002_Conrad
Warm sunlight brushed his skin, winds howled, and the birds were singing. The young boy had never gone further than the wall in his city without a carriage.
"It would take us about 2 weeks from here to Hugs, young master." Leon broke the silence.
"Mmm," Rein answered weakly.
Even though he usually enjoys going on an adventure with his father, he can't even think straight at the moment, all he can focus on is the back of the man in front of him.
They passed the endless forest, treading through the plains of Conrad, a small port south of Potra.
Leon brushed his attire. "We should stop at a lake near Conrad before going inside the city."
"Why?"
"We don't look very presentable at the moment, young master." He said while chipping a hardened blood stain from his armor.
They arrive at the small lake. Conrad's gate is already visible from a distance.
After helping Rein get off the horse, Leon put off his armor and washed it with some water.
"Young master, you need some cleaning too." Leon looked at the absent-minded child, he couldn't help but sigh.
"Here, wear this young master." Leon helped Rein put on the cloth.
Rein looks confused, even though the coat feels warm and comfortable he wonders why he needs to wear such clothing. "Why should I wear a coat, Sir?"
"It's for protection, we should try to hide for the time being. The coat is a magic item that can hide your presence for a moment, you've used that coat before right?"
To prevent any harm to his only son, Duke Hart ordered his men to create several magical coats for his young successor, the ones that Rein wears at the moment were one for a dire situation where Rein needs to hide.
"If it's the same coat as what I usually wear then I have no problem using it." Rein usually wore a coat much grander than the one that he wore at the moment.
"Alright, show me how you use it first before we continue our journey."
Rein waved his right hand and he gradually disappeared. "Although it doesn't look as great as my usual coat, it still feels the same."
After removing his magical power from the coat, Rein gradually appears in front of Leon. "Well done, the coat is a masterpiece of your father and Frost, it will always fit you no matter your age." Leon helped Rein get on top of the horse.
"Who is Frost?" Hearing the unfamiliar name, Rein couldn't help but ask.
A Disdainful smile appeared on Leon's face. "He is your father's first apprentice and a coward."
"He should be your senior brother then?" Rein asked, tilting his head.
"Unfortunately, yes." Leon shook his head and focused on riding the horse.
Before the gate, there is a long queue to enter the port.
"Seems like my hunch was right. Our city was ambushed because they had controlled the nearby city." He whispers toward Rein.
"What should we do, Sir?" A look of worry appeared on Rein's face.
Leon stopped the horse and let the horse loose after helping Rein get down. "That's where our coat shines, young master. We will get in through the front gate using our coats."
The light shines from Leon's ring and suddenly a coat appears. "Even though it is not as good as yours, this coat still has some ability."
Fortunately, there was a big gap in the barricade that blocked the gate.
Leon focused his mana on his right hand. "[Tether]"
He then put his hand over to close Rein's eyes. "We should be able to see each other now, young master."
They were both transparent to the naked eye, but with [Tether] they shared one of their senses with the other person. By sharing magic senses they can feel and see each other's presence.
"Mmm, I can clearly see you." Rein nodded his head in awe.
"Very well, let's go. There should be a ship waiting for us in the port."
They slowly pass the barricade and all the guards, carefully avoiding obstacles and other people so as to not raise any suspicion.
"Move it!" A bulky man wearing chainmail screams at an elderly woman.
"Please, Sir! I need to get in, at least let us buy some food inside the city, my grandchildren and I haven't eaten anything for the past two days!" The elderly woman knelt down and started begging the bearded bulky man.
"No, can't do! This is the Royal Guard direct order. I cannot just make an exception here, old woman!" The bulky man pushed the woman back to the line with his foot.
"Aaghh!" The old woman screams as her grandchildren help her back up.
"Hey, we've been here for two days without anything! You guys should give us an explanation here!" A guy shouted from the crowd.
"The Royal Guard will give you an explanation when they arrive! Just stay here and obey if you want to get into the city!" The bulky man screamed, he ordered his men to close the gate as he sensed that those people would riot.
Several people from the line had left now, no one wanted to wait any longer.
"You said that the Royal Guard will arrive two days ago and yet no golden embroidery can be seen as far as we can see!" Another woman chimed in, screaming.
"You can all disperse if you don't want to wait, I don't care." The bulky man stared at them from the top of the gate and left.
The central district is very quiet for a port city, there are more guards than people that roam around the road. "The attacker really did control this city, huh? I hope there is no magic detector inside this city." Smacking his lips, Leon becomes more frustrated.
The streets look lifeless, no one roams around the city, and stores close their doors. Only taverns opened their doors wide, but there are only guards and soldiers can be seen inside.
After arriving at the port, Leon takes a turn to a hut at the end of the port where no one really walks by. The hut looks very poor compared to other buildings that are grand and luxurious inside the port city.
"We are here, young master. Stay hidden till I tell you it's safe." Leon is gradually visible as he removes his magic from the cloak. He slowly opened the hut's door.
"Ah! Welcome to our humble travel agency! We can accompany you anywhere on the continent! Anything and anyone. For a price, huhu." A shabby-looking guy in a black shirt greeted them, and a girl can be seen sitting near the entrance, ignoring Leon.
Leon extends his arms out, light shines from his ring and a badge with snowflakes engraved on it appears on top of his palm.
"Ohh it was our esteemed guests. I'm sorry for our poor hospitality, Conrad is just a bit out of reach from our main branch at the moment and our supply here is shamefully low quality." The attendant smiled and glanced at the girl.
"Is that so? It won't be that hard for your guild to get us out of this city, right?" Leon's lips are smiling, but his eyes are not, almost like he is threatening the attendant.
"You flatter us, Sir. But, what I said before was indeed the truth, it will be a bit hard for us to contact the main branch with the lockdown those mercenaries ordered." The attendant scoffed at his own mention of mercenary.
"Mercenaries? Do you have any information about them? And what is wrong with this city, the people look scared, I can't see any open doors or windows on my way here." Leon turns his gaze toward the other person sitting in the room, she looks like in her twenties, wearing a black and red blood hood that covers her entire body.
"They are all hired mercenaries." The girl said in an elegant manner.
"And who are you?" Leon moved to block her vision from the already invisible Rein.
She smirked and poked her head to see Rein. "No need to hide the boy, Sir Leon."
Hearing the girl's words, Leon immediately drew his sword and pointed it toward her.
She remained sitting so leisurely. "Looking at you here, the boy should be the young lord of the Hart family, isn't he?"
Leon silently watched every move she made, once or twice checking the attendant's movement.
"Ah, where is my manner? I am known as Aquila, a branch manager of Enigma guild." She smiled towards Rein, her silver eyes looking like she could see through anything.
"If you are the branch manager, you should be able to bring us to your main branch right?" Hearing that she is the branch manager, Leon sheathed his sword back.
Any person that brings a snowflake badge to a branch of the Enigma guild was to be served to their best course of action, this was the rule that their leader had set.
"Well, in fact, I do have a way to bring you there." She once again looks towards Rein with full curiosity on her face.