Furtive mystics

"Oh! The little guy hasn't lost consciousness yet!" Hugo heard the Blacksmith exclaim.

[As I thought. I would have blacked out already if it wasn't for my advancement.] Hugo contemplated as he felt energy rampaging through his gut.

Hugo could sense traces of the very potent and invigorating energy, suffused with vitality, slowly trickle out of his gut and seep into his blood vessels. The energy was then ferried to the rest of his body by his vessels. Hugo paradoxically felt both pain and comfort.

"That probably has something to do with his inborn talent. He has been periodically absorbing chunks of world mana ever since the day of his birth." Tracy replied, sounding a little more relaxed.

"This isn't necessarily a good thing. He hasn't reached the stage of fortifying his mental energy and will yet. He needs to pass out for some time and slowly absorb the energy." Hugo heard the Matriarch reply casually, in an earnest tone, indicating her surprise and worry.

[Should I pretend to pass out? The Owl was very serious in her warning not to divulge any information about the pyramid's mystic arts. I can't let them know about my soul training.] Hugo mused as he continued to follow the conversation around him.

"Tracy! Just put the little guy to sleep. It's better that way." Hugo heard the Blacksmith's voice instruct. There was no trace of worry in his tone, only confidence.

[They want Tracy to use some kind of hypnosis spell on me! Isn't that a bit much? Although the energy is potent, it isn't harmful to my body.] Hugo was perplexed.

"What about his apprenticeship with you? He was very eager to start today." Tracy sounded concerned.

"We have to work out a solution to that issue of the Ubaya Marshlands today. That's why I'm here this early." Constantine's voice was no longer mellow, but solemn.

"Is it that serious?" Tracy sounded concerned.

"Tracy! You'll cause needless worry to the young one. He's still awake." Constantine replied.

[They're leaving? …Eehh! What a perfect chance. I can use this opportunity to absorb the contents of the Kratos-Body-Yoga scroll.] Hugo was pleasantly surprised.

He had been looking forward to exploring the contents of the scrolls in his spiritual world. However, Hugo had no choice but to postpone this as the side effects would send him reeling into a deep slumber for several hours.

"Okay," Tracy replied and began casting a hypnosis spell on Hugo.

"ZZzzz…" A mild soothing vibration was detected by Hugo's fortified consciousness.

[I can now sense the mana signature of Tracy's spells. Another benefit of my soul's advancement.] Hugo was once again pleasantly surprised.

Only by detection of the traces left by mystic-spells would Hugo stand any chance of replicating them in the future.

Otherwise, he would remain consigned to the same fate as a blind man searching a dark room for a black cat that was not there. The lack of reference knowledge to the systems of spell casting in this mysterious world would greatly stagnate his progress – a situation that Hugo didn't want to see transpire.

His thoughts started to become lethargic as Tracy's slender palm passed over his forehead, a sign that the hypnosis spell was taking effect.

Hugo could perceive traces of world mana from Tracy's palm being infused into his mind. The mana was woven into a pattern, resembling the letter 'ZZzz' of the Latin alphabet. The patterns gently oozed into his mind and attempted to push his brain activity into slumber.

[I can't let the others find out about my ability to resist such spells.] Hugo deliberated as he started playing the part of a kid drowsing off to the sound of a soothing lullaby from his mother.

He regulated his breathing, then let his body and mind relax as he willed himself into a state mimicking deep slumber. This was imperative to successfully dupe the perceptive Matriarch and mysterious Blacksmith.

"He's asleep." He heard Tracy say.

"You were saying something about the Ubaya Marshlands." Miss Fox intoned, breaking the stoic silence she had maintained for the entire morning. It appeared that the glutton had actually already finished consuming the mountain of goose eggs that were piled on her plate.

"Yes! There's a huge congregation of poisonous calamity-frogs in the Marshlands. The resident Archbishop is worried that it will attract unwanted eyes close to Giza. They've selected our group to scout the area." Constantine replied, his tone solemn.

"Isn't this more of the usual? I don't mind taking on more tasks. I can gain merit points faster that way. I need to exceed the threshold of points required to leave the Island." Ali-Baba interjected, his tone casual.

"Why are you so eager to leave Giza? This is one of the safest places on the whole of Gaia." Aladin's voice quipped.

"It's also one of the most suffocating and boring. …Just like a prison." Ali-Baba countered.

"The people here helped you recover from your injuries. If you hadn't come to Giza, you wouldn't have been healed within just a few years" Tracy sounded annoyed.

"Okay... Okay. Enough. Not this argument again." The Matriarch rudely interrupted her tone the usual authoritative.

"Ali-Baba! You made a deal with the Archbishop before you were healed. So, you have to honor your promise whether or not you enjoy staying in Giza. Only six years are left. You can get on with your life after that." The Matriarch added in a no-nonsense tone.

[So, Giza is on an Island! A large one at that, since I never saw any shores nearby even when I was high up in the terraced mountains.] Hugo mused while maintaining his slumbering act.

" I have no problem with staying here for a few more years," Aladdin interjected.

"Me too," Miss Fox added.

"Can we get back to the point now!" Constantine cut in.

"Are we all going on this excursion?" Ali-Baba inquired.

"No! Tracy will remain here. The rest of us will meet up with Elena and Chiara later at our old base. I don't want us to convene here in my house again." The Matriarch sounded impatient.

[Elena? Isn't that the same friend of Miss Fox's who gave me the creepy residence token? How is it possible that she's acquainted with the Matriarch and Blacksmith as well?] Hugo forgot himself for a moment in surprise and there was a noticeable disruption in his regular deep breaths.

The surrounding people suddenly paused their discussion.

[Did they notice?] Hugo's heart was in his throat as he resumed his act.

"He is still deeply asleep." Hugo heard Tracy say, her voice filled with relief.

[Why do they hide even the contents of such an insignificant conversation from me? This is not logical! I already know that they are part of some sect within the Dark Church. Why are they being so paranoid?] Hugo was puzzled.

"Tracy! Take the little guy back to his room. His inborn-talent hasn't manifested yet. Some latent talents related to the mind can even register and recall the surrounding sounds and scenes even if one is in deep sleep. We need to be cautious at all times." The Blacksmith sounded very solemn, his tone lacking the usual mellowness.

[Not this again. Why do they have to be so secretive, even around a sleeping child?] Hugo was perplexed. He couldn't help but hypothesize that the mystics here in Giza were hiding a lot of secrets from the town's mundane residents.

The commoners had always seemed happy and open in his encounters with them, whereas the mystics were always skulking around and secretive to the point of being wary of kids. Nothing else made sense.

[No. I can't let this go on. I have to find a way to listen in on some of these secretive conversations.] Hugo resolved.

"I'll be back in a jiffy," Tracy replied as she cast a levitation spell on the 'sleeping-Hugo'.

Hugo once again felt the signature of the spell being cast by Tracy.

In his mind's eye, threads of blue mana melded into a gossamer floating mat that materialized just beneath his limp form. They vibrated intermittently as they lifted Hugo's weight into the air.

Shortly, he was being lowered onto his bed in the attic.

"Hugo! Are Grandma Bianca's suspicions true?" Hugo heard his aunt mumbling.

[Is she talking to me? Can she guess that I've been putting on an act all along? No. That can't be the case. Even the Matriarch failed to realize.] Hugo decided to remain silent.

"If you can in some way listen to what we've been saying, know that we are only trying to protect you. We are all shackled by our oaths. Just remember… Don't take any oaths lightly when you come of age." Tracy whispered.

[Is this the mysterious female intuition that was constantly dramatized in my previous life? Or is this an example of intuition enhanced by mystical powers.] Hugo was baffled. He could tell from his aunt's sincerity that she was sure this information would reach his mind by some means.

[I need to tread carefully around mystics in this world.] Hugo decided.

"Rest for a while. Sleep will help your body absorb the energy contained in the eggs." Tracy added before closing the door and leaving.

Hugo did not dare to open his eyes. Even if the rest suspected that he was putting on an act, they could never be entirely sure. He didn't want to betray himself to anyone watching discreetly.

Hugo sighed as he opened the imaginary door to his spirit world. He could now absorb the contents of the Kratos-Body-Yoga scroll at leisure.

[Mysticism, here I come.] Hugo was giddy with delight.