"Still not uttering a single word?" Gerard steps into the room, glancing at the knights.

  "No, not yet. Should we push further?" one of them asks, rising to their feet.

  Gerard takes a seat and answers curtly, "Bring the thing."

  —

  Finn is the last to wake the next morning. By the time he’s finished washing up, Risa and Nyx have already eaten and returned upstairs to check on him.

  “What’s the plan for today? Are we restarting magic training?” Risa asks as Finn places his breakfast order in the dining hall.

  “Can’t wait to get back to training, can you?” he grins. “Let’s drop by the Hunters' Guild and check their training grounds.”

  “Should we grab a few books for Nyx first?” she adds.

  Finn sees no reason to object. After finishing his meal, they make their way to a bookshop Perrin recommended.

  The shop is small, clearly aged, but clean and well-kept. Shelves are packed neatly, and the air smells of parchment and dust—lived-in and loved.

  “Nyx, any books you’re curious about?” Risa asks as they browse.

  Nyx considers it for a moment, then shakes his head.

  “Want to learn more about predators?” Finn offers.

  Nyx shakes his head again.

  “Magic?” Still no.

  “…People?”

  Nyx nods.

  Finn and Risa exchange a look. It's unexpected, but no point in dampening his curiosity.

  They wander to the section on human development and social studies. The selection is noticeably thinner than the shelves dedicated to magic and predators. Still, they find a beginner-friendly book on societal structures with simple illustrations. In the children’s section, they also pick up some basic readers on maths, magic, and a collection of fables. Finn grabs a couple of beginner magic books for Risa too.

  Next stop: the Hunters' Guild.

  Inside, Finn walks straight up to the front counter. “Hello, Ms Corin,” he greets, reading her name off her nameplate. “I’d like to reserve a spot on the public training grounds for three. Do you have anything available today?”

  “Let me check,” she says, flipping through her register. “There’s a free slot this afternoon. I’ll need your names and the training you intend to conduct.”

  Finn lists the details from memory—it’s the same procedure as in Mistwood. After paying the deposit, he brings Risa and Nyx to the designated space.

  Other hunters are already inside, absorbed in their own drills. They pass them quietly and find their corner.

  “Right,” Finn begins. “Today’s training is about spell compression.”

  “Spell compression? As in, reducing mana usage?” Risa asks. “Isn’t that what you had me do when I wrapped wind magic around my legs?”

  “Yes, but that was to train your control—getting used to how much mana you draw through repetition. This time, we’re working on compressing your spells so they pack the same punch, just with less bulk.”

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  “I get it! Smaller spells, same impact—more efficiency!” she nods. “But how do I do that?”

  “Condense the magic into a tighter form. To take down a target…” he pauses for effect.

  “Oh—I should hit their weak spot!” she exclaims.

  Finn smiles. “Exactly. That’s why I brought you here. I want you to aim at that target,” he gestures across the room, “and every arrow you fire needs to hit the centre. But here’s the catch: the arrow must be smaller than this.” He pulls a small metal disc from his storage stone and sticks it to the bullseye.

  He hands Risa a matching disc. “Use this for reference. Each arrow you summon should be smaller than this, but still strong enough to pierce it.”

  “I need to compress the mana into a smaller arrow, and push more force through it… got it,” she murmurs. Without hesitation, she gets to work.

  She struggles a bit at first, especially with maintaining the power. Some arrows strike wide of the mark. Others bounce off the target, lacking the force to penetrate.

  Finn lets her work through it on her own. He’ll step in if she hits a wall. For now, he walks over to Nyx, who’s reading the book on human society.

  “You understand what you’re reading?” he asks, crouching beside him.

  Nyx looks up and shakes his head. His expression blank, but eyes clear.

  Finn grins and pulls out one of the simpler books. “Let’s start with this one—‘What Magic Can Do’. It’s full of little examples showing how spells can help in daily life.”

  “You can try what they show here. Just don’t… uh… disrupt others or damage anything, alright?”

  “Disrupt others?” Nyx echoes.

  “Like, don’t cast spells that go outside this boundary,” Finn explains, pointing to the marked square around their training space.

  Nyx nods and quietly returns to his reading.

  “I’ll be at the lobby. Call me if you need anything,” Finn tells them, then heads back to the front desk.

  He finds Corin again. “Hi, Ms Corin. I came across a predator that’s not listed in the ‘New Hunter Must Knows’. Could you help me identify it?”

  “Of course.” She readies her notepad. “Please describe its appearance, habitat, attack patterns—anything you recall.”

  Finn thinks aloud. “They live in caves, move in packs. Body like a hound, but the head resembles a hyena. Wild mane like a horse, long twitchy tail… and they can mimic human voices.”

  Corin’s eyes widen slightly. “That matches a species we recently recorded. We’re still compiling the data.”

  “Recently, as in?”

  “One to two months ago. The Predators Research Department is still finalising their report. In the meantime, the Guild posts warnings on the board over there,” she nods.

  Finn thanks her and walks over to the bulletin board. Sure enough, there’s the creature—a drawing accompanied by notes: appearance, habitat, danger level, and weaknesses. A name has already been given: Crocotta.

  Several similar notices sit beside it—predators bound to earth, air, and water.

  He returns to Corin. “Is it common to see so many new species in such a short time?”

  “Not at all,” she replies, frowning slightly. “It’s been years since we’ve had even one new species. More than one, all at once… not a great sign.”

  “More work for you too, I suppose.”

  She sighs. “We’ve got to stay on top of it. But it’s tougher for hunters—having to stay alert for unfamiliar threats. That’s why we urge everyone to report unknowns before engaging them blindly.”

  “Fair point. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks again, I appreciate your help.”

  He lingers a moment longer to skim through the rest of the announcements before making his way back.

  Risa’s arrows have shrunk, but her aim falters. Some veer off target, while others barely graze the mark, falling short of the strength they once carried.

  Finn glances over at Nyx, still engrossed in his book. He peers at the page.

  Q: How do you assess someone’s magical strength?

  A: Just ask.

  B: Observe while they cast a spell.

  C: Fight them.

  D: All of the above.

  “Which answer will you pick?” Finn asks.

  “A.”

  Typical Nyx.

  They flip to the next page. The answer: D. Explanation: In combat, observe them directly. Outside combat, asking works—just confirm it later in a fight.

  Finn blinks. “Isn’t it a bit intense for a children’s book?”