Author Becomes Character (Revised version)

One morning, we decided to grab breakfast outside, enjoying the fresh air and soaking in all the changes Frasha had gone through. The village, which had once been as quiet and empty, was now bustling with life. 

Merchants were haggling, kids were running around, and the air was filled with the buzz of conversation. The rundown buildings had been fixed up, and the marketplace looked like it had just been painted with a fresh coat of color. You could smell the bread and roasted meats in the air—Frasha had definitely had a glow-up, and I was here for it.

We sat at a small outdoor table, soaking up the morning sun. It was all pretty chill, but there was still an edge of tension hanging around. As we waited for our food, we couldn't help but overhear the conversation from the table next to us. 

A group of mercenaries sat there, swords on the table and armor glinting in the sunlight like they were auditioning for a role in the next big action movie.

"Hey, you heard about the kidnapper from the capital?" one of them asked, his voice low and serious. "Word's spread all the way up here to Frasha. He's been snatching up students—mages in training."

"Yeah, the bounty's massive," another mercenary chimed in. "It's so bad, they're practically offering a fortune for anyone who can catch him."

"How many people's lives are we talking about here?"

"Too many," the first mercenary said, shaking his head like he'd seen too much. "This started a couple of months ago, and now the news is spreading fast. They found a kid from a noble family in the woods, west of here. He... well, he was dismembered. They only figured out who he was when they found his head with his family crest stamped on it. Some say he's using magic to erase his tracks."

"Great," I muttered under my breath, feeling the tension rising.

"Well, he's been targeting students. They're easy prey, mostly alone and without protection," the second mercenary added. "But he's not just grabbing any student. He goes for the powerful ones, the ones with influence. The capital's in full-on panic mode now."

The youngest mercenary, who had been quiet up until this point, finally spoke up, sounding a little too serious for someone who looked like they were still learning how to tie their boots properly. "And the worst part? They think he's got a whole network helping him out. People covering for him, hiding him, getting him safe houses. This isn't just some random thief. This guy's working with a team."

The air around us felt heavier now. My friends and I exchanged looks, all of us realizing that this wasn't just some petty criminal. This kidnapper had more than just bad intentions; he had the kind of connections that could make even the most paranoid person break out in a cold sweat.

Their talk made me remember a part I'd read in my dream, the one about a young mage telling Nine and the others that he had to save his master. Could this be the same kidnapper? Was everything starting to fall into place, like the plotline?

The mercenaries kept talking, clearly oblivious to the fact that we were practically eavesdropping. "The latest victim was from the town west of Frasha," one of them said, shaking his head. "The guards are stretched thin. It's too easy for him to slip past. But we're after him now. When we catch him... he won't be getting away this time."

They wrapped up their conversation and walked off, leaving us to sit in the silence they'd left behind. A chill crawled up my spine. The kidnapper may have started his spree in the capital, but the fact that he'd made it this far. Looks like we'd have to keep our eyes open—this story was far from over.

-

I decided to make my way up to the clocktower of Frasha. The view from there was perfect for what I had in mind. With a focused breath, I spread my mana outwards, activating a spell one of the dragons had taught me. It worked like a radar—letting me kind of feel and see everything within a certain radius. The magic was simple enough, but after spending a thousand years sealed away, I'd managed to extend the range significantly. Now, I could cover the entire village. Paired with my Dragon Eyes, it was practically flawless. I'd used it several times before to scan the area, making sure no monsters had slipped past the walls, and I was pretty confident Frasha was safe.