8 Chapter Eight

When they returned to the inn, it was afternoon, so they had lunch at the inn and came to their rooms.

After they entered the room, Milo cast a spell on whole of the room. Claude just saw in awe as Milo casted his spell. Leslie called Claude to her side, "Claude, put your hand out. "

He wondered what was happening, but did as he was told. He saw Leslie put a fire crystal in his hand. As she put it his hand, she began " Do you know why crystals are important to a mage? "

Claude shook his head, Leslie saw his action and explained, " It is so because they are a source of mana and the start of learning magic, they could support the mage into learning magic. Now try to resonate with the mana in your hand. Don't just try to see it but sense it. "

Claude stared at the crystal very hardly. After a few seconds, he started to lose focus. As he was losing focus, he felt his hand heating up. At first it was warm, then it started to heat up it got to a point that he couldn't hold the crystal, getting distracted the crystal fell from his hand.

Leslie picked up the crystal from the ground, " Very good Claude, you have started to feel mana but you have to learn how to do it without the crystal. Magic has some pillars on which it is based, as we've told you before. Language is one of it, another one is focus. A mage can lose anything in his life, but he can't lose focus. It is the most important part of magic even more so than language. Now try to focus again on this crystal."

Claude tried hard, but he couldn't get that feeling back.

Milo saw his situation and said, "It's okay. Don't worry, you will be able to do it again. You are just beginning. It's good that you have even done it once. Come, i will teach you how to stay focused every time. You know it's a secret technique from my home."

(Is this not master home?) Claude

" Where's your home, Master?"

When Claude asked this, Milo seemed sad for a moment but recovered quickly. He gave Claude his brightest smile and said " It's very far away but if i have a chance, i will take you there."

Claude was visibly excited at the thought of traveling with his master to his home world.

" Come quickly, i will impart you my secret technique."

" Yes master "

Milo sat on the bed in cross legged position and closed his eyes. He instructed Claude to do the same.

" Now Claude try to think there's a dot between your eyebrows and try to concentrate at that point. Additionally, try to remove any thoughts you have in your mind as you do so. Try to keep your mind empty. It is the starting point in this technique. "

After he saw his master meditate, Claude copied him but he found very hard to do so, after five minutes he couldn't endure and complained " Master this is too hard"

Leslie was sitting on a chair near the window, watching them meditate. She also knew the technique but wasn't a fan of it.

"What isn't hard in the beginning? " berated Leslie. " But it's fine for first day, after all it's a weird technique. From now on you will meditate daily, to sharpen your focus. "

" No master, it's too hard" argued Claude

" You've to do it whether it's hard or not."

Claude muttered something under his breath but didn't argue back.

Three days passed like that, Claude would be taught magic day and night. He also had to do meditation daily. He was exhausted and bored of routine. He didn't know, one had to practice so much to become a mage. Now he wanted to go out once again. Luckily, today was the day they had to pick up the remaining space crystals.

So after having breakfast, they set out early in the morning, these days he had fallen in love with food provided at the inn. He had never eaten anything like this at home and when he asked Leslie whether they could have this kind of food at home, she out rightly said no.

Afterwards Milo told him the truth that Leslie can't cook properly, so she said no. But Claude was adamant to have this kind of food at home and Milo too agreed with that. Before Claude came to their house, the couple would not mind food so much but now since there was a growing kid at home, they couldn't not do as they did previously. So they planned to get the ingredients before they left the city for town.

After having a hearty breakfast of muffins, bread and pie. They left for the trading house, they hailed a carriage and they reached the building after 10 minutes. There was no change here, Jeremiah was standing there all dressed properly and four guards were standing there without a change in their expression.

When they reached near him, he greeted them " Hello, Mr. Milo, Mrs. Leslie and Mr. Claude. I've prepared the remaining space crystals." He looked at Milo, "Mr Milo, if you wouldn't mind my master would like to meet you. "

Milo said okay. Jeremiah told a attendant to take his place at the entrance and he personally led the trio to his master's room.

They reached his master's room after walking for five minutes. Jeremiah knocked on the door and said " Master, they are here. "

The same voice sounded out " Oh, Let them in. And please get us some tea and snacks. "

"Surely master. " Jeremiah went away as he said this.

At this moment an old man opened the door and welcomed them in, he was wearing spectacles and looked calm and composed.

He signalled them to sit on the couch which was placed near the windows. You could see the sun rising through the window, casting it's light over the city, making it appear golden and pious.

" Nice view, isn't it? " said the old man as he looked outside the window.

Claude too was looking outside the window, he was thinking (there is so much for me to explore on this city)

" It sure is. " replied Claude suprisingly.

Old man chuckled and said " You know this is my one of the two best view from this place. "

" What's the other one, sir? " asked Claude curiously.

Leslie and Milo were just quietly looking outside the window, looking sad and depressed. It looked like they were troubled with things that nobody could solve for them.

Old man said in all seriousness, " Second view is when sun sets, when darkness covers the city. It seems as if there is a blanket covering the sun. It cancels out all of the piousness of the day and replaces it with the sinisterness which terrifies everyone. "

Claude felt shivers down his spine as he heard the old man speak. Claude started to get afraid, he took a quick look outside and imagined the scene described by the old man. He quickly went to Leslie's side and sat down next to her quietly.

Leslie had heard what old man was saying, she took Claude's hand in hers and said in a threatening voice, " I don't think this is the way to treat a child, let alone a guest. If you speak like that to Claude again, you will regret you ever opening your mouth, and if you think I'm joking, you can try. "

Old man didn't seem to see the seriousness of the situation, he just shrugged and said " He has to know the truth about the world sooner or later. He has to face world's dark side, better for him to learn early. "

Leslie was about to burst out when she was held back by Milo who began "Look here, Mr. Raymond. I'm a easy going person but if you disrespect my wife like that i will flatten you here along with your trading house. Even Thomas Shelby wouldn't dare to talk like that to my wife and yet here you are blowing your horn. "

Milo had just finished speaking when Jeremiah entered with tea and snacks, he saw his master getting scolded by Mr. Milo and he wondered what his master had done, then he heard his master's voice,

Raymond widened his eyes when he heard that name, he began shaking.

" Do..do.. you know my grandfather, Mr. Milo? "

" We are acquaintances." said Milo without explaining further.

Raymond felt weak in his knees, he never thought that these people would know his grandfather. Who was his grandfather, a person with seemingly endless power. He was the one who actually runs their family's trading house. Not many people knew his grandfather's real name, those who did were'nt normal people. He felt really stupid. He quickly said

" I am sorry for testing you sir and madam, i just wanted to know how you got the token. I am Raymond Shelby, I am seventh grandson of Thomas Shelby."

" It's alright. Everyone make mistakes." said Milo without any hint of anger.

But he continued, "To apologize, i will gift something to young master next time he comes here. "

Leslie " It's okay, Mr.Raymond."

" No i insist, Mrs Leslie." said Raymond.

" If you say so. "

Milo came straight to business, he seemed to forget the incident that happened just before and said to Raymond, " I wish to know the origin of engraved bullets from your collection, from what i know they aren't from human realm."

" You're right, Mr Milo. They aren't from here, they come from Byzantine Empire, apparently they have a master from Dwarven realm who comes over sometimes. He sells them but he sells very few. "

" Do you have this master's name? " asked Milo after being quiet for a minute.

" Yes, it's Master Tormund. "

" It really is him, eh. " said Milo in a low voice.

" Mr. Raymond, can you pass him a message to him for me next time he comes over? "

" I can do that but it's just that we don't know his schedule " answered Raymond.

"No one does." said Milo with a chuckle.

Raymond was curious that how Milo knew that master, but he didn't ask and agreed to pass the message. Message was a bit weird, It said " when sun sets down, men drink to their hearts fill. "

After paying the due money for the crystals they went back to their inn and next morning they left the city for their home at the countryside.