Kael gave a light kick to a loose stone, watching as it skipped along the cobblestone path before settling into a crack between the rocks.
He slid his hands into his coat pockets, tilted his head back, and looked up at the azure sky.
Each breath rose in the cool morning air, little clouds of mist that faded into nothing, one after another, disappearing without a trace.
'It should be today the auction starts.'
Kael let his head fall forward again, his gaze settling on the bustling street in front of him.
Every year, people from the neighboring cities gathered to trade their rarest items and resources in a public auction, and this year, it was Velthoria's turn to host the event.
He glanced around.
Over the past week, the Valthorne family had sent personnel to tidy up the Luminaire District in preparation. And it showed. The streets were cleaner, the hedges trimmed, and the air somehow fresher. Even the locals had chipped in. Street shops had been scrubbed spotless, and cafés now looked more welcoming than ever.
'They even stationed Luminaires in the mortal district just to make sure no protests break out during the event.'
Kael's knowledge of the mortal district had grown a little hazy since he moved into the Luminaire district, but he still kept himself somewhat up to date. Besides, that area was mostly Syleena's responsibility now. Whatever happened there, it was not his to worry about for the moment.
His steps came to a stop in front of a small stand, its baskets overflowing with assorted ingredients. The air around it was thick with mingling scents, earthy, from the roots of dying trees, and musty, like the stale air of an old attic, carried by the dried animal parts on display.
'Nothing of value.'
Kael stood still, his cold gaze sweeping over the assortment of ingredients laid out before him.
Ever since gaining the means to store items, he'd made a habit of collecting anything that might hold potential, flowers, insects, strange stones, anything that caught his eye. But without another recipe beyond the Stone Coffin, he still had no clear sense of what truly qualified as a refinement ingredient. All he could do was rely on instinct, hoping something would eventually click.
Right now, he was scanning the stall for anything rare, something not easily found in this region. But so far, no luck.
He was only moments away from turning around and heading to the next stall when a silhouette appeared in his peripheral vision.
Without much concern, Kael turned his head over his shoulder, only to be met by a blond-haired young man, bent slightly forward to get a better look at him.
The moment Kael turned, the young man's face lit up like he'd just won the lottery a hundred times over. It was almost comically exaggerated.
"No way… no way."
Darian's grin stretched nearly ear to ear as he stared at Kael.
"Who are you?"
The question hit like a stone. Darian's jaw dropped, stunned into silence.
A long pause followed, Kael watching him with a flat, unreadable expression.
Darian opened his mouth to respond, but before he could get a word out, a small smirk tugged at Kael's lips.
"Geez, I'm just messing with you."
He let out a quiet chuckle, the deadpan expression giving way to something lighter.
Darian exhaled hard, rolling his eyes in exaggerated relief.
"Pff… you had me worried for a second there, Kae—"
"Darius, right?"
Kael tilted his head, pretending to search for the name.
Darian stared in disbelief. First, Kael cut him off mid-sentence, and now he'd gotten the name wrong?
He was speechless, but before he could say anything, Kael broke the tension with a laugh and a pat on the shoulder.
"Relax, I'm kidding. Of course I remember you, Darian."
Darian held his stare a moment longer before throwing a light punch at Kael's arm.
"Fuck off, Kael."
The words sounded harsh, but his grin and the laugh that followed betrayed any real offense.
They spent some time catching up, going back and forth about everything that had happened since their days in the fight club. The conversation drifted easily between old memories and new stories, laughter slipping in here and there.
Not long after, Darian nodded toward a nearby street.
"Come on, let's get something to eat. My treat."
Kael didn't argue. He fell into step beside him, the two of them walking toward a small restaurant tucked just off the main road.
With a hot meal finally placed in front of them, the mood settled into something more relaxed, warm food, a quiet space, and a moment to think.
Kael took a bite, chewing slowly before setting down his fork.
"So… you were a Luminaire this whole time?"
His gaze lifted from the plate to meet Darian's.
From the moment Darian got close, Kael had sensed it. The aura was subtle, but unmistakable. Just like him, Darian had reached Rank Two.
He wasn't shocked, at least not completely. The Claymore family, while not officially noble and technically not permitted to raise Luminaires, was treated with the same respect as any noble house. It made sense they'd find ways to train them anyway. In a world like this, not cultivating Luminaires would be both reckless and dangerous.
Still, Kael hadn't expected him to already reach Rank Two. The Claymores had resources, connections, and generations of experience that Kael had lacked. In that sense, Darian's progress was reasonable. It was Kael who was the anomaly, reaching Rank Two so young, with no backing, no bloodline, and no official recognition.
In the eyes of nobles, he wouldn't just be seen as talented.
He'd be seen as a prodigy.
But still, it was impressive nonetheless. Darian wouldn't have reached rank two without putting in the effort himself.
"Mhm… only a rank one back then though. Don't tell anyone that."
Darian struggled to chew and swallow a piece of meat before finally managing to respond.
Kael nodded, acknowledging it. Then, after a brief pause, he spoke again.
"I thought Claymore wasn't allowed to have blood-related Luminaires under the—"
Kael stopped mid-sentence, catching himself as his eyes met Darian's across the table.
Darian looked like he was about to leap across the table and slap a hand over Kael's mouth. Instead, he quickly raised a finger to hush him, a serious look flashing across his face.
"Don't tell anyone that either," he muttered with a sigh. "It's true, but it should be fine. No one here knows me. And besides…"
He paused dramatically, clearly savoring the moment.
"I have an alias now."
Kael raised an eyebrow, half amused, half skeptical.
Why the hell did he look so proud?
"I hereby…" Darian turned slightly to the side, his face twisting into a poor attempt at looking stoic, "go by the name Cole Sinclaire."
A gust of wind chose that exact moment to sweep through, playing with his hair. It was almost poetic, all that was missing was a spotlight and a dramatic orchestral swell. He looked like he'd stepped straight out of the final page of a romance novel.
Kael slammed his glass down a little too hard and immediately started choking on his drink.
"What the hell is your problem?"
The words came out hoarse, broken up by coughs as he tried to catch his breath.
Darian blinked at him, confused and a bit concerned.
"What? Why are you reacting like that?"
He genuinely didn't seem to understand what he'd done wrong.
Kael didn't answer right away. He just sat there, wiping his mouth, trying to stop coughing, and staring at the idiot across the table with an expression that somehow managed to be both furious and exhausted.
Of all the names in the world…
Cole Sinclaire?