"So, Maya... I have a couple of questions." Kuzon asked as he sat opposite the girl before him.
It was late, and the two of them were both currently seated stop a small mountain. A campfire dwelled between the both of them, keeping then warm, but the fire wasn't large enough to block the vision they had of each other.
In this situation, traveling all alone, they had sat in silence until Kuzon raised the topic.
And that was because of one lingering feeling that had been gnawing at him for some time now.
'Did I make the wrong choice?'
The reason for this worry stemmed from the fact that he currently had no real direction for his mission.
'Was I supposed to get the approval of the Midas Emperor? If so, then I've failed woefully.'
After killing the 9th Prince, he knew he was going to piss a lot of people off, including the guy's father.
Such a man wasn't going to be willing to cooperate.
'Still though...' There was one thought that kept Kuzon from completely regretting his actions.
'Neron wouldn't want me to get the approval of such a douchebag, right? I mean, an Emperor that would allow all of these is essentially a monster.'
There was no way Neron would think he was going to cooperate with someone like that.
'Which means there has to be something useful...'
The only source for clues he had was this girl before him. Hopefully she had something useful for him.
"Ask away." Maya replied with a smile, most likely enjoying the warmth the flames provided her.
"Well... other than the Midas Empire, is there any other person—or group of people—who still uses Magic?" He could see Maya's face twist a little.
Perhaps she didn't understand the question.
"See, I'm looking for someone. He's meant to be really important and impressive..."
Kuzon didn't know what to expect from Maya, but he could only cross his fingers and hope for the best.
Even if it wasn't much, it would still help in narrowing his search a little.
"There is one man..." Her voice trailed, and the words she uttered instantly caught Kuzon's attention.
"Oh? What man?"
"Well, he's more akin to a myth. They say he defied the Midas System decades ago, and till now the Inquisition still hasn't found him. And so, he still freely uses Magic till this day."
Neron beamed when he heard this. This indeed sounded like the kind of person worth his time.
'Looks like not all hope is lost yet.'
"I actually... think I've met him before. I'm not sure, but I think it's him.".
"Oh? Could you please tell me about that encounter? What did he look like? Where did you meet him? Anything at all."
Maya looked at Kuzon with a bit of hesitance. "You promise yiu won't laugh or find it silly?"
"I won't." He responded sharply.
Anticipation was building up within him as he awaited Maya's response.
"I saw him one night. He was riding a flying sleigh. A couple of flying deer-like creatures were pulling the sleigh, and I saw him cruising through the sky with that strange mechanism. It felt... off."
Kuzon had to admit... that was indeed a very strange story. However, Maya wasn't done.
"I heard him make sounds like 'Ho ho ho' as he cruised the sky, and till now I still don't know what those words mean."
"Ho ho' ho? Hmm... I wonder what it could mean." Kuzon also rubbed his chin. The more he heard, the more he was lost in the bizarre nature of Maya's tale.
'She doesn't seem to be lying, though. I should learn more about this guy.' He finally decided.
"How did this mysterious man look like?"
For a moment, Maya maintained silence, most likely trying her best to remember his features—or better yet, trying to properly articulate them into words.
"He has a white beard. He was also stressed strangely... with something like a hat and an oversized robe."
"Hmm. I see. I see."
Kuzon had to admit, it would be difficult tracking someone down with only that amount of information.
'I have a strong feeling this is the guy I'm supposed to find. But it's gonna be tough.'
Considering he didn't have too much time at his disposal, he had to hurry.
'Where should I even start from?'
"Can I ask a question too?" Maya's words interrupted Kuzon's thoughts, and he nodded almost instantly.
For a moment, the both of them maintained silence. Only the low cackle of the burning wood separating them could be heard.
And then—
"Those powers you have... will you be using then to liberate the people of this world? You know, help them from the—"
"No. I won't."
"What? Really? Why? You have so much power. You could help so many people with it. If I had that much power, then..." Kuzon could see the frustration in her eyes, but he still didn't change his demeanor.
'I wonder if I should tell her about her Special Grade Mana Core yet. Na... she'll want me to train her, if that's the case.'
Considering he was in a hurry, there wasn't enough time for that. And that was specifically the issue.
"I don't have time. My world is in danger, and I have people I must protect there... even if it means abandoning the ones here." He answered honestly.
"T-that's really cold. How can you expect me, or even others to help you, when you won't even lend a helping hand to those around you? You have the power, so why not make a difference?"
Just as Kuzon expected, Maya was already making a big deal out of this. He once again reminded himself not to inform the girl of her latent.
At least, not until he had gotten all he could from her.
"If it's going to be like this, then why should I even help you on your search?" She blurted out, obviously cross with him.
Kuzon couldn't help but sigh.
'This is getting a little troublesome...'
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[A/N]
Something tells me Christmas is coming soon. Just saying...
