The old village head remained kneeling on the cold stone floor. His head was bowed low. The words "My Lord" echoed in the sudden, deafening silence of the inn.
Riku and the girls froze. They all turned to stare at the twelve-year-old boy standing beside them. Check latest chapters at n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
Caelus’s confident smirk was gone. It was replaced by a look of wide-eyed, exaggerated confusion.
"My Lord?" he asked, his voice full of a child’s innocence. "Old man, I think you are mistaken. I am just a boy."
He looked down at the kneeling man. His expression was one of pity. But his eyes, for a single, fleeting moment, flashed with a sharp, cold warning.
Riku caught it. So did Sherry.
The village head looked up. He saw the look in Caelus’s eyes. He flinched. The look of reverent awe on his face was instantly replaced by one of panicked understanding.
He scrambled to his feet, bowing repeatedly. "My apologies! My apologies!" he stammered, his face flushed with embarrassment. "These old eyes... they are not what they used to be. You... you have a striking resemblance to someone I knew, a long time ago. A noble boy. Forgive an old man’s foolishness."
Riku and Sherry exchanged a silent, skeptical look. They knew a lie when they heard one. But they also knew this was not the time to press the issue.
The village head, desperate to move past the awkward moment, gestured towards the hearth. "But where are my manners? You are travelers, and you look weary from the road. Please. Come in. Share our fire and our food."
He led them to a long, sturdy wooden table near the fire. He brought them bowls of thick, hearty stew and mugs of hot, spiced cider.
The old man settled into a chair opposite them. His composure had returned. He was once again the calm, weary leader of a remote village.
"It is not often we get visitors from the south," he said, his sharp eyes assessing them. "Let alone a group as... diverse as yours."
He looked at each of them in turn. Riku, the quiet, powerful leader. The four beautiful young women who followed him. And the strange, silver-haired boy who was clearly more than he seemed.
"What brings you to our humble village of Stonefall?" he asked. "This is not a place travelers seek out by accident."
Riku took a sip of his cider. "You are right. We did not come here by accident. We are on a quest."
"A quest?" the old man asked, leaning forward with interest. "For a lost artifact? To slay a great beast?"
"No," Riku said. "We are looking for people."
The village head looked confused. "People? Out here? There is nothing but rock and thunder for a hundred miles in any direction."
Lila spoke up, her voice clear and earnest. "Not just any people, sir. We are looking for teachers."
"Teachers?" Now both the old man and Caelus looked intrigued.
"Our village, Elowen, has become very prosperous recently," Lila explained. "But we want our people to be strong, not just rich. We need people to teach our young ones how to defend themselves. How to be soldiers."
Lysaria added her part, her voice calm and measured. "And it is more than just combat. We also seek scholars. Mages. Engineers. People with great knowledge who can teach our next generation the arts of magic, history, and creation."
The old village head stared at them, his expression one of pure bafflement. "You... you are building a school? An academy? In a small southern village?"
Caelus, who had been listening intently, now spoke. He looked at Riku, his sharp eyes filled with a probing curiosity. "An ambitious goal, Uncle Riku. But why would any master of their craft leave the comfort of a great city like Keraunos to teach in a remote village?"
He leaned forward, his question sharp. "What do you offer these teachers that they cannot find elsewhere? Great wealth? Noble titles? Political power?"
Riku met the boy’s gaze. He shook his head slowly.
"No," he said. "We do not offer any of those things."
"We offer them a chance to build something new," Riku explained, his voice simple but filled with a quiet conviction. "A community built on cooperation, not fear. We offer them a place where their knowledge will be respected, not used as a tool for politics. We offer them a home."
He looked at the old man, then at Caelus. "We offer them a peaceful life."
The old man stared into the fire, a thoughtful expression on his wrinkled face. "A noble goal," he said, his voice a low rumble. "But a foolish one."
He looked at Riku, his eyes filled with a weary skepticism. "Why would a master storm-mage from Eldoria, a kingdom of power, choose to leave? Why would they abandon their home to teach in a small village in a weaker kingdom?"
"Different people have different motivations," Riku replied calmly. "Not everyone is driven by power or politics. Some are driven by curiosity. Some are driven by a desire to create something new."
He took another sip of his cider. "And some might find the idea of being a small fish in a big pond to be... limiting."
He smiled. "Perhaps they would prefer the chance to become something big in a smaller, growing one."
The old man considered his words. He let out a slow, thoughtful puff of smoke from his pipe. "A worthy answer," he finally conceded. He gave them a small, weary smile. "You may rest here tonight. You will need your strength for the road ahead."
The old village head showed them to the guest quarters. They were simple, rustic rooms. Each was clean, with a straw-stuffed mattress and a small, crackling hearth.
"It is not much," the old man said with a weary smile. "But you are welcome to it."
"It is more than enough," Riku replied gratefully. "Thank you."
The old man nodded and shuffled away, leaving them in the quiet hallway. Riku turned to Caelus, who had been given the room next to his.
"Get some rest, Caelus," Riku said. "We have a long journey ahead of us."
Caelus looked from Riku’s door to the door opposite. It was the larger room where the four girls would be staying. A wicked, knowing grin spread across his young face.
"You southerners are very... progressive, aren’t you, Uncle Riku?" he asked, his voice a mischievous whisper.
Riku frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Caelus gestured between the doors. "One of you. Four of them. I must say, I am impressed. To have so many beautiful women fighting over you... you must teach me your secrets."
Riku’s face flushed. "It’s not like that. Go to bed."
He turned and quickly entered his room, closing the door behind him. He could hear the boy’s soft, infuriating chuckle from the other side.
He didn’t stay in his room long. He crossed the hall and knocked on the girls’ door.
"It’s me," he said.
Lila opened the door. All four of them were inside, their travel packs on the floor. Their expressions were serious. Sherry had her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed.
"Alright," she started. "Are we just going to—"
"Not here," Riku interrupted, his voice a low whisper. He stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind him. "The walls are thin. We can’t talk freely."
The girls looked at him, confused. "Then where?" Lila asked.
Riku held out his hand. "Let’s go home."
They gathered in a circle. With a now-familiar flash of light, the rustic inn room dissolved. It was replaced by the grand, warm entrance hall of their manor in Riku’s private world.
The comfort and peace of the place washed over them. The worries of Eldoria and its strange, mysterious boy seemed to melt away.
"Much better," Sherry grumbled, though her shoulders had visibly relaxed.
They moved to the spacious common room and settled into the comfortable chairs around the hearth. Now they could speak freely.
"Alright," Sherry said, picking up right where she left off. "Are we just going to ignore it? The old man knelt. He called that boy ’My Lord’. And then he lied about it. Poorly."
"She is right," Lysaria agreed, her brow furrowed with concern. "That was not a simple case of mistaken identity. The man was terrified. The boy... he threatened him, somehow, without saying a word."
"Caelus is not who he says he is," Lila said, her expression worried. "Riku, can we really trust him?"
Riku looked at their concerned faces. He didn’t have any easy answers. "I don’t know who he is," he admitted honestly.
He paused, gathering his thoughts. "But think about what we do know. He could have let the innkeeper throw us out. He didn’t. He could have led us into a trap. He didn’t. He guided us safely past the border forts."
He met their gazes. "And the villagers... they were wary of us, but they have shown us nothing but hospitality. Neither Caelus nor the people of Stonefall have shown any hostile intentions."
"He’s a mystery," Riku concluded. "A big one. But for now, he is our only guide. We will be cautious. We will be watchful. But we will not treat him as an enemy until he gives us a reason to."
The girls considered his words. It was a risk. But his logic was sound. They all gave hesitant nods.
"Good," Riku said with a tired smile. "Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a proper bed."
They all went to their own comfortable, private rooms. The ones he had built just for them. It was a strange, impossible life. But it was theirs. And for now, it was safe.