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"Key magic? What kind of broken magic is that! That's basically stealing!" A young man around his age exclaimed aggressively. The voice was so loud, it caught Julius's attention even across the other side of the bar. Julius's eyebrow raised a bit in curiosity, sipping the wine in his hand. He can't help but feel a bit ironic, a month ago that talk would usually about him, about how weird his Time magic is, how it was cheating on and on. Julius wondered when had the gossip shifted to another person.
"Key magic huh…?" He mumbled to himself as he sipped his drink. Such a unique magic name. Julius can't help the way his mind pondering with curiosity about what exactly that magic was that caused such a reaction among the magic knights. It must be as interesting as his time magic is! His ears nearly perked to eavesdrop even more of the conversation that been going on but instead, he picked up a very soft huff from a man sitting on his right side by the bar. Julius can't help but glance toward him. It was a man, around his age, his face sharp and honestly, from this side profile, Julius already thought this man is quite good looking.
Julius felt his heart jump as the crimson eyes dart toward him. Would it be too…weird to avert his eyes right now? They already made eyes contact! Julius let out a crooked smile as he raised his glass: "Hi…?"
The man tilted his head, looking at him skeptically. His eyes made Julius's stomach squirm uncomfortably. Julius gulped, he was not usually this shy and nervous with talking with new people. He was nervous, truthfully! Julius gathered his courage, and remembered what the man huffed at. Julius started: "So…erm, did you know anything about that Key Magic user they were talking about?"
Those crimson eyes narrowed at Julius's words intensely, and Julius nearly screamed in his chest, did he say the wrong thing? Why did this feel worse than flirting? He was not even flirting! The man was silent for a moment before speaking: "Why?Are you curious?"
Julius laughed awkwardly: "Well, yeah…? Just a bit. Sound very interesting honestly!". He smiled a bit, still very excited about the new magic he heard today, and he was dying to know about it. This man just seemed to know, his instinct told him so.
The man in front of him suddenly let out a laugh that stunned Julius. His laugh was low and sensual, Julius gulped as he averted his eyes away before the man could see the light blush on his cheeks. The dark-haired man did not look at him, sipping the wine as he said: "Interesting huh, you think so? Did you not hear them say it was like…a stealing magic?"
Julius blinked, tilting his head at the man's strange tone. There was a small hint of sarcasm Julius could detect. He only smiled: "I don't think so. Each magic is unique and has a potential of their own, I never think any magic is…bad, you know?". Julius saw the man's posture changed for a second, his eyes softened slightly as he looked at Julius. Julius can't help the victory feeling in his chest, that meant he said something very right.
The man looked at him as if wanting to say something but ended up being quiet for a moment. Julius sipped his wine, waiting. The man finally asked him, with a complete turn of conversation: "You're from the Grey Deer?" Those crimson eyes fell to the cloak Julius's put behind his chair.
Julius followed his eyes, smiled and nodded: "Yes, and forgive me for my assumption but you must be the one with the key magic…?" He tilted his head, seeing the man looked back at him with a curious expression.
"What gave it away?" The man put his wine down and smirked at him slightly, he seemed much less tense than before as if his guard was down.
Julius's smile brightened, he could not believe he really got it right! He actually was thinking of how embarrassed it would be if he was wrong. He said giddily: "Instinct of a mage, you could say."
The man laughed, he actually laughed out loud, genuine and real. Julius could not help but stared, unblinkingly. Those crimson eyes tinted with amusement as he reached out his right hand: "The name is Conrad, Conrad Leto."
Julius smiled as he took the man- Conrad's hand: "I'm Julius Novachrono. Nice to meet you, Conrad!"
Julius saw the smile on Conrad's face and he decided that yes, they could be very good friends.