Chapter 5: A nonchalant encounter.

Three guards, having holstered their weapons, lift the man and place him in a cage attached to a horse-drawn cart. Lieutenant Archie, after observing the passers-by witnessing the scene, fixes his gaze on Like, who is standing at a distance in the crowd with a stranger, and advances towards him.

As he passes, the townspeople stretch out their hands towards him, looking at him with admiration as if he were a celebrity or local hero, and Archie doesn't hide his pleasure at the attention, a satisfied smile on his lips. Once he's arrived in front of Like, the latter pretends to hide behind Armand even though it's pointless.

"I hope you're content to just hang around, Like. I've warned you before: stop your scams, unless you want to end up like that punk," Archie declares in an authoritative tone.

"But... but of course, Mr. Archie... I would never allow myself to betray our promise," replies Like in a trembling voice, while Armand, casting a disillusioned glance over his shoulder, confirms his initial suspicions: Like is nothing but a con man on the lookout for tourists to rob.

"Consider yourself lucky, I don't have time to dwell on your case. And this kid, is he with you?" questions Archie, scrutinizing Armand.

"Oh, no, I'm not! I don't know this man, he just helped me find my way around the city, it's my first time here," replies Armand, pointing to the rolled-up map in his hand.

Archie examines Armand intently, then, without asking further questions, he makes a contemptuous noise through his nose, turns and walks away towards the horses, the crowd continuing to cheer him like a local hero.

"What a braggart that one is, really insufferable," mutters Like.

Armand, detaching himself from Like who remains in the background, replies in a detached tone: "Consider it a gift for your helping hand. I could have talked, but I didn't."

"Leaving already, young man?" asks Like, trying to prolong the conversation.

"You got a problem with that?" retorts Armand, already turning away.

"No, no... After all, you seem to have a goal in mind, judging by the path traced on your map. I wish you a safe journey, kid. Who knows, maybe our paths will cross again." 

"Maybe..." murmurs Armand, watching Like walk away down a narrow alley, disappearing after a final wave of his hand.

Armand turns to watch the guards ride away, carrying the still fainting prisoner in his horse-drawn cage, led by the guards and the redoubtable Archie. A formidable aura of power emanates from this lieutenant, which Armand senses without really understanding why, impressed by his mastery of the situation in the fog of smoke.

Taking another look at his map, Armand resumes his walk towards the indicated destination. Thanks to Like's advice, he can now read the map more accurately. He's in the eastern part of the city, far from the city center, in a modest neighborhood. The mansion he needs to reach seems isolated, near the fields on the border of Auroria.

"Obviously, the closer you are to the central castle, the richer the neighborhoods. Come to think of it, that makes sense," Armand ponders aloud.

He wanders around for a good quarter of an hour, soaking up the medieval atmosphere of the district, his eyes raised to the ancient facades and his nose tickled by the various gourmet smells of the stalls. His stroll takes him past an unpretentious, yet rustically elegant mansion with, it seems, a tree running through the house as if it had been built around it. Behind the fence, a vast garden stretches out, probably dedicated to the cultivation of local produce. 

A small bird, with bright red plumage and an azure crest, dozes peacefully on the fence. Armand finds it cute, and notices a discreet path running along the fence and the house. Driven by curiosity, he sets off down the path.

But no sooner had he crossed the threshold of the fence than he collided head-on with an invisible barrier, stopping him dead in his tracks. He takes a step back, rubbing his sore nose.

"An invisible barrier?" exclaims Armand, surprised.

The sound of the impact jolts the bird from its slumber. It arches its back and lets out a piercing scream, forcing Armand to protect his ears. An old man then emerges from the house and, with a snap of his fingers, silences the bird, which, despite the noise it was making, obeys on the spot and flies off towards the chimney where its nest apparently lies.

"Please excuse me for this," apologizes the old man, in a soothing voice.

"What was that bird?" asks Armand, curious but slightly annoyed by the noise.

"My nuisance alarm, you might say. Actually, it's the real owner of this house," explains the old man with a mysterious smile.

"Huh??" reacts Armand, removing his hands from his ears in disbelief.

Armand watches the old man warily, wondering if he's in his right mind.

"Excuse me, but if this is another case of asking me to join a strange cult around the feet, I've already said no," says the old man, in all seriousness.

He speaks calmly, pretending to return home along the narrow path. Armand finds the scene increasingly strange, but inwardly he can't help smiling. Despite the invisible wall still blocking him, he leans against it and claps his palms to attract the attention of the man walking away.

"Wait, sir! I need to get in here. I've got a map that shows me this place!" launches Armand with conviction.

The old man turns around, while the little bird returns and lands on his bald head.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'm not expecting anyone," replies the old man in a calm but firm tone.

He looks at Armand's belt and indeed notices a rolled-up map. He questions him about the card's provenance.

"If I remember correctly, it was a kind of monk called Cheetah who gave it to me," Armand explains, seeking to clarify the situation.

The old man looks at him, intrigued. Although the name sounds familiar, he doesn't recognize it. But he does know a monk with a similar name.

"You mean Gaspard? Get serious, kid. This isn't just anyone. And what does he want with me? Are you a messenger?" asks the old man, scrutinizing Armand with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

The bird flies off the old man's skull, leaving behind a white trail that strongly suggests a gift from him. Armand holds back a laugh as the old man, unperturbed, pulls out a handkerchief to wipe himself with his usual nonchalance.

"It must be some kind of rent, I suppose... Um, excuse me, I'm not really sure what I'm doing here, but it would seem that you, or someone else residing here, could teach me magic and teach me more about my powers," Armand offers, hoping to find an opening.

The old man mumbles away, convinced that this is yet another attempt to rob him of his knowledge. Armand, powerless behind the invisible barrier, suddenly has an idea. He withdraws his right mitten and presses the back of his hand against the barrier.

"Sir, wait! Look at what I have on my hand, does it remind you of anything," Armand shouted in despair.

Intrigued, the old man turned and looked at Armand's hand. He discovered a tattoo in the shape of a star with four empty points. His eyes widen, immediately identifying this symbol as that of the Star Wanderer's chosen ones. He rushes over to Armand and dispels the barrier with a deft gesture, grabbing his hand to examine it more closely.

"Incredible! It's authentic, engraved in your skin with magic! Are you really a chosen one of the aerolith?" asks the old man, his hands trembling slightly on Armand's.

Armand watches the old man's face carefully, now convinced of his discovery. "It seems I've convinced you. So you know this symbol?"

"Of course, it's the symbol worn by all the heroes from elsewhere who fought in Primis. Tell me, young man, are there others like you? What's your name?" asks Master Kaka, his eyes shining with excitement.

"My name is Armand and there are four of us, but Gaspard scattered us across the city and it was this map that guided me to you," Armand explains, sharing a crucial piece of information.

"Well, it seems he wants me to train a chosen one. It's been centuries since I took on an apprentice, but for you, I'm willing to make an exception. My name is Master Kaka, and I'm delighted to meet you, Armand," the old man introduced himself with a warm smile.

Armand stares at him, his thoughts whirling at this revelation. He shakes Master Kaka's hand reluctantly. "Are you joking, or is that really your name?" he asks, a fleeting doubt crossing his mind.

"Is there something wrong with my name?" replies Master Kaka, slightly amused.

"No, there isn't. I beg your pardon," replies Armand politely, wondering if he's in the wrong place, so surreal does the situation seem.

After a few minutes of conversation, the Master invites him to explore the garden behind the house, where there are numerous training tools and weathered straw dummies.

Armand asks curiously, "You said it's been centuries since you've had any pupils, is that right? Are you that old?"

Master Kaka replies with a mysterious smile, "Oh, you know, when you master magic at an advanced level, there are a few tricks you can use to prolong your life."

He reaches for a rotten, bug-eaten apple on a tree. As he finishes his sentence, the fruit regenerates, becoming perfectly ripe. Armand observes the scene with fascination, as if witnessing a miracle.

"Will I be able to learn to do things like this?" he asks, his eyes shining with excitement.

"In two months? Come on, come on! That would hardly be enough to teach you the rudiments. I don't suppose you even know how to feel magic?" replies Master Kaka.

"Feel magic? Not really, no. But Gaspard performed a ritual to awaken a force we received from a small statue," Armand explains, sharing what he knows.

"Ah, so he's already initiated your connection to magic. Very well, we'll begin without delay," decides Master Kaka with determination.

"What, now, right away?" gasps Armand, mixing nervousness and excitement.

"Two months is a very tight deadline, and I intend to push you to the limit, kid," declares the Master.

Armand lets out a nervous laugh, but excitement wins out. He's finally going to learn magic and explore the depths of his unique power, lacking a weapon to catalyze it like his companions. He must therefore master the fundamentals of magic in order to use it. Standing up straight in front of his new mentor, a determined smile on his lips, he declares, "Aye, master!"

End of chapter 5.