«Hey, you two!»
Selene and I freeze when that voice calls out, a threat in its tone from behind us. We turn sharply, terrified, then quickly breathe out in relief.
Thankfully, it's just a handful of criminals with knives. For a second I worried they were Lumindor's armed guards, suspicious because of our shabby clothes. That would be a real problem—not even my status as prince of Kristalia would stop me from being expelled from Astralea, and I don't want to think about my father's reaction... better not to dwell on it.
«Ah, they're just kids. Good,» one of the men sneers — he looks like the leader. His cronies laugh with him. «Didn't your parents teach you it's dangerous to stroll around Arcanvia at this hour? Once the sun sets, this district gets nasty, and you might run into the wrong kind of people.»
Another waves his dagger, the blade flashing in the lamplight.
From their taunting tone, it's clear they have no intention of letting us go just because we're young. A shame. For them, of course
—though scum like this isn't even worth the effort it takes to kill them.
«I'd love to stay and chat, but I have other things to do. Good night, and good luck,» I brush them off quickly. Then I grab Selene by the wrist and pull her along. I have no intention of lingering — I'd only risk drawing the attention of the guards.
We turn to leave, but more of them spill out of a side alley like rats from a sewer, blocking our path. A dozen ahead, just as many behind, no way out. I sigh, annoyed at this waste of time stretching my patience thin.
«I'll say this nicely one last time. I'm not in the mood to play. Move and let us pass,» I order firmly, my voice edged with irritation.
«Play?! Drop everything you have and get lost if you want to make it home to mommy in one piece!» their leader threatens, drawing a long sword and pointing it straight at us.
«The little brat is threatening us? Seriously? He probably doesn't know who he's dealing with,» another crook jeers, spinning a long chain.
«Too bad for you...» I mutter. «Selene, have fun.»
«I was waiting for this, Jade.» A sadistic grin spreads across her face. «Alchemical Invocation • Copper: Bident Spear!»
A long copper spear forms in her grip, its twin prongs glowing like a sharpened tuning fork. A current of lightning crackles between the tips.
Selene's Inherent Spells are truly exceptional. She not only has a natural talent for channeling copper's alchemical properties, but also for elemental lightning — a perfect combination, given copper's high conductivity. If only she had applied herself more during these years at Astralea…
«That copper weapon sparking with lightning... of course, that girl is Selene Amarasse! I saw her fight in the last Astralea tournament!» their leader gasps, stumbling back in fear.
«Then the boy with her… he's Jade Kyndrake!» another bandit blurts, equally shocked.
Panic spreads instantly.
«Oops, looks like our cover is blown…» Selene mutters with false regret. In truth, she was only waiting for my signal to unleash her sadism and wipe out this scum.
«Then make sure none of them live to tell it,» I say coldly.
A cruel grin twists her lips. She raises her weapon to the sky.
«Elemental Invocation • Wind...»
At the tip of her copper spear, a sphere of pure electricity bursts to life.
«Jade Kyndrake, Selene Amarasse! Listen, please. We won't tell a soul, I swear. It will be as if we never met. If we had known from the start who you were, we never would have dared to threaten you. I beg you, let us go... I have a wife and two children at home. If something happens to me, no one will take care of them.» Their leader falls to his knees before us, weeping.
What a fool. If he thinks Selene will be moved by some story about family, he couldn't be more wrong.
«...Lightning Star!»
Blinding arcs of electricity explode outward in every direction, striking every bandit at once.
Not one escapes Selene's spell. Not a single cry escapes their lips—all of them killed instantly. Their smoking, charred bodies crash to the ground with a dull thud.
We barely have time to resume our search for the inn where Professor Lustsilk's contact is staying—the one we need to deliver the tome to—when a small golden object rolls to Selene's feet.
A locket, the kind meant to hold a keepsake photo. She bends down, opens it, and smirks.
«So that story about a wife and two kids wasn't just some desperate lie to earn pity and spare his life,» she sneers, showing me the tiny picture inside — the bandit leader, smiling with a woman and two children who can't be more than five.
«If he truly cared about them, he should have stayed home with his family,» I remark, without the slightest remorse for killing him. For filth like this, murdering innocents to steal their belongings must have been routine — he and his thugs simply met the end they deserved.
«Selene, we've wasted enough time already. Let's move.»