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After half an hour, the Shark Team also left the party and went into their tent to sleep. Only Nova remained, sitting alone in front of the campfire, silently starting his four-hour guard duty. He would later have to switch with either Rock or Amelia.
'Oh no! I forgot to ask Head about the deal. Damn, I'll have to wait until he wakes up.'
As the fire crackled and the cold night crept in, Nova stayed still, just waiting for time to pass.
Suddenly, a soft pair of footsteps crunched through the snow behind him, alerting his senses.
A calm voice followed. "It's me."
Nova turned slightly, surprised. "What are you doing here, sir?"
Dave walked closer and picked a seat beside him, brushing off a bit of snow before sitting down. "Nothing much. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come out and have a little chat."
He stared into the fire before asking, "So, how's your Labyrinth experience so far?"
Nova thought for a moment, then replied, "Personally, I'd say it's been good… but I'm not sure about the next few days."
"Not sure, huh?" Dave nodded knowingly. "That's a fair concern. But don't worry too much. We'll make it back safely, without a single casualty."
He leaned forward slightly. "Also, if you have any questions about the arrangement or anything else, feel free to ask now."
Nova raised an eyebrow. "Why now, sir?"
Dave chuckled. "Because of your face. Every time I or one of my teammates talk about something you don't know, you stare like you're trying to burn holes through us."
He added with a grin, "I think that intense curiosity is what caused the misunderstanding with Andrea in the first place."
'What the hell?! He noticed that?!' Nova scratched his head, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
He quickly apologized, "I'm really sorry, sir. I didn't mean to be rude or anything… I was just thinking."
Dave waved it off casually. "No need to apologize. I actually find it funny. Honestly, I've never seen someone as curious as you in my life."
'Damn it. I didn't think I was that obvious.' Nova grumbled inwardly.
Dave tilted his head. "So, go ahead, ask me anything you're curious about?"
Nova stayed silent for a moment, thinking carefully. Then, he decided to ask the one question that had been bothering him the most.
"Sir, is the King really that important? I mean… do we have to fight him during this dive?"
Dave's face turned serious. He leaned back slightly and looked straight at Nova. "Yeah. He's that important. This is our only chance. If we let it go, we'll never get another shot at it."
He paused, then added, "Also… your team's guess was correct. The King is a mutant monster."
Nova's expression dropped slightly, but he masked it quickly and followed up with the next question on his mind.
"Then… about the deal?"
Dave suddenly laughed and clapped his hands. "So you don't know? Then I guess you'll have to wait until they tell you themselves."
Nova glared at him, clearly annoyed. 'Then what's the point of this conversation?'
Seeing his reaction, Dave chuckled even harder and said, "Ha ha ha! Sorry. It's just really fun to watch your expressions."
He finally composed himself, then offered, "Alright. Just for that, I'll answer any one question you ask—anything at all, as long as it's within my knowledge."
He leaned forward slightly, more serious now. "But only one. So choose carefully."
Nova's interest immediately spiked, and his eyes lit up.
'Only one question? This is big… What should I ask? Something about the Watson Aristocracy? The reason behind his obsession with the King? Or maybe… the secret potion brewing method?'
A thousand possibilities flooded his thoughts—but he didn't rush.
'No… I need to ask something that'll be useful in the future—something I can't find out on my own.'
He took a deep breath, organizing the questions in his mind. After narrowing them down one by one, only one remained.
'The secret potion brewing method sounds too risky. He could easily dodge it since it's a secret. He could just say "I don't know about that."'
Nova glanced at Dave from the corner of his eye.
'I need to ask something that he can't skip. Something too broad or open-ended to avoid.'
After a long tug of war in his mind, Nova finally made his decision.
He looked at Dave seriously. "Sir, can you tell me everything you know about sorcery?"
Dave's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Now that's a broad question." A grin crept onto his face. "But… you played within the rules. I guess I can't avoid it."
'So you were planning to avoid the question…' Nova clenched his jaw, annoyed.
Dave leaned back slightly. "Alright. Before I begin, let me ask you something first. How much do you already know? It'll help me explain better."
Nova nodded. "I only know the basics. I know everything about sorcery revolves around affinity, and it's required to become a Sorcerer."
He continued, "From what I've heard, everyone has some kind of affinity with a natural element or phenomenon, but not everyone can become a Sorcerer. Only the descendants of sorcerers are guaranteed to awaken, supposedly." His voice faded toward the end.
Dave listened without interrupting, calmly listened.
Seeing the silence as a green light, Nova went on. "I also know that Sorcerers have ranks, like Explorers. But unlike Explorers, Sorcerers aren't limited in the same way. They can do almost anything if they're strong enough."
He paused for a breath, then finished, "And the chance of someone without a background becoming a Sorcerer is said to be below ten percent." He looked at Dave, waiting.
Dave sat up straight. "That's it? Then I've got a lot to correct."
He folded his arms, tone now much more serious.
"First of all, you're mistaken about the conditions for becoming a Sorcerer."
"You're right about affinity—everyone does have some kind of affinity. But having one doesn't guarantee anything. It's just one of the conditions, not the only one."
He continued, voice steady. "The second condition is that the person must have unlocked their spirituality. That can happen naturally… or by consuming a monster core."
Nova nodded slowly, taking mental notes.
"And finally," Dave said, his tone sharpening, "the most important requirement—the chasm that blocks most people from ever becoming Sorcerers is having an Aspect."
He looked Nova directly in the eye.
"Without an Aspect, becoming a Sorcerer is nothing but a fool's dream. Doesn't matter who you are."