In the blink of an eye, everything changed.

  Steel clashed, then clattered.

  The old man moved with a speed that mocked logic, his form blurring like a smudge on reality. I didn't even register the beginning of his motion, only the aftermath. Two attackers sprawled on the ground, twitching and groaning, their weapons stripped from them as if snatched by a phantom.

  He stood there, triumphant. His wine bottle twirled effortlessly in his grasp as he took a long, satisfied sip. "Easy," he muttered, striking a flamboyant victory pose, as if this whole scuffle had merely been a light warm-up before lunch.

  My jaw slackened in disbelief.

  I rubbed my eyes but the scene did not change. I glanced at the two brutes, then at the old man.

  This... geezer? No. This monster is in the skin of an old drunk. Could he really be a Master?

  Memories flashed by. Master Khun. Asha. Jay. James.

  And lastly… Master. Authoritative. Elegant.

  I sneaked a glance just in time to see a passing fly drop dead near him.

  Pristine. He's definitely not that. Even the poor fly died from the stink. I placed a finger at my nose, blocking the smell while inching back.

  My understanding of him shifted. His grin faltered. His eyes dropped to his shirt.

  "...Crap!" he yelped in horror, pawing at the stain spreading across the fabric. "My clothes! They're so dirty!"

  His voice took on a tragic note. "Oh no! If Miss Judy sees this, she'll know I drank alcohol…"

  He sulked, kicking at a loose pebble.

  You're holding the bottle. You reek of it. You fought with it in your hand.

  I sighed internally. One doesn't need to see the shirt to know you're drinking.

  And yet, I couldn't look at him without cracking a smile. Then he turned to me with a sparkle in his eye.

  "Well, what do you think of this old man? Pretty cool, aren't I?"

  I couldn't stop the spark in my voice. "S-super!" I squeaked, eyes gleaming with honest admiration.

  His grin widened.

  "I like you, child. Want to be my disciple?"

  The question hung in the air, half serious, half jest. And for a fleeting second, I hesitated.

  Becoming the disciple of this guy? Sound awesome, but...

  But the thought of my Master's face. The expression she'd make if she heard I switched teachers, snapped me back to reality.

  I shook my hands frantically. "Eh? O-oh, I can't. I already have a Master."

  The old man didn't miss a beat. "Oh, is that so," he chuckled, scratching his chest. "Well, too bad then."

  There was a flicker of disappointment but it passed as quickly as it came, buried beneath his usual nonchalance.

  I unfolded the map with trembling fingers, hoping the old man's knowledge extended beyond combat theatrics. "Excuse me, old man… do you know where I am?"

  He snatched the map with a glint in his eye. "Here." He jabbed a finger at a spot on the parchment.

  I leaned in. My eyes lit up. "It's near the House of Wine!"

  No. Wait. Wasn't I heading to the House of Wind? How did I end up at the opposite direction? I scratched my head, then shrugged. Whatever. Let's meet up with Ronald first. I bet he's there waiting for me. If he is still alive, that is.

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  I looked up at him, hope tugging at my tone. "Can you please lead me to the House of Wine, old man?"

  He arched an eyebrow. "Why do you want to go there, child?"

  "I'm going to meet a friend of mine. He's a disciple there."

  The old man gave me a suspicious look. "You know you can get executed by lying about that, child."

  "I'm telling the truth!" I planted my hands on my hips. "Besides, if I really did something wrong, it won't be the law enforcer who executes me. It would be my Master."

  The old man scratched his beard. A tiny gray clump loosened… then dropped.

  I heard it hit the dirt. I heard it. I stared at the ground. My soul briefly left my body. It did not ask for permission, but I reeled it back in just in time.

  I shifted two full steps away. Hands clutching my chest. Is this how Master felt when I made a mess everywhere?

  I returned his gaze, feeling increasingly irked. "My Master allowed me to visit him today."

  "Well then, you'd better hurry before lunch. Let me guide you there." He gave me a big slap on my back. I almost hurled forward when he suddenly grabbed my shoulder tightly and grinned.

  I looked at his hands squeezing my shoulder, pressing my lips. Those hands... they touched that...!

  "Thanks..." My mouth twitched a lot as I tried my best to smile. "Old man."

  And just like that, he became my escort, albeit an unpredictable one.

  When we arrived, I froze. The outer wall of the House of Wine bore a striking resemblance to the House of Aum. The surface shimmered slightly under the light. Intrigued, I reached out and pressed a hand against it.

  Smooth. Cold.

  This wasn't stone. Nor wood. Then a memory jolted back to the outer wall I was at with the other Masters before being thrown into that tunnel. No wonder it felt familiar.

  "Every Master House exterior barrier is the same, little girl," the old man said, watching me with a knowing look.

  I nodded. So it's deliberate.

  "The first time I came to the House of Aum," I muttered, "all I saw was a mikan house."

  The old man blinked. "Oh… Is that so. Well, I did hear some rumors that the Poison Master loves creating illusions around her house."

  "Yup," I nodded grimly. "Sometimes I almost starved to death because of her illusions."

  "Starve?" he echoed, laughing under his breath.

  "I get hungry really fast," I admitted with a look too proud. "When my stomach rumbles, I head for the kitchen but Master would cast an illusion both inside and outside. I'd walk in circles for hours. If Lady Nozomi hadn't found me, I would've become a skeleton by now."

  The old man howled with laughter.

  "Must be tough," he said between chuckles.

  "It was!" I pouted, though I couldn't help but smile too.

  We approached the entrance. A hand-painted banner hung from the eaves. Grapevines spiraled delicately around a gourd, elegant as a calligraphy scroll.

  "That gourd looks the same as..." I murmured, turning my head at the gourd in the old man's hand.

  He couldn't be the Master of the house, right? I shook my head. Nah. That can't be. While my head was filled with questions, a thought struck.

  I could ask… Nah.

  A sudden Bang! was heard.

  I turned to the source and found the old man with his leg held high, and the door swung open. He kicked the door open like there was treasure inside, and he was tired of waiting.

  Well, to him it might be a treasure since it's the House of Wine. I mean, there should lot of good wine, right?

  While I let my thoughts linger far too long, the old man made another clanking sound.

  I flinched, scrambling to follow him. Arms flailing nonstop, panicked in my head.

  Oh no. I made a promise with Master that I would only cause trouble with my friends, not with someone I just met. I don't even know his three sizes. Oh. If Master hears of this, she would... she would...!

  Tears filled my eyes as I screamed. "Ah! Old man! You can't just rush in like that. What if the Master gets angry?"

  "If he does," the old man laughed like a madman, "I'll just bash him up!"

  I jumped, grabbed his sleeves and seriously reconsidered being alive today. Oh, old man, you might not care because you don't have many years left but I'm a fresh blood. I groaned. Should I just leave this old man? But Ma said that we shouldn't leave a helpless elderly alone no matter what.

  I sobbed, then sped up my pace. "No! You can't do that! You'll get hurt or even killed. Come back, old man!"

  But he was already ten steps ahead, barreling in like a storm. My legs struggled to keep up.

  "Huff… Puff…"

  My lungs burned. Finally, the old man stopped. I bent over, panting my lungs out. Sweat soaked through my clothes. Sweat. Heat. Yuck!

  "Look up, child." The old man's voice rang.

  I grumbled a bit then slowly raised my head. My breath caught.

  There were no buildings. Just vines. Endless rows of sun-drenched vines stretched to the horizon.

  "This is… a grape farm?" I stared at the endless farm.

  "The best of the best in the world, child," the old man said proudly.

  He stepped towards one of the vines and plucked a bunch of grapes, popped one into his mouth, and hummed in satisfaction. "Yum!"

  My thoughts, buffering. "Don't eat someone else's grapes!" I snapped, scandalized.

  He ignored me. Instead, he marched over and, without warning, whispered in my ear. "Do you want to see something more amazing?"

  I looked at him with confusion. His smile widened. Without hearing my answer, he scooped me up into his arm.

  "Eh!?" I gasped. I never agreed to be portable! Master was right. I'm being kidnapped. Help!

  "Hold on tight," he warned, grinning like a maniac. "It might get a little bumpy, child."

  "Bumpy?" I blinked.

  He crouched. The earth tightened. Birds exploded from the vines. And then, nothing. For half a breath.

  …Why is he lowering himself? Wait. People only crouch like that before doing something stupid.

  "Wait—"

  The ground disappeared.

  He fired us skyward. Wind screamed past us. The vineyard vanished below like a painted backdrop peeling away.

  "Ah!! Save me!!" I shrieked, eyes squeezed shut as the sky swallowed us whole.

  Physics: 0