Luca instinctively did as she asked, and for a few minutes, he went silent. Only the sounds of their synchronized breathing filled the alleyway. The streets behind them were still as loud as ever, but he couldn't help but zone them out.
In the short time he went silent, he even heard some people shake their heads very loudly as they passed by, insulting the new generation for being so promiscuous in public.
He didn't really care; after all, that wasn't what was actually happening. He took the time to examine Erina. She had ditched the sophisticated dress he last saw her in and now wore a plain brown dress that commoner women usually donned.
After they were in the clear, Erina finally pulled away from Luca and was about to walk away without another word, but he grabbed her before she could.
"I reckon I deserve some sort of explanation for that scene."
She glared at him but couldn't escape his grasp whatsoever.
"What's there to explain? I was trying to get rid of those pesky flies, and you happened to help me. The end. Do you need compensation for such a simple task too?"
Luca wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he heard her say "these commoners" under her breath.
"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind some compensation, but that's not what I'm on about. Why is a noble lady trying to escape her guards?"
He let go of her arm and didn't expect an answer, but got one anyway, which was surprising to him.
Erina massaged her temples, then leaned against the soot-stained brick wall of a nearby building.
"I like to go out and explore the city without my father's men hovering over me all the time. That's all it is."
There was something else, though. If Luca didn't know she was also a mage, he wouldn't be able to tell that she was doing her so-called exploration in order to practice or find magical things more freely.
This was leverage he had over her, and all he was looking for was the perfect opportunity to present it. Although she kept it secret, Erina probably still had severalfold access to the occult compared to him. She had more wealth and could probably disguise her searches as a weird hobby.
"If that's the case," he started, "then perhaps you need to stop moving around in broad daylight whilst they chase you."
She frowned. "What do you mean? Explain."
"It's simple really. I understand the whole 'hiding in plain sight' thing, but it doesn't matter. You're far too distinct to fool anyone in the first place."
At that, he pointed at her regal blonde hair and light blue eyes. The hair peeked out from underneath the farmer's hat, only making his point clearer.
"The Duke's guards probably aren't amateurs, so they'll know what to look for."
Luca's display of such knowledge seemed to greatly surprise her, and the look of mild irritation on her face was replaced with one of impatience and excitement.
"So, what should I do then?"
He lifted a finger.
"One Crown as payment."
"Alright, deal! Now tell me."
"Wait, wha—"
"Tell me!"
Luca couldn't provide the answer immediately. He'd just thrown out the payment part as a joke, not expecting her to actually go through with it.
'Nobles are truly something else…'
"Ahem. Yes, as I was saying. The solution is simple. You just need to take advantage of the shadows. You can't even bother trying to hide in plain sight. Look, as we're in an alleyway right now, that's what you need to do. I can give you a few practical tips if you're that eager to learn."
But she shook her head.
'She's thinking about using magic.'
Luca pretended not to notice and stretched an arm out forward.
"My gold coin, if you don't mind, miss."
She gave him a flat look.
"I don't have it."
"What do you mean you don't have it?"
"It's simple really," she said, mocking his previous statement. "I don't bring any money with me whilst exploring because it's inconvenient. If you come to the villa sometime later, I'll fetch it for you."
He was initially about to say no outright, but upon thinking a bit more about it, he realized that this was a golden opportunity above anything else. It would be his first time entering a noble's property if all went well.
"Alright. How soon should I come, and how do I make sure you won't sic your guards on me as soon as I'm close to the villa?"
She gave him a disdainful look and, after a short moment of thought, pulled a small pin from a pocket stitched into the inside of the hat. The pin was a small circular shape engraved with the crest of the Venton House, which was the mysterious golden beast standing atop a sea of red.
"Come in about three hours and show them this, and they'll let you in."
Without waiting for any response, Erina turned heel and left. She took his advice, weaving through the shadows and only stepping out for a little bit each time.
Luca grinned for a bit before he turned.
This coincidental meeting with Erina cleared some of the thoughts disturbing him. Previously, he was concerned about getting the money to spend on catalysts, which led him to the plan of working for nobles or robbing them blind if worst came to worst.
Erina was the most ideal target for him after ticking off several boxes. It only became better when he realized she was a mage. Now he had a cash cow and a pawn if things happened to sour.
It was rather cruel to think of someone so simply in such terms, but truthfully…
"I don't care."
Luca's blue eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. All he wanted was power. The power to hold his fate in his own hands. He saw how Crowley could tell the future in a book transmitted over God knows what distance, and he saw how Crowley's mere student could appear out of thin air and wield gales of sand.
He himself could now conjure fire at will.
"It's not enough. Not nearly."
Perhaps it had always been there, but in a more subtle form. After all, even before the magic, Luca had felt that it was only a matter of time before he rose above others on his level and past that.
But now he could feel it, and it was different. A hunger had long taken root in his chest, in the space that ordinary people would call their 'souls'. And it would not be quenched until he finally got his hands on what he desired.
Erina was a single path amongst others. Another was lying in his cellar in the form of the dead Baron's journal, and that was where he would be going next.