Dark Magus Returns

In the Dark Faction, in one of the medium-sized villages, a short young woman was walking down the open streets. There were market stalls on either side, and the smell from the meat being cooked in the open wafted into her nose.

She placed her hand on her stomach to suppress the sound. 'Shut up, alright? I only have a few bronze coins left!' Charlotte slapped her stomach, but it didn't do much to ease the pain.

It was strange, since escaping from Alter along with Himmy, she had been going from place to place. She had no idea where would be safe.

After all, Alter was an incredibly large organization, with secret members everywhere, even members she wouldn't know about.

All she could hope for was to lay low until Himmy figured something out. Every time she turned a corner or looked up, she hoped she would see Himmy, telling her it was finally over.

At first, things weren't too bad for her. The hunger she could ignore, as she was too afraid of people catching up to her. But then the painful pangs set in.

It was strange, though, because after that, the hunger disappeared completely. She had gotten used to it, but it seemed to be a dreaded cycle, and now the pain had come back again.

'I need these coins to stay at an inn somewhere. I've been moving too much and haven't even recovered my energy. At some point, my spell is going to wear off, and with no energy, how am I going to keep up my appearance?'

Her bright, vibrant orange hair made her stand out even in the world of Pagna, which was why she had cast a spell to make it black.

She was sure it was because of this spell that Alter hadn't quite found her just yet.

"Hey, are you going to buy something or not?" the large woman shouted from behind the counter.

In the middle of her thoughts, her feet had taken her to the stall, where skewers hung out on display. She could see the fat dripping off them onto the ground, and reluctantly, she handed over her last few coins.

It didn't take long for her to gulp down the food, and she regretted it instantly, wishing she had savored the taste a bit more. Eventually, her feet started to hurt, and she found herself at an inn that served drinks and food.

Since she didn't have enough to stay the night anymore, the only thing she could afford was a drink using her very last few coins.

The inn wasn't busy, as it was the middle of the day. Most people were out working, which was better for Charlotte as she sat in the corner and twisted the large glass several times.

"I better savor this and make it last as long as I can. Otherwise, I'll have to go outside in the cold again."

Charlotte was starting to lament what she should do now, where she should go, and who she could even trust in the situation she was in.

She was sure that Alter would now target Raze and the rest of his friends, so it wasn't safe for her to go there.

But how was she going to make money or find a place to stay without using her magic? How would she feed herself?

At this rate, she might even starve to death before Alter caught up to her.

For a moment, she thought about breaking the taboo. Maybe using her magic for other means—to steal or gather information.

She was no longer part of Alter, so what did it matter? She started small by expanding the Wind magic around her, allowing her to hear more from her surroundings.

Then she could hear two tables around her, with a group having an odd conversation.

"I think it's best we get out of this place."

"What do you mean? Did you receive an order?"

"No, but it doesn't matter if we're going to lose our lives. Didn't you hear? The Clans are calling all sorts of Alter groups for various tasks, and then they're never seen again."

"What? You think the Dark Faction is targeting Alter all of a sudden? No way, that's crazy."

"It's true. No one can even get in contact with the base to confirm it. I'm telling you, something or someone is after us. Don't accept any requests, and let's just head out of the Dark Faction."

"Should we go to the Alter base or just leave it? And what about our missions?"

"Some are just refusing requests and delaying missions, but who knows when we could get caught up in all of this? If we head back now while Alter is saying nothing, they can't blame us for it."

Hearing this news, Charlotte didn't know how to feel. Should she be happy that her pursuers were being killed off, and that maybe she would be safe?

That they had bigger problems to worry about? Or should she be worried that her former colleagues were being killed, and that there was now a chance another group was after her life as well?

"Ahh, I can't even think straight!" Charlotte groaned, slamming her head on the table. "I wish Himmy were here." She started to sob, but realized that maybe crying in this situation wasn't a good idea, especially when she was still partly dehydrated.

But she kept thinking of Himmy and how he would look after her, guide her, and tell her what the right thing to do was. She just needed someone like that right now because she was completely lost.

It almost felt like when she first arrived in Pagna, all alone and different from everyone else. Only now, people were after her life.

"You seem to be having quite a lot on your mind," a soft voice said.

Charlotte looked up and saw a man wearing yellow clothing, a bright smile on his face.

"We at the Rylon religion help anyone who is in need, so please tell us if there is anything I can do to help ease your troubles," the man smiled.