Lily and Tess leave, and I immediately take what seems like a super comfy giant armchair in the corner of the room with a nice view through the window that covers nearly the entire wall, offering a view of the garden outside.

Then I gesture to Biscuit, and with one bark, he starts running toward me, using two mana arms to jump himself up to me into the armchair.

For that, I get a rude look from Isabella, who tried to lure Biscuit closer to her so she could hug him and keep him close.

“Stranger danger, don't forget,” I whisper to Biscuit, and he tilts his head in a confused manner.

Then I continue to cycle my mana while listening to what others talk about.

It's mostly just some random stuff about the things they noticed in the manor and that they got to explore. Hadwin throws in a few jokes, and the twins and Kim laugh while also making some, all of them making fun of each other.

It looks like while I was showering and dressing, they calmed down a lot, to the point of enjoying the comfort of the mansion. It all seems surprisingly normal, nearly cozy, and I pet Biscuit and let myself relax a bit more.

When Tess comes back with Lily, who is now wearing clothes similar to the taller blonde, the petite healer girl refuses to look at me.

“Nat, could you beat that Edwal guy?” Out of nowhere, Kim throws at me.

“Oh, of course, he could!” This time it's Dennis who joins in.

“That guy wasn't even that scary, yes!” Aaron shouts as well. I think I notice the twins quickly exchange a few messages through their [Connection].

“Kim?” I say shortly.

“Yes?” he asks back while leaning a bit closer in my direction.

“Practice your skills the way I told you.”

“Oh,” he deflates but quickly grabs some weird box from one of the tables and starts heaving it while also trying to keep it up with his [Telekinesis].

The twins then quickly avoid my gaze, and I get back to just listening peacefully.

They don't need to hear that I believe I can beat the guy, but some of them could die in the process.

POV Sophie Martinez

“Yes, yes, we will steal the doggo from him,” I answer Izzy and hug her a bit tighter. Thankfully, she hugs me back, and I smile a bit, feeling her small warm body touching mine.

It seems like she isn't angry anymore that I refused to try to befriend Nathaniel.

While thinking that, I look up at him. The way he looks right now surprised me the same way as everyone else.

How to say it? This place, his clothes, expression on his face, seem to all fit together.

The way he lazily wears casual but luxurious clothes, with sleeves rolled up. The way he calmly looks around and sits in the armchair as if without a care in the world. The confidence that seems to radiate from him and his mostly emotionless face that sometimes appears arrogant, otherwise uninterested, or just straight-up calm.

Right now, Nathaniel looks like a young powerful noble. His confidence, the look on his face, and his clothes all combine into that image.

When I reach out to Izzy and send some mana to her, I feel that she is still using her [Empathy] on Nathaniel, and she is really calm right now. As if the young man's real feelings give her some sense of calm as well.

And I can understand that. I can understand why she, why the twins and Kim, why even Hadwin, Maya, and the all-powerful Tess look up to him.

The guy is a total asshole. Petty beyond belief, antisocial, cruel at times, and with a weird sense of humor. Yet he is powerful. Extremely powerful, and his confidence and calm attract others who are looking for some sort of safe haven in this fucked up tutorial.

And seeing him right now, I feel some of that as well. Nonetheless, I can't forget the way he looked at me with those eyes, after he had killed Cipher and Goldie and then went after me, all while under the influence of that woman's skill.

Then I notice weak movements of mana from him. He immediately notices my examination but only glances at me for a second, ignoring me afterward.

I examine it a bit more. He is creating thin threads of mana and filling them with some sort of fire energy or fire skill, then moving them through the air and slashing against the painting on the wall near him.

What is he doing?

I look closer and notice that he is doing it to the painting of the man who led us here. Edwal. Looking a bit longer, I spot that he is especially focusing on one place in the painting. The skin under the nose.

The thin thread hits that place and burns a bit of the painting, leaving a black mark behind, and there is already something like a mustache burned in.

“...”

What the… I quickly shake my head, and to my surprise, even the corgi that lies on his lap tries something similar. A thin thread of purple mana reaches out from the dog. A few of them dissipate immediately, there's no fire energy, and they are much thicker than the ones Nathaniel creates.

“... you can't, Biscuit,” Nathaniel whispers to the dog softly, but I can hear him by improving my hearing with mana.

“You are already powerful enough. I'll get scared if you get stronger….” He continues to say something else, but I already ignore him and turn back to the others.

“Oh, you feel calmer now, Soph,” Izzy mumbles, halfway asleep already.

“Just sleep, okay?” I move my mana a bit, and when Izzy feels my intention, her own mana lowers her defenses, and I help her quickly fall asleep.

Then I hug her a bit tighter and return to listening to the others.

God damn corgi archmages. Seeing Biscuit do stuff like that after observing me and probably thinking that it will help him get more food motivates me to work harder.

Yes, when Biscuit rises to the top as the first Absolute from the earth, I'm sure he won't forget good ol' Nathaniel who used to feed him deer meat and pet him.

But that would mean no more booping his soft and cold-to-the-touch snout. He would not allow that, as I know that even now it annoys him, and he only tolerates it because I'm stronger and give him food.

And we can't let that happen!

Anyway, time to check the kitchen. Seeing how well-kept the manor and the city are, I'm willing to bet there will be some food in the kitchen.

When I stand up, Biscuit quickly joins me.

Oi, are you reading my thoughts by any chance? Why do you look so excited, Biscuit? Is there something you want to tell me? The best doggo on the third floor doesn't say anything, not even his favorite word: food. That makes me even more suspicious. But he looks too cute as he looks up at me with his eyes and stands on his short legs, so I decide to ignore it.

Disregarding the questions from others, I exit the room and once again find myself in hallways with floors of polished stone. I walk slowly on purpose because Biscuit's claws make noise every time he takes a step. They hit the floor, and in the silence of the manor, they are especially loud.

They sound really cute as he walks.

My [Perception] encompasses the entire manor, and I find the place that could be a kitchen on the bottom floor.

When we get there, I feel my excitement grow until I notice a young blonde man sitting there. The man I didn't see with my skill. Not even a hint of mana leaks from him and the armor from his body is gone. Instead, he is wearing clothes similar to mine, just a bit more formal and with a jacket. It reminds me of a suit.

“Greetings to you, Nathaniel, and to your little friend,” he says with a smile, lifting up the glass in his hand toward me.

I do not hesitate and sit down opposite him, both of us sitting behind the table that cooks probably used to cut meat on or prepare food for cooking.

As if it's totally normal, he stands up, brings one more glass from the cabinet, and puts it in front of me. He then pours me what he is drinking as well.

When I grab it and take a sip without any hesitation, he smiles at me, his pale blue eyes shining in the dimly lit kitchen.

“How old is this wine?” I ask while taking yet another sip. It doesn't taste that bad.

“What do you think?” he leans back a bit in his chair and unties the top button on his shirt while also taking a drink.

“Most likely a few hundred years old. Either from before Decay or not too long after the start.”

His laugh is quiet, and he doesn't look so crazy right now, “You seem to know a lot. Is it something you found out on your own?” he pours me more of it and for himself as well.

“It's not that hard to guess. The entire inner city is surrounded by some sort of field that I have a hard time deciphering, but it feels as if it doesn't only heal wounds, but also stops things like grass from growing, and food from getting stale, there is no dust either.”

“That is some side effect of Miss Saint's skill,” he drinks his entire glass and then pours himself another, “There are a few more after-effects, Nathaniel, but you might find out a bit more about them later. Probably. For now, you and your group feel free to eat any food you find and drink anything you find. I will stop by a few times to check on you. It's been a long time since I felt the need to eat food or drink water, and I take no pleasure in doing so, but I believe it would be fun to watch others do so.”

I finish my glass, and when he offers me more, I decline, making him pour the remainder for himself and drink. Edwal then stands up, takes off his jacket, and rolls up the sleeves of his shirt, moving toward the dresser where he slowly washes the glasses. He then dries them with a nearby towel and then buffs them with another one until they are perfectly shiny.

Before putting them away, he giggles out of nowhere and throws them on the ground, shattering them into little pieces.

I do not react as he then grabs the broom and spends five minutes collecting them all, only to then scoop them up and throw them into the bin. He then, as carefully as before, washes his hands, dries them, unrolls his shirt, and puts his jacket back on.

When he turns to me, there is his ever-present smile on his face, “You know, Nathaniel, you were slightly wrong about one thing,” he buttons up his jacket and then continues, “This bottle, all the food here, the entire inner city, me, my two fellow warriors, and the mighty king. It's not all only a few hundred years old. You should count in thousands.”

He then leaves quietly while wishing me a good rest of the day.