The middle-aged man stepped forward, his voice firm yet calm.
"Stand down."
The attacker hesitated, fingers tightening around his spear. But after a tense moment, he reluctantly lowered it. At the same time, Ronan retracted his daggers from the attacker's neck, stepping back but keeping his gaze locked.
The man turned his attention to Kael and Ronan. Before Kael could speak, he gave an apologetic shrug.
"Sorry," he said, gesturing toward Kael and Ronan. "I don't discipline him properly."
Then, the man's eyes flicked upward. A small, rotating dagger hovered near the caravan's ceiling, gathering mana. He pointed at it casually.
"Can you put that thing down?" the man asked, slightly wary.
Ronan shook his head. "Sorry. I can't trust you until I know exactly why you're here."
Kael, who had remained tense but silent, murmured under his breath, "You're from the Demon race…"
Ronan echoed the words, frowning. "Demon race?"
A small, amused smile crept onto the old man's face. "You're very knowledgeable, aren't you? Yes, we are from the Demon race."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Then what are you doing here?"
The middle-aged man replied without hesitation, his tone measured. "I brought my student here to train under the influence of the mana pool. Mr. Alaric Viridion gave us written permission to explore this mine. We also have a letter of invitation from Serenwyn Academy, stating we'll be staying there for a few days."
He reached into his robes and handed two documents to Kael. The younger man began reading them with a sceptical eye.
The attacker scoffed arrogantly. "Why are you even showing them letters?"
"Don't make things more complicated," the middle-aged man scolded, his voice low and sharp.
Ronan's eyes flared. The dagger above started spinning faster, the air around it pulsing with dense mana. He was ready to strike.
Kael quickly grabbed Ronan's arm and gave him a slight shake of the head, silently signalling him to stand down. Ronan sighed, releasing the built-up mana. The dagger zipped through the air, landing gently in his palm before disappearing into his ring.
Kael exhaled and stepped forward. "I'm Kael Flamecrest."
Ronan gave a brief nod. "Ronan, Kael's teammate."
The middle-aged man nodded politely. "I am Mordek. This," he gestured to the brooding attacker, "is Gorvath." He motioned toward two girls nearby. "That's Vexara, and the young one is Lirith."
The three gave brief but courteous nods in return.
Mordek then asked, "How did you end up here?"
Kael scratched his head awkwardly. "We fell into a trap and got teleported here. And you?"
Before Mordek could answer, a voice echoed from deeper within the mine. "Boss! We found it!"
Ronan turned to see two of his clones digging nearby. He stepped away from the group. "I'll take my leave now. Sorry for the disturbance."
Gorvath growled behind him. "You bastard… You want to die?!"
Mordek immediately raised a hand to stop him, but his eyes suddenly widened. He felt a sharp, intense pressure pierce through the air—the unmistakable weight of Killing Intent.
His gaze snapped toward one of Ronan's clones, whose eyes were locked on him with unnerving intensity. The Killing Intent was so concentrated it felt like a blade pressed to his neck.
"This is real killing intent…" Mordek thought. "Is he warning me? But the others…?"
He glanced around. None of his students appeared affected, except the youngest—Lirith. Her eyes weren't filled with fear. Instead, they shimmered with curiosity and excitement, as if she'd just seen something rare and beautiful.
Mordek looked back at Ronan, who gently patted his clone's shoulder. "Calm down."
Kael, still clearly embarrassed, bowed slightly. "Sorry, Sir, if his behaviour seemed rude."
Gorvath growled again. "Then he should apologise!"
Mordek turned and shot him a cold, warning glare. "I'm talking."
Gorvath clenched his fists, looking down.
Mordek exhaled. "It's alright."
Kael asked cautiously, "Sir, won't your exploration interfere with your Mana pool training?"
Mordek shook his head. "Not at all. We're not the ones who will undergo the training." He paused, then added, "So what now?"
Kael looked to Ronan, then answered, "We'll stay for a while before continuing our exploration."
Mordek studied him for a moment. "Would you allow us to accompany you?"
Kael replied, gently but firmly, "I think that's a bad idea. Especially for you. There are a few reasons. First, if we find anything interesting, we're going to explore it without hesitation. Second, if you want to follow us everywhere… you'll have to follow his commands." He pointed at Ronan.
Gorvath sneered. "Why would we follow his commands?"
Kael shrugged. "It's your choice. If you're staying at Serenwyn Academy, we'll meet again. No need to force it."
With that, Kael stepped a little away from the group, sat cross-legged, and began to draw in mana, refining it through his core. The mine was quiet once more—tense, but no longer hostile.
Mordek watched the two quietly for a moment, deep in thought. There was more to these strangers than he'd expected. Especially the quiet one with the dagger and the dangerous aura.
As evening settled—though it was hard to tell inside the caravan—the warm glow of a fire flickered to life. Ronan and Kael sat close, roasting skewers of meat they had pulled from their Storage Rings. The rich aroma of seared meat and herbs filled the enclosed space, comforting and inviting.
A little distance away, Mordek, Gorvath, Vexara, and Lirith were eating their own rations. The atmosphere was quiet, each person absorbed in their thoughts. Lirith, in particular, seemed far away—her gaze vacant, lost in something no one else could see.
Breaking the silence, Gorvath spoke with a low voice, his tone uncertain. "Sir... do we really have to follow them?"
Mordek didn't look up. "Yes. First, Kael is from the Flamecrest Family. Making a bad impression on someone like him would be... unwise."
Gorvath frowned, then muttered, "Then what about that guy, Ronan? Do we really need to follow his orders?"
Vexara scoffed softly. "He was the one hurt most. He must be weak."
Mordek turned to her, eyes sharp. "Don't underestimate anyone."
Before any more could be said, Lirith stood abruptly. Her sudden movement drew everyone's attention.
"Lirith?" Vexara called, concern tinging her voice.
But Lirith didn't respond. She walked, slow and deliberate, toward the fire where Ronan and Kael were seated. She stopped right in front of them, her gaze fixed—not on the boys—but on the skewers roasting over the fire.
Kael and Ronan exchanged a glance. Kael raised a brow and asked, "Want some?"
From a distance, Vexara stood as if to follow, but Mordek held her arm gently. "Wait. Let's see what happens. She rarely initiates conversations."
Reluctantly, Vexara sat down, her eyes following Lirith carefully.
Lirith pointed at a skewer with meat and vegetables nestled between the cuts. Her voice was quiet, almost fragile. "Eat."
Ronan blinked, tilted his head, then offered the skewer she'd pointed to. She took it without a word, sat down beside them, and began to eat in small, thoughtful bites.
Ronan, without a word, took out more ingredients from his Spatial Ring and began preparing more skewers.
Kael, looking over his shoulder at the others, said, "If you all want to join us, you're welcome."
After a moment's pause, the rest joined, drawn by the warmth of the fire and the subtle shift in the mood.
As they sat together, Kael turned to Mordek. "So... why do you want to explore this cave?"
Mordek replied, his voice steady. "Our race participated in the ancient war, too. There's a deep history buried in these ruins. It's not easy to get permission to come here. We're lucky we did. And you?"
Kael nodded toward the dark tunnels outside. "We're here to mine special materials. But we two got separated from our companions when the traps were triggered."
Both Gorvath and Vexara glanced at Ronan, a flicker of suspicion in their eyes. Kael noticed but didn't comment.
Lirith looked at Ronan with an unreadable expression. She softly said, "Thanks... for food."
Ronan gave her a warm smile.