The 2nd of Florae, Meriday.

  The streets of Theradon appeared extraordinarily lively as everyone went about their day. The bright sun peeked through the clouds, melting the remnant snow and bringing a long sought warmth.

  Micheal stepped out of the dilapidated building, hiding a yawn behind his palm. He glanced around with a smile, finding the morning to be rather pleasing. After daydreaming for a while, he stepped onto the streets.

  As he walked towards a familiar food stand, he reached into his coin pouch and fished out all the money he had.

  “Twelve Moppets, huh..” Micheal muttered and inwardly calculated how he could make the most of it.

  The Bronze Moppet was commonly seen amongst the commoners, as it was the lowest value of exchange.

  Next was the Silver Darlét, which was equivalent to fifty Moppets. Micheal could count on one hand, the amount of times he'd received it since the demise of his parents. As for the deeply coveted Gold Royal, Micheal doubted if he had ever held it in his palm— or seen it even.

  After all, this was a value that was only used in extravagant transactions and noble gatherings. It had a worth of exactly five thousand Bronze Moppets.

  As the boy lamented his penurious living situation, he arrived before the familiar woman and asked, “What are today's options?”

  The woman running the food stand raised a brow.

  “Things won't get better overnight, child. It's the same as usual.”

  Micheal sighed and placed four Moppets on the wooden counter. He said whilst looking in another direction, “Two bowls of mutton soup.”

  There was a sudden silence, and Micheal more or less knew what was about to come. The woman suddenly barked, “No festival, no cuts!”

  “Sure, sure. You don't have to make a scene.” Micheal deftly tossed two more coins to the table. He tucked the rest of the money into his pouch, patted it down and waited patiently.

  Although the food here was of very low quality, Micheal had no choice. He couldn't go to a nearby inn due to Marie's condition. The poor girl could barely walk.

  As he waited for his food, Micheal caught a figure from the corner of his eye. It was old man Roger who had blessed him with a job opportunity the day prior.

  The man stood in front of an alehouse on the other side of the cobblestone street, pacing back and forth with a rather troubled expression.

  Micheal furrowed his brows and said to the woman behind the counter, “I'll be right back.” Before she could respond, the boy left in a hurry and dodged the horse-drawn wagons, quickly arriving before an old man with a large nose.

  “Micheal!” Old man Roger's eyes lit up.

  “Is there something? You look worried.” Micheal asked with concern.

  Roger chuckled dryly and didn't directly respond. Instead, he said, “Kid, might I trouble you with something again? Of course, you'll be rewarded for your efforts.”

  Michael's heart instantly leapt with joy. However, he didn't show his excitement and pretended to consider it for a moment. After all, if the man knew he was in desperate need of a job, the pay could be lowered than what it originally would've been.

  “As long as it's within my capabilities,” The boy nodded casually.

  As if! I'll gladly take on anything! Inwardly, Micheal was grinning ear to ear.

  Old man Roger scratched his nose and nodded twice. “That's good. The thing is, there's an important figure who needs an item delivered to his family house in Avon. The messenger we hired has met with a sudden illness and will be unable to go.”

  As he spoke, he retrieved an item from within his robe. It was unknown what the item was, as it was bundled with layers of sheepskin leather.

  Micheal's eyes fell on the item in the old man's hands as he asked, “How much do I get?”

  Old man Roger instantly wore a smile.

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  “Like I said, he's an important figure. So, if you manage to deliver it before noon, you'll be rewarded handsomely. I reckon it cannot be any less than five Silver Darlét.”

  Five Silver… Micheal's eyes widened and his mind couldn't help but think of the possibilities. He resisted the urge to immediately jump on the offer, and said with a frown, “Avon is quite the distance from Theradon, Old Mister. Delivering this before noon seems rather impossible, no?”

  “Oh come on, Micheal. We both know you're one of the Blessed.” Old man Roger clicked his tongue in response. “You're one of those, uh, Radiants, aren't you? You're faster than your peers and your endurance is admirable. I'm sure you'll be able to make it just in time. What do you say? It's a good offer!”

  This was exactly what Micheal had been waiting for. He exhaled and said with a slight shake of his head,

  “Using magic drains me. As you know, I'm a mere Seeker. What I can do is very limited.”

  Roger groaned and raised his hands. “Alright, alright. I know… whatever you receive from the person, I'll pay an extra ten Moppets. Dammit! kids are so shrewd nowadays.”

  Micheal's lips curled into a smile. He nodded and received the item bound in sheepskin. Then, he gave a terse bow and said, “Pleasure working with you.”

  “Make sure you deliver it without any issues! Ask around for the House of Harlan when you reach Avon. Also, don't pry into whatever is in there. I'll be waiting!”

  The old man's voice reached Micheal's ears as he crossed the street. He gave an affirmative wave in response and returned to the food stand. Micheal picked up the bowls without any hesitation and hurried back to his ‘house’.

  The boy pushed open the wooden door with his foot, careful not to spill any of the soup.

  Sunlight filtered in through a tiny window, illuminating the cramped room. Judging from the structure, Micheal believed it to be a storeroom in the past.

  “Marie,” He called softly, placing both bowls on the floor.

  His sister remained on the bed, seemingly too weak to even move. Micheal sighed and covered her bowl with a torn parchment. Then, he quickly consumed his soup and wiped his mouth.

  The taste was awful, but to Micheal, it was hope.

  After filling his stomach, he grabbed a quill and inferior ink— one of the only things he owned. Then, he quickly wrote down everything his sister had to know, before placing the letter next to her.

  Before the death of their parents, they attended a good school, thus, both siblings were sufficiently literate.

  Micheal counted three coins and placed them on the letter. This was half of what he currently had on him. In case he didn't make it back on time, Marie wouldn't starve overnight.

  If all goes well, I should be back by nightfall… Micheal calculated the time in his head and stepped out of the house. He patted his jacket, ensuring the package was still intact.

  Then, he began his jog towards the walls of the large city. Yes, he planned to run all the way to the town located East of Oralio. Paying for a ride out of the Capital would only make his heart ache with pain.

  …

  Royal District, Goldheart castle.

  Esau stepped out of the Nursery and watched as Tilly escorted his private tutor out of the castle. The slender woman was from one of the six noble families, and she spent most of her time homeschooling the various kids of nobility, earning her quite a fortune.

  The formation of noble families began during the great war that shook the entire realm. During that time, the warriors who had accumulated the highest battle merits were recognized alongside King Angelos Augustus. These warriors, and their respective families, formed the six noble lineages of Oralio.

  The Elves also adopted such a method, although they were referred to as the ‘Lords’.

  As the relevant information flashed through Esau’s mind, he sighed poignantly and left for the gallery. In the large room with stunning paintings, classical sculptures and murals, he met his sister and her personal handmaiden who was standing quietly in a corner.

  Imogen was a dazzling beauty with a hint of playful innocence to her. She stood before a canvas, holding a brush with undisguised grace. At that moment, the girl turned to look at Esau. Her round eyes were of a dark color, and her grayish white hair was tied into a bun.

  “Finished with lessons?” She asked after a brief glance.

  Esau nodded. He moved around the wooden chairs and arrived behind her. His eyes fell on the incomplete painting of a vast grassland, and he couldn't help but feel melancholic for a moment.

  “What's wrong?” Imogen asked.

  Esau shook his head and muttered, “I just seemed to remember something. Anyway,” He wore a serious look and asked, “What do you know about the Ghost Knight?”

  Imogen’s brows creased into a frown and a smile played on her lips.

  “Someone's been eavesdropping,”

  “Answer.” Esau urged.

  Imogen was used to her brother's attitude. She thought for a moment and said, “Hm, I don't know too much. But, I've heard the Grandmasters speculate it's a mindless creature in a knight's armor that wanders the realm, laying waste to entire settlements.”

  “Why?” The boy probed.

  “How should I know?” Imogen raised her right hand in surrender. “Anyway, some say it's actually an undead unable to find eternal rest. Maybe it's a product of some Usher’s sinister ritual.”

  Ushers referred to Blessed from the Soul Ascent. They were proficient in all sorts of ritualistic magic, and this included necromancy.

  At this moment, she added, “Of course, it could all just be a myth. Who knows? There are too many possibilities.” Upon saying this, she turned to look at Esau and asked, “Why? Are you worried Theradon will suffer an attack from this entity?”

  Esau said in all seriousness, “Heather confirmed that the Ghost Knight is real. And she said it's really powerful.”

  “More than her? I doubt it.” Imogen shook her head.

  “I doubt it too…” Esau sighed, wondering if he believed his own words. Heather's dreadful look last night left a deep impression. For a child with a very deep curiosity for things of the uncanny, and an inkling for powerful figures, he found himself unable to think of anything else since the visit to the sea.

  Of course, ‘uncanny’ referred to things that went beyond the magical norm of the realm. Things that just didn't fit.

  Imogen laughed briefly. She assured him with a smile, “You don't have to worry. Our Kingdom is not lacking when it comes to equally powerful figures. We have over seven Paragons with ties to the Royal family, as well as an Ascendant.”

  “Hm,” Esau only nodded tersely and watched his sister paint until Tilly found her way to the Gallery. She stood by the door, waiting quietly like the other maid. The boy's lips curled slightly when he saw this.

  How is it that she's always able to find me no matter where I go? Is this a certain trait all handmaidens have? Esau casually wondered.

  “I'm heading to my room.” The boy said and left the gallery. Tilly bowed when he passed by, before following calmly behind.

  In the spacious corridor, the boy asked, “Where's Heather?”

  “Handling affairs in the Throne room with the King and some of the Grandmasters. I heard that there's an abnormality in the sky close to Greenwood plains, so lady Heather plans on heading there to scout for peculiar activities.” Tilly responded, completely prepared for the question. Besides monitoring his every movement, she also had to constantly pay attention to wherever his favorite person was and what she was doing.

  Esau was satisfied as he gently nodded.

  …

  Outskirts of the Capital,

  Micheal left the periphery of the city walls and stared at the vast expanse of land and dense forests before him. Towards the north, he could midly see a stretched grassy plain that exuded immense vitality.

  After admiring the scenery for a moment, he began his walk along the lonely path. From time to time, he would pass by a few wagons heading to the capital. Upon reaching a certain landmark, he cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath.

  After ensuring that the item was still safely tucked in his pocket, he rubbed his palms together, generating heat at a very rapid pace. Greenish wisps of smoke slowly rose around his form, before coagulating around his limbs.

  “Alright,” He grinned and shot forward like a stone hurled across the distance with an enchanted trebuchet.

  In just a few seconds, he covered a great distance.

  This was why he'd decided to run all the way to Avon. As someone from the Energy Ascent—even though he was only at the lowest Grade—he could still achieve amazing feats such as this. Enhancing durability, generating heat, and increasing mobility… These were things that could be easily achieved by Radiants.

  “I should reach Avon before the sun reaches its highest peak,” Micheal grinned from ear to ear as his mind conjured the various luxuries he could afford with five Silver Coins.

  He almost salivated at the thought of eating meat for an entire week.