After another twenty minutes of driving, they arrived at the foot of a mountain blanketed in lush greenery.

  “Nightcall Temple is where that owl lady lives, right, Mr. Leonardo? What are we doing here?”

  “I’m pretty sure you possess at least a Grand-rank physical constitution. Therefore, I need to discuss a few matters with her,” Leonardo replied.

  After they got out of the car, Leonardo led Luther and Aaron up the mountain along a narrow stone path. The steps were uneven, spotted with moss. Thick forest crowded in on both sides, filled with the sounds of birds and small animals.

  About halfway up, they reached a small clearing. The path stopped there. On the right was dense forest, and on the left was a steep cliff.

  Leonardo crouched down and gently shook a pale violet growing by the side of the road.

  “Cling, cling, cling…”

  A soft, bell-like sound rang from the trembling petals, and a moment later, something moved in the bushes.

  “Rustle, rustle…”

  A small deer stepped out. Its fur looked like layers of fresh grass, and its big, round eyes blinked with curiosity at the visitors.

  “Hi, Fifi! Is Orie home?” Leonardo asked.

  The little deer nodded.

  “Great. Can you please take us to her?”

  Leonardo waved his hand. A plant bloomed at once, growing a cluster of ripe berries. Fifi trotted over and munched on them until every last one was gone.

  When she finished, the deer turned toward the forest and let out a few clear cries. In response, the trees and bushes shifted aside, revealing a hidden path.

  Fifi stepped onto the narrow trail and led the way. The path twisted through the forest and even crossed a small wooden bridge over a clear stream before finally opening up. They arrived at a flat space carved out of the mountainside near the top, as if someone had cut away a small part of the peak to make room.

  From there, they could see the whole valley below, golden wheat fields shining in the sunlight, the Daan River flowing through the heart of Sicily, running into Lake Nerardeusis at the center before splitting again and flowing off into the distance.

  “This is so beautiful! Mr. Leonardo, can you take a few pictures for us?” Aaron asked, pulling his phone out.

  Leonardo:

  “…”

  Tall pine trees stood scattered across the plateau, so wide that it would take at least ten people holding hands to wrap around one trunk. Beneath their shade stood a temple built from white stone. Above the entrance was a statue of an owl holding a stalk of barley in its beak.

  The inside of the temple felt warm and cozy. Light-brown fur rugs covered the floor, soft cream curtains hung at the windows, and the walls were painted a gentle yellow. Oowrie perched on a table covered in red silk at the far end.

  At the moment, she was no bigger than a normal owl. Four tiny flowerkins, each about the size of a hand, fluttered around her. Two were putting lashes on her eyes. One was dusting some powder over her feathers. The last was combing her feathers with a tiny comb.

  “What’s up, Orie!” Leonardo called.

  “Fine until you showed up,” Oowrie replied, keeping perfectly still with her eyes closed.

  “Going on another date tonight? Who’s the unlucky one this time?” Leonardo teased.

  “I don’t believe that is any of your business, Mister Nosy Mayor,” Oowrie replied, trying not to move while the flowerkins worked.

  “Are you almost done yet? Hurry up. I have something important to talk about.”

  “Would you mind waiting fifteen minutes? Please sit quietly and do not make any noise.”

  “Fine, fine.”

  A little while later, Oowrie settled onto her wooden perch. Her lashes were long and curled, her feathers smooth and shiny, and a faint shimmer of powder made her glow softly.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “So, what brings you and these two young men to me today?” she asked, lifting her chin with quiet poise.

  “I was hoping you might consider taking in new students. If you agree, Sicily is prepared to offer you…” Leonardo began, choosing his words with care.

  It had been a long time since Oowrie accepted any disciples after that incident.

  “If the students you’re talking about are these two boys, then I agree,” Oowrie cut in before he could list any conditions.

  Leonardo narrowed his eyes.

  “Well, that’s great. Unexpected, though. Since when are you this easy to convince? What’s going on? You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

  Oowrie paid him no mind. She turned to the boys instead. “I am Oowrie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Hello, ma’am! I’m Aaron, and this is Luther. We’re happy to meet you, too!” Aaron said with a wave.

  “Would you two be willing to become my students?” Oowrie asked.

  “Of course!” Aaron answered at once.

  Being taught by a Grand Being who mastered both darkness and fire was an opportunity they could not refuse. Besides, Acher had already foreseen that this had no danger and would benefit them.

  Oowrie looked back at Leonardo.

  “Mister Mayor, may I speak with my students alone for a moment? The door is right over there.”

  Leonardo stared at her. “And what exactly can’t I hear? Don’t forget that I’m the one who brought them here.”

  “When will my thirty liters of Rainbow Lavender perfume and ten crates of Erus Powder arrive, Leo?” Oowrie shot back.

  “Uh… give me a few more weeks. You know how hard it is to order them. And shipping takes time, too.” Leonardo gave a stiff laugh. “Please take good care of them. Especially Aaron, he’s only practiced magic for less than three years.”

  “He’s a solar-type knight, so I can only teach him how to control his magic and some fire-type spells. Combat training will need someone else.”

  “I already asked Cindara to handle that,” Leonardo said, then headed out.

  Oowrie waited until he stepped out of Nightcall Temple. Once he was out of sight, she cast a soundproof spell around the room before speaking again.

  “Luther, I never imagined I would one day take in a student who is, in truth, a living reaper. It’s simply unbelievable.”

  “Wait, what? How did you know??” Aaron blurted out. Even Leonardo had never noticed Luther’s true identity.

  Acher studied the owl and said, “Ohhh, I see. This girl carries a trace of the Astral Gazer bloodline, and she possesses the Sight of Shattered Illusions. Since Luther is only an adept mage, she’s able to faintly glimpse through his cloak.”

  Oowrie said:

  “I’m not so old that I can’t recognize a Cloak of Ambiguity. A true living reaper in the flesh… incredible. It’s natural for beings like the Sable One or the Death Himself, born divine and of supreme bloodline, to become living reapers. But one born from the mortal world? That’s rare even in myth. The truth is, I’m not the best choice to be your teacher. Even Sicily, no, even the entire Origin, isn’t the right place for you.”

  “The place you belong is Erebion. Tsk… tsk…” Oowrie clicked her tongue. “I can only imagine how the Judicious Eye would lose their minds if they learned of your existence.”

  “Erebion?” Luther blinked.

  “It’s a heaven shaped by two Councilors,” Aaron explained. “Besides that, the Night Herself and Primordial Darkness moved their Evernight Kingdom there as well. More than half of the dark-type gods live in that world. It’s one of the strongest and most prosperous Major Worlds in the existing cosmos.”

  “I’m not moving,” Luther said, shaking his head.

  He didn’t even want to move from New York to Sicily. No way was he going somewhere even farther, to a place he didn’t know. His life now felt more than enough. He had family around him now, people he cared about, and who cared about him. Money was also no longer a worry. He even got to travel now and then. Before Halloween, he wouldn’t have dared dream of a life like this.

  A smile curved on Oowrie’s beak. “Then this is truly my honor. When do you have free time?”

  “We have school in the mornings, so evenings are the only time we can make it,” Aaron said after thinking it over.

  “So, here’s what we’ll do. Starting next Monday, you’ll come here every evening at eight. I’ll teach you for two hours a day, Monday through Friday. Does that work?”

  “That works.” Luther nodded.

  “Thank you, Miss Oowrie! How much is the tuition?” Aaron asked.

  “There’s no need for that. You boys saved us yesterday, remember?” Oowrie said. “Besides, having the chance to teach a young divine being is already the greatest honor of my life. And Luther, you must never let your identity slip. So, only use your cloak and your reaper’s power when you have no other choice. I want to see the day you rise to godhood, not the day I have to mourn you.”

  “I understand.”

  Before they left, Acher flew over to Oowrie and dropped a feather onto her forehead. It dissolved on contact and vanished. Then he did the same to Leonardo.

  “What did you just do?” Aaron asked.

  “Fate says those two can be trusted, and they’ll be good for your growth,” Acher said. “But caution never hurts. You’re far too weak compared to them right now. Even the smallest trace of malicious intent would be enough to crush you.”

  Aaron and Luther:

  “…”

  They exchanged a look, both wondering what this raven had gone through to become this guarded. Still, neither of them said anything. They knew Acher just wanted to protect them.

  “Thank you,” Luther said. “Dinner’s pizza.”

  “You little brat,” Acher said, grinning.

  After leaving Nightcall Temple, Leonardo brought them to the Sicily Office of Security.

  “Aaron, this is Cindara, Chief of Civic Security. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from her,” Leonardo said, introducing the young woman with fiery red hair standing beside him.

  The magic rolling off her in steady waves made it clear that she was a lord-rank knight, no less powerful than the invaders from the night before.

  “Hi, Cindara. It’s great to meet you!” Aaron said, holding out his hand.

  Cindara took it with a firm grip and met his gaze.

  “Hey, kid. You did well yesterday. I truly appreciate it. But don’t get comfortable because I won’t go easy on you. My training’s not for quitters.”

  “That sounds perfect. It’s been a while since I had to push myself to the limit,” Aaron said with a grin.

  Regular sports no longer excited him. Even soccer had lost its spark after he became a high knight. Playing against mortal kids felt wrong. He always had to hold back, never allowed to go all out.

  He had a feeling this was going to be fun!