James and Charles were standing before a mansion several hundred miles from the village. The grandeur structure gave off an imposing aura.

Standing at the door, Charles couldn’t help but sigh. James, on the other hand, felt a sense of dread. Despite having healed well, the siblings hadn’t managed to rid themselves of their haggard appearances. The small tussle with Max and the psychological pressure from failing the Minister had taken a toll.

With dejected expressions, they entered inside. The head maid of the household had them wait while she notified the master of the house.

 The gloom and despondency between the brothers made the dimly lit room seem even darker.

“Master will see you now.”

“Let’s go brother. We can only hope for the best.” Charles resolutely said before leading the way.

To the siblings, the long winding corridor seemed to be without end. While the duo sorted through their indescribably complex mix of emotions, they put one foot in front of the other and finally arrived before another door. And then they heard the much dreaded and respected voice of their commander… “Come in.”

The siblings stood inside a room enveloped by darkness. Before them appeared the silhouette of a man. Wearing a suit, he indifferently stared out the window with his back towards them. Charles and James immediately knelt in his direction, falling on one knee with one hand on their chest and their faces pointing downwards.

“My lord.” They said in union.

“Hmm.” The man acknowledged their presence, but didn’t turn around.

“Let me do the talking.” Charles hurriedly whispered to James before continuing in a louder and more audible voice, “We –”

“Encountered a problem?” The man interjected with indifference. “Of course you did. Why else would the two of you be late? And by the looks of it injured too…”

While his tone was level, they knew better. The Minister was clearly disappointed and perhaps even upset. Yet, his pride wouldn’t allow for any display of emotions before his subordinates.

The Minister looked like a man in his mid thirties, though he was in the late two hundreds. He sported sharp facial features and greying hair.

More than hundred years ago, the Empire had had countless skirmishes with the Dominion. Many had ended in the Empire’s victory with the Minister strategizing from the shadows and leading his men to battle in the light. His accomplishments gained him the trust and respect of even the king.

Tired of the bloodshed, the man had chosen to retire from the battlefield. Declining a formal position in the royal court, he took up an honorary title and settled on the outskirts of the Empire while keeping his distance from everyone.

Since the conversation failed to move forward, the Minister asked with a hint of impatience, “Well… Do you need an invitation? What happened?”

“That’s –”

“Not you Charles… James! Answer the question!”

James snuck a quick look at his brother and recounted the story. Save for Max’s name, he divulged everything.

Charles was disappointed by the development. With the Minister’s permission, he confirmed the story while adding his own conjectures at the end. As a result, Max had been transformed into an enigma who had spared the two.

The Minister pondered over the recent findings and turned to his books as a means to help him process. With a snap of his fingers, a dim light illuminated the room. As the Minister engrossed himself in reading, the siblings began to feel an increasing sense of foreboding.

“At ease, gentlemen.”

James and Charles heaved a sigh of relief as they stood up, intently looking at their superior in the hopes of being dismissed.

The Minister reaffirmed. “You said the boy looked around seventeen or eighteen and was definitely not from the Alcatraz Empire?”

“Yes.”

“Are you certain that he was that girl’s familiar?”

“We –”

“Are you sure?” Sensing the slight hesitation, the Minister shifted his gaze to the two.

“He – He definitely had a crest on his hand. He had to be. Why else would he have a reason to save her?”

“Very well! You’re dismissed!” The Minister declared as he quickly lost interest in them.

The book was tossed aside as soon as the pair left. The already dim lights returned back to their source as darkness reigned supreme once more. The Minister wasn’t alone anymore. Smoke emerged, coagulating into a blurry shape of a man with no notable features. The smoky figure stood behind the Minister, keeping to the shadows.

A sinister aura seemed to pervade the room. Darkness prevailed as even the minute traces of moonlight seemed to be devoured. With a raucous voice, it asked, “Was it alright to let them off so easily?”

The Minister sighed. “One cannot be too harsh with his subordinates. There must be a balance between reward and punishment. Too much of the former will cause complacency while an unnecessary amount of the latter will result in resentment and eventually… anarchy.”

The smoky figure laughed. “As expected, your fame is well deserved, but it might not last very long. The people seem to think that your hobbies have taken a promiscuous turn.”

The Minister clenched his fist as his cold eyes suddenly showed a wave of determination. He said, “It is better that way. I can’t have them finding out our real purpose. Not yet!”

“…”

“What about the girl? Will this delay our plans?”

“Perhaps… Perhaps not.” The figure mused. “She was a suitable candidate, but there should be more like her in this empire.”

“This sudden appearance of a familiar… Something doesn’t feel right. That girl is from a rural village. The reports didn’t indicate anything unusual about her family and friends either. From what I gathered, she wasn’t able to complete the initial steps for the summoning. Yet now, she has a contract? Is it really a coincidence? Or is someone helping her from the shadows?”

“If someone gets in our way, you can simply eliminate them. With your influence, there are only a few who you can’t deal with. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem.” The figure lazily answered as the smoke began to dissipate.

Watching it disappear, the Minister issued a heavy sigh before closing his eyes to immerse in the silence. It was eerily peaceful, but somehow it gave him the clarity he needed to think.

***

At the village, Max had interacted with quite a few people. The villagers were simple and honest folk. After Liliana and Isabel vouched for Max, they had accepted him without any questions.

The village had taken its name from the founder family - Argent. The role of village chief had also been passed down through this particular family line. The Argent family always seemed to produce heirs who had the talent for mana. It was how they managed to stay in charge.

Liliana’s aptitude for a mage made her circumstances special. Believing it to be a blessing, the chief’s brother had taken an interest in her. It had been a year since he had offered to get her into Taurus Academy. However, her mother had politely declined the gesture on her behalf.

On his third day since the summoning, Max was helping Liliana and her friend plant seeds in a farm.

Charlene whispered next to Liliana’s ear, “So who’s this guy anyway? Do you really believe his story? Do you think he’s really lost his memories?”

“Yeah. He seems to be telling the truth. I cast a small spell on him when we first met to see if he was lying… Looks like he isn’t.” Liliana carefully replied.

Charlene was completely unaware of the intricacies of magic. Despite her inability to interact with mana, she was still fascinated by the subject. Her eyes couldn’t help but glow with excitement at the mention of a spell.

“Is there really a convenient spell like that?” She asked full of expectation.

As part of the contract, a Mage could, theoretically, determine if the familiar was lying. By reciting a small spell, the Mage could incite the insignia to produce a reaction. It would either glow to represent the truth or wouldn’t to reveal the lie. The guardian contract was no different.

After visually confirming their relationship and getting over her initial frustration, Liliana had recited this very same spell. With the insignia glowing soon after, she could only accept Max’s story for what it was - the ‘truth’.

Neither of the two knew that the insignia had malfunctioned, effectively hiding Max’s subterfuge.

Liliana awkwardly smiled. “Uh… Yeah. It’s not that complicated but it can’t be used too often on the same person.”

“Hey! I am done here. What’s taking the two of you so long?” Max suddenly interrupted, walking up to the girls. Why am I stuck doing farm work? Doesn’t this girl want to take the academy tests?

Isabel had given him a lot of information, but it was nowhere near enough. Max wanted to understand more about the world he had been pulled into, more about Asterisk. Internet wasn’t an option, so the only way to explore the world was through travel and libraries.

“There’s still time! Mind your own business!” Liliana snapped and hastily got back to work.

“Don’t tell me you like him?” Charlene questioned in hushed whispers and snuck glances at Max.

“What?! That guy? No way!” Liliana laughed like she had heard the most ridiculous thing.

“Hmm… ”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Liliana’s expression suddenly turned sour. Puzzled, Charlene only realized why after following her gaze. As with Liliana, a sense of worry crept into her eyes.

A young man, around twenty, was confidently walking towards the field. With sleek black hair and a straight face, he stood out in the village. Aside from his distinct dressing style, the sword on his back stood out like a sore thumb. His face was a well of arrogance which seemed to grow thanks to the group of sycophants flocked around him, endlessly showering him with praise and flattery.

Max instinctively rolled his eyes in disgust. ‘I really hate pompous brats.’ Was Max’s thought. He wanted to stay as far away from the young man as possible. Almost like muscle memory, his fingers twitched with the urge to crush the smug face.

“Hello Lily! Fancy meeting you here.” The youth displayed a cordial smile after stopping at the gate. The condescending gaze had been replaced by an aura of humility.

“Lord Aaron.” Charlene slightly bowed.

Liliana coldly replied, “We don’t know each other well enough for you to be acting so familiar…. Aaron!”

“Come now, no need to be so cold. I just returned from the academy and was touring the village since it’s been so long.”

“Oh? Then please by all means… be on your way then. Don’t let me interrupt you.”

 “Won’t you join me?” Aaron looked around before stopping at Charlene and showing a hint of disdain, “Farm work is meant for plebeians and not someone of your stature.”

“What I do with my time is none of your business!” Liliana harrumphed.

The lackeys were constantly bidding to get into Aaron’s good books. One of them jumped at the opportunity provided by Liliana’s remark. He shouted, “Insolence! Don’t act haughty because you can use a bit of magic. You – You reject mage! The young lord was kind enough to invite you, how dare you retort with that tone?!”

“Shut up!!” Aaron barked and continued with a display of sincerity. “I apologize for my friend’s behaviour Lily. He was out of line.”

“I thought I made it clear I don’t want you calling me in that manner.”

“What’s the problem? Aren’t we going to be engaged soon?”

Liliana’s eyes narrowed as her face contorted in fury. “That hasn’t been decided yet! My mother still hasn’t agreed and I already refused your proposal back then.”

“That’s not something you and me can decide. My father will be speaking to your mother soon regarding this matter.”

Liliana gnashed her teeth in anger. Why can’t he leave me alone?

With unbridled flames of anger bursting from her eyes, Liliana wanted to insult and cuss. The sudden appearance of a jacket over her shoulders helped douse the fire of fury within her. Her large vocabulary stopped at the tip of her tongue as she turned her head in surprise to find Max standing next to her with a smile.

“You’re sweating and it’s pretty cold. You might catch the flu if you don’t take care.”

Standing a few feet behind the pair, Charlene looked at Max with a hint of worry. To Charlene, his actions were a clear indication of a message directed at Aaron Argent: ‘Stand down!’