16 Chapter 14

The crisp morning air nipped at my cheeks as we walked along the path towards the village. 

Rem and Tereda walked side-by-side, their steps falling into a comfortable rhythm.

A sense of camaraderie, forged in the heat of battle and the shared experience of facing death, emanated from them.

I observed them with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. 

Rem, usually so composed and reserved, seemed to radiate a newfound warmth, her eyes sparkling with an uncharacteristic lightheartedness. 

Tereda, despite his usual stoic demeanor, occasionally cast her a sideways glance that held a hint of tenderness.

So, little sister, I thought with a smirk, it seems your date went rather well.

"So," I began, my voice laced with a playful lilt, "tell me about your little outing yesterday. Did Sir Tereda sweep you off your feet with his tales of daring adventures and exotic lands?"

Rem's cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink, and she averted her gaze. "It was pleasant," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tereda, for his part, simply shrugged and offered a noncommittal grunt.

Undeterred, I pressed on. "And what about the gifts? Surely a gentleman of such refinement as Sir Tereda wouldn't let his fair maiden leave empty-handed."

Rem's hand instinctively reached up to touch the blue gemstone hair clip that adorned her hair, a gift from Tereda, the magic clearly that of a high-level enchantment. "He- he was very kind," she stammered, her blush deepening.

Kind, indeed, I thought with a chuckle, noting the way Tereda's gaze lingered on Rem's face with an intensity that belied his casual demeanor.

It was then that I noticed their hands, intertwined and swinging gently between them as they walked. 

A gasp escaped my lips, and I burst into laughter.

"Oh, Rem," I exclaimed, feigning mock outrage, "it seems this dastardly bandit has not only stolen your heart but also your hand! Whatever shall we do?"

Rem's blush deepened, and she attempted to pull her hand away, but Tereda held on tight, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Fear not, Ram," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "I intend to treat her with the utmost care and respect. She is a treasure, after all, and I would never do anything to jeopardize her happiness. Like a proper bandit of renown and skill!"

His words, spoken with such sincerity, Despite the joke, warmed my heart. 

Perhaps this unexpected romance was not such a bad thing after all.

I'd trust him with my sister's heart, for now.

–

The village was a somber sight.

The village still bore the scars of the Walgram attack, and the faces of the villagers were etched with grief and exhaustion. 

As we arrived at the village square, Ram turned to us, her expression filled with amusement.

"I believe I can gather more information on my own," she declared. "Besides, being a third wheel on a romantic stroll is hardly my idea of a pleasant afternoon."

A sly smile played on her lips as she winked at Rem. "Enjoy your time together, sister. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for any suspicious characters."

With that, she disappeared into the rows of houses leaving Rem and me alone in the middle of the tiny marketplace.

I glanced at Rem, who seemed a bit flustered by her sister's teasing, her cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink.

"Shall we?" I asked, extending my hand towards her.

She hesitated for a moment, then took my hand with a shy smile. "Where are we going?"

"Kasimir's place," I replied, a mischievous glint in my eyes. "We should learn how to enchant. We might be able to find a way to enchant a solution to finding the rat who controlled the dogs."

We stopped in front of the closed magic shop, and with barely another thought, I activated the summoning ritual, clapping four times, speaking Kasimir's name, and clapping twice more. 

The world shimmered around us, and we found ourselves transported into the familiar expanse of the interplanar bazaar.

Kasimir materialized before us, his usual flamboyant attire replaced by a simple robe and a pair of spectacles perched on his nose. "Ah, Tereda Chouju and Rem," he greeted us with a warm smile. "Back so soon? I trust your training is progressing well?"

"Indeed," I replied, nodding in gratitude. "Although, we're eager to gain newfound knowledge of another kind, and hopefully put it to good use." I pulled out the Enchanting compendium I had acquired during our previous visit. "You mentioned crafting rooms?"

Kasimir's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Ah, yes, the crafting rooms! A place where you can hone your skills and create wondrous objects of power. We have facilities for blacksmithing, alchemy, enchanting, and much more. Each room offers a unique environment and specialized tools to aid in your endeavors."

He paused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Given your current level of expertise, or lack thereof, no offense, I would recommend the enchanting room with time options. You can even purchase a setting for the place where time stands still, allowing you to learn and practice the art of imbuing objects with magical properties without the constraints of the mortal realm."

"Time stands still?" Rem echoed, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Indeed," Kasimir confirmed. "Within the enchanting room, you will have an eternity to master the intricacies of enchantment, to experiment with different techniques, and to create objects of unimaginable power, as long as you have enough platinum to keep your subjective time objective."

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "However, such a privilege comes at a cost. One platinum coin for 2 days of access."

I glanced at Rem, who seemed both intrigued and apprehensive. "What do you think?" I asked. "Are you up for the challenge?"

She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with determination. "Yes," she said resolutely. "Let's do it."

And with that, we handed over the required payment and followed Kasimir through a hidden doorway, stepping into a realm where objective time was stopped outside the door.

"Feel free to refresh your time as many times as you want! Enjoy! OH! And training in anything other than enchanting does nothing!"

The door closed behind us, and a large clock appeared in the center of the room. 

Counting down for 48 hours.

—

After investigating the room, we noticed that there were 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a food- dispensary- thing- which you could ask for any kind of food for a very good price from, and a stand where if you placed your learning material, say, a large compendium of enchanting knowledge into, it will generate a personal tutor with all the knowledge in the compendium completely mastered.

We ended up, after a short discussion, deciding to buy 300 days in the room and full tutor access for the whole time.

We could bond over learning a new skill, and we still had the 1000 hour amulets, so we might not need that much.