The First Days 1.1

Liliruca Arde did not expect the day to go like it did today.

Normally the hooded Pallum would be the pack mule of some adventurers again and be treated like garbage. Then she would try to steal some money in order to pay off the others in the Soma family and hope that it would be enough to satisfy those junkies.

She did not expect to be called by Lord Soma himself, in order to be given out to some stranger she never met before

Well, not given out, but it might as well have been.

The man she was following was paying for her, so that she didn't have to steal ever again.

So that she didn't need to work under those despicable adventurers ever again.

The only connection with the Soma family she had now was to update her status there.

That was it.

Naturally, Lili was suspicious.

Anyone would be if a man completely dressed in black bandages, covering everything, asked for a little girl like herself specifically. Not as a supporter, because she wasn't told to carry anything with her.

Not that she didn't take it with her. It was her stuff, after all. No matter how unsightly big her bag was.

Still, the familiar feeling of the bag on her back didn't comfort her. Why should it? Too many bad memories were connected to it. Many moments of pain, while following someone.

Just like this man in front of her.

The black cloak over his body did not make it any less creepy.

It was like a black ghost! The brown eyes didn't make it any less creepy! They were barely visible!

He was her complete opposite. Male, big, black and terrifying.

The first time she met him, she almost died from a heart attack!

Anyway, she tried to ignore the stares people were directing at them as they walked down the streets of Orario and instead frowned at her...helper's back, she supposed.

They've been walking for quite some time and she was starting to wonder where they were headed. The amount of buildings and people thinned slowly. They were starting to reach the area that nobody would live on their free will, also known as a dump. The buildings began to lose color and structure, almost like she was walking forward in time, as the sight got bleaker and bleaker.

Alone, with an older man, in a place like this in silence? It didn't fill her with confidence.

At least she somewhat knew where she was. Fifth district of Orario. She knew the escape routes, so worst came to worst, Lili could try to escape and then lose him in the masses.

Still, she assumed she might as well start some conversation if she had to work for this man. Because of that, she awkwardly cleared her throat.

Seeing no reaction, she decided to try her luck.

"Why would an adventurer want to help someone weak like Lili?" The Pallum asked, tilting her head in the usual cutesy manner she always used with new adventurers.

She froze when the man abruptly stopped and glanced at her.

It was not a pleasant stare. It was a stare she was used to.

Disappointment.

The girl flinched and shrunk a bit.

Great, she already shot herself in the foot with an arrow.

"Cut that third person out. It may be cute to others, but it's creepy to me."

Liliruca shuddered at the words. Not because of the content, but because of the way they were said.

A deep, raspy voice. As if it was barely used or as if someone gurgled glass.

This was the first time the supporter heard him speak. It sounded as creepy as his outfit. It was weird she could understand him clearly though. No muffling, despite the bandages.

And…

She couldn't help and tilt her head.

That was rather tame. She was used being called useless and trash, but a criticism to her speech style?

Totally something she could take with ease.

Anyway, her ears perked up when the man began to walk again. When she started to move after him, he began to gesture with his hand, as he elaborated without even looking at her.

"I could need a second hand to expand business. The kind of work I do requires a blessing. Naturally, it's hard to find someone for my job. Since you are blessed, have a god, who doesn't really care, and, from what I've been told, have no ambitions like other adventurers, it's ideal for me."

Lili's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

Did...did he just admit she was the only option available, instead of the best?

Well, at least he was honest, Liliruca thought dryly and she let out a sigh.

Beggars couldn't chose after all and by all means, if it meant to get away from the Soma family, she would accept any dirty work.

"Also, I'm not an adventurer here in Orario," he casually said, ripping her out of her musings.

The Pallum tilted her head in confusion and almost on cue, the man turned around when he came to a stop.

"I'm Orario's number one errand boy, Obsidian Noir," he announced with his gravelly voice, pointing at himself with his thumb.

The Pallum could swear she saw his eyes sparkle with pride and couldn't help but look at him with a half open mouth, disbelief written all over her face.

Lili was certain that this was not something one should be proud of.

This situation was so bizarre, even for Orario's standards.

At least she knew his name now, she thought with a sweatdrop running down her forehead.

Anyway, she nodded slowly and raised her hand, intending to ask where the hell they were going.

"Mr Noir-"

"I don't like the sound of that," Obsidian cut her off immediately, making her pout in irritation. Then, he turned his head away from her and turned right. "We're here."

Following his gaze, she saw that they stopped in front of a house. A rather small house.

It looked alright, compared to the surroundings. Brown wood didn't rot, no windows were broken, as few as there were, and it looked like it had three rooms. Four at most.

Nothing too special, it was basically just a block with a triangle roof, but it didn't look like it would crash down with a wrong step, nor did it appear to have rats.

Much better compared to her previous life, definitely. The girl felt jealous that someone had their own, secure hut. A place to feel safe.

Just before she can ask what's going to happen next, the man turned to her and pointed at the building.

"New home. Your room is next to mine, put your stuff there, then come out when you're done," the man said in a bored tone and leaned against the wall after unlocking the front door.

For a while, Liliruca stood there, frozen and stared at the building with wide eyes.

By all means, it sounded creepy to live alone with an unknown man in a somewhat run down house.

But what caused her freezing was simple.

Her own room.

She never had one before. Much less a proper bed.

Almost mechanically, she made her way into the building.

It was rather bleak. Colorless. The same kind of fading brown like the rest of the building.

Her previous estimation were correct. It was one big room, which apparently served as the kitchen and dining area at the same time and two other rooms. Well, three, but the one in the corner was rather obvious with "bathroom" written over the door.

No decorations, only the barest necessities were present. Spartan was one way to describe it.

Then she reached the bedrooms. Only one of them were open. The other one, closed, had the name "Obsidian" written on a plate.

She could see on the other door her own name.

Walking inside, she put her backpack on the ground and looked around.

A wooden work table with a chair that had a red cushion. A bed roughly a bit above her size, looking recently made as well. A drawer for clothes.

Overall, again, the bare necessities.

It wasn't prepared in a special way at all. Except the table and the drawer, it didn't have much to show in terms of generosity.

It was...

Liliruca took a shaky breath and leaned against the wall.

It was more than what anyone else ever did for her.

Frantically she shook her head and wiped her eyes.

No, she had to be cautious. Who knew what kind of devious stuff this man planned for her.

She did not have that kind of luck. Not after everything that she went through.

Taking another deep breath, she decided to empty her bag another day and walked out of the house. No need to treat everything with suspicion and antagonize the man. Just had to keep it in mind.

"Like it?"

The deep voice shook her out of her musings and the Pallum blinked.

Already, she was outside and staring at the man who housed her, crossing his arms and tapping his right foot impatiently.

Was she that out of it?

"Y-yes! Li-Err, I'm very grateful for your hospitality..." She said, her tone growing quieter with every word. She blushed and clicked her tongue in irritation.

Damn, stopping the cute act was hard.

Was this how the drunks in her so called family were like when they tried to stop drinking and failed?

Hopefully, because she already felt like an idiot.

To her pleasant surprise, Obsidian didn't jump on the moment of weakness and instead shrugged it off.

"Don't mention it. But before we do anything..." He trailed off and lowered himself on one knee. "Do you accept being my student?"

The girl blinked owlishly.

This conversation took a very sharp turn into a direction unknown.

So, she replied in the most appropriate way she could.

"Huh?"

Ignoring her response, the man carried on, his eyes almost...gentle.

"If you don't accept, you can still stay. You don't have to do anything besides maintaining the building. Maybe make me food if you can," Obsidian explained and Lili nodded slowly.

Sounded very generous and suspicious, but she assumed it made sense of an overglorified house maid.

What followed next however, made her ears sharpen up.

"If you accept, I will properly train you in the jobs I do. Train you in speed, endurance, thinking and general competence. But it will be hard and the pay isn't that great really." He chuckled slightly, sounding like a low rumble, growing serious again. "But, I can guarantee you. You will learn a lot of useful things with me. Grow stronger."

He extended his arm in an angle, palm open.

A worry free life, only having to worry about cleaning and cooking.

Or grow stronger.

Not being the weak supporter everyone could abuse and extort.

Not being someone who couldn't live independently. Who couldn't be free.

She didn't need to think twice about it before deciding her path.

Liliruca Arde grabbed his hand in the same angle and nodded with fire in her eyes.

"I accept."

Despite the bandages, she could imagine the sharp like grin on her...teacher's face as he chuckled, squeezing her hand, before standing up and nodding to her.

"Good. Welcome to my world then."

The Pallum gulped nervously.

Why did she feel like she just made a deal with the devil?

Before she could ponder about it, the man stood up and threw her a small envelope. Catching it, she raised an eyebrow at him.

"First job," he grunted out and pointed into the opposite direction of his...their house. "A shop four kilometers away from here needs this letter. Deliver it in twenty minutes."

The girl blinked owlishly, letter in the right hand.

Then she glared at her teacher in outrage.

"Twenty minutes?!" She yelled and waved the envelope around in demonstration.

There was no way she could get there in twenty minutes without running non stop!

"Yes, I am taking it easy for now," the man replied with a shrug and Liliruca couldn't help but gape at him.

"Easy?!"

The man wasn't fazed by her exclamation and instead stared at her like a statue.

It really unnerved her and the rage that was boiling simmered back down a bit.

"I would have asked you to do this in ten. Besides, I told you I would train your speed and endurance. Both are important as a good errant boy, so we have to build that up. Better start early," he explained in a boring tone, but then stopped, as if something came up in his mind. Thoughtful, he scratched his chin. "Well, in your case it's errand girl, I guess."

The Pallum opened her mouth and closed it a couple of times in disbelief.

"How am I supposed to do this in twenty minutes?!" She hissed out after regaining her wits and again, Obsidian stared at her in an apathetic way.

"Run. Duh," he shrugged at her and turned around. Then however, he stopped and raised his finger. "Before I forget...Remember, no third person. Neutral impressions are better than hit and miss impressions. Also, there will be plenty of jobs today. You won't stop moving until the sun goes down, so keep your focus."

Before she could bring out any objections, he walked off, leaving her standing alone in front of their house.

For a while, Liliruca just stood there.

Then she grabbed her hair and gave out a muffled scream of frustration.

What a shitty teacher!

The First Days 1.2

Liliruca didn't know why she took this so serious.

Maybe because the man didn't abuse her like the Soma family.

Maybe because she wanted to prove she could do this.

Perhaps she believed him when he said it was training.

Whatever the reason, she hoped it was worth it, because she was currently dying from lack of oxygen.

Having run without break, crashing into a few people in her hurry, she gasped for air as she supported herself on a wall. Taking her hood off, she fanned with her hand to cool off at this sunny day.

At least the Pallum finally arrived.

As far as she knew.

By all means, she wouldn't be surprised if it turned out this was part of training as well. Saying "whoops, wrong place" and force her to figure out the location herself.

For once however, luck was on her side.

After she managed to stop wheezing as if she had a disease, the wooden window doors to her left opened. Though they were not window doors, but actually doors that covered the counter of the shop.

The shop she was supposed to deliver the letter.

New Age. Shop for Everything.

The name sounded even more tacky with those big, wooden letters on that building.

Anyway, she moved away from the wall and stepped in front of the shop.

Middle aged, wrinkles, bald and wearing a simple brown shirt suited for such a weather.

Overall, a rather plain looking man.

The man appeared to sort something in the background, books into a shelve.

The Pallum wasn't an expert, but such a set up was weird. Normally one would sell food with such a stand like shop. Not something different without letting them in.

By all means, it looked more like a storage than a place that sells stuff.

Before she could ponder more about it, he glanced up, eye landing on her and blinked for a moment.

Then comprehension dawned on his face. He gave her a pleasant smile and put his hands on his hip.

"Oh, you must be Lord Noir's apprentice he told me about!" He exclaimed in a joyful tone and Liliruca tilted her head with a skeptical look.

"Lord Noir? Is he a noble?" She asked in disbelief.

She tried to imagine her...teacher, the shady mummy as a noble. Sitting on a throne, attending tea parties, whatever else rich people did.

Liliruca shook her head and blinked before letting out a deep breath.

Nope, not seeing it.

The shopkeeper chuckled and shook his head.

"Not exactly, but I respect him too much to refer to him with any other title. Well, any other title lower than that," he replied, eyes glazed over as if he remembered something beautiful.

The girl nodded slowly and bit her lip.

It creeped her out a bit.

She decided poking any further might lead to stuff she might be better off not knowing.

Extending her arm, she presented the letter, which the man quickly accepted.

By all means, her business was done now.

But curiosity got the best of her.

"If I might ask...what's in there?" Liliruca asked, biting her lip, feeling a bit awkward. The man perked up after he was about to pocket it, then pointed at it.

"Oh, I believe it has some...recommendations on it," he replied, chuckling to himself.

The girl gave him a forced smile.

Of course it was secret. What did she expect?

Just as she was about to walk away, she heard a hand slap skin. Turning around, she saw the man's hand on his forehead, before he gestured at her in exasperation.

"Oh, where are my manners? Gustav! A pleasure," he said with a smile and extended his left hand, golden ring on it.

She blinked, before shaking it.

"Liliruca Arde," she replied dumbly. After letting go, she thought furiously about how to keep this conversation going since it already started, before putting on a smile. "Are you from here?"

The shopkeeper waved his hand in response.

"Oh, no. Recently moved in a few months ago. I come from a far away land. Quite the culture shock, I can tell you that!" He laughed loudly and the Pallum couldn't help but giggle as well.

His joy was infectious.

"Sounds fun."

Gustav's face sobered up a bit and he looked up into the sky with a soft expression.

"It is. Discovering so many new things, feeling the taste of adventurer as one travels through the lands as a free man...Hah, I wouldn't exchange this life for anything."

At his quiet voice, Liliruca felt a pang in her heart and her smile wavered.

"That is...good to hear," she replied in a hesitant tone and averted her gaze, before closing her eyes.

Biting her lip, she hated herself for the feeling she had right now.

An all too familiar feeling.

Envy.

It wasn't his fault, but she couldn't help but feel slight resentment at the fact that someone could be so happy and free, unlike her.

Taking a deep breath, she shoved that feeling aside and opened her eyes again.

Only to see Gustav rummaging in his shop for something. It only took him a few moments to come up again with a book in hand.

"Ah, before I forget...Here, take this. As a token for our first meeting," he said in a warm tone, extending the book at her.

Blinking, she hesitantly took it and stared at it.

"The Forge of Warfare. A weapons and martial arts book…" She muttered, before shaking her head and giving the book back with a flushed face. "Uhm, I can't possibly-"

Gustav interrupted her with a head shake and gestured at her with a fatherly grin.

"Please, accept it. I would be ashamed if I wouldn't do this for Lord Noir's student and a hardworking girl like yourself."

"I...appreciate it," Liliruca said, nodding slowly, before starting to pocket it somewhere.

After the man told her to wait for a bit more, she covered her face in embarrassment.

Gods, was she really used to being fate's punching bag that she would try to decline free stuff?

Wait, no. She used to be a thief.

Maybe it was because the man was nice and she liked nice people.

Until the Soma family decided to screw them over and make them not so nice to her.

She shuddered.

The Pallum hoped that whatever connection the man had with her teacher, it would protect him.

There were enough people whose lives were ruined by those damn adventurers because of her.

Having calmed down, she waited for Gustav to finish whatever he wanted to do.

When he finally resurfaced, her heart dropped.

"Now, we shouldn't keep you here much longer! I was tasked to give you another job," he said, before heaving something onto his counter. Wiping some sweat of his forehead, he smiled at her as he brought out a map.

"Here is another package. Needs to be delivered to the book store right over...here."

Liliruca stared blankly at the map, then back to what she was supposed to deliver.

It was even bigger than the last package!

It's an entire crate! Filled with food and bottles!

That wasn't even the worst, considering her carrying Skill!

"That's like an hour away!" She exclaimed in anger, pointing at the map.

Gustav in turn gave her an amused look.

"Didn't he warn you when he said you would be moving non stop?" He asked and Liliruca grabbed her hair in irritation.

"I thought it was hyperbole!" She shouted and Gustav chuckled, making her even more frustrated.

"He never does that." Shaking his head, he let out a sigh. "As expected, Lord Noir is always so honest!"

"More like blunt," she muttered after saying goodbye to the shop keeper, heavy weight on her back.

After she was certain a long enough distance away, she let out a deep sigh.

Not even a day and she was already regretting her decisions.

Well, at least Obsidian wasn't a drunk, Liliruca thought dryly as she began to jog down the street again.

It took her four attempts to enter the key into the door, before finally opening it and entering her new home.

The moment she took a step in, she fell flat on her face, before letting out a long, suffering groan.

By all means, she wanted to fall alseep on the spot. Her clothes were sweat drenched anyway and she was too tired to care.

Sadly, this house didn't belong to her alone.

"Took you long enough."

Obsdian's raspy voice made Liliruca look up with the small reserves she had left and saw the shady man sitting on the table with a plate of food on the opposite side. In his hands was a book as he stared at her in a neutral way.

'Legend of the Seas'.

The girl weakly raised an eyebrow.

Wasn't that some adventurer love story?

She didn't know he was into that.

"Food. Eat slowly or you get a tummy ache. Then take a bath," he grunted out and immediately her stomach grumbled almost like his voice.

With a flushed face, she crawled over to the chair and struggled to get on it.

After what felt like an eternity, she managed to sit down with heavy breath and stared on the plate.

Boiled potatoes, vegetables and a cooked steak.

Not a very beautiful sight, more amateur made.

By all means, it was not a meal that would be served at an inn.

But food was food and she was not picky. It looked edible enough.

Muttering her thanks, she began to ate in silence while Obsidian turned his attention back to his book.

The taste was alright. Nothing to write about, but it didn't make her barf and it filled her stomach.

The silence made her a bit uncomfortable, so she gave her caretaker a few glances, the valis she received during the day weighing heavily in her pocket.

Not everyone gave her money on her jobs, but she still made more than she would usually make as a supporter.

Because of that, she waited in agony for Obsidian to take it away from her.

Swallowing down her food, she sighed after a while.

He's was making her move first.

Fine.

Searching through her pockets, the motions made her teacher glance up from his book.

"Here is your money..." Liliruca muttered as she put the pouch on the table, not looking him in the eye.

When he didn't move, she looked up in confusion, only to see the man stare at her, the bandages moving slightly.

If she saw it right, it was because he raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"It's your money. If you want to give it to me, fine. But are you sure?" He asked slowly, switching his glance from her to her money.

Liliruca blinked and took the pouch back, carefully and slowly. When she pocketed it, she stared at him with wide eyes.

"I...I can keep it?" She asked in an uncertain tone and this time she could clearly see him rolling his eyes before turning his attention back to his book.

"Do you think I'm that much of a prick?" He grumbled and the girl couldn't stop herself from replying in a dry tone.

"Yes."

Immediately, she clapped her mouth shut, but the damage was already done.

The man's head snapped up and he squinted his eyes behind the bandages at her.

She held her breath and shrunk, cursing herself for screwing this up in less than twenty four hours.

Now she was going to get kicked out after he stopped staring at her.

Stopped staring at her.

Anytime now.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion and Obsidian still stared at her. The girl couldn't help but blink.

Was this some sort of new torture method? Because it succeeded in freaking her out a bit.

To her surprise and relief, he snorted in amusement and turned his eyes away yet again.

The girl let out a deep breath and focused on eating, not even trying to figure out what that was about.

Sadly, the surprises didn't end there.

"So, how was your day?" Obsidian asked out of the blue and Liliruca glanced up, seeing him still reading.

"You know how it went," she grumbled in an accusing tone, poking into her steak a bit.

"Humor me," the man replied nonchalantly and the girl figured out she could be as blunt as she wanted to.

The man apparently liked that.

Anyway, she began to recount what she has been doing.

First she had to carry around the crate almost the entire day, because apparently they were meant for several people all over the place.

Blacksmiths for some quick dinner, random households ordering bread, a pig tailed, ditzy girl with big boobs crying tears for having some free stuff, alcohol for bars…

It was easier to tell where she didn't went.

Not to mention that after she was done with that damn crate, she had to deliver letters around as well.

Suffice to say, she made a whole tour around Orario, only having short breaks and some bites of food offered to help her get through the day. Mostly, she ran a lot, stumbled into other people and more than not often fell down on the ground because some of her "clients" were quite insistence on their time limit.

For some reason however, Obsidian focused on one specific thing of what she said.

"Book?" He asked with intrigue, the biggest emotion shown so far aside from dry amusement.

The girl nodded and pulled it out of her bag.

"It was a gift. From New Age. Pretty nice man...You know him?" She asked, tilting her head and he chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"Him and his family. Must have missed them."

"Family?" Liliruca asked, narrowing her eyes in thought.

Now that he mentioned it, she could remember the ring on his hand.

She let out a "huh". The more you know.

"Wife and daughter. Teenager of sixteen years as far as I remember," the man elaborated and closed his book. "Hard working. Polite. Full with joy. Perfect merchants."

"He seemed to respect you a lot," Liliruca said in a curious tone and Obsdian shrugged, waving with his hand.

"In context in makes sense."

"And the context is…?" She asked, trailing of and she could see her teacher smirking at her from underneath the bandages.

"Who knows?" He replied smugly and the girl deflated.

But since she had the ball rolling, she might as well keep up. Get to know the guy who was her caretaker now.

"What did you do?" She asked, picking on the last rests of her food.

"Twice the amount of work. Better. Faster. Smarter. Any other positive adjectives in comparative form," he began to count on his hand, before giving up and leaning back on his chair, crossing his arms.

The Pallum's mouth thinned.

Okay, now she definitely knew that this man was teasing her and was probably going to do that in the future as well.

And he expected her to snark back as well.

Fine by her.

"Yes, yes, I get it. You're better than me," she said, raising her hands in mock surrender. The man chuckled in response and stood up to enter his room.

Moments later, he came back out.

"Good that the student learns fast." He threw something at her and she caught it. "Here. New clothes."

She did a double take.

A white, simple night gown. Freshly bought.

"Huh?" She said dumbly and raised her head with wide eyes.

"Those rags aren't good for business. You need to have something better," the man explained, walking past her and taking her plate. "Besides, I don't want to clean up your bed because you slept with dirty clothes."

The snark shook her out of her shock and she smirked on her own, crossing her arms.

"I don't want to hear that from you." Then she narrowed her eyes as she stared at his back as he goes over to the sink with her plate. "You ever take those off?"

"Nope," he replied with a pop, beginning to wash the dirty dishes aside from her own.

"Why not?" Liliruca asked, tilting her head and the man froze for a moment.

"I'm ugly and don't like my looks."

The blank tone threw her off and she blinked at his back as he moved again.

He...sounded a lot more serious than she expected.

She was about to ask what that was about when Obsidian glanced at her, then nodded towards the bathroom.

"Anyway, you go wash yourself. I clean this up."

It sounded more like an order than a request.

Apparently she hit a sore spot.

Deciding not to push her luck, she walked towards it.

Entering the place, it was a bit narrow, but it was big enough to have a tub in it.

A tub with hot water inside already.

She didn't take long to discard her "rags", as her teacher aptly described them, before carefully soaking herself in.

A moan escaped her, before she sunk completely into the water.

When was the last time she had a bath?

Whenever it was, this one felt a lot more soothing than she expected. It relaxed her, stress she didn't know she had so much of began to drain away from her.

Closing her eyes, she enjoyed a warmth she never got to experience before...

The First Days 1.3

Time passed by rather quickly for her and she began to have a...routine to her life.

Five days in a row, she would be working full hours. Delivery jobs, ranging from verbal messages to giant crates, but also other jobs, like cleaning dishes, cooking and repairing rooftops.

Basically every odd job under the sun was her job now as well.

Some times, Liliruca worked with Obsidian as well.

She felt very inept compared to him.

He wasn't lying when he said he was better than her in many way.

He had a hell of a stamina. A lot more than she did. Faster, more efficient…

But, she couldn't hate him for that. He set up an example and he taught her the jobs until she could do it on her own.

Not to mention the specific training they did after those five days for two days.

General skill training and lessons.

On the practical side, she was taught parkour, information gathering in form of observation and eavesdropping, short cuts and negotiation skills, all those he taught her sternly, but patiently.

On days where she didn't have so many jobs and wasn't in danger to pass out, they would review that knowledge in the evening. Aside from that, they would focus on her mathematics and linguistics skills.

Most of the times it was parkour though, because her teacher was sadistic.

Still, for all the jobs she did, all the skills she gained…

None of those were directly involved with the dungeon in any way, which confused her a lot.

As much as she despised the place, almost equally to the Soma family, she could not deny it was the best place to make money and from what she heard, the best place to train those with a Falna.

When she confronted him about it, he wasn't very forthcoming.

As in, avoided the question by asking another question.

"Do you wanna go back there?" He had asked in an incredulous tone and Liliruca couldn't answer it back then.

Still, she wanted to know the answer, so she decided to take a more indirect route.
"Why aren't you in the dungeon?"

"Because I can't," the man replied back then, awfully somber. Then, as sudden as it came, it disappeared, leaving the usual gruff teacher behind. "Also, it's ten times more dangerous than these jobs. Now peel those potatoes."

She didn't understand what he meant with "I can't".

He was skilled, but perhaps he didn't had a family and couldn't register anymore? Or maybe he didn't have a blessing at all?
Or maybe he was ashamed of something?

Obsidian Noir didn't struck her as a coward, but what did she know? They didn't know each other.

The Pallum decided not to break her head over it too much. There were too many possibilities to go through.

Anyway, that's how her days went. It was...fulfilling, not being treated like dirt and working for herself.

Still, it was a bit...boring after she got into the routine. There were only so many times new stuff could happen.

She sure hoped it would raise her stats once she got her update. It would make her jobs much easier.

When that was, she didn't know. Obsidian decided that for her and so far, he didn't make a peep about it.

Liliruca learned how to take her victories and take what she learned not as granted.

Anyway, at the moment, she tiredly strolled into her room as the sun began to set, coming back from a long, long day of cleaning a house nearby while the owner was gone.

Sighing, she removed the apron around her and let herself flop down on her bed.

Five minutes of resting was the maximum she could afford before the next and final job of the day, but she was going to make the most out of it!

Not that she knew if there was going to be a job, but one could never know with that slave driver of a mummy.

Of course in that exact moment, the door slammed open.

Instinctively she jumped her bed, standing in attention, her body tensed like a board.

What kind of surprise had he this time in store for her?!

As she expected, Obsidian stood nonchalantly at the door. He froze mid step, checking her out from head to feet and raised an eyebrow.

"At ease, we're not the military." She blushed in embarrassment and relaxed as much as she could. He nodded in approval and threw something at her. "Today we are going to the Hostess of Fertility."

"For a job?" She asked after catching the fabric and looked at it.

Her eyes widened.

It wasn't a maid outfit like she saw at the inn, it was a dress.

A black summer dress with white flower motive on it.

Something little girls in happy families would wear.

It was still fancier than the cloaks and plain shirts.

Looking up with wide eyed confusion, she saw the man smiled at her with a rare soft expression.

"For celebration," he rasped out and the girl tilted her head.

"Celebrate what?"

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he leaned against her doorframe.

"Your one hundredth job. Didn't ya notice?"

The Pallum opened her mouth, then closed it with a thoughtful expression.

Ranging from three to six jobs per day to the night per day...

Liliruca blinked.

Huh. She had been with him for roughly a month.

"Wow, you can actually do math. Congratulations," Obsidian drawled out, making her blush at the realization she talked out loud. Then he chuckled and shook his head as he made his way out. "Seriously now, wash yourself, take that dress and come down." Then he stopped and glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. "And don't daydream like you do in the bath."

The former Supporter threw one of her books after him in response, spluttering at the same time as he was laughing.

"Why do you tell me to dress up, if you still look like a mummy?" Liliruca asked in an exasperated tone as she walked down the streets with her teacher to her right.

The picture was something not even the most drugged up artist could make up.

On one side, a petite girl, freshly bathed, hair combed to make it more smooth, with a brand new dress and shoes.

On the other side…Obsidian Noir. By far the most shadiest person she has ever met and that meant something in Orario. Who was over half a meter taller than her and talked like he gurgled glass on a daily basis.

She was also sure he didn't actually have several sets and kept wearing the same rags.

Which weirdly, didn't stink or rot at all. Somehow.

The man in question threw her a dry look and twirled his hand at himself in a dramatic manner.

"The Mummy is a well respected fashion style only for the most fabulous of ugly men," he explained in a mocking tone and the girl shook her head in amusement.

"Hey!"

Of course at that time, the world decided she had reached her happiness quote and sent down its angels.

Its drunk, stupid, aggressive angels of the Soma family, to be exact.

Instinctively, she hid behind her teacher, who calmly stared at the three thugs stumbling over to them, Soma wine in hands.

The girl looked at them in disgust.

Great, so these were the lucky few able to gather the money for their regular fix.

Oh joy.

"Can I help you?" He asked calmly. As she clutched at his sleeve, she noticed how his body was tensed to move at any moment.

Not that the drunks noticed, but she didn't underestimate them.

Those were still adventurers who went into the dungeon regularly.

Anyway, the three drunks gave each other dirty, amused looks, before the "leader" in the middle laughed loudly and poked Obsidian on his chest, who didn't budge at all.

"Yeah, you can give us our supporter back! We adventurers have more need of her than a loser like you!" The man exclaimed surprisingly eloquent considering the alcohol.

Still, Liliruca curled up her fists in anger and disgust. She was torn between running away and trying to protect the only somewhat decent person in the vicinity, her teacher.

"Come on, Arde! You shouldn't spend your time outside your family! Everyone's missing you!" The other thug drawled out, a dirty grin on his face.

As they approached them, Liliruca stiffened and closed her eyes, gritting her teeth in frustration on Obsidian's cloak.

Not now. Not again.

Not when she was finally free.

"Did Soma permit it?"

The steps immediately stopped and the girl opened her eyes in shock.

Obsidian's voice was deeper and almost growled, as he almost appeared bigger than usual.

She never heard that kind of tone from him before, but she could easily he was pissed.

Which would explain the utter lack of respect towards the god.

Still, the thugs were only intimidated for a small moment, before they grinned arrogantly at him.

"Heh, sure he did!"

Liliruca wouldn't be surprised. The god was so busy with his wine, he would have said yes to anything, she thought dryly.

Her musings came to a stop when Obsidian took a step forward, exhaling deeply as if he let his emotions out. The thugs took fearful steps back and the Pallum could swore there were sparks around his hands for a moment.

Suddenly, he stopped, before clenching his fists, followed by relaxing them again.

Then he glanced at her with an uncertain expression. Liliruca blinked in confusion.

Did his eyes...become softer?

She couldn't verify it in time when he turned back to the drunks, taking in a deep breath and nodding at them.

"Translation. He did not. Got it." He turned around and put his right hand on her left shoulder. With his other arm he casually waved them goodbye. "Have a nice evening, gentleman."

She could only see the barest of anger beginning to boil over from her fellow family members, when her teacher abruptly slid his arms behind her and scooped her up like a princess.

Before she could object, the man dashed away like a madman.

Liliruca was not proud to admit it, but she screamed like hell as she held onto her teacher for dear life.

In high speeds, they took turns, left and right, up and down so she didn't even know where they were after the first few seconds. When she tried to open her eyes, the wind made her shut them rather quickly.

After what felt like a few minutes, they came to a stop and he put her down.

She stumbled a bit, taking a deep breath despite the fact she didn't move at all and hunched over a bit. Looking around, she realized they were right in front of the Hostess of Fertility, with iss very busy and celebrating interior sounding through the doors and windows.

With the left hand on her hip, she used her right hand to gesture at Obsidian in bafflement.

"How did you…?" She trailed off, before shaking her head as she tried to calm down with deep breaths.

"Who said I ever used my top speed?" He replied smugly, breath perfectly steady and Liliruca narrowed her eyes at him.

That only made it more suspicious.

This kind of speed was something she expected from a level three at minimum. Able to escape adventurers with ease, even if they were level one, and running around that made her look pathetic despite her training.

Why didn't she ever heard from this guy, if he was so powerful compared to most in Orario?

Her eyes widened.

Wait…

I'm not an adventurer here in Orario.

Did he mean he was an adventurer elsewhere, but then put up his coat and retired?

It would make...some sense. It would answer her question if he had a blessing of some so-

The girl did a double take in an incredulous manner.

Hold on.

The bastard was holding back on the jobs, giving her the false hope she was actually catching up!

And if he was that fast, why didn't he do the harder jobs?!

However, the girl had a feeling she would regret asking that. Instead, she focused on a more important matter to her.

"If you could do that, why not beat them up?" She asked after straightening up her back.

Surprisingly, the man sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"Too much attention and a pain in the ass." He shrugged and smiled at her. "Besides, today is celebration day. Can't spoil that with a street fight."

Liliruca blinked.

That was...rather considerate of him. The latter at least, not the former of what he said.

She smiled back at him and fixed her clothing a bit. Then, they entered the building.

Looking inside, it was your typical inn.

Counter and tables full, maids of varied species going in between and serving food, the dwarf owner preparing the food and lots of happy conversations and shenanigans. Various smells hung in the air, ranging from warm sweet smell of pie to the stench of alcohol.

Anyway, it was rather overwhelming. It was a different atmosphere from her time in the Soma family.

By all means, she felt out of place.

She dryly glanced at Obsidian, who looked around without looking bothered at all.

She felt very out of place.

A cat maid finally managed to fight through the narrow ways and welcomed them. Her teacher immediately took control of the situations.

"Chip chip choo, table for two," he droned out in a blank tone and the two females stared at him for a moment.

Did he just rhyme?

Glancing at each other, the girls decided to ignore that one for the sake of their sanity and the maid led them to their small table, on the other side of the room.

They did gather some weird looks as they walked by.

No, not them. Obsidian.

Who could blame them. He may be often seen doing his odd jobs, but a black bandaged creeper was still an unusual sight to uphold.

Anyway, they got seated on opposite sides of a round table, Obsidian's back to the door. To Liliruca's surprise, the maid left only to be replaced by the owner herself, Mia Grand, or most commonly known, Mama Mia. The boisterous woman put her hands on her hips with a wide smile.

"If it isn't our mysterious errand boy, Obsidian Noir!" She laughed and slapped the man on the back. "You still wear those bandages? Here I wondered if I ever got to see your face!"

"Over my dead body. So you have to wait a long time for that," her teacher replied dryly, only making the owner smirk more. He rolled his eyes and to Liliruca's embarrassment, pointed at the girl with small amusement in his voice. "Something special, we are celebrating."

"Well, who am I to deny such an offer! Coming right up!"

With that, the woman walked back to her position in a cheerful manner, leaving the two guests alone.

"You know them?" Liliruca asked after a small period of silence between them and Obsidian threw her a dirty look.
"What? I eat. I go out. It's nothing to tell a story about." He shrugged. "Also, networking."

She narrowed her eyes.

She...expected a lot more than that.

Liliruca shrugged.

Oh well.

Before she could strike another conversation, another maid arrived. This time, it was a blonde elf, who stoically offered water to each of them.

Then, her eyes met Obsidian's.

Both of them nodded at each other.

"Noir."

"Ryuu."

The elf huffed and shook her head.

"Disrespectful as ever," she said dryly and Obsidian shrugged without care.

"The day I call someone by their last name is the day I wear a frilly dress," he drawled out.

Liliruca switched her gaze with worry, before the two of them gave each other small smiles.

Then she turned to the Pallum and bowed slightly.

"My name is Ryuu Lyon. You must be Liliruca Arde. A pleasure to meet you."

"Ah, yes...Same," the student replied awkwardly, crossing her arms underneath the table with discomfort. The elf stared at her, before turning her attention back to Obsidian.

"It's been a while," Ryuu said with a frown, crossing her arms.

"Well, gotta save up money," the man replied in a simple tone and waved with his hand. "Besides, always coming here would make people think I can't cook."

"I didn't expect you would care so much about your self image," the elf asked a calm tone, but Liliruca knew teasing when she heard it.

To her surprise, her teacher didn't snip back, but instead snorted dryly and gestured to himself.

"I'm a bandaged creeper without a proper job, with an underaged girl as a student. I need all the boost I can get."

The girls at the table blinked at him and Liliruca narrowed her eyes.

There it was again.

Those random bursts of a negative self picture that came up. Sometimes in a serious manner, sometimes hidden beneath jokes.

It didn't make sense to her.

"Of...course," Ryuu slowly replied and the Pallum glanced at her.

Was the elf confused? By what?

It was like she had a conversation with someone and that someone suddenly decided to shift the topic and mood entirely.

Her ears then perked up, seeing more guests enter the tavern.

"I must attend other guests. Enjoy your stay," Ryuu said to them, before excusing herself.

Not a beat later, the cat maid from before arrived and presented two plates of curry for them.
Liliruca stared at them.

Compared to Obsidian's cooking, this was heaven's above in quality. Almost shining and beautifully arranged, it was begging her to eat it.

Her mouth was watering and she quickly removed the drool from her mouth.

Hearing a chuckle, she looked up and remembered she wasn't alone. Flushing, she shrunk into her seat.

Weirdly, he didn't tease her, instead smiling warmly at her, raising his glass.

"To your one hundredth job, my student. Eat up."

Something clicked in her heart.

He cared.

Some people would call it weird or stupid to not realize it, but for Liliruca, the revelation only occurred now. Who could blame her? Her whole life was filled with betrayal, abuse and despair. Who could blame her not believing in good? In the chances of her life changing?

Only now did it properly register to her.

He cared. Honestly cared.

Only someone would care, would take her away from abuse, give her a safe house, a warm bed, a good job, training, paying expenses and gods knew what not.

Obsidian Noir didn't want to make use of her. He wanted to give her a better life. Sure, he wasn't always the nicest guy in the world, but it was still leaps over what others ever did for him.

This realization...it hit her.

Her vision became blurry.

"What, never ate curry before?" A voice asked distantly and she numbly shook her head.

"Not...really..." Liliruca whispered, tears running down her eyes.

Suddenly, a finger snap in front of her eyes snapped her out of her funk and she blinked in shock.

Her teacher stared at her with a frown.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked with concern and the girl realized where she actually was.
"I-I'm fine!" She loudly exclaimed and wiped her eyes, before chuckling awkwardly. "Let's dig in!"

Focusing solely on her food, she didn't dare to look up, trying to force back the tears. But as much as she hated it, she couldn't stop.

The reveal that someone actually cared and had the power to protect her in a sense, made her feel vulnerable.

It made her feel weak.

A napkin suddenly appeared in her view. Looking up with her tear stained eyes, Liliruca saw how Obsidian was looking away as he offered the piece of cloth.

"You are pretty sweaty. Guess it's warm in here," he said in a nonchalant tone and wiggled with the cloth. "You're dripping all over the table."

The girl blinked for a moment, before managing a small smile and accepting the cloth.

"Thank you..." She muttered before wiping her face with it.

"You're welcome, kid," he heard him say in a soft tone, but she was more busy trying to dry herself.

She didn't know how long it took, but she finally managed to calm down. Her eyes were red, but she felt better now.

However, before she returned to eating, Liliruca tilted her head at her teacher.

"Aren't you going to eat?" She asked, gesturing at his bandages.

He in turn quietly reached behind his head.

The girl stood up and leaned forward with wide eyes, filled with expectations.

He loosened up the cloth around his mouth.

She held her breath.

They began to reveal patches of light skin and his lips.

Liliruca bit her lip, trembling with excitement.

Then the bandages immediately tightened against his skin again, only leaving an open gap big enough for his mouth.

Her head hit the desk.

The man wheezed, clutching his chest as he was dying from laughter.

On the one hand, she now knew how he laughed. Like a baloon losing air.

On the other hand…

She pouted and tried to hit him, who easily avoided her "assault".

Oh, she just knew he was teasing her!

The rest of their little celebration went by in a blur.

They had fun, ate a lot and the service was great.

Especially Ryuu Lyon was someone she warmed up to. Despite her quiet nature, she was rather sassy in a polite manner. Something she would love to learn and she believed they got along rather well for a first meeting. From the elf, she managed to get some funny stories about Obsidian, especially his early days.

Apparently every master was a beginner.

The accident with his arm being stuck in a wall and having a cat use him as a seat for an hour was her favorite.

The man tried to wave it off, but Liliruca could notice how his voice was less gravely when he was embarrassed.

Good to know.

There was one moment where Obsidian left her, but he came back a few minutes later, not looking different at all, so she dismissed it.

At the moment, she had a piggy back ride on her teacher. Normally she would be more prideful about this, but she was at the verge of falling asleep.

"You had fun tonight?" She heard her teacher ask and she slowly nodded.

"Hm. Thanks for that," Liliruca quietly said, eyes half open.

"No problem," the man replied and she heard a door click open. "We're here. You need help changing?"

She shook her head and struggled to the ground.

"No, I think I can do this..." She let out a yawn and smiled at him. "Night, teacher."

As she closed the door, she could hear him mutter something in a soft tone.

"Sleep well, Liliruca."

Her smile grew and she locked the door.

Interlude: The Observer

Humming, a young, innocent looking girl strolled through the night, headless of the people around her and instead focusing on other stuff.

The clear sky above her short, green hair, with the stars shining down on her.

The wind gently pushing against her mini skirt and brown vest.

The bread in her mouth, with the crumbles falling down on her white shirt underneath her west.

Opening her red, mischievous eyes, she chuckled and finished her bread, clapping her hands to clean them.

Not a single person paid her any attention. Just how she liked it.

Letting out a deep, satisfied breath, she jumped onto a bridge railing and crossed her arms behind her back, playfully stepping forward in rhythm of her slow, relaxed humming.

Ha, what a good day.

Her favorite bakery in Orario was as skilled as ever, the weather was clear and she managed to prank two gods for the price of one!

Giggling childishly, she played around with a small bottle in her hand, before smugly pocketing it in her travel bag, slung over one her her shoulder and secured next to her hip.

Green would suit Loki and Hermes. Probably. They could use a style chance every once in a while

It was a good thing she was so easily...ignored or else it wouldn't have been that easy. Especially considering the amount of adventurers that were in the very same room.

Though she was sure the two gods knew exactly who the culprit was. Not that they could do anything to her, given her nomadic nature. Besides, they would get over it eventually.

Or they would plot revenge, like the tricksters they were.

She scratched her chin.

Yeah, that was more likely to happen. Maybe she should be more careful.

She came to a stop at a bridge and leaned against the railing, idly looking around.

Nothing of real interest caught her eye. Just people minding their own business, content of making a living.

Nothing bright. Nothing special. Nothing that could excite her.

There were few things in this world after all that did. If there was anything or anyone that could go beyond her expectations recently, she didn't find it yet.

Something caught her eye at the corners of her vision. Turning her head slightly, she saw what the motions were.

Thugs, limping with seething rage out of a back alley, supporting each other as they muttered bloody vengeance, plotting as much as they could with those little brains of theirs.

Soma.

The girl's mouth thinned.

A great example of what she despised.

Wasted potential. Stagnation. No purpose.

Not that she disliked her fellow god himself, but he was too focused on his work. Too naive of how the world was supposed to work.

But, she could admire his drive. It was something she found beautiful.

A shame, really, that he just was too good for his own well being and surrounded by weak idiots.

Still, the sight of that garbage, faces bloodied and bruised…

She clicked her tongue as she came to one conclusion.

It was unbearably sloppy.

Hah...There went her good mood.

They could have been hurt worse. Dealt with faster.

No efficiency, no aiming at their vitals, no esoteric techniques.

From what she could see, it was a simple, straightforward, ugly brawl. Wide swings against the face, ignoring all other attacks on his own body, before going after the next one with knees against the stomach. Mindless, angry repetition, in order to relief some stress under the guise of justice.

Something she would have never expected from him. Not after everything she saw. Not after all those years she observed him and the others, as they created their place on this world, carving their name in the minds of friends and foes alike.

These thugs wouldn't have lasted two seconds to her child in his prime. How could they? They were only on their first step to divinity.

He had faced mankind's worse nightmares, beings far beyond anything those thugs could ever imagine. A constant war of survival, not a simple daily job to pay for their wine.

Obsidian Noir had been capable of so much more.

Had been.

She grit her teeth at the thought.

Unyielding, swift steel, now only brittle, faded rust.

His place in the sky, going beyond his limits, now barely able to crawl out of the hole he fell down.

How poetic.

The small girl spat to the ground with a snarl.

She hated poems.

Which probably stemmed from her interactions with Apollo, that little bastard.

Facepalming, she regretted not pranking that asshole as well.

Oh well, she could do that tomorrow. Something for his face would be perfect.

A smile wavered and she sighed.

Then she jumped up on the railing and sat down, shoulders hunched as she stared down the river.

Nope, couldn't keep up the flow of happiness. He was weighing on her mind now.

He shouldn't be like that. It was the opposite of what she wanted from him.

Such talent and power was wasted if the mind wasn't up to the task.

The fact that he was hiding his identity all the time was proof enough that something changed inside him ever since that accident.

That he didn't want to see his own reflection anymore.

She would love to do nothing but get him out of this funk already. It's been two years and almost nothing changed, aside from his new student.

But, she made an oath.

Off hands approach. Her children would grow independently. It was more interesting that way and they would show her feats she knew they wouldn't be able to if she coddled them. Limited them.

And she was right. They grew leaps and bounds in more than one way.

She let out a sigh.

Besides, her first impression wasn't the best and considering the breakdown he had after that accident, it would be awkward at best and very painful at worst if she suddenly appeared now of all times.

Still, didn't mean she had to like it.

She covered her face and took a deep breath.

It wasn't like her other children had the same problems. They were as bright as always.

Inventing new magic. Last time she checked it was something about a hole?

Eh, the math went above her head.

Honing their martial skill. This one began to combine it with the special talents discovered and she couldn't wait to see the new heights of her power.

Organizing the home they have created…

She blinked.

Well, that wasn't very special in comparison, but that one still "modernized" and took care of most stuff.

Not all advancements were pretty on first sight. She could look past that and appreciate the beauty.

Anyway, they didn't lose their edge, unlike Obsidian.

She was thankful for that. That way, she could focus entirely on the one who needed help.

As indirect as her help was.

She crossed her arms and her eyes narrowed in thought.

This Pallum had to do the trick.

There was a reason he decided to take in someone, after such a long time.

She was a risk he took, consciously or subconsciously, in order do what those bandages can't do.

To heal from his past. To find his fire again, so that he can be reforged.

The girl blinked and hissed in annoyance.

Alright, that settled it, Apollo's house and family would become targets as well. He infected her with this disease, only fair to be punished for it.

Anyway, she could only hope that Liliruca Arde would be enough. It was a gamble with low odds. Something she didn't like.

A smirk appeared on her face.

Maybe she could push things along a bit. She was still not going to interfere directly, but giving the tools, evening the odds?

Totally something she allowed herself to do.

He will probably train her in self defense now. With those thugs, it was a big enough incentive to do so and after that celebration, the trust should be there.

Therefore, she needed to prepare something as usual for him, once he accomplished it.

Tapping her chin, she crossed her legs and stared into the empty space, bare feet dangling above the ground.

Hm, this was more difficult than usual. She couldn't just do her past approach. It wouldn't help, especially after what she...well, did to him after that event.

So something different had to come from her hands.

Her eyes widened and she smiled when a light appeared inside her head.

Something special should be done. But not for him. He had all the abilities and knew how to use them. His issue was mentally and she couldn't help there.

But his student was all too lacking in the physical department and could use any advantage she could get.

And she already knew what the Pallum could use.

The gift made by her children was ready and sent after all. It would be impossible to think Obsidian wouldn't give it to her the following day.

A master piece of creation.

It needed a skill worthy of it. It was no use for those unskilled, but in the right hands…

She shuddered in excitement.

Oh, the warrior would be a killing machine and look awesome at the same time!

Taking a deep breath, the area around her began to distort a bit, as if reality changed in a miniscule part. It was akin to a transparent blanket over her own body, as it warmed her body and made her feel safe. Detached from the outside world.

Unseen, like always. It was natural, after all. It came with her domain.

Raising her finger, a bright light appeared at its tip and it began to create runes no normal mortal could read.

That skill needed a good name, the girl mused in deep thought.

Moments later, she shrugged.

Might as well keep it simple.

With that development process done, she went to work.

In mere seconds, her hand blurred and the divine text was written.

Now, normally she would be done there.

But, she had to be discreet, for her own and for her child's sake.

Remove some spots here and there, waving her finger playfully like a child with a brush. Not enough to hide that something was amiss, but enough to obscure the truth.

Then, in the same time as it was created, it disappeared.

It didn't vanish however. She could feel it, like a tendril coming out of her body, reaching to the ones it was meant to reach.

Her work now was done. Once the conditions were met, her gift would be unwrapped and be received.

The first time she did that, it felt rather uncomfortable. Now however, it was a pleasant tingle.

With her work done, she stood up again and continued her way through the streets, humming like before like the child she looked like.

Soma wouldn't care anyway, if she gave his child a little upgrade.

It wasn't like anyone could track it down to her. Nobody could, considering her secret talent.

Well, as long as she was careful, the girl admitted sheepishly and giggled.

Both sides won. The Pallum became stronger, Obsidian wouldn't have to worry that much and she could see if the student had the same spark as her own children.

The spark of evolution. Progress. Something new.

A wide grin graced her face.

She couldn't wait to be surprised. To see new wonders.

Pulling a book out her bag, she took out a book.

Now to see what would happen to Harry Potter in this second task.

How would he be able to breathe underwater?

Maybe he would get one of those diver suits she read about. It would be funny to see those stuck up wizards be shown up by "muggle" technology. Or there was some new spell the author would reveal. Something her children could use in the near future.

Giggling, she opened the page and walked on.