CHAPTER 108: WHAT THE WATER HIDES

They both reached the riverbank, where the heart of the city unfolded in full view before them. The once distant myth had transformed into a communal obsession—people of all ages crowded the sparkling river: children giggling while skipping stones, elderly citizens exchanging stories of old folklore, and robed mages standing quietly as they cast detection spells over the water.

Even from a glance, it was clear: this was no mere rumor.

The river itself stretched out like a living creature—wider and grander than anything Marcus had imagined. What the system had described barely scratched the surface. The river pulsed with life, its waters glittering with hints of enchantment, home to countless aquatic species. Lush flora curled around its edges, forming a magical thicket that resembled the Forest of Trials in both ambiance and mystery.

"This place sure is lively," Marcus said with a soft laugh, the corner of his lips tugging up as he took in the scene. "And... more beautiful than I expected."

Victoria chuckled, her tone teasing. "Don’t tell me you’ve never come here before?"

Before Marcus could respond, Cynthia answered in his place, laughing as well. "Well, we did only decide to explore the myth last night. You know—spontaneity."

Hands casually tucked into his coat pockets, Marcus tilted his head, the smirk never leaving his face. "Right. The myth’s about a dragon, isn’t it? One that supposedly lives beneath this very river?"

"Pretty much," Victoria said, nonchalant, her gaze scanning the crowd.

Marcus’s attention drifted toward the clusters of people—at least twenty gathered along the banks, while another ten waded into the water, casting spells and probing with enchanted rods. A few were manipulating currents with water magic, testing for irregularities.

He narrowed his eyes. "Hmmm..."

"You have no idea what to do, do you?" Victoria asked, the corners of her mouth curling upward in a knowing grin.

Marcus gave a theatrical sigh, waving her off. "Trust the process. Besides, I’ve got another way of solving this."

Victoria raised a brow, mildly intrigued, but she didn’t press. She knew Marcus well enough to give him his space when he had that look in his eyes.

Then, he turned to Cynthia and pointed at her without hesitation. "You know what to do."

Cynthia exhaled, a bit resigned, though not annoyed. "Of course I do."

She stepped forward, crouched at the edge of the river, and extended her hand toward the surface. "But before that," she added with a dry look, "I still need an explanation about this whole ’harem’ thing."

Marcus winced subtly, but said nothing. A topic for another time.

Cynthia closed her eyes and focused. Magic rippled beneath her palm like a thread being pulled taut. Her senses stretched through the current—searching for interference, magical pressure, or anything unnatural.

Then—there it was.

A flicker of energy, faint, but undeniably real, emerged near the river’s right bank.

"Got it." Her eyes opened sharply, pointing in that direction. "There’s a signature there. Something is... wrong."

Marcus grinned, giving her shoulder a brief pat. "Nice work."

Victoria took a step forward, brushing dust off her skirt as she smiled. "Then let’s get moving."

They made their way along the riverside, weaving past other curious civilians and focused mages—at least five, all casting exploratory spells in the shallows, clearly tracking the same disturbance. The trio drew attention, not only for their confident stride but for the unusual direction they were heading in.

One of the mages blinked, watching them pass, confusion on his face. "Why are they going that deep...?"

Marcus merely gave them a smug wave, not even slowing his pace.

What followed was a surprisingly long walk—nearly twenty minutes of casual chatter, filled mostly with Victoria discussing her magic in detail, something she rarely shared so openly. Cynthia listened intently, fascinated by the subtleties of Victoria’s abilities, while Marcus occasionally chimed in with dry commentary.

Finally, their path opened up to a majestic sight.

A waterfall poured down from the side of a jagged mountain, cascading into the river like a silver curtain. Mist shimmered in the air, catching glints of light that gave the entire area an otherworldly glow. A handful of other people were already gathered there, each one lost in their own search for clues.

But one figure stood out.

An old man with a flowing white beard, hair like snow, and a long robe adorned with a curious emblem on the back—a sphere coiled by twin dragons. A single monocle gleamed in his right eye as he turned toward the newcomers.

"Oh? Curious as well, are we?" he asked, his voice warm and weathered, like firewood crackling in a hearth.

Victoria paused, one brow lifting as recognition flickered in her eyes. Cynthia’s reaction was more blatant—her eyes widened, posture straightening like she’d just seen royalty.

Marcus, however, simply smiled.

"Well, hard not to be," he said. "Almost the entire town’s out here chasing a myth."

Marcus made an excuse.

The old man chuckled, monocle gleaming as he adjusted it. "Yes, well. It all began when a drunk fool began shouting in the middle of the plaza that he saw the dragon rise last night. One drunken scream turned into mass curiosity."

"Found anything useful?" Marcus asked.

The old man sighed. "Nothing that reveals the creature’s truth, sadly. But I did find something... odd."

"This is probably nothing, but..." the old man muttered, then tapped the waterfall.

The moment the stick made contact, the waterfall ignited.

Crimson flames licked upward, yet the water wasn’t consumed. It shimmered instead—like the entire surface was enchanted, sealed away by ancient spellcraft.

"I can’t even dispel it," the man said, eyes narrowing.

Cynthia’s shock deepened. "Even you... Archmage?"

Marcus raised an eyebrow at the title, inspecting the old man again. There wasn’t any overwhelming aura radiating from him, but that didn’t matter—titles like Archmage didn’t come cheap.

The old man chuckled, stroking his beard with theatrical flair. "So you kids do recognize me. I was wondering, considering that young man over there just walked up like we were old friends."

He glanced back at the waterfall, expression solemn. "I’m afraid you three won’t find much here. Even with all my knowledge of runes... I can’t crack this."

Then, with a sharp elbow nudge, Victoria turned to Marcus, her smirk practically daring him to act. "Didn’t you say you were taking the lead today? I already know how to solve it... but I want to see what you’ll do."

Cynthia laughed lightly, noting the tension rising between them. "You two really do act close."

Victoria tilted her head toward Cynthia with a soft, knowing smile. "Well... you’ll be part of that soon enough."

There was more to that statement—Cynthia could tell—but the shared glance between Victoria and Marcus left her in the dark.

Marcus let out a long sigh, stepping forward as he rolled up his pants and began removing his socks and shoes. "How subtle," he muttered, though a faint smile lingered on his face.

Cynthia crossed her arms. "Is there some kind of inside joke I’m missing?"

"Don’t worry about it," Victoria said casually.

All three of them—Victoria, Cynthia, and the amused Archmage—watched as Marcus approached the edge of the waterfall, stepping into the mist.

The real test was about to begin.