"Leo, are you there?"
The voice echoed in his mind, cutting through the quiet hum of the coffee shop. He blinked, momentarily disoriented, before recognizing it.
"Elna! Hi."
"Do you have time to practice?"
Leo glanced at the half-empty cup of coffee in front of him. He still had theories to test, but for some reason, he could hardly bring himself to refuse.
"Sure. You wanna come over again?"
"If I'm not intruding."
"Of course not. See you soon?"
"I'll be there in half an hour."
The telepathic connection faded.
Leo leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. He stirred his coffee absentmindedly, watching the liquid swirl before taking another sip. He had a little time before he needed to leave.
After a few more minutes of quiet contemplation, Leo downed the rest of his coffee, gathered his notes, and stood. Time to head home.
…
Rosie sat near Eliza, stealing a glance at her friend. Ever since that night when Leo had brought that Elna girl over, Eliza had been a little off. She tried to hide it, but Rosie could see right through her.
"Come on, Eli," Rosie sighed. "Stop sulking already. We're not kids anymore, and my brother is older than you."
Eliza didn't respond. Instead, she puffed out her cheeks, stubbornly looking away.
From the kitchen, Lisa watched the exchange with amusement. A small smile tugged at her lips as she overheard Rosie's words.
Rosie, growing impatient, stood up and walked over to her mother. Lowering her voice, she whispered, "Mom, do you think Leo likes her?"
Lisa let out a soft chuckle. "Honey, you've asked me this a hundred times already, and I still don't know."
"But I need to know…" Rosie grumbled.
Before Lisa could respond, the front door opened.
All three of them turned toward the entrance as Leo stepped inside—with Elna right beside him.
Elna bowed slightly. "Hello."
Lisa stepped forward with a warm smile. "Hi, welcome." Her gaze flicked to Leo, who was scratching the back of his head and avoiding eye contact. She raised an eyebrow. Interesting.
"You're staying for dinner tonight," she announced.
"But—"
"No buts. It'll be ready in half an hour."
Elna hesitated but ultimately gave up, nodding in defeat, she smiled politely.
Rosie, watching from the side, narrowed her eyes.
'Scratching his head, avoiding eye contact, barely talking?' She smirked. 'Something's definitely going on.'
Without another word, Leo and Elna disappeared into his room, shutting the door behind them.
Eliza's expression shifted instantly—from frustration to despair.
Lisa, pretending not to notice, turned back to the kitchen. "Rosie, Eliza, can you help me, please?"
She wasn't blind to their moods—she just knew better than to let them sit there and stew in them. A little distraction wouldn't hurt.
…
Elna cast spell after spell, but progress was painfully slow. Frustration crept into her expression as she clenched her fists.
"Why is this taking so long?"
Leo leaned against the desk, watching her struggle. "A great man once said, if you're in a hurry, you'll never get there. Try to understand the spells and feel the illusion path itself."
Elna shot him a look. "understand the spells? what is that supposed to mean?"
He smirked. "Don't ask me. I don't know the real meaning of it either." Then, he pulled out a blank parchment. "Come on, let's train together."
She sighed but nodded, pushing forward despite her irritation.
Leo had never seen her frustrated before—and for some reason, he found it amusing. A small smirk tugged at his lips as he watched her furrow her brows, muttering under her breath as she tried again.
Half an Hour Later
Lisa's voice rang through the house, calling them to dinner.
Leo and Elna made their way to the kitchen, where the dinner table was already set. As soon as Elna pulled out a chair to sit, Rosie swiftly slid into the seat next to her—blocking Leo from sitting beside her.
Leo, unfazed, simply sat across from Elna instead.
That wasn't part of Rosie's plan, but at least when Eliza hesitated for a moment before sitting beside him, it felt like a small victory.
The dinner table bore the weight of a hearty feast. Mismatched plates and silverware cluttered the surface, a casual reflection of home-cooked warmth. At the center, a cast-iron skillet still sizzled, releasing the rich, smoky aroma of thick-cut bacon, its golden edges curling and glistening with rendered fat. A porcelain dish beside it overflowed with creamy mashed potatoes, swirled with melted butter. A basket of warm, crusty bread sat nearby, its scent mixing with the rest, filling the room with undeniable comfort.
The lamp light cast a golden hue over the meal, inviting hands to reach, laughter to rise, and appetites to stir.
Elna's eyes widened, glowing slightly—not with magic, but with sheer delight. It had clearly been a long time since she had a meal like this.
Lisa, noticing, smiled warmly. "Don't be shy, dear."
Elna nodded, picking up her fork. Though hunger gnawed at her, she forced herself to eat with patience and grace, carefully maintaining her composure.
But as the first bite melted in her mouth, she realized—it was a real challenge not to devour everything right then and there.
After dinner, Lisa refused to let them help with cleaning up, so Leo and Elna returned to his room and continued training for another hour.
When Elna decided to leave, Leo instinctively got up to accompany her.
"I can go alone, you know," she muttered as they walked through the dimly lit streets. The lamps cast a soft glow, their lights barely keeping the darkness at bay.
"Don't worry about it," Leo replied casually. "I'm heading to Highland Square after this anyway, so your house is on the way."
She glanced at him briefly but said nothing. If he wanted to walk with her, she wouldn't argue. It wasn't her business why he was going there.
The streets were quieter than usual, the distant chatter of late-night workers and the occasional sound of a passing carriage filling the silence between them. Near an alley close to her home, Elna finally stopped.
"Well, goodnight," she said without looking back, then disappeared into the shadows of her street.
Leo watched her go before continuing to walk.
It took him thirteen minutes to reach the Steam Route street, and the change in atmosphere was immediate. This part of the city was livelier, bustling with movement and conversation. Unlike downtown, where the streets were filled with commoners in worn clothes, the people here dressed in finer fabrics, their outfits decorated with small metallic accents and embroidered patterns. They carried themselves differently—more confident, their gazes sharper.
The buildings were taller, made of dark stone and reinforced with bronze piping. Three thick metal tubes were embedded into the walls of each structure, with a fourth one extending from the rooftops, constantly spewing steam into the night air.
Leo walked past numerous shops filled with an array of bronze-colored contraptions—gears, pipes, and devices whose functions he couldn't begin to guess. Some shopkeepers stood outside their stores, calling out to passersby, while others worked on machinery under bright lamps.
As he moved deeper into the street, something caught his eye—a carriage, but not a traditional one. It was larger than a normal carriage, its wheels reinforced with metal plating, and it lacked any horses to pull it. Instead, two thick pipes connected a large tank to a medium-sized box at the front. If there was an engine, it was likely hidden inside. The entire structure had the elegance of noble carriages but the industrial aesthetic of a steam-powered machine.
Leo watched it roll past, making a mental note. It was likely a hybrid—a mix of magic and steam technology. But that raised a question: if magic alone could power something like this, why bother incorporating steam at all? Was there a limitation he wasn't aware of?
Shaking off the thought, he refocused on his goal and entered a shop packed with bronze-crafted items.
Inside, the air was warmer, the scent of metal and oil thick. Only one man was present, sitting behind a cluttered wooden desk filled with tools, blueprints, and various small contraptions.
The shopkeeper, an older man with thin-rimmed glasses, looked up from a device he was tinkering with. "Welcome, sir. How can I help you?"
Leo glanced around, taking in the assortment of items before answering. "I'm looking for a homunculus for spell testing."
The man's face lit up with interest. "Ah, excellent! We have exactly what you need."
He stood up, his movements surprisingly nimble for his age, and led Leo toward the back of the shop. There, lined against the wall, stood several humanoid figures—homunculi made entirely of metal.
"These are our homunculi designed for spell testing. Each part of their structure mimics a human body," the shopkeeper explained, tapping one on the chest.
Leo studied them closely. The craftsmanship was precise. Every section of the body had a corresponding metallic counterpart, down to an orb-like structure where the heart should be. There was no artificial skin—just metal plating and exposed joints, making them look more like unfinished golems than lifelike constructs.
"How do they show the results of spells?" Leo asked.
The shopkeeper smiled knowingly. "Ah, first time using one, I see? Why don't you try for yourself? Just don't use anything too dangerous."
Leo considered his options. He wanted to test Enhanced Eyes, but he wasn't sure if he could cast it on someone else.
Noticing his hesitation, the shopkeeper offered a reassuring nod. "Just cast the spell and place your hand on its head."
Leo followed the instructions. He activated Enhanced Eyes and pressed his palm against the homunculus's head. To his surprise, the construct seemed to resist the mana flow—not rejecting it, but waiting.
He could feel the current being drawn in, but it needed direction. Taking a deep breath, he guided the spell's energy toward it. The moment it absorbed the current, its metallic irises glowed a deep blue.
"Blue means the spell has been successfully cast. Each homunculus comes with a guide detailing different colors and their meanings," the shopkeeper explained.
Leo nodded. "Can they be damaged?"
The man chuckled. "That depends. We have different models with varying durability. Even the cheapest one can withstand spells up to B-rank, but I'd still recommend testing spells on paper before using these."
"How much do they cost?"
"Prices start at one gold coin and go up to ten, depending on quality." The shopkeeper's tone carried genuine enthusiasm, as if he enjoyed discussing his wares more than selling them.
Leo pointed to the one he had just used. "How much for this one?"
"One gold and fifty silver."
"I'll take it. Also, is there a way to transport it without carrying it around in my hands? It's too big to fit in my bag."
"You'll need a bag with a siphon enchantment," the shopkeeper said excitedly. "Come, I'll show you."
He picked up the homunculus and led Leo to another section of the shop. It was larger than it had seemed from the outside, filled with storage crates and shelves stacked with various enchanted items.
The man grabbed a bag that looked nearly identical to Leo's. "Watch." He placed the homunculus near the bag and channeled mana into it. Immediately, the bag activated, pulling the homunculus inside. In just a few seconds, it had vanished.
He handed the bag to Leo. "You can take both for two gold coins."
Leo agreed and made the purchase. By now, it was already late, so he decided against heading to his workshop. Instead, he took a carriage home. Before placing the homunculus there, he needed to learn the Lock Enchantment—he wasn't about to leave something valuable unprotected.
With that purchase, his remaining funds had dwindled to just fifteen gold coins. He would have to be more cautious with his spendings from now on.
Over the past few months, his only consistent income had been his seven-gold-coin salary, though that was expected to increase next month now that he had reached D minus rank. Still, it wasn't enough. Also, since the last time he earned gold from the information about the Harp of the Archangel, the secret meeting hadn't yielded any profits—he had nothing particularly valuable to offer, no rare information to share, and nothing to sell. Worse, his continued attendance without contributing was beginning to attract suspicion.
After returning home, Leo endured another round of playful teasing from his family before retreating to his room. The homunculus and enchanted bag were set aside for now; he had another priority.
He grabbed one of his books and settled in for the night, determined to learn the Lock Enchantment before going to sleep.
…
In the Hollow Core, Kingdom of Magic.
Archmage Aran stood anxiously, his skeletal fingers drumming against the table as he awaited the final step in neutralizing the traps embedded within the Page of the Book of the Dead. Any moment now, the process would be complete.
Beside him stood another figure, a man clad in a dark cloak. Unlike Aran, whose form had long since withered to bone, this man still possessed flesh—though barely. His skin clung tightly to his protruding facial bones, making him appear almost as skeletal as his companion. Unlike Aran, however, he remained calm, his gaunt expression unreadable.
The two archmages peered through a reinforced observation window into the sealed testing chamber. At the center of the room stood a one-meter-high stone platform, atop which rested the ancient page. The chamber itself was lined with a thick, shifting ooze, a living alchemical construct designed to manipulate the environment without risking a mage's life. The only other notable feature was a massive and intricate magic circle covering the floor, its patterns pulsing faintly with mana. Four black crystals, embedded in the chamber walls with only half their forms visible, provided the power needed to fuel the enchantment.
The ooze slithered across the chamber, methodically performing its tasks. It was the safest way to handle the page without the risk of accidental death—a lesson learned the hard way by those who had attempted direct interaction in the past.
As the two archmages observed, the magic circle pulsed brightly, shifting from its usual dark glow to an eerie blue. A moment later, a green flame erupted from the page, consuming every trace of the ooze that had been working within the chamber.
A long silence followed. Then, from a pipe near the observation window, more ooze emerged, reforming into a humanoid shape. The oozing mass straightened and turned to the archmages before speaking in a fluid, gurgling voice.
"It is done my lords. All traps have been neutralized."