Aidan glanced at Matthew's grumbling expression, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Truth be told," he said, leaning back slightly, "I'm not nearly as worried about logistics as you are."
"You have a storage ring, don't you?" Aidan asked, his gaze shifting toward the ring on Matthew's finger. "You can store a lot of resources in it, can't you?"
Matthew's brow twitched. He said nothing, but the faint crease in his forehead deepened.
Aidan caught the look, and a small, satisfied smile tugged at the edge of his lips.
So all those years spent buried in books hadn't been for nothing.
He leaned back slightly, memories flickering in his mind—pages filled with strange relics and magical tools. Storage rings, teleport gates, flying ships. Just like in the stories.
Storage rings had enchantments—able to store everything from weapons to rare ingredients, even corpses. Their space, their power—it all depended on the quality of the ring. Aidan was sure of it. And Matthew must have one of the best.
Matthew's eye twitched. That smug look on Aidan's face—it grated on him more than he cared to admit.
"Do you really think my storage ring is some cheap pouch for hauling supplies?" he muttered, annoyance threading through his voice.
Aidan scratched his chin, his tone light, almost teasing. "It's fine if you don't want to say. I'm sure Mom would give you another one if you asked… or I could. Doesn't really matter."
Matthew said nothing. He just stared, his silence louder than any response.
Sensing he'd poked Matthew enough, Aidan let the moment pass and shifted gears. "As for logistics…" he said, his voice turning more thoughtful, "I think the fewer people we bring, the better."
"It'd be best if it were just the two of us," Aidan said, glancing at the sky for a moment, then back at Matthew. "You can fly, right?" His voice carried a hint of curiosity—genuine and direct.
"Yes," Matthew replied, short and to the point.
Aidan didn't hesitate. "Can you carry me?"
Matthew's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't answer right away. For a moment, he studied the Aidan in front of him—sharp, deliberate, already thinking ahead.
Maybe he's more prepared than I gave him credit for.
"Yes," Matthew said at last, after a brief pause. His gaze lingered on Aidan, thoughts still circling. There were too many unanswered questions about this trip—but if that man was involved, he'd follow without hesitation.
Aidan folded his arms, his voice steady. "As for artifacts, I'll ask Father and Grandmother. I'm sure they have more than enough. Mother's still there too—and you'll be around, won't you? I'm sure you'll make your own preparations."
Matthew's hand reached his chin before he muttered, "It seems you've truly given this plan considerable thought."
Aidan gave a small nod. He didn't like leaning on his family—not this much. But right now, he didn't have a choice.
"What's really bugging me now is how we're supposed to get permission to leave the empire."
He turned back to Matthew, a question in his voice.
"Maybe you can spin it—say I need some real experience. A training trip or something."
He raised a brow. "Think it'll work?"
Matthew scoffed. "You still don't understand your value, do you?" Then he added, "Inside the empire? Sure, I could make that work if push comes to shove."
Matthew's gaze hardened. "Leaving the Human Empire isn't just stepping beyond the walls—it's walking into danger."
He raised three fingers. Slowly, he folded the third one down.
"You need to understand, Aidan," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "Most wouldn't dare touch you—but there are some… powerful figures who would."
His gaze locked onto Aidan, his tone dropping lower."And if they find you, they won't hesitate. You wouldn't just be in danger—you'd become a weapon. A way to strike at your parents. At the Wilson legacy." He leaned back, jaw tight.
"Yes, it would shake all of Maaya. Maybe even start a war. But even so… it's better to be cautious than to regret too late."
Matthew slowly folded his second finger, his gaze sharpening as he continued. "You have a lot of political deterrence, Aidan more then you understand at the moment, but when it comes to strength, you are sorely lacking."
"While I may be strong enough to serve as a deterrent, you're not," he said, his tone measured and low. "Even if you were merely a Level One, it would still be preferable being a ranker and non-ranker does a big difference."
Aidan remained silent, the words sinking deeper than he cared to admit. Each point Matthew made—all of it—came back to a single, undeniable truth.
Aidan hadn't expected it to be this complicated—just stepping beyond the borders of the Human Empire felt difficult. Now he wondered what would happen when he actually did.
But now that he thought about it… hadn't someone already tried to assassinate him when he was just five months old?
And even now, the one behind it was still out there—unfound.
Matthew noticed the shadow that passed over Aidan's face, but he didn't regret saying it. The boy needed to understand the world he was part of.
Yes, anyone who tried to touch Aidan would think twice—if they were found.
Because when Liam discovered who dared to target his son… they wouldn't live to see another dawn.
Matthew folded his last finger—his index—before speaking again, his voice softer than before.
"Just be careful when we're out there. Follow my instructions when I give them."
Aidan gave a small nod. He didn't like it—but he understood the significance.
He let out a slow sigh, his shoulders sinking just a little. He leaned back against the tree, his voice quieter this time.
"Any ideas?" Aidan asked, his gaze fixed on Matthew, as if hoping for some kind of answer. "How do we get out of here... without causing trouble? After what you just told me, I feel like preparing my parents for anything else would be easier than getting permission to leave the Human Empire."
Matthew gave a half-hearted shrug, his tone flat. "That's your part to think of, not mine."
Aidan grumbled, his head drooping in disappointment. He leaned his head back too, against the tree, glancing up at its towering branches—the shadow it cast settling over his body.
Just when he thought he'd need to think more carefully about it…
He saw the lizard on a tree branch, his mind drifting to Viscount John's words.
"Wait," he said, drawing Matthew's gaze away from the recruits and back to him.