The Man Who Stands at the Peak

"Are you alone?" Aethersage asked, looking around the place.

"More or less," Alex answered. "Are you searching for someone else?"

The young red-haired man chuckled a little. "Who would I be searching for? I don't know anyone other than you at all."

Alex gave an awkward smile. "You must've been in the same situation as me," he said. "Unable to leave your master for the majority of the days. I wasn't allowed to even roam my own court because my master was afraid people would do something about me."

"No, my master was freer than that. He allowed me to go around the guild," Aethersage said. "But… he forced me to learn every single day nonstop. I don't think I got more than a single month free in all of the years since I've come to this world. Perhaps even before that."