After seeing Julia's suspicious movements, Laguna immediately ran out of the room. His breath was fast, his heart was pounding, and his steps were light but full of alertness. He followed Julia to a dark and hidden hallway. At the end of the hallway, there was a room that Laguna didn't even know existed in the Ashford house.
Laguna squinted, trying to approach without making a sound. He approached the door, which stood open a small distance. But when he was about to peek—
FWOOSH!
A sudden burst of fire erupted from the gap in the door!
Laguna fell back instinctively, landing on the ground with the ends of his hair singed.
"WHO'S THERE?!" Lina's loud voice echoed, an angry and cold tone like a whip in the air.
The door swung wide open. Lina stood with fire swirling in her hands. Behind her, Julia gasped as she saw Laguna sitting dazed on the floor.
Laguna raised his hand, still trying to calm his breathing. "E-Eh... Surprise inspection?" He smiled with a hint of discomfort.
Julia held back her laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. "Master Laguna! Why are you peeping like a thief?"
"I'm not peeping! I'm just... curious. Your behavior is suspicious, Julia. Sneaking around alone at night. It's like you're keeping something from me."
Julia chuckled. "I'm... learning magic. Lady Lina is teaching me basic magic."
Lina remained silent, staring at Laguna with a 'why-are-you-still-alive' expression.
Laguna got up and wiped his dirty pants. "Julia, why didn't you tell me? I told you I would teach you—"
Hearing that, Lina snorted and finally spoke. "You? Teach me magic? Ha! You can't even light a candle with mana!"
Laguna was offended. "Hey! I can't use magic, but I can make a lamp that's brighter than all the candles in this house!"
"That's a device, not magic! If you teach Julia, she'll end up becoming a walking workshop!" Lina answered in a loud voice.
"Hey! Devices and magic are two sides of the same coin!" Laguna replied in a higher tone.
Julia stepped forward, trying to mediate, but Laguna raised his hand. "Come on. I understand what you mean. But you don't have to be so fierce, Sis..."
"And one more thing, don't ask Julia out before I teach her magic." Lina pointed her index finger at Laguna's face.
Laguna took a step back, "But she's my personal..."
"Don't ask Julia out!" Lina raised her tone with a sharp gaze, looking at Laguna.
Laguna sighed, "Okay, if that's what you want, sis."
Lina was silent, but her eyes softened a little.
Laguna smiled with a slight expression of happiness. In his heart, he felt happy because he could argue with her older sister like siblings in general. Laguna finally gave in and returned to his room.
The next morning.
The front yard of the Ashford house echoed with carriage wheels and clopping hooves. An elegant black carriage was ready, complete with two guards on horseback in front. This time, Laguna resembled a noble, in stark contrast to the previous trip.
Leon stood beside Lina, looking at his son, who was now preparing to go to Veredale.
"Take care of yourself," Leon said.
"Of course, Father." Laguna then turned to Julia and handed his a small lantern. "This is for you, Julia. To help you practice mana control."
Julia accepted it with sparkling eyes. "Thank you, Laguna! This is beautiful!"
But from the side, Lina interrupted with a sharp voice. "Do you think I can't train Julia in mana control?"
Laguna raised both hands, trying to calm down. "It's not like that, Sis. It's a small gift from me to Julia."
Then he took out a pair of shoes from his inventory. "This is also for you, Sis. I made it myself. Fireproof. So you don't have to worry about burning anything again while practicing."
Lina's face immediately turned red. "Hmph! Who asked for a gift from you?!" She threw the shoes on the ground and entered the house without saying anything.
Julia handled the shoes with care. "I will keep them for Lady Lina."
Leon looked at Laguna with a puzzled expression. "What about Father?"
Laguna smiled. "Father wants an electric light, right? I will give it to you after I finish my research in Veredale."
Leon nodded with pride. "Go. And make your father proud."
Laguna got into his carriage. As the door closed, he glanced toward the house. He saw Lina at the second-floor window. She focused her gaze on the scene outside.
The morning wind played with his hair as the carriage rolled from the Ashford home to Veredale.
Night began to fall, the sky stretching in soft shades of purple and orange. The Ashford family's elegant carriage made its way slowly along the cobblestone road to Veredale Village. Inside, Laguna sat in silence, staring out the window with a blank yet calculating gaze. The night wind touched his skin, whispering memories of the past.
Every night during the journey, Laguna asked to stop and set up camp near the forest. The reason was simple: to give the guards a break. But in reality, while they all slept, Laguna snuck into the forest. With magic gloves on his hands and a sword at his waist, he challenged the monsters one by one.
His body moved through the shadows of the trees. He faced claws and fangs with the composure of someone who had conquered fear. Each attack, each wound, and each monster's death created a glow of essence. This essence flowed into the gloves on his hands. Every night, he felt his power grow little by little.
On the fifth night, Laguna stood before the site of what should have been Albus's ruins. But tonight, it was an empty field with bushes and weeds. No carved stones. No mana radiance. There was no evidence that anything had happened.
"Strange..." he spoke in a gentle voice. He touched the ground that had once shone with runes; now it felt cold and ordinary. No trace of magic. No clues. As if it had all been a dream.
The next morning, the sun rose over the distant mountains. Laguna's carriage arrived at the gates of Veredale Village. Simon was the first to greet them, followed by Mulan and Eve. Their faces looked brighter than the last time Laguna had seen them.
"Master Laguna! Welcome back!" Simon exclaimed with a polite but warm bow.
Mulan grinned. "This village has changed a lot since the Ashford family showed up. We can even eat three meals a day now!"
Eve chimed in, "The land is starting to be able to be planted again. We work together every day. It feels like... home."
Laguna smiled as he observed the changes that were evident before his eyes. The ground that had once been cracked and dry was now full of young plants. The damaged houses were now rebuilt. They stood tall, looking modest.
In the new village hall, Laguna rushed to unroll a paper. It showed sketches of tools and a basic electrical system design. Explaining to Simon what Laguna wanted to do in Veredale village.
"This is... a lighting and energy distribution system. With the help of the small river behind the village, we can build a turbine to generate electricity. Now, Veredale will be bright at night," Laguna said, pointing to key parts of the drawing.
Simon nodded with a bright smile. "I'm ready to help. It's much easier to discuss with you, Mr. Laguna, than with your father who is... well, a little scary."
Laguna chuckled. "Starting today, I have taken on the official responsibility for Veredale Village." Father handed it over to me."
Hearing that, Simon looked very relieved. "Then, let's build Veredale together. This time... with hope."
Night fell, and the village of Veredale sank into a calming silence. Laguna sat in his quiet study, poring over the sketches and designs of the electrical machines he had brought from the capital. But there was a soft knock at the door.
"Mr. Laguna..." Mulan's soft voice came from behind the door.
"Come in, Mulan. What's going on so late at night?"
Mulan stepped inside, watching her footing. In her hand, she held something wrapped in shabby cloth.
"I... I found this while digging near the small river on the east side. I don't know what it is, but it feels different."
Laguna stood up and took the package. As he opened the cloth, a bluish-silver light shone off the smooth metal.
"This is... Mithril," Laguna whispered, his eyes widening.
Without wasting any time, he reached for the scroll of the Veredale map he had made hisself. He spread it out on the table.
As she approached, Mulan eyes moved along the river line on the map; then she pointed to a spot on the edge.
"Here, sir. There's a small cliff, and the ground is a bit hard."
Laguna marked the spot with a red pen, drawing a large circle around the location Mulan indicated.
He looked at Mulan with a smile and patted her head with a soft touch.
"Did you know, Mulan? You found a treasure."
Mulan's cheeks flushed, but a small smile appeared on her face.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll go there myself to check it out. Who knows... this isn't just an ordinary piece of mithril."
But as night fell and everyone began to rest, outside the village, far behind the trees... a pair of red eyes watched from the darkness. Rough breathing could be heard in a quiet manner, then vanished into the shadows of the night.
Someone... or something... was targeting Veredale.