Alnea walked through the streets of the Lost City, marvelling at its beauty, while ignoring the eyes of the Wanderers falling on him. They could not do anything to him anyway. After living in the city for over half a year, he had figured out the unwritten rules of the city. If those Wanderers dared to attack him on the streets, what awaited them would be a punishment so severe, that they would have wished that they died in the desert.

  Besides, even if those Wanderers attacked him, it was not as if they could really hurt him. He had not spent the past half a year in vain. Fighting in Arena daily, learning Glyphs, becoming proficient in the art of Glyph Arrays, delving into the research of Arcanas, mastering the essence of Martial Styles, and even learning to channel his Concepts… There were so many ways he had progressed in, that sometimes, he could not even keep count.

  Right, there was also his Spirit Power. He had finally reached the Advanced Stage. Half a year after coming to the Lost City, he had broken through from the Fifth level of the Intermediate Stage to the First Level of the Advanced Stage. Six levels in total. Not much, when compared to the progress he made in other areas. But sometimes, Spirit Power was just a number.

  Although it looked like his Spirit Power had grown by only some six to seven thousand Units, his true strength had soared by at least five to ten times. The thing that he had progressed most in though, was not his strength, but his Heart. When he had first come to the city, he had been a little apprehensive. Timid, even. After all the things he had been through, he had completely closed off his Heart.

  Of course, he himself was not aware of this fact. To him, his Heart had seemed perfectly normal. It did not matter if he could keep only a few people in his Heart. That was how it was supposed to be. It was only when he slowly interacted with other Wanderers, that he began to see the folly of his ways.

  Vestia, Zain, Ralph, Norren, Aren, Fran, Karl… After the time he had spent with them, they had all made certain impact on his Heart. Especially Vestia. He could not deny that fact anymore. Not after he had faced his Heart. It was not a bad thing for him though. Learning about himself, and finally opening up his Heart. As expected of his master. She knew exactly what he needed.

  Smiling to himself, Alnea glanced around, observing the beauty of the city for the first time. The gloomy red glow of the buildings, subdued by the brilliant rays of Enn, seemed like the backdrop of the sky during Enn’s descent. Or should it be his rise? Regardless, there was a certain charm to the way light skirted around the buildings, illuminating all within the walls of the city.

  Yet even that charm paled in comparison to the beauty of order within the city. Perfectly aligned buildings, built next to perfectly aligned streets, seemed to create an illusion of countless rivers intersecting with each other, creating an intricate web of waterways that drained into the desert outside of the city. The greatest charm though, was that of the city as a whole.

  Alnea still remembered how majestic the city had seemed from the air. A red behemoth of metals and bricks, surrounded by a sea of black sands, standing tall as a symbol of blood shed by countless Wanderers over the years, deterring the beasts hiding within the sea of sands from coming near. Such a grand city… Even if there had been no Grand Wanderers guarding the city, no Grand Beast would dare to test its walls.

  If there was any blemish on this perfect city, then it would be the Wanderers flowing in its rivers. Donning broken and torn and robes, they roamed around the streets, eyeing each other warily, unaware of the beauty of the city, or what it truly stood for. The city was not made to test them or guide them on their paths. No, that was just a coincidence. A happenstance, that was necessary for the city to fulfil its true purpose, to let them see their Hearts. To understand their Hearts. And to accept their Hearts.

  No wonder those with flawed Hearts volunteered to stay and work for the city. They probably understood the city’s true purpose. Working for the city was a ruse. They were just trying to heal their Hearts. But then, why were those Wanderers encouraging him to enter the inner city? Why did they seem so enthusiastic? Were they really just healing their Hearts, or was there any other secret? What—

  Forget it, Alnea said to himself, crushing his thoughts, and clearing them away. What did it matter to him what those Wanderers were thinking? It was his rest day. And he was going to rest. Not literally, of course. He had nothing to do back in his room, after all. Had he stayed cooped up in there, then he would not have been able to help himself from indulging in his training. And so, he had run out to enjoy the city’s beauty. To bathe in Enn’s—

  “Feeling relieved?”

  “…Kind of,” Alnea said, tearing his eyes away from Enn in the sky, and continuing his slow walk. “I would have been even more relieved if you had been with me though.”

  “…Do you think it would have been possible in that situation?”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “…I guess not.”

  “…And I wanted to be alone for a while.”

  “…I am sorry.”

  “…I am not mad at you.”

  “I know.”

  “…You are hopeless.”

  “Thank you.”

  “…What are you doing?”

  “Just walking around the city, enjoying its beauty.”

  “…Be careful.”

  “I will… What about you? How are things on your end?”

  “Cecilia argued with Vestia for a while, but things have calmed down. Mostly because I helped her direct all of her anger towards you.”

  “…Thank you.”

  “You are welcome.”

  Silence stepped in between them, only to be thwarted by sounds of laughter the very next moment, melting away the awkward air that had built up between them just moments ago.

  “…What did you find in the list that Vestia gave you?”

  “A name.”

  “…What is so special about a name that it can make you so serious?”

  “You know the name too.”

  “A name that I know…Is it someone from Anneve?”

  “Not just anyone, but Amira Purplebud. One of the only two people of the Lotus clan I a favour to.”

  “The Purplebud girl? I remember her… She should have just become a Wanderer. What is she doing here?”

  “I don’t know. Probably seeking strength. Maybe she was hit too hard. As she should be. So many people of her clan died…”

  “I understand what you are saying, but that is even more so why she should not have come here. At least not now. Not when she has just become a Wanderer. She does not even have the strength to protect herself. What does she think she can gain in the Lost City with her meagre strength?”

  “I am even more confused than you are. How come her clan did not stop her from coming here?”

  “…I understand.”

  “What did you understand?”

  “The Lotus clan should know everything that happened between you and the Seeds of their clan. Including the fact that she and her brother once helped you. If I am not wrong, her brother should also be coming here in a few days. At least before they force us to join them in the Final Trial. You can guess the rest…”

  “You mean they will bring the two of them into the Final Trial?”

  “That does not seem too likely. They have just become Wanderers. And though we do not know anything about the Final Trial, it will probably still have certain restrictions as to who can challenge the Trial. Those two would certainly not be able to qualify for the Final Trial. At least not before we leave the city. Still, their presence here means that the Lotus clan probably plans to use them against you in some way or the other.”

  “…Every time I think I know how low they can go, they prove me wrong once again.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “…What can I do? Although I owe them a favour, they are still our enemies. I will not risk the lives of my teammates for them just because they relived me from the siege of other Seeds once. At best, I will just try to see if I can save them or give them a little help. And if they are still alive by the time we are about to leave the city, I will give them all my remaining Medals. That is the only thing I can do for them.”

  “…You may be a fool, but at least you are not a complete idiot.”

  “Hey! I am not just any fool. I am only your fool.”

  “…Stupid.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I said, do not get lost while roaming the city. And come back before noon.”

  “Are you missing me already?”

  “…And what if I am?”

  “Then I will come back right away.”

  “…Shameless pervert,” Yuri mumbled. “Do whenever you want. Just do not disturb me for a while. I am going to have a talk with Vestia.”

  “A long talk, or a small talk?”

  “…Should we have a talk of our own?”

  “…Got it. I will leave you alone,” Alnea said, with no intention of testing if Yuri was joking. At the same time, he could not help sympathising with Vestia. First Cecilia, and then Yuri… Not that Yuri was going to bully her, or even question her for that matter. She was too gentle do such a thing. Except for when it came to him. Him, she bullied without restraint. But he still liked it. Maybe he had indeed become a little masochistic…

  No, it was just an illusion, Alnea told himself, as he continued his walk around the city, using the things he had missed earlier to distract himself. Like the low hum of the ground under his feet, or the smell of sweat and excitement mixed with the smell of blood and despair in the air. The thing that attracted most of his attention though, was the group of Wanderers he saw passing by him.

  Unlike the Wanderers he was used to seeing on the streets, walking around in ragtag robes, and with bloodied faces, looking for their unsuspecting prey, most of the people he had seen ever since leaving the mansion were dressed in pristine robes, and had smiling faces, laughing around with a few other Wanderers, with no sense of guard or caution in their steps. It was as if he was seeing a whole new side of the city. A side, that had always been closed off to him.

  “…You are finally ready.”