The Elusive Sorcerer

Chapter 251

"How about our relocation plan? Should we still follow it, or..."

"There is no need to follow it," Arvrenda calmly interrupted.

"After all, we were the ones who decided not to follow it, right?" Zeta said as she looked toward Arvrenda.

A hint of uneasiness could be seen in her eyes as she looked at them, especially upon realizing Aurora's sudden absence.

"...I don't want to take any risks. Well, to be honest, I don't have enough money to keep moving around and trying to build a life in the middle of this uncertain situation," Arvrenda continued in a tired tone.

'Besides, considering my current situation, is going back to that old woman really the right choice?'

Various thoughts swirled through his mind, but Arvrenda remained determined to live without becoming a burden to them. After the attack of the ten demon horses in Moran City, he had become increasingly skeptical of the government's way of handling the survivors. Moreover, he had experienced something unique after finally setting foot in a city different from the place where he had grown up, even though he had not actually been born there.

"So... does Mr. Arvrenda agree with the plan?"

Arvrenda instinctively adjusted his glasses. His eyes, faintly visible behind the lenses, observed Zaharon sitting beside him before shifting toward Zeta, who was sitting across from him.

After a few seconds, he realized that something was strange, specifically regarding who was actually in the room.

"Oh? Where is she?" Arvrenda had only just realized Aurora's absence.

Zeta shrugged.

"I don't know? She's always been like that, even back when we were still in school."

She let out a long sigh, as if resigned to the fact that she would have to get used to her friend's eccentric habits soon.

"No one knows what's going on inside her head. It's obvious that man is the only thing she thinks about," Zeta continued.

Feeling that the conversation was beginning to stray from the main topic, Arvrenda quickly gathered his thoughts again and said with a slightly amused tone, "I'll step outside for a while."

He rose from the armchair, then looked back and added, "Oh? Should I make some coffee as well?"

His expression looked enthusiastic as he waited for their approval.

Zaharon and Zeta looked at each other before nodding in unison. Three cups of coffee were brewed, and Arvrenda brought two of them to the pair in the living room.

Arvrenda stepped forward without hesitation, a faint smile still lingering on his face. Then, he walked toward the door and sat down on a wooden chair on the porch of the rented house. He crossed his legs while carefully observing the people passing by on the cobblestone road in front of the house.

....

In Makoli City, on Dahsu Street, Albert and his companions discovered various unusual things over the course of six months, one of which was Sodet suddenly falling ill.

The incident left a strange impression, even though it had happened too long ago to remember clearly. An ordinary person would have already forgotten about it, unlike Albert, who, with either courage or his eccentric nature, investigated a case that was not much different from what he had been searching for all this time.

To be honest, he was doing all of this to fulfill his responsibility, nothing more than that. Although he knew this was excessive, he realized that he was not doing it merely to gain praise from others or from the person he wanted to save.

Including his companion, who had always been with him since their meeting five years ago, he never once questioned Albert's determination to find a way to cure Forn Vinora of his strange illness. Not only that, he was not particularly perceptive when it came to romance, so Albert himself did not consider his actions to be a sign of affection, but rather a way to repay his debt.

Although the amount was small for someone who held power in Moran City and other cities in Havanuheta Province, it was more than enough to begin his journey into the supernatural world, where things considered taboo could kill at any moment.

"Should we stay in this city? The number of deaths has decreased significantly, unlike in other cities, and I feel like something bad is going to happen," Sodet began in a worried tone.

Living in an unstable financial situation was already enough to torment his mind, especially as the problems concerning his place of residence continued to worsen.

There was indeed news about the decline in the death rate, but it was replaced by several people whose names were clearly displayed in the newspaper. Not because of their achievements, but because of the heinous acts they had committed over a period of approximately 7 day.

Murder was an act that violated legal norms and robbed the victim of their right to live; everyone knew that.

However, the motives of the wanted criminals remained hidden from the media. After the news spread widely, several people and groups stepped forward to claim the reward for capturing them.

"If only I could capture them, then surely..." Sodet imagined the decent life that came to mind as he smiled broadly.

The corners of their lips lifted as they saw this, momentarily losing their thoughts and words.

"...Why are you looking at me?" Sodet snapped out of his reverie after feeling an intimidating aura emanating from beside him.

He realized that his current position was no more than that of a fragile horse that could be replaced at any time once its strength was no longer of use. He wanted to complain but could not, let alone tell them about it.

To be honest, he no longer had any friends besides the three of them, despite the fact that they ordered him around and forced him to work without caring about his feelings. However, that was already more than enough for him, considering that their pay was quite high and almost approached what he had earned from his previous job as a guide.

'Phew, six months have passed this quickly. There was something I wanted to do this year before the year ended, but I never had the chance to do it. Come to think of it, I never expected that man to have such a beautiful younger sister.'

"Hey, why are you smiling for no reason like that? Are you thinking about that again?" Luke called out loudly, as if the two of them could share each other's thoughts.

Sodet immediately snapped out of his reverie and shook his head hesitantly. "You... Don't just accuse me like that!"

'Damn, I was too stupid to ask him about that. Luke, even though he looks relaxed on the outside, once he understands someone's personality like mine, he turns into a starving beast ready to pounce on its prey at any moment. Huh, I'm never talking to him again.'

"What is it about?" Feyne asked curiously.

Luke raised an eyebrow.

"Just a matter between the two of us," he answered calmly.

Sodet simply observed the two of them standing in front of him carefully, then shifted his gaze toward Albert, who was leaning against the drawer table.

'Has he been reading a book this whole time?'

Sodet cleared his throat as he rose from his canopied bed, then warmed up before approaching the wardrobe in front of him. After putting on a tie and a knee length black coat, the bowler hat in his hand froze above his head as he turned his head to the left.

"...Are we leaving now?"

Albert moved the book away from his face, his eyes carefully observing Sodet's face before he sighed and closed the book, then placed it back among the rows of empty bookshelves.

"Of course," Albert replied calmly, straightening his body.

Sodet put the hat on his head, pulled up the collar of his coat, and walked toward the door.

"We should leave now," he said, his expression turning serious as if there were something he wanted to find as soon as possible.

....

After the confession, Ferrera Ammense received advice from his coworker at the church who was in charge of gathering information, Cathal Baleska.

Since that day, their relationship had grown increasingly distant, as if an invisible wall stood between them and prevented their gazes from meeting. More than that, Cathal himself admitted that he was afraid to approach him for one reason: fear of being affected by Absorption.

This was reinforced by the fact that ever since the confession, especially today, Ferrera had always displayed strange behavior. Whatever was happening to his companion, Cathal himself tried to investigate it secretly and without Evan and Natasya's help.

"It's quite rare for you not to follow him, Mr. Baleska," Evan called out casually. "Did something happen between the two of you?"

Evan's expression looked enthusiastic as he waited for Cathal's answer. As the cool morning breeze swept over Cathal's body, his hair danced along with the rustling sound of dry leaves from the trees, while his thoughts drifted with the wind, contemplating the question that had suddenly appeared in his mind.

Without blinking, he stared at the pond in front of him, watching the lively fish dart about as they ate the feed given to them by others, including Natasya. Cathal himself admitted that their companionship was simply because they were in the same situation: they had no families and had no idea whether their families were still alive.

Although they had been living in the refugee camp for approximately two months, none of them had found their families.

However, Cathal was different from them because he still had a father living in Rafess, although he rarely visited him himself.

While staring at his own reflection and hugging his knees for far too long, he was startled by a voice filled with a mixture of panic and bewilderment.

"Sir... Come on, I already told you never to daydream in this place, or you'll get affected!" Evan kindly stayed by his side during his difficult times, even though he himself had problems that needed to be resolved soon.

The two of them did not know that they were at odds, because their knowledge of the supernatural world was far below Ferrera's, and two levels below Cathal Baleska's.

Cathal smiled bitterly.

"Sorry if I keep remembering my own carelessness," he said while scratching his cheek.

"Why have you always been like this lately?" she asked loudly. "He even had the nerve to invite you and me to come to this strange place." Natasya bluntly voiced the thoughts she had been keeping to herself.

Evan, who was sitting with his legs stretched out, could only shake his head after seeing his friend's behavior.

"He's always like this, so please get used to it," Evan said softly, the corners of his lips twitching endlessly.

Cathal turned his head, his smile growing wider as he looked at him. "I've gotten used to it. Besides, there is some truth to what she says."

He suddenly stood up while taking off his top hat, then bowed deeply with the hat pressed against his chest.

"Forgive me if I've been troubling you these past few months. I don't know myself whether this will last long, or..."

"You'd better make peace with him," Natasya interrupted casually. "I actually feel sorry for him when I see him standing on the porch and leaning his body against the wooden railing, while his head keeps tilting upward as if resigned to his situation."

Cathal immediately turned around, looking at Natasya while slightly lowering his gaze.

"I'll try it myself, as you suggested," Cathal said while putting his top hat back on.

Evan fell silent, feeling that the problem here would be difficult to resolve. He looked back at the pond, which was 50 meters long and approximately 60 meters wide, for quite some time, staring at his own reflection.

'I'll try it. I can't keep living in this uncertainty. At least I want to satisfy my curiosity, the one that keeps me by their side.'

After muttering inwardly, Evan glanced at the two of them and took two steps toward them.

"Want to buy some food?" he muttered, seeking their approval.

Natasya's eyes immediately widened. "Good idea. Order the usual, okay? You're treating us."

"Yeah," Evan replied listlessly. "Would you like the same food as me, sir?" he asked, waiting for his confirmation.

Cathal nodded slowly. Seeing that reaction, Evan hesitated to assume that someone else shared his taste, regardless of whether Cathal had ever tasted the food in question.

"All right. You two just wait here. I'll be back in a few minutes." Evan took a deep breath and then exhaled as he walked away from them.

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