Zane wakes up to the faint burn of sunlight over his face. His hands fumble with the sheets for several seconds before he grips something.
He opens his eyes, and the first thing that he notices is the blouse in his hand. He brings it closer to his face and takes a sniff before murmuring sleepily.
"Her blouse... what a nice sight to wake up to, but where is she?"
As he drags himself off the bed and then out of his room, he finds himself in the kitchen moments later. While rubbing his eyes, he holds out the blouse in his hand and asks,
"I found it beside me, why was it here?"
Clara turns while wiping her hands with the towel, a knowing smile on her face as she glances at the fabric in his hand and then at his face.
Leaning back against the counter, she hums once and replies, "You were gripping it so tight in the morning that I had to simply take it off and leave it there with you."
Her eyes narrow teasingly as she adds, "You cannot help leaving me even in sleep... hm?"
Zane’s face burns crimson at her words. He tries to hide his face, but then suddenly remembers that he is using her blouse to hide it. He becomes even more embarrassed.
Curse the sleeping Zane! Did I really try gripping her clothes like some child or something?
"Anyways..."
She turns back to her work and calls over her shoulder, "Take the seat. Breakfast is ready... and I suppose you are ready for your day?"
...
Taking the final bite from the bread, he washes his hands, finishing his breakfast. His gaze turns toward her briefly.
I am indeed ready... but not for the Crucible. I just thought about the information I got yesterday, and it has become even more urgent to visit the academy now. Though... is she going somewhere?
Clara ties her hair back in a ponytail, looking fresh as ever. With a final check of her clothes, she grips a pouch from the table and looks at him.
"I have to visit the market today for a few things, leave for work on schedule, okay?"
Without waiting for a response, she turns and starts walking away.
He just watches silently while tracing the rim of the tea cup. He doesn’t stop her, and more so, he looks tense, almost.
Just as the sound of the door closing echoes, he relaxes. After washing his cup and plate, he slowly scuttles closer to the shelves.
His eyes dart toward the main door from time to time.
For several minutes, he searches through the kitchen space but, at the end, stands empty-handed.
"Where...? Does she even keep it? Yesterday, I checked our room too, but it wasn’t there."
Just as he feels like giving up and continuing his own tasks, a location enters his mind. Without wasting a second, he sprints toward the bathroom. He performs the same search here too.
And finally, when he removes a few pairs of clothes that were hanging on the wall, he smiles.
Hehe...
The grey hilt stands regal at the top of the blade, with a faintly shiny silver hue slipping out from the covered scabbard.
He closes his hand around the hilt, his fingers trembling for a moment in excitement before he slides the sword out of the scabbard, slowly and carefully, treating it as if it’s not just a sword but his own child.
After a moment, he swings the sword from left to right and then from top to bottom. A strained laugh escapes his mouth as he holds the hilt in front of his face for a moment, positioning himself in the traditional knight pose.
"A real sword! Not just a cheap metal scrap, it’s a hell of a real sword! And it shines too."
The blade indeed shines, not brightly but as if the light has been condensed to stay around the blade rather than scattering outside.
...
The hilt clinks against the white scabbard, the blade disappearing once again as it was earlier. Covering it with the clothes properly, he takes a step back and turns.
The guys at the training ground were holding swords too... but they were either wood or some cheap metal. Clara’s one... is something else.
The discovery makes him giggle quietly. Right here, he sheds his clothes and jumps into the bathtub to get ready and freshen up to face things moving forward.
What he failed to see is the pair of eyes staring down at him through the window at the top of the wall... not that he could’ve expected anyone to reach there.
Outside, Clara grips the window frame tightly as she jumps down on the ground swiftly and brushes her hand over the fabric of her skirt, though her expression doesn’t look quite pleasant right now.
"I forgot to take the shopping bag, so I came back to take it. But, I ended up seeing a... naked monkey, looking at my things in secret."
Turning away toward the street, she tilts her head slightly to the side, a brief moment of confusion on her face as she lets out a murmur before moving away.
"He has changed... indeed."
"Uh, sir?" Zane nudges at a stranger and lets out a chuckle before pointing around them.
"I have been looking for the academy for at least one hour now... I walked through the three streets and accidentally knocked on four houses’ doors, but couldn’t find it."
The stranger, a round-faced man with an unhealthy belly, eyes him suspiciously. Yanking his hand away from Zane, he asks, "Academy? Which academy were you trying to find?"
"The Silverfang Citadel."
"..."
The round-faced man and a few other strangers stop in their tracks, just to stare at him. Then, they laugh, loud and ungraceful.
One of them even slaps his thighs and wipes a tear before shaking his head at him, "Silverfang what? Haha...! Boy, you want to find that in this city here? Haha!"
"Hoh..." Zane’s cheeks tremble as he brings his fists closer and cracks his knuckles once.
It seems, my time for testing my entry-level skill has finally come.
They finally force down their laughs after seeing his expression and start sweating nervously. Except for the round-faced man, the rest quickly find their way forward.
The round-faced man watches those men go and then lets out a sigh. Turning toward Zane, he also gives a final smile and says before he walks away too.
"The Silverfang Citadel is in the capital, not here. The capital is right next to this city, though, with no other city between them. This is quite common knowledge, unless you were living in a cave for... well, ever."
"Capital?" Zane’s hands fall down at his sides after hearing that. A very confused look appears on his face, but seeing that man already walking away, he quickly calls out before sprinting ahead.
"WAIT!"
The man stumbles over his steps for a moment as a pair of hands find his shoulders.
"W... What? Leave me, boy!" He glares back over his shoulder.
Zane pulls his hands back but stays close, while rubbing the back of his head.
"Can you tell me about this academy? Just this and then I will leave! I swear!"
But the man doesn’t seem to believe him. However, weighing his choices, he huffs loudly.
"Okay. But, just one thing, okay? Nothing more than that. Ask, now."
Already having thought of his question, Zane perks up immediately.
"Okay. Just one question. How far is it from here? And do I need anything to reach the capital and enter that academy!?"
"...That’s three questions, not one." Groaning annoyingly, the man answers with a wave of his hand.
"The capital is just next to this city. And yes, you need your identity to reach there. As for entering the academy..."
He chuckles once, almost with pity as he adds, "That academy is for the heirs and heiresses of the royal family and the noble houses. What can you even do about it? Go away, don’t waste my time anymore."
...
Pressed against the wall of a random house, he sits silently. For the last several minutes, not a single sound has come from him.
After reading the letter for the tenth time, he sighs.
"It’s definitely the admission letter. The name of the academy is also the same."
A thought crosses his mind briefly, increasing the conflict on his face even further.
I don’t know why Jack never asked her for help... If it was for some important reason, then I might end up making a mess after telling her about this. But...
He rubs his temple and stands up abruptly.
"If he only did it for some personal reason, then I cannot hide it from her any longer. Debt will not wait for me to find the easy way."
Stuffing the letter inside his pocket, he sets his gaze in the direction of the Crucible for now. The plan forms in his mind for tonight. His confidence surges up as he forces a smile and takes a step forward.
"It will work out. I can do it!"
***
The letter rests on the mattress between them, looking more like evidence of a crime rather than the opportunity it once seemed to be.
The silence hangs between them, uncomfortable and filled with restrained thoughts.
Clara’s gaze burns on the letter. She shifts slightly, and her palm lands on the paper, flat and final. Her head tilts up before she exhales sharply.
"...Explain, Jack."