Rey strolled through the town, whistling a carefree tune as he walked. His feet carried him on a familiar path, one that he had traversed countless times before. As he walked, he couldn't help but think about Kojo, who had recently left for the Holy Land of Ezkanur with Lin.
"Why didn't he ask me to come along?" Rey wondered aloud. "I thought we were friends." He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "I guess I'm just not holy enough for the holy land."
Rey's thoughts turned to the freezing cold climate of Ezkanur, and he shuddered. "No, on second thought, that place would be too cold for my liking. But at least I would be able to get away from Eden." He let out a sigh, thinking about his training.
"Eden's been pushing me hard lately," Rey thought, recalling some of the more absurd training exercises he had been forced to endure. "I mean, who would think it's a good idea to tie me up in a sack and make me hop through a field of poisonous plants while being chased by a pack of wild beasts?" He shook his head.
"Or how about the time he made me eat the poisonous portion of a beast, knowing full well that it'd give me temporary paralysis, just to see how strong my stomach was?"
"I know I signed up for this, but it would be nice if he toned it down a bit. I'm royalty, after all," he said, rolling his eyes.
As Rey walked, his stomach began to grumble, reminding him that he needed to eat. He glanced to his left, his eyes falling on the Silver Palace, the restaurant down the street. His thoughts turned to Eden once again, and how he had been forcing Rey to either fast or consume poisonous beasts and herbs to build "immunity" while training to burn excess body fat.
"I mean, look at me, I already had the frame of a broom... Thinking about it just makes my stomach ache. Ugh, I need some real food," Rey thought, his stomach growling in agreement. He decided to head in that direction, hoping to find something edible. He knew that when Eden found him, it would be a while before he could try those delicacies, or just food in general.
As he pushed open the door, a cute little girl in a maid uniform looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Welcome, sir!"
Her face turned bright red as she realized who Rey was.
"I-it's you!"
Rey's eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah, Lyra was it?" Jed also bumped into her a while back as he strolled the city, but she ran off before he could say anything to her. He smiled warmly at her. "How's your father doing? And how have you been?"
Lyra's face turned even redder as she nodded shyly, stammering out a greeting. "I'm glad to hear that you're doing well." Rey's eyes crinkled at the corners as he responded.
Just then, Fiona's voice called out from inside the building. "Lyra, what's taking so long? Bring out the drinks already!"
Lyra's eyes darted towards the kitchen, and she shivered, stammering out an apology before gesturing to Rey. "P-please, sir, come in! I'll get you a table right away!"
The inside of the restaurant was filled with people, some coming, some going. Business seemed to be going well.
As he made his way to the empty table, he spotted Koniko sitting by herself, sipping a cup of warm liquid. Rey's face lit up with a smile. He was about to tell Lyra that he'd sit with Koniko, but she turned, apologized, and practically ran into the kitchen, her face becoming even more flustered as she moved away.
Rey's eyes followed Lyra. He shrugged, wondering if she was just having a bad day. "I guess she's got it rough, working here and all," he thought, feeling a pang of sympathy for the young girl.
"Koniko! Fancy meeting you here. Mind if I join you?" Rey said when he got to that table, pulling out a chair.
Koniko looked up, a hint of a smile on her face. "Oh, Rey. No, I don't mind."
Rey sat down, gesturing to Finn who was passing by. She came over to take his order. As Felix was making his order, Koniko told Finn to inform her brother that she'd like a word.
Finn nodded, jotting down Rey's order before hurrying off to the kitchen. Rey watched her go, his eyes returning to Koniko. "So, what brings you here today?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.
Koniko looked around them, snapped her fingers using her magic to create a soundproof bubble around them.
"Oh?" Rey said, intrigued as she launched into a conversation about their latest project.
"Since you've been away for a while, let me fill you in," she said.
**************
Eden gathered Mekna and Keo in the dining room of the house. They sat at either side of him, their faces expressionless as they wondered what this was about.
"I heard about your fight with Saint Leonard," Eden began, his voice low and measured. Keo's eyes narrowed, her voice laced with wariness.
"Are you about to mock us?"
Eden's expression turned corrective.
"No. In fact, I was about to commend you both. You were able to fend off a knight of the church, a full Saint, until Master arrived."
Mekna's face remained stoic, but his voice held a hint of dissatisfaction.
"It still doesn't change the fact that we failed our duty to protect this house."
Eden's eyes seemed to gleam with a knowing light.
"It's my understanding that Master used a skill called Aegis around this house, which, among its many uses, alerts him to intruders and stops them from using magic or skills by restraining their arcana. But the Saint was still powerful enough to ignore its effects... though things would be worse if he wasn't mind-controlled and was actively trying to do harm."
Keo's voice cut through the air, her impatience evident.
"Just get to the point, Eden."
Eden leaned forward, interlocking his fingers on the table.
"I've always sought to fulfill my role in thoroughly serving Master. Both of you possess skills that can affect the fundamental laws of existence, much like myself."
Mekna and Keo exchanged a wary glance, but Eden continued, his voice unwavering. "Do not be surprised. I came to this conclusion by simply observing, and I must say, it's impressive. Alright, to ensure we're on the same level, I will lay my cards bare and tell you my own ability. I can control probability. What can happen..., what will happen..., what can't happen..., what may or may not, all of it is at my discretion, thanks to my Supreme Enchantment, Chaos Theory. Now you don't have to tell me what your own abilities are. But,"
Eden's eyes seemed to bore into their souls. "To best serve Master, I've remastered my already mastered ability. And I'd like to help you both do the same. So, I propose—"
But before Eden could finish, Keo and Mekna rose from their seats, their faces set in determined lines.
"We're thankful for the offer, Eden," Keo said, her voice firm, "but it's not needed. We'll get stronger, but in our own way."
Eden's eyes clouded with confusion, but he nodded slowly. He closed his eyes and spoke, his voice tinged with resignation.
"Okay... but if you ever—"
Mekna cut him off, his voice firm. "We won't."
Eden sat unmoving as they walked away. He opened his eyes, and turned his head, the triquetras in his irises dancing in kaleidoscopic color changes of orange and red as his eyes lingered on their retreating backs.
"Entropy and order," he whispered, a small, enigmatic smile playing on his lips.