With every step through the dense woods, Aelira stumbled.

  ?Her small body lurched from side to side like a drunkard. She gritted her teeth, sweat stinging her eyes, struggling to keep her balance on the uneven root-snarled path.

  ?"Huff… Huff…"

  ?Ahead, her Master’s back grew smaller and smaller.

  ?Don't... stop...

  ?She lunged forward, forcing her legs to move, but each step felt heavier than the last. Gravity seemed to have doubled. She swayed, caught her foot on a stone, and finally collapsed face-first onto the dirt.

  ?Thud.

  ?Zaek stopped. He turned slowly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

  ?"What’s wrong? I thought you said this was easy."

  ?"Grhh," was all she could manage, tasting dust.

  ?Hours earlier…

  ?They had left the outskirts of Isenvale at dawn. After walking for a while, Zaek suddenly stepped off the path into a small clearing.

  ?"This place looks good."

  ?Aelira eyed him warily, adjusting her pack. "Good for what?"

  ?"Hm? Didn’t I say I’d teach you something cool?" He wore that confident, lopsided smile—one she had learned not to trust.

  ?She held her breath as he began to stretch.

  ?"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

  ?"Well," she replied flatly, "for someone who hasn’t taught me anything except running, simple spells, and basic mana enchantment for five years, you’re rather untrustworthy."

  ?"That's because you were already strong for your age. You weren't ready for the next step."

  ?Aelira simply stared at him, her silver eyes wordlessly judging.

  ?"Okay, okay," he sighed, scratching his head. "I promise I’ll teach you properly this time."

  ?She approached slowly, still skeptical. When did this kid lose so much faith in me? he wondered.

  ?"Ahem." Zaek cleared his throat, adopting a lecture tone. "Thanks to your fight with the Isengrim, you learned the basics of mana enchantment—Max Coverage. That’s a full, concentrated buff for a short period. It explodes with power."

  ?"That was basic?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "But it was maximum coverage."

  ?"That’s right." He picked up a dry twig from the ground and snapped it. "Normally, you learn to walk before you run, but this time it’s different. To master All-Time Coverage, you first needed to feel the extremes of Full Coverage."

  ?"All-Time Coverage?" She looked unimpressed. "So it’s just another mana enchantment technique?"

  ?"What? You don’t like it? The 'cool thing' I promised requires this foundation."

  ?She exhaled deeply, clearly resigned. "Fine. And why do I need to learn this?"

  ?"Because it’s paradoxically harder to be efficient than to be powerful," Zaek explained, his expression turning serious. "Covering yourself with as much mana as you can muster is easy; it's like opening a dam. But maintaining a stable, thin shield with the bare minimum—keeping the water flowing without bursting the pipes—that’s hard."

  ?"The bare minimum?"

  ?"That’s right. I want you to cover yourself with a constant, paper-thin layer of mana. All day. While walking, while eating, while talking."

  ?"That sounds easy."

  ?"Is that so? Then give it a try."

  ?She focused. She pulled a thread of mana from her core and wrapped herself in a thin, almost imperceptible layer. It felt effortless. Like wearing a light coat.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  ?"It’s easy," she said, her expression silently asking, What's the trick?

  ?"Good," Zaek grinned. "Then let’s get back on the road. Follow me."

  ?Present time.

  ?Aelira lay flat on the ground, glaring at her master’s boots.

  ?It’s so hard…

  ?At first, she barely noticed it. But as the minutes ticked by, the mental toll began to mount. Every step required focus. Every breath required calculation. If her mind wandered for a second, the veil flickered. Maintaining it while moving was like trying to thread a needle while running uphill.

  ?It felt like she had been running for hours.

  ?"You know it’s only been half an hour, right?" Zaek called over his shoulder, reading her mind.

  ?"…."

  ?"Can’t be helped. If you can’t even walk this long, we’ll have to give up on the technique. Maybe it's too advanced for a Viremont heir."

  ?The taunt worked.

  ?Gritting her teeth, Aelira pushed herself up from the dirt. Her legs trembled. She steadied her breathing and rewrapped herself in that thin, punishing veil of mana.

  ?"Hm. Good. Let’s continue."

  ?Zaek glanced back as he walked away. Aelira followed, each step labored, as though she were wearing full plate armor made of lead.

  ?This kid, he thought with a private smile. She’s a stubborn one.

  ?By the time the sun began to dip, a town appeared on the horizon.

  ?Zaek was grinning confidently, barely breaking a sweat. Aelira, however, was slumped against him, gasping for breath, unable to even lift her head.

  ?"Here we are—Oryndel," he announced cheerfully.

  ?"Really?" Her head shot up, a spark of excitement returning to her tired eyes.

  ?"No. We’re not even close. This is Illagas."

  ?The color drained from her face. Her head dropped back down with a thud against his arm.

  ?"…."

  ?"Come on, let’s find somewhere to rest before you collapse completely."

  ?"But I can still—"

  ?"No, you can’t. Your mana is unstable. It’s fine to rest. We’ll continue tomorrow."

  ?They entered the town of Illagas. It was a gray, muddy place, far from the splendor of the capital.

  ?As they walked down the main street, the atmosphere shifted. Passersby stopped their chatter. Eyes followed them—not with curiosity, but with cold suspicion.

  ?Is it my imagination, Aelira wondered through her haze of fatigue, or are they glaring at us?

  ?"Sensei, look." She pointed weakly toward a building with a crude sign depicting a frothing mug.

  ?They headed inside.

  ?The place was dim and smelled of stale ale and damp wood. Zaek approached the woman behind the counter.

  ?"Do you have a room available?"

  ?"A room?" The woman’s gaze flicked from him to Aelira. Her eyes lingered on the girl's silver-blue hair. Her expression darkened instantly.

  ?"Tch. We have no room for your kind." She waved a dismissive hand, turning her back on them. "This place wouldn’t suit your 'noble' tastes anyway. Try somewhere else."

  ?"Alright, if you say so," Zaek replied calmly, though his eyes narrowed.

  ?They left.

  ?But it wasn't just the first inn. They were turned away at the second. And the third.

  ?At the fourth inn, they watched the owner refuse them claiming they were full—only to rent a room to a rugged mercenary who entered right after them.

  ?Zaek noticed Aelira’s head drooping, her eyes fluttering shut. She was swaying on her feet.

  ?"Oi, don’t fall asleep here…" He clenched his jaw, supporting her weight. I didn’t think it would be this bad.

  ?As he watched Aelira rub her eyes, fighting to stay awake, realization dawned on him.

  ?It’s not because we look like nobles… It’s her.

  ?His gaze drifted to her striking ice-blue hair. The mark of House Viremont.

  ?Their expressions change the moment they see her hair. They think we’re here to collect taxes, or worse.

  ?No wonder Sylas is so desperate. The people literally despise his family.

  ?Zaek sighed, then looked toward one last tavern at the end of the muddy street. One more try.

  ?He dragged the drowsy Aelira behind a stack of crates. He bought a cheap, roughspun robe from a street vendor and pulled the hood over her head, hiding her hair.

  ?By the time he finished, she was nearly unconscious on her feet. With a weary sigh, he hoisted her onto his back.

  ?This was the only thing missing. Carrying the princess.

  ?The last tavern was warmer, with polished wood walls and stuffed deer heads mounted above the hearth.

  ?"Welcome. How can I help you?" the man at the counter asked, wiping a glass.

  ?"I’m looking for a place to stay. Do you have a room? Two beds."

  ?The man looked at Zaek, then at the hooded figure on his back. A strand of silver-blue hair had escaped the hood.

  ?The man rubbed his chin, a sly, predatory look entering his eyes.

  ?"Ten Dalma."

  ?Zaek froze. "Ten Dalma? For one night? That's robbery."

  ?"I heard there’s a man traveling with a little noble girl from that family," the innkeeper said with a knowing smirk, leaning over the counter. "High-risk guests pay high prices. Take it or leave it. No one else will take you in."

  ?Zaek’s stomach sank. Damn it… the robe didn’t work at all.

  ?Suppressing the urge to shatter the counter, he reached into his pouch. His fingers trembled with contained anger as he placed the gold coins on the wood.

  ?Clink. Clink.

  ?"Thank you for your payment," the man said cheerfully, pocketing the money. "Follow me."

  ?He led them upstairs to a cramped, musty room where two narrow beds sat against opposite walls, separated by a rickety nightstand.

  ?"Here you go. The key’s on the table. Don’t cause any trouble."

  ?The door clicked shut.

  ?Ten Dalma… for this dump.

  ?Zaek exhaled slowly, letting the tension drain from his shoulders. He gently laid Aelira down on one of the beds.

  ?She didn't stir. She was out cold, exhausted from the training and the travel.

  ?He looked at her peaceful face, innocent of the hatred directed at her name. He pulled the scratchy wool blanket over her shoulders.

  ?"Sleep well, kid," he whispered.

  ?He walked to the window, staring out at the hostile town below.

  ?"Should I go outside for a bit..." he muttered, touching the hilt of his sword. "Maybe get some fresh air."