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  Chapter LVIAdar stared at Seres, who was staring right back at him. The embarrassment and awkwardness radiating from Seres was painfully obvious—and judging by how he felt, his own expression must have been just as bad.

  Between them stood Aden, the young noble, who didn’t look any better. Particurly considering that he was at the heart of all this mess.

  Not long since they arrived at Ulma’s parents’ farm. Her parents had been shocked to see their daughter arrive unannounced since they had believed she was still working for Aden’s family.

  Even so, they welcomed her warmly—perhaps because of the odd group accompanying her. Though to Adar their happiness at seeing their daughter seemed genuine. This situation had to feel strange to them.

  Things only got more awkward when Ulma began the introductions. Pointing out Seres and Adar wasn’t too unusual—they were just a couple of random guys. Of course, her parents were curious about the strangers traveling with their daughter, but they weren't anything too out of the ordinary.

  That changed when she introduced Aden—a son of Riversong’s lord. The already-awkward atmosphere grew worse when her parents realized the young man was a noble. Aden tried to smooth things over, expining that he had been part of the group sent to retrieve Ulma from here originally. However, Ulma’s parents had assumed he was just a guard and didn’t remember him clearly.

  But none of that compared to the bombshell of introducing Lord Nero. Ulma’s parents were utterly dumbfounded when their daughter gestured to a raggedly dressed young man and cimed he was a lord.

  Her parents exchanged bewildered gnces, clearly thinking their daughter had lost her mind. And this was before they even heard the reason she was here.

  Ulma, flustered, began trying to expin that Lord Nero was a very powerful mage. Nero, meanwhile, observed the entire scene with complete indifference. As Ulma grew more distressed and her parents more confused. It was Aden who finally stepped in to confirm her story.

  At that point, her parents nearly threw themselves at Nero’s feet, begging forgiveness for any perceived insult to someone so powerful. Whether they genuinely believed the story or were simply trying to pcate the noble, Adar wasn’t sure. Likely a mix of both, with Aden’s presence tipping the scales.

  What seemed to cement their belief was Nero’s persistent indifference. Ignoring them entirely, he turned to Ulma and said, “That’s enough. Expin the situation to them and let them make their decision. I don’t have all day.”

  With that, Ulma began telling her story—how she didn’t like working in Riversong and had tried to leave, only to be prevented. That was why she had run away and encountered the group on the road, asking for their help. When Aden and the guards had caught up, it had led to a standoff with Nero, whose decision had been that Ulma and her family should decide her fate.

  Her parents listened, growing increasingly concerned as she recounted the events. They repeatedly asked her to crify certain details, clearly hesitant about having this discussion in front of a group of strangers. Yet, at that moment, they couldn’t very well ask everyone to go away so they could talk privately.

  The situation was uncomfortable for everyone, and as usual, it was Nero who resolved it—in his own special way.

  “Well, it seems like you’ll take a while,” he said aloud. “In that case, may I use your kitchen?”

  The phrasing almost made it sound like a request. But who in their right mind would refuse such a strange and powerful mage? And that’s without even knowing the full extent of the necromancer’s abilities.

  The family had only one sane option, even though it took them a moment to process the unusual request. Which, frankly, was understandable—after all, what kind of person shows up and demands to use someone else’s kitchen? An arrogant, self-important mage, that’s who.

  In the end, they led Nero to their kitchen. It was a simple setup: a hearth where a pot could be pced over the fire, a table nearby for food preparation, and some herbs and vegetables hanging within easy reach. The space was clean and well-maintained, with just a bit of soot scattered on the floor from the hearth.

  Next to the kitchen area was what appeared to be the family’s sleeping quarters. From what Adar could tell, four people slept in this small building—Ulma’s parents and her siblings.

  While they were showing him the space, the parents asked if the mage needed anything else. Nero’s response was blunt: “No. Go deal with your problems.”

  He then ordered Seres and Adar to fetch the potion-making supplies from the mule. Clearly, he intended to use the kitchen to replenish their stock of healing potions.

  When they returned with the materials, Nero had already made himself at home. A magical orb of light hovered in the room, illuminating the space, and he had apparently set a pot of water to boil.

  Aden and the family stood awkwardly nearby, unsure of what to do. Any lingering doubts about Nero’s abilities seemed to vanish as they watched him work. Ultimately, they were ushered out of their own house to let the mage begin his preparations. Once again, they were told to focus on resolving their own issues.

  Ulma and her parents retreated to the family’s barn to talk in private. This leaves them in the current awkward scene: Aden, Seres, and Adar staring at each other, unsure of what to do, while Nero takes over the family’s home.

  Amusing times indeed thought Adar.

  And so they remained, occasionally trying to break the tense silence. But the truth was, Seres and Adar didn’t know the young noble well enough to hold a proper conversation. Add to that the secrets they had to keep, and any attempt at small talk fizzled out quickly.

  Eventually, Ulma and her parents emerged from the barn and approached them.

  “Have you reached a decision?” Seres asked, voicing the curiosity they all felt.

  Ulma hesitated, exchanging a meaningful look with her parents. “We think so,” she said at st, though their expressions betrayed lingering doubts.

  “But perhaps it would be better to wait for the Lord Mage,” her mother ventured, gncing at Aden. Making Adar suspect they pnned to keep Ulma at home but wanted Nero’s approval to feel secure in their decision.

  “Will he take much longer?” Ulma asked Seres.

  Seres gnced at Adar, and the two exchanged looks as they tried to answer. After all, Nero had only brewed potions once before, and the time it would take depended on several factors—how many potions he pnned to make, the quality of the ingredients, and so on.

  In the end, Adar replied, “Well, we’re not entirely sure. But I’d guess no more than an hour.” His reasoning was simple: he doubted Nero wanted to stay here long, and taking more than an hour would significantly cut into their travel time for the day.

  And so, the awkward silence returned as they waited for Nero. As none had the courage to interrupt the mage, the strange standoff resumed— just with more people now staring at each other, unsure of what to do.

  Ah, yes. Amusing times indeed.