That afternoon, in the tower. Sera, Riel and Jorn already on the table.
From outside, Ren spotted them as he walked back from the tent after lunch. He went straight in. The look on their faces told him something was up.
He stepped through the door.
"What happened?"
Sera glanced at him. "We forgot something important yesterday."
Ren frowned. "What is it?"
Riel said, "The rings."
Ren rubbed his head. "Ah… yeah. I forgot about that."
Jorn let out a small laugh. "Of course. The last conversation was too much."
Sera nodded.
Riel reached into her pocket and pulled out the seven rings they had found.
She set them down, splitting them. Three on the left, four on the right.
"All of these," Riel said, "we tested. Every ring has an elemental affinity."
She pointed to the left. "These three. Fire, water, and healing." Then to the right. "These four, we don't know. But if these three are elements, I'd bet these four are too."
Ren tilted his head. "How can you know those three, and not these?"
Jorn picked up two rings. "Look." He slipped them onto his fingers. One glowed, runes lighting up. The other stayed dark.
Ren nodded as it clicked. "So that glow means fire affinity, since you're fire element?"
"Exactly," Jorn said.
Sera motioned to Riel. "Water ring. Show him."
Riel slipped the ring onto her hand. As expected, it glowed.
Sera turned back to Ren. "You see the point now?"
Ren's legs felt weak. Not from nerves, but because something deep inside told him he'd already done this, without knowing it.
Sera touched his shoulder. "Ren. You listening?"
He blinked, snapped back. "Ah, yes. I got it. I was just… thinking how to handle this."
Sera smiled slightly. "Try the other four. Maybe one's lightning."
Ren picked up the rest of the rings. Slipped them on one by one. One glowed. The others stayed dark.
Ren looked at the glowing band. "This one… lightning?"
Riel nodded. "That's right. You're a lightning magician."
"Am I…?"
"The rings won't react to a different element. That one matched yours."
Ren's mind drifted to the crystal back in the kingdom, the one the queen asked him to try.
"You remember that crystal? Namu… Crystal of Namu? Whatever the name was."
Jorn nodded. "Before we entered magic school, we all touched the crystal to test our element."
Riel added, before Ren could ask further, "We're thinking the same. The crystal is like the map, it couldn't detect yours. Our guess? Only fire, water, and light magic are born in this land. That's why."
Ren thought about it.
But this time, the weight didn't pull him down.
His mind was clearer.
"Alright," Ren said. "I won't chase this. Not now. When destiny brings us there, it brings us there. For now, we build. We grow this village. We make it stable, so it can protect itself. Until then, we don't move from this land."
They all nodded.
"This could take a month, a year, or more. But we'll find the answer. Until then… will you stand with me? Help build this place, guard it, explore this land with the map only I can read?"
Sera smiled. "I like a journey. I'm in."
Riel watched the ring on her finger. "I'll take this ring, and I'm in."
Jorn hesitated, seeing the weight of what lay ahead. But he nodded. "I know it won't be easy. But my heart says follow you. So, I'm in."
Ren rose from his seat, a smirk tugging at his mouth. "You'll regret that."
Sera chuckled, looking at Riel and Jorn. "Listen to him. I thought I regretted following him once. You will too."
Ren stepped outside, back into the work waiting for him.
Inside, Sera stayed at the table, telling Riel and Jorn about the journey so far. They listened in silence.
***
Ren stepped into the sunlight. The weight of the rings was still on his fingers. The breeze felt good, he scanned the village. Half-built homes, people working, voices filling the air.
Then he saw it.
Two wagons rolled in from the mountain path, heavy with stone. The wood creaked under the load, but the miners brought them safely to the square.
Ren walked over.
A miner, his face dusty, grinned tiredly. "Two wagons full, just like you asked. The mountain gave what we needed."
Ren clapped his shoulder. "Good work. Rest. Eat. We'll take it from here."
Without waiting, Ren headed back to the tower. Inside, Tobren, Henda, and Berreth were already gathering.
"We need to plan," Ren said, closing the door behind him.
They sat. Afternoon light spilled across the maps and papers.
"We have stone. Two wagons worth. More than enough for the walls and houses. Now we think ahead."
Tobren leaned forward. "Trade?"
Ren nodded. "Exactly. We need tools, cloth, things we can't make. This stone has value. Berreth, you said you have northern contacts?"
Berreth rubbed his chin. "Old trade partners. I can send word. They'll listen, but it'll take weeks for a reply."
Ren looked at Henda. "What about central?"
Henda shook his head. "Riskier. They'll smell our need. Their prices won't be fair."
Ren tapped his fingers on the table, thinking.
"North first. Berreth, draft a message tonight. Tell them we have clean-cut stone, ready for trade. Tools, seed, cloth, whatever's fair."
Berreth nodded. "I'll handle it."
Ren turned to Tobren. "Set aside the best stone for trade. But the wall comes first. Don't touch what we need."
"Understood."
"Henda, work with Tobren. Make a list of what we need most. Prioritize."
"Got it."
The tension in Ren's shoulders eased. "We'll grow this place. One stone at a time. We do it right, this village won't just survive. It'll stand strong."
They all nodded.
Then Ren said something that made them freeze. "What if we use the king?"
They stared at him.
Ren saw their confusion and smiled faintly. "Not that way… listen." He adjusted in his seat. "I have an idea. We need money, real money. And for that, we need the king involved."
Tobren shook his head. "No, Ren. You can't—"
"Just hear me out."
They leaned in.
"We have the pump now. What if I give him the first one? Free. Let him have it. People will see it, and they'll want it. They'll need it."
Berreth smirked. "Smart. I like it."
Henda grinned. "That could work."
Tobren's eyes widened as he understood. "This is the 'marketing' you talked about before?"
Ren nodded. "Find me a big event. A festival, something where people gather. I'll handle the rest."
No one argued. They knew Ren wouldn't say it if he couldn't at least try.
Night fell. The stars came out.
Ren stayed in the tower a little longer, watching the village below.
A small, tired grin touched his face.
One step at a time.