The oppressive heat of the drying shed was a bizarre oasis amidst the icy hell that Border Town had become. In the center of the room, Anna let out a long sigh, and the thick, controlled orange-red flame dancing in the palms of her hands obeyed her command, silently retracting until it disappeared at her fingertips.
Before her, another large batch of cement powder had been perfectly dehydrated and refined. The work was exhausting, constantly draining her reserve of magic power, but she didn't feel the slightest urge to complain. Every sack of that gray powder meant thicker walls; it meant a tangible shield between the demonic beasts and Prince Roland. It meant safety.
Anna wiped a soot smudge from her cheek with the back of her hand and picked up the two heavy notebooks Roland had lent her. They detailed the properties of thermal expansion and the basics of materials chemistry. They were concepts that made her mind spin with fascination, but on that specific night, not even the Prince's formulas could keep her thoughts in check.
Her mind was stubbornly fixated on Arthur.
As she walked through the dimly lit stone corridors of the castle toward her quarters, Anna's eyebrows knitted together in an expression of pure analytical perplexity.
It had all started a few nights ago. She was in her room, her eyes burning from reading so much by candlelight, and she had decided to open the window to let the freezing wind wake up her brain. As she looked at the clear night sky, admiring the glow of the stars, a figure tore through the darkness.
It wasn't a bird. It wasn't a flying beast. It was the unmistakable silhouette of a man, wearing a dark overcoat, gliding through the air with terrifying stability, just a few meters above the rooftops. She recognized Arthur's profile the instant he crossed the moonlight.
On instinct, she had retreated into the shadows of her room, her heart beating wildly. She watched him disappear toward the Concealing Forest and, hours later, return with the same silent ease.
Since then, questions had been hammering in her head.
"How was he flying?" Anna thought, clutching the books to her chest as she turned a corner in the corridor. "There was no flying animal on his back. No wings. He floated as naturally as I breathe. But... he's a man. In Karl's school, she learned that only women could be 'cursed' by the 'devil'. Could he be a man with magic? Like a witch, but male? Does the miasma affect men differently in distant Kingdoms?"
Everything about Arthur and William defied logic. William had a strength that didn't belong to a normal human body — something Nightingale herself had confirmed after the incident with the fox pack earlier that day. And Arthur... Arthur seemed able to fly or control the wind around him without moving a muscle.
So immersed in her theories, Anna didn't pay attention to the sharp turn in the corridor near the west wing staircase.
She turned the corner with her head down. There was a dull thud when her shoulder collided with something firm and solid like a tree trunk. The impact threw her off balance. Anna let out a small cry of surprise, the books slipping from her arms, and she fell backward.
Before her back could painfully hit the stone floor, an invisible and surprisingly gentle force enveloped her. Her fall stopped mid-air. She hung suspended for a millisecond before being delicately set on her feet, as if phantom hands had held her.
The two books did not fall to the floor; they floated softly, defying gravity, until they stopped at her waist level.
Anna blinked, the shock banishing any trace of sleepiness. She raised her blue eyes and met Arthur's impeccably dressed figure, watching her with a calm and apathetic expression.
— "Forgive me, Anna. I was distracted by some mental reports and didn't see you turning the corridor," — Arthur said, his soft voice echoing against the cold stone. With a casual wave of his hand, the floating books glided back into the girl's arms.
Anna hugged the books, feeling her heart race. The casual display of invisible power, without any visible magical glow, was the proof she needed. She wasn't the type to beat around the bush or keep secrets out of fear. She trusted Roland, and if Roland trusted that man, she could ask her questions.
— "Sir Arthur." — Anna straightened her posture, her blue eyes fixed on his, shining with an intense and direct curiosity. — "How were you flying those few nights ago?" —
Arthur, who was about to say his goodbyes and return to his quarters, stopped. He didn't seem shocked or offended by being discovered. On the contrary, one of his eyebrows rose, and a genuine smile of approval appeared on his face. He had always appreciated Anna's pragmatic and sharp mind.
— "You have excellent night vision, Miss Anna. I believed the entire town was asleep," — Arthur replied, without any trace of panic. He leaned casually against the corridor wall. — "And I must say I greatly appreciate your frankness. Most people in this castle would conjure up conspiracy theories." —
— "Prince Roland taught me to seek the truth in things, not superstitions," — Anna answered firmly, taking a step forward. — "You do not have the 'devil's bite'. You also do not have a Magic Core, otherwise Nightingale would see it in the Mist World. But you still stopped my fall without touching me, and I saw you fly. Are you a man with magic?" —
Arthur let out a soft laugh, admiring the witch's deductive logic.
— "Honestly? Not even I know exactly how this works. It appears as 'Magic Power' to me, but to the naked eye, it must operate differently. Somehow it ends up hidden from Nightingale's sight, even in the Mist World." — Arthur uncrossed his arms and gestured slightly. The flame of the torch attached to the nearby wall flickered violently, and then froze in place, the tip of the fire motionless as if turned to glass. — "But the fact is, my power comes from the mind. From pure will. It's called Telekinesis. It is the ability to manipulate matter and space with thought alone." —
Anna watched the paralyzed flame, completely fascinated.
— "Telekinesis..." — she tested the foreign word on her tongue. — "Does that mean you and Lord William possess different abilities from ours? Is that why you know so much about His Highness's inventions?" —
Arthur looked both ways down the corridor, ensuring they were alone. He trusted Anna. After Roland, she was the most important person for the industrial revolution they were orchestrating.
— "Prince Roland already knows this, Anna, and I see no problem sharing the truth with our lead engineer." — Arthur lowered his voice slightly, the air taking on a respectful gravity. — "William and I received... let's say, unique 'tools' to adapt to Magic. Therefore, we acquired some equivalent capabilities. William is able to increase his physical capabilities. And I am able to increase my magical capabilities. We also possess insight into some things that will happen in the future, including information about Roland and even about you. Remember the first time we saw each other? We were going to save you, that is if His Highness didn't do it, of course." —
Anna's eyes widened slightly. If it were anyone else saying that, she would call him crazy. But the teachings Roland imparted, the machines Arthur designed, and the strength William displayed, the fact that they didn't call for her death the first time they saw her... Everything fit perfectly into that absurd explanation.
— "You were going to save me..." — she murmured, feeling a sudden happiness. She had male allies who possessed Magic. And who were also willing to risk their lives for her from the very beginning. — "Hmm... If increasing your physical and magical capabilities are your 'equivalent capabilities'. Then what would Mr. William's true Magic be?" —
— "As expected... You are attentive and perceptive. I cannot reveal Will's power without his own authorization. But you can ask him directly; I believe he will have no reason to hide it," — Arthur said calmly, as the torch fire returned to its normal dance with a mental snap of his fingers. — "My power is external. I can fly because I manipulate the air and gravity around me." —
Anna hugged the books tighter, a small smile appearing on her lips. The revelation didn't scare her; on the contrary, it comforted her. The world was much bigger and more complex than she knew.
— "I understand," — she said, with the pragmatic simplicity that made her so special. — "That explains why you redesigned the steam engine's exhaust outlet this afternoon without needing any workers to lift the heavy pipes." —
Arthur laughed, a warm laugh.
— "I try to be discreet, but it seems impossible to hide anything from Border Town's lead engineer." — He gave her a slight nod. — "You worked hard on the cement today, Anna. Go rest. The Months of the Demons have just begun, and the Prince will need your flame more than ever in the coming weeks. Do not forget to deplete all your Magic Power these days." —
— "I will, Sir Arthur." — Anna gave a small, respectful bow. Before walking away, she stopped and looked at him with an amused glint. — "Just... be careful when you go flying. Nightingale watches the castle at night now. If she sees you floating around, she might end up throwing a knife at you out of pure instinct." —
Arthur gave a restrained smile at the warning, but instead of stepping back, he took a step forward, shortening the distance between them in the dimly lit corridor. Leaning in subtly, he approached the young witch's ear and whispered a few words in a tone so low that the stone echoes of the castle were unable to capture them.
Anna widened her eyes slightly, and her heart raced instinctively. A rosy hue of shyness quickly took over her cheeks at the sudden proximity and what she was told. However, the embarrassment lasted only a moment. Her features soon took on a slightly serious and focused posture. Understanding the gravity and meaning of what she had heard, she held Arthur's gaze for a second and nodded with a slow, silent movement of agreement before turning and disappearing into the stillness of the corridor.
— "I would love to see her try to do that. I think that at this stage, perhaps not even Nightingale could defeat me." — Arthur smiled, watching the young witch turn her back and make her way down the corridor.
As he watched her walk away, Arthur felt a profound tactical and human satisfaction. Having Anna's full trust was an invaluable pillar. Border Town's gears were moving perfectly, and with every secret shared among Roland's true allies, the foundation of that new era became more unbreakable than the very cement walls protecting it.