Despite his hurry, Alois had taken the time to prepare carriages for everyone, and everything else they would need to start their journey. He had even packed lunch so they would be able to eat on the go without needing to stop. Cassandra thought his antics were rather silly, especially since Alvis had already made it very clear that he could find them no matter where they were hiding. Yuki played the role of a lap pillow for the duration of the journey rather than a living scarf.

  The more Cassandra rode in carriages, the more she missed the more convenient transportation from her dreams. Travelling through the Pavilion was nice and all, but she was willing to settle for a car. Even the old rusty tin can cars rode smoother than the nicest of carriages. Why hadn't a kingdom of magic like Tethia fixed this yet? Was it because they had no concept or because they thought nothing was wrong?

  As Cassandra was deep in thought about creating more convenient carriages, another pulled up beside theirs at the resting place. There was nothing suspicious about it, even if it was mildly inconvenient. The rest areas were created along the roads for all travellers. What made Cassandra suspicious was Alois's odd reaction upon catching sight of the carriage.

  "Someone you know?" she asked.

  "Not yet," Alois murmured, briefly touching his eye patch.

  Oh. Cassandra felt like she had an idea of who might be waiting in the other carriage now, or at least their relation to the future that Alois remembered. He hadn't told them much about him other than that he was a merchant. She got the feeling that whoever it was must be truly special since even Yuki was paying attention. It was rare to see the fox with his eyes open.

  The door to the carriage opened and man stepped out. His overall impression was well put together. His clothing, despite travelling himself, did not have the slightest wrinkle. He did not seem tired at all, but rather eager to greet them. The too-perfect salesman grin instantly put Cassandra on edge, especially matched with that cunning gaze.

  "I apologize for bothering you," he began, "I am the travelling merchant Madoc Bell. Do you mind if I share this rest area for a while?"

  "The rest area is free for everyone to use," Cassandra replied, despite her suspicion.

  "Thank you for your kindness," Madoc said, his eyes resting a few seconds too long on the white fox in her arms, "I would not want to impose on such esteemed travellers such as yourselves."

  "Don't bother pretending to be humble," Alois scoffed, "Every merchant worth their salt knows who you are."

  "Are you a merchant, young man?" Madoc asked, "You do bear a strong resemblance to the Cano family. You must be on your way to Lion Seaport."

  "That was one of our stops," Keane confirmed instead of Alois, "but our friend here has different business."

  "I no longer have anything to do with that family," Alois confirmed, "and neither should you. A master merchant like yourself must know they are taking part in shady dealings."

  Madoc smiled. "It is hard to miss," he admitted, "but there is one more thing I am having a hard time ignoring. May I ask how you are wearing an eye patch I haven't finished making yet?"

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Alois’s hand habitually flew to the eyepatch for a second. “I had no idea it was yours,” he lied, “but even if it is, I can’t part with it. It has become an important part of me.”

  “It truly is strange,” Madoc continued, undeterred by Alois’s response, “The materials, the magic, even the formula I am in the middle of perfecting are all identical. It’s as if this eyepatch came from the future. If that is the case, it would explain a lot. This isn’t the kind of magical tool I would usually make.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Cassandra demanded, feeling a familiar trend.

  Did Madoc remember the future in a way he didn’t recognize? Maybe through disconnected dreams that didn’t hold all the information, but enough to remake the eyepatch. Actually, the fact that he had made the eyepatch even in Alois’s future was strange. There had to be something else at play, and that something was probably Alvis.

  “I tend to create tools that are useful to the general populace, rather than tools meant for a single person and purpose,” Madoc explained, “but I couldn’t shake the feeling I would need this. Even as I made it, I felt certain I knew who it was for. To think he would show up before me already wearing it on his face.”

  “It was always meant for me?” Alois asked, “Did you even know me before?”

  “We have never met, but I knew about you. I was a bit disappointed when you left your family to attend Nobility,” Madoc admitted, “Then my sources began to dig up some unfortunate information about your family’s connections to Kalorvia-”

  “Kalorvia?!” Alois demanded in shock, “Not Gaia? Before it was definitely Gaia. Did something change?”

  “It might have been Gaia,” Caleb pointed out, “Opportunistic leeches like that will change to whichever side is most favorable. By now everyone knows that Gaia has been conquered by Beraud.”

  “War can be quite profitable, and Kalorvia is known for it,” Madoc agreed, earning a grimace from Keane, “I have no interest in such things myself. The profits that come from war are temporary, and it isn’t worth the restrictions it would bring.”

  “You talk as if you have no reason to worry about your own safety,” Keane noted, still scowling.

  “You seem to be a rather open minded group with your varied species,” Madoc considered, glancing again at Yuki, “Let’s just say I am a member of a powerful long-lived race.”

  Cassandra’s first thought was elves, which would explain the connection to Alois, but Yuki chose to provide the unasked for information directly to her mind.

  “The merchant is a dragon.”

  That did explain how he could be so confident that Alois’s eyepatch was something he had made. The dragon scale used to make it likely came from him in the first place. No wonder he had been able to acquire such a rare ingredient.

  “What brings you out here?” Cassandra asked, hoping to change the subject from everyone’s respective secrets and wars.

  “I am headed to Lion Seaport,” Madoc replied honestly, “If we are headed in the same direction, why not travel together?”

  Cassandra looked at the others but it became immediately clear that the decision would be up to her, and to Yuki. Yuki didn’t seem to care either way, but the idea of travelling with a dragon in disguise was too sudden for her to process. It was definitely exciting, but it was also nerve wracking. What if dragons had their own nation and society and she somehow managed to turn all of them into Tethia’s enemy?

  “I can take out the dragons,” Yuki promised. It wasn’t exactly reassuring.

  “So long as we respect each other’s space, there shouldn’t be a problem,” Cassandra decided, “I am Cassandra, a Tear of Nobility and apprentice of the Seventh Princess Rosalind.”

  The others also took the chance to introduce themselves, none of them mentioning any family names. Madoc Bell did not seem surprised by any of their introductions, as if he had known who they were from the beginning. He didn’t even point out the fact that Cassandra had avoided introducing Yuki at all. It was good that he knew when not to be nosy but that knowing look still made Cassandra nervous. What exactly were the powers of a dragon?