Rei stood before the man who had just intervened—a man who had looked utterly ordinary. Not too tall or short, not muscular or lanky, with the kind of face that would disappear into a crowd. And yet, that very man had made the arrogant Paladin retreat without a second word.
"You're Colt?" Rei asked, unable to mask the surprise in his tone.
"That's what I said," Colt replied, his voice calm but firm.
Rei wasted no time. "I've been looking for you. I need your help."
Colt raised a brow, folding his arms across his chest. "Looking for me? Why?"
"I need someone to mend my weapon," Rei said, stepping forward slightly.
But Colt didn't look impressed. His eyes narrowed further. "Then you've come to the wrong person. I don't do blacksmithing anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because my workshop doesn't work anymore," Colt answered flatly. "It's dead."
Rei tilted his head. "What if I can make it work again?"
Colt's lips twitched, not quite a smile. "You don't understand. My workshop isn't ordinary. It's more than anvils and hammers. It's bound to a specific kind of forge flame—one that hasn't lit in years. But…" he paused, giving Rei a nod of respect, "it's nice of you to ask."
He turned to leave, but Rei called out, "Wait. Trust me—I can help. I really need you to repair my weapon."
Colt stopped, glancing over his shoulder. "Why not ask another blacksmith?"
"Because normal blacksmiths can't handle sentient weapons."
That gave Colt pause.
He turned back around, eyeing Rei with a little more scrutiny. "…Sentient, you say?"
Rei nodded.
Colt sighed, brushing his hair back. "Well then. If you can help me get my workshop running again, I'll repair your weapon. Meet me in three days at the eastern gate."
About an hour later, Rei returned to the mansion where the others were waiting. They gathered in the common room, all eyes on him.
"I found Colt," Rei said, a grin forming. "He agreed to help. But—on one condition."
Levi leaned forward, intrigued. "What's the catch?"
"We have to get his workshop running again."
Levi scratched his chin thoughtfully. "That's not too bad. Sometimes, the forge flames die out. We could use oil or magical kindling to reignite it. Shouldn't be too hard."
Luc nodded. "Three days before the meeting. We've got some time to do a bit of our own work."
Emilia perked up. "Actually, I met someone too—Arizona Wilson. I'm going to see him again tomorrow."
Ben, who had been sitting with a book in his hand, looked up. "Arizona Wilson? That Arizona Wilson? I heard his daughter turned ten recently and left home to train. Now he's traveling with his wife."
Rei's eyes narrowed. "Is he strong?"
Emilia beamed. "He's incredibly powerful. Not just because of his strength, but because of his unknown magic—and even more so, his ability to cast silent magic."
Rei's expression sharpened. "Silent magic… So, he's at least a Ruler-class Mage."
Ben nodded. "He is. But he hasn't even learned a Peak Magic yet. Despite that, he can use three types of unknown magic."
Luc crossed his arms. "Sounds like he might be a good fit for our organization."
Rei didn't immediately answer. "I'm not sure. He has a wife. The odds of him wanting to get involved are slim."
Levi waved the concern off. "Don't worry about Alya—his wife. She's a Master Mage in her own right and likes fighting. She's actually the one who insisted they travel the world."
Rei gave a slow nod. "Then we'll talk with him."
That night, Rei knocked on Levi's door. The older man opened it with a yawn and gestured for him to come inside.
"I want to know about Arizona Wilson," Rei said. "The Thousand Scripture has records on him, right?"
Levi sat down and rubbed his temple. "He's not a major player in the grand scheme of history, but he's important. He once taught a girl basic magic—just enough so she could have a son. That boy grew up and had a daughter of his own, and she was the one who used Grand Magic on the battlefield decades later."
Rei raised a brow. "So his influence passed through generations."
Levi nodded. "Exactly."
Rei was quiet for a moment, thinking. Something was bothering him. But when Levi asked, "What's on your mind?" Rei only shook his head.
"It's nothing," he said.
The next day, Rei joined Emilia and Ben as they made their way through the crowded streets of Levanna to meet Arizona again.
This time, Arizona wasn't alone. His wife walked beside him, a tall woman with a commanding presence and emerald eyes that gleamed with sharpness. She had long silver hair tied back in a practical braid, and despite her calm demeanor, something about her radiated power.
"So you came," Arizona said with a pleasant smile when he saw Emilia. He looked at the two boys beside her. "Who are your friends?"
"He's Prince Ben of this kingdom," Emilia introduced, "and this is Rei."
"Pleasure to meet you," Arizona said warmly.
"I'm Alya Johnson," his wife added with a nod.
The three bowed politely. "Nice to meet you, too," they said in unison.
"I wanted to learn more about your unknown magic," Emilia said excitedly. "Could you explain how you created it?"
Arizona stroked his beard. "Sure. I developed it by combining multiple magic formations."
Rei chimed in before Arizona could continue. "So you first created a variety of formations, then studied how magic flowed through them. After that, you likely adjusted the formations to imitate specific flows until they stabilized. But there's something else you haven't said yet."
Arizona paused mid-sentence, blinking. "You understood that… before I finished speaking."
Alya looked impressed. "He's sharp. I've seen very few people who could understand Arizona that quickly."
Emilia smiled. "Actually, Rei's intelligence is on par with a Sage."
"A Sage?" Arizona repeated, arching a brow. "That's quite a claim—for someone without magic."
Ben crossed his arms. "I'm a prince, and even I agree with Emilia."
Alya nudged her husband. "Why not test him?"
Arizona grinned. "Alright. Tell me—what happens when Magica is used on a piece of paper?"
Rei didn't miss a beat. "The paper absorbs ambient mana. When Magica is applied, it introduces a small, structured amount of energy. If a formation is drawn, it channels that energy into a magical effect. Some believe it connects to the paranormal, but that's a misconception. What really happens is the formation stabilizes and redirects the mana, canceling external impact and creating a controlled, unidirectional blast."
Arizona stared at him, genuinely stunned. "I… never thought about it that way."
Alya pulled out a sheet of enchanted paper and a vial of Magica ink. She placed them between them.
"Then how about we test it?" she said with a smile.