Chapter 34 - The winds of change

While Aiden's little group enjoyed their lunch with the Norton's, somewhere at the Noble District in the Young Master Leon's mansion, the pudgy little man was walking back and forth in his room in an agitated state. He received news of last night's success, but he still hasn't received word from Him about the decision. He did complete the task assigned for him as a test and even prepared the head of his father to provide as proof, but so far there was no contact.

Still, he was sure he was aware of it by now. But then, why hasn't he given any signs? It's already past lunchtime, how long is he going to keep him in suspense? Were the results satisfactory for the organization, or did he fail in some aspect?

"Come on… show up already, and give me the results, you snake!" cursed the young master loudly in frustration. This waiting was just unbearable. There was no turning back from what he did. He cannot fail, he has no plan for that scenario, no idea what he should be doing then. He had his own parents murdered in cold blood just for this chance after all!

"Snake? That's not a very nice way to greet your supervisor, Young Master." Suddenly, a familiar voice resounded in a dark corner of the room, and shortly after the air vibrated and the black-clothed, hooded and masked figure of Number 4 appeared.

"We have seen the show you provided yesterday. I have to say, it was quite entertaining. It would have been better if you did the deed personally, we can appreciate the usefulness of a hired hand. Especially the way you handled it. One group for the assassination, and another for the cleanup. The only fault was that troublesome blood oath they made you swear, so you cannot lay the blame on that band of thugs. Oh well, this way is actually more fun, seeing how you will handle the aftermath." He lamented. Although it couldn't be seen, Alfred was sure that the guy was grinning behind his mask.

'The bastard!' he cursed inwardly. Then as if his frustration was nowhere, he donned a neutral face and with as much effort as he could, he tried speaking in an uninterested tone. He didn't want to sound so agitated. "So, in that case, what is the decision regarding my situation? Did I pass the test by completing the task?"

Hearing the effort put into the voice, Number 4 smiled behind the mask.

"Well, I can safely say, you have passed the first hurdle, which was the Test of Determination. You have also shown your resourcefulness, which is a very handy skill to have. However, we have not seen anything about your might or knowledge. In order to pass and be ready to take the Initiation Trial, you need to showcase your overwhelming might and your undeniable, unparalleled wits. Only once we have seen proof, will you be taken in as a candidate."

His figure started flickering, and before the young master could ask anything, his figure vanished and just his last words lingered in the air. "...You have one day to prove yourself..."

As the figure vanished from his sight, Alfred Leon could feel his frustrations build up once again. After all this planning, and careful execution he just passed the 'first hurdle'? He still needs to showcase his might and his wits? Seriously, how should he do that? Go to town and start randomly beating up people? No that would be stupid… They are probably looking for some unique, clever way of showing both at the same time.

"Hmm… Yeah, that might work. I need to make some arrangements, I only have today to complete this task after all." He quickly donned his garb and left the mansion in a hurry. His destination was the local branch Academy, an institute for younglings to study the various forms of magic, science, or even train to be a warrior…

---

Meanwhile, Aiden's group had just left the Norton's General Store (and home), and was making their way across the marketplace, towards the city gate. With her tummy filled, Lily was humming contentedly. Although the cake she got for desserts wasn't as delicious as the tarts Granny usually makes, it was still incredible. As she was humming, she looked at Aiden, who was currently deep in thought, and had a serious look on his face as he was musing seemingly into the distance.

"What is the problem brother? Did you not enjoy the lunch?" she asked.

Hearing a voice speaking to him, Aiden shook his head slightly, and with his expressionless face, he answered.

"No. I was just thinking about other… things." He wasn't sure how to describe what he was currently doing. Ever since they left their home, he was keeping an eye on their 'unwanted guardian', the 'Eye in Sky' as he was referring to the blip inwardly. The person left their watch as they went inside the store and seemed to meet up with another for a few minutes. Unfortunately, as they were too far away, he couldn't get any useful information out of this meeting, but he was sure that the second blip was another associate of the same group that decided to follow them, for reasons he wasn't currently sure of.

Confronting the person would cause the whole group to enter an alerted state and with the intentions currently unknown, he decided the best course of action was to keep an eye on them while they kept an eye on him and his new family.

Anyways, shortly after their meeting ended, the blip came back close by, and as they left, it started following once again.

Looking around, he just noticed that the townsfolk were not as calm as in the morning, most of them seemed to be in a distressed, panicked state. Looking at the elderly lady in front of him, he asked.

"Did something happen? Why do people seem to be... Distressed?"

Halting her steps, Granny turned towards the younglings, and with her ever-present gentle smile, she answered.

"Don't worry about it dearie, from what I heard from Camille, one of the wealthiest nobles in the town was found dead in his mansion this morning. People are panicking as this could be a sign of a starting rivalry between families."

"Rivalry?" Asked Aiden in confusion. Why would they fight each other? What's the point? He just couldn't understand it. He didn't notice it, but his usually neutral visage changed, as in recent days it started to show his thoughts and feelings more often. This time, his confusion was clearly visible in his face.

Seeing the innocent, honestly confused look on his face, Granny couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Aww, you are so cute when you are like this Aiden! But to answer your question, you see, usually, the richer you are, the more inclined you feel that all this wealth is the source of your power. The more you have, the more powerful you feel. And with this false belief comes a need to flaunt it, and the desperate need to prove it to others. So, these type of people clash against each other to show everyone who is more 'powerful'."

"But… If what you say is true, they know that this is not true power. Then why do they feel the need to hurt each other? This is just stupid..." sighed Aiden. What a stupid belief!

"Haha, it is stupid, just as you say. You see, we, humans, are a stupid race. Stubborn, and stupid. This is what makes us so dangerous."

"Interesting…" said Aiden curtly, and then went silent.

Seeing him entering deep into his thoughts once again, Granny just smiled and then turned to Lily.

"And how are you feeling, little angel? Everything alright, or would you like something before we return?"

Lily, who was watching the discussion with interest, shook her small head so hard that her golden bangs shook wildly.

"No Granny, I'm fine! Let's go home!"

"Alright then, let's head home." Taking their hands, the trio made their way through the marketplace, then the busy streets.

Soon they made their way to the city gates, where the guards did not give them any trouble this time. The line to enter the city was still going, and it even seemed to be longer than in the morning.

Looking at the line, Aiden's only reaction was a short "Incredible..." before the trio continued on their journey back to their home. Their small trip to the city was successful, and Granny even made a new order with multiple requests this time, which meant more opportunities for Aiden to learn about the basics of Alchemy. More than happy to be given the opportunity to learn a new useful skill and a profession, he was eager to delve back into the depths of his system and learn how it worked. So far, he noticed that he could acquire skill simply by paying attention and watching the skill in action. The more complex the skill, the longer it took for the system to analyze and process it. In terms of the language, he managed to cross that hurdle relatively quickly, but it still took him a full day. For the Alchemy and the strange type of Runic Magic, Granny seems to be practicing, it will require more time and effort.

He still had much to do, apart from learning from Granny, he wanted to keep on getting stronger. With all the events transpiring recently, he just couldn't shake off the feeling that something major was coming their way, changing their lives forever...