Kyran and Silas appeared inside an old cottage.
It was about 90 sqm. in size, where the kitchen was adjacent to the bed, and the living room and the dining room was opposite the bed. There was no wall to separate the living room, the dining room and the bed, so technically, it could not be called a room.
Immediately, Kyran activated the Regis Body Tempering Technique and, using his heightened senses; he observed their surrounding.
From the running water nearby and the constant small movements, he guessed they were somewhere in a forest near Noser, and there was also a nearby body of water. He had not determined whether the body of water was a river or a small waterfall. But the constant small movements worried him. It did not sound like forest beasts.
Sensing Kyran’s vigilance, Silas smiled faintly and said, “Don’t worry. This cottage is hidden. It has a camouflage array and only those recognized by the array can enter it.”
Kyran looked at him skeptically.
“Meaning you’re recognized by the array, what about me?” He asked.
“It goes without saying. I am also given authority to accept other people inside the array,” Silas explained. “The fact that I am the one who activated the scroll, means I came here half a second before you, so I had time to do grant you access.”
“That’s a very… convenient array.” Kyran replied, still looking skeptical.
If Silas was able to grant him access in a matter of half a second, then that meant Silas was connected to the array in a very special way that enabled him to access it and make changes in it as simple as breathing.
Silas laughed and walked toward the kitchen sink behind him.
“Although I’m not familiar with the specifics, as far as I remembered, this array was my Master’s family secret array that had been passed on to selected members.” Silas explained and opened the faucet. After a few seconds of gurgling sound coming from the faucet, water finally came out. However, the water that came out at first had rust in them.
“Hm,” Silas nodded his head. “Water pipes are still working.”
Kyran observed him for a few seconds before wandering his eyes to look at the whole room.
Nothing was inside except the double-size bed, small dining table with two chairs, and a three-seater sofa. The surface of these items was also covered in at least two centimeter thick dust, meaning that no one had used the place for a long time.
Kyran’s initial thought was to leave at once and meet up with the Chamber of Commerce’s people, but he became a little curious about this place and how Silas was connected to it.
In Kyran’s plan, after dealing with the Blue Lotus, his next destination was somewhere in the west to meet another small faction. Although it was still far off in his plan, there was nothing wrong with understanding this place. At the very least, Kyran could also ask Silas to lend him this place in the future.
“Where is your master then?” Kyran asked cautiously.
He had a rough idea of Silas’s answer, but he still had to confirm it. If he borrowed this place in the future, he did not want the complication of meeting Silas’s master or anyone else in that matter.
Silas paused for the briefest moment before he turned off the faucet. Without looking at Kyran, he replied, “Dead.”
An awkward silence filled the air.
Taking a deep breath, Silas looked at Kyran and smiled apologetically, “Sorry for dampening the mood. Anyway, my master has been dead for years and I left this place a few years ago. When you said you wanted to go west, I actually thought of this place, but I am not sure if this place is still here. But if it is, the reason why I told you there is no need for you to warp me back is because I can hide here for a few days.”
Kyran pondered for a few seconds and nodded his head.
If Silas stayed here, it was almost impossible for others to see him with it being hidden. Besides, if he warped Silas back to the Tower of Conclave inside this place’s array, Kyran might destroy the array and lose its effect. If they went outside the array’s area of effect, there was a possibility they would attract those who were making those small movements nearby with his magic’s fluctuation. It would be even more troublesome if those people also had an item similar to the army’s magic detector and detected his magic.
“Alright. I’ll come back when I’m done,” Kyran agreed.
He still had materials to create another transmission scroll so he could make another one instead of warping. Although it was not advisable to use his blood so soon, he would have to do his best to get back into shape once they returned to the Tower.
Silas nodded in acknowledgement, “Sure.”
Kyran hesitated for a second before he asked, “This place…”
Silas raised his brows while looking at Kyran’s hesitation. He asked, “What about this place?”
“Is there anyone else who knows about this place? Or others who had authority to use the array here?”
Silas’s expression froze briefly, and he laughed uneasily.
“My… master’s daughter… But before my master passed away, both of them was in a very… complicated relationship and… anyway, I haven’t seen her for years.” He explained and wandered his eyes around the cottage.
“Looking at the state of this place, I reckon she did not even visited this place since she left.”
Kyran frowned slightly. As long as another person knew about this place, it could pose a threat.
‘Unless I adjust the array,’ he decided.
He looked at Silas and said, “In the future, I might need to use this place. Is it okay if I change the array and improved its calculation?”
Silas looked at Kyran dumbfoundedly. It took him a few seconds to process what he meant.
Silas’s initial reaction was to reject Kyran’s request. But on second thought, this place was being used by anyone, and though he practically grew up here, he did not have any attachment to this place, especially after his master death.
“I suppose it should be okay. I can give you access to this place so you can use it in the future,” Silas finally agreed after a short pause.
Kyran was surprised. He did not realize Silas could also grant him access to this place. At most, he thought his access was only temporary.
“We can talk about it when I get back.”
“Oh, it is not that complicated. Besides, if you suddenly thought of returning here and I may be out hunting some food, at least you can enter without a problem.” Silas assured him and walked toward Kyran.
Thinking how Silas could grant him access to enter in half a second, Kyran did not argue and just waited for Silas to start.
Silas took out a key and gave it to Kyran.
…
Kyran stared at the key on Silas’s outstretched hand. He looked at him with a blank expression and said, “A house key?”
Silas smiled and nodded, “That’s right. As long as you have the key to this house, you can rouse the array here.”
Misunderstanding Kyran’s hesitation to take the key, Silas added hastily, “Oh, don’t worry. This is my key. I still have my master’s key so I can still access it.”
Kyran had the urge to flip a table, but in the end, he only sighed and finally took Silas’s key.
“Okay. Thanks. I’ll return as soon as possible.”
Silas nodded, “Take your time.”
Kyran placed the key in his pouch and turned to leave.
Before he could step out the door, Silas called.
“Kyran.”
Kyran paused by the door and looked back.
“Let’s talk some more when you’re done.”
Kyran looked at Silas in hesitation but nodded his head almost immediately. He turned around and opened the door. Without turning back, he left the cottage.
Silas watched as the door closed behind Kyran. His expression turned solemn as he remained standing in the middle of the cottage.
He already noticed something was different with Kyran from the ‘Kyran’ Pheobe had told him. Although her admiration for Kyran might have painted him in a different light, Silas had an inkling that this Kyran was far more dangerous than the one Pheobe told him.
It made Silas worry, especially remembering Lady Rin’s expression when she unknowingly thought of Kyran.
When Silas also talked to the Patriarch and Master Cade and asked if they wanted him to assist Kyran in any way, they told him to let Kyran deal with his matters alone. Their response prompted Silas to understand more about Kyran. That was why he talked to Pheobe.
His initial assessment was Kyran was too naive, and the Patriarch and Master Cade might have wanted to teach him the harshness of the real world. But from his observation today, it was clear that Kyran was already aware of it. His cautious and distant attitude with the people who were supposed to be his ‘allies’ was proof of it. To Silas, he felt that Kyran only saw the Conclave as people he could use.
Silas sighed. As a mercenary, he met some timid people that went insane after being exposed to the world’s harsh reality. And honestly, he felt Kyran might not be far off that path.
‘But I could be mistaken,’ Silas thought. He frowned slightly and clenched his fists, ‘I really hope I am.’
====================
After Kyran left the cottage, he took out his mask and wore it, changing his face to Nar. He studied his surroundings and sensed those making the small movements earlier were pretty close.
‘Let’s avoid them,’ he decided and walked opposite the direction where he heard the movements.
However, after a quarter of an hour of walking, he realized that the movements were still there. As a matter of fact, it was getting closer by the minute!
Kyran took out one of his obsidian-made swords and jumped up a tree branch.
He confirmed that forest beasts did not make those movements. If it was, they would not brazenly come at him and would avoid him like a deadly plague.
‘Then who-!’
Before he could complete the question in his mind, a thick black pike zoomed past his head, grazing his cheek. If he had not reacted in time and tilted his head, that pike would have pierced his head.
The pike that missed him pierced the tree behind him and was shocked as he saw how it left did not stop and pierced the next three trees as well.
Kyran switched into battle mode at once and jumped down the tree branch.
As soon as he jumped down, however, a huge cloaked man with blazing forearms appeared to his left.
“Rawrgh!” The man growled and slammed his clenched fists toward him.
Kyran gritted his teeth and focused the Regis Body Tempering Technique on his left forearm as he raised it to block the man’s attack.
He felt his bones protest from the weight of the man’s attack.
“Humph!”
The man sneered and fire on his forearms erupted, engulfing the arm Kyran used to block the man’s fists.
If Kyran was not wearing the coat, he would’ve suffered a third-degree burn.