Disillusionment - 1

The four team members, having finished the cleanup, hurried towards the Mermaid Tavern, fearing that if they arrived any later, the place would be flattened by a large-scale spell. Yet the catastrophic aftermath they’d imagined did not appear—the mermaid on the sign still hung cheerfully in its place, showing off her beautiful aqua-blue scales.

Garnier and Alo were leaning against the tavern bar, turning in unison as the four arrived.

“All done?” Alo glanced at the slightly out-of-breath group, nodded towards a locked leather case on the bar, and said, “The goods are here. Well done, everyone. We can pack up and head home.”

“So, does that mean we can have a party now?” Finn’s voice shot up with excitement, leading the others in a raucous chant, “You’re treating! Alo’s treating!”

“Treat! Treat! Tre—”

A sharp thud sounded as a glass knocked against the wooden tabletop.

The uproar ceased instantly.

Garnier gripped her cup tightly, momentarily forgetting to let go. She truly hadn’t meant to kill the jovial mood at that moment! But since she’d inadvertently ruined the team’s cheer, she didn’t mind playing the villain to the end.

She decided to show a hint of surprise, as if she didn’t understand why everyone had suddenly fallen silent, then, with elegance and warmth, invite them to continue, finally announcing that she’d join the party too, to improve relations with her subordinates.

Social occasions forced like this were never comfortable, but since the others—especially Alo—would be just as uneasy, she could endure a little discomfort herself.

So, Garnier lifted her glass slowly again, braving their gazes as she took a sip of ale. The foam and aroma faded, leaving a bitterness that numbed her tongue; she nearly grimaced but managed to restrain herself.

Alo’s lips twitched as if stifling laughter.

Garnier pretended not to notice and was about to speak when Alo coughed lightly. “Now that we’re officially a decorated guard, it’s not really appropriate to throw a party after every minor mission. Besides, I have some business to attend to in the City of a Thousand Towers tomorrow. Rain check on the drinks—I’ll treat you all next time. Pick somewhere you like.”

Garnier was startled. Was he trying to avoid spending the evening with her, having guessed her intentions? She cut off the train of thought and focused on the others, whose faces showed equal surprise.

“Right, it’ll take time to get back to the City of a Thousand Towers anyway.”

“Oh, I actually have plans tomorrow too.”

The group quickly caught on, mumbling in agreement and dropping the subject of drinks. Finn, as if making amends, glanced nervously at Garnier and volunteered, “I’ll go fetch the carriage now.”

Only then did Garnier realize she hadn’t considered how she’d get back to the City of a Thousand Towers.

“If I’m not mistaken, you flew straight here, didn’t you?” Alo strolled to her side, reverting to his insincere tone of respect.

She eyed him warily, giving a curt hum in assent.

The dark-haired young man gazed out the door, searching for a non-existent means of transport before exclaiming in feigned astonishment, “Don’t tell me you forgot to arrange for someone to pick you up?”

Garnier’s mouth twitched, but she said nothing. She’d left in such a rush that upon arrival in Sweetwater Town she’d confronted Alo straightaway, with no time to arrange a pickup.

“There’s room in the carriage. If you don’t mind, you can ride back to the City of a Thousand Towers with us.” As soon as Alo made the offer, the three team members chatting by the door tried hard to hide their reactions, but their attention was clearly fixed on the two.

“I could just—” She almost blurted her refusal but stopped short.

Of course, she could simply fly back the way she came. Alo was counting on her to decline his offer.

Before the others returned, she and Alo had sat in silence, the atmosphere so tense that even the tavern owner found an excuse to leave again. His invitation could not possibly be sincere—

He only meant to annoy her, perhaps also to create further barriers between her and the guard.

Well, she wouldn’t let him have his way.

Besides, it was perfectly reasonable for the captain to borrow the team’s carriage.

“Fine.” Garnier flashed Alo a sly, malicious smile, catching a fleeting look of surprise on his face that gave her immense satisfaction.

That satisfaction vanished the moment she stepped into Alo’s carriage. From the outside, it looked unremarkable, but inside it was spacious, arranged like a small salon, with long sofas along both sides—enough room for five or six more people besides themselves.

In stark contrast to Alo’s usually careless manner, the interior was immaculate. Scrolls were arranged by category on shelves, no clutter marred the desk, and beside a few hardbound spellbooks lay a neat stack of parchment. A quill hovered above an inkwell, ready to obey the next command. Garnier suspected the letter devoured by the swift hawk had been written here.

Her own family, the Osinis, had similar carriages expanded with spatial magic. The decor was far from extravagant, yet the man who had left with nothing now enjoyed the trappings befitting a magister. Garnier wasn’t sure what she felt about that.

“Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?” Alo asked with a smile.

She hadn’t replied when, from the corner of her eye, she caught movement—a team member with a glowing staff poked his head in, his delicate face tense. “Finn is being too loud. May I ride in this carriage?”

Alo raised his eyebrows.

Immediately, Finn appeared at the door, earnestly protesting, “Ray takes up too much space. I’m uncomfortable sitting next to him. I’d like to switch carriages too.”

The burly man named Ray, standing behind the baby-faced youth, waved an arm in protest, his slow voice drawling, “That’s not fair. With just me and Lulu, a strong wind could overturn our carriage. Don’t forget, ours doesn’t have advanced magical shielding.”

Lulu, a female mage with short hair and feline eyes, had the build of an assassin. She stood with arms folded beside the mountain-like Ray, easily overlooked. Blowing a pentagram-shaped smoke ring, she filled the air with the sweet scent of candy. “If everyone comes here and leaves me in the back, I’ll miss all the fun. Count me out.”

Alo looked at his four teammates and closed his eyes in resignation.

Garnier’s gaze shifted among them, delayed a few moments before she realized: every one of them was making up excuses to cram into this carriage, worried she’d “bully” Alo.

“I have no intention of murdering the vice-captain here. If I ever did, I certainly wouldn’t choose his own carriage as the place,” Garnier declared solemnly.

An awkward silence fell inside and outside the carriage.

“You all heard her,” Alo snorted with laughter, waving the team members away.

But Garnier seized the chance. “I don’t mind if everyone rides together. Since we missed a good opportunity earlier, this gives me a chance to chat with everyone on the road.”

Alo shot her an odd look, but she met his gaze and countered, “It’s spacious enough, isn’t it?” Without waiting for his reply, she turned to the hesitant team members with a friendly, hostess smile. “Please, have a seat.”

Soon, the winged horses spread their wings, pulling two carriages into the sky. The rear carriage was left empty, while the front was filled with six passengers and a subtle, wordless tension.

“Let me introduce myself again. I’m Garnier Osini, your newly appointed captain.” Garnier turned to the woman on her right, who instinctively gripped her glowing staff.

Of the four, the one most openly hostile toward Garnier was this mage.

“That’s a staff with a history, lovingly maintained through generations,” Garnier said, causing the woman to pause. She recited her name, “Miss Elma Sobol, isn’t it?”

“Yes... I’m Elma.” The brown-haired mage averted her eyes.

“Your shielding magic is exceptionally subtle. Most can’t make a magical barrier both dense and unobtrusive, hiding the flow of power so well. That takes a deep understanding of magical principles and precise, stable control. Whoever gave you that staff must be proud of you.”

Elma opened her mouth, her blue eyes flickering in confusion. She wanted to dismiss the compliment, but her ears reddened despite herself.

After a moment’s struggle, she didn’t outright deny Garnier’s praise, just muttered under her breath, “It was my grandmother’s staff…”

After that, Garnier spoke to each in turn—praising Lulu’s sleep magic for being both strong and gentle, expressing admiration for the row of rare elemental sprites perched on Ray’s broad shoulders and looking forward to seeing their power, then commending Finn for his wide-ranging magical talents.

Their reactions varied, but all betrayed a hint of uncontrollable delight.

They knew, of course, that Garnier was forcibly closing the gap between them, but her judgments on their magic were so precise, each praise landing exactly on the skills they’d honed for years—as if she hadn’t just met them, but had witnessed each step of their journey.

Devotion to magic meant a life of solitude. Among mages, strength determined rank, and competition for resources was fierce. Different specialties and schools created deep divides, making it rare and precious to be truly understood by a fellow traveler.

What’s more, her approval, coming from the renowned prodigy of the Osini family, weighed far more than any empty flattery.

“By the way, is it true you spent the last few years at Black Reef?” The carriage atmosphere had become a deep, swirling pool, and Finn was the first to break the surface with a question.

“Yes. I was at Black Reef as recently as this morning. I missed the investiture because the teleportation circle there was destroyed by a thunderstorm,” Garnier answered calmly, locking eyes with Alo. He’d been unusually quiet ever since, not even interfering with her efforts to win over the team.

Alo’s lips curved, but he still said nothing.

Elma’s eyes brightened at the mention of Black Reef. Biting her lip, she hesitated, then couldn’t resist: “Are the rumors true? Do mages there live nearly forever? Are people there unafraid of the Misty Sea…”

“Not forever, but the mages I met averaged about two hundred years old. They’re less fearful of the coast than those on the mainland, but on days of high tide and thick fog, even they avoid the beaches. Of course, anyone who does go near never returns to brag about it.”

Laughter filled the carriage. Only mages would joke about disappearing into the forbidden, mysterious Misty Sea that encircled the continent of Borrea.

“Mages at Black Reef also have a different sense of time. Once the teleportation array was damaged, I was anxious for repairs, not wanting to be late for my first day on the job. But to them, whether it took a day or ten to restore contact with the outside world made no difference. And every day at three in the afternoon, they’d all leave together, stopping work. You’ll never guess why.”

Finn played along, “Why? To pray to Lady of the Flame?”

Garnier shook her head, “No, to attend a daily tea party and discuss magic with fellow mages. One lady saw me waiting there each day and finally just invited me to join them.”

“So did you go?” Finn and Elma pressed for more tales of Black Reef, but at the other end of the sofa, Lulu suddenly sighed. Ray looked at her questioningly.

Lulu glanced at Garnier, who sat at ease, answering Elma’s questions with a faint, serene smile. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were old friends.

“I just remembered—when Alo tricked me into joining the team, the way he praised my magic was almost identical to what that lady just said.”

Garnier’s pale lashes fluttered as she lowered her gaze.

She’d heard. When Lulu looked at her just now, Garnier had quietly split her focus, brushed her earlobe, sketched a sign in the air, and cast a minor spell to enhance her hearing.

“At Black Reef, the harsh weather and poor communication were minor troubles. What I missed most was the food in the City of a Thousand Towers.” Garnier tossed out an anecdote about a dreadful dish from the Everdark Monastery’s kitchen, earning a great laugh from Finn, and looked up.

Alo remained slouched in the audience’s pose, but his green eyes had a shadowy depth as they met hers.

So, she knew he’d heard Lulu’s remark too, just as he must remember another conversation, long ago on a high windowsill, legs swinging side by side on an autumn day:

“First, find a chance to praise their magic—be sincere and specific, and focus on the things they’ve truly worked hard at. Second, share some embarrassing story to lighten the atmosphere. These are practical tricks I’ve figured out—enough to help you fit into any group, without attracting too much envy or exclusion.”

“Why should I bother making people like me?”

“Maybe you don’t need to now. But someday, you might thank me for teaching you these things.”

Dusk seeped from the windows into the carriage. Garnier mouthed silently to Alo:

—Thank you.