"Hmm..." Raelis took a subtle glance behind him.
Clea strolled down the cobbled street, weaving past vendors hawking grilled skewers, fragrant herbs, and shimmering trinkets. Yet her gaze never strayed too far from him.
Because of that, he turned into an alleyway. A few more turns later, he found himself at a dead end.
Clea turned the corner moments later, a fresh cinnamon bun in hand. Steam still curled from its soft crust, and a trace of sugar clung to her lips as she took another bite.
Once she realized it was a dead end, her eyes widened slightly before returning to normal.
"Why are you following me?" Raelis got straight to the point. "If there's something you want to say, then say it."
"Sorry if I'm being a bother. I was just really interested in your stealth technique," Clea said honestly, taking a step closer. "I tried replicating your breathing and your movements, but in the end, it feels like I'm missing something."
She sighed, finished the rest of her cinnamon bun in one gulp, and shot him another glance.
Her gaze clearly stated she was curious, so he decided to play along for a bit.
"It's a special stealth technique. You won't be able to replicate my forms unless you've established the same foundation first." Raelis smiled. "This technique doesn't synergize with any other technique in the world either, so even if you wanted to learn it, you wouldn't be able to, since your other techniques would clash with it."
Clea's eyes widened. "You solidified your stealth foundation with only one stealth technique...? Isn't that a bit... wasteful?"
He knew what she meant, and many would see it that way, except for Raelis.
Most assassins took years to build their foundation. They'd test multiple stealth forms, called branches, until they found a blend that matched their instincts.
A "branch" referred to a complete stealth form, usually a breathing rhythm, posture, and footwork pattern from a specific school.
They were all unique, but down at their roots, the techniques were similar, which made it possible to merge them, so over time, those techniques layered into a personal style.
However, Raelis had done the opposite.
Since I practiced my father's technique, I only have one branch. Most of the top assassins practiced 8 or more branches before solidifying their foundation.
Unfortunately for Clea, Raelis's technique wasn't one of them. It was unique, and it was nearly perfect. It couldn't synergize with any other technique, but in no way was it weaker.
The method of solidifying a foundation was simple. In fact, some assassins had done it without even realizing it.
The moment breathing, steps, and heartbeat aligned without conscious thought, when movement became instinct, that's when the foundation was truly complete.
That meant learning any new branches became impossible, as your instincts would simply reject them. And the only techniques the assassins could learn were those that fit their personalized style that had been formed the moment their foundation was established.
From then on... it's just practice, practice, and more practice.
Nevertheless...
"You can keep following me if you want, but you're not going to learn anything. There are better ways to waste your time," Raelis said and walked past her, leaving the alleyway.
She followed only a few steps behind, mumbling something under her breath that he couldn't hear.
Even so, after a bit of walking, Raelis finally arrived at the inn.
He nodded at the innkeeper and went upstairs, grabbed his suitcase filled with clothes and knives, then made his way downstairs.
He checked out of the room and thanked the Black Lotus innkeeper before stepping outside.
Of course, he spotted Clea leaning beside the inn's door with a bored look.
"Are you sure you don't want to go anywhere?" Raelis asked, slightly worried. "Where did you stay before coming to the academy?"
"Mmm..." Clea tilted her head, pulling another cinnamon bun out of seemingly nowhere and taking a single bite. "I stayed at my mother's place."
A faint smile appeared on Raelis's face. "We still have a few hours left until the sun sets. Do you want to go by your mom's house and grab something before we head back?"
"Um... I guess I could grab a spare..." Clea trailed off, then nodded. "Just don't be surprised."
Surprised...?
With that, she began leading him through the city of Aurexis, and every street they passed, the air grew even richer until eventually, they arrived at a manor at the far end of the city.
Or so he thought, but that was when Clea turned slightly and entered the nearby bakery.
Raelis waited outside without a word, but after a few moments, Clea tapped on the bakery's window and waved for him to come inside.
Seriously? Raelis's alertness increased, and with careful steps, he entered the bakery.
But despite his alertness, the bakery was normal.
The smell of fresh bread hung in the air, and a few customers sat at scattered tables, chatting quietly over pastries and tea.
"Come." Clea urged, nodding her chin toward the room in the back.
Raelis tilted his head slightly as he looked at the cashier. For such a small business, I figured the woman behind the counter was her mother, but they look nothing alike.
Therefore, he simply followed after Clea as she went to the back room, then down a flight of stairs.
There was a single steel door in front, but when she tapped it in a few spots, it soon opened up.
A long-winded hallway, coated in sound-proof Magitek material, came into view, slightly startling him.
That was also the moment Raelis realized that this wasn't just any normal bakery, though he kept those thoughts to himself.
Raelis carefully adjusted his daggers as they approached a single door at the end of the hallway. The moment Clea swung it open, his eyes widened.
Instead of some sadistic laboratory, what he saw was a bit more unique.
The area spanned 50 by 50 meters, the ground covered in grass, plants, and even some crops. In the very center of it all was a single three-story house. Above, there seemed to be an artificial sun, likely created by overheating Magitek crystals, as they produced a similar effect to sunrays.
Clea seemed excited as she picked up her pace, running toward the house in the center.
Raelis took a cautious step forward, only to feel cold steel against his neck, the blade inching toward his artery.
But just as he was about to be cut, Raelis sent a kick backward and took out both of his daggers, ready to cleave the attacker in two.
Yet he was met with that very same blade, its tip pressed against his forehead, drawing a tiny amount of blood.
And that was when Raelis finally noticed who the attacker was.
It seemed like a carbon copy of Clea, but just older and more mature. She wore a teddy bear apron and shot him a cold stare.
She withdrew her blade and tapped its hilt slowly, causing a dull chime to ring out.
Yet that sound soon made him fall to the ground, his body going limp as though he had been paralyzed.
He tried to counteract it by spinning his two Flame Rings, even attempting to release a flame or two, but it didn't work, as he simply continued to stare at her from below.
She raised her blade once more, and as she swung it down toward his throat, Clea stepped in front of him, glaring at the woman fiercely.
"Mother..." Clea let out a sigh. "That's enough."
She dusted herself off and shot an exhausted look toward the immobilized Raelis.
"Sorry about that. My mother has a weird sense of humor. She's just a bit... paranoid around new people."
His brows twitched.
A bit?