Aiskin noticed Tars's lack of appetite, but in response to her and Big Dumb Hum's concern, Tars merely shook his head with a faint smile.

  During this time, several realizations had taken hold of him. As he recognized the sheer magnitude of the Caverns, his past experiences replayed in his mind; upon snapping back to reality, he found that everything seemed designed to remind him, over and over again, of his own insignificance.

  He forced himself to swallow a large mouthful of food.

  Sitting across from him, Aiskin and Big Dumb Hum seemed thoroughly satisfied with the meal. The standards of a feast provided by a high-ranking city noble for his household knights were, naturally, beyond reproach. Tars had ordered five portions; he ate one himself and gave the remaining four to the two kobolds.

  At this hour, even if Rodrigo returned to the manor, he wouldn't come to disturb him.

  Once he finished his meal, Tars instructed Aiskin and Big Dumb Hum to keep watch on the first floor, where they could gaze out the window at the stars they had never seen before. He, meanwhile, intended to return to the second-floor bedroom to begin a session of exhaustive meditation. Restrained meditation was no longer enough to satisfy him. He lay upon the bed and summoned his slumbering natal familiar, letting the bug curl up by the bedside to stand guard.

  Starting from the new runes he had mastered, he began to consume his mental energy wave after wave, turning it into fuel to construct his runic structures.

  No matter how insignificant one felt, one had to strive forward. He planned to stay here for a while, enjoying the fine food and comfort while pushing to become a Level 4 wizard apprentice as quickly as possible. As for making contact with the supernatural circles in his spare time—he wasn't particularly interested in the potentially convoluted circles of Starry City, which were likely entangled in mundane power struggles. What he truly wanted was to enter the world of wizards. Such great beings surely possessed their own territories, which would undoubtedly be far more vast.

  Of course, he had no intention of passing up the current life of luxury. Such an opportunity was rare and unlikely to come again. He had a premonition that once he truly stepped into the world of wizards, such leisurely times would vanish. To that end, he didn't mind helping Young Master Rodrigo deal with a few small troubles—he considered it payment for his meals, and so far, he found the fellow quite likable.

  When the exhaustive meditation session ended, he began to recover his mental energy. Seeing that it was still early, he took a short nap.

  By the time he opened his eyes again, the world outside the window was brilliantly lit.

  Walking slowly down to the first floor, he saw the two kobolds, who had stayed awake all night on watch, staring out the window with looks of pure wonder. This "day" and "night" were things they had never witnessed. When they read the adventure novels about wandering knights, they would always find opportunities to ask him strange questions; only then would he realize which concepts they lacked or what they were entirely unable to imagine.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Come, look from the courtyard," Tars said with a laugh as he walked outside.

  The two large figures had been huddled by the window like children, their faces pressed against the glass—a truly comical sight. Once outside, both kobolds stared unblinkingly at the dome. After a while, they looked around at the horizon; the world under the full light of day offered a completely different perspective. Night was equally distinct from the absolute pitch-black of their past. In their old world, there was only darkness and eyes that could barely manage to see through the gloom.

  After sending the two back to the Abyssal Bedroom to rest, he called for the maid, Daisy.

  "Please invite Miss Myrtle here. Tell her I have a few matters I would like to ask her about," he said politely.

  Daisy bowed and departed quickly. Tars was actually quite curious about the red-haired woman's status—whether she was merely by Rodrigo's side or held a specific position within the manor.

  "Good morning, Lord Tars."

  The meticulous Myrtle did not keep him waiting long.

  "Rodrigo hasn't returned yet?" he asked.

  "The Master occasionally stays overnight at the castle," she replied. "If you have any needs, you may tell me."

  "I wish to make contact with the supernatural circles within Starry City. I wonder if you could act as a guide and let me broaden my horizons?" Tars looked at her with anticipation.

  "Of course. It would be my honor to guide you, My Lord. I know of a gathering in three days; it is the highest-level assembly I can access. Those who attend are almost exclusively casters." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Actually, due to concerns for my own safety, I have never attended a gathering of this level. Since retiring from treasure hunting, my spirit for adventure seems to have dissipated."

  Myrtle looked at him somewhat sheepishly. "However, after witnessing your formidable strength, I've been considering asking if I could accompany you to see it for myself. I was thinking of how to broach the subject with you on our way here," she admitted honestly.

  "Very well. In three days, then." Tars settled the matter immediately.

  The two chatted further about Rodrigo and the Starry Family. For the most part, it was common knowledge to anyone living in the city. He didn't bother asking about sensitive secrets, and she likely wouldn't have told him anyway.

  The Baron had six children: four sons and two daughters. The eldest daughter had married years ago into a family that controlled a neighboring Cavern Domain. Among the four sons, the eldest was chronically ill and bedridden; Rodrigo was the second son, followed by two younger brothers. As for the youngest daughter, she was a lucky soul who had passed the wizard aptitude test as a child and had not returned for many years. Even Myrtle had never met this noble lady.

  As for the Baron's illegitimate children, they were harder to count. There were over twenty who were recognized and held some value to the family—those who possessed talent for Knight breathing techniques, or were particularly clever or beautiful. All were cultivated by the Starry Family as assets.

  After finishing breakfast, Tars had Daisy bring him a reclining chair. He began to bask in the artificial sunlight before his door. Lying there for a while, he found it quite pleasant; it brought back a fragment of the sensations from his memories. He couldn't help but marvel at it.

  Undoubtedly, everything regarding this light source was a secret of the Starry Family, untouchable by anyone other than the rulers. The same was likely true for other Cavern Cities.

  Reflecting on the Baron's youngest daughter, Tars felt a surge of excitement. She was a qualified candidate taken away by wizards as a child and hadn't been back for over twenty years. Tars realized his previous assessments of Rodrigo's age were wrong; the man's youthful demeanor was only occasional. Wealthy nobles in the Cavern City drank anti-aging elixirs, so Rodrigo was actually older than he appeared—though the potions they drank were certainly inferior to Karyu's version.

  While he continued his steady, methodical practice, feeling himself edge closer to becoming a Level 4 apprentice, he quietly looked forward to the gathering in three days.

  Interestingly, Rodrigo still had not returned.