The innkeeper looked like he was about to explode.
Before he could, Riku stepped between them. He placed a calming hand on the innkeeper’s arm. "Thank you for the information," he said, his voice firm but polite. "You have been very helpful."
He then turned to the boy. He saw the sharp intelligence in the boy’s eyes. He saw a knowledge of the world that no twelve-year-old should possess. He was intrigued.
"You," Riku said. "You and I are going to have a talk."
He gestured towards a quiet, secluded booth in the corner of the common room. "Come with me."
The boy looked at Riku. He seemed to be assessing him. After a moment, he gave a single, curt nod and followed.
Riku led the boy to the booth. It was far from the noise of the bar and the other patrons. They sat down opposite each other. The girls were still out on their information-gathering tasks, leaving Riku to handle this strange, new encounter on his own.
A serving girl approached their table. "Something for you, sirs?"
"Some bread and stew," Riku ordered. Then, out of habit, he added, "And a cold, sparkling drink, if you have it."
The serving girl didn’t even blink. "The Elowen kind, sir? With the bubbles?"
Riku froze. He stared at her. "You have... Elowen’s drinks? Here?"
"Of course, sir," she said with a shrug. "The merchant Rennan’s caravans started bringing them up a few weeks back. Sells out every time. Best thing to drink on a hot day. I’ll get you one."
She bustled away, leaving Riku in a state of stunned silence.
Rennan, he thought, a slow, proud smile spreading across his face. You magnificent bastard. You actually did it.
The supply chain he and Rennan had planned... it was working. It was working so well that his own unique, impossible invention was now a common, sought-after product in the most remote border town in the kingdom. The Lifewell Project was not just a plan anymore. It was a reality.
The serving girl returned. She placed two bowls of steaming stew on the table. She also set down a familiar-looking, corked glass bottle, condensation beading on its sides. It was one of his.
She poured the sparkling, fizzy liquid into two mugs.
The boy watched the exchange with a look of mild amusement. "Surprised?"
"You could say that," Riku admitted. He took a sip of the drink. The cool, crisp, familiar taste was a small piece of home in this dusty, foreign town.
He pushed a mug towards the boy. "Have one. They’re good."
The boy took a sip, his expression unreadable.
Riku set his own mug down. He looked at the boy across the table. "My name is Riku," he said, offering a friendly smile. "What should I call you?"
"I am Caelus," the boy replied, his tone still a bit too formal for his age.
"Alright, Caelus," Riku said. "Let’s talk. You speak with a lot of confidence for a boy your age. Why do you defend the Kingdom of Storms so fiercely? What is the truth that the innkeeper doesn’t know?"
Riku leaned back. He decided to answer the boy’s question with one of his own. "What if I told you I wasn’t there to cause trouble?"
Caelus raised an eyebrow. "Most people who cross the border are. They are either smugglers, spies, or fools."
"I’m none of those," Riku said. "I am on a quest. I’m looking for people."
This seemed to genuinely surprise the boy. His cool, detached expression flickered with curiosity. "What kind of people?"
"Teachers," Riku stated simply. "I come from a small, peaceful village. We are building an academy to empower our people. We have found instructors for combat and strategy. But we lack true masters of magic."
He looked at Caelus, his gaze direct. "The mages in my kingdom... they are lacking. I am searching for people with a deeper understanding of their craft. People who can teach the fundamentals, not just the rituals."
Caelus stared at him for a long, silent moment. He took another sip of the sparkling drink, his sharp eyes assessing Riku over the rim of his mug.
"An academy," the boy finally said, a note of wonder in his voice. "In a backwater village in the Korvan Kingdom. You are either the most ambitious man I have ever met, or the most foolish."
"Perhaps a bit of both," Riku admitted with a slight smile.
Caelus leaned forward. His expression was no longer just curious. It was intrigued. "And you think you will find these ’masters’ in Eldoria? The Kingdom of Storms? A land your people consider to be full of cruel barbarians?"
"I think a land of warriors and storm-mages might have a few powerful individuals who are bored of the status quo," Riku countered.
Caelus let out a short, sharp laugh. It was a surprisingly mature sound for a twelve-year-old. "You are not wrong, Uncle Riku."
He set his mug down. He looked at Riku, a decision forming in his eyes. "Your quest is fascinating. The Kingdom of Eldoria is a dangerous and complicated place. You will not find the people you are looking for by simply walking into the capital."
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a sudden, intense light. "You need a guide."
"And I suppose you’re offering your services?" Riku asked, skeptical.
"I am," Caelus confirmed. "I know the cities. I know the noble houses. I know where the powerful and the discontented gather. I can take you to the places you need to go. I can introduce you to the people you need to meet."
Riku studied the boy. There was more to him than met the eye. He was clearly a noble himself, and a runaway, by the looks of it. He had his own agenda. But he was also Riku’s best and only lead.
"And what do you get out of this?" Riku asked.
"Entertainment," Caelus replied with a shrug. "And a chance to see if a man from the ’weak’ south can actually achieve the impossible. Consider it a... research project of my own." Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Riku thought for a moment. It was a risk. But everything about this journey was a risk.
"Fine," Riku said, extending a hand. "You have a deal, Caelus. Welcome to the team."
Caelus took his hand, his grip surprisingly firm. "This should be interesting."
Just as they shook on it, the girls returned.
Lila, Sherry, Lysaria, and Elara approached the secluded booth. They stopped when they saw Riku was not alone. Their eyes fell on the silver-haired boy sitting confidently opposite him.
"Riku?" Lila asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and surprise. "Who’s your new friend?"
Before Riku could answer, Caelus looked from Riku to the four young women now surrounding their table. He let out a low whistle.
"Ah," Caelus said, his voice dry. "The rest of your entourage has arrived." He gave Riku a look of pure, unadulterated mischief. "A man of your... talents seems to attract quite the following. You must be a very popular man in your village, Uncle Riku."
Riku’s face flushed slightly. "Caelus, this is Lila, Sherry, Lysaria, and Elara. Ladies, this is Caelus. He’s... our new guide."
"Guide?" Sherry asked, her eyebrow raised skeptically as she looked the boy up and down.
"Never mind that. I will tell you about it on our way to Eldoria." Riku said quickly, eager to change the subject. "What did you all find out?"
Lila went first. She unrolled a rough-looking map and spread it on the table. "I spoke with the guards. This shows the main roads into Eldoria, and the locations of their major border forts. They said patrols have been heavier than usual lately."
Sherry leaned forward, her expression grim. "The roads won’t matter."
"I spoke to a guy," she continued, her voice low. "He says the Eldorian border patrols have a new standing order as of a few weeks ago. Any travelers from the Korvan Kingdom without a special writ of passage are to be detained on sight."
Lysaria nodded, her own face frustrated. "Elara and I heard the same thing from some merchants. They said anyone caught is immediately escorted to the capital for... questioning."
"She is correct," a new, young voice added. Everyone turned to Caelus.
He tapped a finger on the map. "The order is called the ’Iron Tempest Decree’. It was issued by the High Council three weeks ago. Any Korvan national without a trade-writ or a noble’s seal is to be considered a potential spy. They are sent to the capital for interrogation by the Thunder Guard."
The girls stared at him, stunned. He had just confirmed their information with a level of detail they couldn’t possibly have known.
A heavy silence fell over the table. Their plan to enter the kingdom as simple adventurers was now impossible.
"So, we’re stuck," Lila said, her voice filled with frustration.
"Not necessarily," Caelus said, a slow, calculating smile spreading across his young face.
Everyone looked at him.
"The decree applies to those who cross the border through official channels," he explained. "But there are other ways. Ways that do not involve roads or guards."
He leaned back, his expression confident. "I have a way to get you all into Eldoria. Safely. Without raising any scrutiny."
"Wait, why are you all looking at me like that?"