"Vayne Arkwright!" one man shouted, brandishing a pitchfork.
"You destroyed our lives! What have you got to say for yourself?"
Others joined in, their voices rising in a cacophony of rage. Stones flew past Aric's head, narrowly missing him as he raised his hands in surrender.
I can't let them get close to the inn! Who know what damages could occur.
"Wait!" he called out, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him.
"If you have grievances with me, bring them to me alone. Don't destroy the building or anyone else."
His words seemed to give the mob pause—but only briefly. One villager lunged forward, swinging a wooden club. Aric sidestepped effortlessly, years of martial arts training kicking in instinctively.
Another attacker followed, then another, until the entire mob surged forward like a tidal wave.
Despite the odds, Aric refused to fight back aggressively. Instead, he focused on defense, using precise movements to deflect blows and avoid injury. He ducked under a wild swing, spun away from a thrusting pitchfork, and kicked a stone out of someone's hand before they could throw it.
''I understand your anger!'' he said aloud,
''But violence won't undo what's been done. Let me fix it. I swear I'll repay everything.''
The mob hesitated momentarily, caught off guard but their fury quickly reignited, fueled by memories of loss and suffering. They pressed forward relentlessly, forcing Aric to retreat toward the fountain.
Okay okay, good. Part of my plan, lead them away from the inn. Who knows how much gold I have to spend on that place if even a mirror is broken.
Ivy could only facepalm herself from her seat and muttered to herself,
You're worried compensation when there's hundreds of people who wants your head? What kind of cartoon bullshit reasoning is that?
Within minutes, he found himself cornered, surrounded by hostile faces illuminated by flickering torchlight.
From the suite window, Seraphina and Evelyn observed the unfolding chaos below. At first, Seraphina sneered disdainfully, expecting Vayne to lash out violently like he always did in the past. But as the seconds ticked by, she realized something was different.
This wasn't the reckless drunkard I know anymore. He would've fought back by punching people but right now all hes doing is deflecting and dodging. Also the way he's doing it looks like someone with years of experience...which Vayne does not have.
Even so, he's getting sliced and grazed with the amount of people hitting him.
Evelyn broke the silence, her tone unusually thoughtful.
"This isn't how I imagined Vayne handling this situation." she remarked quietly.
"Look at him—he's barely fighting back."
Seraphina frowned,
"He promised me he wouldn't trouble us again but why is he putting himself in danger now? Isn't this just troubling us?"
Her internal conflict grew as she watched Aric struggle valiantly despite being outnumbered.
Fuck me, am I really gonna interfere just because he can fight well?
Seraphina made up her mind. She turned to Evelyn,
"Come with me."
Without waiting for a response, she vaulted over the balcony railing, and using her dark powers to propel herself to the fight. She landed gracefully beside Aric with Evelyn following close behind.
"Enough!" Seraphina commanded, her voice slicing through the din like a blade.
"What do you want? Money? We can pay reparations—but will that give you back the shops destroyed? Will it erase the suffering caused by this fool?"
Her words struck a chord, silencing the mob momentarily. But the hatred in their eyes remained palpable, simmering just beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, Callista lounged comfortably in a nearby tavern, sipping wine while Penelope sat beside her, drinking a glass of whiskey. Callista expression shifted slightly when she noticed the commotion outside.
"How noble of him." Callista mused aloud, watching Aric defend himself valiantly.
"But if he dies tonight, where does that leave us? I was really hoping for the cold air."
Penelope hesitated, ''Shouldn't we… help?"
Callista smirked, rising smoothly to her feet. "I thought you'd never ask."
With an effortless grace, she strode toward the fountain, her scarlet dress trailing behind her like a flame. Using her gravity magic, she created a gentle force field around the mob, preventing them from advancing further without causing harm.
"Now, now. Attacking nobility isn't exactly polite behaviour, is it? Besides, this charming little town has always been one of my favourite places for… fun. Shall we find a better solution?"
Aric despite suffering from a great amount of injury on his chest and face, he spoke with sincerity,
''I will fix this town as soon as I'm done with lady Callista. I promise you on that. I will pay every building lost, every business failed and giving you what you deserve and more. Please believe in me.''
Before the mob could accuse him of lying, Seraphina spoke with authority,
''I will ensure that the restoration will proceed as said by my...husband.''
Under the combined pressure of Seraphina's authority, Callista's magical intervention, and Aric's promises of restitution, the mob reluctantly backed off—for now. However, their resentment lingered, hinting at future conflicts.
The heavy oak doors of the inn creaked shut behind them, sealing out the cold night air and the lingering tension outside. The inn's warm glow offered little comfort; inside, the atmosphere remained charged. Evelyn carried an aid kit retrieved from their luggage, handing it silently to Seraphina as they gathered near the fireplace.
Aric stood awkwardly by the mantle, blood trickling down his temple and staining his shirt where a stray stone had grazed his side. Despite this, he hesitated when Seraphina approached him with the aid kit, her expression unreadable.
"Open your shirt." she ordered sharply, though there was an odd softness underlying her tone—a rare glimpse of restraint for someone who despised him so deeply.
Aric shook his head instinctively, "It's fine. I can handle it."
[Oh, for heaven's sake. Just let her do it.] Ivy interjected through the notification screen,
[She obviously cares about you enough to even tend to your injuries.]
Seraphina raised an eyebrow at his resistance, her gloved hands hovering impatiently over the bandages.
"Don't be ridiculous. Let me see."
Her words were clipped, yet there was something almost… human about them. For a brief moment, Aric wondered if she truly hated him—or if her hatred masked some deeper emotion. But then reality snapped back into focus,
This is Seraphina. There's no way she cares about me like that.
Reluctantly, Aric unbuttoned his shirt, wincing as the fabric pulled against dried blood. Beneath it, bruises were already forming across his ribs, stark against his pale skin.
He avoided meeting Seraphina's gaze as she began cleaning his wounds with surprising gentleness.
[You're making progress.] Ivy remarked dryly.
[She's actually being nice. Don't screw this up.]
Aric ignored her, instead focusing on the sting of antiseptic as Seraphina worked methodically.
Even with all that dodging, he still suffered a great amount. Dumbass. Seraphina told to herself while tending to his wounds.
Her touch was efficient but not unkind, and for once, he allowed himself to feel gratitude—not just for her care, but for the fact that she hadn't walked away entirely.
Reminds me of the time my ex wife would do this sort of thing before the war. Well then again, she actually liked me enough. Seraphina here probably is just doing it for the sake of it.
"You should have used your magic." she said finally, breaking the silence.
"Why didn't you?"
"I… didn't think it would help." Aric replied carefully, choosing his words with precision.
"They needed to see that I wasn't going to hurt them. Using magic might have made things worse and plus I probably wronged everyone there and hurt them so, I didn't want to use magic that could've hurt them."
[Let me see again. IQ at S tier, you are smart, you can make a shield. SO WHY DIDN'T YOU?] Ivy facepalmed while contemplating whether Aric was a dumbass or just that nice.
Look, I know I could've made a shield and honestly I was going to if Seraphina didn't come in but it was far better to show that I mean no harm. I can always heal myself with magic and it's not like I was being intentionally stupid.
I was just showing them I'm not Vayne and I won't raise my hand at them.
[God you're actually insufferable.]
Seraphina paused, studying him intently. There was no mockery in her gaze,
"That's not like you." she murmured, more to herself than to him.
"The old you wouldn't have hesitated to burn half the town down if it meant saving yourself."
Callista, lounging nearby with Penelope trailing after her, leaned forward with amused interest.
"Speaking of which," she drawled lazily, "why didn't you fight back properly? Your technique was… unique, to say the least. Those kicks, those spins—you moved like a trained fighter. Yet you held back. Why?"
Aric froze momentarily, caught off guard by her observation. Evelyn chimed in next,
"She's right. You've never shown any combat experience before. None of us knew you could fight like that."
[Oh boy, here we go.] Ivy muttered sarcastically,
[Good luck explaining decades of martial arts training without revealing Earth's secrets.]
Aric forced a nonchalant shrug, hoping to deflect suspicion.
"Maybe I picked up a few things along the way. Doesn't matter now."
"It does matter." Seraphina countered sharply,
"You're hiding something. Again."
Her accusation hung heavily in the air, Aric met her gaze evenly,
"I'm not hiding anything important." he said firmly.
"What matters is what happens next. I promised those people I'd fix things, and I intend to keep that promise."
Callista smirked, clearly enjoying the tension,
"How noble of you. But don't underestimate how suspicious it looks when a supposed drunkard suddenly turns out to be a skilled fighter. Makes one wonder… what other surprises are lurking beneath that handsome exterior?"
Evelyn crossed her arms,
"You've been full of surprises lately. First Creation Magic, now this. What's next? Are you secretly a master swordsman too?"
Aric chuckled nervously, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Seraphina finished wrapping the last bandage around his torso, tying it securely before stepping back..
"You've changed. I can't tell if it's from amnesia or something else entirely but you have changed." she said abruptly, her voice softer than expected.
Before Aric could respond, Callista clapped her hands together gleefully.
"Shall we retire for the evening?"
With that, she sauntered off toward her room, leaving the others in tense silence. Evelyn followed shortly after.
Left alone with Seraphina, Aric hesitated, unsure whether to thank her or retreat quietly.
Finally, he settled on the former, "Thank you—for helping me."
Seraphina glanced at him briefly, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"Just go to sleep Vayne."