The evening sky had long surrendered to night.
After escorting Elior back to the elite dormitory, Kael's carriage quietly left the academy grounds.
Neither of them had spoken much before parting.
Yet unlike this morning—
the silence no longer felt heavy.
It simply lingered between them...
gentle enough to leave behind.
The carriage rolled through the estate gates.
Servants waiting at the entrance bowed as Kael stepped down.
"Welcome back, Young Master."
Kael acknowledged them with a slight nod before making his way inside the mansion.
The quiet corridors greeted him as they always had.
Unchanging.
Orderly.
Silent.
After freshening up and changing into a lighter set of clothes, Kael walked toward the main hall.
The fire in the marble fireplace burned softly, warming the spacious room.
He lowered himself onto the long sofa without a word.
A familiar elderly maid approached, carrying a small silver tray.
Upon it rested a delicate porcelain cup.
"Young Master."
She offered it with both hands.
"Your honey water."
Kael accepted it with a faint nod.
"Thank you, Martha."
The old maid smiled gently before quietly excusing herself.
Kael lifted the cup.
The warmth spread through his palms before reaching his throat with the first sip.
Sweet.
Simple.
Comforting.
After finishing it, he leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes for a brief moment.
The mansion was peaceful.
Yet his mind was already moving toward tonight's work.
Soft footsteps echoed through the hall.
Kael opened his eyes.
Butler Ren stopped a respectful distance away before bowing.
"Young Master."
Kael looked toward him.
"The preparations?"
"Everything has been completed."
Butler Ren answered without hesitation.
"As you instructed, the ten selected teams have already assembled in the underground hall."
"They are awaiting your arrival."
A brief silence followed.
"Would you like them to wait a little longer?"
Kael slowly rose from the sofa.
"No."
His voice was calm.
"I've already made them wait enough."
He adjusted the cuff of his sleeve.
"Let's go."
"As you command."
Without another word, Butler Ren stepped aside.
Together—
the two of them walked through the quiet mansion.
Past long corridors.
Past the family library.
Past rooms illuminated only by dim wall lamps.
Eventually, Butler Ren stopped before what appeared to be an ordinary stone wall.
He rested his hand against a seemingly random brick.
A low mechanical sound echoed beneath the floor.
Rumble...
The wall slowly separated from the center, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness.
Cold air drifted upward from below.
Kael stepped forward first.
Butler Ren followed one pace behind.
The stone passage stretched deep beneath the mansion.
Each footstep echoed softly against the ancient walls.
With every step downward...
the warmth of the home above gradually disappeared.
And the heir of the household—
slowly became the man who carried one of the kingdom's greatest secrets.
"..."
The underground hall was already prepared.
Rows of men and women stood in disciplined formation beneath the crystal lamps embedded into the stone ceiling.
The moment Kael entered—
every person straightened.
Then, in perfect unison, they bowed.
"Welcome, Young Master."
Their voices echoed through the vast chamber.
Kael acknowledged them with a quiet hum before walking toward the raised platform at the front.
Butler Ren remained one step behind him.
After a brief silence, Butler Ren spoke.
"Young Master."
"As instructed, ten teams have assembled."
"Eight are veteran teams."
"The remaining two are newly established units I mentioned this morning."
His gaze shifted toward the last row.
"I brought them here so they could observe and gain experience under your direct command."
"If you find them unsuitable, I can have them withdrawn immediately."
Kael looked toward the two unfamiliar groups.
After a few seconds, he answered,
"No."
"They'll stay."
"But before we begin..."
His eyes calmly swept across the hall.
"I want to know who is standing before me."
Butler Ren nodded.
"Team Azure."
Six people stepped forward together.
Their captain bowed first.
"Captain Rowan."
One by one, the others introduced themselves.
"Lena."
"Darius."
"Iris."
"Felix."
"Nolan."
After they returned to formation—
another team stepped forward.
"Team Obsidian."
Their captain saluted.
"Captain Sylas."
The remaining members followed.
"Vera."
"Kieran."
"Mira."
"Edric."
"Sorin."
Kael observed every face quietly.
He wasn't merely memorizing names.
He studied posture.
Eye movement.
Confidence.
The way each person breathed while speaking.
Two individuals caught his attention almost immediately.
One from Team Azure.
Another from Team Obsidian.
Interesting...
Their composure was different from ordinary recruits.
Neither appeared nervous despite standing before him.
Almost as if...
they had already experienced something beyond ordinary field work.
Kael stored the observation away.
Not because he distrusted them.
But because every unusual detail deserved a place in memory.
Still...
tomorrow's objective would not be affected by it.
Whatever secrets they carried—
they could wait.
He looked away without comment.
The two members quietly released the breath they hadn't realized they were holding.
Kael stepped forward.
"I have a question."
The entire hall became silent.
"I don't need reports."
"I need experience."
His gaze slowly moved across every team.
"Among all of you..."
"How many have traveled through different provinces?"
Several hands rose.
"Good."
"Now tell me something useful."
He folded his hands behind his back.
"I want places remembered for flowers."
"Not famous cities."
"Not noble gardens."
"I want the places ordinary people recommend."
"The places mothers visit every spring."
"The rivers where travelers stop simply because something beautiful grows there."
"The mountains people climb for a single blossom."
A few people exchanged surprised glances.
Kael continued calmly.
"Especially..."
"Pink lotuses."
"If you've seen them..."
"I want to know where."
"The river."
"The lake."
"The temple."
"The marsh."
"The village."
"I don't care how insignificant it seems."
He paused.
"If a single old gardener grows them behind his home..."
"Tell me."
"If an abandoned shrine has only one pond..."
"Tell me."
"If a flower merchant once mentioned a rare variety while bargaining over prices..."
"Tell me."
His voice remained calm.
Yet every word carried unmistakable weight.
"Do not decide what is important."
"That decision is mine."
Another pause.
"I want everything."
"The famous."
"The forgotten."
"The smallest rumor."
"The smallest detail."
"Leave nothing behind."
Silence filled the chamber.
Then Kael simply said,
"Begin."
"..."
Silence lingered for only a moment.
Then one of the veterans stepped forward and bowed.
"I know of one place, Young Master."
Kael nodded once.
"Speak."
"A village called Lunareth, in the eastern valleys. A small lake rests beside an old shrine. Every spring, pink lotuses bloom across nearly the entire surface. Pilgrims visit the shrine, but most leave carrying flowers instead of prayers."
Kael committed the name to memory.
"Continue."
Another investigator stepped forward.
"I traveled through the southern riverlands several years ago."
"There is a river called Aster Flow."
"The current is gentle, making it suitable for lotus cultivation. Most of the flowers are white, but once every few seasons, a cluster of naturally pink lotuses appears. The locals believe they bring good fortune."
Kael remained silent.
Another voice followed.
"In the western mountains lies Velorin Pass. There is little farmland there, but an elderly gardener has spent decades cultivating rare flowers."
"He refuses to sell the pink lotuses."
"He only gifts them to those he believes will cherish them."
A few people quietly smiled at the old man's strange habit.
Kael simply nodded.
"Next."
A woman stepped forward.
"There is a floating market in Neris Port."
"Flower merchants gather there every fifth day."
"Rare blossoms from neighboring regions are traded there before being sent to noble estates."
"If someone wished to purchase an unusual variety without attracting attention..."
"...that market would be one of the best places."
Kael's fingers tapped lightly against his arm.
Another investigator bowed.
"Near Mount Seraph, hidden beyond the cedar forest, lies a natural spring."
"Few people know of it."
"But pink lotuses grow there throughout most of the year."
"The monks living nearby never harvest them."
"They believe the flowers belong to the mountain itself."
Another voice joined.
"In the northern territories, Lady Mirelle's Botanical Conservatory cultivates uncommon flowers from across the kingdom."
"Her gardeners are among the most skilled I've encountered."
"If a flower exists..."
"They have likely studied it."
One after another, the investigators stepped forward.
Some spoke of quiet villages where children gathered lotus petals for festivals.
Others recalled forgotten temples, wandering gardeners, mountain lakes wrapped in morning mist, rivers famous for their blossoms, and merchants who traveled hundreds of miles carrying nothing but flowers.
No detail was dismissed.
No place was considered too insignificant.
Throughout the entire discussion—
Kael never interrupted.
He listened.
Memorized.
Compared.
Every location.
Every name.
Every habit.
Every story.
Slowly...
an invisible map began taking shape inside his mind.
And although none of those present understood why their young master was collecting such ordinary information—
they knew one thing without question.
If Kael had asked for it...
Then somewhere within those seemingly insignificant details...
A purpose already existed.
"..."
After the final report was given, silence settled over the underground hall once more.
Kael lowered his gaze, replaying every location in his mind.
Then he asked,
"If one person were to visit each of those places..."
"...how long would the journey take?"
The captains exchanged brief glances.
Captain Rowan stepped forward.
"Young Master, if the route is planned efficiently..."
"...the nearest locations can be covered within a day."
"The mountain regions would require another day."
"The rivers farther south... another two."
"If every place is visited without rushing..."
"...approximately eight to ten days."
Kael nodded thoughtfully.
"I see..."
He committed the estimate to memory.
After a brief silence, he looked back at the assembled teams.
"There is another matter."
Everyone straightened instinctively.
"It concerns tomorrow."
His voice remained calm.
"I will be leaving the estate tomorrow morning."
No one reacted.
None of them were trained to.
"But the purpose of gathering you here tonight..."
"...is not to assign tonight's mission."
A faint pause followed.
"The task I have in mind requires preparation."
"And preparation is more valuable than haste."
He slowly looked across the ten teams.
"So tonight..."
"...I only want you to rest."
A few eyes flickered with surprise.
"Tomorrow morning..."
"I will personally explain your assignment."
He folded his hands behind his back.
"Until then..."
"Do not speculate."
"Do not prepare for a mission you do not yet understand."
"When I give an order..."
"I expect your full attention."
"When I do not..."
"I expect your patience."
A brief silence followed.
Then ten teams bowed together.
"As you command, Young Master."
Kael gave a slight nod.
"Good."
Kael looked across the assembled teams one final time.
"There is nothing more for tonight."
His voice remained steady.
"Have a good rest."
"Tomorrow..."
"...we begin."
No further explanation was given.
No one asked for one.
They had long since learned that when their young master withheld an answer—
it was because the time to know had not yet arrived.
In perfect unison, all ten teams bowed deeply.
"We wish you a pleasant evening, Young Master."
"Good night, Young Master."
"We shall await your orders."
Kael acknowledged them with a quiet nod.
"Mm."
Without another word, he turned and walked toward the staircase.
Butler Ren followed a respectful step behind.
The heavy stone doors slowly closed, sealing the underground hall in silence once more.
One by one, the teams dispersed, each carrying the same unanswered question in their minds.
What awaited them tomorrow?
Yet none of them voiced it.
Because trust had long replaced curiosity.
...
Ascending the final step, Kael emerged from the hidden passage back into the quiet mansion.
The corridors were peaceful.
Only a few lamps still burned softly against the night's darkness.
He paused for a brief moment, glancing through the tall window at the moon hanging above the estate.
Then, without another thought...
he made his way toward his room.
Tomorrow...
would be the beginning of something new.
And the night quietly welcomed its silence.
"..."
As for Kael...
Rest had never been something that came easily to him.
No matter how exhausting the day had been...
No matter how much work he completed...
There was always another thought waiting for him.
Another possibility to consider.
Another plan to refine.
Another unanswered question refusing to leave his mind.
Silence surrounded him.
Yet his thoughts never truly did.
After entering his room, Kael changed into lighter clothes and extinguished all but a single lamp.
He sat on the edge of the bed for a long while, quietly organizing tomorrow's plans inside his mind.
Only after every possibility had been arranged...
Only after every detail had found its place...
did he finally allow himself to lie down.
He closed his eyes.
Whether sleep would come...
or another restless night would greet him instead...
Even Kael no longer expected an answer.
Outside, the moon continued its silent journey across the sky.
And slowly...
the night passed in quiet stillness.
— by Aurea;"Some people end the day by closing their eyes. Others end it by closing every unfinished thought they can… only to discover the mind has quietly opened another."