And just like that, the two were back together—friends again.
Silas talked for quite a while with Vince about many things, but mostly about his trip to the magic school.
Those were things Silas didn't know much about. Magic had always been fascinating to him. Hell, it was fascinating to anyone.
Vince was more than happy to share what he knew and even show off some of the spells he'd learned in his private lessons.
"So you knew I came here because of the alarm? That's pretty useful…" Silas said.
He was already thinking about how an alarm like that would be incredibly useful in his shop. Lately, he'd been a little concerned about its security.
A skilled mage could easily sneak into places and bypass defenses. If he wanted to keep his place safe, he'd have to work hard—or find someone who could.
Fortunately, according to Vince, it wouldn't be hard to hire someone for that.
"Yes, pretty good, right? There are mages specialized in security, can you believe that? The city itself is safe, but you always need some sort of defense at home," Vince explained.
Never in a million years did Vince imagine a world where Silas was actually rich—and planning to open a shop.
Silas wasn't about to spoil the surprise. He wanted to see the shock on Vince's face when that day came. He'd enjoy every second of it.
When the chief returned home, he was surprised to see Silas there. He came in yelling.
"These nobles are fuckers. Now they want me to go again and bring them new furs… Damn it," the chief said—then stopped when he saw Silas. "Hey, Silas. I didn't know you were here."
Besides being the village chief, he was also a merchant. And a rich, well-known one at that. It was common for him to leave the village to sell goods—mostly to nobles.
He looked annoyed. He had just returned, and now they were calling him out again, demanding more exotic furs.
If they weren't paying an absurd amount of money, he wouldn't go. But he couldn't exactly say no to that kind of cash. His son Vince was in magic school now, and those expenses weren't cheap.
Silas gave an awkward laugh. "Don't worry about it. I don't like nobles either."
The chief chuckled. "Good, good. You deserve a drink. Wait here."
Silas liked the chief. He was a good man.
"Don't mind my father," Vince said, "he's always complaining about work. Wanna go out and see another spell I can use?"
For the first time, someone actually wanted to hear about magic. Vince was thrilled.
There weren't many people his age in the village, and the ones who were didn't want to talk about magic—because they couldn't use it.
Silas was the only one who couldn't use magic and still wanted to talk about it.
Well, that's what Vince thought, at least. Silas knew his time would come—he'd become a powerful mage too. All thanks to his money.
They went outside, and Vince showed a cool spell. A tiny lightning bolt.
He aimed at a fallen log and struck it with perfect precision. The damage was impressive—it opened a hole straight through the wood.
"That's incredible," Silas said, genuinely impressed. "Isn't this a rare element?"
"Yeah, it is! That's why I easily got myself a spot at the magic school. Not everyone can use this type of magic."
Vince actually had an incredible talent for magic. That was unexpected for someone who lived in such a small village.
Silas felt a twinge of jealousy—but only for a second.
When he remembered the money in his wallet and the mysterious phone in his pocket, well, he felt good again.
They went back inside, where the village chief brought them a hot chocolate.
Silas knew that was the kind of drink only people with money usually had, so he took his time savoring it.
"This is really good," Silas said after a sip. "Thank you for this."
"Don't worry, kid," the chief replied. "So, you've heard Vince is going to town tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, I did. I'm actually thinking of going with him."
The chief frowned, not quite understanding why Silas wanted to head back to the city.
He had missed his chance at becoming a scribe—so what kind of job could he possibly get now?
The chief was concerned. A young man like Silas going to the city alone, without support, sounded like trouble waiting to happen.
Vince then chimed in. "I'll help him, Father. I'll give him some money and use my contacts to get him a job or something. I mean, I'm sure there are people who'll want favors from me."
It was actually a smart idea.
Right now, Vince was still a weak mage—barely a mage at all—but with his rare element affinity, he had real potential.
There were lots of people who'd be more than happy to help him out, hoping to cash in on that favor someday.
Silas truly appreciated the support Vince was offering—but he didn't need it.
"Don't overthink it," Silas said. "I have a few plans to get me going in the city. Don't worry about me."
They talked for a while before Silas left and went to Meredith's house. It was about time the new mage arrived.
When Silas got there, the mage was already there. She was a young woman who looked to be in her twenties at most.
"Why is she here?" Silas thought.
Usually, mages went to secluded villages like that one during their later years, looking for a more peaceful place. According to what Meredith said, that woman wanted to do some experiments, and that's why she wanted a more secluded place. Silas just hoped the experiments weren't bad or harmful to the villagers.
"Hey, Silas," Meredith said when she saw him approaching, "this is the mage I told you about. Come meet her."
The trio sat and talked. The mage wasn't interested in learning more about Silas' life after she heard he couldn't use magic. She looked at him with disgust, just like many other mages did.
Silas didn't mind it. He just used it as an excuse to leave as soon as possible. Of course, he first talked with Meredith about going to town the next day.
"Vince is going to a magic school, and I have a few plans, so we can all go together," Silas said.
Meredith liked Silas, so she would never let him go alone. "I can go with you. We can leave early tomorrow."
"Okay!"
Silas barely slept that night for two reasons: first, the person who tried to kill him was still out there. Second, he couldn't wait to leave that village.
The best scenario would be finding out who tried to kill him before leaving, but Silas couldn't wait. Vince had to leave the next day, and Meredith too! It was either that or go alone, and he was too weak in combat to do that.
So, Silas would have to accept it and move forward.
"Big city, here I come!"