Chapter 193 - Curious Shindo

Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Adion thought as he meticulously examined the people onboard one by one through his aura sense. Not that he could tell if anyone was a hidden enemy just by feeling their aura, but there was always a chance that he could spot someone lying about their element or strength. That could give him a clue that something was wrong. 

But Adion didn’t feel that anything was strange as he walked through the senba and checked on the people aboard. 

I guess I can relax a little.

Adion had been thrown off by Shindo’s weird behaviour. He felt it was necessary to make sure he wasn’t about to fall into some sort of trap. 

It’s getting dark. Adion thought, looking up at the sky. 

Adion assumed Shindo should be finished with his shift soon, so he went back to his room to wait for him. He had found Kurin after talking to Shindo earlier and managed to buy some beer from him. He also took the chance to ask when they would be stopping to rest. But apparently, unless they arrived at one of their predetermined stops, the senba would only stop once every four days. Meaning they would keep going all through the night.

Even if it’s cramped, I can’t complain about the effort the crew is putting in. 

Adion walked into his shared room and jumped up on his bed without greeting his fellow travelers. He closed his eyes to get some rest before meeting up with Shindo. 

It didn’t take more than an hour before there was a knock on the door, “Adion? You still down for a few beers?” 

Adion opened his eyes as he heard Shindo calling for him. He jumped down from his bed, grabbed his belongings, and stepped outside.

“I never told you my name,” Adion said as he looked at Shindo closely.

“I heard someone in the crew mention it,” Shindo said with a shrug, “Let’s go.”

Shindo led him to the back of the senba, the same place Adion had been painting earlier. 

An elf?

Adion spotted a blonde elf in his late twenties already sitting there with a beer in his hand. Adion investigated his aura and sensed he was a low Silver sand mage. 

It was the first time Adion had seen an elf that he could remember, but he was sure met quite a few earlier in his life. Quahim was an elf, after all. But it didn’t seem like they were common in the Saba Desert, he had at least only seen humans so far. 

He had surely looked through the man's aura earlier, but since he hadn’t actually looked at him, Adion didn’t know he was an elf.

“This is Teruro,” Shindo said, gesturing to the elf.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Adion,” Adion introduced himself with a nod. 

“Likewise,” Teruro said with a friendly grin, “How do you find the journey so far?”

“It’s alright, I guess,” Adion said with a shrug as he and Shindo sat down. 

“Would you mind lighting the fire for us, Adion?” Shindo asked, “I thought it’d be nice to have something small to eat with the beer.”

There was a small portable fireplace in metal placed between them. Adion didn’t think much about it and conjured a small flame from the pure mana around him and carefully placed it into the coal. 

“Fire sure is a convenient element,” Shindo said with a sigh.

“It doesn’t feel very convenient in this heat,” Adion said, “If anything, wind seems like it’s indispensable if you want to be able to move around in the desert.”

“That depends on how well you control it,” Teruro said with a small smile, “Shindo here has focused so much on his advancement that he’s practically useless in driving a senba.”

“I’m hardly useless,” Shindo said with a scoff, “I just don’t have much experience. I’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”

I guess some people neglect their basics in favor of advancing fast.

Maybe I’ve been too focused on advancing in the past too? But I feel like my control is pretty good. Besides, I have Authority. Can’t have greater control than that. 

“By the way, you look a little familiar,” Teruro said, looking closely at Adion’s face, “Have we met?”

Have we? It doesn’t feel like it…But it’s certainly possible.

“I don’t think so,” Adion said. If Teruro wasn’t sure, they couldn’t possibly have been close even if they had met.

“Strange,” Teruro muttered, “You said your name is Adion?”

“Yeah,” Adion nodded. He noticed Shindo was looking at him carefully as well.

“I have the same feeling, Teruro,” Shindo said, “I just can’t place it.”

What’s going on? Adion thought, confused. Do I know these people? Or are they part of my hidden enemies? But I don’t feel any sort of hostility.

“Anyway, we might be mistaken,” Shindo said with a light smile, waving the matter off, “Or I’m sure we’ll remember eventually.”

“I guess,” Teruro said hesitantly, “So, Adion, where are you heading?”

“Kerrick Hold,” Adion answered, “There aren’t many beasts in the desert, so I want to head up to the Outskirts for some experience.”

“There might not be many beasts in this area, but the center of the desert, as well as the Silver Peaks, have plenty of beasts,” Teruro said, “I’ve heard hunting beasts pay a lot more here as well. The Empire is pretty generous as they want to clear all the beasts from the desert.”

“Couldn’t the Empire clear the area themselves?” Adion questioned.

“It would cost a fortune to clear such a vast expanse of space,” Teruro said, shaking his head, “And you’d have to take them all out at once, or they’d just reproduce once the Empire pulls its forces back. That’s no easy task. It would take a Soul mage to discover most beasts. If they want to hide, no ordinary mage would be able to find them in their natural habitat.”

I guess that’s true. Not everyone has a sphere of space mana to help them. Not even I would be able to discover Gold beasts hiding beneath the sand just by trying to sense their aura. 

“I see, that makes sense. So anyway, how did you two end up working for a merchant company?” Adion asked as he grabbed a beer for himself. 

“The pay is good and stable,” Teruro said with a shrug, “Maybe I’ll go to the Outskirts when I feel like I can’t advance anymore, but until then, this kind of life isn’t too bad.”

“You never thought about experiencing the rest of Shiora?” Adion asked.

“Not really,” Teruro said, “My mother is from Iitha, so it might be nice to visit there in the future, but as a sand mage, I would feel weak away from the desert.”

“I see. What about you, Shindo?” Adion asked.

“I like the stable pay as well, and the job lets me travel around, which I enjoy,” Shindo said, “Besides, the rest of Shiora is going through a tumultuous time at the moment.”

“That too,” Teruro agreed.

“You said you’re from the Valis Kingdom, right?” Shindo asked Adion.

“Yeah,” Adion nodded.

“How does it feel that Heavenly Light is waging war over there at the moment?” Shindo asked.

“Shindo,” Teruro said with an uneasy expression.

Adion frowned slightly. 

That’s right. Heavenly Light is attacking my home in a way.

“I guess it doesn’t feel great, but the Academy is getting involved, so I’m sure things will get resolved soon enough,” Adion said.

“Oh?” Shindo looked intrigued at Adion’s words, “Is the Academy planning on launching an attack?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Adion said with a shrug, “But they have already declared war, right? I don’t think Heavenly Light stands a chance against Cyalis.”

“Maybe. I guess we’ll see. Anyway, grab some meat, you two. I can’t finish it on my own,” Shindo said as he removed some cooked meat from the fire.

I doubt he has poisoned the meat…But I’d rather be safe than sorry.

“I’m good,” Adion said, “I’m happy to just drink some beer.”

“Alright,” Shindo said with a shrug, giving some food to Teruro, who happily accepted.

Shindo and Teruro started eating while Adion sipped on his beer. The atmosphere slowly eased up as the night got darker, and the three got more familiar with each other. 

“You sure you want to go to the Outskirts, Adion,” Teruro said, slightly drunk already, “I could see if you could get a job here if you want. Even if you’re only a Bronze mage, we appreciate talent.”

“What use would a fire mage be in a merchant company in the desert?” Adion questioned.

“It’s always good to have some variety,” Teruro said earnestly, “I can think of a lot of situations where we could use a fire mage.”

“Like grilling,” Shindo said with a small smile.

“Exactly!” Teruro said, bursting out laughing. 

“I think I’ll stick to my plans, thank you,” Adion said, shaking his head.

“That’s too bad,” Teruro said, “I finally thought I’d have someone to share the burden of Shindo’s incessant questioning.”

“Oh?” Adion raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had noticed that Shindo was curious about him. It could be considered normal behavior, Adion had asked his fair of questions himself, but it was something about the way Shindo looked at him after asking that felt strange to Adion. It was like he was waiting to catch him in a lie or something.

“It’s not too bad,” Teruro said with a light chuckle, “He had never met an elf before, as we are rare in the desert, so he was quite curious about me. Unfortunately, I have spent my whole life here, so I couldn’t tell him much.”

Adion looked at Shindo with a raised eyebrow, “You never met an elf traveling around in your childhood?”

“No,” Shindo said, shaking his head with a smile, “They aren’t common outside of Iitha, so I got curious when I met Teruro.”

“Are you always this curious?” Adion asked.

“With people I find interesting, of course I’m curious,” Shindo said, “Wouldn’t you be curious if you met a faelin or a dwarf?”

Have I met a faelin or dwarf? 

The word dwarf didn’t make Adion feel anything particular; it was like a slightly familiar word that didn’t resonate with anything inside of him. But the word faelin had several vague emotions attached to it.

I might have met one before. Interesting. 

“So, what makes you curious about me?” Adion asked.

“A middle Silver mage at your age isn’t exactly common,” Shindo said, smiling while looking deep into Adion’s eyes.

How- Adion jumped to his feet and backed away from Shindo, ready to make a move.

“How did you know?” Adion asked. No one else had noticed his hidden strength so far, not even Gold mages. Adion couldn’t imagine how a Bronze mage had been able to see through it.

“Haha,” Shindo laughed, “Relax, will you? I didn’t know for certain, but I guess you pretty much confirmed it just now.”

He guessed?

“What could possibly make you suspect that?” Adion asked.

“Guys, what’s going on?” Teruro asked with a nervous expression, looking between Shindo and Teruro.

“I think I remember where we saw Adion, Teruro,” Shindo said to the elf with a smile.

“Oh? Have we seen him somewhere?” Teruro asked.

“You should be Adion Remori, right?” Shindo turned to Adion and asked, “The disciple of Sage Vernom?”

Wait…what? 

I guess that…could be the case.

“Wait, you’re not?” Shindo asked, surprised as Adion only got confused by his words.

“What makes you think that’s who I am?” Adion asked carefully.

“You look exactly like him,” Shindo said with a strange expression, “And there are not many other 17-year-old middle Silver mages named Adion Remori that I know of.”

“That…” Adion didn’t know what to say. 

I guess that could only be me.

It doesn’t feel off to me either, which probably means it's right.

Who would have thought I had such an identity? I guess my family should be at the Academy, then?

“Why are you acting so strange about this?” Shindo asked.

“I guess I was surprised,” Adion said slowly.

So he isn’t my enemy?

“How do you know me?” Adion asked.

“From what I can gather, a lot of people are looking for you,” Shindo said, “Teruro and I were approached by a mage from Cyalis a while back with a picture and description of you, asking if we had any information. According to him, you were kidnapped by Heavenly Light?”

“Right! That’s it,” Teruro exclaimed, “I knew I recognized you.”

Heavenly Light…That is the organization Narvar was talking about? That makes sense.

And it seems like people from the Academy are looking for me. Maybe even my family is looking for me.

They must be worried.

“Is everything alright with you?” Shindo asked, giving Adion a strange look.

“Haah,” Adion sighed. I really need to recover my memories.

“I’m fine,” Adion said, “Just…well, a lot has happened recently.”

“I can imagine,” Shindo said, “So…what happened? Why are you here?”

Adion hesitated slightly. He wondered if he should tell Shindo about his memory loss. He might be able to give him some valuable information.

No. It would be easy to manipulate me if I reveal that. 

Besides, I already know enough for now. I can work on getting back my other memories on my own.

“It’s a long story,” Adion said, “Maybe another night. I have a lot to think about.”

“I see,” Shindo said slowly. 

No one said anything for a while. Adion tried to wrap his head around the new information.

“Why are you hiding your strength?” Shindo asked, apparently not able to hold back anymore.

This guy…Did he know all along?

“Let’s talk tomorrow. I’ve had too much to drink,” Adion said, shaking his head. He grabbed his belongings and started walking away, “Thanks for the company.”

“Right, good night,” Shindo said.

Adion walked back to his room slowly, thinking about the news he had received.

So people from the Academy are looking for me. But so are my enemies, Heavenly Light.

How can I make myself known to one side but not the other?

Should I still try to get on a ship in Kerrick Hold, or is there a better option?

I guess I’ll have to sleep on it. I can see if I can get some more information out of Shindo tomorrow.