The Water Magician

Today marks the second post for the day.

Run's inn, the Golden Wave Pavilion.

A water attribute mage passes through its door.

"Welcome!"

The innkeeper greets the familiar guest.

The mage looks towards the dining room adjacent to the lobby and spots the person he was looking for.

Abel is seated in the dining room, reading a book.

Across from him sits another mage.

"Hey, Ryo, what's up?"

Abel greets without lifting his eyes from the book.

"Abel... do you know how trust is formed?"

"Where did that come from?"

As Ryo suddenly began discussing an uncertain topic, Abel lifted his gaze to ask.

"What’s needed there are successful experiences. First, it's necessary to build up achievements. That way, people will think, 'It's okay to leave it to him' or 'He should be able to handle it well' or 'If he can't do it, no one else can.' Then, by actually trying it out, or allowing him to try, and experiencing it going as expected repeatedly, trust is cultivated."

"Oh, I see..."

Although the conversation was still unclear, Abel nodded along, unable to see where it was going.

"Now, let's discuss how trust can be lost. It doesn't mean you lose trust immediately after a failure experience. However, if you lie or deceive, trust can be lost in an instant."

"That's true..."

Though the talk remained unclear, Abel could agree with Ryo's points, so he nodded again.

"Now, there's something I want to confirm with you, Abel."

Ryo intentionally paused for effect.

"W-what is it?"

Abel, sensing a slight discomfort, urged him to continue.

"You are wearing an item that repels mental interference magic, right?"

"Yeah, I have it on."

Abel always wears the item known as the Necklace of Serenity.

It is a highly effective item that resists mental interference magic and nullifies negative effects from poison.

"I’ve heard that it’s a national treasure-level item. It's strange for a mere b-rank adventurer like you to possess something like that!"

"Just a mere b-rank, but… being a b-rank adventurer means I'm among the top tier in the country, right?"

Abel argued back, feeling cold sweat on his back.

"However, even Hugh, the former a-rank adventurer, doesn’t own such an item."

"Ugh..."

Ryo pressed on sharply, like a cold police officer cornering a suspect.

His right hand adjusted an imaginary pair of glasses, a gesture Abel couldn’t comprehend.

"I considered the reasons why a b-rank adventurer like you possesses a national treasure-level item. No matter how I think about it, I can only come to one conclusion. That conclusion is..."

Ryo took a deliberate breath here.

Abel desperately endured the pressure of expectation.

"You’re actually a thief who stole it from a treasure vault."

"I told you that conclusion is wrong!"

This was a repeat of Ryo's previous accusation.

"But that's the only thing that makes sense. After all, you're a swordsman yet you have the dexterity of a scout, able to find traps? That’s strange. But if you consider that you’re originally a thief who breaks into treasure vaults, then everything falls into place!"

Ryo looked at Abel as if to say, "What do you think about that?"

For Abel, who had no response to such a challenge, it felt impossible to answer… and he was tempted to just reveal the truth.

He thought that Ryo probably wouldn't spread Abel's true identity around, and even if he did find out, his attitude wouldn't change.

"Ha... fine, I’ll tell you the truth, Ryo."

Abel frowned, took a breath, and then slowly lifted his head to look Ryo in the eye.

"I am Albert, the second son of the current King Stafford IV. Albert Besford Knightley. Right now, I’m an adventurer for various reasons, including gaining experience. And this necklace, the Necklace of Serenity, is indeed a national treasure, but it's a special necklace that only members of the royal family are allowed to wear. So… that’s how it is."

Abel felt relieved after saying everything.

However, Ryo did not look relieved at all.

"Abel… even if you’re going to lie, you should do it a bit more convincingly. Didn’t I just say? If you lie, that alone will lose you trust... honestly, not listening to others is also a problem."