The next morning, when the boys woke up, Acher said, “The Grand Druid from yesterday is downstairs. He’s probably waiting for you.”

  Aaron rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up straight. “Wait, how does he even know we’re staying here? What do we do? Should we run?”

  “It’s fine. He’s not here to cause trouble,” Acher replied. “If anything, he comes with good intentions… and maybe even some good fortune. It might be worth meeting him.”

  Aaron and Luther exchanged a quiet sigh of relief. At their current level, they stood no chance against a Grand Being.

  When they went down to the hotel’s breakfast hall, they found Leonardo already seated at a table. He greeted them with a warm smile.

  “It’s an honor to see you again, heroes. Tea or coffee?”

  It’s impressive these kids can sleep so well after everything that happened last night, he thought.

  He had been waiting for an hour, and in that time the waitress had already brought him five cups of tea.

  Aaron placed the pumpkins on the table, then casually pulled Luther down into the seat beside him.

  “We’ll take six orders of honey-milk pancakes and six glasses of Sylvan Haven lemonade. One extra sweet, please. Thanks.”

  Leonardo began, his tone friendly and relaxed.

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both properly. I’m sure you know who I am?”

  “Of course, Mr. Mayor, we just went to the Moonlight Festival you hosted last night.” Aaron shrugged. “But… how did you find out where we’re staying so fast?”

  “Well, this is the information age,” Leonardo replied with a small smile. “I saw your face, and when you checked into the hotel, you had to show your ID. Remember?”

  Aaron sighed. Great. Just like the mortal world.

  “So,” he asked, “what do you want from us, sir?”

  “I’m here to thank you on behalf of the city. We were lucky your solar magic destroyed that cursed artifact. Without it, things could’ve turned disastrous. If there’s anything you need, just say the word.”

  Aaron raised an eyebrow, a slow grin spreading across his face.

  “Well… since you’re offering, I guess ten thousand purewhite Etherstones should do.”

  “Cough… cough… cough!!” Luther almost sprayed lemonade all over the table when he heard that.

  “Hey, you okay?” Aaron said, patting him on the back. “Slow down. No one’s stealing your drink.”

  Leonardo also froze mid-air, teacup suspended halfway to his lips. He had come prepared to show his gratitude, yes, but ten thousand purewhite Etherstones?

  A faint bead of sweat formed at his temple.

  “Would… five thousand be acceptable instead?” Leonardo asked. “Please understand, after last night’s incident, the city has spent a great deal repairing the valley and supporting the families of the heroes who were injured. The treasury is under strain. In truth, ten thousand purewhite Etherstones are nothing compared to the safety of Sicily. But financially, we’re going through a difficult period. Five thousand is the most I can personally reallocate at the moment. I hope you understand.”

  He took a measured sip of tea before continuing, voice calm but sincere.

  “As for the remaining amount, I will do my best to persuade the city council to approve it as soon as possible.”

  Then, it was Aaron who looked flustered.

  “Oh, no, no! I was joking!” he blurted. “We really don’t need anything. Please use the money to compensate the injured.”

  Luther nodded quickly in agreement.

  Leonardo shook his head and lifted a hand. A woman in a neat secretary’s suit stepped forward and set a glass tray on the table. Resting on it was a check from Plutus Bank. Leonardo flicked his wand, elegant script flowing across the paper: five hundred purewhite Etherstones.

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  He signed his name on the check and slid it toward them.

  “At the very least, you must accept this. Think of it as the heartfelt thanks of our citizens.”

  Aaron and Luther stared at it, speechless. They hadn’t even finished spending the two crystals they’d exchanged at Mariana Market.

  “Take it,” Acher said. “You’ll need money. Aaron, that Hemerian dragon is going to eat a lot.”

  “…okay,” Aaron muttered.

  He looked up and gave the mayor a bright smile. “If you said so, then we’ll gratefully accept it. Thank you a lot.”

  “No,” Leonardo replied gently. “We are the ones who should thank you. Without your help, the outcome could have been far worse. When lives are at stake, wealth means very little.”

  He knew he himself could have fled, but many others would not have been so fortunate.

  Then he placed two medals on the table. Each was shaped like a bending stalk of wheat, forged from arcgold.

  “These are Medals of Honor from the Golden Wheat Valley. While wearing them, any expense you make in Sicily will be reduced by half.”

  Aaron picked one up and pinned it onto Luther’s shirt with a playful grin.

  “Looks good on you.”

  Leonardo: “…”

  The mayor of Sicily snapped his fingers. A translucent barrier shimmered into place, sealing off their table from prying eyes.

  He stood, placed his right hand over his left chest, and bowed slightly.

  “On behalf of the entire city, I offer my deepest gratitude to Sir Aaron Attenborough and Sir Luther Ravensborn for their courage in aiding us during such perilous times.”

  Aaron narrowed his eyes. “Okay, but how do you know his full name? We used MY ID to check in. Have you been digging into us?”

  “The incident last night was severe enough that everyone involved had to be thoroughly reviewed,” Leonardo said. “Both the Council and Olympus can access any government record on Earth at any time.”

  His gaze sharpened slightly. “And tell me… do you two truly understand what it means to have reached the rank of adept mage and high knight at only fifteen?”

  His tone shifted, turning heavy and stern. He fixed his gaze on the two boys. The look was sharp and focused that both of them instinctively jumped to their feet and stepped back.

  Aaron drew out his fire sword. And at the same time, dark magic rolled and coiled around Luther like living smoke.

  “Squeak!”

  The pumpkins on the table burst into flickering flames, sparks crackling around them.

  “Easy, easy, young friends,” Leonardo said, raising both hands in a surrender pose. “I mean no harm.”

  “What do you want from us?” Aaron asked.

  “According to our records, you both come from the mortal world,” the mayor said. He reached into his cloak and pulled out two files, placing them on the table, one labeled Luther Ravenswood, the other Aaron Attenborough.

  “From what I’ve seen, you both possess exceptionally strong physical constitutions, at least arcane or lord rank.”

  His eyes shifted to Aaron.

  “However… your combat technique is quite lacking.”

  Then he turned to Luther.

  “And you only know a handful of basic spells. Which is why I believe you’re both in urgent need of proper education. Talent like yours shouldn’t go to waste.”

  The boys slowly sat back down after hearing that.

  “That’s reasonable,” Acher commented. “At your current level, your ranks are still too low for me to teach you much anyway. Still… even if I don’t sense any malicious intent from him, you should stay cautious. Human hearts change faster than the wind.”

  “What do you think?” Leonardo asked.

  “How do we know we can trust you?” Aaron shot back. “What if you’re planning to trick us and sell us off somewhere?”

  Leonardo pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.

  Why are these boys this young but already this cautious?

  “I can make an oath in the name of the Flow,” he said. “I will swear that none of this brings you harm or disadvantage. Would that satisfy you?”

  Aaron gave a small nod. An oath sworn before the Flow could not be broken by a Grand Being.

  Leonardo straightened.

  “I, Leonardo Sullivan, swear beneath the light of the Unending Cycle that my intention in teaching Aaron Attenborough and Luther Ravenswood is free of malice, now and in the future. Should I break this vow, I accept whatever punishment follows. May the Flow bear witness.”

  As the vow settled, a curling rune of radiant script flared to life on his chest.

  Leonardo gave a faint, resigned smile. “Well? Do you believe me now?”

  “Thank you, Mr. Leonardo. We truly appreciate the offer,” Aaron said sincerely. “But… we’re heading back to New York tonight.”

  “Have you considered moving to Sicily instead?” Leonardo frowned. “Housing won’t be an issue. We can provide everything you need.”

  Aaron hesitated. “I’m afraid that’s not possible, sir.”

  The offer was tempting, but convincing his parents was impossible. And he also knew that Luther would never leave the Ravenswood house behind.

  “I see…” Leonardo fell quiet for a moment, thinking. Then he reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out two small triangular stones, each about the size of a palm. Intricate carvings covered their surfaces, and a fragment of shining white metal was embedded in the center.

  He placed them in front of the boys.

  “These are teleportation charms. If you hold one and channel your magic into it, after a minute, you’ll be transported directly to Dagus Gate at the city square. Each charm can be used once a day.”

  “So how do we get back?” Aaron asked.

  “Simply return to Dagus Gate and speak the word ‘Anakamptiros.’ It will send you back to the exact place you departed from.”

  Aaron’s eyes lit up. “So we can just drop by anytime we want? That’s super convenient!”

  Leonardo smiled. “Just don’t lose them. I don’t have any spares, and they’re quite expensive.”

  He looked at them steadily.

  “So, do you accept my invitation?”

  Aaron glanced at Luther. Seeing the excitement in his eyes, Luther couldn’t help but nod.

  “I guess that works,” Aaron smiled and said. “Sicily is such a nice city, after all.”