They had been training outside the kingdom for several hours.
Seraphina's body looked relaxed, yet her eyes still held the lingering focus from her mana control practice.
Arzael glanced at her briefly.
"This time, she managed to control her mana until the end… good. She learns fast."
"That's enough for today," Arzael said softly.
Seraphina simply nodded. "Yeah. It feels… more stable now."
They continued their journey toward the inn they had rented for the past few days.
After an hour's walk, they arrived back in the kingdom of Eterna and returned to the inn.
At first, the atmosphere inside was the same as usual. Wooden tables were filled with a few guests chatting over drinks.
The smell of hot soup and toasted bread drifted in from the kitchen. The innkeeper greeted them with a faint smile.
"Oh, you're back," he said while pouring water into a glass.
Arzael returned the gesture with a light nod. "Yes. A long day."
"In that case, you should rest. Dinner will be ready soon."
His tone was normal, but his movements were a little too quick. Arzael caught that small detail.
They sat at a corner table. Seraphina began eating bread quietly while Arzael scanned the room.
A few strange glances were cast their way, not openly hostile, but long enough to be felt. Some guests whispered while sneaking looks.
"Hmph… I've seen those kinds of looks before. Not just idle curiosity."
Arzael decided to remain silent. He knew that reacting too soon would only give the gossips an excuse.
Night fell. The streets outside grew quiet, lit only by dim oil lamps along the roadside.
Seraphina had already gone to her room, while Arzael sat on a chair by the window outside her door, staring out.
Suddenly, his ears caught faint voices from the hallway, two men speaking quietly, but clear enough if one listened closely.
"…I heard they're not ordinary people. Just look at their white hair. From the north, I'm sure of it."
"From the north? You mean the Alzareth Empire?"
"Yeah. I heard… they're spies. They say envoys from there can blend in and spy on this city. Some even work with demons."
"You sure about that?"
"If you don't believe me, ask Doran at the market tomorrow. He's the one who said it first."
Footsteps faded away, and the conversation ended.
Arzael closed his eyes for a moment.
"Spies? From the north? So that's how they're starting this…"
He was no stranger to such underhanded tactics. Rumors were cheap yet deadly weapons, destroying reputations without ever drawing a blade.
"How would they even know I'm from the north? My face is rarely seen there. They can't know just from my hair color."
His fists clenched. A flicker of memory returned, fire, blood, and the cold laughter of the gods as they cursed him.
"This… has to be their doing. They will never let me walk in peace. There's always a dirty hand trying to get in my way."
The next morning, when they came down for breakfast, the atmosphere had changed drastically.
Some guests who were usually friendly pretended not to see them.
One even stood up and moved tables the moment Arzael sat down. The innkeeper still greeted them, but his smile was stiff.
"Is there a problem?" Arzael asked flatly.
"No… nothing." The reply was quick and short. Too short.
Seraphina glanced at Arzael. "Something happened?"
"Just rumors," Arzael answered in a low voice. "And the people here are too quick to believe them."
As they were about to leave, a large man at the door gave them a sharp look.
"You'd better be careful," he said. "Not everyone here likes… outsiders from the north."
Arzael met his gaze, eyes cold. "Interesting advice. But I don't need a guard telling me how to live."
The man only snorted and walked away.
That day in the market, Arzael saw more signs, whispers, judging eyes.
A merchant refused to sell him anything, pretending his shop was closed.
Seraphina walked beside him, calm but clearly observant. "They're avoiding us."
"Not just avoiding. They're trying to quietly push us out," Arzael replied.
He could feel it, the tension in the air, like the moment before a storm. Every step in this city now felt watched.
The next night, Arzael again heard voices in the hallway of the inn. This time, more people.
"…I'm telling you, they bring a curse. Look, ever since they came, a demon slipped past the guards two days ago."
"Yeah, and I heard that girl… has some strange curse. Her mana feels unnatural."
"They must have ties to demons."
"If that's the case, why don't we just report them to the city guard?"
Arzael rose from his chair, walked to the door, and opened it. The voices stopped instantly. Three people stood frozen in the hall.
"Got something you want to say?" Arzael asked flatly.
They exchanged glances before one muttered, "Not your business."
"If it's not my business, why are you talking about me?"
They didn't answer, just hurried away.
Arzael shut the door slowly. Inside, a small fire began to burn.
"They actually believe this nonsense. Good. That means… someone really wants me gone from here."
The next morning, over breakfast, Seraphina asked directly, "What's your plan?"
Arzael drank his water before replying. "We're not staying here. The Hero Association exam is still four months away. We'll head to the Valiant Alliance. There, they don't care who you are, where you're from, or what color your hair is.
"Why not stay and fight the rumors?" Seraphina asked.
"Because I won't waste time fighting people who don't even know why they hate me. And…" Arzael gave a faint smile,
"…because this gives me a reason to move to a place that benefits me more."
That evening, they began preparing. Arzael packed their belongings. Crimson Edge was secured in his inventory, Ethereal Boots still on his feet. Seraphina checked their supplies.
Outside their room, the voices were louder now, whispers no longer trying to hide.
"Thank the gods they're leaving tomorrow."
"Good riddance. This city will be safer without them."
Arzael heard every word. He didn't respond once.
"Hate me all you want. I'll return the favor… not now, but when the time is right. When you've forgotten you ever looked down on me."
Their last night in Eterna felt long. Arzael stood by the window, gazing at the star-filled sky.
"Gods… if this is your game, you'll regret it. I won't stop. There will be no place in this world safe for you, just as there is no place safe for me."
Morning came. They left the inn with calm steps.
The innkeeper gave only a brief wave, no words of farewell. A few guests watched from their tables, others pretended to be busy.
On the main street, the kingdom of Eterna was waking up, horse-drawn carriages passing by, merchants opening their stalls. But to Arzael, this kingdom was already dead, at least in his eyes.
Seraphina walked beside him. "You're really not going to look back?"
"There's nothing worth seeing behind me," he replied.
They kept walking toward the city gates.
And with each step, Arzael held one thought in his heart:
"I will return. Not to stay. But to make sure this nation remembers my name… with fear."