Chapter 63

Xain and Kaden had made it to the grand fountain, their arrival accompanied by distant explosions. Xain couldn't help but think, *Amara's getting closer.* He turned to Kaden, his breath ragged from their sprint. "So, what exactly did Victoria give you?" he asked.

Kaden, looking somewhat miffed by the informal address, retorted, "It's Mayor Victoria to you! And she gave me this." He brought out a rolled-up piece of parchment. "Is that a scroll?" Xain asked, with a tinge of fascination, conjuring images of magic users from the stories he had read.

Kaden regarded Xain as if he'd just asked the most obvious question. "Of course, it's a scroll. What else could it be?" he responded matter-of-factly, the answer obvious to him, while Xain simply nodded, a hint of embarrassment coloring his expression. "Just checking," he mumbled.

"So what's that supposed to do?" Xain asked as Kaden calmly unfurled the scroll, replying, "It's a scroll of Phasing."

Xain, feeling a bit confused, scratched his head and asked, "And what does that actually do?"

Kaden sighed, a trace of annoyance in his tone, as he responded, "Are you a null or something? It's the shadow magic spell called Phasing, inscribed in a scroll for immediate use."

Xain's brow furrowed as he found himself on the receiving end of Kaden's irritation. "I was just asking. No need to get all worked up," he said, trying to ease the tension.

Kaden moved closer to the fountain, and then gestured for Xain to follow. "Come on, stay close. To use the scroll, we need to be in close proximity if we both want to enter the ritual room from here," he instructed, and Xain obliged by standing nearby.

Kaden held the scroll in front of him and began to read the incantations written on it aloud. The words flowed from him, but for Xain, they were like gibberish. Just as when Ercale had spoken in an unfamiliar language before, Xain couldn't comprehend a single word of the magical incantation. Xain suddenly saw that both he and Kaden started to turn a dark, purplish, translucent color.

Xain couldn't make sense of the mystical transformation, but he figured, *I'll just assume this is part of the spell,* and stood still. Just when he thought they were about to phase through the cobbled road, a sudden explosion rocked the area. A fireball struck the grand fountain on the other side from where they were standing, generating a powerful shockwave. The force of the explosion knocked them off their feet, causing the Phasing spell to abruptly end as their bodies reverted to their normal state.

Xain lay on the ground, dazed from the explosion, looking in the direction of the blast. Even without a clear view, he recognized the familiar sight of Amara's blond hair emerging through the dissipating smoke. Beside her, the black knight appeared visibly remorseful, even under his helmet.

"Did you have to do that?" the black knight questioned, his voice tinged with guilt. He glanced towards the once-majestic grand fountain of Moonveil, now in ruins, crumbling at its edges. "It's one of the main attractions of the town. It's how they draw people in."

Amara, however, seemed utterly unfazed by the destruction she had caused. "I'm sure they can rebuild it, but this way, the militia will have no choice but to come to me again," she stated matter-of-factly, displaying a complete lack of concern for the town's wellbeing.

Xain lay still, hidden behind the fountain's rim, thinking, *Thank goddess she hasn't seen me yet,* as he remained concealed. He was prepared to stay hidden just in case, rolling as close to the rim as possible to remain out of sight from Amara.

Amara's piercing gaze roved around the area, scanning for any potential threats. Her eyes fell upon a man, who, from her perspective, struck her as fashionable, adorned with various jewelry on his ears and fingers. What immediately drew her attention was the militia uniform he wore.

"Ah, have they finally sent someone interesting to detain me?" Amara remarked with a mix of amusement and anticipation. Her companion, the black knight, noticed the man too and decided to give him a piece of advice. "Hey, man, just run. There's no point in trying to fight her. Just run," he urgently advised.

However, the man on the ground paid no heed to the warning. Instead, his eyes burned with anger and determination. As he rose to his feet, he fixed a resolute gaze on Amara.

Amidst this tense confrontation, Xain desperately attempted to gesture to Kaden, silently pleading for him not to engage with Amara in combat. But Kaden seemed oblivious to Xain's silent warning.

"How dare you ruin Mayor Victoria's fountain! You will pay for that with your life!" Kaden declared, his hands emitting wisps of vapor. Amara quirked an eyebrow, intrigued by the vapors. "Those vapors coming off your hands, are you a sorcerer?" she inquired.

Kaden, however, asserted his identity, filled with a sense of duty and pride. "I am the Supreme Officer of Moonveil, no, of Triton!" he declared confidently.

Amara chuckled softly at his declaration. "Alright, then, Supreme Officer of Triton, maybe you'll put up a fight," she taunted. As the tension between Kaden and Amara escalated, both the black knight and Xain shared a common silent plea, *For the love of goddess, please do not fight each other!*