Under Suspicion

Five months had passed since they began their journey. Only one month remained to reach their destination, and Gyli still had not performed any magic. Greg only had her reading books on the theory of magic. Abby had taken charge of gathering food, as the supplies they had brought with them had run out...

One afternoon, the sun was scorching hot. Greg, Abby, and Gyli could no longer bear the heat, but in the distance, they could see a small village. Quickly, Abby urged Tersi to run faster, eager to reach a place with food and clean water at last...

When they arrived at the village, everything was incredible. It was a small village, but very clean and organized. Upon their arrival, a couple of people approached them. They looked like guards, but Abby, using her eye, could see their mana was unusually strong for mere guards.

"Good afternoon."

"Oh, are you guards?" Abby asked, puzzled, since village guards usually didn't have strong mana.

"Yes, miss. Tell me, are you visitors, or what brings you to this village?"

"Ah, well, we're heading to the Divine Kingdom, which is about a month from here. We're just passing through."

"I see. Please, go ahead."

As they entered the village, they noticed it was exceptionally clean—even more so than what a village normally would be. However, there were no people in the streets. Greg looked at the windows of the houses and saw people peeking through them. Something strange was going on...

When they arrived at a room to rent, they were greeted by a kind receptionist, and they quickly went to their room. Once there:

"Rest up. I'll sleep for a bit, too," said Abby.

Gyli and Greg quickly fell asleep, but Abby didn't. She went downstairs to find out what was happening. She approached the receptionist and asked:

"Hi, my name is Abby." She introduced herself politely.

"Oh, hello, I'm Amber."

Amber was a middle-aged woman, around 50 years old, with brown hair and wearing simple cloth attire.

"Nice to meet you, Amber. Hey, could you tell me what's going on in this village? I've noticed something strange."

Amber began glancing around nervously, as if she didn't want anyone to see her talking about it.

"I see you're warriors or something like that. I'm guessing the guards stopped you. That's because, five months ago, some kingdoms started a search to find the Divine Key. It all started a few months ago..."

Abby froze upon hearing this, as it meant they were looking for Greg. But she managed to stay calm, knowing there was no way they could suspect them.

"And Amber, where are those guards from?"

"Ah, I think they're from the Kingdom of Lancost. The king of that kingdom is very convinced that the Divine Key has resurfaced and wants to obtain it. To be honest, Abby, I don't know anything about the Divine Key—what it is or what it does."

"I see. Well, thank you very much," Abby said kindly.

She then headed back to the room. When she opened the door, she saw that Greg and Gyli were gone. She froze instantly, her body trembling with fear...

"Abby?"

It was Greg, who had only gotten up to give another book to Gyli while she was in the bathroom. Abby felt immense relief, knowing the danger they faced, and decided to tell them the truth about what was happening.

"Greg, they're looking for you in this village. We need to leave."

When Greg heard this, he remained silent, a long silence interrupted by Gyli.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Greg turned to Gyli, nodding his head.

"You're right. We need to leave."

Greg had already expected this day would come. An entire kingdom would start looking for him, and eventually, the whole world...

That same night, they prepared to leave for the Divine Kingdom. Before departing, they bought what they needed, like food, and filled a large water jar. Then, they continued on their way.

They were back on the road and managed to leave the village without any issues. That night, the sky was beautiful, filled with stars. Greg remembered the last night he spent with his parents, and tears began to roll down his face silently. Greg cried...

A few days later, as they got closer and closer to their destination, the atmosphere grew calmer. They arrived at a beautiful lake with fish, enormous trees, and a refreshing breeze, perfect for resting. And so, they did; they took a break.

Greg was ready to practice magic with Gyli.

"Hey, Gyli, are you ready to do some magic?"

A big expression started forming on Gyli's face. Her eyes widened, and a huge smile appeared.

"Yes!" Gyli shouted.

"Good. Now, take my sword. It will help you channel your mana."

Gyli, nodding her head, took Greg's sword, a light but powerful weapon.

"Now, you'll create a small ball of water. First, say this: 'Flow and take shape, crystal-clear water.' Feel your mana and direct it to your hand, then to the sword."

Gyli put in a lot of effort, grunting as she concentrated. Suddenly, a tiny ball of water formed on the sword. Though Gyli didn't see it because her eyes were closed...

"Gyli, open your eyes."

Gyli opened them and saw a small ball of water. After seeing it, she got so excited that she lost concentration, and the ball of water disappeared. But that didn't stop her from feeling thrilled...

Now Gyli was truly eager to keep practicing. The next morning, they left that place, only a couple of weeks away from the Divine Kingdom...