In a small town on the borders of the Ashford Duchy...
Jin was in a small restaurant in the town, wearing a hood and sitting in a corner.
He was trying to eat quietly, but... the paper in his hand annoyed him.
Jin: "Ehhh? What is this!!! Fifteen million what!!"
"Damn it, what did I do for them to put a bounty equivalent to 24 million dollars to capture me?"
At one of the tables near him, some unemployed men were talking loudly.
: "Did you see that wanted person? They've spread the news across the entire Empire."
Jin was screaming in his mind: "What?? The entire Empire? What kind of magical development do they have for the news to spread in just two days? Are we on Earth or what?"
Another person spoke: "Guys, that bounty is small. Haven't you seen the bounty set by the Temple of Darkness?"
: "No, we haven't."
A person stood up from another table and placed the poster in front of them.
: "Wow, fifty million full? Whoever catches him is truly lucky."
Jin shouted, heard by everyone in the place:
"What did I do for them to put an amount like this?"
Silence fell over the place for a few moments as Jin tried to process what he had done.
People looked at the posters for a moment, then looked at him.
: "Isn't this the guy in the picture?"
: "It's definitely him."
: "We're going to be rich."
Everyone in the place stood up. Jin placed two gold pieces in front of the restaurant owner.
Jin: "This is the price for destroying the place."
The poor owner spoke in amazement: "Wha- wha- what do you mean?"
Jin raised his hand, destroyed one of the lamps in the place, and some shadows spread.
Jin: "-Shadow Bind- Dark Magic."
The shadows fixed everyone in their places.
Jin spoke to them as he crossed toward the exit.
"I didn't need to destroy anything in the end, that's good."
He was interrupted by a voice from behind; someone had broken free from the binding.
Jin looked back quickly and found them to be investigators from the Temple of Darkness.
: "It's better for you to come with us quietly, don't think about involving the citizens."
Jin raised his hand.
"Silence - Fourth Circle of Black Magic."
Jin: "It's better to fight while you remain silent, haha."
Jin exited quickly to the outside of the restaurant and moved across the rooftops, with the two investigators following him.
"Damn, they're still following me?"
One of the investigators jumped into the air; with every step he took on the air, a green brick of Prana formed beneath him!
Jin: "So you use Prana and not Magic?"
One of the investigators appeared in front of him and delivered a fast punch. Jin took a defensive stance with his hands, coating them with energy.
The punch pushed Jin away until he crashed into one of the houses, destroying it.
He got up and ran through the neighborhoods quickly. His speed reached nearly seventy kilometers per hour when moving in straight lines!
Jin: "Damn, these are just regular investigators and they are already this strong?"
Jin was trying to reach the forest by any means, but the number of investigators began to increase!
Jin: "Will I need to fight in the end?"
The number of investigators reached five, and they got very close to him. Inside the forest, Jin stopped, and the five investigators stood before him.
Jin stood looking at them. He didn't have swords, so he pulled out the Wyvern Blade and smiled in annoyance.
"You really don't intend to leave me alone, do you?"
Jin released his aura. The color of darkness dominated in front of the investigators. One of them spoke anxiously.
: "He really possesses Innate Shadow Magic, huh? This will be difficult!"
At the same time in Hans's Tavern...
The usual session between Hans and Borin. Borin had his head on the table and was almost asleep.
The tavern door opened quietly; Lucian and his companion entered.
They approached the two old men.
Borin: "What is this? Two kids? What do you want?"
Lucian pulled out his sword, placed it in front of Borin, and asked: "Do you know this sword?"
Borin held the sword for a few moments and looked at it closely.
Borin: "Hmm, this sword... I made it for Kalyon about two years ago, but how did it get destroyed like this?"
Borin was stunned, his eyes widened, and he looked at Lucian.
Lucian spoke in a calm tone.
"So you remembered this sword. Perhaps you already know how the sword became like this."
Hans narrowed his eyes as he looked at them. Lucian pulled out Jin's bounty poster and placed it before them.
Lucian: "I hope you tell me the location of this person if you know it."
Silence fell between everyone for a few moments, then Hans spoke while polishing a cup, his tone completely natural.
"I don't think we have what you're looking for. Thank you for your visit."
Lucian narrowed his eyes at them and spoke calmly as well.
"Fine... then I'll leave. Sorry for disturbing you."
The two young men left the tavern, and the young man with the eyepatch spoke.
: "Didn't you see the way they responded? They are literally telling you they know everything and won't tell you."
Lucian stopped for a moment and replied in a low voice.
: "Those... are not people we can disturb."
The one with the eyepatch: "And why is that, you idiot?"
Lucian looked at him and spoke in a serious tone.
: "Didn't you think about how I knew about their relationship with him? Surely I found out their identity in the same way too."
The one with the eyepatch: "You bastard, then speak and tell me."
Lucian replied in a threatening tone.
: "Volt... you can't ask about everything."
On the night of that day, at Origin Academy...
Director Elder was sitting at his desk reading books as he usually does.
A teleportation portal opened in the room. Elder looked for a moment and then smiled; his reaction suggested he was expecting this.
An old man stepped out of the portal, wearing a long cloak and a luxury wizard hat.
His hair was long and grey, his beard thick, and the transparent glasses seemed to be part of his face.
He sat on the chair in front of Elder, smiling, then pulled out some tea biscuits that old people love.
Elder laughed and asked him.
"What is this? What happened to make you this excited?"
The old man: "That young man, he did something I didn't expect at all!"
Elder: "Did he visit you or what?"
The old man placed the boy's poster in front of him and replied: "This is what he did."
Elder looked for a moment, then looked ahead.
Elder: "Albert, I knew this boy was reckless since I met him, but what do you know about him to be this excited? You've passed eighty, you old man, hahaha."
Albert: "Yes, I will tell you, but where is the tea? These biscuits need Egyptian tea!"
The two old men laughed and spent the whole night talking.