Nathan found himself standing beside Monica, Genesis, and David at the front courts of the Arena of Isaria, though his mind remained at the spectator seating inside. Wiping the invisible sweat on his forehead with his arm, he couldn't help but shiver under the sheer horror from Angela Pompeii's words, not knowing whether to feel fortunate or the opposite.
He wasn't sure about what was going to happen if Lily hadn't arrived in time, but he was glad she did. It certainly didn't seem like Angela meant him any harm. In her own words, Nathan was someone that she wanted to kill, and therefore she… wasn't willing to kill him?
"Nathan."
His life, which had just started to become different, could've been removed from existence at any moment beside her.
"Nathan."
She had also saved his life a while ago, but why? If she wouldn't kill him because she considered murder with reason a sin, she could have easily dispelled the boulder away from her direction and "coincidentally" directed it to him.
"Nathan? Nathan!"
Nathan snapped out of his thoughts and tried his best to sound normal, "Yes, what's up?"
"That's what I was going to ask you," Monica looked at him in concern, "You don't seem like your usual self."
"Nah, I was just distracted," Nathan dismissed her and turned to Genesis, "My name is Nathan Modernson, nice to meet you."
This was the most ordinary introduction Nathan could possibly give; it was so ordinary that it almost felt distant. But somehow, Genesis's expression began to shift unnaturally. Monica and David were off to the side discussing something else, and only Nathan noticed the subtle emptiness that overtook Genesis's face.
It wasn't the hollowness Angela had. It was too sudden, as if his name had triggered a device in his brain.
"You are… Nathan Modernson?" he asked.
"Do you know me? Am I supposed to know you?" Nathan replied in curiosity.
Genesis whispered something under his breath; Nathan could only catch faint echoes of a few syllables. He couldn't put the words he had heard into sentences, but there was something that reached him clearer than all others.
Nathan heard the name "Viviana."
And everything started to make sense, the pieces of the puzzles instantly connected in his head, and he more or less figured out Genesis's true identity. However, knowing something didn't necessarily mean he had to point it out.
"Lost in thought again, my apprentice?"
At a certain moment, Lily had already concluded her "peaceful" exchange with Angela and walked down from the seatings above. How her demeanor returned back to the Lily he usually knew released the rock hanging on Nathan's heart.
"I was in danger, wasn't I?" Nathan asked in slight sorrow.
"Danger? What happened?" Monica peeked her head out from behind, but David dragged her back around and started to whisper something in her ear. Monica's pupils widened and stared at Nathan in disbelief.
"Welp," Lily shrugged, "No, not really today, I guess, but who knows what will happen in the future? I can't even tell, yep, not even me, your highly respected, intelligent, and super attractive mentor."
A chuckle escaped from Genesis's mouth, who was listening by the side.
"Why are you laughing?" Nathan questioned in amusement, "Do you not agree? My mentor is already using humble descriptions—she's a lot more than just those in reality." he flattered.
Of course, knowing Nathan for quite a while, Lily could tell that Nathan's words might not be completely truthful, but words that sounded good sounded good, nonetheless.
"Anyway, who was she… Angela Pompeii… anyway?" Nathan's voice suddenly became serious.
"Oh yeah, she is…" Lily rolled her eyes in dismissal but answered his question anyway—at least, attempted to answer it before a loud explosion rudely interrupted her sentence. The arena building trembled in fear under the suffocating energy wave that reached it like an earthquake.
The silencing tumult ended in a moment that felt like an eternity. People only started to question what happened after they ensured that the explosion had ceased. It was clear that it happened somewhere in a nearby building, but that didn't make the situation any less horrifying.
After all, this is the capital of Runalond, Endnest. Everyone eliminated the possibility of an attack and saw it only as an accident. No one was foolish enough to commit crimes in Endnest; it was almost impossible to escape the eyes of officials, and the punishment waiting for them would mark death as a fortunate ending.
Nathan and the others were forced to rush outside by the crowd that trampled down from the top. The stampede was hurried but still organized. The court outside was big enough to hold everyone with enough space for every individual.
The smoke that arose to the starless night was unignorable; it marked the only chaotic contrast to the orderly, opulent city.
"The headquarters of RunaLine Corporation!" David gasped, "That's a property of the Edmonds!"
No one responded to him. They were distracted by a crack that opened slowly in the sky—it almost felt as if the sky was about to be split in half. A gigantic eye materialized as the gap was fully opened, staring down at the debris below.
"Minister of the Unseen Domain." Monica murmured.
"Kosmos… Of course he arrives first." Lily sounded slightly annoyed.
"Is he one of the High Court Ministers?" Nathan asked Lily under his breath.
The High Court Ministers were a secret organization among the roots of Runalond's governing system. They were a group of unique, talented Rune Artists that upheld responsibilities among the state along with royalty and the Rune Arts Federation. They were complete enigmas among the citizens. How many there were, who founded and led them, or why they were even needed in the first place, were all mysteries that no one could answer with facts.
Some people say that the High Court Ministers followed the command of both the king and the Rune Arts Federation. People critiqued their seemingly absurd assumption, but there really wasn't another possibility. Nathan made a note to ask his mother if they ever got a chance to talk with each other. He knew that opportunity would come one day or another. There were too many questions he had for Viviana Modernson.
"One of the few known ones," Lily answered. "His Rune Art is interesting. His personality? The opposite."
Nathan didn't need an explanation to understand the effect of his personalized Rune Art—unless the eye in the sky could shoot down lasers from above. It was nothing too complicated, but surely useful enough.
"I'm going to rush there as well. Can't let him take all the credit…" Lily murmured to herself and ran off to the burning site, "Man, I really hope I can have a travelling element… Nathan, have they taught you how to cast Accelerating Motivation?"
Accelerating Motivation is another classic light-element Rune Art that basically any light Rune Artist knew how to cast. It is a simple speed and energy boost that was certainly taught in class due to its sheer simplicity, but of course, Nathan couldn't draw it, let alone cast it.
"Have I told you I failed in my field test?" Nathan replied bitterly while being loud enough for her to hear, "That's also your fault, by the way! You never taught me any real Rune Arts!"
"I know how to cast it," David and Genesis said together. Nathan found it quite ironic that three persons out of the four of them were light Rune Artists, and also quite shameful that he was the only one who couldn't cast a simple art.
The speed boost wasn't crazy by any means; it felt more like a soothing medicine that cured all tiredness from actively moving. Everyone could run at their full speeds without becoming tired. When they arrived, fences clearly made out of an Earth Rune Art had already been erected from the ground. However, it was mainly the people inside the fence that intimidated the others from stepping across.
"Scoot, scoot!" Lily pushed through with difficulty. Nathan and the others followed behind. The crowd seemed surprised that four teenagers and one child were brave enough to step across the fence and run toward the governing bodies discussing the accident.
"Excuse me!" a soldier chased them behind, "You can't…"
"Shut it, young man!" Lily interrupted, "Do you know who you are talking to?"
The racket hooked the attention of the officials; their faces lit up in different shades of colours when Lily entered their sight.
Two men who stood the closest to the demolished building turned around to look at them. Their appearance was definitely the most unique out of everyone around. One had purple hair that glowed even in the night; the other had starry makeup around his eye—an attempt to look cool but didn't quite reach the intended effect.
"Minister of the Unseen Domain, Kosmos," the purple-haired man said.
"Minister of the Puppeteer's Carnival, Poller," the other man followed.
"What, hold on," Lily questioned in suspicion, "Aren't there strangers around? Since when have you ministers become so careless?"
"People from the Rune Arts Federation are yet to arrive. From what we've known, The Indecipherable never involved himself in civil matters, and The Indescribable is on an expedition to an ancient ruin found in the Outer Realm. As for the Undefeatable…" Kosmos and Poller responded with a faint smile and changed the subject, "We do not dare to spy on her."
Lily didn't need to keep asking about their decision either; she explained, "She's around, but I doubt she could help. Welp, guess I have to be the hero today… But let me get it straight: if we can't figure out who did it, it's purely your responsibility. I have nothing to do with it."
"What about The Undefinable? Is she just that unreliable that you don't even care about her being around?" Nathan joked.
He expected some resonating laughter here and there, but the reality was much more sarcastic than he could have ever imagined. Poller and the other officers around burst out in laughter that blended into the sound of fire being extinguished by water Rune Arts. Some of them couldn't even stand straight, their laughter victorious over the attempted answer to Nathan's innocent question. The only composed one was Kosmos, but even he had a noticeable grin that couldn't be pressed down.
Lily seemed slightly furious; she looked around and yelled in annoyance, "It's not even that funny, guys!"
"Sorry, I can't… hahaha." Poller squeezed some words out, "How did you… haha… not tell him?"
"What? Are you the Undefinable?" Nathan asked Lily in disbelief. To be completely honest, he wouldn't be too surprised if she was, but knowing that one of the Spirehead was someone of Lily's kind, he couldn't help but worry for the future of this kingdom.
"Do you go by 'Minister of the Puppeteer's Carnival' in your family?" Lily argued, "Who cares about a title anyway? Not like anyone respects me!"
The laughter began to cease. Kosmos and Poller exchanged a meaningful glance and weirdly sighed in harmony. For a moment, Nathan felt as if Lily's statement had cast a silent Rune Art on the air around, causing it to become heavier. Then, he assumed he might have guessed why.
Before his mother, Lily's Rune Art was known as the most genius throughout history. There must be a hidden story behind this seemingly carefree girl. Perhaps she wasn't always like what she was now.
From a distance, a familiar figure approached the crowd. His hair was messy and uncared for, and his clothes seemed older than his own age. When someone like him led a group of people behind, it really didn't carry the same sense of authority as a normal person would.
"Forager?" Monica asked in astonishment, "Why are you here?"
"The Forager" put a finger on his mouth and signaled Monica to kindly keep his embarrassing defeat to herself. He introduced, "Sean Stonewall, President of the Second Department of the Rune Arts Federation." His voice was humble and quiet, fitting to his appearance but not so much to his identity, "Here to aid the investigation of this case."
To put it bluntly, despite the Supreme Seven Seats being the major leaders of the Rune Arts Federation, they seemed more like mascots with overwhelming talent in Rune Art for the public to see. General issues around the region were all resolved by the Seven Departments. Why do they love the number seven so much? The Second Department in specific was the Department of Investigation and Crime Management, populated by detectives and scouts that upheld justice rather than peace. The First Department, in charge of civil rights and stability, was probably also around to comfort the citizens near the area.
Some Rune Arts Federation supporters argue, "Royalty rules over Runalond, but the Rune Arts Federation rules over the people." Exaggerated, but not completely false. This was possibly the major conflict between the two governing bodies—a conflict that irritates either side, but also one that neither wants to fully resolve. After all, the Rune Arts Federation would be nothing without their responsibilities, and royalty couldn't afford to take it all by themselves.
Sometimes, conflicts or cooperation are not intended, but forced.
Who forced them? Kings, First Seats, aristocrats, and commoners throughout the chronology of Runalond often asked themselves. They dismissed their thoughts quickly and without thinking deeply, but their responses were, to an extent, identical.
Identically ignorant, identically self-centered, and identically absurd.
"Everyone but myself did."