The first sense of discomfort was noticed within the city.
Aslan received food from Phey, who was holding a plethora of food and drinks in both hands, briefly filled his stomach, and returned it when fortune reacted.
‘…What is it?’
The reaction itself was extremely faint. So much so that if Aslan’s fortune had been slightly lower, he might not have noticed it at all.
But Aslan’s fortune was already at 10. At this level, where one could foresee the future through personal ability alone and repeatedly glimpse that future, even the slightest hint could not go unnoticed.
‘But why did it react?’
The issue was the location.
Aslan was in the city of the Wizards. A city that, until recently, had been half-ruined due to the rampaging priests.
The city, quickly rebuilt by the power of magic, seemed to have regained its vitality as if nothing had happened.
That said, the vigilance hadn’t lessened. New guards were deployed, and new wizards were assigned.
Even now, if Aslan turned his head, with his right eye, he could see the busy movements of the guards.
Could there be someone hostile to Aslan in such a place brimming with watchful eyes and forces?
Even if there were, would they really attempt to attack Aslan?
There was no possibility that fortune had reacted incorrectly.
Moreover, considering the bounty on Aslan’s head, the threat wasn’t strange.
After all, Aslan was the veteran of combat long desired by the Supreme Divinity.
But the absence of any visible threat was what irked Aslan. While scanning the surroundings with a slightly furrowed brow, the leading figure, Phey, turned around to look at Aslan.
Her hair flowed as she tilted her head, and her uniquely refreshing elfin figure drifted gently.
“Why are you like this?”
Phey asked with an expressionless face. The elf girl Phey, who admired ordinary human life despite not needing to eat or sleep, followed along.
There was no possibility that Phey harbored murderous intent towards Aslan. Aslan trusted her loyalty and admiration.
Then, what was it? Aslan softly smiled and shook his head. Phey stared at Aslan for a moment before approaching and taking his hand.
Gently pressing, Phey massaged Aslan’s hand. Aslan blinked lightly upon seeing Phey unexpectedly massaging his hand.
It was an abrupt and hard-to-understand action, but Aslan realized it was Phey’s way of offering comfort.
During their time together, Aslan often struggled after losing Lewena.
Whenever Aslan was distressed, Phey pondered how she could console him and eventually chose massage.
Since then, whenever Aslan appeared troubled, Phey would massage his hands, neck, shoulders, or even his face without any context. Though massages to the face sometimes seemed overly intimate, Aslan chose not to point it out to avoid awkwardness and simply smiled through it.
This practice continued until now. Watching Phey massage his hand, mistaking his blank reaction for pain, Aslan absentmindedly stroked the girl’s head.
“I’m fine. Just, um.”
How should this be explained? Aslan rolled his eyes while contemplating what to say.
First, it was necessary to pinpoint who was chasing Aslan.
Rolling his eyes momentarily, Aslan realized that merely following the sequence wouldn’t yield answers and decided to reevaluate the situation from the beginning.
Aslan and Phey were walking when fortune activated.
The reaction wasn’t strong. Considering the varying degrees of reaction based on the level of threat, it likely wasn’t a life-threatening danger.
Yet, despite Aslan’s excellent senses, he couldn’t locate whoever had triggered the fortune.
If we consider those capable of doing so in this city, the answer was simple—someone whose motives were also clear.
When Aslan paused speaking, Phey, looking up with wide eyes, tried to massage his hand again, but Aslan smiled faintly and shook his head.
“Someone is watching us.”
Phey tilted her head at this statement. Her fallen hair covered her cheek as she silently scanned the surroundings.
Had it been Angie, she would have blatantly looked around and drawn attention, but Phey was sharper. Aslan added quietly so as not to be overheard by whoever was watching.
“Either the gaze of an Evil Deity or the doing of a wizard. Moreover, a wizard skilled enough to deceive both Phey and my senses.”
An outstanding wizard. The implication made Phey suppress a smile. It wasn’t her usual girlish grin but rather an adult-like smirk.
“Intriguing.”
As Phey responded, Aslan nodded with his characteristic gentle smile. He had a rough idea why they were being watched but preferred to hear it directly. Exchanging glances with Phey, Aslan spoke.
In a voice loud enough to catch nearby people’s attention:
“Phey, since we don’t know the city well, why don’t we ask where the good places are? The mayor should be in the office about now.”
“Oh, I think that’s a great idea! Let’s invite them to dinner while we’re at it!”
With a bright laugh, the conversation triggered another reaction of fortune. A light breeze stirred, and Aslan and Phey headed toward the direction of the mayor’s office.
The feeling of being watched persisted as they walked. Now unhidden, Aslan’s fortune continued reacting until they reached the mansion of Anna Helmenius, peaking just outside the mayor’s office.
The hostility was minimal, yet the reaction remained steady but not intense. Knowing the door to the mayor’s office wasn’t locked, Aslan swiftly opened it.
Simultaneously, the sound of something falling off a table echoed.
Clang!
Creaking open the door revealed Anna Helmenius lying on the floor, trembling slightly.
That was evidence enough. Any excuses would be feeble nonsense. Aslan smiled slightly, crossed his arms, and Phey giggled behind him.
“How did you know…?”
Thus, Anna Helmenius didn’t bother resisting and answered honestly. Better to ask one question than make a hundred excuses. Aslan smiled and stroked his chin.
“Just a lucky guess.”
“…Huh?”
“Wizards excel at understanding reality and altering it with their mana. However, their vision tends to be narrow, making it difficult for them to perceive multiple phenomena simultaneously. Most wizards have this weakness, and I assumed Anna also shared it.”
As he spoke, Anna shakily stood up from the floor, rubbing her sore back as she sat down in a chair.
“I thought either you’d suspect we’d be caught or decide not to risk exposure and rush here. If I were in your position, I would’ve claimed to be away on official business and arrived late.”
In short, she came running because she was exposed. The woman’s pupils trembled, and Phey expressed her amusement with soft laughter.
Was she upset? For a moment, Anna stared blankly at Phey before faintly smiling.
Anna, with her strong maternal instincts, couldn’t scold the girl laughing at her predicament. She simply sighed deeply while rubbing her back.
“So, why were you watching us?”
Aslan naturally entered the mayor’s office and asked, while Phey closed the door behind them with her foot.
Upon Aslan entering, Anna hesitated briefly before casually waving her hand.
The flow of mana wrapping around revealed several “eavesdropping prevention” spells including soundproofing and intrusion prevention. This was unexpected for Aslan, who had assumed Phey merely wanted more attention.
Surprised, Aslan paused mid-step, and the woman glanced at him.
Her gaze was primarily filled with worry.
“…Your arm has healed completely, hasn’t it?”
Was she concerned about his arm? Aslan didn’t think so. He blinked instead of answering, and the woman frowned, scattering tiny green lights from her narrowed eyes.
“Did you use Equalization?”
“Equalization.”
Aslan couldn’t answer easily.
After all, using Equalization for recovery wasn’t common.
It was a particularly high-risk magic with significant consequences upon failure.
“…I’ll ask again.”
This magic was mainly used for maintaining experimental subjects and rarely on humans, except for two individuals.
“Are you acquainted with my disciple… Anton?”
The master of magic, Anton, and the veteran of combat, Aslan.
Upon hearing the name of his acquaintance, Aslan’s expression became ambiguous, neither a smile nor awkwardness.
This was undeniable evidence.
In the entire history of Geladridion, only two people used Equalization for recovery purposes.
Aslan had indeed met the master of magic, fought alongside him, and even attempted to kill each other.
Recalling that Anton had died five times during their battles, the question of whether they knew each other seemed inappropriate.
Pausing to observe the serious expression of Anna, who seemed genuinely worried about him, Aslan finally replied.
“The Anton you’re referring to…”
“The one who uses steel cores, is proficient in mutation and manifestation schools, is in his 70s, keeps a cat, and frequently wears masks.”
There was no denying it—it matched perfectly. Observing Aslan’s distorted expression, Anna pinched the bridge of her nose.
The ensuing sigh wasn’t directed at Aslan but likely at Anton far away.
She redirected her gaze to Aslan and asked,
“Is Anton doing well?”
A soft concern-filled voice different from the madness shown when Aslan initially rejected her proposal to collaborate on reviving her daughter.
Considering that her unique maternal love was directed toward a seventy-year-old man, it was peculiar, yet Aslan understood it was Anna’s true nature.
She was probably the type who couldn’t abandon her disciple. With a wry smile, Aslan answered.
“The last time I saw him, he exploded with five martial monks, so he’s probably still alive.”
A statement that would normally send anyone into shock, but the woman knew Anton well, perhaps even better than Aslan.
Thus, she exhaled in relief.
“He must still be using that magic frequently. It’s fortunate that he hasn’t changed…”
“The most efficient method, he said. So, unless a more efficient way is found, he’ll likely stick to it.”
“That sounds like him. Where is he now? Could he be in this city…?”
With a hopeful gleam in her eyes, Aslan lightly shook his head.
“He lives in the tower northeast of the Divine Battleground Fortress.”
The woman openly displayed regret.
That regret soon shifted toward Phey, who glanced at Aslan upon noticing the intensity in Anna’s gaze.
Casually shaking the box in her crossed hands, Aslan nodded.
Pretending to check her surroundings, Phey then smiled and extended the box containing shoes.
Upon opening and presenting it, Anna’s eyes widened.
“Since Anna gave Phey shoes, Phey will give shoes to Anna too!”
Approaching, Phey handed over the shoes, and Anna, receiving them, looked alternately between Phey and Aslan with an astonished expression.
To summarize, she was surprised.
“Where did you get these…?”
Surprise at how Phey managed to buy these while evading her surveillance.
Phey proudly responded to the question.
“I’m an elf.”
As if that explanation sufficed, she placed her hands on her hips and lifted her head confidently.
Watching her proud expression, Anna blankly inspected the shoes, realizing they were expensive boots that fit her perfectly.
Recognizing this fact, Anna looked up again, and Phey added:
“Thank you for protecting Phey!”
Bright laughter, feigned or not, radiated childlike innocence.
Ultimately, Anna burst into tears, hugging Phey tightly. Despite knowing what was coming, Phey didn’t resist and gently patted Anna’s back as she sobbed.
“Phey… let’s live together with Mommy…”
“No, Phey is going with Aslan. Anna, you stay here!”
Smiling brightly, Phey replied, leaving Anna to silently feel regretful.
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