The caravan rode into the night; not a single soul spoke, as all were too busy reflecting on their current situation.

  Especially Sieg, who felt a chill on his skin.

  The ape wasn't the tundra beast they were looking for; the thought of a stronger enemy disturbed the peace within his mind.

  "We can make camp here!" yelled the rider, halting the horses. They stopped at a nearby cave; both horses were exhausted, evident from their intense panting, so the party decided to give them a well-earned rest.

  This expedition group was well-prepared, having all the necessary tools to survive for a few days on this journey. Fire wasn't a problem — the male sorcerer had that covered.

  Broad-shouldered man helped gather dead twigs and branches in the nearby dead forest, while Intellectual man set up the pot and prepared to cook a basic vegetable soup for them.

  Scrawny man set up two tents that could house seven people. The rider tended to the horses, giving them water and apples.

  Meanwhile, female sorcerer went ahead to check the perimeter for dangers. She was supposed to be accompanied by Sieg, but the slum boy found himself standing still, gazing at the eerily empty tundra.

  "There's nothing to see here, candidate. It's a vast, empty place," the female sorcerer said, standing beside him.

  "I haven't seen anything like this before," Sieg murmured, finding the view mesmerizing, to the point that he even forgot to blush in the presence of a beautiful lady.

  "Oh? How so?" the female sorcerer asked, tilting her head.

  "Back in the slums, you don't see scenery like this, it was just garbage everywhere, and garbage people." It was difficult to explain what Sieg was feeling right now.

  Perhaps it was the realization of how vast the world was compared to his little life in the slums, that even a hostile tundra was awe-striking.

  "Hmmm, why were you in the slums in the first place?" asked the female sorcerer, catching Sieg off guard.

  "I guess… that's just where I was born. My parents were poor. There's not much more to it," Sieg muttered, struggling to explain something he had never really thought about before.

  "That's… interesting. Say, candidate, aren't there kind people in your world?" she continued, tilting her head once more.

  The idea of poverty or slums was completely foreign to her; she seemed almost amused by the thought.

  "I… I think so, yeah," Sieg replied with a weak and uncertain voice.

  "Your world has so many resources… What stops people from helping?" Her words made Sieg painfully aware of the unfairness he had long accepted as normal in the slums.

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  He smiled, and with a breath, he replied, "People are selfish."

  The female sorcerer heard him, then gazed at the tundra herself. She stretched her arms into the air, and Sieg finally began to blush at her presence ,but that was soon replaced by a different emotion with her next question.

  "Candidate, what would you do once power is granted to you?" the female sorcerer asked directly.

  Whatever Sieg said would affect her perception of him.

  Sieg looked down, not responding yet, fidgeting with his fingers, because he knew, deep down.

  "I'll be selfish too," he said.

  The female sorcerer rested her hand on her lower jaw, eyes narrowing slightly behind the mask as she contemplated his words.

  "How honest of you," she said.

  Sieg immediately added, "I'll be the better kind of selfish."

  "What do you mean?" the female sorcerer asked with her curiosity clearly piqued.

  Sieg almost cringed at his next words. He wasn't sure if he was speaking sincerely, trying to impress, or simply caught up in the moment, wanting the lady not to think badly of him. "I'll be selfish… but I'll know when to not do it."

  Perhaps, subconsciously, he wanted to apply Mister Knight's teaching about using an unfair mind when necessary.

  The female sorcerer paused at his answer, but she respected it, even if she chuckled at how na?ve it was.

  "What's funny?" Sieg asked, he was careful not to jump to baseless assumptions.

  The female sorcerer didn't answer directly. "Then I suggest you do everything you can to win the trial. Seems like a lot of people are counting on your shoulders."

  Sieg smiled and exhaled, running a hand through his hair to calm himself. "Yeah! I don't plan on losing."

  "That's right!" the female sorcerer exclaimed, a hint of genuine support in her voice.

  Then a question surfaced in Sieg's mind, something he'd been meaning to ask. He hesitated for a moment before blurting out, "Can you remove that mask? Are you really going to wear it all night?"

  The female sorcerer went silent. Sieg immediately worried he had asked a sort of sensitive question and he might regret it.

  "No, candidate. I cannot do that."

  "But why? I don't think you're ugly at all," Sieg replied without thinking.

  An awkward silence filled the air. Then the female sorcerer let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head slightly.

  "It's not like that," she said, finally meeting his eyes.

  "We are Visage Revenant. From the moment we exist, we come with a mask that slowly hides our face. the only time we remove our mask is when we are ready to marry or when we are down with our duties in our society, It's a tradition. Besides, the mask isn't like any other mask — you don't even feel it on your skin. To us, it might as well not be there."

  Sieg nodded slowly, a newfound understanding in his eyes. "I… understand. That's a beautiful tradition." he couldn't imagine being born with such a responsibility from birth.

  After all, his life was to wake up, eat, sleep and occasionally grumble at his mistakes.

  The female sorcerer inclined her head slightly, acknowledging his respect with a faint hum.

  Sieg suddenly remembered something rather interesting.

  Mister Knight… he still has his helmet…

  Then the moment of realization sinks in.

  The female sorcerer stepped closer, looking at him from the front. "Did something come to mind?"

  Sieg fought the urge to chuckle before asking, "Say… is it possible for someone to have a helmet instead of a mask like yours?"

  The female sorcerer stepped back and answered without hesitation, "Absolutely! Visages come in all shapes and sizes. Some even change as we age , and we live for a very long time. Up to a thousand years!"

  MISTER KNIGHT HAS BEEN SINGLE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS?!

  "What's with the shocked face?"

  "Nothing!"

  Female Sorcerer then looked at the empty tundra once more, one last careful glance before saying with a soft tone and smile, "We should head back and report, so far nothing is out of the ordinary here."

  Sieg composed himself, "Understood, and it was fun talking to you."

  Female Sorcerer halted on her steps, and then did a salute, "Likewise! Shall we go?"

  Sieg nodded in agreement before they both returned to camp.

  Candidate, I hope you soon understand not to develop any emotional attachment to us, for after this trial, we will never see each other again. Female Sorcerer thought inwardly.

  Chapter End.