Although Alicia had agreed to act as the middleman between Baston and Luke, she added a condition of her own. She wanted to hear the conversation. Toward this request, Baston did not object.
In truth, he had already anticipated something like this. If the meeting involved only him and Luke, the atmosphere would feel awkward. A middleman who merely introduced two people and then disappeared would only leave behind an uncomfortable silence.
Having Alicia present made everything smoother.
After Baston agreed, Alicia left his residence without wasting time. She needed to choose a suitable location.
There were countless meeting places within the noble district of the academy. There were private lounges, tea houses, and gardens that were maintained exclusively for noble students. All of them were luxurious and convenient.
But still, Alicia rejected them one by one since this meeting had to remain a secret.
If even a single curious noble discovered that she was meeting Luke together with Baston, the rumors would spread before the sunset and that was unacceptable.
She did not know what Baston intended to discuss with Luke but she could feel it was very important. Because of this, such careless ears could become dangerous.
Eventually, she expanded her search beyond the academy walls. It did not take long before she found the perfect location.
Just outside the academy grounds, a quiet restaurant stood where very few students ever visited. The reason was simple since it was expensive among many people.
The dishes there cost several times more than the average meal in the academy district. For most students, it was an unnecessary luxury but for those who valued the privacy, the place was ideal.
The restaurant itself was built into a natural stone hollow at the base of a small hill. Instead of carving the environment away, the builders had embraced it. The interior walls were lined with living vines that hung gently from the stone ceiling. The green leaves spread across the walls like a natural curtain, creating an atmosphere that felt closer to a secluded cave than a public dining hall.
The sunlight filtered in through narrow openings above, casting soft green shadows across the floor. It was quiet, too quiet for ordinary business which made it perfect.
With a simple soundproofing spell that was layered over a private room, no one would be able to hear anything discussed inside.
After confirming the location, Alicia arranged everything efficiently. One guard was sent to reserve the room while another guard carried a sealed message to Luke Anderson.
The note was simple, "I wish to speak with you privately..."
Under normal circumstances, the old Luke would have been thrilled beyond reason. Receiving a personal invitation from Alicia Xavierius would have sent him into a frantic preparation. He would spend few hours of choosing the clothes, polishing his appearance, and rehearsing the polite conversation.
However, that was the old Luke. Since his last conversation with Baston, something inside him had changed.
When he received the message, he simply stared at it quietly. There was no excitement and nervous joy. There was only curiosity.
Why would Alicia want to meet him?
The answer was unclear but Luke could feel that the invitation carried another purpose. In the end, he could only accept.
*****
Few days passed quietly until the appointed time arrived. Luke left the academy and followed the directions written in the message. When he finally saw the building from afar, he raised an eyebrow.
The restaurant looked ordinary, too ordinary as the meeting place for someone like Alicia.
For a moment, he wondered if there had been a mistake. Still, when he stepped inside, the interior immediately changed his impression.
The air was calm and cool. The green vines crawled along the walls and ceiling. The soft natural light filtered through the openings above. The place felt isolated from the outside world.
Luke understood immediately why Alicia had chosen this place. It was a place that was designed for a quiet conversation.
A servant soon approached and guided him through the hallways toward a reserved room. When the door opened, Luke stepped inside and froze. Alicia was there but she was not alone.
Baston was sitting across the table, leaning comfortably against the chair as if he had been waiting for some time. Luke's mind instantly filled with a couple of questions.
Why was Baston here?
What kind of meeting was this?
Still, he suppressed the urge to ask immediately. Instead, he walked forward calmly and took the empty seat.
"Thank you for coming, Luke…" Alicia said softly, "I'm sure you're wondering why Baston is here."
Luke nodded slightly, wondering why the fat boy was involved in such invitation.
"The truth is simple... Baston wanted to speak with you but since the two of you are not particularly close, he asked me to arrange this meeting."
She gestured lightly toward herself, "For today, I am only acting as a middleman."
"I see…"
Luke accepted the explanation though his curiosity only deepened. Across the table, Baston quietly observed him.
The fat boy felt relieved.
If he had approached Luke directly, the situation would have been far more uncomfortable. Luke might suspect the hidden motives or simply refuse to talk. But with Alicia present, the atmosphere was easier to manage.
Now, Baston could begin and he leaned forward slightly, "Luke... Do you have problems with your family?"
The question came suddenly, making Luke's brows furrowed, "Why do you think so?"
"Because I have a concern regarding that matter..."
Luke did not answer immediately. Instead, he studied Baston carefully. The two of them were not close friends.
They had only met briefly toward Zeverius Academy. The encounter alone was not enough to justify such a personal question.
"If you want to involve yourself in my family matters," Luke said slowly, "You should explain your reason first."
Baston expected this reaction since Luke was not someone like Panto who trusted easily nor was he someone like Alicia who had already seen enough of his abilities to believe in him instinctively.
Luke required the proof and Baston exhaled quietly before he spoke again.
"It's about your uncle, isn't it?"
Luke's eyes narrowed, "What about my uncle?"
His tone remained calm but Baston noticed the subtle movement of Luke's hand. The boy's fingers had tightened. That small reaction was enough for the confirmation.
Baston spoke again, "He is trying to harm you, isn't it…?"
The words fell quietly in the room, "I can help you…"
Luke's breath was caught. For a moment, he looked genuinely startled but he quickly regained his composure.
"You can't help me," Luke said, "My uncle is powerful and his influence is far beyond what you can imagine."
The response confirmed Baston's guess. Luke was indeed in danger. Now, the problem was how to convince him.
He raised his left hand and the cold mist gathered above his palm with a shard of pale blue ice that slowly formed in the air.
Luke frowned, "What is that supposed to prove? If you think having ice magic means you can oppose my uncle, you are mistaken."
Before he finished speaking, Baston raised his other hand. A second energy appeared.
This time, it was fire but it was not ordinary one. A blazing flare burned above Baston's right palm. There were two rare attributes which were ice and flare. Both were glowing in his hands at the same time.
The room fell silent. Alicia's eyes widened and Luke's mouth opened slightly. For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Dual attributes were rare enough but two high-tier attributes like ice and flare appearing together in one person, that bordered on the impossible.
Baston calmly extinguished both elements and leaned back in his chair. He waited for the response and Luke finally spoke.
"You… You possess two rare attributes?"
His voice carried the disbelief, "Do you understand what would happen if the people discovered this? They would flock to you like the insects to flame."
Alicia shook her head slowly, "You hid this extremely well in Prius Academy. If the outside world knew about this, even the royal family might take interest."
Baston nodded casually, "Exactly..."
By then, he added with a small smile, "This is why it will remain a secret as long as the two of you keep it that way."
The meaning behind his words was clear.
Alicia and Luke exchanged a glance. Both of them understood the implication that Baston trusted them. But at the same time, the knowledge itself bound them together. Revealing this secret would only create big trouble for everyone who was involved.
Luke leaned back slowly. The revelation had changed everything.
When he first met Baston at Zeverius Academy, he thought the fat boy was simply clever. Now, he realized that Baston possessed something far more frightening.
He had a hidden strength from the beginning. His strength was powerful enough to shake the balance of many factions.
Luke suddenly understood Baston's philosophy. The reputation meant nothing and only the true strength spoke for itself.
Across the table, Alicia remained silent. Her thoughts were far more complicated. Until today, she had always treated Baston as a close friend. He was someone unusual but still someone within the reach.
Now, she realized how wrong that assumption had been.
The gap between them had quietly grown bigger without her noticing. It was as if the boy she once walked beside had suddenly taken several steps forward while she remained behind.
The realization felt strangely bitter yet she could not deny the admiration that was rising in her chest.
The room remained quiet for a while and Baston watched Luke carefully. He saw something new in the boy's eyes which was hope.
Luke finally spoke again, "I don't know you well and I don't understand why you want to help me. But if you truly intend to stand against my uncle…"
He paused before he continued with the words, "Then, I will tell you the truth..."
Luke's expression darkened, "My uncle has been trying to kill me..."
Alicia frowned immediately, "For what reason?"
Luke shook his head, "I'm not entirely certain but the most obvious explanation is the inheritance. If I die, his children will gain a greater share."
He exhaled slowly, "At first, I thought it was my paranoia but the attacks became too frequent to ignore."
Alicia leaned forward, "Did you report this to your family?"
Luke gave a bitter smile, "They believe that I'm imagining things. To them, it's just another young boy who was seeking the attention."
"What about your personal guards?" Alicia asked.
"I have none since I'm expected to handle my own safety."
As Alicia and Luke continued discussing the situation, Baston remained silent.
The old book had issued a quest to kill the man who intended to harm the student. That man was surely Luke's uncle.
However, what was the true reason?
The book never issued such meaningless quest which meant the existence of Luke's uncle was likely connected to something bigger, something hidden, and something dangerous.
Baston leaned back slightly. Killing a noble was not simple.
If a lower-class citizen murdered a noble, the punishment was brutal. The death would be the merciful outcome and the torture was more common which meant he could not act directly.
However, he did not need to since the puppet could act instead. Better yet, if Luke himself became the executioner, the suspicion would never fall on him.
The fat boy smiled faintly. The pieces were slowly moving into place but before the final move could be made, he needed to uncover the truth behind Luke's uncle.
Because deep down, he felt certain of one thing that this mystery was far more dangerous than simple inheritance.
Luke's uncle might appear to be nothing more than an ambitious noble who was trying to eliminate a rival within his own family, but the old book had never cared about such ordinary family disputes. If that were the case, the quest would never have appeared.
This meant something else was hiding behind the curtain.
He quietly observed Luke while the boy continued speaking with Alicia.
Luke's voice sounded calm on the surface but he could sense the tension buried beneath it. Every sentence Luke spoke carried a faint hesitation as if there were details that he had not fully understood himself.
That kind of fear rarely came from inheritance alone.
"Your uncle…" Baston suddenly interrupted, "Has he done anything unusual recently?"
Luke frowned slightly, "What do you mean by unusual?"
Baston tapped the table slowly with his finger, "Changes in his behavior such as having to meet the strange visitors, gaining a sudden financial support, or gathering several new allies. Anything that didn't exist before."
Luke fell silent and his eyes lowered as he began recalling the past few months. The room became quiet again.
Outside the window, the faint rustling of vines echoed softly through the stone hallways of the restaurant. The peaceful sound contrasted strangely with the dark topic of their conversation.
After a moment, Luke spoke again, "Now that you mention it, there was something strange."
"My uncle used to be a cautious man," Luke continued slowly, "But recently, he has been meeting people late at night."
"What kind of people?" Alicia asked.
"I don't know. They always arrive in the covered carriages."
Luke's voice grew quieter, "But once, I saw one of them leaving the estate."
Baston leaned forward slightly, "And?"
Luke hesitated, "The man was wearing a robe with a symbol I had never seen before."
The atmosphere in the room shifted and Baston's faint smile slowly disappeared.
The only clue he got was a symbol, the secret meetings, and the covered carriages. Those details felt disturbingly familiar, very familiar that he felt his hunch was clashingly correct.
Suddenly, he remembered something.
A rumor he had once heard while walking through the lower districts. A rumor about certain nobles that was secretly associating with a group that should not exist within the kingdom.
It was about the dark wizards, the abomination of the kingdom.
If Luke's uncle was truly connected to something like that, then this quest was no longer a simple assassination.
It was the opening move of something far bigger and far more dangerous.