Casey wakes up to find the café unusually empty… at least less crowded than usual, although a few patrons sit at the distant tables, having their breakfast.
Casey: Strange, the café seems really quiet today.
Neela (reading her book in her usual spot): It's a holiday today, Princess.
Casey: Oh, alright… where's Casper? I was supposed to have training with him.
Maria: He's waiting for you at the Old Carriages Square.
Casey (as she leaves): Send my regards to Liner when he wakes up, I suppose.
Casey leaves the café and immediately notices the streets aren't empty; at least four people walk in different directions, and some market carts move slowly through the alleys.
Neela (in a soft tone): Didn't you know that Liner left an hour ago?
Lawrence: Girls…
After ten minutes of walking on the muddy ground, Casey's shoes sticking to the mud with every step, she reaches the Old Carriages Square. All around, the carriages are parked, some cracked and some covered with old cloth tarps. From afar, she spots Casper sitting on an old carriage chair, sipping tea coolly.
Casper: Finally, you've arrived, trainee.
Casey: Yes.
Casper (standing up from the chair and tightening his glove): Alright then, let's begin.
Casey: What should I do?
Casper: Try to hit me in any way you can, and it must cause real damage.
Casey: Isn't that dangerous? Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?
Suddenly, Casper appears behind her in less than the blink of an eye and pushes her to the ground, sending mud flying onto her clothes and shoes.
Casey: Hey! That's not fair!
Casper: And will you say that to someone trying to kill you when it's a matter of life and death?
Casey: Tsk!
Casey quickly gets up, takes a deep breath, and prepares to cast a fire spell.
Casey: Don't blame me if I hit…
She launches a fireball toward Casper, but he moves his hand in a single motion and cuts the flame effortlessly, sending sparks flying while he vanishes immediately.
Casper: Even Lawrence could do better than that.
Annoyed by his words, Casey begins casting a rapid stream of fire attacks, but he slices through every strike as if the air itself is blocking them.
Casey (thinking to herself): How can he do this so easily…
Suddenly, Casper appears behind her again and grabs her hand with a swift Accelerated Magic motion, using ice magic to freeze her foot, and aims a punch at her face. Casey feels the blow approaching, as if death itself is coming, but it stops abruptly.
Casper: I'm disappointed, trainee. Even Maria was better than you at the beginning.
Casper calmly sits back in his chair.
Casey: Have you trained everyone?
Casper: Almost, except Liner and William; they trained themselves.
Casey: Oh…
Casper: You have two problems. First, your strikes aren't strong or fast enough to catch your opponent off-guard. Second, when you're close to death, you accept it and don't try other ways to defend yourself. You only think about fleeing, even if you're stronger than your enemy.
Casey: So, what should I do in that case?
Casper: I won't train you to become fearless against everything, but I'll teach you how to use your mind and body in battle, no matter the circumstances.
Suddenly, Casper appears in front of Casey without warning.
Casper (in a sharp tone): But that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you.
He strikes toward her; Casey feels a thrill and ignites a flame, making Casper step back.
Casper: See? You're starting to improve.
Casey: You haven't seen anything yet.
Casey launches a barrage of fire attacks, but he cuts through them as if they were air.
Casper: You're focusing on releasing one thing at a time. Try multiple attacks simultaneously; even if the opponent blocks the first, the rest will be harder to handle.
Casey: But only professionals in tournaments do that.
Casper: Really? Hah… Seems like your competitions are too simple. Alright, I'll teach you multi-directional magic now.
Elsewhere in the city:
Liner chases a gang member, jumps on him, and stabs him in the neck, then drops to the ground to check a paper in the man's pocket. Suddenly, a wooden tapping sound comes from a dark corridor in the building. A figure emerges from the shadows, holding a silver-studded wooden cane.
The figure: Well, well… glad to see you here.
Liner (drawing his dagger): This isn't a welcoming place yet, detective.
Sherlock Holmes steps out from the shadows.
Sherlock: Ha! I wasn't surprised by your quick reflexes.
Liner: What exactly do you want, detective?
Sherlock: Nothing but your capture, alive or dead, Jack the Ripper.
Liner: Huh… didn't expect my name to be Jack the Ripper like that, but alright.
Suddenly, Sherlock lunges at Liner and pulls something from the cane; it's a hidden sword. He tries to stab, but Liner jumps back, landing on a wooden crate.
Liner: You're not as bad as they said.
Sherlock pulls a pistol from his pocket and fires two shots, but Liner dodges skillfully and leaps backward.
Sherlock: You have good reflexes, but I didn't expect you to use the old Jack the Ripper's name as a cover.
Liner: I didn't choose the name; you all did.
Sherlock: Really… alright, didn't expect that.
Liner jumps at Sherlock, pushes him to the ground, and points his weapon, but dodges a shot in the same motion as Sherlock, then jumps back while Sherlock balances and fires two more shots; Liner dodges the first and blocks the second, then runs straight toward Sherlock.
Sherlock: Running straight? How foolish.
Sherlock points his gun, pulls the trigger, but the ammo runs out; Liner lunges, stabbing his dagger into the gun to break it while Sherlock grabs Liner's dagger and pulls it away.
Sherlock: Nice dagger, isn't it?
Liner: What's so special about it? Just a normal dagger.
Sherlock: No matter how you hide it, you know it's the original Jack the Ripper dagger, not a replica.
Liner: Who knows… got it by some dumb luck anyway.
Liner jumps on Sherlock, swiftly pulls the dagger, then retreats and throws a small knife at a rusty gas pipe; it shatters, filling the area with gas.
Sherlock (coughing): Didn't expect you to have the old Jack's cunning like this.
Liner exits through a ceiling hatch while Sherlock leaves through the main door.
Back at the carriages:
Casper: Come on, shoot at me!
Casey aims her hands at Casper, forming multiple fireballs and launching them at him. He tries to block some and dodges the rest, and after the last one, Casey suddenly appears behind him and shoots him from behind, hitting him.
Casper: Haha… you've improved fast, Casey. Didn't expect this from you, but your skill is very clear… alright, our training ends here.
Casper leaves, seemingly unscathed, while Casey is covered in mud and some dirt on her clothes.
After a few minutes, Casey and Casper return to the café and find:
Neela reading in her usual spot.
Maria playing cards against Lawrence, clearly winning.
Liner carving wood as usual.
Neela: Has the princess been polished?
Casper: Still in training, but progressing well.
Maria: Will she surpass Lawrence?
Casper: Maybe, even you might.
Suddenly, the café door chimes, and William appears behind them.
William: Hello, everyone. I've come to introduce someone who will be working with you from today.
Lorth enters right behind William.
William: Meet…
Neela/Liner: Lorth!
William: You already know his name; I thought it would be a simple introduction.
Maria: Where will he live? There's no extra room.
William (smiling): On the roof.
Lorth: What? Is there even a place?
William (with a mischievous look): Yes.
William exits the café, followed by Lorth. They head to a back stairway leading to a small, dilapidated room on the roof.
William: This is where you'll live.
Lorth: You must be joking.
Suddenly, Neela appears behind Lorth, throwing a broom, a bucket of water, and a mop at him.
Neela: Come on, start cleaning your place, newbie!
Lorth: Since when do you give orders, Senorita?
Neela: Oh, it's Senorita now. Thanks for the compliment, and I won't clean anything for you.
Casey leaves the café as suddenly as she appeared, and William grabs Lorth by the shoulder.
William: Good luck.
William leaves, while Lorth looks at the room he hasn't entered yet, realizing he'll spend the whole day cleaning it