The sun hung high, warming the streets as the Velari people slipped into their daily rhythm. Fruit sellers called out, fresh bread scented the air near the bakery, and the cries of boys selling newspapers echoed through the alleys. It was the familiar buzz of a city waking to another routine day.
But today, that routine was quietly interrupted by a convoy rolling through the streets. One by one, passersby looked up from their tasks, drawn to the rare sight of carriages marked with the Draven household crest. Whispers followed, each wondering what had stirred such motion.
The convoy paid no mind. It passed through the outer gates with unwavering pace, leaving only questions in its wake.
At the center of the long procession was a striking carriage, built from polished whitewood and pulled by two muscular beasts with flowing crimson manes rippling in the wind. Inside, three people sat.
"mander Siris, can you give the details again? What exactly are we looking for?" Vesha asked, turning her gaze from the window to the knight captain beside her.
Clad in full silver armor, Siris was tall, nearly matching Adyr in height. Her build was broad, her presence manding. Everything about her evoked the image of a traditional knight. As the captain of the Draven household’s knights, she had been personally assigned by Lord Orven to lead this expedition and escort Adyr.
Siris locked her dark blue eyes on Adyr, who sat across from her, seemingly unaware of everything happening around him. He was quietly reading a book, flipping through its pages as if the world outside held no interest.
There was a clear trace of suspicion in her gaze, especially once she noticed the book he held was a children’s book. It only pushed her further into doubt, but she didn’t voice it.
"The incident site is about an hour away, near a small village. The first reports of a Rank 2 Spark came in seven months ago. The initial team confirmed its presence. Based on recent findings, it’s believed to be aligned with the Ignis Path."
Vesha glanced at Adyr. When it was clear he had no intention of menting, she asked.
"How did you determine it belongs to Ignis?"
Siris tucked a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. "The Spark is listed in the Astra Church archives. Its name is Aqualith. They’re known for their sheer size. They anchor themselves in riverbeds, feed by absorbing the water’s flow, and pletely block its current. Another trait—they manipulate the water they consume, forming slime-like constructs that disrupt the surrounding habitat."
She paused briefly, her expression hardening.
"Three months ago, my squad and I went there ourselves to assess whether intervention was possible. The area was pletely overrun with those water slimes. Our weapons proved insufficient, and we were forced to withdraw."
With mander Siris’s explanation finished, silence returned to the carriage. As for Adyr, he had already finished one book and moved on to the next. Beside him were several others, some already pleted and more waiting to be read. Vesha had prepared them at his request.
To Siris, the sight of him reading looked more like a child flipping through pages for the pictures. She didn’t believe anyone could read that fast and assumed he was only pretending. What she didn’t know was that Adyr truly was reading every word at that speed.
At some point, he had even gained a talent related to his rapid reading. But he ignored the system’s prompt. He had only one registration slot left, and he intended to keep it for now.
After nearly an hour, the carriage began to slow and then came to a full stop. A mounted soldier rode up to the window and called out, "mander Siris, there’s a water slime blocking the road ahead. We are awaiting your orders."
Before responding, Siris turned to Vesha. "Lady Vesha, I’ll check the situation. You can remain here for safety."
Receiving a silent nod from her and giving no attention to Adyr, she stepped out of the carriage.
When she reached the front of the convoy, she saw ten soldiers in full silver armor standing with swords drawn, facing a single water slime.
The creature stood nearly as tall as a Velari—possibly even taller. Its body resembled a translucent mass of moving liquid. It had no eyes or discernible features.
The slime moved slowly. All it seemed to do was continue dragging itself forward, steadily advancing toward anything that approached.
"Reporting."
A soldier stepped beside Siris, standing at attention. "The path is pletely blocked by this water slime. Circumventing it appears impossible."
The road was flat and narrow, flanked on both sides by rocky terrain and wild overgrowth. There was no way for the carriage to detour around the creature without significant risk.
Siris narrowed her eyes, studying the water slime’s body in silence. She had fought one of these creatures herself three months ago and had ultimately failed. Against a creature like this, numbers meant nothing. Physical attacks were useless. When struck, the slime absorbed the blade into its body using its adhesive consistency, pulling the weapon—and often the soldier holding it—into itself before quickly dissolving and killing its target.
As Siris weighed their next move and her soldiers stood waiting for orders, a sound behind her drew her attention.
"Tell them to stay back," Adyr said, calmly drawing one of the blades strapped across his back. His face remained expressionless, his steps measured as he moved forward.
Siris watched him approach with that unfamiliar weapon in hand. "Physical attacks are useless," she warned, her tone sharp.
By now, she had already begun to view him as a fool, detached, aimless, and clearly out of his depth. Seeing him step toward the threat without hesitation or coordination only confirmed her belief.
Vesha and Lord Orven had never told her he was a practitioner. As far as she knew, he was just another hired adventurer, or worse, a mercenary of questionable worth. She couldn’t understand why someone like him warranted an escort from the Draven household. But her pride as a knight and her position as a mander left her with a clear conclusion—he was weak.
"That’s something I’ll decide," Adyr replied, without so much as a glance in her direction.
"I didn’t bring you here just to watch you die. Follow the order, or—" Siris’s voice cut sharply, her authority pressed into every word.
But before she could finish, something shifted.
Adyr took a single step forward.
Then he was gone.
Only a gust of wind remained, sweeping past her and tugging at her hair like an afterthought.
"What...?" She turned.
He was already standing in front of the water slime, sword drawn, its body split open in a single clean stroke.
In that moment, she realized the truth.
The fool had never been him.
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