บท 22: Hideout
Ian didn't know when and where he fell asleep, but whenever and wherever it was, he was comfortable and cozy the whole night.
The sound of muffled groans was what forced him out of his slumber. He tossed and turned under his blanket multiple times, pressed his eyelids, cursed, and pretended not to hear anything, but no matter what, he couldn't fall asleep with someone moaning beside him.
'Huuuuuh who the hell?!?'
Snapping his eyes open, he kicked his blanket aside and turned in the direction of the sound, only to find the sleeping face of his master not far away from him.
"...."
Ian inspected the place for a brief second. It was a tiny room. Everywhere he looked people lay on the ground, covered in blankets, asleep. Realization sparked in his mind as he understood the situation he was in.
'This must be The Resistance's hideout. They don't have enough room for everyone nor the luxury to give the nobles a proper bed, so everyone is bundled in thin blankets, lined next to each other to pass the night.'
To Ian's left side was a wall while on his other side lay a golden-haired boy, muttering incomprehensible stuff under his lips and moaning in sleep.
'Is he having a nightmare?'
Ian didn't harp on that question for too long. Reaching out a hand, the annoyed Ian touched his master's forehead with an Aether-clad finger. As the light particles seeped into the boy's head, his frowning brows eased and his expression relaxed, returning to a deep sleep.
'It's already morning...'
Ian, who wanted to go back to sleep, thought that it was unnecessary after seeing the bright sky through the window. This left a deep regret in his heart as he was still hoping to rest for a little bit longer. His sleep was cut halfway and that was irritating!
'Well, whatever...'
Ian's drowsiness gradually faded away as he stretched his limbs and circulated his Aether in his body and soul as a daily practice.
-Mmmmm....
A tiny wolf pup, smaller than the youngest of the normal wolf babies, was sprawled on Ian's chest, softly snorting. Its dark fur was as smooth as silk to the touch and its face was round and chubby. The puppy's nails, which weren't yet sharp enough, dug into Ian's white shirt, slightly scratching his skin, and his paws clenched him tightly in a hug.
The child twitched after its 'bed' moved about, and his eyelids rolled up slowly, revealing dark blue, almost black, pupils.
-Goo mowning maste...
A smile was plastered across Ian's face while watching the baby's body quiver as a sign of waking up. It purred first before opening and clenching its paws repeatedly, rubbing its head against Ian's chest.
'Look at this, isn't it the most adorable creature in the world?' Ian pulled the child closer and gave him a kiss on the forehead. The baby's eyes flashed in delight and its tail rose up, wagging excitedly.
-Heheheh~
Lior licked Ian's nose with a giggle.
-Master, did you rest well? You were so tired last night.
Ian raised his upper body while holding Lior against his chest with one hand, wary that the child wouldn't fall down.
-Yeah, it was refreshing.
-It's still too early, master, go back to sleep!
Careful not to wake anyone up, Ian skipped over the sleeping men and approached the door.
-We should move early to not fall behind in the schedule.
-Mmmm...
A lively scene entered his sight once he opened the door. People were going around in groups, each taking care of a task. A small number of men were sparring fists and kicks in a corner, training diligently. Some were chattering and preparing food, while some ran around, loading boxes in carts.
They were in a small area secluded between two mountains and a valley, creating a hidden spot from most of the travelers and the nearby plain's residents. A number of structures were built near each other. Some were rooms for the soldiers, some weaponry depots, stores for food supplies, and any other kind of task needed.
Upon leaving the room, a few heads shifted his way and inspected him in curiosity. The person ordering the loading of the goods paused and looked his way as well. Evelyn's expression brightened up the moment their eyes met and she sent him a smile, blended with a meaningful side eyes glance.
'What's it, early in the morning?'
Despite him nagging, Ian changed his route and strolled in the direction that she pointed at. He wasn't sure where he was supposed to go so he decided to walk until he found a proper spot for a conversation.
He hadn't walked long before his steps came to a halt.
Swosh Swosh Swosh
Positioned behind a building, a young man was busy swinging his sword, each strike stronger and fiercer than the other. Raven wasn't wearing his usual black clothes and instead, his top was naked, soaked in sweat.
In a closer look, Raven had an extremely handsome face. Thick brows arched above, eyes not too narrow nor too sharp, with a glint of suppressed rage mixed with a determination within, nose neither small nor big, exactly fit for a man's build, face sculped in exact measurements, hair, slightly wavy and messy as if not tended to for a long time, and a slightly tanned skin. Added to his proper build and strength, he would be a perfect addition to every noble household.
'And he is a near-to-become a swordsmaster as well!'
A familiar question popped up in his mind: Who exactly was this man?
After last night's incident, Ian knew of Raven's status, his future goals, and his probable fate. These all made him come to an unprovable guess. A blurry picture of a child's face surfaced in his mind, a look he hadn't seen in so long that he'd forgotten its features. Ian immediately shook his head, disregarding his thoughts.
'That can't be. There is no way he can be still alive.'
The guess was discharged as soon as it came to be.
It seemed like his presence was recognized by the keen senses of the swordsman. Raven's neck tilted to the side, looking back at Ian's eyes. Ripples formed inside the boy's dark pupils, forehead creasing, an unknown emotion similar to longing clouding his features.
'...Why are you looking at me like that?' Ian shifted uneasily on his spot. 'Is it because he finds it hard to get rid of me now that he knows of my power? Or has his suspicions proven correct upon witnessing me use Aether?'
-Master, when you fell asleep in the carriage last night, this man carried you inside. He had a similar expression back then!
'....'
An unnecessary piece of information.
'However, shouldn't he make an expression of anger and detest instead of such a pained look? Is it really a hurt expression or am I mistaken? Anyhow, why isn't he killing me already? Bro is nearly a swordmaster what's he scared of?'
Ian wished he'd never known of this person's true strength. He'd be less scared that way.
'Anyway, I'm off! I'm running away!'
Just as Ian raised a foot to slip away from the awkward standstill, he heard the hoarse voice of the swordsman.
"Do you really want to keep living like this?"
"...."
'Is he with me?' There was no one beside him and Raven in the area, so he was definitely talking to Ian.
"...What do you mean?"
He wondered if he needed to add a 'sir' at the end of the sentence to sound polite in order to calm the probably angry man, but he missed the opportunity because of speaking faster than he thought.
"What do I mean?" Raven seized Ian up and down with a disapproving gaze. "Is bowing down to a pest what you want to do for the rest of your life?"
"...."
The answer was unexpected. Ian's mouth went dry out of shock.
"P-pest? Do you mean my master?"
"Your master!" He repeated in a ridiculing tone, huffing.
"Wha-"
'What's his problem with Alaric? Did they have a fight or something? But Alaric would run away, hide in a corner, and cry if Raven even glanced angrily at him, much less have an argument!'
"And what does that have to do with you... uh, um, sir?"
He succeded in adding a proper honorific to his sentence this time, however, Raven's face turned even stranger after the last word was spoken by the bluehead.
"...Sir?"
"...T-then what? Mister?"
"Mister??"
"Uhhh..."
Ian took a step back out of reflex.
-Master, why are you so scared of him?
-Why? Isn't he scary?
-Uh... I guess he is, but you are way too scared.
'Is that so?'
The invisible Lior's comment left Ian ashamed. Was he acting too weak in front of this child? Did he leave a bad impression? It was too embarrassing for him!
Taking a deep breath, Ian consumed a lot of courage in order to utter a single question.
"Don't you think you have to introduce yourself first before asking about people's plans for their lives and insulting their master?"
That was all he could do with his momentum of bravery, and Ian regretted it the second he was done talking.
"....."
Mouth gaped and pupils quivering, Raven's grip over his sword loosened for an instant before a mixture of anger and dejection dawned on his face, his whole being screaming, 'Don't you remember me??' soundlessly.
"..."
Ian took another step back.
'I-I'm suddenly feeling guilty.'
It was as if he'd done something extremely wrong like he'd committed the gravest of scenes, something unforgivable.
-M-master, he seems so hurt! But you didn't say anything bad, so why?
Lior tapped Ian's feet with his nose as if to urge him to do something.
'Just tell me where I've seen you before!'
Ian averted his gaze and wiggled with his fingers feeling uncomfortable and awkward.
"There you are!"
The loud voice of a young girl was what broke the heavy silence and jolted Ian out of his whirling thoughts. Evelyn was holding her skirt up with both hands, carefully passing over the scattered stuff on the ground and moving towards Ian.
"Eh!"
Upon seeing Raven present, she halted, not knowing either to go back or to pretend she was just passing by. Before she could reach a conclusion, Raven tasked through gritted teeth, more like growling angrily, and turned around, stumping away from Ian and the girl.
"...."
Ian couldn't say if he was happy that the man left or not.
"Umm... Did I interrupt you or something?"
"No."
In fact, Evelyn was a lifesaver!
"Alright."
The girl composed herself, walking over to Ian while careful not to damage her splendid clothes. Once she was at a proper distance, she took a large step, jumping over to the man and grabbing his collar with both hands.
"You lied to me again!!!!"
The quick shift of moods left Ian perplexed for an instant.
"What? When?"
"You said your master knew of your power!" Evelyn shook her master back and fro, "Yet he didn't! No one did!"
"Uh..."
Ian nodded his head while being shown around.
"So what? Didn't you get a proper business deal because of me?"
"Hmph!" The girl let out a huff before letting go of Ian's clothes. "And we were attacked because of that. I can't tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing."
Evelyn rolled her eyes.
"Anyway!"
A smile, excited and thrilled, appeared on her face.
"Look what I can do!"
Without waiting for Ian's response, she opened her palm and reached out to Ian's face. In front of the confused gaze of the man, a dim light flashed within the palm first, before a bundle of gold jumped out of it.
"...A butterfly?"
A sunlight-colored creature, an entity made out of Aether, fluttered its wings and moved in the air, circulating around the two of them soundlessly. It was pretty and cute, something pleasant to the eyes.
"Not just one, I can create many!"
"Hmm..."
Ian poked the butterfly with a finger. The thing fell into light particles and scattered around at the touch.
"What can it do?"
Shaking her hand to dispose of the particles, Evelyn shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm not sure. I didn't have the time to test them out, but for now, I know that I can share my senses with them."
Sharing senses with a small creature that could fly around and move swiftly was a useful power. In just a few seconds, Ian thought of many ways to put this power into use even without their full potential discovered.
"Can other people see these?"
"I'm not sure about that either. I didn't risk bringing them out in front of anyone else."
"Hmm... We should try it later."
They could grab someone trustworthy and ask them if they could see or feel the presence of the butterflies and do various experiments on them.
"Yeah, but that remains for another time."
Evelyn was right. There was no time for them to test the power right now, and Ian didn't think they'd find the opportunity to do it soon as they were going to enter The Empire in a little while.
While Ian was considering when where and how to bring out the full potential of Evelyn's power, the excited girl clasped her hand and inquired in a rare, energetic tone, "But isn't it cool?" A grin was etched on her lips. "If the other can't see them, then I can send butterflies to spy on our riveling merchant guilds and know of their future schedules! In meetings, I can dispatch them all around and use them to hear the others' conversation! It's pretty handy! I like it!"
Evelyn completely ignored Ian's judging gaze on her.
'Girl, do you only think of money?'
Seeing her like this, the fact that her power was shaped after butterflies and not some flying Aether coins was surprising to Ian.
"I guess last night's fight wasn't a complete loss if the dreadful situation helped your power awaken."
Most people awakened like this, when they were in a dire situation, mostly when their lives were in danger.
"...Actually, I didn't feel threatened the whole time..."
'I started sensing the presence of the butterflies while being exposed to that pure and relaxing Aether Circle, just after its warmth made me think back of my mom,' was what she wanted to say but held herself back, thinking it was too embarrassing.
"Anyway, now you should teach me how to conceal it!"
"Don't you already know?"
"Already know?"
The girl tilted her head, emarled eyes twinkling in innocence. She knew nothing about the topic. Ian heaved a sigh.
"Your Aether won't be felt by other saints now that you can control it. The butterflies, which are actually your Aether, will remain within your soul, preventing Aether from leaking out."
Evelyn's eyes sparkled in delight, "Really?"
Ian, who had mixed half-truths and half-lies, averted his gaze in guilt and nodded his head.
"Yeah. It'll be safe for you to enter The Empire or even go to the Sun Churches, however, be careful not to get too close to high-ranked bishops of the Church of the Sun, as they might be able to notice something wrong with you." Just as Ian could still feel the flow of Aether within her soul.
"Ooh, I get it I get it!"
Evelyn had a satisfied smile on her lips as she nodded her head. She seemed like someone whose every problem in life was solved. Preparing to leave, she hadn't taken one step back when she suddenly halted and turned around.
"Now, only your request remains," she reminded. "You can contact me through letters of come straight to the guild's headquarters. I'll accept whatever you ask as long as it doesn't violate the terms of our contract."
That was what they'd agreed upon before, nothing new to Ian. He gave a nod to his head before opening his lips, which were curled into a smile.
"Actually, let me make one part of that request now. Maybe just half of it."
The merchant paused on her actions, clearly not expecting Ian to jump into that topic right away.
"Make half a request?"
"I don't remember there being any terms restricting me from asking for half of what I want first and saving the rest of it for later. It's not two requests, but one, cut in two parts."
Evelyn's brows knitted, clearly deeming this behavior as cheating; but as she couldn't find anything forbidding the man from progressing with his side of the contract that way, she couldn't reject him. With her guard high up and her nerves prepared to reject anything unreasonable, Evelyn folded her arms, raising a brow as a sign of listening to her teacher's words.
Standing in a similar posture to the girl while leaning on a tree, Ian gave her a faint smile, "Stop exporting wheat and other similar products such as rice to The Empire."
"What?"
The merchant's face contorted in a sudden rush of anger.
"Do you even understand what you are asking for?"
"I do understand," Ian didn't hesitate to give an explanation. "You are about to strike a deal with Duke Blicra, right? The dukedom is one of the largest producers of wheat on this continent. I'm sure you'll gain a lot by selling their wheat to The Empire."
The Empire had many resources but was in need of importing many more in order to guarantee its people's well-being, even if that meant that the people of the other countries had to suffer from hunger.
"Change the kind of contract you are about to write with Barnett. Ask them to let you stock the wheat for a year instead of selling it, and not to sell their products to any other merchant guilds the next year either."
"Do you hear what you are blabbering?" The girl, who got extremely worked-up when anything related to her business came up, rolled up her sleeves in a gesture or prepared to beat the shit out of her opposing man. "You don't make any sense! I thought you had some brains. What's the benefit of this business for us? Huh? Why would I do such a stupid thing?"
Duke Blicra wouldn't mind much where his products went as long as he received the payment he desired. There was only one flaw, and it was that the duke wouldn't be able to form a proper relationship with The Empire, but that wasn't too disappointing as people of the colonial countries preferred to avoid getting mixed up with The Empire as much as they could. If he was paid handsomely, he wouldn't have a single speck of regret in his heart.
However, the problem was that doing such a business was a huge loss for Golton Merchant Guild. They would pay a lot of money for some wheat that they couldn't sell and even spend more on storing and keeping them safe.
"You can do something else instead of dealing with wheat to earn the money you need, and even gain more than what you planned for."
"Hm?"
The enraged Evelyn, who was about to grab her teacher's collar and slap him in the face, halted, her interests piqued.
"Have you ever heard of monster meat, organs, and their price?"
"....."
Ian shot a confident smile towards her student.
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