At times, to say yes means. To say no to yourself

"What kind of aura is this?!" Alistair thought as he witnessed the easygoing man, full of valor. Yet, Alistair felt like his heart would jump out of his body, as his sweat boiled like water in a kettle.

"Is this man even- human?" Alistair thought as the suffocating aura came down on him and it became difficult to breathe. The aura took the form of a Siberian tiger that stared him down, its fur white; its eyes golden as its teeth gleamed like two fangs of death.

"How can this be—"

"Hello, little guy. My name is Calinar Vanze!" Calinar said with a smile. Revan had cleared the way for him.

Calinar stood face-to-face with Alistair, observing him with pitch-black eyes.

However, Alistair felt the suffocating sensation disappear and was replaced by a calm and sunny atmosphere. The previous effects on his body disappeared like a mist. Alistair almost thought what happened was an illusion.

"Your boy is brave," Calinar said to Penelope, who rolled her eyes, but agreed nonetheless.

"Reminds me of when I was young so vibrant and… strange," Calinar added.

Penelope cringed as she remembered how Calinar was when he was young, so she denied the baseless opinion in her mind. But she accepted the first one.

"You were surely…. different at that age!" Penelope said, and she awkwardly laughed with her eyes closed.

"Different. Interesting word... So, Alistair, I am guessing Revan gave that name, am I right?" Calinar asked.

Penelope looked down and scratched the ground with her shoes before looking up with a fake smile. "I guess you would know… Since both of you were pretty simi–"

Revan coughed to interrupt the Penelope's line of speech. She looked at him for a few seconds before turning back to Calinar. "Dissimilar," she said.

Calinar ignored the comment and remembered his side task, so he glanced down at Alistair and stretched out his hand. Penelope instantly hauled Alistair back.

However, Calinar gave her a convincing look, so she decided to trust him. He stretched out his fingers and poked Alistair's forehead. Calinar looked to be contemplating as he waited. After nothing happened, Calinar signed and withdrew his hand.

"It's not him," Calinar thought in disappointment. Nonetheless, it didn't stop him from asking, "When are you going to train, Alistair?"

Calinar looked to Revan, and he waited for an answer.

"Six years," Revan answered. "After all, it's not our time when we would have to be sent to the battlefield at ten, so I figured it would be shorter."

Calinar did not look like he liked that answer, but he didn't push it.

Penelope saw his changing emotions. "Is there a problem, Calinar?"

"...Uh, what do you– I mean, no, why would you think that?" Calinar answered in a daze.

"I guess it's my imagination," Penelope said while observing Calinar. After seeing nothing, she stopped.

Calinar wanted to say more to defend himself, but suddenly, he felt a shock pass through his hand.

He stared at the archaic watch on his hand. He noticed the time strayed close to 13:00, and his face became profound. He needed to be somewhere at this time.

He saw what he came here to see.

Calinar put his hand in his left pocket. "I wish I could stay longer, but I have to leave."

Calinar looked at the sweating Alistair and said, "well, see you later, little guy!"

Alistair avoided the gaze of the two-faced man. If Alistair was to decide who had given him this much fear. This man would be at the forefront.

'Thank God,' Alistair thought. However, he still had questions. 'What was that? Is it aura, chi, ki?'

After seeing all kinds of outlandish sights in this steam magic metropolis, with a hint of 19th-century art, Alistair had to change his mind to accommodate the times. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

"Oh, that's so sad. Can't you stay a little longer? It's sad to see you leave," Penelope said with a sad huffing sound from her mouth.

After hearing that, Calinar laughed. "I guess I could–"

"I was kidding, please leave," Penelope interrupted before Calinar could finish.

Calinar had no visible reaction except his usual sunny aura. "Ha ha, always so funny, Penelope," he said.

Afterward, Calinar turned and walked away, but when he moved a distance of eight meters. He stopped.

The sudden halt shocked everyone as the atmosphere around Calinar suddenly changed.

Alistair sighed as he felt it. 'There's that aura again.'

Calinar's head turned to Revan. "Are you sure you won't accept that proposal, Revan? You know that man doesn't take rejections likely… Remember, this was your dream!"

Revan's emotional state changed after the on-the-spot question. When he and Calinar were on the carriage, Calinar gave him the offer to join the most prestigious group in the country.

However, Revan refused.

But, the time he did, he was hesitant, something that Calinar noticed. Otherwise, Calinar wouldn't ask him again.

'Bastard, why now of all times,' Revan thought as he massaged his head. The ambiance of the place not helping the anxiety that threatened to befall him.

As Revan looked down to the concrete ground in search of an answer. The edge of his eyes caught sight of a smiling Penelope. Her encouraging look seemed to say. 'Do what you must,'

And Revan became touched, that was all he needed to make his choice.

"Calinar..." Revan's hazel eyes met with the pitch-black eyes of Calinar. The morning breeze blew dust through the environment.

Revan maniacally smiled. "I... refuse."

The tense atmosphere dissipated the instant Revan decided, and Calinar's shoulders relaxed. He was not happy with the rejection, but he knew that any chance he had was gone.

"I see..." Calinar said. "Well, I respect your decision... Congrats on being a dad... And good luck."

In conclusion of the rejection, Calinar leaped into the sky with the rest following suit while using the closest walls as a platform to disappear into gaps in buildings.

Revan watched them leave with his hair and cloak swaying with the wind. He hoped he made the right decision. However, after he caught sight of the laughing Penelope with tears falling down her eyes as held Alistair. He knew he made the right decision.