Rayven froze as soon as he heard the old man's words.
'He didn't feel any mana?'
Of course, he wasn't really a mage now that he thought about it. He simply obtained a spell from the system and gained the ability to release that specific spell in exchange for a gold coin…
That itself seemed magical, but it doesn't mean that he was capable of using Mana.
Still, this made him realize that he could actually hide his identity as a "mage" as long as he didn't use his spell.
After all, even with the old man's Mana Sense or Appraisal, he completely appeared like an ordinary person.
Of course, the two girls who had been curious about Rayven's identity turned to him, stunned.
Nara blinked. "Wait… what?"
Rayven didn't react as he considered what to say.
"I never said I was a mage…" He then replied calmly.
"Then how did you cast that spell?" Thyruz asked in exasperation. He couldn't help but look at Rayven with an incredulous look.
After all, they had just witnessed him release a burst of Mana.
"I felt the mana only after the flick left your hand… You weren't gathering it! You weren't even disturbing the surrounding mana… It's such a strange phenomenon." Thyruz added.
Rayven shrugged. "I have my own methods."
He didn't elaborate.
How could he?
He wasn't gathering mana. He didn't sense it. He had no mana pool, no affinity, no knowledge of how Mana Flow works or breathing techniques, if there were things like that.
It was all thanks to his Coinbound System.
While others needed months of study or years of cultivation to master a spell, Rayven had obtained the "Mana Flick" through a system.
Thankfully, Thyruz himself gave a plausible explanation.
Indeed, the old man's eyes lit up as he recalled something…
"You… You actually have an Artifact! No wonder. You must keep that a secret. Good… Good." Thyruz said as this was the only explanation he could think of.
Rayven must have an artifact or two with him that were protecting him from Mana Sense or similar Spells. Aside from that, Rayven could also have something that could help him lessen his incantation.
These Artifacts were incredibly expensive, reaching about 3,000 to 5,000 gold coins. It wouldn't be surprising if Rayven would deny their existence. After all, it must be kept secret.
Thanks to this misunderstanding, Thyruz did not press any further and just felt happy for Rayven. After all, he was still young and had already been trusted by his Clan or Organization to possess such precious Artifacts.
Well, he believed that there was no way for Rayven to obtain such Artifacts on his own. It must be given to him by whatever group was supporting him on his path as a Mage.
"Artifact?" Rayven repeated as he gently nodded. This was a good excuse…
"Heh… You don't have to act innocent now, young man. I'm not going to take an interest in your treasures. Anyway, you can deny it, but unlike other mages, you're not surrounded by a wave of mana when you cast your spell. Hiding Mana Fluctuations may be possible, but not during Spellcasting…"
"Haaa…" Rayven muttered as he gently nodded to the old man. That was an interesting bit of information that he needed.
'Now… I just need to buy some kind of Silent Casting or Chantless Spellcasting, and I'll become traceless… Hehe…'
Just imagining it already made him happy. Still, that would be a long way to go.
Thyruz no longer talked as he knew that Rayven also had to keep his secret. If he were in Rayven's shoes, he wouldn't reveal his Artifacts as well.
On the other hand, Nara nudged Miki with her elbow. "Handsome and mysterious, huh? This guy's got hidden depth. Do you want to change your marriage partner? I will help you…"
Miki rolled her eyes. "Look at him! He's half my age!"
It was an exaggeration since she was only twenty-five, but Rayven was only fourteen. He still needed another year before his coming of age.
Rayven sighed as he pretended that he didn't hear their conversation.
For now, Thyruz decided to leave the carriage and walk to the wolves.
He gathered the wolves' collars to inspect them while the girls helped move them to secure the path. The injured culprit, on the other hand, seemed to have been carried by his accomplice, whom they didn't notice, and had gotten away.
Nonetheless, Rayven didn't pursue them, since he didn't want to spend his gold coins as well. He just wanted to return to his family as quickly as possible.
He didn't know what kind of trouble he'd get into for the rest of his journey, so he had to save his gold coins for now.
'Still… It's a pity I didn't get a mission or something.' Rayven sighed as he still couldn't understand how the system fully worked.
'How am I supposed to get some quests or something?'
After a while, the group resumed their journey. The journey was quieter but more alert than before.
Soon, Rayven looked out at the slowly darkening horizon. It was not because it was already late, but to an incoming storm.
Traveling in heavy rain would not be good.
"We'll need to find shelter before the storm hits us…" Thyruz muttered, tugging the reins of the horse pulling their carriage.
After looking around, Thyruz seemed to have recalled this path.
"There should be a village on our east… About 15 or was it 20 kilometers away? We can just return to our path after the storm passes."
Rayven nodded. "That's a good idea."
He didn't know about this path, and it could be dangerous if they got stuck. After all, there was no paved road from as far as he could see.
Then, as they changed their path, the old man suddenly turned to the upcoming storm and squinted his eyes…
"What is it, Sir Thyruz?" Rayven asked after seeing that the old man got tensed so suddenly.
Thyruz didn't speak for a moment…
After some time, Thruz sighed and shook his head. "What if I tell that the story wasn't a natural phenomenon but two Mages fighting each other? Would you believe me?"