After eating, Rei turned to Eric. "Eric, you should go to Betal Town. That's where the Revolutionaries have their base." Rei quickly wrote a letter, sealing it with a flourish, and handed it to Eric. "Here, take this letter and show it to one of the founders, okay?"
Eric clutched the letter tightly. "Okay, I will. I'll make sure that the Mystic Church pays for their sins."
Rei smiled, a cold, calculating glint in his eyes. "Sure, if you believe in yourself, nobody can change your path." With those words, Rei picked up some extra food and a chicken leg, leaving Eric alone in the restaurant. He walked to the Midgard, where Tenko waited. Rei handed Tenko the chicken leg and food. "Here, eat this food," he said. "We have to travel without stopping until we reach Geno Town." He started the Midgard and began his journey.
The day passed with Rei driving the Midgard. As night fell, he parked the Midgard in a quiet spot near a small village. He and Tenko went into his room inside the Midgard and slept soundly. The next day, Rei set off again. After three more days of continuous travel, he finally reached Geno Town. Rei stopped the Midgard, and Tenko, with a soft thud, jumped onto Rei's shoulder. Rei looked around, searching for the saint candidate.
As Rei scanned the bustling town, a young boy, about 12 years old, approached him, his eyes wide with curiosity. "Wow, nice cloak and fox too!" the boy exclaimed.
Rei smiled. "Thanks. I think both of them are presents."
"My name is Bart," the boy said cheerfully. "Nice to meet you! Are you new here?"
"Yes," Rei replied, assessing the boy. "Are you too?"
Bart laughed. "No, I've been living here for the past two years."
Rei quickly decided that Bart could be useful. He didn't know this city, and a guide would save him a lot of trouble in finding the saint candidate. "So, Bart," Rei offered, "if you stick with me, I can teach you many things."
Bart's eyes sparkled. "Really? Like what?"
Rei lifted his hand and used his sorcery to create a small, swirling wind ball in his palm. Bart gasped, utterly surprised. "Wow, wow, wow!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with awe. "You don't have any magic, yet you can do magic!"
Rei chuckled. "This isn't magic. This is sorcery. I built it on my own."
Bart's eyes were now filled with stars. "Really? Can you teach me, please, please, please?"
"Sure," Rei agreed. "But currently, I'm looking for a saint candidate. If you help me look for the saint candidate, I will teach you how to control earth."
"Yes!" Bart shouted, overjoyed. "Then, if I know correctly, the saint candidate is in the Hunters' Tower!"
"Hunters' Tower? Okay, let's look," Rei said.
"Sure!" Bart chirped, already leading the way. Rei and Tenko followed Bart to the Hunters' Tower, a tall building with seven floors.
Rei entered the first floor of the Hunters' Tower and immediately spotted the saint candidate looking through a task board. He seemed completely alone. This is the perfect chance, Rei thought. He approached the boy. The saint candidate had blonde hair, much like Rei's, but it was a lighter shade. He had striking golden eyes, fair skin, and was dressed in white and blue clothing, holding a white and golden wand.
"Hello, my name is Rei, and this is Tenko," Rei greeted him, a polite smile on his face.
The saint candidate flinched slightly, then stammered, "Umm... hello. My name is Eugene."
"Eugene?" Rei repeated, feigning pleasant surprise. "That's a nice name. Can I ask if you are the saint candidate?"
Eugene flinched again, his shyness evident. "Yes... I am," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Actually, I want your help in holy magic," Rei stated directly.
The boy immediately bowed deeply, his head almost touching his knees. "If you want help in holy magic, please go to my sister," Eugene pleaded, his voice trembling. "I don't know much about holy magic."
Rei frowned, taken aback. "What do you mean?" he asked. Tenko, perched on Rei's shoulder, also looked confused.
Eugene, still timid, explained, "Actually, I am not proficient in holy magic. I can't use holy spells properly, and even my magic's effect is small."
Rei's frown deepened. He had expected to find someone decent, someone who could at least use magic effectively. Instead, he found a shy kid who admitted he barely knew how to use magic at all. Rei knew he couldn't just go to Eugene's sister, as he had no knowledge of her location or current status; she was in another country. This meant he was stuck with Eugene.
Rei, putting on his most gentlemanly demeanor, tried to sound kind. "Hey, it doesn't matter if you don't have magic. We could train you in holy magic."
Eugene looked up, his golden eyes wide with a glimmer of hope. "Really? Will you do that?"
Rei, with a seemingly kind smile, said, "Yes, really." Inside his mind, however, Rei groaned. Can't believe I'm stuck with him.
Bart, who had been quietly observing the whole exchange, suddenly piped up. "So, you will train me and Eugene?"
Rei had completely forgotten about Bart. Now, he was stuck training not just one, but two novice children. Rei forced another smile. "Yes, of course. But before that, Bart, could you show me around the town? I would like to select the perfect place for our training session."
"Sure, come here!" Bart exclaimed, pulling on Eugene's arm. "Eugene, you too, join us!"
Eugene, still shy, mumbled, "Okay."
Rei, with Eugene and Bart trailing behind him, looked around the town. The buildings were grand and well-maintained, and the slums were remarkably small. Rei, with his sharp observational skills, knew that the noble in charge of this town was a good noble, one with little greed. As Rei continued his assessment of the area, he decided on a location.
"Okay," Rei announced, "we are going to go to the fields to practice."
"What?" Bart protested. "But it will take 30 minutes to reach the fields!"
Rei simply ushered them inside the Midgard. Tenko, with a soft jump, left Rei's shoulder and settled on the ground inside the vehicle. Rei started the Midgard and drove it out of the town, past the edge of the forest, and directly to the sprawling fields. He stopped the vehicle, then stepped out along with Tenko, Bart, and Eugene. Bart and Eugene were wide-eyed, completely amazed by the experience of riding in the Midgard.
"Wow, this is one heck of a thing!" Bart exclaimed.
"Bart, focus," Rei said, his voice now serious. "Your training starts now. Your first test is to defeat Tenko."