LITMIR.BIZ

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can go,” the girl said to Iziro. “Well, if you trust him, I trust him too. Escort him to the evening bonfire,” she told the boy about Iziro.

      The girl approached Rein and scrutinized him closely.

      “What do you want? You want to have a laugh?” Rein said.

      “No, I was just impressed by how you fought. Too good for an ordinary Raiderian warrior,” she replied.

      Meanwhile, the boy named Wel waved at Iziro and said, “Let’s go, I’ll show you where we relax. They also serve delicious food there.”

      Iziro somewhat discontentedly glanced at Rein and followed the boy.

      “You may not be as good as that Raiderian monk, but you fought very skillfully,” Wel remarked.

      “Thank you, glad you noticed,” Rein sarcastically replied. “But here I am, fighting for you, almost dying, not even sure if you deserved it, and now I’m plagued with vague doubts about the validity of my decision again.”

      Distraught, Rein stared at the ground, unsure of what to do next.

      “What do I need to do to earn the right to be unshackled by you, anyway?” he asked.

      “And if I set you free, how do I know you won’t attack me or my people, just as retaliation for how we treated you? You’ve shown yourself to be quite a bloodthirsty warrior,” the girl said.

      “You mean when I beheaded that knight? He was trying to kill me, by the way. Sorry, but I didn’t like that. Maybe he would have succeeded if it weren’t for your people,” Rein replied.

      “And I’m talking about the same thing. You were wronged, so you killed,” she stated.

      “Well, what should I do, apologize or something?” Rein asked.

      “No, forget it. I understand perfectly. I would have done the same in your place, but I’m not sure I’m ready to let you go just yet.”

      Rein shook his head as the girl walked away. This deeply saddened him, and when the girl left, his sorrow turned into temporary anger, which he vented by shouting something into the evening sky.

      “Well, fine, I’ll get out on my own then.”

      Rein tried with all his might to lift at least one leg, but he could only raise the earth slightly.

      “Okay, let’s dig a bit.”

      Rein started digging the earth with his hands.

      Meanwhile, Iziro was led to a large bonfire at the bottom of the mine. The locals were sitting around the fire, and people were distributing bowls of food to each other. Iziro and Wel sat in the front row, and they were served food that was much better than what they had been given yesterday.

      “It’s beautiful here,” Iziro said.

      “I like it here too,” the boy replied.

      “You’re so skilled in magic – did your parents teach you?” Iziro asked.

      “No, my parents died when I was born.”

      “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

      “It’s okay, I’ve gotten used to it.”

      “No, you’re really good for your age. I used to think that you needed to chant spells for such magic, but it seems I was wrong.”

      “No! That’s true. I’ve really mastered all this. They say I have talent. I can perform magic with the power of my mind. They say only the strongest mages in history could do that.”

      – Isn’t it frightening to possess such power at such a young age? Sometimes it seems to me that magic turns those who wield it into something akin to the gods described in myths and legends of different peoples,” Iziro pondered.

      “Not at all! I’ve learned to control it. And I teach myself new things to avoid accidentally harming anyone. I used to have problems with that…” Wel explained.

      “I wish I were as disciplined as you at your age,” Iziro said.

      “What about your friend? Is he kind too?” Wel asked Iziro. “Idia said he might be one of the most dangerous Raiderians among those we’ve known.”

      “Where did she get that idea?” Iziro asked warily.

      “She mentioned something about him not being an ordinary exile but an exiled king of all Raideria, and then she laughed. I defeated the king of the Raiderian Empire. Ha-ha.”

      While Wel laughed, Rein was extremely uneasy. He tried to figure out the best way to leave before it was too late.

      “I’ll step away for a moment,” Iziro said.

      “Sure, the bathrooms are over there if you need them,” Wel replied.

      Iziro went to free Rein from his earthen prison. However, by the time he arrived, Rein was nowhere to be found. “Did he manage to dig himself out?” Iziro wondered. Meanwhile, with a bag over his head, Rein was being led somewhere by a couple of burly miners.

      They brought Rein, removed the bag from his head, and he found himself in a room with a decent view from the balcony overlooking the entire mine. Rein went to check the mine, hoping to see Iziro, but before he could get a good look, Idia’s voice came from behind.

      “I apologize for how I treated you,” Idia said. “It wasn’t the best decision on my part.”

      “Seriously, I haven’t eaten in almost three days, spent almost a day lying in the mud, and almost died for those who put me in chains and then buried me in the ground. You were right – this isn’t enough,” Rein replied.

      Rein looked at the sword displayed on the wall, almost identical to his Reinian sword. He rushed to grab it, but before he could make a swing, Idia drew her own sword from its sheath at her waist and pointed it at Rein’s throat.

      “Well, what’s it like being killed by an ordinary woman?” she asked.

      “I’m still alive if I can talk…” Rein replied.

      Rein casually pushed her blade away from his throat, once again cutting himself on the edge of her sword. In a swift leap, holding the sword in one hand and directing it with the other, he executed a slashing blow. Idia stumbled backward, almost losing her balance, but a wall behind her stopped her fall. Rein extended his sword towards her neck with his arm fully stretched. The blade of his sword almost touched her neck.

      “Now I’ve killed you,” Rein said with complete seriousness.

      “My name is Idia, in case you’re interested,” she said, smiling as if it was all part of the plan. “I was told you were almost dug out when they came for you. You dig quite fast, it seems. It’s respected here. But I thought that wasn’t the most dignified occupation for the king of all Raideria.”

      “What?” Rein asked in surprise. “Where did you get the idea that I’m the king of Raideria?”

      “I mentioned several times that I’ve been to Raideria. I heard such a legend there.”

      “What legend?”

      “A legend about an exile with a mark on his cheek who was the rightful king. Or something like that.”

      “You do understand that a legend is fiction, right?”

      “I thought so too until I put two and two together. You fight as if you were trained in a castle. You sometimes behave as if you grew up in a castle. You appear to be the age of the guy from that legend. And the mark of an exile from the empire on your cheek. You really stand out in that regard. Probably, it’s hard to notice it under the hood of the cloak you came in here with, but without the hood, only a blind person wouldn’t see it.”

      Rein became noticeably uneasy.

      “What’s

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