I put my phone aside and looked towards the door. It was indeed my mother, who entered carrying a bag larger than usual.


    I didn''t ask about it directly; I waited for her usual morning greeting, which came as always. "Good morning."


    I replied to her greeting. "Good morning." I also expressed my previous curiosity. "What did you bring?"


    She took off her shoes at the door and changed into indoor slippers. She looked at the bag in her hand for a moment and answered. "Just some bread, and a few vegetables for today''s lunch."


    I moved my head over my pillow with curiosity and asked, "Do they open this early in the morning?"


    My mother moved towards the kitchen while saying matter-of-factly, "Some have already opened, and some have not yet. People work for themselves."


    I felt a bit ashamed facing my mother''s last sentence, but I felt more ashamed thinking even for a moment that she was referring to me with her words.


    Ignorant of my thoughts, my mother stood in front of the kitchen door, looking at me. "Get up and wash your face to have breakfast." She entered the kitchen without further conversation.


    I lazily got up from my bed and instead of heading to the bathroom as I should, I entered the kitchen, watching my mother open a milk bottle and pour half of it into the heating pot while returning the bottle to the fridge.


    When she stood to watch the milk in the pot, I asked my question, "Why? You always buy vegetables after midday, you could have gotten what you brought at lower prices."


    She looked at me for a while and said, "Give me that herb bag."


    I did so. She measured a large spoonful of the herb I forgot the name of and put it into the heating milk pot. "Even I am tired. I''m old. I can''t go back and forth like that anymore."


    I felt guilt piercing my heart in a way I never thought possible. It wasn''t that I didn''t see the signs; I just ignored them, or commented lovingly as I always do.


    I looked at my mother, whom I couldn''t understand, and asked, trying to hide my guilt, "Mother, why have you never asked me to go out and look for a job? All my friends I talk to, their mothers aren''t as lenient. So why?"


    She looked at me with her dismissive smile as if I had said something foolish. "You talk as if you''re 30, you''re still young, barely 22. And I''m not lenient; you told me you had a dream. Be careful, if you''re just fooling me and wasting your time just playing on that phone, I will be angry with you."


    I laughed with a smile on the outside. "No, I''m really not wasting my time."


    And inside, I felt guilt, shame, even self-loathing driving me crazy, because I lied to my mother.


    Third-person P.O.V


    In the midst of the void, the child curled up crying from his tormented memory. It was too much to bear.


    Throughout his long journey, the child remembered what he once was. At first, it wasn''t painful, and he relearned behavior from his memory. But recently, every memory brought only pain and feelings he preferred not to have.


    And so, the child entered the void...to rest again.


    But even the void did nothing to help him.


    "What a beautiful being." A curious, beautiful voice came from nowhere, and at the same time was heard in the child''s consciousness. "Beautiful you are."


    The child struggled to rise from his curled position and examined the void around him, saying nothing, because he had no mouth. But he was curious how he heard the voice because he had no ears either. He had no sense except for his eyes.


    And his white eyes, devoid of any human definition, did not betray him. Before him, from nowhere, appeared a human-like form of a tall female. Icy blue eyes held incomprehensible details, silky white hair, skin white and colder than the icy world outside the void, and a revealing black silk dress that highlighted her perfect frame.


    An angel, thought the child, unable to speak.


    The female bent down to examine the child with a smile, her hands behind her back. "I am not an angel, and real angels hate me. But I feel flattered, no one visits me, let alone compliments me." The female said with a magnificent smile, capable of seeing the child''s thoughts.


    Unable to speak, and without any real question from the beautiful female, the child simply observed her, as she did the same.


    After a few seconds, the female knelt in front of the child. Even so, the female was still more than twice his height. She smiled widely and said again, "You are very beautiful, I''ve never seen anything like your unique existence."


    Something incomprehensible moved across the beautiful female''s eyes but slipped away from the child''s notice.


    You are very beautiful. The child complimented again in his thoughts, and he wasn''t lying.


    The female smiled kindly and with deep affection. She spread her pure white hands and said, "May I hold you?"


    The child thought nothing of it, and she took that as consent. She leaned toward him and embraced him. Unlike the spears that passed through his immaterial form, the female was able to touch him as if he were solid, and the child himself felt her and her embrace as if his time as immaterial had finally ended.


    After what seemed like long minutes, the beautiful female finally relaxed her embrace enough for them to be face to face. The child was still in her arms. Suddenly, her eyes cried crystalline icy tears, her expression one of profound pain and compassionate sympathy. "A victim of talent, are you. Do you remember your name?"


    The child somehow knew that the female was aware of his name. But she asked for his sake. He squeezed his foggy memory for a long time. The female maintained her silence patiently.


    Suddenly, the child remembered his name... Noah.


    That was the name his mother chose for him. He also remembered the reason for this name. His mother said, "I chose this name for you because I loved it, and also the names your father chose... I won''t let my son walk around with names like those names."


    "Yes, that is your name, and your name alone." The beautiful female hugged him again, gently patting his head.


    Noah enjoyed being solid in the arms of the beautiful female, but everything comes to an end. She finally let him stand on his feet, but she remained on her knees.


    What is your name? Noah expressed his curiosity in his thoughts.


    The beautiful female began to think deeply. Then she said hesitantly, "I have a name, but you can call me... Winter. I will tell you my name someday." She said this with anticipation, as if she were looking forward to it.


    What is the meaning of a victim of talent? Miss Winter. Noah asked again in his thoughts.


    Winter expression turned sour for a while. Then, the expression of compassion and kindness covered her beautiful face again. "It is the price paid by beings like us. But you are fine now, you have survived."


    Noah didn''t understand Winter''s words and didn''t ask again because she leaned toward him strongly, her eyes close to his. "Why don''t we make a deal? I will take care of you and you will take care of me. Is that good?"


    Noah, unable to understand anything, but the look of hope in Winter''s eyes took him away and convinced him... and he agreed ignorantly.


    Winter''s smile widened, revealing her neatly arranged white teeth. She hugged Noah again warmly and stood up with him in her arms. "You are mine now. Take good care of me, okay."


    Before he could answer, Winter placed her cold-feeling palm over Noah''s head. A white light emerged from the point of contact, and Noah felt his consciousness slipping away for the first time since he awoke in this icy world. The last thing he remembered was an ornate blue aura surrounding his vision, somehow reminding him of the beautiful Winter.

 Stranger [1]

    As the golden sun rose on the distant horizon, the birds began to sing their soothing melodies. Its bright light illuminated the tidy and beautiful town.


    Soon after, the rhythms of life began to manifest in the town. People headed to their jobs, others opened their shops. Windows of houses opened, with women moving to the kitchens and men heading outside to clear the accumulated snow after another cold night.


    In the middle of this town, stood a three-story building, modest like any other. However, a small sign on its large front door proved otherwise: ¡°Additional Knowledge - Antiquities Store,¡± affirming its value.


    Like any other building in the town, snow covered its sides. If anything, it had more snow than others due to its steep tiled roof and additional height. And someone had to take care of that before opening.


    Sunlight streamed through the round glass window on the upper floor of the antique store. Inside the well-lit room, Noah stared at the steep ceiling, deciding whether to wake up today or not.


    Noah knew well that he should do what was expected of him. His old habit of waking up late had died long ago, and he wanted it to stay that way. Besides, he wanted to stay on the good side of his boss ¨C the owner, so he had to start clearing the snow from the front door.


    With a sigh, Noah pushed the blanket aside with his leg and got out of bed. He had already become familiar with his new, semi-empty room. Without further fuss, he headed directly to the small mirror on the wall. He washed his face with cold water and tidied his black hair with his already wet hands.


    Noah went to where his work clothes hung, the one set he needed, next to his small empty wooden desk. He gave a quick glance at the book he had examined last night, ¡°Glory and Wound,¡± and returned to the task at hand.


    Noah dressed quickly in his work clothes, checked his appearance in the mirror, and descended to the first floor.


    Part of Noah''s job was to clean the glass shelves every morning, but first, he had to remove the snow from the front of the store. The hard work first, then he could return to the warmth inside.


    Noah wore knee-high leather boots to keep his clothes clean, grabbed the heavy shovel from beside the door, and opened it to the cold world he lived in. Of course, the door opened inward, or it wouldn''t have opened at all given the snow''s thickness at this time of year.


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    Without further ado, Noah started working silently. The task was no longer as difficult as it had been the first time; it was just another part of his daily routine, and he executed it with the same precision and perfection as he did all his tasks.


    After half an hour, Noah stood back to inspect the fruits of his labor. The snow that had accumulated at the front of the store now sat neatly to the sides of the building. He left the job of melting it to the midday sun. The ground beneath his feet felt solid and stable, the front space of the building felt clean and welcoming, as required.


    Before Noah returned to tend to the inside, he took a quick look at his quiet surroundings under the bright morning light. The central square now seemed full of details compared to when it bustled with activity: the old stones forming its ground, the large statue in its center, and the sound of the fountain around the statue. You could never hear it at any other time except in the morning, or after midnight, of course.


    Noah withdrew his gaze, re-entered the store, and closed the front door behind him. It was not yet opening time. He began sweeping the floor with his daily broom. Although he had cleaned the previous night after closing, he did the same every morning just for the sake of doing it¡ªno harm in extra cleanliness.


    Once Noah was satisfied with his work on the floor, he moved on to the glass shelves displaying various antique artifacts. He used his own concoction of scented herbs and plain cotton cloths. He soaked a cloth in the pleasantly scented water and wiped one glass shelf. He then used a dry cotton cloth to dry it, avoiding leaving any streaks or marks.


    Noah continued this pattern until he finished all the shelves and display tables. He had learned the hard way that leaving water on the glass in cold weather without drying it was a bad idea. It was a good thing his boss was understanding and didn''t fire him for his ignorant mistake.


    Noah surveyed his surroundings with a scrutinizing gaze. After a few moments, he nodded in satisfaction. Now, he had nothing else to do but wait for opening time.


    Noah loved silence, whether his own or the world''s around him. What he didn''t love was doing nothing, which was ironic considering his old self. For now, he contented himself with returning to his room to fetch his book for some reading before opening the store.


    Noah sat on a chair designated for customers behind one of the display tables, continuing to read his book from where he had left off last night. The book, ¡°Glory and Wound,¡± described the devastating war between the Empire and the Kingdom of Astrolis. Of course, the book was from the winner''s perspective, so Noah didn''t expect the full truth¡ªhistory is written by the victors, after all.


    Noah opened to chapter four, titled ¡°The Seer''s Evasion¡±:


    Even with the Empire''s victory, the seers of Astrolis proved elusive. Their silver masks hid their true intentions...


    Noah immersed himself in his reading but kept a clear awareness of the time; after all, he still had to open the store, he couldn''t afford a foolish mistake on his part.

 Stranger [2]

    Half an hour before opening, Noah''s boss - the owner, arrived unexpectedly. On any given day, Mr. Edric would come in two hours after opening, since his work focused more on crafting than selling. The thing is, he didn''t come alone this time - which surprised Noah - as Mr. Edric naturally disliked mixing work with family. But now, he was accompanied by his wife and two daughters.


    They didn''t enter through the front door for customers but found their way in through the back door. Noah, engrossed in his reading, didn''t notice them standing right above his head. To their advantage, they stayed quiet, watching him until he finished the chapter or got close to it. One of Mr. Edric''s daughters, a little girl of about four years old - Elowen, couldn''t maintain her silence and expressed her curiosity, which interrupted the amusement of some family members.


    Apparently, the idea of Noah being able to read seemed odd to them - at least some of them. Mr. Edric knew about Noah''s obsession with reading, but he also joined in on his family''s amusement.


    Noah closed his book and faced them with his usual calm demeanor, not appearing particularly affected by their opinions of him. He looked curiously at Mr. Edric, who had informed Noah yesterday that they would be attending the annual festival at the town''s castle, so Noah assumed he would be opening and managing the store today.


    Mr. Edric''s nature of work didn''t allow him to stay in the front much; Noah was the one who usually handled the sales, so it wasn''t strange for him to do the same in Mr. Edric''s absence - he would open the store as usual.


    Noah was about to ask Mr. Edric why he was there, but his wife - Mrs. Aileen, spoke first, interrupting his thoughts. ¡°So you can read too? Impressive,¡± she asked curiously.


    ¡°I can,¡± replied Noah indifferently.


    Noah had complex feelings about Mrs. Aileen. For one thing, she was quite intimidating for his taste. She didn''t look intimidating - her hair was as black as coal, and her eyes were dark gray, her appearance and attire resembled that of an ordinary housewife - but it only took a moment for Noah to decide there was more to her the first day he met her. Her movements were smooth and precise; she never stumbled or wavered when she spoke, and her gaze was intensely frightening, exuding absolute confidence and calm serenity.


    For another thing, she was deeply skeptical about him. And Noah was okay with that. Someone had to be skeptical about him, he came from nowhere, provided no background about himself other than his name, and worked with her husband every day. It''s only natural she''d want to know more about him.


    ¡°So, Noah, where did you learn to read? I bet it was a good school, where else will you find a handsome young man like you interested in books these days? This girl here won''t go near books no matter what. I blame the current education system, no one is doing their job these days. But seeing you gives me hope,¡± she said with a smile.


    Noah noticed the helpless look in her husband''s eyes. Noah had lost count of how many times Mr. Edric had apologized for his wife''s behavior, but in the end, she did what she wanted. The same could be said about their daughter Eyolian, who didn''t seem to like being mentioned in the conversation but maintained her composure.


    Noah kept his observations to himself and provided an answer to the questioner. ¡°I never went to any school, and my mother taught me to read and write from the day I said my first word. Her words on the subject were, ¡®Reading is crucial as it bridges the gaps of our ignorance and expands our knowledge, even if it''s through the language of others.¡¯ So I grew up loving reading as much as she did.¡±


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    Mrs. Aileen nodded. Of course, she knew well if she asked anything deeper about what Noah had provided, he wouldn''t answer or would lie. She learned that quickly from her past experiences with Noah. So she just said, ¡°Those are wise words, I hope I have the same influence on my daughters as your mother did on you. But I guess it''s not too late to properly guide this one.¡±


    Elowen lifted her head to meet her mother''s eyes to understand the context but quickly lost interest and returned to playing with her small doll. Even Eyolian didn''t say anything, she just shook her head - maybe she was used to it.


    Noah didn''t say anything, tried to use the silence to ask his previous question to Mr. Edric, but again, Mrs. Aileen asked another question, her curious gaze on the book in his hands. ¡°So what are you reading? And how do you find it so far?¡±


    Noah looked at his book, after some thought, he decided to share his thoughts, hoping this interrogation would end. ¡°This is the book ¡®Glory and Wound,¡¯ it generally talks about the last great war. As for what I think...¡± Noah chuckled a bit, ¡°It''s really impressive, the amount of nonsense contained in this book. Usually, I can tell what''s true and what''s false, but this... this is just pure rubbish.¡±


    Noah looked at the various expressions on his boss''s family''s faces; he found their reactions quite amusing, especially the eldest daughter - Eyolian. ¡°My mother was always skeptical about the language of others, the amount of freedom they get in their words. She always said, a person should only trust their own language. I agree with that, but I have my own thoughts on the matter,¡± Noah said without any change in expression.


    Noah took advantage of this silence and turned his focus to Mr. Edric, ¡°Boss, it''s not time to open yet! And you said you''re going to the festival today. So, is there something you need? Or something I can do for you?¡±


    Mr. Edric''s golden eyes met Noah''s blue ones, studying them. With a sigh, he spoke in his usual flat tone. ¡°You are included in coming with us.¡± He let Noah process the new information and continued, ¡°Also, your opinion on the matter of the war won''t be accepted by many, especially here in the Empire. Try to keep that to yourself.¡±


    Noah ignored his boss''s last words but said hastily, ¡°I''d prefer not to go. I''ll stay at the store; there''s a lot to do.¡± There wasn''t really much to do; Noah just didn''t like big festivals - specifically, crowds.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to stay at the store, we won''t open today, no one will open today.¡± said Mr. Edric dismissively, ¡°But if you really don''t want to accompany us, I won''t force you.¡±


    One of the reasons Noah admired Mr. Edric, was that he didn''t push much, never asked anything personal or forced him to do anything he didn''t want to, anything beyond his specific job. The point is, Noah felt comfortable working with him, each one with their own personal space.


    Noah nodded in gratitude, and before he could turn this gesture of thanks into words, Mrs. Aileen interrupted, ¡°That''s no good, we''ve already included you in the invitation we received, of course, I have my doubts, but you should go. Do my husband''s words mean so little to you?¡± She seemed genuinely disappointed as she noted his response.


    Noah didn''t say anything for a while - what was there to say, she cornered him. If he still refused, he''d appear disrespectful to his boss who held positive feelings towards him. The only correct answer was to agree, unfortunately. ¡°Well, it''s good to change things from time to time.¡±


    Noah looked at Mr. Edric, who maintained his silence but smiled reservedly. He turned his attention to everyone and said, ¡°Alright, I''ll go and change.¡±


    Before making any move, Mrs. Aileen intervened enthusiastically, ¡°This is my area of expertise, I can help with that, you can trust me.¡±


    She said a few words to Eyolian about looking after her little sister and made her way to Noah''s room without asking. He said nothing about it, but Mr. Edric''s helpless expression spoke volumes, even Eyolian looked at him with pity.


    Noah kept his silence and followed behind her.

 Stranger [3]

    Noah¡¯s room wasn¡¯t anything to be ashamed of. Although it lacked any sense of aesthetic charm, it aimed for functionality and organization. A small, neat bed, an orderly desk beside the window, an open wardrobe next to the desk, a mirror with a basin opposite the bed. The remaining space included only a small bookshelf for the books he loved after reading them. Noah usually borrowed the books he read from the town library; if he liked a book enough, he¡¯d buy it; if not, he¡¯d return it. His room wasn¡¯t particularly large by any means, but he was content with it nonetheless.


    Now, Mrs. Aileen stood in the middle of the room, judging it with a tone of pity. As soon as she noticed his entrance, she turned her judgment into words. ¡°The room is tidy, which is good, but where¡¯s the beauty? Everything here is overly practical, with no personal touch or warmth. And the wardrobe, being exposed like this? It gives an impression of disorder even if everything is in its place. Perhaps adding a curtain or door to it would be better. And if you add some simple decorations, like a painting or a small plant, the atmosphere will become more comfortable and appealing. The room doesn¡¯t need to be luxurious, but a little attention to detail reflects your personality. Or maybe this already reflects it?¡±


    Noah said nothing¡ªshe was right; this perfectly reflected Noah¡¯s personality.


    Seeing his lack of response, she continued her judgment, this time about his character. ¡°No, even with your calm demeanor, this room doesn¡¯t reflect your soul, Noah. It¡¯s as cold as its stone walls, lacking some beauty and life. Simplicity is fine, but a bit of beauty won¡¯t hurt. I¡¯ll take some time to help you inject some life into your dull room.¡±


    She smiled at him as if she were offering him a lifelong favor, but it was likely just an excuse for her to delve into his room more deeply. Noah didn¡¯t mind either¡ªthere really wasn¡¯t anything for her to find about him. His room was his, and he could always rearrange it as he wished. Besides his work, all he had was time.


    ¡°I seem to have gotten off track a little.¡± She laughed lightly and approached his open wardrobe with steady steps. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you have.¡±


    Mrs. Aileen¡¯s enthusiasm didn¡¯t last long. It quickly turned to bewilderment. She looked at him, ¡°Is this all your clothes?¡± she said, somewhat shocked and sympathetic.


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    ¡°That¡¯s all I need,¡± said Noah indifferently.


    Noah¡¯s wardrobe contained only the bare minimum of clothing: sleepwear, outdoor clothes, and the work clothes he was wearing now. Noah never felt the need to have a lot of clothes to choose from; the matter wasn¡¯t about money but personality. This was one thing that hadn¡¯t changed about him.


    Mrs. Aileen pondered Noah¡¯s words, her expression unreadable. With a sigh, she commanded, ¡°We¡¯ll buy you something decent and suitable.¡±


    Noah tilted his head slightly to the side and inquired, ¡°Won¡¯t we be late for the festival? I can make do with what I have.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You don¡¯t have anything,¡± Mrs. Aileen gestured exaggeratedly towards the wardrobe. ¡°Besides, this is just the first day of the festival. Although the castle is open to the public, there¡¯s an unspoken tradition that no one enters it on the first day. You could say the festival starts in the central square, you¡¯ll see when we get there,¡± she added.


    Noah hesitated a bit before saying anything, but Mrs. Aileen answered his unspoken question, ¡°Most vendors take advantage of this festival to boost their sales. So, my husband¡¯s words that no one will open, well, a big white lie. Not like he needs advertisement for people to visit his store; it¡¯s well known, and you know better.¡± She noticed his expression for a moment and added, ¡°Don¡¯t be too gloomy; you can take a few days off; there¡¯s no harm in that.¡±


    Her words held some truth, Mr. Edric indeed didn¡¯t need advertisement. The antique artifacts he crafted had high demand, especially from the Imperial capital, where they placed large orders from time to time for resale there. One might wonder why someone with such talent would confine himself to a small town. If he took the step to move to the capital, it was almost certain he would become one of the wealthiest people in his field. Noah had once asked Mr. Edric this question but didn¡¯t get a direct answer. He said his family was happy here. Later, Noah realized it was more about his eldest daughter Eyolian than the family as a whole. Noah never brought up the topic again, respecting others'' boundaries.


    Noah agreed to Mrs. Aileen¡¯s offer. The two descended to the rest of the family downstairs. Of course, Mrs. Aileen took her time describing the dire state of his room¡ªas she saw it in her eyes. Noah didn¡¯t say anything about it; she also didn¡¯t add any details that weren¡¯t really there. She ensured everyone knew she would be in charge of redecorating and refurnishing his room, with the help of Eyolian, who seemed reluctant but didn¡¯t voice her thoughts.


    After a small chat, the small family and Noah headed to the town¡¯s central square. Noah remained in his work clothes, even as Mrs. Aileen stated these were the only decent clothes he had. He said nothing about it and followed behind the small family in silence.

 Stranger [4]

    At some point, the five of them split into two groups. It was somewhat inconvenient for them to stay together given the sheer number of crowds in the town square. Of course, Mrs. Aileen suggested that she accompany Noah, alone. But Mr. Edric intervened on his behalf. After some discussion, Noah ended up accompanying the eldest daughter Eyolian, while the other three formed the second group.


    Noah and Eyolian''s task was simple: she would help him pick out appropriate clothes for the festival, and he would do the same for her. For Noah, he would go for something simple, coordinated, and not flashy. Money wasn''t an issue; he had more than enough. His monthly salary from the antique shop was barely used, mostly only for food and books.


    With this in mind, Noah and Eyolian made their way to the clusters of clothing shops in the large square. It was a long way to go, without accounting for the crowds. Luckily for Noah, Eyolian showed no interest in any passing shops, very focused on their destination. In no time, they quickly passed through clusters of fast food stalls, accessories, tools and crafts, herbs and medicines, and reached their destination in the clothing and textiles clusters. Given their starting point in the antique and book clusters - where Mr. Edric''s shop was located - they had almost crossed the central square lengthwise, which was very impressive and extremely tiring.


    Noah and Eyolian stood at the entrance of the clothing and textiles cluster, a long row of various upscale shops on either side. Eyolian looked at Noah, who hadn''t made any move to get going, and asked calmly, "Where to?"


    They had agreed that Eyolian would first help Noah choose his clothes, and she would be next. Noah looked around and pointed to the first men''s shop that seemed decent enough. They entered without much thought.


    Upon entering, they were welcomed by the scent of fragrant wood and candles, the morning sunlight highlighting the diverse fabrics on display. Clothes designed for various purposes lined the shelves, some overly adorned and flashy, others quite the opposite. What prompted Noah to enter the shop was seeing the latter from the display windows before entering.


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    In one corner of the shop, an old tailor with combed-back white hair sat behind a wooden table, in front of him delicate sewing tools and scissors. He wore a small smile as he spoke with a customer about something Noah didn''t hear. The old man noticed the two of them and his smile widened as he said, "Feel free to look around, I''ll be with you as soon as I''m done."


    Noah hesitated, wanting to leave for another shop, as tailoring requests always took forever. And Noah wasn''t in the mood to wait. But Eyolian reassured him, "He''s just asking for a simple adjustment to his new coat... the customer."


    Noah looked at Eyolian with suspicion, he didn''t give words to his thoughts - so how did she know? Eyolian noticed his gaze and said nonchalantly, "I have good hearing."


    Noah brushed the matter aside, it wasn''t that important, she was an awakened after all. He took a few steps to a rack of clothes that caught his interest, especially one complete outfit. He pointed to it and inquired, "What do you think?"


    It was a practical black outfit with dark blue accents. It featured a long coat that buttoned at the chest and had simple details on the sleeves, with a leather belt around the waist equipped with a small pouch. Black trousers made of soft wool, with a straight, comfortable cut that easily paired with the long coat. The shoes, black, practical and closed.


    Eyolian looked at Noah oddly, before saying anything, Noah explained the logic behind his choice. "The weather is very cold this time of year, it''s the most logical choice for me. I''m not going to wear something light just to please someone else''s opinion. It''s decent enough already."


    She looked at him with the same odd expression, slightly more so, and said, "It''s good enough."


    They waited for the tailor to finish his discussion with the customer, and as Eoulian said, it didn¡¯t take long. From there, things went smoothly. Noah got permission to try on the clothes in one of the fitting rooms; the clothes were good and suited him well. He received Eyolian''s moderate approval. He paid the slightly high price, not bothering to bargain. Then the two left the shop, and now it was Noah''s turn to help Eyolian choose suitable clothes. Not that Noah knew anything or had any taste, but he decided to try.

 Stranger [5]

    Noah and Eyolian entered a shop that wasn''t much different from the first, except it catered to women. The shelves were filled with various designs and colors. Noah looked at Eyolian, who seemed just as astonished, perhaps even perplexed.


    Eyolian looked at Noah, seemingly urging him to do something¡ªbut what was there for him to do? The idea of attempting to help vanished from his mind, and he decided he would merely give his opinion on her choice. So, the two stood where they were, looking around without doing anything.


    It wasn¡¯t long after they entered that a plump woman with brown hair and a round face approached them. She wasn¡¯t ugly by any means, just a bit overweight. She smiled at the sight of the two and said, ¡°Hello, I had some backlog work in the back and didn¡¯t notice your entrance. Not many customers pass through our street in the morning; welcome nonetheless.¡±


    Noah just nodded and stepped back. Eyolian gave him a sidelong glance and took the lead, ¡°Thanks for the welcome. I¡¯m wondering if your store has anything in my size? I don¡¯t have the time for custom tailoring, so I''d like to first take a look at whatever you can show me. Preferably something in black.¡±


    The woman opened her hands and said with a smile, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll have something. On any given day, I¡¯d urge you to tailor something to your liking, but during the festival, everyone has something in the back, everyone is prepared.¡±


    Neither Eyolian nor Noah showed any reaction to her enthusiasm; they merely watched her, perhaps even judging her.


    The woman cleared her throat in embarrassment and said in a more moderate tone, ¡°I¡¯ll get something ready for the esteemed customer.¡±


    Eyolian remained silent, only nodding in agreement. The woman left and quickly returned, carrying about six dresses. Noah examined them in her hands, none of them particularly appealed to him, at least those in his line of sight¡ªdespite their blackness, they had too many garish colors.


    The woman pointed them to a table where she laid the dresses for a better look. Noah maintained his opinion, none of them appealed to him, maybe except for the one that was entirely black, which was acceptable at best.


    Noah didn¡¯t say this aloud but watched Eyolian''s choice. She didn¡¯t seem very pleased with the options but maintained her composure.


    Amidst the duo''s silence, the shopkeeper started her spiel, ¡°We have a range of black dresses that suit all tastes. This all-black dress is very classic and elegant, suitable for any occasion, simple and beautiful. But this is the annual festival; who wouldn¡¯t prefer a bit of color? These five are adorned with attractive details, as you can see¡ªif you were to ask me, I think this dress adorned with touches of shiny silver will suit you very well and match your beautiful eyes.¡±


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    Eyolian seemed to consider the black dress with silver decorations. Then she suddenly turned to Noah, not saying anything but likely seeking his opinion.


    Noah thought for a bit and honestly expressed his view, ¡°The all-black dress is good enough.¡±


    Eyolian returned her gaze to the plump woman and said without hesitation, ¡°I''ll try this one,¡± pointing to the all-black dress.


    The woman gave Noah a sidelong look but quickly smiled, ¡°Alright, see how it fits you first, and then make your decision.¡±


    Eyolian took the dress carefully and headed to the changing room the woman indicated. Noah remained alone with the shopkeeper, turning his head to the side to avoid any conversation.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Eyolian peeked her head out of the wooden door of the changing room and motioned for him to come. Noah approached Eyolian, who then signaled him to enter. He found the request odd, but once he entered the changing room, he was astonished by its size. Unlike the small changing room Noah had used before, this one was several times larger. Suddenly, Eyolian''s request made sense.


    Eyolian cleared her throat to get his attention and asked, ¡°Is this good enough?¡±


    Noah focused on Eyolian, frowning slightly at her appearance. For some strange reason, his eyes focused on the girl as they hadn¡¯t before. Eyolian noticed his frown and asked with curiosity and concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Doesn¡¯t it suit me?¡±


    Noah frowned even more and decided to go ahead and speak the truth. "All I do is watch others. Their body language, their behavioral patterns, their emotional expressions, their way of interacting, their clothes, and their appearances¡ªeverything about anyone. And yet, it seems like I''m seeing you for the first time."


    Eyolian frowned herself, but Noah continued without regard. "For my part, it''s nearly impossible to ignore all these things about someone so close. It''s very dangerous, even disappointing. Why do I feel like I''m seeing you for the first time, Eyolian?"


    Noah waited for her response, which took longer than he liked, but it eventually came. "It might be a mistake on your part."


    Noah smiled at that with regret, as he stated, "That would be very disappointing, extremely disappointing. But I''m a cautious person; I''ve learned the hard way to be cautious. So, I say, it''s not a mistake on my part."


    Silence settled in the room for a while; Noah never took his eyes off Eyolian''s gray eyes, which he felt he was seeing for the first time. Noah noticed she wouldn''t say anything or provide an answer to his curiosity, so he tried something. Or at least, he attempted to.


    Somehow, Eyolian sensed the change, and before he knew it, Noah was lying on the ground, her knee on his back and her hand pinning his head firmly to the floor. ¡°What are you doing with your soul?¡± she asked tensely, increasing the pressure on him, ¡°Stop it now.¡±


    Noah felt her seriousness and ceased his actions; she was earnest in her unspoken threat. She let him go as she warned, ¡°If you do whatever that was again, I won''t be nice.¡±


    Noah got up from his place, meeting her eyes again; her expression held a dangerous look that planted some fear in him. Internally, Noah felt embarrassed; he thought everything was under his control, that he would get his answer one way or another, but she humbled him. She somehow sensed his actions.


    And so, an awkward silence settled between the two.

 Stranger [6]

    The two stared at each other for a while. Eventually, Eyolian broke the silence. "It¡¯s an artifact, it conceals appearances and intentions. Don¡¯t worry too much about it, and I have no intentions of harming you, no matter who you really are."


    Noah said nothing in response but stared intently at her left shoulder - he saw something there, or thought he did. Eyolian maintained her composure under his gaze and said nothing.


    Noah averted his gaze and asked shamelessly, "Can I see this artifact?"


    Noah tensed when Eyolian approached him, but she only showed him her left hand and pointed to a silver ring with a half-glowing blue gem. "I deactivated half of its effectiveness when I requested your presence. I didn¡¯t think you could see through it, but you did, somehow?"


    That was a question Noah wouldn¡¯t answer. So he said, "Don¡¯t worry too much about it; it¡¯s not as dangerous as you reacted."


    Noah didn¡¯t avert his gaze from the ring; there was something about it¡ªsomething strange. Eyolian interrupted his focus as she said, "I certainly don¡¯t think so. From my perspective, it looked like you were trying to breach me with your soul or something."


    Noah met her eyes and scoffed, "Really, it¡¯s not that serious. The ring probably protected you in some way?"


    Noah looked again at the ring in Eyolian¡¯s hand. "Is this gem a piece of the legendary Camouflage Scorpion¡¯s tail?"


    Eyolian tensed but fortunately didn¡¯t do anything extreme. "For a shopkeeper, you¡¯re well-informed."


    Noah took that as confirmation. He kept looking at the ring a bit longer and decided to risk his words more¡ªhe hadn¡¯t learned from his first lesson. "That¡¯s a very rare thing for you to possess, not to mention only a handful of people know its value, a very few people."


    Eyolian¡¯s expression turned sour, but Noah pretended not to notice. "And it happens that a humble shopkeeper is one of those few," she said warningly. "Don¡¯t push your luck too much."


    Noah looked at her innocently, raising his hands in a surrendering position as he defended himself. "You misunderstood me; I¡¯m not threatening you. Really, I¡¯m not in a position to threaten anyone, and I wouldn¡¯t even if I were. But I have a small request; you can say no if you think it¡¯s too much."


    Eyolian adjusted her stance, not seeming to believe his words, but said with some calm and sarcasm, "Of course, everyone has requests. What¡¯s this request that I can say no to?"


    Noah sighed in defeat but spoke anyway. "All I would ask is, if it happens that I awaken, I want you to teach me, and I mean the right way, not the nonsense the general population of the Empire receives. Honestly, I was going to ask Mr. Edric to do the same, that¡¯s if it happens I even awaken."


    Eyolian raised an eyebrow, "Is that all? Forgive me, but I find it hard to believe you."


    "Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but I don¡¯t care about your long story. If anything, even if I tried to do anything to you, how would I explain knowing things a humble shopkeeper like myself isn¡¯t supposed to know," Noah said matter-of-factly.


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    Eyolian took her time considering, meeting Noah¡¯s eyes, and spoke, "If that¡¯s the case, aren¡¯t you supposed to know how to do that yourself? Why would you need my help?"


    "Well, you have a point there," Noah admitted. "My knowledge isn¡¯t as vast as you might think; it¡¯s limited to the things I¡¯ve experienced."


    "Then how do you explain your knowledge of the Camouflage Scorpion, as you call it?" Eyolian said with a stiff face.


    Noah thought for a moment¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to talk about that part of his past to a stranger, but he found no other way. If he succeeded in getting Eyolian to help him, it would be a great help. "To reach the Empire, I traveled through Astrolis lands for a while and learned some things along the way."


    Before Eyolian could say anything contrary to his words, Noah seriously suggested, "If you agree to my request, I¡¯ll provide you with assistance of equal value to your help. You can say no. No consequences for either of us."


    Eyolian considered his words for a moment and said, "If it happens you don¡¯t awaken, you¡¯ll still provide the assistance you think you can give."


    Noah simply nodded at that. Eyolian nodded in return and said, "I¡¯ll think about it and get back to you later today."


    Noah smiled genuinely - that went better than he hoped. "Good talk. If you hadn¡¯t smashed my head into the ground, it would have been the best conversation I¡¯ve had with anyone in years. Good talk nonetheless."


    Eyolian smirked sarcastically, "That was the fun part." She reflected on her words for a moment and hastily said, "I didn¡¯t mean that. Sorry about that, really."


    Before Noah could say anything in protest, Eyolian changed the subject, "I haven¡¯t yet got your opinion on the dress?"


    Noah said nothing about her previous words¡ªhe thought it wasn¡¯t worth it. He softened his gaze on her, taking a full look at Eyolian he hadn¡¯t seen before¡ªat least not fully.


    The first thought was that she was beautiful. Her gray-green eyes radiated a strange but pleasant and attractive light. Her raven-black hair, long and free, framed her face gracefully. The pale, slightly glowing skin was delicate yet full of life. And these were just the features of her face.


    Noah admired her figure in the all-black dress. It somehow reflected simplicity and beauty simultaneously, with the fabric flowing over her body perfectly, leaving her shoulders bare elegantly, like a delicate frame for her slender neck. The cinched waist highlighted the beauty of her slender figure, giving her a distinguished presence, while the dress ended just below the knee, adding to its beauty and harmony.


    Noah met her eyes and said honestly, "I was skeptical about the length of the dress, but it looks perfect on you. You could do with some jewelry, though."


    Eyolian looked at Noah oddly and said, "You¡¯re taking this seriously. Thanks for the evaluation, though."


    Noah said nothing, of course, he would take it somewhat seriously. The primary reason was his fear of Mrs. Aileen. And the new reason was that Noah somewhat hoped his words would soften Eyolian¡¯s sharp mood and get her to agree to help him.


    Things went smoothly from there, sort of. Eyolian decided to buy the dress with Noah¡¯s money. For whatever reason, she didn¡¯t bring any money with her; she only came herself. Noah paid the ridiculous price for that piece of fabric, and they left the shop. Their task, which took an unexpected turn, was completed.


    There wasn¡¯t anything else to do; neither Noah nor Eyolian seemed enthusiastic about doing anything other than their task. So, they decided to return to the antiques and books cluster¡ªNoah¡¯s workplace. They returned through the same path, which had become more crowded than the last time the duo passed. After some time, they reached their destination. Noah took the clothes he bought and took them to his room while Eyolian waited downstairs. When he returned, he found her sitting comfortably on a customer¡¯s chair, her dress spread out on a glass display table¡ªwhich had taken a lot of time and energy to make it shine. He said nothing about it, just took his book from the morning and continued reading from where he left off.

 Stranger [7]

    Time passed quietly. Noah was absorbed in his book, while Eyolian was lost in her thoughts. Noah didn''t try to start a conversation with her; he wanted to give her enough time to consider his offer.


    And it seemed she didn¡¯t need much time to think, though. Despite stating she''d give her response later in the day, she provided her answer sooner than Noah expected.


    "I can accept both your request and your offer," Eyolian said suddenly, catching Noah''s attention. "But I have one condition that you must agree to. If you decide to refuse, as you said yourself, there will be no consequences for either of us."


    This was somewhat concerning, but Noah remained calm and asked, "What is your condition?"


    "I need your help in advance," Eyolian stated shamelessly. "If you''re afraid I''ll deceive you or something, you can suggest a compromise, but if I don''t get your help first, I won¡¯t help you with your request."


    Noah didn¡¯t think long before giving his answer, "I agree to your condition. As I said, I need to know what kind of help you need to understand if it¡¯s something I can actually do..."


    "You can do it," Eyolian interrupted him mid-sentence. "It''s not something that difficult."


    Noah frowned at that, and inquired, "If the help you need is of little value, it diminishes the value of my own request. If i awaken, I want my knowledge to be complete. I can''t accept just a bit or..."


    "Don''t worry about that," she interrupted again. "I will teach you everything I know; I won''t withhold anything from you. Forget about the value-for-price nonsense you keep mentioning. If you decide to help me, I''ll teach you and cover any gaps in your knowledge."


    Noah nodded, feeling confused but agreeing. "Alright, I agree. Will you tell me now what help you need?"


    "Not now," Eyolian replied bluntly. "I will tell you on the third day of the festival."


    If this wasn''t suspicious, Noah didn''t know what was. He decided to ask to stay on the safe side. "Will the result of this help you need affect my request, or me in general, if things don''t go according to your plan?"


    Eyolian looked at him incredulously. "Why do you think it''s something extreme? You don''t even know what I need help with." Noah didn''t respond to her protest, so she added with resignation, "It could go very badly for both of us."


    Noah sighed quietly - great, just what he needed right now.


    Eyolian couldn¡¯t handle the silence and remarked, "I am not forcing you into anything; you can walk away now, no consequences..."


    Noah interrupted her, saying somewhat sadly, "It''s not that I''m unfamiliar with taking risks. Even talking to you like this or back in the changing room was a risk in itself. But I only take risks when I see a path to the other side. So I will give you my final answer on the third day of the festival."


    Eyolian nodded, not seeming too upset by his answer. If anything, she looked confident. This gave Noah a mix of courage and apprehension. As he was deep in his thoughts, Eyolian decided to continue the conversation, but on a different topic. "Did you really meant what you said?," she asked, noticing his confused expression. She clarified, "About the book, what you said this morning."


    That - Noah didn¡¯t understand why she would ask about that, but he decided to answer. "There is a lot of uncertainty about the war between the Empire and the Kingdom of Astrolis. I don''t know the full story, like everyone else. So the primary source of information I rely on is the book, written by the victor, of course. I can usually distinguish between truth and lies from any literary source. But this book, it has been edited so much that I can''t see the truth if there is any. But I can spot the lies. Essentially, this book is a big lie in itself. The fact that soldiers were forbidden from talking about the war tells you a lot."


    Noah hesitated slightly and added uncertainly, "In truth, I think the only purpose of this book is to obscure the facts. It''s just a feeling, and I could be wrong."


    Eyolian''s curiosity was evident on her face. She leaned forward and asked, "Obscure the facts, you say? Everyone has their own speculations, but this is a new one for me, the first time I hear it from such sources... Why do you think that?"


    Noah realized this topic held more significance for Eyolian than she let on. So he began a detailed explanation of his view on the matter. "The war started, as described in the book ''Glory and Wound,'' with the prophecy of the Astrolis seers, saying that the Empire would fall. Of course, the Empire did nothing to keep this knowledge hidden even if it was true. This raises the first question: why would the Empire do something that wouldn¡¯t benefit their political stance? They claimed it was transparency towards their people, but I think they just wanted a reason for war. They always wanted a piece of Astrolis'' knowledge but with little success.


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    Then, rumors started spreading rapidly. ''The wicked seers manipulated the knowledge they spread, this is a rebellion against our homeland, they want to bring down our Empire...'' The voice of reason simply vanished. Even the fact that the Astrolis Kingdom never published any knowledge about the future in its long history was ignored. As my mother says, ~everyone looks for a good story to tell.~ From there, the rumors escalated without any sign of stopping. The Empire exploited the silence of the Kingdom and pointed that fact to the public. Some of these rumors, surprisingly, still circulate even after the war ended, if it really ended. ''The Empire is in great danger from an unknown source. No, it¡¯s the neighboring powers. No, it¡¯s internal factions plotting a coup working with the kingdom¡¯s wicked seers...'' Some believe all this news was manipulated by the neighboring kingdom to sow division among the people.


    And that is exactly what these rumors did - divided the public. No matter how you look at it, something is missing. What is it? - I don¡¯t know... Even if I came up with a theory, I wouldn¡¯t believe it myself, because it¡¯s based on a book of lies.


    Soon after that, there was the declaration of war. And war as everyone knows it, just war, devastation, destruction, and so on. What is more interesting is what happened afterward. Suddenly, the Emperor announced he would end the war - of course, he said his reasons were his concern for his people and so on. If we just scratch a bit at the reasons for this war, the primary logical reason is the kingdom¡¯s exclusive knowledge of the future. So what drove them to make this decision?... Personally, I think they either found what they wanted or found something even more important.


    In the announcement of the end of the war, the Emperor forbade anything related to prophecy and prohibited any citizen of the Empire from setting foot in the Astrolis Kingdom. If that wasn¡¯t strange, he also banned any information about the war from leaking from the participating armies. He even threatened publicly that any leaked knowledge would result in severe consequences.


    What does this mean? These are not the actions of someone who claimed victory in this war. But this piece of information is what made me say that the purpose of the book is to obscure the facts.


    I am sure many facts about the war have come to light, but they disappeared with the multitude of expectations and rumors from various people. When you tell a group of confused people not to do this and that, they will do this and that and much more. So, the facts disappeared amidst the sea of rumors, this simple and efficient if I might say. Mixing truth and lies in this way is just genius."


    Noah took a deep breath, and Eyolian in front of him didn¡¯t interrupt or show any change in expression during his entire speech. Noah thought for a bit and clarified, "Of course, my words are based only on pure guesses from reading a book I haven¡¯t even finished yet. But if this is true, and the book¡¯s purpose is to obscure the facts, then it has served its purpose efficiently."


    The two were silent for a while. That was his conclusion; he had nothing more to add. Once Eyolian noticed that, she curiously inquired, "Why do you keep saying the purpose of the book is to obscure the facts? Isn¡¯t the Emperor the one doing all this? The book just mentions the war details from the Empire''s perspective."


    Noah understood why Eyolian would think that and explained his logic. "I am not from the Empire, and seven months is not enough to express my opinion as a familiar one. So, my source of information is just the book. You can say, it¡¯s the perspective of a stranger."


    Eyulian nodded, letting the new information settle. After a moment, she declared sarcastically, "You are very talkative." Noah froze in place, not knowing whether to take it as an insult or a compliment. It really seemed like an insult. Eyolian appeared amused by his reaction, "I¡¯m joking, though I am right."


    Noah maintained his silence and said nothing - he didn¡¯t want to stoop to her level, he thought.


    But Eyolian was really in the mood to talk, seeming pleased after hearing his opinion on the war. "Where are you from, Noah? You can leave it at that."


    Noah usually didn¡¯t answer any personal questions about himself, but he decided to answer this one to ask one in return. "I am from the North."


    Eyolian raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Before she could say anything, Noah asked, "Why do you feel the need to keep the artifact ring piece always activated?"


    "To hide things?" she said vaguely, seizing the opportunity to ask, "Why, I have heard some rumors about the people beyond the snowy mountains? You seem different?"


    Noah nodded, "They weren''t very kind when I stumbled upon their land, but I managed."


    Eyolian was stunned by the revelation, and Noah didn''t let her think too much, asking, "Do you hide appearance or intent?"


    Eyolian focused her eyes on him. She didn''t seem eager to answer, but to ask about Noah''s mysterious origin, which had piqued her curiosity, she chose to respond. "Appearance, always. Intent, from time to time. - I don''t think we''re talking about the same North?"


    "There is one North. The North you know isn''t necessarily the limit," Noah explained matter-of-factly, then continued with a question. "What is the name of the artifact?"


    Eyolian was still stunned by Noah''s words, which didn''t carry much meaning to her. After regaining her focus, she said, "It''s called the Amulet of the Veil of the Unseen. - Let''s leave it at that for today."


    Noah said nothing about that. He didn''t want to ruin the fragile relationship he had built with Eyolian just for his curiosity. So, he kept silent.


    Any conversation died off from there, with Eyolian absorbed in her thoughts and Noah returning to his book, waiting for the rest of the group to arrive.

 Freedom [1]

    On the far side of town, isolated beyond its limits, stood a large two-story house. Its sharp roof resembled the houses within the town, but it also differed in its solid and strong design. Instead of wood and clay, the house was built with sturdy gray stones with a bit of wood for support.


    The garden around the house added to its beauty and symmetry, with various beautiful trees and fragrant flowers. Flowers don''t usually grow in snowy weather because most plants enter a dormant state or stop growing due to low temperatures. But somehow, the front garden of Mr. Edric''s house held this picturesque scene - something Eyolian didn''t understand, but she knew her mother, Mrs. Aileen, played a part in it.


    Eyolian sat at her desk in her room on the upper floor of her house. She watched the garden through the open window directly in front of her desk. Eyolian felt the icy cold air brush against her pale skin and pass through the gaps in her light short nightgown, which was not suitable for such weather. But despite her physical coldness, Eyolian''s body did not shiver at all, maintaining her contemplative, thoughtful expression.


    As Eyolian contemplated the violet flower with slender petals, her expression turned to pity. ''How pathetic,'' she felt.


    Eyolian felt like the little flower below. Amid the cold snow and harsh weather, this flower stood out as a scene of contrasts and a symbol of life.


    But is this really a life worth struggling for? Is a life of constant struggle worth it,... just to breathe for another day?


    Yet despite her inner thoughts, Eyolian acknowledged a fact she didn''t like to ignore. The little flower she looked down upon, judging it disdainfully, was not alone. Around it were hundreds of similar little flowers, struggling with the same determination against their view of the world.


    And Eyolian, who looked down from above at the garden of flowers below, ironically, was alone in this world. So the comparison might not be valid - perhaps?


    After a long period of unproductive staring, Eyolian finally felt bored and lifted her head towards the silver moon half-covered by black clouds. The action somehow made her head feel lighter and more aware - maybe due to the cold?


    Eyolian''s eyes traced the different black shapes on the moon''s surface. After a while, she got bored of that too, and she shifted her eyes to the movement of the black clouds around the moon.


    Slowly, a large cloud big enough to cover half the moon made its way to do just that. As it did, the cloud reflected the moon''s silver light in a captivating blue glow. Eyolian smiled at the scene. It somehow reminded her of the blue eyes of the ragged, mysterious young man from this morning.


    Noah was... something? Eyolian''s opinion of him had changed significantly in less than a day. From someone no different from anyone else to someone who piqued her curiosity - and she had thought she was the only one who could be mysterious.


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    Regardless of his questionable character, what changed Eyolian''s opinion about him was not his mystery, knowledge, or abilities, but rather his objective view of the world. She felt that his outlook resulted from grief.


    Eyolian thought about her last conversation with Noah. ''The north you know is not necessarily the limit.'' She looked at the map above her desk. The Empire and the Kingdom of Astrolis had river boundaries from north to south. To the south, they were bounded by the sea - the river''s estuary, and to the north, they were bounded by snowy mountains that cut across the entire continent. Widthwise.


    So it made sense that the north Noah talked about was beyond the mountain range. But he said, ''the people beyond the snowy mountains weren''t very kind when I stumbled upon their land.''


    What could he mean by this?


    Eyolian traced her finger across the map above her desk. - Beyond the snowy mountains, there''s the unnamed snowy land, and beyond the snowy land is just the sea. Or at least that''s what the map says.


    Despite the exploratory trips the Empire claims to have made to explore the unclaimed lands, there is still a significant lack of information regarding the snowy north in general. So there''s a good chance there are unexplored lands... beyond?


    But no - even Astrolis, which managed to establish superficial trade with the native inhabitants of the snowy lands, used the same map - the one in front of Eyolian. And Eyolian knew that the Kingdom route to the snowy lands was by sea - despite the difficulties of the sea ice floes.


    Eyolian looked at the ring on her finger. In its fully activated state, the gemstone from the tail of the camouflage scorpion turned entirely black, without any sign of its original blue hue. Even the runes that were supposed to cover its surface became invisible, taking the form of ordinary decoration.


    No one in the Empire or Astrolis could handle the gemstones due to their strange nature, let alone turn them into effective artifacts. But the native inhabitants of the snowy lands somehow managed to achieve just that - the first transaction between Astrolis and the snowy mountains involved handing over large quantities of gemstones in exchange for a small amount of the same artifact - the Amulet of the Veil of the Unseen.


    Eyolian suspected that the only reason the native inhabitants of the snowy lands accepted this deal was because of the gemstone, and the great difficulty the Empire faced in even establishing a single contact was evidence of that.


    Eyolian remembered the feeling of discomfort and helplessness when the boy Noah recognized the gemstone on her ring. She hated the feeling, but it brought many questions.


    Did Noah''s knowledge of the gemstone come from his time in the kingdom as he claimed, or his time in the snowy lands?


    Eyolian hadn''t asked this question before because she herself didn''t want to reveal too much about herself in their last conversation. But she had a hunch that the answer was the latter. For one, he didn''t recognize the ring, but the gemstone. Even if he dealt with the locals of Astrolis, unless they were of high rank and close enough to the royal families, there was no way for him to know the real name of the gemstone.


    Eyolian took a deep breath and cleared her mind of thoughts. There would be time for answers - if everything went well between the two. Now, Eyolian decided to go to her comfortable bed and rest. She had had enough of the cold for one night. She also didn''t want Mrs. Aileen to burst into her room as she tends to do after that... incident.


    Eyolian got up from her seat and closed her room window carefully and meticulously, not wanting to wake anyone in the house in the middle of the night. After that, she performed her usual silent routine and rested her head on her bed pillow.


    Eyolian closed her eyes, and brought an end to an interesting day.

 Freedom [2]

    Mr. Edric sat at the head of the breakfast table made of red wood, his hands on it, and his back straight in a familiar scene every morning. But this morning was different. He wasn''t wearing his usual red leather work clothes, but instead, just ordinary black men''s clothes. Eyolian found the sight unusual but in a fitting way.


    Eyolian herself sat at the side of the table in her nightgown, not bothering to change. The festival served as an excuse not to go to her usual morning training at the castle, knowing it would be crowded in just a day. Frankly, Eyolian was happy to have a whole month away from the lords of the castle. She would still interact with them during this period, but not to the same degree as every other day.


    On her right, Elowen sat playing with the cutlery silently. Eyolian felt a bit of pity for the lonely little girl, as their home''s isolation outside the town''s limits didn''t help her make friends her age. But young Elowen learned how to entertain herself, especially after Eyolian''s constant absence due to her training.


    Eyolian leaned on the hard wood of the table towards the little girl and asked in a gentle voice, "Where has the hero reached in his mission? Has he rescued the poor princess, or does it need another day?"


    Elowen lifted her head and met Eyolian''s eyes with her large golden ones. She thought about her words a little and explained in her childish voice, "The princess waited for the hero, but he was late, so she decided to rescue herself."


    Eyolian raised an eyebrow at the unexpected answer, even Mr. Edric turned his attention to the two girls, his curiosity piqued. "That''s very inspiring. So you want to be a princess who can take care of herself," Eyolian inquired with curiosity.


    The little girl opened her eyes wide and shook her head firmly. "No, I don''t want to be a princess. Who wants to be locked in a tower for a long time? I don''t want that."


    Again, Eyolian was left speechless. Why did this child have such a different perspective? - Eyolian decided to ask, "So what do you want to be?"


    Elowen looked at Eyolian strangely and said as a matter of fact, "Sis, I am me. Why would I want to be something else?"


    Both Eyolian, Edric, and even Mrs. Aileen, who was standing in front of the table with a large tray of food, looked at the little girl strangely, at a loss for words. After a few seconds, Mrs. Aileen placed the first tray of food and asked with curiosity and joy, "My little one, where did you learn to say that?"


    The little girl looked at her mother, to be precise - at the tray of food, but answered without any change in tone. "He said there''s nothing outside yourself that will make you better. And it''s not healthy to dream of being something you''re not. So the princess will save herself; she won''t wait forever."


    Mrs. Aileen looked at Eyolian with a question, the latter just shrugged in ignorance. Mrs. Aileen did the same with her husband, who nodded in ignorance, and went on to ask again, "And who taught you this?"


    The little Elowen seemed to shiver with anxiety, she no longer looked into her mother''s eyes and turned her gaze to her father as if asking for rescue. Under his gentle smile, the little girl spoke hesitantly. "I talked to Noah. I''m sorry, mama doesn''t like him, but... but..." and she began to cry.


    Mr. Edric looked at his wife meaningfully, she just snorted at him and went to calm her daughter. Eyolian just watched the situation.


    From the first day, Mrs. Aileen made everyone in the family aware of her personal suspicions about the boy Noah who had come to work with her husband. Since then, she didn''t miss any opportunity to criticize her husband''s illogical choice in hiring workers. She was somewhat right. Mr. Edric''s work required great experience and precision, so naturally, this reflected on the assistant. Not to mention, many would do anything for the chance to work even briefly with Mr. Edric.


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    So no matter how one looked at it, Noah getting the job was illogical. But the question that bothered Mrs. Aileen and she had not succeeded in getting an answer to, unusually, was: why would her serious-minded husband go out of his way to accept Noah - a nobody, and even give him a place to stay?


    Mr. Edric''s unchanged answer for seven months was: I don''t want my work to leak out. And Noah is a reliable person with little experience to understand anything, plus he is good at taking care of the shop, something I haven''t been successful at much.


    Any sane person wouldn''t believe this excuse, and Mrs. Aileen didn''t. So, in a way, it became almost a morning routine for Mrs. Aileen to criticize and scold her husband. For this reason, young Elowen got the impression that her mother hated Noah and didn''t want her to talk to him ever, and she had indeed warned her not to speak to him without her presence.


    It took some time to calm little Elowen down, and she ended up in her father''s arms looking at her mother as if she was the cause. The lady herself stood far from her daughter and husband looking at them grimly, and expressed this in words, "This shady boy is turning my daughter against me now."


    Before she could say more, Elowen lifted her head from her father''s arms and replied loudly, defending the absent Noah who would most likely ignore Mrs. Aileen''s words. "He''s not shady, he''s nice." And she went back to hiding in her father''s arms. Eyolian found the situation amusing, even letting out an uncontrollable light laugh.


    "Oh... you find this funny," Mrs. Aileen commented, her eyes wide in disbelief.


    Eyolian cleared her throat in amusement and commented truthfully, "It''s not like he''s teaching her anything bad, and I also think he''s reasonable."


    "You think he''s WHAT?" Mrs. Aileen repeated in disbelief. "I can''t believe you. We don''t even know where he came from. And where did this sudden interest of yours come from, you''ve barely spent a few hours with him..."


    Eyolian interrupted Mrs. Aileen''s yelling. "I know where he''s from, he''s from the North."


    When Eyolian expected more questions from the lady, surprisingly, it was Mr. Edric who asked, looking more hurt than curious. "Is that your guess or did he tell you that?"


    Eyolian thought about her words and spoke in a way that wouldn''t hurt Mr. Edric. "No, I made a deal with him. If I hadn''t, I don''t think he would have told me a single word." She turned her gaze back to Mrs. Aileen, now calm. "And we also have a lot in common."


    Mr. Edric nodded his head and didn''t add anything, seeming lost in thought. The same couldn''t be said for Mrs. Aileen, who asked in a serious protective tone, "What kind of deal? And why am I just hearing about this now?"


    Eyolian remained silent for a while, contemplating her words. After a few moments, she spoke the truth, even if vaguely. "It''s not a sealed deal yet, that''s why I didn''t tell you. And I think I will learn a lot from him as well. He seems to know a lot about the world, he even recognized my ring."


    Mrs. Aileen nodded her head seriously, there was a hidden meaning in Eyolian''s words. It wasn''t that Mr. Edric didn''t catch the meaning, he chose to pretend ignorance as he always did.


    After the tension Eyolian herself had built dissipated, Mrs. Aileen asked with dangerous curiosity, "And what do you think about this situation in general?"


    Eyolian moved her head slowly and dramatically and commented lightly, "I''m okay with it. I don''t think he''s dangerous, everyone has a story, and every story has secrets."


    Mrs. Aileen said nothing on the matter, she just prompted Eyolian to go into the details of the deal. Eyolian did just that. Of course, she told them about Noah''s request, which somehow amazed Mr. Edric more than Mrs. Aileen, and refrained from speaking about her own request, under the pretext of thinking it over. She didn''t mention Noah''s peculiar soul, as she herself wasn''t sure of it. Noah himself confirmed that it wasn''t an attack, but you can never be too sure. She told them about Noah''s mysterious origin, or at least what she learned from his words. She had spoken with him yesterday and he didn''t seem too bothered by the idea of her sharing their words.


    Eyolian spoke only about what she thought was appropriate to share, and as punishment, Mrs. Aileen ordered her to set the breakfast table. Despite the apparent annoyance on Eyolian''s face, she didn''t mind much. Everything had already been prepared, all she had to do was arrange it.


    The breakfast time passed smoothly, ignoring the questions that forced Eyolian to answer from time to time. Mrs. Aileen didn''t seem very happy about the shady deal - as she described it, and urged her to back out now. But Eyolian politely refused, something that brought a happy smile to little Elowen''s face in front of her mother - maybe this really makes them sisters now?

 Freedom [3]

    Eyolian stood in her thick coat, watching the entrance of Mr. Edric''s antique shop, sheltered from the heavy snow. She didn''t understand Noah''s logic in clearing the snow if the shop wasn''t going to open, but she kept her thoughts to herself and entered the door Noah had opened when she knocked a moment ago.


    The interior looked even cleaner than it had the day before, the same lovely aromatic scent gently caressed Eyolian''s senses. Everything seemed in place, even Noah seemed in place, no different from how he appeared yesterday too. Ice-blue eyes, uncombed but suitable black hair, a symmetrical face, with a modest body build, and the same outfit from yesterday.


    Eyolian refocused on Noah standing behind the glass display table, responding to his morning greeting. "Good morning to you as well."


    Noah didn''t seem too bothered by her delayed response for a minute or so, so Eyolian said nothing about it and jumped to the subject of her visit. "I''m here to find out if you are familiar with the Empire''s social protocols."


    Noah tilted his head to the side in what appeared to be amusement. - In truth, Eyolian found it amusing too. She didn''t really know if Noah had any knowledge of the Empire''s social protocols or not. What she found amusing was the timing Mrs. Aileen chose to inquire about such a thing - less than a day before their official attendance. ''Probably looking for an excuse to exclude him? But why insist on his joining the shopping trip yesterday?''


    Eyolian didn''t think much about it, but she suspected it had something to do with the conversation Mr. Edric and Mrs. Aileen had behind closed doors this morning after breakfast. She felt curious but didn''t go far to eavesdrop on her kind benefactors.


    Noah''s answer came in the form of a rhetorical question. "Strange time to ask, but assuming, what if I weren''t?"


    Eyolian shrugged indifferently. She didn''t really care if he was knowledgeable or not. Her only concern was reporting.


    Noah didn''t seem to agree with her way of conveying her thoughts, but he said nothing about it. "I am well-versed in the Empire''s social protocols. In fact, that was one of the first things I read about."


    Eyolian raised an eyebrow at that and asked curiously, "So, at some point, it was in your plan to enter noble circles."


    Noah looked away at her question but answered without apparent embarrassment. "I thought those protocols applied to everyone."


    Eyolian laughed internally at that while imagining Noah, the one before her, addressing a commoner formally. But she maintained her composure and settled for a sarcastic smile.


    Both of them remained standing, watching each other. Eyolian made no move to leave despite getting her answer. Noah also seemed aware of that but didn''t ask anything, perhaps as a challenge?


    Finally, Eyolian got bored and revealed the real reason for her visit. "Tell me more about the North you spoke of."


    Almost immediately, Noah replied with a refusal. "I can''t do that. Is there anything else?"


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    Eyolian expected as much, so she changed her question. "Did you really pass through the Kingdom of Astrolis to reach the Empire?"


    Noah seemed annoyed by the question and answered with the same annoyance, "I am not a liar. If I don''t want to tell you something, I won''t. Is that all?"


    Eyolian didn''t push too far in trying to annoy him, she knew her limit. But she would push in less sensitive areas. "You referred to the gemstone on my ring by its real name, ''a piece from the camouflage scorpion''s tail''. Not many people know this, specifically, the high authorities of the Kingdom of Astrolis and those who trade with them in the material are the only ones aware. And I can say you didn''t learn this from the Kingdom as it was in a post-war period during your passage, as I assume. So, it makes sense for me to think your knowledge came from somewhere else, perhaps the snowy land?"


    Noah said nothing, his usual cold expression unchanged. After a moment of silence, he spoke with a warning. "You are saying more about yourself than you will learn about me."


    Eyolian didn''t take Noah''s warning too seriously, probably thinking he felt threatened. So to ease the tension, she lightly laughed and said dismissively, "Should I be cautious?"


    Noah''s expression didn''t change, but he seemed calmer and more composed. And that reflected in his words. "No, you shouldn''t." He paused and continued. "You are right, but not entirely. I learned the name, not from Iskaros - the snowy land as you call it, but on my way from Iskaros to Astrolis."


    Eyolian sank into deep thought. Noah''s words carried little meaning. The way between the snowy land - Iskaros and Astrolis is just the towering snowy mountain range. Who could be there in those high places? - And not just that, but knowledgeable too. ''No, I am looking at this piece of information from the wrong perspective.''


    Eyolian looked again at Noah, who remained watching her coldly. He didn''t ask anything about her in return as she expected him to, but he probably learned more about her than she did about him - and he had warned her about that.


    Eyolian took a deep breath and decided to leave the matter for now. She had a hunch that Noah put his words to confuse her and push her conclusions away, but she wasn''t sure. She also didn''t feel he was lying - he seemed too annoyed when Eyolian doubted his words before.


    Eyolian smiled slightly and directed her curiosity to another topic. "First time I hear a word like ''Iskaros'', what does it mean? And is it the entire place, or just one part?"


    Noah seemed more willing to talk about such a topic, as he began his explanation. "Iskaros in the common language means frozen blood. It''s the name of the vast land beyond the snowy mountain range. I referred to it as land because it''s neither a kingdom nor an empire as far as I know. And Iskaros isn''t its full name either, just something used by the natives. The full name is, Iskaros Arcutis, which means the frozen blood from the severed wings. - I don''t know why it has such a name."


    Eyolian found the name interesting, though she didn''t understand its meaning... Before she could think of anything else, Noah asked curiously, "Why are you so interested in Iskaros?"


    Eyolian felt embarrassed by herself. - She tends to lose herself when she is interested in something. She met Noah''s gaze and answered. "In my upbringing, I used to hear many stories from my mother about the snowy lands and what lies above the frozen clouds. Probably heard about it at some point."


    Noah raised an eyebrow while analyzing the new information. Eyolian waited patiently until Noah decided to speak. "On the other side beyond the mountains, they hate those old stories. They are not even supposed to be known or known by you. I believe this is the reason they hate anything beyond the snowy mountains from their perspective."


    Curiosity passed through Eyolian''s expression, she didn''t succeed in controlling it. "I didn''t know that. Why is that?"


    Noah answered indifferently. "I don''t know, but it''s something related to..."


    Noah froze. He looked at Eyolian with his usual cold expression as the color gradually faded from his skin. Before Eyolian could react, Noah collapsed heavily to the ground, his head hitting the side of the glass display table.