Jack chuckled, low and rough. "Fair enough. I'll hitch my carriage and take you to Granny Maera's."

"Finally! I'm so tired," Rose sighed in relief.

"Wait for me outside; I'll get the carriage," Jack instructed.

Clara directed us back outside, alongside Merhh, onto the street in front of the lumber yard, which was better suited for carriages and waiting people. I tugged on Father, who still carried Astraya, seemingly without breaking a sweat.

"Dad, what could his brother have really done?" I whispered to him, not wanting Clara to overhear.

He turned, smiled, and patted my head. "Look at you—worried about your old man, huh? Don't be. I'd never find myself in that kind of mess… though, one can never truly tell." He chuckled softly. "If I really think about it, it could be anything. The Hippocratic Oath lays out what we Manomancers must never do—things like unequal transmutation, and worst of all, unequal human transmutation."

He paused, glancing at me with a faint smirk. "Notice I said 'unequal' quite a lot? They made it vague on purpose, those cheeky bastards. Simple enough to follow, yet vague enough to trap anyone curious enough to test its limits. It's almost like they want someone to go too far—so they can be the ones to decide when that happens."

"Then… isn't Jack right about Central limiting research?" I asked. "Or did he actually discover something? Maybe even attempt one of those unequal transmutations?"

I tried to piece it together in my head. Maybe it really was human. Maybe his brother's experiments were tied to the disappearances in town. I didn't dare say it aloud—not without proof. Still, I could tell Father was thinking the same thing. He just wouldn't admit it. And honestly, who would? After hearing Jack's story, you'd be careful what you said, too.

Father continued, noticing I'd drifted into thought. He hesitated, as if searching for the right words.

"Over the years, through study, discipline, and the teachings of the Academy, Manomancy has become a governed art. We live by a strict code — one that forbids us from assuming the worst of a fellow practitioner. To do so would break the foundation of our conduct." He paused, his voice lowering slightly. "Not that the Order itself is without... controversy."

Rose, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "Lord Zedd always said the Order has some terrifying people in it. Once you're taken to Central, it's basically over for you as a mage."

Hmm. All this talk about Central and the Order only made me more curious. What could Jack's brother have done to make them act the way they did? Jack said his brother simply lost interest in Manomancy—and they did return him in one piece. Maybe it wasn't physical punishment… maybe it was the emptiness of never being allowed to practice again. His dream, stripped away. Perhaps that alone was enough to break him.

"So, Father," I said after a moment, "I've never really seen you perform any transmutation."

"Well, son," he replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "Manomancy is a vast field of knowledge. It's divided into two great branches: Dragonhood and Manahood."

He gestured lightly as he explained."Dragonhood covers how mana relates to the royal paths of animals and all necessary knowledge toward dragons and animal paths, while Manahood studies mana as a single entity, from blue mana and all types, limitations, and all."

"I see. I wonder what field his brother studied. So, a transmutation in Dragonhood would be different from Manahood?" I asked.

"Yeah," Father confirmed. He pointed secretly to Morad. "He is a typical example of an equal transmutation on the animal path." Father clearly didn't want to go into the deepest paths of knowledge on the matter, sensing my curiosity was running too wild.

Father then shook my shoulder and gestured toward Morad. "By the way, umm, he has been sleeping all day. You sure he's alive?" he asked, worried about morad's stillness.

I looked at Rose, whose attention was also on morad. "Yeah, haven't seen him move one bit," Rose added, sounding slightly concerned.

"Yeah, he's totally fine. Let's just leave him be," I replied, even though I wasn't sure what was going on with him. Was it this town that was affecting him, or was he genuinely tired? "He's been unable to sleep for a long time, if I think about how we met. This would be the best I could do, just allow himself more rest."

Clara finally spoke, her voice soft and full of concern. "I hope the little girl you're carrying is alright," she said, glancing toward Astraya. "She looks… very tired."

Astraya really did look exhausted—drool was already pooling on Father's back.

"Kids these days," Clara chuckled lightly. "Full of energy in the morning, but come nightfall, they collapse like sacks of flour." She turned to me, gently pressing my cheeks. "And you? You must be tired too."

Father waved it off, glancing briefly at the small bundle on his back. "She's fine. Just needs rest. She had too much fun today with her Aunty Rose."

"Yeah, Aunty Rose was really flinging her around," I added, giving Rose a pointed look.

Rose looked away, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

Clara laughed softly. "It's nice to see kids playing again. Hardly happens anymore… not with how things have been in this town." Her smile faded, the weight of her words settling quietly over us.

Clara continued, "Anyway, she looks too tired. She'll need a little boost my kids get the same way sometimes. For young ones, a few good herbs usually do the trick."

Father nodded appreciatively. "Thanks a lot, but, um… where would we get the herbs?"

"No one better than the town florist," Clara said. "She knows her herbs better than anyone—especially the ones that help little ones get their strength back by morning."

Now holding Merhh as carefully as if he were a baby, Clara shifted the subject. "And about Jack—sorry about earlier. Hope you didn't take what he said too seriously."

Father waved it off with an easy smile. "No, no, not at all. I actually enjoyed the conversation."

Clara smiled faintly. "He's a good man. Just… emotional when it comes to his brother. Seeing a Manomancer like you probably brought up old memories."

"I understand," Father said softly. "It's a shame his brother never got to fulfill his dream."

Just then, the carriage creaked into place. Jack called out from the front, "Alright, everyone—hop on!"

A short while later, the creaking of wood and the soft clatter of hooves filled the cold night air. We rode through Blackroot's dim streets, the crystals glowing faintly in the mist.

As the carriage came to a stop, Jack turned slightly as Clara smirked beside him. "Here we are," he said.

Father thanked him, shaking his hand.

Jack smirked. "A pleasure meeting you. Always feel free to visit, I would love to chop some wood for you to take home, Mr. Vulgabread. And Lets have more arguments like that sometime."

Clara jabbed his shoulder. He grinned. "No, seriously, thank you. I'm happy there are at least other people having the same dreams as my brother, still pushing the boundaries forward." He stared at me. "Take care of your daddy now, he would need you guys a lot," and then he added seriously, "don't stay too long in Blackroot, it's for your own good. I'm sure you know why."

Father replied, "Of course. Be safe now."

Clara replied politely, "See you later, kids. Nice meeting you, such a lovely family."

Jack gave a short laugh, flicking the reins.

"Where are you heading next?" Clara asked.

"Delivering Merhh to his owner, of course," Jack said with a grin.

"Oh, yeah, true!" Clara agreed, completely forgetting.

"Wait, Merhh's not any of yours?" Rose asked, surprised. I also looked surprised.

Jack laughed again, same as rose . "No, no. Just watching him for someone. Goodbye now."

The carriage disappeared down the foggy path, leaving us before a modest two-story home surrounded by wildflowers and carved wooden charms swaying from the eaves. Behind it, the dark line of the Blackroot Forest loomed. The place gave off a faint haunted-house feeling—but that was just in my head. In truth, it was well kept, neat, and alive.

Father took a deep breath. "Well, we finally made it. We might as well go knock."

He stepped up to the door and rapped twice. Knock, knock.

Moments later, a soft light flickered on, and the door creaked open. An elderly woman stood there—her silver hair neatly braided, her eyes bright with surprise.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise! My special guests have come," Granny Maera said warmly.

Father gave a small bow. "I hope we can stay the night. I'm really sorry to trouble you."

She smiled, her eyes lighting up with that unmistakable joy grandparents have when family shows up unannounced. "Come in, come in don't just stand there and let the night cold bite you."

We stepped inside. The scent of herbs and old wood wrapped around us like a comforting blanket. The flickering amber light from the hearth filled the room, casting soft shadows that danced over carved wooden furniture. Dried flowers and shimmering mana crystals hung from the beams, their faint candle-like glow adding a gentle warmth to the air.

It was a cozy, welcoming place and strangely, I felt right at home.

Granny Maera leaned close and pinched my cheeks. "My little protector," she said fondly, "you must be hungry. Now, where's your sister

Father showed her Astraya, who was still asleep on his back. Granny Maera immediately noticed the deep exhaustion. "Oh no, she's so tired," she chuckled. "Please, make yourselves at home," Granny Maera said, her voice soft. She gestured toward a round wooden table surrounded by mismatched chairs. "It's been too long since I've had guests especially ones with kind faces."

She looked at Father. "Would you like to take Astraya to rest upstairs?"

Father was visibly relieved. "Please do. It would be a a pleasure."

Granny Maera then looked at Rose. "Would you like to follow as well to see where you'll stay? And who might this pretty face be?"

Rose was instantly blushing; I could feel the praise filling her ego.

Granny then asked, "She's your mom?" I screamed in my mind: Hell no! This girl is not even old enough or qualified enough to compare to my mom!

"Mom?" Rose's voice cracked as she covered her face. "I'm not! Why does everyone always take me to be a mother?" she said, sulking.

Rose nearly choked on her breath. "Oh! N-no, ma'am, I'm sixteen!"

"Oh my, sorry about that! Didn't mean to offend," Granny Maera apologized.

Granny blinked, then chuckled softly. "My apologies, child. Hard to tell sometimes. You've got a woman's build, that's all."

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