“Huh? Did I hear that right? You're giving up your fine life in the Royal Capital to be my attendant? Are you trying to experience how the other half lives, or has your head gone soft?”
Midir nearly spat out his tea upon hearing the dead-serious declaration. “I don't get it,” he asked, bewildered.
“You might not fully understand, Sir. Although I am the second son of the Duke of Azure, I have no right to inherit the family estate. Even if my father dotes on me, that fact remains unchanged. The best I can hope for in the future is to return to the Azure City-State and live as an idle lord.”
“That’s why Rorschach, despite being a duke's son like me, never looks me in the eye. Perhaps that is the natural gap in our status! With the sudden magic calamities breaking out everywhere, the situation abroad is chaotic. Though the Royal Family hasn't said it outright, I know that at best, I’m nothing more than a hostage here in Lionheart City.”
Blake's expression turned lonely, and he spoke with a self-deprecating tone.
“Miss Aila's words yesterday deeply touched me. I would rather follow a powerhouse like you and travel the world than be a useless caged bird.”
“Wait a second. Are you saying you don't even want your status as a duke's son anymore?” Hearing Blake's monologue, Midir couldn't help but wonder if he had eaten something wrong or hit his head.
However, seeing him sitting so upright and serious, with no sign of joking, Midir didn't have the heart to mock him.
“I know my talent is mediocre. During our sparring sessions, I can clearly feel that even Rosal, who was put on the right path by Miss Aila, has more potential than me. If I don't find a way to improve, she’ll surpass me soon. I’ve thought about it for a long time—if I truly want to become stronger, I must leave this comfort zone first.”
“Sigh, so you came up with this idea?” Midir let out a sigh and spoke after a moment of thought.
“It's a good thing to want to broaden your horizons, but this trip to Crown Peak won't be easy. I can't necessarily guarantee your safety. Besides, if you leave so suddenly, what will your father think? And how will you explain it to the Royal Capital?”
“If it were before, I might not have had this thought. But now that I know Miss Aila, if she allows me to join Starlight Moon Shadow, there won't be a problem.”
Blake seemed to have already thought of a solution, answering without the slightest hesitation.
“Then you might as well ask for Aila's opinion first... but I still think this is a bit improper. You should consider her position as well. Even if she has the authority, will your idea bring her unnecessary trouble?”
Seeing the determination on Blake's face, Midir didn't know how else to persuade him and could only bring up Aila once more.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll discuss it with Miss Aila when she and Rosal return.”
After hearing Midir's suggestion, Blake didn't say much more. He walked to the side and sat down in silence, seemingly calculating how to explain the situation to Aila.
The room fell back into silence after their brief conversation.
However, Aila and Rosal were nowhere to be found; they didn't return before lunch as expected.
It wasn't until the sun had set and the sky was dyed with the colors of night that Rosal returned home alone, looking exhausted.
“Rosal, why are you just getting back? Blake already went home. I left dinner in the kitchen; do you need me to heat it up for you?”
Midir was currently studying the stack of information Aila had given him, which was spread out on the coffee table. He looked up and asked when he saw Rosal enter.
“No... no need! I can do it myself, I won't trouble you!”
Rosal rejected Midir's offer in a bit of a panic and scurried into the kitchen.
“What a strange girl...”
Watching the busy figure in the kitchen, Midir opened his mouth as if to say something, but after a thought, he lowered his head and continued researching the documents in his hand.
For the next ten days or so, Rosal and Aila left the villa together early every morning and didn't return until late at night. The two were acting very mysteriously and never revealed their whereabouts.
Midir didn't pry into their business. He simply fulfilled his bet with Aila, preparing delicious and abundant food for the two girls every day, enough to replenish the energy they spent.
With someone like Aila—who had both a powerful background and was a veteran adventurer—Midir wasn't worried about their safety. With her string of titles, he doubted anyone in Lionheart City would have the guts to provoke them.
It was only Blake, who had been waiting to ask Aila, who felt a bit depressed after not seeing a glimpse of them for over ten days.
His daily task at the villa was still to run errands for Midir, purchasing a large amount of adventuring supplies and resources.
Then there were the endless guests wanting to invite Midir. They hadn't given up on the idea of recruiting him, but Blake fended them off with the excuse that Midir wasn't home.
“Sir, I’m back. How long do you plan to stay in the wild? Why are you preparing so many supplies?”
That morning, Blake pushed a small cart full of food through the back door and greeted Midir, who was sitting in the yard drinking tea and reading a book.
“Supplies... it’s always better to have more than less, right? My storage space is large enough anyway, and it seems that once things are put inside, they stay in a state of relative stasis and won't spoil. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Midir watched as Blake moved the items from the cart to the ground one by one. He walked over, and after a brief check, a circular spatial entrance emerged from his hand. The various foods disappeared into the storage space.
Seeing Midir stow away crates of supplies like a bottomless pit, Blake's face twitched slightly. He thought to himself that only Midir could do this; no one else could have such a massive storage space.
A typical mage's storage space was pitifully small compared to this freak of nature. Aside from essential living and adventuring supplies, it was only large enough to hold a few small valuables.
The supplies Blake had been buying back and forth these past few days were certainly not valuables, but their quantity was enough to fill one or two rooms. Even for the cheapest staples like rice and corn, they had prepared dozens of burlap sacks of each.
It was no exaggeration to say that if Midir poured out everything in his storage space, it would be enough to feed a unit of a thousand people for quite some time. Yet, these things only occupied a small fraction of his abnormally large storage space.
“I think this amount is about enough. We can stop the procurement for now. You’ve worked hard these past few days, Blake,” Midir said, looking back after tallying the purchase list.
“By the way, Sir, I noticed while shopping that food prices in the Royal Capital seem to be on a steady rise. Out of curiosity, I looked into it a bit. It seems magic calamities are worsening across the continent, and everyone seems to be quietly stockpiling. Do you still intend to leave?” Blake suddenly remembered the news he had heard and asked.
“Of course. To ordinary people, the appearance of magic creatures in the wild might be a major issue, but they aren't much of an obstacle for me. It’s actually quite good for you all to stay in the Royal Capital for now; at least it’s safe enough, isn't it?”
Midir didn't take the news to heart, answering calmly with a hint of quiet confidence.
“That’s true. I just don't know what Miss Aila and the others have been busy with lately. Haven't you asked them?”
“No. Since they haven't said anything outright, they must have their own plans. Besides, with Aila there, nothing major will happen. Let them tinker with whatever they're doing.”
“Sigh... I wonder if Miss Aila will come over today. I haven't seen her in over ten days,” Blake sighed softly.
“What’s wrong? Only been ten days and you already miss me?” Before he could finish his sentence, Aila's crisp voice rang out from behind them, making Blake jump out of his chair in surprise.
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