Deith: "His name is Aster…"
He murmured after a short silence.
Deith: "He likes to sleep in the garden… or on the rooftops."
Venti stood up slowly.
Venti: "Then that's where I'll start looking."
"I promise you I will do everything I can to bring Aster home."
The butler, standing slightly apart, watched the scene with a discreetly relieved expression.
The little boy nodded emphatically, as if he had just entrusted his most precious treasure.
And in Venti's heart, the mission had just taken on a new meaning:
It was no longer just a well-paid quest, but a promise to be kept.
A few moments later, Venti and the little boy found themselves in the manor's garden.
The butler watched them from a respectful distance, deliberately allowing them the space they needed for their conversation, while the guards remained discreet, almost invisible among the hedges and paths.
Deith walked beside Venti, a little closer than before.
Fear had given way to a certain excitement, tinged with hope.
He looked around carefully, as if afraid of missing something important.
Deith: "Aster especially likes sunny spots."
Deith explained, pointing to a large flowerbed bordered by light-colored stones.
Deith: "Here, in the morning, he often lay down on the flagstones."
"They get warm when the sun rises."
Venti nodded, observing the surroundings.
Venti: "The stone did retain the heat."
"Cats like quiet, warm places."
Venti murmured to himself.
Venti: "That makes sense."
They continued their walk.
Deith stopped near a large tree with thick branches.
Deith: "There too," he said, raising his finger.
"He sometimes climbs up this low branch."
"He sleeps here when he wants to be alone… especially when it's raining."
Venti looked up at the branch.
Light claw marks were visible on the bark, barely visible, but enough to confirm the child's words.
Venti: "Good eye," said Venti with a smile.
"You observe your cat very well."
The boy blushed slightly.
They then walked past the fountain.
The water sparkled softly in the daylight.
Deith: "He likes to drink here ".
Added Deith.
Deith: "And sometimes… he looks at his reflection."
"I think he thinks he's handsome."
Venti let out a quiet chuckle.
Venti: "A lot of cats think the same thing."
They finished their walk near the thick hedges, where the shade was deeper.
Deith hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Deith: "He sometimes hides here when he's scared… or when he wants to chase the birds."
Venti knelt down to examine the ground.
A few black hairs clung to the lower leaves.
Venti: "He was here a few days ago."
Venti hadn't thought a quest to find a cat would be so complicated.
Venti: "You're a great help, Deith."
"Thanks to you, I already know where to look."
The little boy looked up at him, a little more confident than before.
Deith: "Do you think he's still in the garden?"
Venti sat up, feeling the wind gently brush against his face, as if it were offering a silent answer.
Venti: "Maybe… or maybe he's gone a little further."
"But whatever the case may be, Aster knows these places well."
"And so do I now."
Deith clutched his hands tightly, torn between worry and hope.
Venti, meanwhile, memorized every corner of the garden, already mentally planning the next steps in his search.
Venti continued to consider how he could find the cat or other information:
- He could question the servants
- Ask another adventurer for help if possible
- Or even use his skills to speed up the search
Venti: "My skills."
Seeing worry gradually returning to Deith's face, Venti had an idea.
Venti: "He's really scared for his cat."
The little boy was doing his best to remain brave, but his slightly hunched shoulders and clenched hands betrayed his anxiety.
He needed to make him smile again, even if just for a moment.
Venti: "Hey, Deith."
Venti said, his tone lighter.
Venti: "Do you like magic?"
The boy looked up, surprised by the sudden change.
Deith: "Magic...?"
"Yes... well, I think so."
The little boy had already heard about magic and had seen several people use it, even though he wasn't allowed to get too close.
A small, unsure smile appeared on his face.
Venti: "Then watch closely."
Venti had a plan:
To cheer Deith up by using the skill he knew best.
Venti said, gently closing his eyes.
He concentrated.
FFFFFFFFffffffffffffffffff
The wind around him seemed to stir, almost imperceptibly.
Inside, Venti channeled his energy, not brutally like in a fight, but with finesse and precision. He slowed his breathing, letting his Anemo energy envelop him like a familiar breeze.
Deith stared at Venti without blinking.
And suddenly…
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffff
As a faint green light began to surround him, Venti vanished.
Deith: "Huh?!"
Exclaimed the boy, taking a step back, his eyes wide.
Where the adventurer had stood just seconds before, there was now only grass and the soft rustling of the wind.
Deith blinked for another second before realizing that Venti had disappeared before his very eyes.
Deith: "He's gone!"
Deith looked around, his heart pounding, trying to understand what he had just seen.
Deith: "Where… where did he go…?"
Venti: "Here."
The voice rang out right behind him.
Deith jumped and turned around abruptly.
Venti stood there, perfectly calm, a mischievous smile on his lips, as if he had always been there.
Deith: "A-AH—!"
Deith gasped, his mouth agape.
He remained frozen for a few seconds, then his eyes began to shine.
Deith: "Y-you disappeared!"
He exclaimed.
Deith: "How did you do that?!"
"It was… it was like poof!"
Venti chuckled softly.
Venti: "An adventurer's secret."
He replied with a wink.
In reality, he knew perfectly well what had just happened.
It was neither an illusion nor a simple trick:
He had teleported.
His ability was now working much better than before, enough so that the movement was instantaneous and silent, almost imperceptible to an ordinary person.
Deith finally burst out laughing, a genuine laugh, free of all worry.
Deith: "That was incredible!"
"Can you do it again?"
Venti: "Maybe later."
Venti replied, straightening up.
Venti: "We have to save some magic for last."
The boy nodded briskly, visibly much more relaxed than before.
His gaze, previously clouded by the fear of never seeing Aster again, now shone with hope.
Deith: "If you can do things like that..."
He murmured, admiringly...
The little boy's smile returned.
Deith: "Then I'm sure you'll find my cat."
Venti gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
Venti: "I promised you."
"And believe me… the wind never forgets those it protects."
Deith smiled, reassured. And as they resumed their exploration of the garden,
Venti felt something change:
This mission was no longer just a quest to complete, but a small spark of hope that he absolutely had to nurture.
Venti: "Let's just hope nothing bad has happened to him."
A few minutes later:
For a few more minutes, Venti and Deith continued to walk leisurely through the garden, retracing their steps in case they had missed something.
Deith seemed a little more relaxed now, his steps less hesitant, his gaze more attentive than fearful.
From time to time, he softly called Aster's name, hoping to hear a meow in response, but only the rustling of leaves answered him.
Deith: "Aster, are you there?"
Finally, the sun began to climb higher in the sky, clearly signaling the beginning of the afternoon.
The heat became more intense, and the shadows of the trees gradually shortened.
Seeing that the garden had been thoroughly inspected, the butler approached them.
The butler: "Thank you for your help so far."
He said, bowing slightly towards Venti.
The butler: "I'll escort the young master back inside."
Deith looked up at Venti.
Deith: "You'll keep searching, won't you?"
Venti: "Of course."
Venti replied with a reassuring smile.
Venti: "The wind hasn't finished talking to me yet."
The little boy nodded, then followed the butler inside the manor.
Deith: "He uses a lot of puns with 'wind.'"
Venti followed them, passing through the large doors once more.
The cool, hushed air inside contrasted with the heat of the garden, and footsteps echoed softly on the marble floor.
Once in the hall, the butler turned to Venti.
The butler: "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with you privately."
He said in a respectful but serious tone.
Venti inclined his head slightly.
Venti: "Of course."
The butler gestured to Deith.
Young master, please wait here a few moments.
Deith hesitated, then cast a final, confident glance at Venti.
Deith: "You'll let me know if you find anything?"
Venti: "I promise."
Reassured, Deith remained near a column while the butler invited Venti to follow him into a quieter side corridor, away from the main halls.
The atmosphere there was more serious, almost solemn. The walls were decorated with antique portraits, and the windows let in a soft light.
Once they were far enough away to be overheard, the butler stopped and turned to Venti.
His kind expression had become more serious.
The butler: "Adventurer…"
he began, lowering his voice slightly.
The butler: "Before we go any further, there are some things I need to make sure you understand."
Venti sensed that the conversation that was about to begin would be important.
He straightened slightly, attentive, ready to listen.
The butler observed Venti in silence for a few seconds, as if weighing every detail of his appearance:
- His bardic attire
- His bearing, too light for a mere adventurer
- And especially what he had seen earlier in the garden.
Then he clasped his hands behind his back, adopting a straight and formal posture.
The butler: "Adventurer Venti."
He said in a calm voice, but noticeably colder than before…
The butler: "I'd like you to explain something to me."
Venti immediately sensed the change in tone. The wind around him seemed to freeze, as if holding its breath.
The butler: "A little while ago, in the garden."
The butler continued.
The butler: "You were facing the young master."
"Then, in an instant, you vanished… only to reappear right behind him."
"Without a sound."
Without any apparent preparation.
He fixed his gaze on Venti.
Venti: "Oh no, I forgot he was here!"
The butler: "That kind of movement isn't that of a mere novice adventurer."
A brief silence fell over the corridor.
Only the distant ticking of a clock could be heard.
Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock
The butler: "Understand my position."
The butler continued.
The butler: "The Garlo family has enemies."
"Noble families willing to use…discreet means to achieve their goals."
"Assassins, for example."
Venti blinked in surprise, then immediately understood what he was getting at.
Venti realized that the butler suspected him of being an assassin sent by someone else to eliminate Deith, even if he didn't know why.
Venti: "You think I would be here to harm Deith?"
He asked calmly.
The butler: "I say your ability to appear behind him without him noticing is troubling."
The butler replied bluntly.
The butler: "If your intentions had been malicious, the young master wouldn't have stood a chance."
He stepped aside, instinctively placing himself between Venti and the direction the child was facing.
The butler: "Then I'll ask you again."
"How did you do it?"
Venti remained silent for a moment.
He knew he couldn't tell the whole truth, but a clumsy lie would only fuel suspicion.
So he sighed softly and answered calmly.
Venti: "It wasn't an attack, nor an assassination technique."
"It was a movement skill."
"Short-distance teleportation."
The butler's brows furrowed. Slightly.
The butler: "A teleportation…?"
Venti: "Yes."
"One of my skills."
Venti explained.
Venti: "I simply wanted to reassure Deith."
"I never intended to frighten her… or hurt her."
He met the butler's gaze without flinching.
Venti: "If I were truly an assassin, I wouldn't have drawn attention to myself like this."
"Nor accepted an official mission from the Adventurers' Guild."
"Nor taken the time to comfort a child."
The butler remained silent.
He observed Venti even more closely, as if searching for the slightest crack in his demeanor.
Finally, his gaze fell upon the adventurer's crystal attached to Venti's belt.
The butler: "The Guild has recognized you." "."
He murmured.
Venti: "Yes."
"And I intend for this mission to remain just that."
Venti replied seriously.
Venti: "To find a cat."
"Nothing more."
A long silence followed. Then the butler relaxed slightly, his shoulders loosening slightly.
The butler: "Please know that my absolute priority is the young master's safety."
He said, his tone still firm, but less hostile.
The butler: "I will therefore continue to observe you."
Venti offered a slight smile.
Venti: "That's only natural."
"If I were you, I would do the same."
The butler inclined his head slightly.
The butler: "Very well."
"Adventurer Venti."
"In that case… I'll let you continue your search."
"But remember":
The butler: "At the slightest sign of anything suspicious, you will be arrested immediately."
Venti: "Understood."
As the butler stepped aside to let him pass, Venti sensed that this mission had just taken on a new dimension.
Finding Aster was no longer just important for Deith… but also to definitively dispel the suspicions that now hung over him.
After this tense but necessary exchange, the butler inclined his head slightly and took a step back.
The butler: "I will return to the young master."
"You, for your part, can question the servants."
"There are many of them moving about the manor… perhaps one of them saw the cat go out or hide somewhere."
Venti nodded.
Venti: "I'll take care of it."
They then parted ways in the silent corridor.
As the butler headed back towards the main hall, Venti took the opposite direction, the one leading to the staff areas.
As he walked, the atmosphere changed:
Less pomp, fewer luxurious decorations, but more life.
Hurry footsteps, hushed voices, the clinking of dishes, and the rustling of fabrics could be heard.
Very well… Venti thought. Now's the time to try.
Venti knew that in situations like this, one of his skills could help him:
Soul Manipulation & Lie Detection
Personally, manipulating people's feelings didn't interest Venti, but lie detection would be very useful in this situation.
Venti: "Perhaps this skill will finally level up."
He instinctively placed a hand near his adventurer's crystal, even though he knew this skill required no object.
He briefly closed his eyes and focused, not on the wind around him, but on something more subtle.
A strange sensation arose in his chest, as if an invisible breeze were wrapping around his mind.
When he opened his eyes again, the world hadn't changed… and yet, he perceived it differently.
The first servant he encountered was a middle-aged woman carrying a tray of laundry.
She stopped when she saw him.
The servant: "Can I help you, Mr. Adventurer?"
The maid called Venti "Mr. Adventurer" because during his walk with Deith, Venti repeatedly encountered servants and other staff who noticed his presence. After an explanation, they learned that Venti was the adventurer sent to find Deith's cat.
Venti: "Perhaps."
Venti replied with a polite smile.
Venti: "I'm looking for a black cat with golden eyes, a white patch on its head, and a blue collar."
"Have you seen it?"
Venti: "It was now time to use this skill for the first time."
Chapter 23: The Black Cat with White Spots
The End