"You don't look so well. Did something happen?" Isabell brought her face closer to Alba's and asked.

Pulling away, Alba shook her head to indicate that she was fine. Isabell didn't believe the girl but didn't dig any deeper. She had already confirmed that Vincent was indeed a wizard earlier. Her uniqueness also ensured that he didn't feel any mana from her. Now all she needed to do was find out how strong he was and decide whether she could make use of him.

"He seemed hurt. Is he alright?" Isabell began probing indirectly. Alba was overly cautious when it came to almost everything and she had to make sure to not alert her.

"He's okay. He said it was just a scratch."

"Is that so? It looked serious to me though. His arm was all covered in bandages and he couldn't even move it. Maybe he got in a fight?" Isabell's tone was particularly suggestive towards the end.

Alba didn't reply. She knew that it wasn't anything as light as a scratch but she didn't want to pry too much and possibly upset him.

Isabell noticed Alba become despondent and continued, "He is strong so he should be fine. I saw the Scarlet Bear he had hunted. I couldn't believe that he and his friends took down such a scary beast."

Nodding her head, Alba reassured herself that he was probably fine. She hadn't seen anyone as strong as him and she believed that he could take care of himself. She had witnessed him stitch his own wounds and cauterize it. In her mind, he was someone who could do almost anything.

Isabell was expecting to gleam some information regarding Vincent's strength from Alba. She waited patiently for any reply at all. After realizing that she needed to push further, she asked, "Is it true that he is a wizard?"

"Yes."

"How strong is he?"

"I don't know."

"Haven't you known him for a long time already?" Isabell was a little frustrated at how little the girl knew. She had tried multiple times but still failed to get any reliable information from her.

Alba shook her head and answered, "I only met him about two months ago and we will probably part ways after another."

"Hmmmm. I thought you guys were close given how well he treats you. Are you feeling down because you guys will go your separate ways after another month?" A knowing smile bloomed on Isabell's face and her interest was piqued after observing the girl's reaction. She got the urge to tease Alba who was always reserved.

"That's not it. I am just feeling a little lost. I don't harbor any romantic feelings for him." Isabell was expecting a cute reaction but the unexpected serious reply put her at a loss for how to proceed.

Coughing to chase away the awkwardness, Isabell continued hinting at and probing about Vincent but got no reliable answer.

'Looks like Alba really doesn't know anything. She isn't even aware about the most basic of strength categorizations. Should I approach him? I would be undertaking a huge risk since I don't know if he is hostile to witches. But if I don't take this opportunity, I won't ever advance. Just thinking about this is giving me a headache.'

"It's almost sundown. We better get going. You will have to fix dinner as well. Make sure to cook delicious food for him to pay him back for his gratitude. It's rare to meet people who treat you so well." Giving up on finding anything useful from the girl, Isabell bid her farewell and headed to her house.

Nodding to show that she understood, Alba resolved herself to do her best during this month so that she could pay back as much as she could to Vincent. She had learnt how to cook from Isabell for this very reason after all.

******************************

Vincent welcomed Alba and asked, "Did you have fun?"

"Yes."

"That's good." Vincent had gotten used to how little she spoke but it would still lead to awkward exchanges because of how taciturn she was. "How did you guys get to know each other?"

"I met her when I went to the well to fetch water. She is the only person who goes there after all the villagers are gone. She spoke to me after realizing that I went there when no one was around as well."

"What is she like?"

"She is kind and caring. She is also pitiable though. The villagers seem to be ostracizing her. She is always alone and watching her makes me a bit sad."

"You are friends with her now. You two can look after each other."

"Mmm" Alba hummed and nodded as she entered the kitchen.

Watching her prepare dinner wholeheartedly, he couldn't bring himself to ask about the rumors regarding her being a witch. He was happy to see that she had found a kindred spirit. Isabell was also the only person Alba knew and interacted with besides him. Hence, he didn't want to do anything to ruin her relationship with Isabell.

Vincent spent the time training his wizardry while Alba was busy with cooking. When it was time for dinner, Vincent joined her at the dining table.

The food looked a lot better than what they used to have. Not only did it look better but also smelled appetizing. Breaking the bread, he dipped it in the pottage and ate it. Unlike the previous times, the stew was well cooked. The flavor of the meat had also permeated throughout the entire dish and it was well seasoned as well. The smoked meat also had a very smoky and flavorful taste while being firm yet soft.

"It tastes great. You learned a lot from Isabell." Vincent praised her and continued eating his food.

Alba nodded and gazed at the floor to hide her smug face. She felt like she needed to thank Isabell properly. Looking at Vincent who was enjoying the food, she began to eat wholeheartedly as well.

***********************

"What do you mean by I can't see him?" Zach shouted animatedly at the old butler who was always by his father's side. His face was red due to anger and he could barely think straight.

"Just like I said, the lord is still recovering from the poison. Though he took the antidote, his body is still not in a condition to meet you." The old butler replied calmly. Despite his graying hair and lean body that showed obvious signs of weakness from old age, he still had a calm and professional air about him and it calmed Zach significantly.

Letting out a big breath to regain his composure, he asked once again. "Then what about his promise to let me recruit forty able bodied men?"

"Since the negotiations regarding the joint alliance to build the citadels and fortified city failed, the territory cannot spare any able bodied men because the lord has decided to build a citadel at the edge of our viscounty." The butler answered cleanly without any attempt to soothe Zach. "The lord told me to apologize to you on his behalf."

"Bullshit." Zach shouted at the top of his lungs and stormed off. He couldn't take it anymore. He felt his ears heating up and his heart pumping at an insane rate. Ignoring the sun that was going to set soon, he headed for Gill barony to meet up with Nathan.