The afternoon was warm, and the carriage glided smoothly along the dirt road, though the constant swaying and wooden confinement were not exactly to the liking of Alicia Celdrik, the youngest daughter of the Baron of the County of Maroth. At fifteen, the young noblewoman possessed a disturbing mix of refinement and stubbornness, like a flower grown in the sun but whose roots refused to stay still in the pot that held it.

  She dressed soberly for a noblewoman, a dark blue traveling dress with gold trim, though her white lace gloves, fine leather boots, and the emerald brooch on her chest spoke of the status imprinted in her blood. Beside her, sitting with the rigid bearing of a porcelain statue, was her personal servant, Lisa, a young woman with tied-back hair and a kind face, accustomed to her mistress's complaints.

  "Ugh, this is unbearable!" Alicia exclaimed, for the third time in less than half an hour, gently hitting the seat in front of her. "Paul, tell me we're almost there... For heaven's sake, tell me we're almost there."

  From the outside seat of the carriage, mounted on a grayish horse that trotted past the window, Paul, her personal guardian and a level-three mage, responded with the tempered patience of years:

  "According to the maps, we still have three hours to go until the valley mansion, Miss Alicia. At least, if the weather holds."

  Alice let out an exasperated sigh, sinking into the velvet cushion.

  "This is torture. Three more hours and I'll end up a statue. Paul, do something useful for once and order us to stop somewhere. I need to walk, get something decent to eat, and feel like I'm not just part of the decoration of this damn carriage."

  The wizard rolled his eyes discreetly, but didn't argue. Unlike the Baron's servants or soldiers, he was no ordinary subordinate. As a sworn wizard of the Baron, he had the authority to question orders if he deemed it necessary—though he rarely did so when they were in safe territory.

  "Very well. We'll pause briefly. I hear we're near the village of Niblit, a small community. It might be a good time to rest for a moment," he said, signaling to the riders to take a short detour at the next fork in the road.

  The caravan was composed of six armed riders, all Level 1 wizards, who flanked the carriage, their movements well practiced. They were professional soldiers, adept at protecting members of the nobility on official trips.

  "Niblit? What a... rustic name," Alicia muttered disdainfully as she looked out the window.

  Lisa smiled politely. “It will surely be peaceful, my lady. You might even see wildflowers or animals. Remember, you’re in the countryside.”

  “That’s what worries me,” Alicia snorted, crossing her arms as the first houses of the village began to appear from her window. “All this smells of dust, manure, and boredom to me.”

  The caravan slowed as it reached the heart of Niblit, a modest but bustling village with stone and wood houses clustered around a small central square. The bustle was sparse, but the warmth of the surroundings was evident: children playing with wooden hoops, elderly people chatting on stone benches, and local merchants selling fresh produce from carts and small stalls.

  Paul gave the order to stop the carriage in front of the village bakery, from which wafted a tantalizing aroma of freshly baked bread and cinnamon sweets. Alicia barely waited for the vehicle to come to a complete stop before getting out, breathing in the fresh air with relief.

  "Finally," she exclaimed, stretching her arms. "My bottom was already hurting from sitting so much."

  Lisa, always at her side, offered her a clean cloth to wipe the sweat from her forehead, though Alicia barely accepted it, more interested in looking around.

  "Let's go to that bakery. I need something hot that doesn't come in a travel case," she ordered bluntly, as the riders discreetly dispersed to guard the perimeter.

  They entered the small shop, where a middle-aged woman with a kind face greeted them with a slight bow, seeing the quality of the noblewoman's clothes. Alicia quickly selected a couple of steaming rolls, walnut bread, and a bottle of fruit juice.

  While eating standing in the square, observing the simple life of the villagers, Alice turned to Paul, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Do you think there's anything interesting here?"

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  Paul looked at her skeptically and shrugged. "It's a very small village; I doubt you'll find anything worthy of a noblewoman. But if you insist, the general store is just down the street. Maybe they have something... interesting."

  Alice sighed, somewhat disappointed, but her curiosity won out, and she headed toward the local store, followed by Lisa and Paul. But as they crossed the threshold, they all stopped dead. Right in front of the entrance, in a space carefully lit by the light streaming in from a window, stood several wooden and stone statues: foxes, birds, wolves, deer, and various other animals, all crafted with such exquisite detail that Alice could almost swear they were alive.

  “By the stars…” she murmured, slowly approaching a carved ebony figure of a falcon.

  Even Paul frowned, genuinely impressed. "I haven't seen this level of detail even in the artisan guilds of the capital... This isn't common."

  The shop owner, a robust man with a broad mustache, instantly noticed the quality of the visitors and approached with a well-practiced smile.

  "I see you've noticed our most prized pieces. They're the works of the local sculptor... our famous magical sculptor."

  Alice immediately turned around, more interested than ever. "Magical, you say?"

  "Well, that's what everyone says. I do business with him and I've never seen him use magic, but judging by the work he does, no one doubts there must be some magic involved. Considering the fact that no one has ever seen him work, and that the details of his works are so fine, some believe he's a reclusive magician. The townspeople consider him a strange and eccentric figure, but respected."

  Paul frowned. His gaze hardened with a hint of suspicion. "A magician of that caliber... here?"

  Alice, fascinated by the sculptures and the idea of a man capable of making them, was no longer thinking about the long journey or the exhaustion. For the first time in days, something had completely captured her attention.

  The shop owner looked visibly uncomfortable when Alice, with a charming smile, asked him directly where the sculptor lived.

  "I'm afraid I can't tell you that, miss," he said, nervously scratching his neck. "He's not very fond of visitors... as I said before, he lives in seclusion, away from everything. To tell the truth, he doesn't like to be disturbed."

  Alice narrowed her eyes and slowly pulled out a small leather pouch, dropping a couple of gleaming silver coins onto the counter.

  "What if it's just a brief visit? I just want to meet the artist," she said in a calm but determined tone.

  The man hesitated for a few seconds, looked at the coins, then at Paul, and finally gave up with a sigh.

  "To the northeast, a little over half an hour's walk along the path that leads to the woods. You can't miss it... the house looks like something out of a storybook. But I insist, be careful. He's a true eccentric."

  Satisfied, Alice enthusiastically selected three of the statues she liked most—a hare carved from walnut, a polished stone owl, and a deer, also carved from stone, with incredible details in its antlers—and paid for them without haggling.

  Once outside the shop, she immediately turned to Paul. "I want to go see the sculptor. If he can do something like this without magic, or even with magic, I want to ask him to make a statue of me. It would be the perfect gift for Father."

  Paul looked at her seriously. He couldn't deny that statues had something... special. But he didn't like what it meant to go knocking on the door of a probable wizard, in the middle of the forest, with a young noblewoman for company. At first, he wanted to refuse, but seeing Alicia's excited face, he knew the remaining journey to the valley mansion would be hell if he did, so he had to be a little more flexible.

  "Okay," he finally agreed, "but promise me you'll be careful. If it turns out that man is a wizard, we could be crossing a delicate line. Some nobles are very jealous of their protégés or agents... and we don't need to interfere in anyone else's business. Your father can't protect you from everything."

  "I promise," Alice said with an innocent smile, although the excitement of the unknown was already boiling inside her.

  And without further delay, the group prepared to head into the woods, Alice leading the way with an enthusiastic stride, as if she were about to experience a great adventure.

  It turned out that the path leading to the house wasn't suitable for the carriage, so Alice, Paul, Lisa, and two of the riders descended on foot, following the narrow path through the trees. Alice didn't complain at all; on the contrary, she seemed to enjoy the walk and the growing anticipation of meeting the enigmatic sculptor.

  When they finally arrived, the woods briefly parted to reveal a scene that took their breath away. In front of them stood a house almost entirely made of wood, but no ordinary house: it was a masterpiece. Every surface was carved with a level of detail that defied all logic, depicting animals, trees, woodland scenes, and even fantastic creatures that seemed to move slightly in the wind. The entire structure seemed to pulse with an invisible magic, as if it had been brought straight from a fairy tale. Even Paul, accustomed to the capital's magical spectacles, felt a shiver run down his spine.

  "It's... magnificent," Lisa murmured, unable to tear her eyes away.

  "My father's mansion looks like a stable in comparison," Alicia whispered, half-awe and half-fascinated.

  But not everything seemed to be calm. Outside, in a small garden surrounded by sculptures, two children were playing. And as soon as they saw the visitors, their laughter died away and they quickly ran into the house, leaving a trail of unease.

  Paul immediately frowned. "Children... in here. This could get complicated. Alicia, we should be more careful; this isn't just a workshop," he warned in a low tone, approaching her, his hand lightly on his cane.

  But it was too late. Alicia, ignoring all warnings, was already a few meters from the entrance, moving forward with a determined step, enthralled by the beauty of the place.

  Then the door opened, and a man appeared on the threshold, young, tall, and with a stern expression. His clothes were simple, stained by manual labor, and his dark hair fell in disarray over his forehead. But what was most striking was the dangerous calm with which he observed the group... and his hand, resting firmly on the hilt of a sword hanging from his waist.

  Joel looked at them silently, his eyes fixed on Alicia and then on Paul, assessing the scene as if he were a wild animal confronting strangers in its territory.

  The air immediately tensed, and Paul took a step forward, feeling the pressure in the air. Alicia, on the other hand, took a step closer, with a friendly smile, as if she weren't at all intimidated.

  "I'd like to meet the owner of this house," she said, without taking her eyes off Joel. "Because I've just fallen in love with his work."