Ellis directed them back into the town and paid for an inn so they could ride out again in the early morning. Mave had her own room out of the respect of her privacy. But for the rest of them, they had to share. They paid for showers and barely had enough money to buy a meal once they woke up. Stefan promised that the reward would set them greater than worrying about some grub.
And Stefan was nice enough to sleep on the floor while Ellis and Michael had their own beds.
Michael tried to fall asleep. It wasn't the same bedding like he had in the attic, even if it was better, but he managed to get comfortable. He held his sword and covered her with a blanket as if she was actually right next to him. The sight of him sleeping with his sword was weird enough though they didn't really pay much mind to him.
"Michael," Ellis suddenly called out. "I'd hate to keep you awake but do you mind telling me how you protected yourself against that fireball? Two times, at that, and you don't even know how to cast spells."
"Let the kid have his secrets," Stefan said. "He's not hurting anyone."
"He's hurting me." Ellis sat up. "There's nothing more that I hate when someone else isn't telling the truth, especially when they're in my party."
"When was it your party?"
"It was always my party. Did you know he could do something like that when you took him in?"
Stefan shrugged while stuffing his face in the pillow.
"Why didn't you tell us, Michael?" Ellis continued. "Why didn't you tell us you could do something like that?"
Michael held his sword close.
"We gave you a chance, we've given you knowledge, and we provided you with a home. You probably don't trust me but you're hiding something that we deserve to know."
Stefan groaned. "Don't pry into the kid. He beat the mage that you were worrying about, end of story."
Ellis glanced over. "I know you're not asleep, Michael, and I'm going to keep asking you the same question until you answer me."
"Yeah, he's definitely going to hate you now."
"You think I care about being friends with a kid?"
"I thought you two were the same age."
Ellis threw an empty bottle at Stefan. Stefan rubbed the back of his head as he ripped a few curses right back.
It was damn near impossible to drown away their voices as they argued back and forth. Michael respected Stefan for trying to defend him though Ellis wasn't in any wrong either. Michael had blatantly survived a point-blank fireball to the body and walked it off like nothing had happened. They both knew that Michael wasn't anything special from an ordinary adventurer. So for someone like him to pull that crazy stunt two times in a row was already suspicious enough. There wasn't anybody in the Adventuring guild that could replicate what Michael did during that fight.
Michael rolled over to face them as they stopped to notice him sitting up. He showed them his sword, the same one that he swore to protect as a secret between only himself and the person he cherished.
Michael drew his sword from the sheathe. "I think it's a magical artifact, just like the scroll you guys said."
Stefan studied the sword like he was trying to figure out what part of it was the magical artifact.
Ellis hopped off his bed to get a closer look. "So, it's a sword."
"Not just a sword," Michael hesitated. "It's immune to all types of magic."
"Excuse me?"
"You saw me cut through fireballs and the mage's shield. Any type of spell, I can cut through like it's nothing. And when I'm holding the sword, I'm also covered in that type of magic."
Ellis stared at him. "And you just found this…stumbling around or what?"
Michael held the sword in both of his hands. "A friend gave it to me."
"And that friend just gives you a magical artifact that could practically make you invincible? Immune to magic?"
Michael nodded.
Ellis looked like he was stressing out. "Well, if I'm being honest, I have no idea if you're telling me the truth or not."
"But I am."
"Did you know about this, Stefan?"
Stefan snored on the floor, completely knocked out to answer any more questions or listen to whatever Michael said.
Ellis sat back on his bed, still staring at the sword Michael held in his hands.
Michael was afraid of moving so he wouldn't break the gaze Ellis had on his sword. He knew he didn't have any bad intentions but sharing a secret like this was too risky for him. Nobody in this world had any idea what an ego sword was and now Michael introduces the power of one, and then it just sounded too impossible to be true. Evelyn's magic made the sword and Michael immune to magic.
"I'm not going to sell you out," Ellis noticed his uneasiness. "If that's what you're scared about. I know people with magical artifacts are notorious all around the kingdoms but I really doubt anybody would be scared of you."
Michael sheathed back his sword.
"I also thought a mage could be a great addition to the party. But someone with an artifact that makes them immune to magic isn't so bad either."
After changing the topic into where they would go in the early morning, they both decided it was late enough to catch some sleep. Michael was relieved that he wasn't stupid enough to expose that his sword could transform into a human. He could be imagining things but he felt like he was holding his sword closer to his body than usual. Sharing the secret he swore to keep did release some of the weight on his shoulders but it just felt like more heavy ones were added indirectly.
Michael pulled his blanket over him and hugged his sword. He just wanted nobody else to take her away.