CHAPTER 30: INEVITABLE POSSIBILITY, HIDDEN DAMAGE

Back at Mama’s Pastry, the afternoon brought a steady stream of customers, though none as dramatically shocking as the morning’s customers. Nathan and Amanda had found their rhythm, working together efficiently to keep the displays stocked and customers served.

As the sun began to set, Elias made a decision.

"We’re closing early today. We’ve sold most of our inventory, and you’ve all worked hard. Let’s count our earnings and plan for tomorrow."

He announced.

Shortly after, they gathered in the back room, where Selina carefully tallied the day’s sales. The pile of Mystic Stones was impressive, nearly triple what they had earned on their opening day. That was excluding the thousands of Gold Coins that Elias reserved as payment for Nathan and Amanda.

Having them carry Mystic Stones without a container like a storage artifact was dangerous, as rogue Thaumaturgists could easily sense their energy and attempt to steal without caring whether they were children or not.

"327 Mystic Stones."

Selina reported with amazement, not counting the many Gold Coins they received as payment.

"At this rate, we’ll need to expand our inventory significantly."

She continued, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"We may need to hire more staff for rotation in case we have to work overtime."

Elias added and turned to his other workers.

"Nathan, Amanda, do you know other trustworthy children from the slums who might want to work here?"

"Several."

Amanda said immediately and continued.

"But boss, if I may ask, why specifically children from the slums?"

Elias considered his answer carefully before he spoke.

"Because I believe everyone deserves a chance to improve their circumstances. The slums breed either desperation or strength. I’m betting on finding more of the latter."

He said in a meaningful tone.

"Besides, who better to understand the value of hard work than those who’ve known true hardship?"

He added with a slight smile, his words catching both Amanda and Nathan by surprise.

...

As they prepared to leave for the evening, Elias pulled Selina aside.

"Tomorrow, I want you and Nathan to take Amanda to check on her siblings. Bring them food and see if there’s anything else they need. Use some of today’s earnings. I’d have loved for her to bring them to the inn, but with the recent development, that might put them in danger as I can’t guard too many people."

Selina nodded, understanding the importance of the gesture.

"Of course. Should I look for potential workers while I’m there?"

"If you see any who seem suitable, yes. But be discreet. We don’t want to appear to be recruiting an army."

Though that’s essentially what we’d be doing.

Elias thought to himself.

An army of loyal workers who will have every reason to protect what they are building here. If he wants to expand my business beyond this shop, he needs workers whom he can trust. However, that would depend on the response of the aristocratic families.

...

As they walked back to the Golden Hearth Inn, Elias noticed the various eyes watching them from shadows and windows. The events of the day had clearly raised their profile in Sun City. When one’s reputation increases, it usually brings both opportunities and dangers.

—Elias understood this.

"Sir, that man today, Damien Blaze. Will he come back?"

Nathan asked as they walked.

"Probably."

Elias answered honestly and added:

"But don’t worry. I’ve dealt with his type before."

More than you could possibly imagine.

He added silently.

...

That night, as Elias sat on his bed at the inn, he activated his Quantum Sight within his Mental Landscape, careful to avoid the World Overseer’s detection as before. The golden light filled his inner domain as he examined the branching possibilities of the near future.

However, in this attempt, he didn’t obtain any meaningful information, despite having tried many tries.

In one branch, he saw Damien returning with forces from the Blaze Family, possibly even family elders. In another, the aristocratic families made their moves, some offering partnership, others attempting subterfuge.

Exploring both the negative and positive branches this time, he not only saw possibilities of growth and success in his endeavors, but also of various conflict and danger. Elias was slightly concerned, but not to the extent where he needed to escape Sun City for his safety.

One vision particularly caught his attention. In it, he saw Selina standing in his shop by herself, but something was different about her. Her gentle eyes no longer held warmth; instead, it held a cold, cunning light, and unknown shadows seemed to dance at her fingertips.

Behind her, rows of silent figures stood motionless with vacant eyes. These silent figures appeared to be customers who had been transformed into something else entirely.

From the little that Elias could glimpse in this negative branch, this vision seemed to be caused by his departure from Sun City temporarily to attend something. After his departure, various forces attempted to take advantage of her and she retaliated after awakening her Thaumaturge Sigil in despair just like in the first vision.

The negative branch I witnessed before, even with the changes I’ve made, that dark possibility still exists.

Elias realized, his expressing turning solemn.

He pulled back from the visions, thoughtful. The future remained malleable, but dangers lurked in every direction. His simple pastry shop in the vision seemed to have become a nexus of various interests and powers.

—He needed to thread lightly to avoid a deadly pitfall.

Learning from his past experience, Elias had chosen to actively end the vision once it began to be tampered with by the unknown forces. He had the same experience as his first vision, with the events being sped up in certain critical parts, making it harder for him to concentrate on key developments.

Therefore, he didn’t see the end of these visions. If anything, what he saw were fragments of each vision. However, it was enough to decide on the general direction of his path.

...

The first rays of dawn filtered through the curtains of Elias’s room at the Golden Hearth Inn, painting golden streaks across the wooden floor. As consciousness slowly returned to him, a sharp, throbbing pain shot through his right hand like lightning.

—The hand experiencing such damage was the same one he had used to catch Damien’s flaming attack the previous day.

"Ngh!"

Elias gritted his teeth, suppressing a groan as he sat up abruptly on his bed. His hand trembled uncontrollably, the muscles spasming in waves of agony that radiated up his forearm. The pain was different from anything physical.

—It felt as if something was eating away at his nerves from the inside.

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Elias flexed his fingers tentatively. The pain was intense, like fire coursing through his veins, accompanied by a strange numbness that made his grip weak and unsteady.

So much for appearing unaffected yesterday.

He thought grimly, examining his hand in the pale morning light. On the surface, his arm appeared normal, with no burns or visible damage, but beneath his skin, he could sense a strange energy running amok in his veins.

To any observer yesterday, he had seemed completely unfazed by Damien’s attack, effortlessly catching his flaming fist and holding it in an iron grip. The crowd had gasped in amazement and even the spies were fooled by his display of power and dominance. The reality of that attack, however, was far more complex and troubling.

Elias closed his eyes, recalling the events with perfect clarity. When Damien had launched his flaming attack, he had immediately activated his protective suit’s defensive functions while simultaneously employing his Quantum Sight to analyze the energy signature of the incoming assault.

The flame itself had been relatively straightforward to his experienced eye. It was merely a standard fire-based technique powered by Mystral’s mystical energy, with a predictable molecular structure and energy pattern. In short, it was easy to dismantle in his perspective.

Using his suit’s counter-frequency capabilities, he had generated a precise counter-wave through the specialized gloves he wore, effectively dispersing the flame’s structure and neutralizing what appeared to be the primary threat.

The glove had emitted the exact wavelength needed to destabilize the flame’s molecular structure, causing it to dissipate harmlessly. The process had been almost effortless thanks to the advanced technology embedded in the protective suit he had acquired from his Mental Landscape using precious Mystic Crystals.

But there had been something else in Damien’s flame attack, something his Quantum Sight had failed to detect in its initial analysis. In the present, Elias activated his Quantum Sight, his eyes shifting from azure blue to glowing golden stars, with full power.