"So… did you guys eat anything yet?" Razeal asked suddenly, his tone flat but casual.

He didn't look at Levy when he spoke. His eyes were elsewhere fixed on Yograj and Aurora at the front deck. The old man was drilling her, correcting her stance, forcing her to repeat postures over and over until they were precise. Razeal couldn't help but wonder how things had shifted so quickly. Only a short while ago, tension had filled the air arguments, anger, silence. And now? Just like that, they were sitting quietly at a round table beneath the warm sunlight.

The question caught Levy off guard. He blinked, glancing at Razeal's face, trying to read him. But as usual, there wasn't much to read. His expression was plain, as if this was nothing more than a casual remark.

"Well…" Levy cleared his throat awkwardly. "We ate. She.." he hesitated, his eyes sliding toward Maria. His voice lowered slightly, cautious, "well, she had a lot of food saved in her storage ring. Came… prepared, I guess."

He avoided saying her name. It felt dangerous. Maria wasn't just anyone she was a high-ranking noble. For someone like him, a commoner, casually calling her by name could be considered disrespectful, even insulting. And nobles were infamous for being venomous over small slights. Levy wasn't about to make that mistake. Just playing safe.

So he simply tilted his chin in her direction, silently gesturing.

Maria's arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her posture stiff. She sat directly across from Razeal, her aqua-blue hair swaying gently in the breeze, catching the sunlight in a way that made her look almost ethereal. Beautiful, refined, everything a noblewoman was expected to be. Yet the sharpness in her expression ruined the serenity of her features.

"How could anyone even eat those things anyway?" she scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "What you had stored… it looked cheap. Tasteless. Unbearably plain. As if I would ever lower myself to eat such garbage."

Her tone was sharp, laced with disdain. To her, the very idea was insulting.

Razeal didn't respond. He sat still, his face betraying nothing.

The silence stretched until, without warning, he leaned slightly down and slid his hand beneath the shadow of the table. When it emerged, he was holding an apple. round, glossy, fresh as though it had just been plucked from the tree.

"I had prepared food for this too," he said simply, placing the apple in front of Levy. "Don't worry. If we run short, you can ask me anytime."

Levy blinked at the apple as though it were something strange. "…An apple?" he muttered instinctively, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Too late.

Razeal's eyes narrowed, his gaze cutting sharply toward Levy. "Yeah. Apples. Why? What's wrong with apples?" His voice was flat but edged, carrying a faint bite that made Levy's spine trembele for reason's unknown.

A chill ran down Levy's spine. He hadn't meant it like that. He scrambled for an answer, his tongue heavy. "I.. I mean…"

But before he could recover, Maria's voice cut through the moment like a blade.

"For twenty days?" she scoffed, her eyes narrowing at Razeal as if he were insane. "Only apples?..She said.. Is that supposed to be hjs meal plan? What's wrong with him? she wondered in her head.

Razeal turned his gaze to her, his expression utterly unbothered. "Yeah. Why not? I like them."

His tone was so calm, so matter-of-fact, that it only made the others' reactions sharper.

Maria's lips parted, her eyes widening faintly as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Levy, too, looked at him with a bewildered weird expression's.

"Nothing… Just looks too healthy for me," Maria muttered, turning her face to the side. Her tone was sharp, dismissive, but inside she couldn't help but think, weird man. She didn't say that aloud, of course.

Levy, on the other hand, said nothing at all. He knew better. One wrong word could easily spark something, and he wasn't willing to risk another cold glare from Razeal. So instead, he simply reached for the apple that had been placed in front of him.

He turned it over in his hands, examining it carefully. The fruit looked unnaturally perfect its skin smooth, unblemished, shining under the sunlight as though it had just been plucked from a tree moments ago. Yet he had seen Razeal draw it out of nothing but shadow. Storage spell? Some kind of ability? as he pressumed Levy didn't know, and the uncertainty left him that uneasy to ask him.

Silence settled over the table again. It stretched long, heavy, and awkward. None of them spoke. The only sounds were the faint creaks of the ship's wood and the distant clash of Yograj correcting Aurora's stances at the front of the deck.

Minutes dragged. The silence pressed harder.

Finally, Levy couldn't take it anymore. He raised his eyes from the apple and looked directly at Razeal.

"You… seem different," Levy said carefully, his voice low, uncertain. "Like you've changed somehow. You look… defferent. Did something happen?"

He wasn't imagining it. The difference was there.. palpable. Just yesterday, Razeal had been a cold blade, sharp, ready to cut down anyone around him. He'd even threatened to throw Levy off the ship without hesitation. But now… this? Calm. Offering food. It felt like whiplash.

"Do I?" Razeal finally turned his head toward him, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

Maria, who had been intentionally ignoring him, turned her face slightly at that. Her gaze lingered on him longer than usual. Now that Levy had pointed it out, she too realized it.. yes, he did seem different.

And then it happened.

Her breath caught for just a moment as she saw it.. something she had never once witnessed before. A smile. A real smile, faint but undeniably there, tugging at the corner of Razeal's lips. Not the mocking grin he sometimes wore in fights. Not the twisted smirk he'd shown when winning over Areon even. No. This just seems something warmer. Weird enough.

Maria's eyes nerrowed slightly. Even she had to admit, it was startling.

Razeal himself didn't seem to notice it. His expression softened naturally, almost without his awareness, as he said quietly, "Well… I met someone. She taught me something."

Both Levy and Maria froze, exchanging quick, bewildered glances.

Met someone? Levy thought instantly. When? How? They'd all been on this ship together. Razeal hadn't gone anywhere. He'd been asleep the entire time or at least, that's what they thought. The idea that he could have met someone seemed impossible.

Maria's brows furrowed in suspicion, though she kept her silence. Still, her mind was racing. Maybe he's just bullshiting.. He must've dreamt something weirder.

Levy, however, didn't linger on the impossibility. He leaned forward slightly, curiosity outweighing doubt. "So what did you learn?" he asked. His voice was calm, patient, but he was genuinely curious. Whatever this mysterious person had said to Razeal, it had clearly left a mark.

Razeal paused. His eyes lowered, his expression contemplative. It wasn't hesitation out of fear, but as if he was searching through thoughts, weighing something.

Levy waited, silent, giving him time.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Razeal's lips curved again.. just barely. His answer was simple. "Everything."

Levy blinked. That was it? After all that thought? He felt almost deflated, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel that there was something heavy in that single word, something Razeal himself couldn't or wouldn't.. explain. He doesn't know

"Everything…" Levy repeated under his breath, nodding slowly. He didn't fully understand, but he let it go anyways.

Maria, however, rolled her eyes dramatically. Yeah, I knew it, she thought bitterly. He's terrible with people. Terrible at conversations. You ask him one thing, he acts like it's some great secret, then spits out nonsense like this. She gave him a judgmental look, sharp enough that it could cut, before turning her face away again.

Still… that smile. She couldn't quite shake it.

And just like that, silence fell again.

It wasn't the tense silence of before, but it wasn't comfortable either. The conversation had ended, abruptly and awkwardly, leaving them unsure whether to continue or let it die.

So they sat there, the three of them, under the warm sunlight. Words unsaid hung heavy in the air, as if the ship itself was holding its breath.

All they could do was sit in silence, watching Yograj adjust Aurora's stance again and again. The old man was meticulous, correcting the slightest movement of her wrist, the bend of her knee, the way she shifted her weight. Aurora looked tired already, sweat dampening her brow, but Yograj kept pushing her with that relentless patience of his.

Maria had her chin in her palm, eyes half-lidded with boredom. Levy leaned back in his chair, chewing slowly on the apple Razeal had given him, gaze drifting between the two training figures and the endless stretch of blue sea beyond. Razeal sat quietly as always, unmoving, unreadable.

Finally, as if something inside him had decided he had been still long enough, Razeal rose from his chair. The wooden legs scraped harshly against the deck, the sound cutting through the quiet and startling both Maria and Levy.

Levy nearly dropped his apple. Maria arched a brow at him.

"Let's go," Razeal said simply, his tone flat but decisive, his eyes settling on Levy.

"Where?" Levy asked, confused, though his body betrayed him as he was already pushing up from his seat.

"Let me teach you some combat." Razeal's voice carried no room for argument. "It'll come useful down in the sea. As of now, you might as well just become an embarrassment to my name."

The blunt words struck harder than Levy expected. He blinked at Razeal, lips parting, but the boy was already walking past him, heading toward the middle of the deck.

Levy followed hesitantly, still processing what he'd just heard. Maria leaned back further, arms crossed, deciding she'd much rather watch the show than involve herself.

Yograj and Aurora both paused, glancing at Razeal as he approached. Yograj's sharp eyes narrowed, but when he saw that Razeal said nothing to them and stopped at a distance, he simply returned to guiding Aurora, though one ear remained tilted toward the other side of the deck.

Levy now stood before Razeal, awkward and unsure. He scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Combat? Like… what kind of combat?" he asked, trying to mask his uncertainty with curiosity. "Magic combat? Special skills?"

Razeal only stared at him silently, those calm, depthless eyes boring into him without a single blink.

Levy shifted uneasily under that gaze. He forced a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, my physique is… very weak. To physical combat, I mean. And you already might know my mana amount anf control is pathetic. The only thing I'm really good at is illusions. That's it."

His voice gained a little confidence as he went on. "Illusion skills will really help me. That's my strength. I know it. If I focus on it, I could actually be useful. Maybe you could teach me?" Remembering that Razeal promised him mind skills before.. maybe he finally felt little guilty.

Levy's tone grew more hopeful as he spoke. In his mind, this had to be why Razeal had dragged him out here. To finally make good on that promise.

But Razeal's response shattered that expectation.

"No need for that. For now, you need physical combat. That's more important." His words were calm, dismissive.

Levy's face fell instantly. His shoulders slumped, his lips twitching in visible disappointment. "Hey, boss… I really did try that before. My body just isn't made for all that kind of labor. I'm not built for it. I know that... Really."

"Doesn't matter." Razeal circled him slowly, his eyes scanning him from head to toe with the sharpness of a blade. "You should at least learn how to dodge. How to move. To be better at mind games, the first thing is survival. Don't waste time sharpening only your illusions. Work on your weakness first."

Levy swallowed hard under the weight of that voice. It wasn't loud, but it carried the kind of certainty that could not be argued with.

"Even if you became the world's finest illusion master," Razeal continued, "what happens if someone throws a rock at you? What if an attack comes faster than you can conjure a trick? If you can't move, if you can't defend yourself, you'll die before you can even cast your skill. What's the point then?"

The words landed like heavy stones. Maria, watching from her chair.. watching silently.. Curious what these idiot's are going to do now.. Honestly she doesn't think its a good idea.. He does really look like a good teacher.. Not to day she was feeling little awkward.. He didn't even ask her. Well not that she wanted to learn.. she would've even rejected if he had asked but still.. This is awkward.

She just sat there looking at them.. As what they going to do.

Razeal stopped circling, now standing directly in front of Levy again. His expression remained flat, but his gaze was sharp enough to pin Levy in place. "Survival isn't about strength. It's about intent. And skill."

Levy's lips twitched again. "My body won't be able to exert much strength," he muttered, trying one last time. "It's weaker than most adults. Even normal ones. It's hopeless."

Razeal's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. His voice dropped, calm but edged. "My eleven-year-old self could defeat ten of you. Without mana, aura and illusions. While you still having everything you have now. Strength isn't survival. Remember that."

Levy stared at him.. silently as wanting to say that wasn't what he meant.. But

He just let out a long breath, shaking his head, lips curling with a mix of frustration and reluctant acceptance. "Alright, alright… I'll try. If you say so." He raised his hands in surrender. "But don't have high expectations, okay? I know my body. I know what it's capable of."

Razeal said nothing in reply. He only nodded once, slowly, like a judge passing silent sentence, before stepping back and motioning for Levy to ready himself.

Maria leaned forward slightly, her aqua eyes glinting with curiosity despite herself. This should be entertaining.

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I might be a little late uploading the second chapter today, but it will be up there.

I was halfway through writing, but my girlfriend has already waited long enough time to go meet her.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to pay the daily rent with power stones and golden tickets.

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