The atmosphere within the room died along with Kilian's words.
Everyone in the room had heard the "minor" news Kilian spoke of, which dampened the positive mood they had this morning.
And the center of the atmosphere was Haruo's unreadable expression meeting Kilian's.
Ena, who would usually start a ruckus at this point, stayed silent; instead, she turned to read Haruo's reaction. However, no matter how much she tried to find the slightest muscle twitch, his face remained exactly the same.
The only thing present for her to witness was those empty eyes.
Unable to bear the silence, she opened her mouth to speak. "What—!"
"Explain. How is he dying?" Asked Haruo.
"I'm sure you've heard about this illness once or twice, maybe twelve times; it depends," chuckled Kilian.
"Enough with that! You give us news like that, and that's how you play it off?!" Ena said, her eyes turning bloodshot as she stepped closer.
Before she could continue her rant, Haruo stepped in front of her. Ena jolted from his sudden interception. As much as she tried to press forward, she realized that she would never continue past his back.
He turned his head slightly to meet Ena's eyes. Just from that glance, she felt the wave of impatience looming over her.
For once, she didn't continue her stubbornness.
Witnessing the scene up close, Kilian couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle; he looked at Ena with a smug grin before redirecting his focus back to the pale boy's figure.
"As you know, there is this illness called 'Manifestation failure,'" Kilian said.
Amidst the stagnant silence, Leo raised his voice. "… But that's a common illness that only gives temporary effects."
Kilian sighed. "That's usually the case, but what you're talking about is the common disease…"
Isaac, curious about the matter, tapped Tatiana's shoulder. Although he had heard of Manifestation failure, he had never truly delved into the details. "What is he talking about?"
"No idea," she said, shrugging. "Manifestation failure mostly happens to people who expend Mana at a fast rate, which, in this case, are mages. But from what I've heard, Haruo's brother isn't one, so I'm not sure."
Although he had listened to her explanation, he only seemed to grow more confused. So, instead of chatting, he decided to focus on Kilian's words for the time being.
"… As you all know, Manifestation failure occurs, as its name suggests, when the possibility of manifestation fails. It's a condition that isn't uncommon, but also isn't common. Something that happens to a mage or two every day.
"Although it happens more often to mages, it also occurs during the user's awakening."
Isaac tilted his head slightly. "What's the difference?"
"Well, if all goes wrong, it can get to the point where it messes with his entire body, killing him off entirely." Kilian paused, turning his eyes to Haruo before continuing. "If he doesn't get cured in the proper time frame, well, you know what'll happen."
"So just cure him; what's the point in bringing this up?" Tatiana spoke.
"You think we would be having this conversation if it were that simple? Sigh, lately the northern trade routes have been delayed by at least two years, and the direct transfer of resources without proper revisions is illegal.
"Unfortunately for us, the main ingredient needed to make the cure is currently within that cargo."
After hearing those words, Leo seemed to realize what he was implying. "So… What you're saying is… We'll have to go there ourselves."
After receiving his comment, Kilian couldn't help but smile. "I like the way you think, junior!"
"Now that you guys finally get the general idea, how about you all prepare?" Kilian said.
Without giving a chance to rebut, he clasped his hands together, making a sharp sound that resonated in their ears. The echo of the clap lasted for a moment; only after a few seconds did they realize they had been transported to a different location within Marion.
"… Does he always do that? That's so trippy." Leo remarked.
The place they had been transported to was foreign to both Ena and Haruo. Looking around, the dense crowd clouded every whisper Ena had muttered. Although Tatiana and Isaac had only met her once, being beside her and observing her expression, it wouldn't take genius to realize she was cursing under her breath.
But along with the noise were scents of both meat and meta, deriving from the stands lining the road.
They had arrived at a marketplace, not far from Kilian's Manor.
Haruo, who had been silent the entire time, let out a quiet sigh that only he could hear. Without lingering on the thought of Taiyo's death, he calmly walked forward. The slight movement of the pale boy caught the entire division's attention. Although somewhat confused, they all set aside their confusion and followed right behind Haruo.
"So, um. What do we do now?" Isaac asked.
Hearing his comment, Leo sighed. "Oh, dear naive little Isaac, what else are we supposed to do but prepare for our departure?"
"But what to prepare? What type of transportation, and where exactly in the north are we supposed to go?" He replied.
Leo tried to cough up an explanation, but after a few seconds of contemplation, there was meaning behind his words. Because, in all honesty, they were currently met with a wall.
"Good question," Leo remarked. He quickened his pace to match Haruo's rhythm, only slowing when he was beside him. "So what are we going to prepare?"
"How many punches do you think you can take until you can't talk anymore?" Ena said, glaring at Leo as she stood between Haruo and the snake
"Seriously, how much energy do you have to keep talking after fighting that much?!" She exclaimed.
"That's quite rich coming from someone who complains so loudly after fighting as much as I did, hehe."
"Can you guys quiet down? Aren't you guys embarrassed by all the people staring at us?!" Tatiana whispered to the two bantering figures.
"Isaac, Tatiana."
At the mention of those two names from Haruo, the entire division halted their conversations. The two members who were called out were tense—who would want to face a grieving man? Especially if that person was Haruo.
Tatiana was the first to go, whereas Isaac followed suit.
"I need you two to take charge for me. Buy all the necessary materials needed to travel and meet me back here in thirty minutes, then I'll come join you guys."
"Why aren't you coming with us?" Tatiana asked.
"There are still some things I need to discuss with Kilian. Especially regarding the mission right now."
"Let me come with you! I'd rather die than cooperate with this snake!" Ena exclaimed.
"How mean…" Leo whispered with a chuckle, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
"You stay here. Bringing you with me has no purpose. You've already travelled with me before, so go and help them with the materials."
He then turned his focus back to the two figures he called out. "I'm sure you two don't need me to make a list too, right?"
They looked at each other before turning to Haruo with a slight nod. With their confirmation, he separated from the group and headed straight to Kilian's manor as planned.
***
After ten minutes of quickened steps, Haruo had finally set foot back on Kilian's front porch. Despite knowing that this would be his home for the next twelve years, he found it harder to adjust than a cheap grass bed on his travels.
Creeaaakk…!
As if the gate had a mind of its own, it opened itself for the pale boy to enter. It seemed that the manor had already acknowledged Haruo as one of its tenants, rather than a guest.
He sighed before inviting himself back to Kilian's door.
Utilizing his memory, he traced his steps carefully along the unfamiliar hallways. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to recall, he always seemed to return to the same spot he had originally come from.
At first, he thought that he was only unaccustomed, but after a few turns and steps, he realized that his speculation was more than a suspicion.
'Is this his doing?' Haruo thought.
The problem Haruo had wasn't due to his bad directions—he was actually rather confident in his memory and internal compass—rather, it almost seemed that the manor had a mind of its own. This time, it wasn't an exaggeration anymore.
It was the same for the royal palace.
'Then again, it is Kilian's manor. Anything that involves him is always unusual.'
So, instead of endlessly venturing through the halls, he had a better idea.
"How long do you intend to play with me? I know this is you, so hurry up and let's get this over with."
Even though he didn't shout directly, he reluctantly made sure that his voice was loud enough to echo through the halls.
And as he expected, in just a single blink, he found himself inside an office, his figure close to the door.
Haruo darted his eyes around the room.
It was more crowded than he had expected.
To his sides were walls of shelves that reached from one end of the room to the other; on them were dozens of books organized in an aesthetic plane. And those spots that were still unfilled by the books were replaced with random items that fit the space.
In the middle of the room, and at the far end, was a desk that was also surprisingly neat for someone like Kilian. And behind the desk was the person he had been searching for.
"Aww… Can't you let a person have their fun?" Kilian smirked, leaning on his desk with both his hands clasped. "But that aside, I didn't expect you to return so quickly. Did you get the ingredient already?"
"You know why I'm here."
"How about you take a seat first, then we'll talk." He leaned on his chair.
Despite his reluctance, Haruo ultimately gave in and took a chair across from Kilian's. Upon being seated, a small cup materialized. The pale boy stared at it for a single moment before redirecting his gaze to meet Kilian's.
"The tea not to your liking?"
"I'm not here to be comfortable with you. You know why I'm here."
"Hah… It's so sad to see you go already, and you won't even spend time with someone like me? How sad."
"Regarding this task, aren't you hastening things a bit too quickly? In a reckless manner, too," asked Haruo.
"And aren't you overthinking things too much? Trust me, this is for your own good, and the same goes for your division. Besides, isn't it unfortunate that your brother has fallen ill, and this is how you react?" Kilian chuckled.
"You're not exactly the type anyone would trust." Haruo narrowed his eyes.
Kilian laughed.
"Fair enough."
The sly man slid three cards along the table, offering them to Haruo. "Here, you'll need these for the future. They're your official ID cards; at least now you've completed full migration here.
"And all the information on where you need to go has already been sent to both your M-13 and phone. Everything else, I've already prepared in advance."
The pale boy inspected the cards diligently.
[Marion Kingdom, Identification card.]
Name: Haruo Chiharu.
Occupation: Division Factions.
Date of birth: 03/12/J-4007
Address: 012 Larkin Street, Noctic District, Marion Kingdom, 22**
After inspecting the last two, he gave a faint nod, tucking the cards into his coat pocket before standing up.
"Now that all is said and done, have a nice trip~." Kilian waved.
He had finally finished what he had originally come here for. Looking, he had already passed the promised 30 minutes by ten more, so in a hurry, he rushed to the door. His hand froze on the knob.
He turned to look at Kilian once more, then said:
"Can I take something with me?"