"The silver-haired one, the one who captured you," Henry replied.

  That perfect face still lingered in his mind day and night, even if her body wasn’t quite to his taste.

  “Do you have a death wish or something? That was a demon; did you even notice its body? You’d better throw that insane idea out of your head right now,” Aaron snapped, and Luther also frowned in disapproval.

  Henry let out a small sigh, sounding almost disappointed at the boy’s firm tone.

  “True love shouldn’t be bothered by small differences like that,” he said. “I can fix her.”

  “…” Aaron was at a loss for words, unsure how to even respond.

  “This guy is seriously making me feel sick,” he muttered to Luther and received a nod of agreement.

  “Interested in something with a body like that? Is this kid a descendant of that playboy or what?” Acher chuckled.

  “Calm down, I’m just joking.” Henry burst out laughing.

  Aaron narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

  “So, Aaron, when exactly did you become an apprentice knight?” Henry asked again.

  Hmm … what should I say? Aaron thought. If I say it was just yesterday, that’s way too much of a coincidence. But if I say longer than that, it sounds like I advanced too fast.

  “A little over a week ago,” he replied.

  “So you reached the rank of apprentice knight in just about a month?” Henry’s eyes lit up.

  “That’s right. I have Blazing Blood. That’s what the reaper told me,” Aaron said, lifting his chin with an air of pride.

  He held his hand out in front of him, and a small fireball formed in his palm as proof.

  What is Blazing Blood? Luther asked through the Covenant.

  It’s a lord rank fire-type constitution. Seems to be rare, Aaron answered.

  “Blazing Blood!” Henry exclaimed in excitement. “It’s been over a decade since the last time a child with that constitution has been born on Earth! So… have you found a mentor yet, Aaron? I assume that reaper only helped you by chance and did not take you on as an apprentice, right? After all, she belongs to the Underworld, and your element doesn’t match hers either.”

  “Yeah, but too bad, I already have a mentor. Luther is also his student,” Aaron said, pointing at Luther. “He’s a powerful swordmaster, so you’d better watch out!”

  “That makes sense. Even with Blazing Blood, it’d still be difficult to reach the rank of apprentice knight in just one month without any guidance,” Henry said.

  “What’s your point? Do you want to be my mentor or what? You’re a mage, dude.” Aaron raised an eyebrow.

  “I have quite a few friends who follow the physical path, and I’m sure they’d take an interest in you,” Henry replied. “Hmm … or maybe you’d be interested in enrolling at the Sacred Fire Academy? Many heirs from wealthy magical families still go there even though they already have private tutors.”

  “It’s one of the oldest and best magic academies on Earth. The teachers are all at least at the master/elite rank, and the principals and the heads of the departments are all grand beings! You’d get the best education. I’m a former Sacred Fire student, and I have friends who teach there. If you’d like, I could recommend you for admission. Don’t waste your talent. I believe you could become someone exceptional. After all, returning from the Abyss is something I’ve only ever heard about in stories from ancient eras.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “We’ll think about it,” Aaron replied.

  “You should decide as soon as possible. Next spring, Sacred Fire will host the Flame of Youth in Gnomon. It’s a grand event held once every five years. At that time, young talents from all realms around the Everspring Belt will come to participate. If you join the academy early and reach the official knight rank, you might earn a place to attend. Even though achieving a notable result would be quite difficult, it would still be a valuable experience to broaden your horizons.”

  “Sounds interesting. I’ll consider it and let you know,” Aaron said, still without giving a definite answer.

  “My phone number is xxx xxx xxx xxxx. If you ever change your mind, just give me a call or send me a message. Well then, kids, I’ve got to head out now,” Henry said, pushing the door open and stepping outside.

  Not long after, the sound of Annie’s laughter drifted in from the hallway.

  Luther asked:

  “You want. Go to. Sacred Fire?”

  “That’s not going to happen. There’s no way I could convince my mom and dad to let me drop out of high school. Besides, I bet it’d be much more difficult to hide our true rank there,” Aaron replied. “Anyway, how about we go watch the Flame of Youth? It sounds really fun! And while we’re at it, we can take the chance to explore Gnomon too. I want to see what the city called the Heart of the Cosmos looks like!”

  “Good.” Luther nodded in agreement.

  “Yayyy! Oh, and let me look up where Avalon Spring is. That melted snow bun thing sounds delicious.” Aaron ran his tongue over his lips with anticipation.

  “You fool!” Acher let out a loud laugh.

  “Huh?”

  The truth was, Avalon Spring actually had two different kinds of melted snow bun. Seeing the two boys sitting there looking so innocent, the waitresses with butterfly wings covered their mouths and giggled before bringing out the second kind for them to try.

  This desert was white, round little buns about the size of a golf ball. Its outer skin was unexpectedly soft and fluffy, giving off a faint fragrance from some kind of plant, carrying a gentle sweetness.

  The filling inside was made from condensed cloud goat’s milk, also pure white in color. When bitten into, the creamy center would spill out, coating the tongue with rich, lingering flavor, sweet but not cloying.

  “This is amazing!” Aaron took small bites, savoring each piece with care.

  The little pumpkins seemed to enjoy them just as much. Jack-O chomped away while making high-pitched noises. “Squeak squeak!!”

  “Even though it’s made from simple ingredients, the taste is truly impressive,” Acher said with a satisfied nod.

  In the end, Aaron ended up eating ten buns all by himself.

  “They look just like regular food. I should buy some as gifts for my parents and for the Pauls when we head back,” Aaron said.

  Luther smiled. “Let’s get plenty. Keep them in the fridge. For snack.”

  “Good idea! I’m so happy!” Aaron beamed.

  They returned to the Inkshadow restaurant that evening. This time, their group had three extra members. The moment Steve spotted them, he came over and greeted:

  “Hi! Luther, Aaron!”

  “Oh? What are these? You bring pumpkins for side dish?” he asked, eyeing the three Jack-O siblings with curiosity.

  The pumpkins on the table turned to face Steve.

  “Wow! Are these your pets? They’re so cute!” He reached out to give a pat, but pulled his hand back halfway.

  Many magical creatures could be dangerous. When Inkshadow had first come home, it had taken Steve an entire week for the ink mark on his face to fade.

  “Yeah, that’s right. We just got them yesterday. They’re ghostfire pumpkins, super adorable,” Aaron said. “You really working here all through the weekend?”

  “The restaurant’s been too busy, no other choice. But today’s the last day I’m helping out.” Steve shrugged.

  He had already made plans to go camping with friends tomorrow and had told his mother in advance. If she didn’t let him go, he’d just sneak out anyway.

  “Inkshadow’s not coming today?” Aaron glanced around.

  “Probably not. That boy’s shy, usually only drops by the restaurant once a week,” Steve shook his head.

  After they finished eating, Aaron took the group to the beach.

  During the day, the Tranquil Sea was a deep, breathtaking blue, but at night, it lived up to its name. It became pitch dark and silent, with no light reflecting off the water, like a massive beast lurking in stillness.

  Luther held Acher in his arms. Meanwhile, on the sandy shore, Aaron was running around, playing with Jack-O, Squashy, and Pompo.

  Squashy and Pompo were the names they had given to the other two small pumpkins.

  Luther sat lost in idle thoughts; his hair fluttered with each gentle sea breeze brushing against his cheek. Completing last night’s mission earned the two boys ten Purewhite Etherstones.

  Knowing their true value now, Aaron had blurted out:

  “Holy crap, why does the Flow pay us so well? This mission alone is enough for us to live off for years!”

  Luther hadn’t understood the reason either.

  But now, if he wasn’t mistaken, it was probably because of the Serenity. It wasn’t that the Flow of Destiny was showing him special favor; it was simply paying back to that one.