"So, are you going to tell me how your mission in The Catacombs went?"
Elijah's heartbeat thumped loudly in his chest as his head dipped facing the floor. The soft bed underneath his rear slumped slightly. "I- There… We failed the mission, and three of my friends were incinerated…"
"What the hell?! What happened?!" Amaris moved closer to Elijah when he saw tears coming out of his eyes.
Elijah himself had not expected himself to cry, but maybe the reason for his tears was because of not feeling guilty or sad like he should be. "We were betrayed."
"I expected as much. Did you report it to the guild?"
"No, That crazy man Andal told me to keep it silent, or else the chances of it happening again were almost certain."
"Good. Are Novius and Alexia okay?"
"Yes, they survived, but the son of Lorsen Creveron did not survive. I am worried that now I will never have a chance of helping you on the frontlines."
"Pff, don't worry about that. Once you reach the orange core, I can use my authority to take you on missions. Most of the beasts close to the gates are orange core beasts, and become stronger the further you venture. With your strength, I would suggest taking on a red core mission by yourself. A mission where you don't have to hide your abilities."
"Really? Is that possible?"
"Yes, only if it is approved by the guild, or given to you by someone high up. That person can be me."
A voice randomly resounded from the pocket within Amaris' chest calling for a meeting. "I have to go, but do not talk to Abel without letting me know. I'll have a couple of easy redcore missions for you within the next couple of days to complete by yourself. Have a good night of sleep."
"You too."
Elijah was not at all perturbed by Amaris telling him to have a good night of sleep. That saying was custom in this kingdom, as sleep was something everyone prioritized. There were a couple of things Elijah had also wanted to get off his chest, like using mana to strengthen his body again, but it seemed it would have to wait.
Amaris gently closed the door, and said hello to Alexia who was leaning against the wall. "It seems there was someone waiting for you, Elijah…"
"Are you really going to go back into The Catacombs by yourself?" Alexia asked with worried eyes.
Elijah first found himself thankful she did not hear the first part of their conversation, or at least for now he assumed she did not hear anything about the Kingdom of Gion.
"Yes, I am. I can't stop just because of what happened. I don't want to stop."
"So why can't you join us? Why must you risk your life alone? If you die, no one will be there to know!" Alexia suddenly turned callous.
Deep down, Elijah knew the answer but couldn't bear to get it out of him. No one would understand the consequences of travelling with himself unless they experienced the horror of being betrayed.
A party of five was far too small to venture into red core dungeons per the hunter guild. There would always be the chance of a betrayal if Elijah stayed with his group.
"Because, I deserve to let my wings loose. I can't let people know of my special affinity for the power of flight as I fear I would become a target by the nobles."
"That doesn't make any sense! You are telling me I have to go kill beasts without you by my side. You are the reason why I have so much confidence!"
"... Alexia." Elijah struggled to get the words out of his mouth, but knew he had too. Times were changing… Being 'nice' wouldn't get anyone anywhere. "If I am the reason why you are so confident in battle then you shouldn't be cave-diving in the first place. You can't rely on everyone around you all the time. You have to develop your own confidence… Only then you will turn into a piece that will allow this kingdom to return to its glory."
Surprisingly, Alexia took his statement quite well, and bursted forward for a tight hug. Alexia's body was soft to the touch, giving Elijah a newfound respect for friendly love.
The feeling was warm, causing waves of ecstasy to wash over his skin. He enjoyed the feeling, and began to miss it the moment Alexia left his arms…
The night ended with rather happy thoughts running through Elijah's mind. Preparations were made, but one action he needed to take care of was getting his hands on Novius' invisible suit again. That could be an incredible boon for him, but also a crutch that could potentially cause him to overestimate his cunningness.
…
"Elijah! I have a letter that is addressed to you! It says no one can open it but you!" Phloria was at the door greeting the mail man when she yelled at Elijah who was calmly stretching in the room next to the living room. The free space full of beige-padding was meant for working on the physical body, and had obviously been used for quite a while with small droplets of sweat spread throughout.
Elijah got up from his cossack squat position, and ran through the living into the hallway that led to the grand foyer. The distorted light of the late-morning shone through the glass of the foyer. Another building block necessary for the romanticism of architecture was again made by magic, specifically crystal magic.
Elijah had thought that crystal was just underneath the umbrella of earth, but made sense if the elements were created from the existing differences of elements. Crystal formed in different ways compared to the different types of stone, yet, that minute difference created a separate elemental affinity.
"I didn't even notice that the snow had been cleared!" Said Elijah before entering the foyer.
The letter was gracefully handed to Elijah, and without hesitation, was opened.
"Are you going to tell me anything about it Elijah?" Phloria was staring at Elijah's actions of opening the letter with haste.
"Uhh, haha. Amaris sent me a mission he grabbed from the guild. It's nothing special. I just have to grab some things from the hunter market."
Phloria grabbed Elijah's chin. "You aren't going to be dying on me right?"
"Never, will I ever die to a beast. This mission sounds really easy from the type of beast I will be facing. Simple tunnel moles that are also going to be in few numbers. There is no need to worry."
"Okay, I guess with five of you that sounds easy. You do after all need to complete a mission. Although, I am surprised that you are all ready to get back to it after what happened."
Elijah didn't feel the need to tell the truth as he had full confidence in himself without needing to hide his abilities, not that it would even be a problem with his four friends. "I need to get going, I also have the hunter tournament that I need to prepare for. I'm going to get some custom shoes."
After hugging his mother tightly, he put on his shoes, and set off for the Western Hunter Guild. The white pants and tan button up long sleeve coat inlaid with gray goat fur made him feel quite presentable, and also allowed him to blend in with the normal attire of the kingdom. On his feet were nothing but matching white shoes allowing him to feel every crevasse between the stones.
Instead of taking a carriage, Elijah had decided to walk to a specific shop he once saw close to The Lavden restaurant he remembers eating at. The restaurant itself was obviously not operating normally, but did operate as a place to receive the rationed food.
Once the door to a small shop opened, a small bell rang followed by a welcome from the attendant at the counter. The shop was lined with exquisite pieces of leather and cloth garments meant for hunters, and obviously wasn't struggling with several empty equipment spots.
Everything was in the same color, but could be dyed using the pigments that came from different fruits and vegetables. "Welcome young one! To what do I owe the pleasure of helping you with today?"
Elijah finished looking around, and calmly took the black leather shoes off his feet.
These shoes were very simplistic, and provided the perfect amount of room for his toes. Cotton laces held them tightly, and had a medium amount of cushion meant for absorbing the blows of the harsh earthen ground. "Would you be able to cut openings in the bottom of these shoes so I can use my water magic while walking? I will also buy a new pair of shoes from you just to have both in case it doesn't work out the way I expect."
"Hmmmm, that is a rather odd request. But I suppose if you buy a pair of shoes from me I have no reason to say no." Elijah handed the pair of shoes to the man. "This shouldn't take long, and based on the idea you use water magic, shall I make vertical openings in the shoes?"
"Yes, that is exactly what I had in mind."
The burly man had some pep in his step from seeing such a smooth talking young fellow like Elijah. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the young nobles who relished in their parents' success.