A week had passed since my meeting with Gorem. Immediately following the signing of our agreement, Gorem dove headfirst into action. Within two days, he scoured over a dozen locations and swiftly secured one he deemed ideal for our new store. With no time to spare, he assembled a team of construction workers and commenced renovations on the chosen site. The latest update I received indicated that the renovations would wrap up by the end of the week.

To put it simply, things were progressing faster than I expected. Which didn’t faze me. I had been preparing for this moment for months and was confident I’d chosen the right partner.

Gorem was undeniably competent. His connections and experience made him an invaluable asset. Unfortunately, his relentless questioning was what made him a pain in the butt. Every encounter with him felt like a battle of wits, his inquiries always circling back to my trade deal with Everlorn. For some reason, he seemed determined to unravel the mystery of how I managed to secure the exclusive rights to selling trekle berries. While the answer was rather simple, it was one I couldn’t divulge. I’d promised William to keep it secret.

It had been about four months since I reached out to William and asked him about the situation in Everlorn. In his letter, he portrayed a scene of progress and hope. He told me the guild was using the berries they had salvaged, to lay the groundwork for constructing a large plantation just outside of Elysium.

That was when I came up with the idea. An idea to build a store that would sell products made of trekle berries. Seeing that without me, all the trekle berries would have been destroyed, it wasn’t hard to convince William to sell me the exclusive rights.

I had two waves of ideas brewing in my mind. The first was to establish a store centered on healthcare, offering sports drinks, smoothies, and potions. Once that foundation was set, I planned to venture into the realm of cosmetics. Given the healing properties of the berries, I was confident that with the assistance of a skilled chemist, we could develop a range of cosmetic products to introduce to the Azuraxian market.

Azurax, in many ways, lagged behind other worlds in terms of advancement. The reason for this lag was because at its core, demon society revolved solely around notions of glory, power, and status. And that needed to change. I hoped to influence broader cultural shifts by promoting beauty and self-care, nudging demons toward a more holistic perspective. It could very well be the first step to modernizing the way people thought.

Nevertheless, for now, those were just silly dreams. For all I knew, the store could open and end up becoming a complete disaster.

The real reason why I entered into a partnership with Gorem had nothing to do with money or changing the world. It was all about the information network he’d built. I wanted to use it to find out if the Covenant was in Valoria. If even a whisper of their presence surfaced, I was prepared to go to any lengths to pry those bastards out of the shadows. As long as I got my hands on one of them, I’d eventually get the rest.

Especially their leader… What was his name again?

“The Prophet,” Solomon reminded me. “His name was The Prophet.”

What a stupid name…

The only other person who knew the truth was Clair. Oh, and of course, Valtair. Considering he’d formed an alliance with Emperor Claudius, whom the Covenant was trying to kill, securing his financial backing proved to be effortless. Much to my surprise, Valtiar had exceeded my request for funds, promising even more if my results proved fruitful.

Despite all that, something didn’t feel right. I knew better than anyone how Valtair's mind worked. Although I understood why he had protected Claudius in the past, now that Eldrath was under his control, the elf emperor didn’t seem all that important. At least to me. Which begged me to wonder why he was so invested in protecting him.

I know he’s hiding something from me… I can feel it.

Whatever it was that he was hiding, was the true reason Valtair wanted Claudius alive.

To be frank, I had no interest in discovering Valtair’s intentions. I also didn’t care who the Covenant was trying to kill. If Claudius met his demise, it would elicit no emotions from me. My sole focus remained on avenging Felix and Elandril, and if utilizing Valtair’s resources facilitated that goal, then so be it.

“We’ll be arriving soon,” Cyrus announced from the front.

Blinking, I poked my head out of the window and spotted a large body of water in the distance. The scenery was beautiful. The water was as clear as the sky and the sand looked white. It was just like Clair had described.

“I can’t wait to swim!” Nalia exclaimed. I could hear her jumping in excitement at the front of the carriage.

Just before we left the city, the twins had insisted they wanted to drive the carriage. Knowing that it wasn't my place to order them around, I left the matter in Leonis's hands, convinced he’d handle it appropriately.

Long story short, I was wrong. Very wrong. Before I knew it, the twins had taken the driver’s seats, and we were en route to Lake Everglow. While I was aware that Leonis had been spoiling the children lately, I hadn’t realized it was to this extent.

“Was it really necessary to travel this far out?” Leonis sighed, staring out the window.

Unlike the twins, Leonis wasn’t happy with the idea of taking a three-hour trip away from the city.

“You know very well we can’t risk anyone seeing you use magic.”

“Couldn’t you have at least brought your maid with us?”

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. This wasn't the first time he'd acted this way. Lately, he'd been saying some strange things. I suspected Leonis had developed a crush on Clair. While I did admit the mere thought of them together made me cringe, that wasn’t the issue at hand. It had nothing to do with why I'd instructed Clair to stay behind.

“You do realize when I say “anyone”, I mean nobody who isn’t you, the twins, or me? Right?”

“I know, I know…”

Even though I trusted Clair, I couldn’t fully trust her with everything. I wanted to. I really did. Unfortunately, she also worked for Valtair and I couldn’t risk him discovering that I had healed Leonis's magic core.

Wanting to lighten the mood, I decided to throw some compliments in Leonis’s direction. “You know, I’m starting to dig this new look. You look good with short hair!”

“Oh, please… I know you’re mocking me.”

“What? No, I’m not!”

Leonis groaned. “Well, thanks to you, that’s all my nephews have been doing for the last couple of days.”

“They’re just kids,” I reminded him.

The last time I saw Leonis, I’d instructed him to cut his hair and dye it.

Initially, he hadn’t taken kindly to the idea. To be precise, he’d been furious. Fortunately, after I carefully explained my reasoning, he relented.

In a few short weeks, we were set to embark on a journey to the continent of Polaris with an army of five thousand soldiers, many of whom had fought in Eldrath. Considering Leonis’s notoriety, I realized there was a high chance someone might recognize him. Simply wearing a mask wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

To mitigate this danger, the two of us concocted a plan, and thus, Icarus, the mercenary, was born.

“Oh, before I forget. I got you something.”

Reaching for my bag, I pulled out a small box and handed it to Leonis. It was something I’d bought for him the last time I’d been at Gorem’s pawn shop.

“What is this?” Leonis asked, raising a brow.

“Open it.”

Anxiously, I watched as Leonis opened the box and his eyes fell on my gift. For a few seconds, he remained silent, his face unreadable.

Slowly, Leonis reached inside and took out a small model of a hand. It was a right hand made of clay and bronze.

“What… what is this?!”

“That my friend, is an item that is very hard to come by. Especially in Azurax. It’s a prosthetic hand that was crafted by a skilled craftsman in Gilderock.”

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure where it came from. I was just reciting what Gorem had told me.

“How does it work?” Leonis asked.

“Place the hand against your right wrist, and then focus some of your mana on the spot where your skin touches the prosthetic.”

Leonis took a deep breath as he placed the hand over his wrist.

At first, nothing happened. A tense silence filled the air as I watched anxiously, hoping the hand would start moving.

CRACK!

All of a sudden, the hand began to move. Its fingers had been extended, but now they slowly curled back, until they made a fist. It unclenched again, then clenched before unclenching one last time.

“T-This is incredible!” Leonis exclaimed.

I felt my lips curl upward as Leonis began to move his hand. The movements were surprisingly slick and natural-looking. If the hand hadn’t been made of bronze, I could have confused it with a real one.

“It’s so strange… This hand feels like it’s connected to my body.”

Leonis reached for the box I’d given him and ripped it in two. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the bronze hand.

“Amazing! I can feel things through it! It’s as if it’s real skin!”

I observed quietly as Leonis proceeded to conduct a series of experiments. He attempted to feel the wind, ran its fingers through his hair, and even tested if he could feel pain by touching his blade, which he did. Additionally, Leonis discovered that the strength of the hand varied depending on the amount of mana he concentrated on it.

Even as I stood back and watched, I found myself amazed. If this was truly something built by dwarves, I couldn’t even begin to fathom what other incredible technology they possessed.

“I don’t know what to say,” Leonis said, snapping my attention back to the present.

“What do you mean?”

“How will I ever repay you?”

“You don’t have to repay me… If anything, consider this an apology for having your hand cut off by my dumb father.”

Leonis shook his head. “His sins aren’t yours… Please tell me if there’s anything I can do to repay you?”

“Well, if you insist on repaying me, there is something you can help me with.”

“What is it?! I’ll do anything…”

Mustering up some courage, I told Leonis about the ruse Clair had come up with to conceal what had truly occurred during my visit to the slave market. Which wasn’t entirely true. It had been Valtair’s idea to lie to my mother. But if I told him that, I was sure he’d be less inclined to help.

The lie was simple. The lie involved me having a crush on Nalia. I also told Valtair that although I’d managed to distract my mother for the time being, she was very insistent on meeting Nalia. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep her distracted.

When I finally finished explaining the situation, I let out a sigh, bracing myself for his response. It could go one of two ways. In the first scenario, Leonis saw no problem with my favor and agreed. The second scenario was less favorable. It involved him turning into an overprotective uncle before telling me to fuck off.

“So, your parents aren’t aware we’ve made a master-servant pact?” Leonis asked.

Oh, thank God! I thought he was going to come out swinging.

“I wouldn’t jinx it if I was you…”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring Solomon’s remark.

“My father is aware of our contract but doesn’t care,” I revealed. “He still believes you’re a broken cripple who can’t use magic.”

“What about your mother?”

“She doesn’t have a clue. That’s why I need your help.”

Leonis let out a chuckle. “Why are you asking for permission? You do realize you can force me into letting you use my niece, right?”

He was talking about our master-servant contract. As his master, I had the right to give him any order and he had no choice but to obey.

I shrugged. “Yeah, I know… But this is different. If did that, it wouldn’t sit well with me.”

“I see…” Leonis placed his bronze hand under his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully.

After a few seconds of thinking, Leonis looked up at me and smiled. “Well, to be honest, I have no objections. I trust you, Lucian.”

“Oh, okay… Thanks, I guess!”

“You don’t have to thank me… Especially after giving me this hand.”

“Don't mention it," I said, nodding at the prosthetic. "Just remember not to use it in public. If someone sees you with the prosthetic, they'll realize you can use magic again."

“Yes, of course.”

Just then, I felt the carriage come to a sudden stop. I looked out the window and saw that we’d arrived.

“Thank the Gods,” Leonis stretched his arms as he stepped off the carriage. “For a moment there, I thought we’d never arrive.”

“I’m hungry,” Cyrus complained.

Leonis chuckled and patted him on the head. “Me too. What do you say we eat lunch?”

Cyrus smiled, nodding in agreement.

As the twins and Leonis began arranging the picnic table for lunch, I shifted my focus to the tree line. Ever since we left Valoria, I’d remained vigilant, keeping my senses sharp in case we were being followed.

In the three hours it took us to get here, I had sensed nothing. Still, to be safe, I was going to have a look around.

In one quick motion, I unfurled my wings and burst into the air.

The reason I chose to come to this lake was because it was situated right behind Valewood Forest. Valewood was a decently sized forest, just two hours west of Valoria. The forest not only provided excellent cover from prying eyes but also afforded a splendid vantage point, given that the lake was perched on a hill.

After soaring through the sky for a few minutes, I scanned the surroundings and found no signs that we’d been followed. Satisfied, I descended gracefully to rejoin the others for lunch.

Lunch was fantastic. We ate grilled cheese sandwiches and sipped on the refreshing lemonade Clair had packed for us. As usual, Cyrus launched into another heartfelt tribute to Clair’s cooking despite her not being here.

Once we finished eating, Leonis pulled me aside, his expression serious. I was going to receive my first lesson from him.

“Lucian, can you explain to me what sword aura is?”

I shook my head, acknowledging my ignorance on the matter. Though I had felt its presence when we sparred, its true nature remained a mystery to me.

“Sword aura is the fusion of mana and swordplay,” Leonis explained slowly. “Just like some mages use wands or magic circles to channel their magic, swordsmen infuse their blades with mana. Do you understand what I'm saying?”

I nodded.

“Good. Before we start our first exercise I’m going to talk about the technique I’ve mastered. It’s called the Serpent God Style.”

“The Serpent God Style?” I repeated.

Leonis affirmed with a nod. “Many interpretations exist regarding this technique’s purpose and application. But at its core, it’s a method centered on the art of stabbing.”

Wait, wait, wait… I think I heard him wrong.

“Are you saying that your “secret” technique is just stabbing?!”

“Well, that’s one way to put it.”

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. I mean, was this some sort of elaborate joke? Could Leonis truly have come close to defeating Valtair with such a seemingly straightforward technique?

“I can see you're disappointed,” Leonis remarked, his tone understanding. “Funnily enough, I felt the same when my master first introduced me to this technique.”

I rolled my eyes. “You don’t say.”

Leonis smiled and pointed at a tree that stood about twenty meters away. “I want you to watch carefully. This is what I want you to do for your first exercise.”

“Oh, okay…”

As Leonis slowly drew his sword, the metallic ring of steel against leather filled the air. His movements were deliberate, each motion purposeful as he aligned himself with the tree.

Time seemed to stretch as Leonis remained motionless, his focus intense. Then, with a sudden step back, he thrust the blade forward as if striking at an unseen foe.

BOOM!

A sound, similar to that of a gunshot, echoed through the air and my eyes widened in shock as the tree in the distance shattered into splinters.

As the echoes of the impact faded into the distance, I turned my gaze back to Leonis, who was looking at me with an air of quiet confidence. His expression was unreadable, his features composed.

“Did you like that?” Leonis asked, his voice cutting through the lingering silence.

I nodded but said nothing. I was too shocked to speak.