Markil and Maren walked side by side through the lantern-lit streets of Zephyros.
Markil glanced around, then at Maren's relaxed posture.
"Hey… where are we going?"
Maren tilted his head. "By the way, I forgot to ask earlier—why do you have a mask on your face?"
Markil stiffened.
Wow. Look how intelligent he is, Markil thought bitterly. He wasn't curious from the start, but now he suddenly asks?
He coughed lightly. "Uh… actually, I have a bad face. That's why."
Maren raised an eyebrow.
"Oo, really? Then why are girls still staring at you? You've got quite the hair, you know."
Markil turned away awkwardly.
Maren smiled. "Hey, can you take it off? I want to see if I can help you."
Markil's heart skipped.
Oh shit…
Maren studied him for a moment, then softened his expression.
I guess he's not comfortable, Maren thought.
He changed the topic.
"So… how old are you?"
"Nineteen," Markil replied.
Maren stopped walking.
"…You're nineteen?" He looked Markil up and down. "You're this big at nineteen? That's impressive."
Markil made a flat expression.
"Look who's talking about age."
Maren laughed. "Fair enough."
They stopped in front of a luxurious hotel. Crystal lamps floated near the entrance, and polished guards stood at attention.
Markil's mouth fell open.
"Hey… can you even afford this place?"
Maren smirked.
"Don't worry."
They walked inside.
The receptionist noticed Maren instantly.
"I-It's you… Lord Maren Walberd!" she said, blushing hard. "You're back? Where were you since yesterday?"
Markil blinked.
Lord…?
Maren waved casually.
"Ah, that? I was having a serious fight with a monster."
Markil stared at him.
Lie. You were in a strip club.
Maren leaned closer to the counter.
"Could you also give this person a room? The one right beside mine. He's my student."
The receptionist's eyes widened.
"Y-Your student?!"
She smiled brightly at Markil.
"You must be very proud to be his student!"
Oh yeah… yeah… Markil thought dryly. If only you knew what he's planning to teach me.
Maren flashed a charming smile.
"By the way, you and I could meet up after your shift."
The receptionist's face went completely red.
Then—
She fainted.
The room keys slipped from her hand.
Markil jumped forward.
"H-Hey! She's unconscious! I think we should help her!"
Maren calmly picked up the keys.
"Look forward. She'll be fine."
Markil stared at him. "…You're heartless."
They walked up the stairs to the second floor.
Maren tossed one of the keys to Markil.
"So, boy, that's your room. If you want to eat anything, I'll pay for you."
Markil caught the key, confused.
Why is he doing all this for me? he wondered.
Maren pointed to the door beside Markil's.
"By the way, my room is right next to yours."
He smiled.
Markil watched him walk away, then muttered to himself,
"…He is such a weird guy."
But for the first time in days—
Markil wasn't alone.
Nice, this chapter adds tension and comedy—and hints that both of them have crazy movement abilities 👀 Let's turn it into a tight novel-style scene with clear action, clean dialogue, and strong character beats.
Markil stood in the middle of his room, slowly turning around.
The place was absurdly luxurious. Soft carpets, glowing mana-lamps, a massive bed, and a window overlooking the city of Zephyros.
"…This is too much," he muttered.
He dropped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Who is this person, really?
He buys me food, gives me a room… and acts like a complete idiot at the same time.
A knock came at the door.
Markil sat up. "Come in."
The door opened, and a waiter entered, carefully balancing a large tray stacked with dishes—meat, bread, soup, fruits, and desserts.
Markil's eyes widened.
"…Woah."
"Are you Sir Markil?" the waiter asked politely. "Lord Maren Walberd has sent this for you. He said you were hungry."
Markil's stomach growled again, betraying him.
"Y-Yes, yes, that's right!" Markil said quickly.
He didn't wait another second.
"So delicious…" he mumbled between bites.
The waiter smiled, bowed, and left the room.
Outside the door, Maren stood in the hallway, watching the waiter walk away.
He smirked.
Then—
Maren vanished.
In the blink of an eye, Maren reappeared behind the strip club.
He stretched his arms and grinned.
"That's my chance. I'll teach him later. First, I have to prepare myself."
Someone from behind said "…Really?"
Maren said "yeah really!"
Maren Froze.
He slowly turned his head.
Markil stood behind him, arms crossed, eyes cold.
Maren jumped.
"WHAT THE HELL?! How are you here?!"
He glanced at the ground, shocked.
So he can teleport too?
No… this doesn't feel like the same technique. Does he have long-range teleportation? Global teleport? That's impossible… right?
Maren straightened up quickly.
"Ah—look, I forgot something here, that's why I came back."
Markil's gaze sharpened.
"Really? You got me food so you could sneak off and play around? Don't mess with people's lives."
Maren blinked, then nodded.
"…You're right."
He suddenly made a weirdly serious face.
Markil twitched.
"Stop that, you asshole! Why aren't you listening properly?!"
Before Maren could react—
Markil kicked him.
Maren flew off the rooftop of the strip club.
Markil rushed to the edge, looking down.
Where did he go—?!
"Surprise."
Maren appeared behind him and shoved him forward.
Markil gasped, nearly losing balance.
He twisted, grabbed Maren's sleeve, and yanked him with him.
Both of them fell.
They crashed into a trash bin behind the building with a loud CRASH, garbage spilling everywhere.
Silence.
Then—
Maren started laughing.
Markil, covered in dirt, glared at him.
"What's so funny?! This isn't funny, you asshole!"
He pointed at Maren.
"You can teleport! You have teleportation magic!"
Maren laughed even harder.
"And you don't?! You followed me instantly!"
Markil froze.
The laughter slowly faded.
Their eyes met.
For the first time, both of them realized the same thing.
The other one was hiding something dangerous.
(Chapter 41 Finished)