In the dimly lit room, the atmosphere hung thick with tension.
Shyarly sat silently, her expression solemn. A transparent crystal ball rested before her on the table, reflecting the faint glow of the lanterns.
Kaelen narrowed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips, concealing any trace of his thoughts.
Robin, standing nearby, looked equally composed—though a bit more curious.
Without making any overt movements, Shyarly exhaled a slow puff of smoke into the crystal ball. Her lips moved as if chanting something inaudible.
The moment the smoke touched the orb, a soft light began to pulse from within.
"…"
Was this how it worked?
Kaelen and Robin exchanged glances. The process was clearly steeped in mystery and gravitas, yet the presentation had caught them off guard—strange and almost anticlimactic.
Still, the smoke-wreathed glow surrounding the orb made it seem genuinely mystical.
Time passed in silence. Gradually, an image began to emerge.
A sky choked in darkness, a fractured land soaked in blood, jagged peaks split down the middle...
And then, a figure appeared—suspended in midair, radiating immense power, as though he had just survived a fierce battle.
The image zoomed in. The man slowly looked up, sensing something, and smiled faintly.
With that, the vision vanished.
"Ahem!"
Shyarly let out a sharp cough, her face paling as though the smoke had overwhelmed her. She turned toward Kaelen, visibly unsettled.
Another vision of thunder. That was rare.
"Was that you?"
Robin's eyes were wide with surprise. She turned to Kaelen, comparing him to the man from the vision—gentle and lazy in demeanor, almost like two different people.
"Yeah, looks like it," Kaelen replied with a soft smile. The image had definitely been of him—likely a glimpse of a moment yet to come.
Fascinating.
He recognized the land in the vision—the shattered crimson terrain. Most likely, it was the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Thinking about it that way, the probability of such a scene unfolding didn't seem far-fetched.
Divination truly was a strange art, as if peeking into the strings of fate.
Kaelen glanced at Shyarly again, his eyes glittering like he had discovered a priceless treasure.
Her expression twitched. Flustered under his intense gaze, she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest—like prey caught in a predator's sights.
"…"
Kaelen chuckled softly.
Shyarly was undeniably beautiful—striking features, graceful demeanor, and a mature allure. Even her figure had an intimidating elegance.
But the moment he caught sight of her tail, all such thoughts vanished.
"Ahem, thanks for the reading, Shyarly-san. That was truly an eye-opener."
"I owe you one."
His light cough broke the awkward silence.
A favor might seem too much for just a vision, but a complete divination wasn't something to be taken lightly.
He had already decided it was worth it.
"Alright," she replied without hesitation. A favor from someone like Kaelen was something few could ever hope for.
Maybe it would save her life one day.
…
"Divination really is something," Robin said as they stepped out of the Mermaid Café. "This sea is full of marvels."
The more she saw, the more she learned—the more aware she became of her own ignorance.
As a scholar, she always craved more knowledge.
"It's nothing unusual," Kaelen said, ruffling her hair with a grin. "There's no end to strange abilities in this world, not with Devil Fruits around."
"…"
Slap!
Robin knocked his hand away with an annoyed glare and continued walking.
Kaelen just laughed and strolled along with his hands in his pockets.
Their next destination was the Sea Forest—home to a Poneglyph that Robin was eager to study.
But just as they turned a corner, a sudden slicing sound broke the calm.
A sharp presence filled the air. The sense of danger came before the sound itself.
"Kaelen, look out!"
Robin turned sharply. Her eyes widened as her instincts kicked in—ready to summon her powers.
A massive axe came hurtling toward them from the sky, its glinting blade unmistakable as it sliced through the air.
"It's alright, don't worry."
Kaelen gave her a calm smile and raised his right hand casually.
Those simple words were enough to ease her panic.
The axe reached him in an instant.
Clink!
Time seemed to freeze.
Kaelen's index finger tapped the blade gently, producing a clear, crisp note.
A web of cracks bloomed across the weapon's surface before it shattered entirely—disintegrating into fragments.
"Vander Decken…"
Kaelen looked up sharply, his gaze piercing through the empty sky—as if seeing someone far away.
"I wasn't planning on dealing with you yet. Didn't expect you to show up this soon."
"Maybe it's fate," he thought, amused.
After whispering a few words of reassurance to Robin, Kaelen resumed walking with her toward the Sea Forest.
Unnoticed by either of them, a dark shadow flickered briefly beneath their feet—then vanished.
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Read ahead of WN on patreon.com/Zphyr_