After traveling east for a long time, Micheal finally glimpsed the outline of a town ahead. He halted in his tracks and leaned against a sturdy tree to catch his breath. He had been running for quite some time, and was close to being drained of every Essence in him.

  Gradually, the ‘green’ coating his body faded and he sat on the soft grass, raising his hand to shield the glaring sun. At that moment, a Twin-tailed Karambit leapt out of a bush. It hopped towards Micheal and cocked its furry head to the side in an inquisitive manner.

  Micheal chuckled and stretched out his arm to stroke the creature that was closely related to the rabbit. The Karambit was two-tailed like the name suggested, and they usually had dark brown spots all over their fur. However, this varied depending on the region they inhabited.

  For example, Karambits in the icy Western continent had pure white fur.

  “Aren't you adorable…” Micheal pulled the furry creature closer. “Are you hungry? Sadly, I don't have anything on me.”

  Just as he said that, the Karambit cooed and its eyes shimmered. It tugged at Micheal's shabby jacket, almost pulling out the item bound in sheepskin.

  Micheal quickly picked the Karambit up, placing it on the grass a distance away.

  “No, that's not food. Hehe, I can't afford to have it damaged, or I won't get paid.” He chuckled and retrieved the item from his jacket’s pocket.

  The item was roughly the width of three fingers, although it was unknown if the sheepskin made it bulkier. Micheal was suddenly curious.

  He traced his finger over the leather, contemplating if a quick scrutiny would bring about any deductions in payment.

  That's right, a little peek wouldn't hurt… As Micheal had this thought, he suddenly felt as if contained within the leather were various jewels and precious gemstones.

  His brown eyes sparkled and a strong sense of greed welled in his heart. However, before his hands could unfurl the sheepskin, he suddenly struck himself in the face.

  “What was I just about to do?” Micheal frowned, feeling like he had acted unlike himself just now. “Whatever this item is shouldn't be my business. Also, I've rested long enough.” He quickly quelled his curiosity and tucked the item back into his pocket.

  Just as he prepared to resume his run towards the town ahead, he heard an enticing and ethereal voice.

  “Oh? You actually managed to break my influence.”

  Micheal's nerves drew taut. He spun around and warily observed the sparse forest surrounding him. When he saw no one, he clicked his tongue and bolted towards the road leading to the town of Avon.

  He ran instantly!

  The voice came again, albeit in a more amused tone, “This boy's survival instincts are remarkable!”

  Micheal ignored the voice and kept running forward. His brown eyes assumed a greenish shade, and his abilities burst forth. His entire body was propelled by a greenish wave, bringing his speed to inhuman capabilities.

  He ran all the way to the town's outskirts, passing by the fertile farmlands and ignoring the various gazes on him.

  Upon reaching the busy town square, he finally slowed down and dared to look back.

  What was that just now?

  Micheal's palpitating heart gradually calmed, but his mind remained extremely alert.

  At first, he noticed a problem when he tried to pry into the contents of what he was supposed to deliver. That was unlike him. He had never been one to let greed or curiosity take over his reason!

  When he heard the voice, he had no more doubts and knew something strange was at play. Therefore, he didn't hesitate to make a run for it. At the very least, he had to quickly part with whatever was hidden within the sheepskin parchment.

  If not for the fact that he was already in Avon, he would've tossed the parchment aside and completely abandoned the task.

  Micheal wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly walked to a fruit stall. He hesitated for a moment and pulled out two Moppets.

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  “A fresh apple, please.”

  After receiving the fruit, Micheal cleared his throat and asked, “Could you please give me directions to the House of Harlan?”

  “You're new here?” The owner of the stall shot Micheal a glance. “It's a few clicks after blacksmith lane. There are signposts, follow that.”

  If I wasn't new here, would I be asking for directions? Micheal resisted the urge to frown and instead thanked the man. He whipped around and began jogging once more.

  After winding through various streets and asking around for directions, he finally arrived at an isolated two-storey villa. There was a beautiful garden in front, and the lawn was graced with two knight statues.

  A wealthy merchant? Or some decorated knight? Micheal thought to himself, trying to recall if he had ever heard of the name Harlan. After admiring the scenery for a moment, he ascended the stone steps and knocked on the front door.

  It wasn't long before he heard footsteps.

  A lady opened the door, staring at him with bright red eyes. They were certainly unique, causing Micheal to daze out a little.

  “How may I help you?” The lady asked, wiping her wet hands against her kirtle.

  Micheal stopped staring and pulled out the strange item bound in sheepskin leather. He said with a forced smile, “I am here to deliver this. Uh, from old man Roger.”

  “Oh!” The lady instantly wore an enlightened look. “Hold on, I'll inform the master. Would you mind waiting?”

  “No problem,” Micheal exhaled silently and watched as the lady retreated into the house. He held the item tight in his hands and waited in silence. Every heartbeat that passed was agony.

  Soon, the maid returned and said with a smile, “You can place it right here.” She held out a glass jar and motioned for him to drop it in, almost as if she didn't dare to hold the item in her hands.

  Micheal found her actions rather odd, but he didn't question anything. He dropped the strange and unknown item into the jar and then took a step back. Before he could say anything, the maid tucked the jar away and handed him a coin bag.

  “Your payment,” She said, maintaining her smile.

  Micheal received the bag and his instinctive thought was to ask how much was in there. However, his gaze froze when he took a brief glance. From what he could see alone, there were at least five Darlét, along with more than double Moppets!

  “This…”

  “Master Harlan is a very generous man.” The maid smiled once more.

  Micheal bowed in genuine appreciation and said, “May the Goddess bless him.”

  The Goddess he was referring to was the Mother of Everlasting Life, Virella. Unlike the other Deities who specifically lorded over a certain race, She was considered the Mother of all and the spark of creation. Thus, it didn't matter if one was an Elf, Human, Druid, Fairy, Giant or Dwarf, they all worshipped Her.

  She was placed on a higher pedestal compared to the other Deities, even having a month named after Her. The Moppet also depicted one of Her many symbols.

  The maid bowed in return, before stepping into the villa and shutting the door. Micheal also turned around and left the area. His mind whirred as he couldn't help but feel that he had stumbled upon one of the so-called fortuitous encounters. He had even momentarily forgotten about the oddity displayed by the maid.

  When he got to a quiet alley, he looked around, ensuring no one was observing him. Then, he leaned against a wall and counted how much the man had actually paid.

  “Five, six…” His lips couldn't help but curl at the ends. “There's a total of six Silvers and twelve Bronze coins. Unbelievable!”

  When he thought about how he'd still be able to receive ten Moppets from old man Roger, Micheal's heart sobbed with glee.

  “Actually, there's no need for me to collect from the old man. I shouldn't be too greedy.”

  Micheal quickly fixed the bag to his belt and began his walk to the town square. He planned on getting a ride back to the capital. After all, his mind was still fresh with the strange event from earlier. If he decided to walk back to the capital, there was a chance of getting embroiled in more strange matters.

  He followed the main street, passing by a few decorated houses. It was unknown if the people of the town were preparing for a festival. Micheal's gaze shifted from the houses to a few kids playing about.

  Two of them were wind elementals. They hoisted themselves in the air, laughing as they evaded the pursuit of their peers. Micheal watched the scene with a soft smile. He was reminded of the days before the tragic accident.

  Back then, he would play around with the other kids at the harbor, and Marie would cheer him on with the brightest smile in the world. Her illness hadn't manifested at the time.

  The boy snapped out of his reverie when a horse-drawn wagon passed beside him. He jogged forward and called out, “Excuse me, where are you headed? If you're passing by Theradon, could I get a ride? I'll pay, of course!”

  The wagon driver was hooded, and they gave a simple nod in response.

  Micheal pumped his fist and quickly climbed into the open wagon. As this wasn't a huge city or capital, long distance travels could only be achieved by hitching rides, or following scheduled caravans. Of course, there was always the option of walking.

  Micheal remained quiet as he watched the lively streets go by slowly.

  Soon, the wagon left Avon and just when it gained distance from the farmlands, the horse pulled to an abrupt halt. Following that, the wagon driver pulled down their hood—revealing an ethereal feminine face with porcelain skin—and turned to look at Micheal.

  The boy's eyes widened, and he was instantly filled with puzzlement. He wasn't confused because the driver turned out to be a lady, rather, he felt a baffling sense of familiarity from her. However, he was certain he had never seen her in his life.

  The lady whose skin was almost milk-white chuckled and parted her lips to speak:

  “Why did you run?”

  At that moment, Micheal's thoughts were illuminated by a bolt of lightning as felt like he'd fallen into a grave trap. This was because the lady's voice was the same as the one from earlier!

  Dammit! The boy's immediate reaction was to make a run for it. He gripped the edge of the wagon and prepared to jump out, when suddenly, in a bizarre turn of events, he sat back down in a daze.

  What was I about to do? I don't recall… Micheal frowned slightly.

  The lady sighed and said in a leisurely manner, “Don't bother. I'll steal your thoughts if you harbor any plans of escaping. Don't fret, I only need you to answer a few questions.”

  Micheal instantly remembered his situation. He gritted his teeth and obediently nodded. From what he could gather, this lady was extremely powerful. Directly reading and stealing people's thoughts wasn't a feat that could be achieved by just anyone. At the very least, she would be a Luminary. This was enough to make a person qualify for the position of Commander in the Imperial Knights.

  A true powerhouse.

  “You're from the Mind Ascent?” He asked warily.

  The lady chuckled. She stared at him with her enchanting purple eyes, before saying, “You only speak when I ask a question.” Her voice was steady and casual, yet it sent shivers down the boy's spine.

  “Good.” She nodded upon seeing him freeze up. “First question, did Harlan personally come to receive that item?”

  Micheal shook his head. “No, ma'am.”

  The lady fell into thought for a moment. She posed another question, “What did the old geezer from the capital tell you?”

  Micheal swallowed and poured out everything he knew. “He said to deliver the item without prying into its contents. He also said it belongs to an important figure, and that I would be paid well if I delivered it successfully.”

  The lady glanced at Micheal's coin pouch, almost as if she could see the shiny silver coins within.

  Micheal for a moment, thought the lady was going to rob him of his money. His mind only eased when she took her gaze off him.

  She muttered with a slight frown, “Was the former messenger discovered…”

  As this wasn't a direct question, Micheal remained quiet.

  Old man Roger mentioned something about the intended messenger coming up with an illness, but why should I tell you that?

  Suddenly, the lady raised her gaze and smiled. “An illness, huh..”

  Dammit! I forgot she can read my thoughts… this isn't good.. Micheal grew extremely uncomfortable under the lady's chilling smile.