The Gilded Merchants and the Silent Child
Alice woke to a magnificent morning. Beyond her window, birds wove a tapestry of melody through the air. Such a fine day to share with family, she thought, a bittersweet ache blooming in her chest.
She descended to the common room, where Nancy was waiting in a state of visible agitation. "The merchants and soldiers will be here any moment," Nancy whispered, her voice tight with panic. "Alice, whatever you do, do not mention last night. If the Capital hears of the brawl, it will bring ruin upon us."
"And Eleven?" Alice asked, her tone sharpening. "What's to stop that brute from talking?"
"He fled the village before dawn," Nancy replied quickly. "He won't be a problem."
As they spoke, a low rumble shook the floorboards. From the depths of the forest, a massive procession emerged—hundreds of soldiers flanking a line of ornate horse-drawn carriages. Alice stepped outside, her keen eyes scanning the arrivals.
The merchants were Dwarfs, short in stature but draped in opulence. They wore high-quality silks and heavy chains of gold and diamond that caught the sunlight. But it was the soldiers who drew Alice's true attention. Each one radiated a thick, obsidian aura—a projected manifestation of their dark mana.
Feeling the pulse of their power, Alice's own mana surged in response. An instinctive urge to dominate flared within her, and she accidentally leaked a sliver of her murderous intent. The soldiers reacted instantly, shifting their formation to shield the merchants, their eyes darting around as they sensed a predator nearby.
Nancy reached out, gripping Alice's hand. "Alice, calm down," she hissed. "Or we're all dead."
Alice forced her aura back into a simmer. The soldiers visibly relaxed, though they remained on high alert. As the five wealthy Dwarfs stepped onto the dusty street, Alice noticed a small boy following them. He didn't look like a merchant's child; he moved with a cold, calculated grace. When he caught Alice staring, he fixed her with a piercing glare.
Alice merely smirked back.
Edward, the village chief, ran toward them, his face pale with subservience. "Welcome, Mighty Kings," he stammered, ushering them toward a hidden chamber beneath the inn. He moved a heavy crate, revealing a stone staircase leading into the dark.
"Where does that lead?" Alice whispered to Nancy.
"That is the village heart," Nancy murmured. "Our cotton, our gold—everything we produce is stored there. We give them our riches; they give us the right to live on this land."
When the group emerged, the head Dwarf clutched a ledger. "This will suffice for the month," he boomed in a voice that treated the villagers like cattle. "But we expect more next time. Do not disappoint us."
"Yes, yes," Edward bowed, his hands shaking. "We will work harder."
Summoning his courage, Edward glanced at Alice and addressed the Dwarfs. "There is... one more thing. This girl has lost her memories. She seeks the Capital. We request that you grant her passage."
Alice was stunned. Why would they risk themselves for me? she wondered.
The little boy stepped forward. Despite his small frame, his voice was a deep, emotionless chill that felt far too old for his body. "What benefit do we gain by dragging a stray along?" He glared at Alice, his eyes devoid of warmth.
"I can serve as your soldier until we reach the gates," Alice interjected, her voice steady.
A wave of mocking laughter erupted from the Dwarfs and the guards. The Captain of the Guard sneered at her, his dark aura flickering with contempt.
Alice's jaw set. Her hands clenched until her knuckles turned white. "I can prove my worth," she challenged, her voice low and dangerous.
The boy's lips curled into a smirk. He turned to the Guard Captain. "Defeat her, and I shall grant you a promotion."
The Captain beamed, his ambition flaring. He stepped forward, his heavy plate armor clanking as his dark aura billowed outward like a haunting ghost. The atmosphere in the village square turned suffocating; a localized storm of pressure swirled between the two combatants.
The Captain roared, his mana igniting into small, flickering black flames across his armor. He charged, the ground trembling beneath his heavy boots. As he reached Alice, he released a massive gust of black wind, obscuring everyone's vision. Using the cover, he moved with thunder-strike speed, appearing behind Alice to deliver a gut-wrenching blow.
His fist whistled through the air, but it never hit its mark.
"Got you," Alice whispered.
The Captain froze. The coldness in her voice seemed to seep into his very bones. Alice's eyes transformed—a brilliant, swirling emerald-orange that pierced through the dust. The veins in her arm glowed with a fierce red light.
Holding his wrist tight, Alice didn't punch. She simply flicked her fingers against his forehead.
BOOM.
A localized shockwave, sounding like a thunderclap, detonated. The wind pressure cleared the black dust instantly. The Captain stood perfectly still, his eyes rolled back, kept upright only by Alice's grip and his own stubborn will.
Alice smiled, her expression one of dark amusement. "Hoh? You survived that? Entertaining."
Before he could collapse, Alice's foot ignited with a faint, crimson flame. She spun in a blur, delivering a roundhouse kick that whistled through the air. She pulled the strike at the last microsecond, ensuring she didn't take his head off.
The impact sent the Captain slamming into the earth. The ground shattered like a fallen meteor, webbed with deep craters. Alice stood over him, the wind from her power whipping her hair around her face. She had used just enough force to display dominance without revealing her true identity as the Grand Mage.
She flicked her hand, and the remaining dust vanished. She turned to the little boy, fixing him with a lethal, piercing stare.
"I won," she stated flatly. "Is that proof enough for you?"
The boy stared at the shattered ground, then up at Alice. A flicker of genuine fear crossed his face, followed quickly by an intrigued smirk.
"You may join us," he said softly.