Chapter 211: Alerting Lilian!

The marketplace bustled with quiet energy, its cool air tinged with the scent of fresh snow and enchanted stone.

The narrow streets, lined with wooden stalls draped in colorful tapestries, were packed with shimmering sculptures and gleaming crystals that seemed to pulse with their own ethereal light.

Albedo could feel the faint hum of mana in the air, a delicate symphony of arcane energy woven into the very fibers of the market.

Each stall was a small wonderland of enchanted craftsmanship, pieces that captured light in strange, captivating ways, from translucent ice-flowers blooming under magical illumination to floating orbs of pure elemental power.

Despite only being in this City for the first time, Fade seemed greatly adept at navigating through the winding aisles as she led the trio gracefully, greeting her fellow Elves along the way.

Elara’s eyes widened with awe at every turn, her gaze darting from one spectacular piece to another. She was especially taken with a small crystal bird that flitted around a vendor’s table in a dazzling arc of blue light.

“Look at that!” Elara exclaimed, tugging at Fade’s sleeve. “It’s alive, right? How do they even do that?”

“Enchanted mana-infused materials,” Fade explained calmly, “They use a specific kind of mana channeling to make the object come to life for a short period.”

“You mean like… like a familiar?” Elara asked, eyes bright with curiosity.

“Exactly,” Fade answered, her tone warm as she smiled at her friend. “It’s a simple form of animancy, using the crystals’ natural resonance.”

Lilian, meanwhile, was inspecting a large, translucent crystal sculpture of a phoenix. The piece was carved with such intricate detail that the feathers almost seemed to flutter in the light, despite the crystal’s rigidity. She tilted her head, running a finger along one of the sharp edges.

“Not bad,” Lilian murmured, admiring the craftsmanship. “But I’m more of a fan of the massive, glowing ones that scream ’Look at me!’”

“Of course you are,” Elara teased, walking over with a delighted smile.

Albedo remained silent as the trio marveled at the pieces. He could see how enchanted they were by the art, Fade especially, glowing with pride as she introduced them to her classmates and their creations.

But while the vibrant colors and the intricate craftsmanship were impressive, Albedo’s mind was not on the sculptures. Instead, his senses were attuned to something far more pressing.

The eight signatures still hovered around them like invisible shadows, each pulse of mana sending a sharp prickle down his spine. Their positions were slightly shifting now, as if they were becoming more cautious or aware of Albedo’s subtle awareness.

They were still watching, and Albedo could tell they wanted to know why he was so close to Lilian, and potentially take him out if they got the chance.

Probably because one of their mates was killed by him, the eight of them were incredibly alert, not drawing too close and blending in perfectly.

Just as Fade moved on to another stall, discussing the work of an artisan she had known for years, Albedo took the opportunity to step behind Lilian. Without a word, his hand slid around her waist from behind, pulling her closer, a faint whisper tickling her ear.

“Your little friend Magnus sent us a gift,” Before Lilian could shout at him from anger and embarrassment, Albedo spoke and what he said immediately got her on guard.

“What are you talking about?” Lilian asked, remaining still.

“They’re here,” Albedo murmured softly, his voice barely audible above the murmur of the market,”Magnus sent nine people to follow me, I already took one out earlier, now theres eight of them in the crowd, watching us and blending in,”

“You took one out? I thought I told you not to do anything crazy?” Lilian said, a little angry.

“What? They definitely were gonna kill me,” Albedo said, and Lilian just sighed.

Lilian let out a slow breath, the cold air leaving her lips in a faint white wisp. She didn’t turn her head toward him, didn’t flinch or pull away, but the tension in her shoulders settled differently, sharper and more focused.

The playful arrogance she always carried slid away like a discarded mask, “What do you plan to do?” she asked quietly, eyes fixed on the crystalline phoenix before her as if she were still admiring its design.

“Not much, I had contemplated just killing them all in a way that can’t be traced back to me. Magnus will still know I did it, but I’ll be able to feign plausible deniability,” Albedo answered bluntly, his tone calm and matter-of-fact,

Lilian’s jaw tightened for a moment, the faintest twitch at the corner of her eye. Anyone else would’ve missed it, but Albedo didn’t. She wasn’t angry at him for saying it, she was angry because she knew he wasn’t wrong.

“But,” he continued, lowering his voice further, “I don’t want to cause trouble for you. The Northern Region is your territory and you already told me not to cause too much of a mess. Killing one already sends a message. Killing eight more would definitely send Magnus crazy and things would happen,”

Lilian closed her eyes for a heartbeat, then opened them again with a slow, steady inhale. She finally shifted slightly in his hold, not enough to break free, but just enough to look at him from the corner of her eye.

“You’re right,” she murmured, though she clearly hated admitting it. “Those idiots already overstepped the moment they went after you. Magnus never learns. I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” Lilian said with a sigh.

“He thinks just because he’s a Pureblood from a High Noble Family, he owns the entire damn region. But if you start killing them one after another, it becomes a big Noble incident, and that will spiral into political wars. I don’t need all that drama,”

There was a pause after Lilian finished that sentence, a long one too. She stood there for a moment, thinking of all the possible consequences.

She finally spoke again, her voice softer but firmer than before, “Don’t hurt any more of them. Not unless they explicitly attack you first. If they make the first move, then I can justify it later, I can defend it, I can even punish Magnus for it. But if you kill them just for tailing you, It’ll be a big hassle to handle that,”

Albedo nodded once, “Fair enough.”

“I’m serious,” Lilian added, turning now to face him fully. Her crimson eyes were steady, bright, anger simmering beneath the surface but aimed outward, not at him. “I’ll handle this later. I’ll talk to Magnus myself, and if he still wants to act like a rabid dog, then I’ll drag him home by his throat and explain the consequences to his face.”

“You sure you don’t want me to do that instead?” Albedo asked, only half joking.

Lilian actually snorted. “Please. If you did it, he’d end up missing a head. I need him alive for the lecture.”

Elara and Fade were still chatting with a nearby vendor, unaware of the exchange happening just a few steps behind them. Fade’s silver hair shimmered in the morning light as she inspected a delicate crystal lantern, and Elara’s excited voice carried faintly through the crowd as she pointed at another sculpture.

For a moment, the bustling market felt peaceful again.

But the eight signatures pulsed at the edge of Albedo’s senses like faint, rhythmic warnings, steady, distant, and cautious. The watchers were waiting, hoping, searching for a mistake. They hadn’t moved in to attack yet, but their intent was clear enough.

Lilian followed his gaze, even though she couldn’t sense them like he could. “Ignore them for now,” she said quietly. “They don’t matter. They’re just pawns sent to be stupid. As long as you don’t do anything drastic, I’ll make sure BloodHaven handles this without it blowing back on you.”

“Understood,” Albedo replied.

Lilian glanced at him again, this time with a flicker of something gentler, irritation mixed with concern, buried beneath her usual pride. “And next time,” she added, “before you go killing one of Magnus’ subordinates in an alley, maybe tell me first…?”

Albedo raised a brow,”You wanted me to send you a message while someone was actively trying to stab me?” He said, lying with a completely straight face.

“That’s not the point,” she said, crossing her arms with a faint huff.

“Kind of sounds like the point.”

Lilian clicked her tongue and looked away. “Just don’t make things harder for me than they already are.”

Albedo let his hand slip from her waist, resting briefly at her hip before dropping back to his side. “I’ll try,” he said, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Try harder,” she muttered.

Before Albedo could reply, Fade turned around, waving warmly. “You two! Come look at this! It’s a mana-reflective sculpture, it changes shape based on what elemental mana you channel into it!”

Elara was already bouncing excitedly beside her. “It’s so cool! Hurry up!”

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