13.5 K words.
This chapter is solely to progress other characters. I like to do one of these every once in a while.
Enjoy?
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/Around a day ago…/
/Creak…/
Deep underground, inside a laboratory… a door opened, startling a busy man.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Dad. I'm back."
The old dwarf's eyes opened slightly as he turned around to look at his son.
He was carrying a large box, and he seemed slightly tired…
"Great… wait… What happened to your face?!"
The moment he saw the bruises on his son's face, rage took over his body as his face got red.
He clenched the tool on his hand with such might it split in two!
Seeing this, he shook his head, "Calm down! Let down the analyzer first!" His son pleaded as he held onto his father's face
His sight fell on the item in his father's hand. While its handle had shattered, it was still repairable.
"You… alright."
His father calmed down, putting the half-broken tool on the table before looking at his son, touching his face as if that would give him a better look at it.
He twisted his neck left and right before grumbling something in a low tone and stepping aside.
He grabbed a small cup of cool water from a machine on the side, handing it to his tired offspring, while also grabbing a small box full of emergency medical supplies.
After all, when working with dangerous equipment, they needed to have some safety measures in place.
With all of that done, his reddened face had cooled significantly, "Tell me what happened. How did your face become like this when I told you to go to your mom?"
'Nothing was supposed to happen, only in the worst possible scenario would something happen.'
/Gulp!/
"Okay…"
The younger dwarf scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "As you told me, I went to ma to ask her about what to do."
"I don't really understand, but she brought me somewhere on the surface and… well, that is irrelevant. You must already know where she brought me to."
His father nodded without hesitation as he said, "Yes... unfortunately." with a solemn expression.
"We did find the ore and bought it for a steep price, despite it not being according to your specifications…"
"What?"
He immediately opened the box, lifting the heavy ore with one hand as if it were nothing.
His eyes seemed to brighten as he scanned the surface of the material, "Weight… density… level of impurities…"
After a moment, he put it down in disappointment, "It's around a kilogram less than what I wanted, but even so, its much better than the other ore they gave us, that piece of shit was almost a whole dog off the mark."
"This one is also a bit denser, so its almost up to mark."
"At least with this, there will not be the risk of the reactor overheating under our watch as we can safely make a new TEV."
"… Albeit the measurements won't align, we're still closer to an acceptable margin for deviations…"
The dwarf lost himself in his thoughts, not realizing that his son's expression was dark.
"Father… I'm not done…"
'My face still hurts as well.'
"Hum?... I'm sorry, please continue."
"..."
"What is it, Junior? I won't interrupt you again, tell me what happened next." He asked calmly as he closed the box
"..."
The old Dwarf realized that something was wrong, "Did someone you recognize pick on you? Dont worry, son, ignore the remarks of those stupid idiots…"
"Those lowborn hoodlums will stay in this place for their entire lives. We'll move elsewhere one day. This is but the nature of sacrifice before a greater goal."
"..."
The longer it went, the darker Junior's expression became as he bit his lips in internal agony.
This didn't look good... not in the slightest…
"After we bought the Ore… we met with those guys."
For a moment, the older dwarf's face did not process his words, but once he did, his eyes shook, "! You can not be serious…"
But it didn't look like that was the case.
He held his son's shoulders, "Tell me! What happened after!" He said as he grew erratic
"I… At first, they picked on me alone. They threatened to spread this information into the ears of the Pyke family, but I wasn't stupid, I knew they didn't have the gall to do that either…"
"Because of this, they ended up beating me up… I tried to at least put up some resistance… but I'm not the burly type."
"No… It's okay son, wounds can heal over time. It's good enough you are here…"
But he then realized something… something very bad…
Because from his story… Junior... returned alone.
"Wait… what about your mother?"
"..."
The Dwarf completely lost it now…
He grit his teeth as he clenched his son's shoulders, "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION JUNIOR!"
"They… got her."
/SMASH!/
The Dwarf smashed his hand on the table, sending the ore tumbling down like a bowling ball.
/CRACK!/
It fell onto the hard metal ground, making a small dent in it. Despite its hardness and protective measures, the metallic ground dented…
The ground and walls were made to resist critical failure from the reactor in the other room. And despite that, it dented by a mere chunk of ore...
"URG!..."
The dwarf scientist stopped thrashing around as he clutched onto his head in anger, recovering his senses as he looked at his son.
"How?"
"They… when mother returned from paying for the rock, since we bought it at a secret auction, they changed targets and picked on her…"
"But you know how she is. She trashed them all on her own with little effort…"
"Yeah, thats just like her..." The dwarf said fondly as he thought of the past
'But if she did that, then... She knew this was going to happen from the get-go...'
'That brutish woman. She should've talked to me!'
'What's the point of being worried about me when you know how I feel?! Stupid woman!'
"She always do things like this…"
While the father's expression became darker, the son continued, "I thought everything would be fine at first, but I should've noticed it. Mother was silent after that."
"On our way back, mother stopped saying she wanted to buy some food, so she asked me to go buy it…"
"..."
"When I came back, I realized she had disappeared, and after looking around, I saw her being dragged into a flying carriage by a group of masked thugs…"
"It didn't seem like she resisted. Our eyes did meet for a moment... and I came to the conclusion she used herself as bait so they wouldn't come after me."
/Clench…/
The old Dwarf was now fuming with anger and concern.
"Damn fuckers, can not believe they would do something so brazen in broad daylight just because some of their goons were beaten…"
Juniors expression changed as he said:
"It… It wasn't just anyone… mom told me it was a man called… Alired."
/Thud!/
The Dwarf almost fell onto the ground in shock. He bumped into the cracked table as his eyebrows shook.
Out of everyone… Alired?!
"N-NO! Why him?!"
This extreme reaction coming from his father made Junior's face ashen.
"F-Father… who is this Alired?"
/SMASH!/
But he didn't listen to his son, instead, he smashed his feet onto the ground.
"Damn it all!"
"Father!"
"!"
The cries of his son finally awakened him, who rose to his feet once more, trying to think of a solution.
"Alicred is… the son of the managing director of those sons of bitches."
"Normally, he spends all his time using drugs and drinking somewhere fancy… a hooligan that'll never contribute to society yet keeps causing trouble everywhere..."
"So why… just why was he in there? The Conjunction is directly opposing the Street Palace… someone of such high status wouldn't find himself in their territory so casually. Much less cause trouble there."
The deepest underground section of the Free City was a lawless zone, and instead of a main governing group, management was split into many sections.
Albeit… from the perspective of those living here, they were more akin to gangs than anything else.
The Street Palace was one of the longest-lasting groups that have been standing for generations. They mainly work around the trading of many sorts of items, legal or not, they don't really care.
This includes slaves. So much for the free city, huh?
As long as money is involved, even their so prized defense can be breached somehow, ants will always find their cracks in the stone...
As for the Conjunction, they are a rising group that governs with a ruling fist, tyrants pretty much, and the old Dwarf made the mistake of buying items from them when his research had slowed down because of lack of funds…
He bought into their bait thinking he could strike some good deals, but the reality was different...
They started to try to blackmail him, and of course, he resisted fiercely as those were mostly empty threats. They couldn't push him too far after all.
Even if they did push him, there was the Pyke family supporting their research. While they wouldn't be pleased with his actions, they wouldn't let their investments vanish from the actions of mere thugs.
No one could afford to offend the Noble families… yet the Conjuction wasn't hiding its fangs.
It is unknown what makes them so bold, but most assume they must have some strong backers.
'All of those times, everything went fine. But what made this one circumstance different?'
'There was always a risk of sending them onto the Street Palace's territory to look for illegal goods, but why would they go this far? Don't they care about the Street Palace and the Pyke family anymore?'
'It's already strange they were beaten in the marketplace of the Street Palace. Scuffles happen, but from rival gangs?'
The Old Dwarf thought of all of this in but a mere few moments, trying to piece together anything he could, all the memories he had.
"Alicred… something is going on behind the scenes… but none of that concerns us!"
His veins bulging, he stood there with his arms crossed. After thinking for a good minute, the Dwarf suddenly moved with determination.
"Come with me." He said as he left the room
"Where are we going?"
"Save your mom." He said as he reached for the door
"But how?!" He asked as he applied some ice to his face
"There are ways, and even if we can't do it now, at the very least, well make sure she's okay."
'First, we confirm her condition. Second, I find a way to get her back.'
'There's even the possibility they'll let her go after a ransom. It's not the first time I've heard of a similar situation before.'
The old Dwarf's face turned red, brimming with anger.
"Wait dad, I'm not done yet!"
"Is there something else? Look, Junior, if it isn't important… Your mother is out there!"
He nodded fervently, as he said "Mother told me to relay this to you as this may be connected to the matter..."
"She did?"
He stopped walking, turning to face Junior.
"Pyke Rafiel's Manor got destroyed after his party by an unknown third party."
"Not only that, but there are rumors that one of the princesses of the Human Kingdown in the South visited him!"
"Wh-What?!"
His mind went blank… Just what is going on now?... The manor of the family was destroyed, and the princess was around?
His eyes narrowed in annoyance, 'Could there really be something larger going on? Perhaps that is the reason the budget's been decreasing?'
'Is someone actually interfering with the Pyke Foamily's plans? If so, why act like this? Why not just sabotage our research and be done with it?'
'Why touch my wife?!'
Many thoughts passed through his head. Perhaps this was his fault in the end. As the lead scientist, if they wanted to jeopardize the research, who else to target but him and his immediate associates?
"Urg… I have some people to contact. We need to move fast!"
"Dad!"
The two dwarfs ran around the metal corridors of the underground research complex, shoving aside everyone in their path…
That was about half a day ago.
…
/That same day, far away inside a magnificent palace…/
"Sigh…"
/Tick.../
A handsome middle-aged man with thick brows and a symmetrical face lay upon his bed, letting out a tired sigh as he looked at the ceiling.
/Tick.../
His beautiful red hair was disorderly, let loose around his pillows, his beard covering most of his face as he closed his eyes to think.
/Tick.../
His bed was really big, several people could fit in it, and his room was large enough to host a party, yet he was all alone, the only sound being the continuous tick of some strange mechanism hidden somewhere amidst the luxurious trinkets.
/Tick.../
Not only that, but each and every decoration in his room could afford a normal family a lifetime of wealth!
/Tick!/
/Ding ding ding…/
His ears were suddenly stimulated by the clear, weak chimes of a bell, but there was no bell in his room.
"Haaa… already?... Cant I have some time to rest?" He asked out loud as he looked at the ceiling
He raised his hand, and the air seemed to distort, showing twelve different flames organized in a circular manner.
Each flame had a different color, but his eyes were drawn to the white flame, opposite the dark one.
"Urg... barely some time to close my eyes..."
"… My apologies your majesty, work just keeps coming, if I could I would…"
There was a voice echoing in the room, but there was no one there.
It sounded aged, but it was steady…
Before the voice could finish, the man replied, "I started this, so I'll end it… a little more work is nothing."
'I work now so that I may not work later.'
'But why does my workload keep increasing despite me trying my best while working overtime?'
He lazily rolled down his bed, getting to the edge as he said, "Although I would've preferred to do anything else other than sign papers…"
"Thankfully, it isn't about that this time, your majesty, albeit… there are indeed some documents for you to read."
A cylinder suddenly manifested in the air above the red-haired man as he rolled his eyes in displeasure.
"There is always something for me to take a look at…"
/Pop!/
The man opened the cylinder with a loud pop, removing a pristine and glowing piece of emerald paper from within…
His eyes fell on the lustrous texts… "Bla bla bla... report? Bla, bla bla... Huh?"
But as he read it, his expression changed in many ways, and midway through it, he threw the paper to the side, clenching his head in anger and partial disbelief.
"So this is how they act, huh… Fucking bastards!"
/CREAK!/
The man waved his hand across the air, the pressure so great the entire room creaked.
/Shua.../
Soon enough, a wave of blue energy covered the room like the smooth tides of dawn...
"Your majesty, please be wary of your surroundings. If one of the Madams sees a broken piece of furniture again, I will not be able to sneak you out of trouble... again."
"We already replaced the foundations twice this year."
The man swallowed dry. The mere mention of his wives shook him to his very core, "I… my hand slipped."
The man was embarrassed. He got up from his bed as he let out a dry cough.
"Give me a debrief of this, I need a shower to cool my head off."
"I have already prepared one."
/Chuckles/
"I can always count on you. The only reason why I still stand is thanks to you and Lupio's hard work."
"You overpraise me, Your Majesty. It's nothing but my duty, and besides, we ourselves can only work like this thanks to all the others that support us, this is what managing a kingdom is like."
"A duty well made nonetheless..." The king retorted as he grabbed his shirt
/Fwoosh/
King Rebifos let his clothes fall onto the ground as he walked into a room on the side. Inside, something akin to a modern bathroom took over his eyes, albeit it was more like a large sauna in terms of size.
He went past many things, from a toilet to a shower, to something like a cylindrical glass pod to a simple, luxurious sink, stopping in front of a large crucible…
/Shaaaa…/
Boiling water bubbled inside the pot, yet he got inside as if he was getting inside a pool… grabbing onto the red metal as if he was touching his bed.
"AHHHHHHH, I feel ten times better already…"
'If only I could share this moment with one of them…'
A few seconds passed, before he continued, "You're free to talk."
"Starting from the top of the report, I have compiled the Elven Kingdom's response to our recent accusations during the delegation of nations."
"As expected, they completely and utterly avoided any sort of responsibility with the recent matters, and surprisingly, they have remained completely silent regarding our own recent actions before the extermination of country-wide spies."
"Although they have berated us for our intrusion into their territory, they claimed they'll perform their own investigations and that they'll share with us their findings."
"We tried to reach a consensus, but they were adamant about not letting us in and wanting everyone that was already there out."
The King didn't seem surprised by this. He just read it after all, but his expression was one of dissatisfaction, "They decided to investigate themselves… as if anything was going to come out of that."
'Even if it does, I can already imagine what it'll be. The Princes are more than happy to shove each other down the carpet.'
"They are undermining us… again." He exhaled as he splashed some of the water onto his face
"They push us around, but not too much, and they have fun with it, and when we get angry, they show us their true selves, pushing us back onto the ground once more."
'They want us to do something. Such petty taunts… but the issue is their utter disregard of our authority.'
"From the looks of it, they don't want to start a war now… something tells me that they're looking for a spark to ignite… but what irks me is where they want the fire to start."
'They evidently want to pan us as the bad guys and have the other races join them. While I hate this situation, at least things are getting clearer… those sharp ears' plans…'
"As for the spies… there's no point in digging any further. By now, they must've cut off anything conclusive. What we have isn't enough to accuse them anymore." The King pointed out as his head dropped down
The looming presence agreed, "In the first place, the spies were mostly composed of our own people who converted to their side. They wanted to jump ship after dealing us a decisive blow…"
"But they didn't expect the new Heroes to be so… capable." The voice from beyond replied with a chuckle
"Indeed… Speaking of him, what happened? It's been a while since I've read a report on him."
'Officially at least. My son kept me informed about his actions, but ever since the lockdown, I haven't been able to speak with him. It's about time I received a full report on his actions through our sources.'
'Last time I heard it, his growth had been exceptional. I wonder if the time to bring him back is near, or if we should allow him to develop even further?'
'A Hero that grows faster outside of our hands than in them… it pains me to be unable to provide a safe place for the future of our nation.'
"Should I relay everything?" The presence asked
"No... just go on from the last report."
"As you wish."
"As you know, your majesty, recently the Academy has entered a high stage of alert as its principal office had been breached."
The King's expression twisted into one of contempt, "Beh, don't even tell me about it. Those greedy guys only want to loot that place, they have no interest in anything else."
'Most principals of the Parad Academy were 9th Circle Wizards, never had one been below 8th Circle prior to assuming the post.'
'The resources and knowledge they accumulated over the years are indeed not common in the slightest. Still, they aren't worthy of making the Human race their enemies... their actions are far more than just greed.'
'It's a matter of pride.'
'Only Humans have sat in the top position for the last few generations, not because of favoritism, but because of capability. They'll never admit to it, their pride will not allow it.'
'They tried to hard to hinder the actions of the past few principals and undermine their authority, causing the once prosperous Parad Academy to rot and decay.'
'When the current principal vanished, how far did they go to undermine us even further? What expense did they spare to attain their lost honor back?'
'But in a twist of fate, someone else stole everything, leaving them with nothing but dust and failed promises of grandeur in the end. How ironic… and devastating for us.'
'We put a lot into the creation of the Academy, and it is questionable if we ever truly recovered what we invested, considering that the Academy city is a never-ending pit of wealth and time...'
'Most families aren't as interested in sending their children there as they once did. The inequality of power is shifting once again as the Noble houses centralize even more power into their own hands yet again.'
/Splash!/
Having thought for quite a bit, Rebifos had his face submerged in the boiling hot water so as to soak his hair.
/Splash!/
As he rose from the water like a carp jumping the dragon gate, he asked, "What have they done now? Are there any predictions for the Academy to resume function?"
"Not quite, your majesty, we have already requested them to start a vote for a new headmaster, but that shall take a while."
"Without the missing items, the position of Headmaster is truly nothing else but a chore, a target to paint on your back; no one wants to become that person."
"No one wants to inherit a crumbled throne, an empty vault, and an arrow pointed at their napes. They'll keep postponing this decision for as long as possible until this matter has been taken care of..."
"So its better to think that there'll be no vote for a new Headmaster until they find out where everything went... or until one year has passed as per the rule set by the 4th Headmaster."
Rebifos smacked his lips together, "I know those things, but we can not leave it like that. To reduce our losses, we at least need to have someone from our side take over."
'The city must stabilize. It is our frontier to the central lands. At the very least, we must avoid electing an elven supporter at these times.'
He tapped the edges of his crucible, "There are many excuses we can use to speed up and force them to vote. The current Headmaster has been missing for a while, so under this undetermined scenario, an additional clause takes effect."
'Parad Academy is a neutral space, and it has been so for a long, long time. However, it is still considered under treaty and law as part of our territory.'
'The losses of those resources isn't that great for us. Some of those materials came from our side, but everyone lost a bit as several Headmasters came from other races.'
'It's not about those, in the grand scheme of things, it is a negligible loss. It has never been about those.'
'Since it has come to this… since no one wants to take responsibility for this matter, then we, the Human Kingdom shall take over the Academy city for good and solidify our wobbly control over it!'
"… That has already been arranged. Our candidate has a high likelihood of being voted for the position, albeit it may be difficult to secure the minimum necessary votes as the Elves seem inclined in getting the position as well."
Rebifos frowned… "Them again? What do they gain by doing this?"
"Most likely a political facade. Even in meaningless disputes, the Elves will take the opposite stance merely as a way to spite us. If we do something, they'll do the contrary." The voice replied
"Perhaps they aren't inclined to gain the position, but mostly to make it a pain for us. Maybe as retaliation for our purge of their spies and interference in their recent affairs."
"I suggest a possible compromise. We let go of this situation for now for control over the city. I don't see us making progress on that front anytime soon."
/Tap tap.../
The king slapped the sides of the crucible, thinking...
"Hum… how annoying."
'Pointy fuckers making everything complicated, I'll make you pay for playing around with us like this.'
"As for the rest… It's all about him."
"I was waiting for this." The King said with a large smile as he rested his elbow on the crucible
"As you know, he left the premises of the South no less than a month ago. He quickly made his way through the mountains and arrived at the premises of the Academy City… all of this was within the last report."
"As for how he got inside… we never properly determined it, but we figured that he somehow made use of the Chains."
The King had the urge to laugh, "Hum… how did a recently summoned Hero know how to contact the Chains? Much less reach an agreement with them to get inside the City."
But his thoughts showed his seriousness, 'Given this report wasn't tagged as serious, the possibility of insider info having been leaked through him is minimal… which only makes me more curious about what he used as leverage for their services.'
"I can't help but wonder."
'From what we researched from asking the other Heroes, Philip Vinten is a normal man by their standards… or was.'
'Of course, Heroes are existences that live outside of the Norm, and even among them, irregularities may be born… No, they will.'
'Is he one such Irregular? If so, his value increases even further.'
'So far, only five Irregular existences have been observed within all Heroes called forth from the other world, and he is so far the most interesting one.'
'Hum… perhaps not the most interesting one but certainly the most amusing to me.'
"What did he do upon getting inside the Academy?"
"Well… he mostly acted as a Warden, reading in the library."
The King smirked, "Reading, yet again?..."
'Does he have some unique form of ability connected to reading books? Perhaps that is why he maintained such a stern schedule and kept visiting the library during his stay in the palace...'
'But then why did he opt for the combat course?... How odd.'
After he stopped thinking, Rebifos focused again, "You may proceed."
There was no movement, but it seemed as if the voice had nodded for a moment...
"Later on, he took the position of Advanced Student and helped a professor with his lessons, eventually receiving tutelage before leaving the Academy a little before the Lockdown."
"A professor? Give me more details."
"Professor of Monster Anatomy, Fabrin Peos, has been teaching for a long time already, has one daughter, the mother is… missing."
"Sky Rank adventurer, with the prospects of becoming a Star Ranked one, however, he quit being a mercenary decades ago and settled for the sake of his daughter."
"He's a Spiritual Invoker of the 3rd Dominion and capable of conjuring elemental spirits, and there were rumors of him being born with dual affinity."
"Oh? How interesting. He seems to be quite the prospect."
'Enough to enter the Elite Corps and stand out quite a bit. So the runway Hero somehow found a way to contact this unique individual? Can't put this as a mere situational connection…'
"Indeed, your highness, you don't see someone like him that often, even in the Royal capital, but even so, he never shone that brightly, choosing to live a calm life."
The King snickered as he looked at the ceiling with a vacant and more relaxed gaze.
"That in itself is worthy of some praise, to choose family over success, few can do such things even if they were given three lives."
"So the Hero got a tutor? A better one than the ones I selected? Hard to say… Interesting to say the least."
"Was it luck, or was it calculated?… What happened next?"
"The annual great hunt, he partnered up with a student, a young woman with few noticeable features…"
But Rebifos still pointed out, There must be a reason why you're bringing her up."
"Indeed, from our scouts observing him from afar, they have concluded that the girl is at least a 5th Circle at the young age of sixteen."
The King laughed, "Ho? Once again, another talent, this time, one that has yet to properly bloom."
"Heh, as they say, talents gather around one another… I feel as if I'm hearing about a fairy-tale hero like my mother used to read me. What else? Did he go save a princess next?"
"That's not all. According to the estimations from our measurements, she should've been at the pinnacle of the 5th Circle, perhaps even a 6th Circle by this point in time."
"6th Circle by the age of 16? How talented." Rebifos scoffed, "Eriny herself, who has now secluded herself to advance to the 8th Circle, wasn't as talented when she was that age."
"Is she part of any family? A large Noble group or perhaps a fallen house of some sort?"
'It seems strange that a large house would let such a talented prospect out in the world unless they really wanted her to grow connections... But this doesn't seem to be the case by far.'
"No, your highness, apart from her name and age, there isn't really much else about her worthy to talk about."
"I see, what a shame."
If there was nothing, it meant there was nothing. The King's agents never failed in uncovering what he desired.
"As for the rest, his Great Hunt was fairly successful. He saved Fabrin's daughter, gaining her favor and solidifying their relationship."
"There weren't more interesting things to report about his time spent there, but there are a few notable exceptions…"
"Throughout his time in the Academy, he offended at least three Dukes."
"What? Ha... haha… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The King fell into hysterical laughter as the water splashed all around.
After losing his breath and calming down, he asked aloud, "Did he beat them up? Those useless sons of theirs?"
'That son of mine did say there were some scuffles… he should've been clearer about this! How can he leave such an entertaining thing away from me?'
'Should I call them? Ask how their sons are doing? Pfft…'
The King was a very serious man. Even as he laughed inside his mind, his face remained stoic as his smile fadded.
"For the most part…"
"Haha… that is a story I would like to hear more of later… for now, continue."
"As per your wish… Following his training under the hands of Fabrin, he quickly scheduled his departure. It wasn't hasty as he planned a week in advance, but his timing was indeed… off."
"Elaborate."
"According to the reports, he, together with the student he partnered with during the Great Hunt, left the premises of the Academy via a teleportation gate no less than two minutes prior to its lockdown."
The King's eyes opened wide, "... Now, that is shocking."
The King did not doubt the precision of the reports, "If that is the case… are you perhaps implying that…"
"There is an inkling of a possibility the Hero was indeed the person behind the breach and the looting of the Principal's Office as their abilities often fall beyond common sense, and as such, the most improbable should be considered."
"It has to be taken into account that this Hero was the same one behind the dismantling of the operation and the extermination of the Wild Orc army in the back gardens. Him being involved, even if indirectly, in the heist is very much a possibility."
/Tremble…/
The King's body started to tremble, shaking the water crucible all around…
"Your majesty?..."
"If he truly is the one who stole it all… if he did steal it…"
'Wouldn't that just be the greatest irony of them all?'
"BUWAHAHAHAHAH! I'M PISSING MYSELF! HAHAHAHAHA…"
"..."
The king laughed on and on. He couldn't really hold it, he was having just that much fun…
But eventually, he got tired, "Haa… ahem… What then?"
"Following this unfortunate coincidence, he proceeded to settle himself in the City of Freedom, which was just about two days ago."
"I see, it is indeed not that long for conclusive reports to be made…"
"On the contrary sir, there is a lot to talk about."
"Hm?"
The voice continued, as if reading from a script, "Let's see… somehow, the Hero offended the eldest son of the Pyke Family, being invited to his welcoming party the same day he arrived at the city."
"Well well well, looks like he has the knack for getting into trouble with these famed youngsters! Three Dukes and now the eldest son of that troublemaker Pyke?"
'Young people will always clash against each other all the time…'
"However, that wasn't all, as… someone else was invited into it."
"Or should I say, invited herself to it…"
"Your daughter, the Fourth Princess Victoria."
"Victoria, you say..."
The King wasn't surprised in the least, "So that was what she wanted in the end… no, I already suspected it, just didn't expect it to happen like this…"
He waved at the air, "I let her be since she was acting within the rules I set. She used her own assets to get this chance, all within the boundaries I set, so I couldn't let her stay…"
'I originally thought she was going to meet him from afar and not actually approach him so brazenly... there goes my subtle approach.'
'Has she contacted him? There were strict boundaries about pulling the heroes into politics this early. But her actions themselves are the problem.'
'There are eyes and ears everywhere. I'm sure those sharp ears are already aware the Heroes have been summoned. What would happen if they realized one of ours is so far away?'
'Is it indeed time to bring him back?'
"… Anything else?"
"Yes, at the party, we have some interesting information to relay…"
"It is almost certain that Miss Victoria's Maid and Mister Philip clashed against one another, resulting in the destruction of Rafiel's Pyke Manor."
The King's eyes rolled, "Just how did such a thing come to be?… I can already imagine her face…"
The king spat some water out of his mouth, splashing it across the bathroom.
"Unclear, the young Miss has been silent ever since she returned via the transportation gate."
/Grit.../
The king gritted his teeth in anger, "That brat sure kept her lips sealed… I'll go talk with her myself."
"It's not like it was all in vain, we have clearly gauged the Hero's combat power with this show…"
"Oh?"
"We have approximated him to be around the Level of a 5th Circle Combat Mage, or a 4th Stage Aura Swordsman. But the destructive force he displayed within their clash exceeded that by more than one rank."
Rebifos raised an eyebrow, "So soon?"
'Most of the trainees are still two to three ranks below that. Their growth has been exceptional, but it cannot compare to reaching that far in such little time.'
"It was unmistakable, even if he used everything he had. That is still his strength. It may be higher or lower on average, but that can not be confirmed without more intrusive means."
"We have yet to get a report on the immediate details from Lady Victoria's maid."
"No… this much is fine… I think its fine to leave him be for a while longer."
"As for that brat… I'll take care of her when we're done here."
The King relaxed in his bath for a bit longer as he thought of what to do... But he wasn't the only one going over strategic plans...
...
Somewhere within a forest of giant emerald trees, a house built from the branches of a massive tree that towered over all others drifted above the expansive forest like an apple hanging in the wind.
It had a unique mix of colors, however, none of the wood had been painted, yet it displayed a prismatic beauty like oil on water.
It was mostly a clear green color mixed with white and blue, and from time to time, you could see a few hints of purple and yellow glistening in the air, like transient holograms that popped in and out of the wood.
In the land of the elves, only a few were given the privilege of wearing and living in purple homes…
Those of the highest blood, the royals that watched over the eternal sea of leaves.
…
/Sha sha sha…/
/Chirp chirp…/
Inside this wooden house, the wind moved freely from window to window, and the birds flew in and out as if it was the natural thing to do.
Wooden branches dug into the house's walls, ceiling, and ground as if it hadn't been taken care of for decades… Yet there was no dirt lying around, no dust, the wood was firm and there were no stains on the long carpet laying on the entrance, leading deeper into the manor.
The manor gave off a serene aura. It was one with the surrounding nature, and it seemed more like a natural creation of the forest rather than a man-made construct.
…
/Clack… Clack…/
Following the carpet into the other sections of the Manor, a man appeared.
He was wearing a casual half-open robe that went all the way to the ground. It exposed his well-developed chest and part of his muscles as he looked at the distance.
His hair was just as long, almost hitting the ground. It was just as green as the leaves on the tree his house hung upon, and his eyes were a deep shade of purple like grapes under the sun.
But his pupils were a bit different from normal. Rather than being circular or oval, they were star-shaped, making his eyes seem like stars in the night's sky.
(Image?)
If all of this wasn't enough to label him as special, his last features said it all. A pair of sharp ears that rose into the air, longer than most of his species, then twitched here and there in response to his bodily movements.
And lastly, the beautiful golden tiara he was playing around with on his fingers, spinning it away like a toy…
When all of this was put together, his identity became a bit clearer… a true royal of Elven blood, often spoken about in rumors and gossip.
But which of the many princes was he? Whoever he is, one thing is for sure, he was rather handsome, even by Elven standards.
/Clack…/
While his left index finger was occupied playing with the tiara, his right hand was busy pushing around a set of toys on a small board similar to chess.
"..."
He was expressionless, but he seemed a bit… vacant? As if he were unmotivated to do anything, simply pushing things away without a thought…
Or were his movements too complex to be understood?
"... I lost." He spoke for the first time in a long while
His tone was calm, there was no surprise in his words.
Only his star-shaped eyes gleamed slightly…
But there was one odd thing in all of this… who was he playing against if there was no seat on the other side of the board?
/Chuckles…/
Against all expectations, he chuckled as he grabbed one of the pieces from the board.
It looked like a knight as it held a large sword. It wore a mask on its face, so it was hard to distinguish who it was.
However, this very same piece was the one that seemingly finished him, the one that dealt the last blow to his strategy.
"I'll concede this one to you, wandering knight."
/Clack…/
/Twinkle…/
He placed the piece back on the board, and suddenly, the entire board turned into speckles of light, flowing into the air…
"Already? Shame..."
"Hm…"
The elf continued to gaze into the distance, resting his head on his hands as he let the faint breeze push his hair aside.
There seemed to be little focus in his eyes, so it was hard to discern how he felt.
From afar, he merely sat on a chair on a balcony overlooking a long patch of green… The lengthy forest that went as far as the eye could see.
From high above, the gargantuan trees looked more like a patch of moss on a sunny day. The manor was so high in the air that the trees below seemed to fuse with one another, becoming one cohesive sea of green that went into the horizon.
His eyes darted into the extreme horizon… far, far, far away, a very, very faint figure of a mountain pierced through the green sea, one that rose to the skies, surpassing the clouds…
The Never-Ending Mountain, the highest of them all.
"..."
The Elf turned his face to the side, looking at the hall his balcony was connected to.
There, in the middle of the room, lay a massive… pink flower?
Closed, yet to bloom.
/Poof…/
Or perhaps…
/Shaa…/
The flower slowly opened, releasing many spores into the surrounding air, creating a thick pink cloud.
"..."
The Elf's expression did not change, but he did grab a fan inside one pocket of his long robe, fanning away the annoying spores so he could breathe properly.
"Cough cough!"
Finally, something broke the serenity of this scenario.
"Cough!... I hate these things…"
The flower was now fully opened, displaying its secrets. It was another Elf, one that looked a tad older, but he didn't have a single shred of elegance or beauty as compared to the other Elf sitting on the side.
"You're here, I've been waiting." The Elf in the robe said, this time with a very small smile
"I'm… Cough! Sorry for the delay... COUGH!... Your Highness."
"Some things happened, and it took me a bit longer to compile them."
But the Royal did not mind, "Mistakes can happen... No, they are expected to occur every once in a while."
"What matters is having the will to deal with them properly." The royal elf replied as his hair moved with the wind
"Yes…"
'I'm giving my all not to cough again...'
The newcomer tied his bowtie, and if it wasn't too late to explain, he was using something similar to a tuxedo.
He was very out of line with the ambient around him… His hair was brown, and a bit curly, while his eyes were blue, a bit soggy since the dark circles around his eyes made him look older and shadier.
He had a long mustache, too long in fact, to the point it seemed a bit comical.
"So… shall I start?"
"First… take a seat. There is no point in rushing everything."
"I… as you wish."
The man took a few steps out of the flower, walking onto the balcony.
/Thud…/
/CREEK!/
The Royal Elf tapped his index finger on the table, and the wood next to it creaked heavily, altering its shape into a chair.
"Excuse me." The man said as he sat down on it, unfazed by this bizarre situation
...
/Silence…/
For a few awkward seconds, no one said anything, only the chirping of the birds and the strange sounds of the insects all around could be heard…
The man seemed to want to speak, but the other Elf opened his mouth first:
"How was your day?"
"M… my day?... Well… can't really say it was out of the ordinary…"
He touched his head awkwardly, 'If it weren't for all the recent events, I would only be tired.'
'But now I'm overly so, borderline falling apart.'
"I see… as for me… I'm a bit tired as well."
"You don't look like that, to be honest…" The Old Elf replied as he looked at him
"Hm? Isn't it obvious through my expression?"
He seemed a bit upset... but that was hard to say from his near-expressionless face.
"Your Highness… pardon my lack of words, but you have no expression…"
He dropped his head as he smirked, "I told you before, I'm just bad at expressing myself."
"But you have no problem posing for others."
The Royal Elf smiled, albeit he had some melancholy in his tone.
"Acting is easy, it is expected of me as a Royal to act like that, and so I do."
"But that… tires me."
"Being able to fully express yourself is one's greatest privilege. At least to me."
The purple-eyed elf looked into the distance before looking back at the man.
"Well then, I've had enough rest for today."
/Clears throat/
After clearing his throat, his guest continued, "Then, allow me to go over the matter regarding the Emerald-Sun Kingdom's response to that last matter…"
"And also the other reports of the activities of the other forces..."
"A lot has happened recently, hasn't it?"
"You're right your Highness. Would you like me to start with a specific subject?"
"Hm... ah, there is indeed something on my mind."
His smile grew deep, "Tell me, what have our Heroes been doing?"
"Well..."
…
/Later.../
For the next half hour, the Elf spoke nonstop while the other one only listened, nodding and telling him to move on from time to time.
"... and… This leads us to the anonymous report from the Dwarven Council."
"Hm? The Dwarves?"
The Royal raised one of his eyebrows, albeit his eyes squinted for a moment.
"Yes… not so long ago, there was an anonymous report coming from the South. Normally, they ignore such reports, but this one was made directly into their most important channel, the one they reserve solely for inter-tribe communication."
"It bypassed all of their security codes, and also utilized their encoding scripts... Yet, this report was traced to have come from the South… and its contents were something they couldn't ignore."
"Is that so?"
Despite his uninterested reply, the Elf's eyes had already sharpened. There was no need to hear the rest, he had already understood what this was about.
"That said, the report was unclear and very abstract, Dwarves are very stubborn whenever their curiosity is picked, especially regarding the subject of the report."
"When those Magmatic Forges of theirs are mentioned, they grew ever so restless."
"As we speak, they should be discussing what to do with this information, and soon enough, they may send someone into the Free City under whatever excuse they may find."
"There is little to no chance of our contacts stopping this from happening, at most delaying it."
"..."
The Royal merely tapped his index finger on the table, looking at the aged Elf with a serious gaze, as if finding his actions funny.
"W-We expect them to send someone within the next two days, at most three if something happens."
"And… its very likely that this person will be Cerulion."
"... Haa…"
'Ahhh, wandering knight…'
/Chuckles/
Instead of thinking it through, the Elf chuckled after letting out a heavy sigh.
He looked at the ceiling, at the distant canopy of the massive tree he resided in.
But when he looked back, he wasn't the same.
"So… they found out?"
His tone and expression completely changed as he looked at the other elf. He looked… a tad more… darker?
His guest swallowed dry, "Ah… That is most certainly… not true."
"Whoever made this report was unwilling to relay everything, either meaning they dont know much…"
But the Royal interrupted him:
"Or they know everything, and are now using the Dwarves' interest to pivot something."
"Besides… there is no need to search for the culprit. It's obvious who it was."
"... Do you think so too?..." The Aged Elf asked, sweat falling from his forehead
/Grab.../
The Royal grabbed a small leaf that flew by next to his face, staring at it calmly.
"After everything, I was thinking about what they would retaliate, given that the past few negotiations went in our favor."
"But midway through that, I didn't expect them to sniff this out as well."
/Chuckle/
The man laughed once more, for him, this was certainly amusing.
/TAP!/
"But something... Is odd." He said as his finger hit the table a tad stronger
"First, they found out about the passage and the goods, which cause me quite a headache from several of those old farts' factions."
The older elf's expression paled, "P-Please do not call the Elder Council Old Farts..."
The royal rolled his eyes in displeasure, "They are too old to think straight anymore. There is a point where too much knowledge becomes poison to you when your body fails you."
"..."
'I technically agree...'
"Second... the Academy."
"It wasn't enough that she met her, but now, all the strategic value in it has been lost as someone robbed the Academy of our planned justification... That's two major operations down the drain and one more issue to the list."
"Let's say this interruption wasn't the original intention of the thieves. Regardless, this means the -Seed- has been taken, or at least, all the clues that could lead us to it have been lost."
"Only a few knew the details of each of those operations… and you plan to tell me that those plans that have been in preparation for the last few decades have all fallen through in a matter of months is a coincidental occurrence?"
"…"
"Where is it? The leak?"
"I... I'm investigating..."
"Now now, calm down, no need to be tense, I'm just stating what happened." The royal said as he smiled faintly
"Yes..."
But his expression grew cold soon after, "So."
"All of this happened in close-by events… one after the other… The affected areas were within the borders of the Human Kingdom… And there have been no hiccups with the operations outside of their influence."
His purple eyes fell into the distant mountains, "How long has it been since they performed the ritual?"
"... Around sixty days, the exact date has yet to be determined."
He nodded, "Hm… remind me… what happened in the Free City again?"
"As planned, Rafiel was sent to the city under the ruse of the coming of age ceremonies and teachings as the next in line of the Pyke Family."
"Yes, I remember this."
"... While everyone paid attention to his existence, the Family would continue with business beyond prying eyes…"
The man did not react to this information.
"But midway through his welcoming party, Princess Victoria visited Rafiel, causing quite the ruckus…"
"The reason being?"
"There was no cause."
Once again, he remained quiet.
"We believe this was the Humans' way of showing to us they have caught on to us… or they are at least starting to. It could also be a power play to keep the Pyke Family in check."
"We don't believe that to be the case for there would be no point in doing that since it could lead to dissatisfaction amidst the already dissatisfied Aristocracy. This comes from the recent investigations that the Crown has been pushing forward."
"All that aside… what is her personality?"
"Hm..."
Caught off guard by the sudden question, he thought for a moment before replying, "Princess Victoria is a very unruly young woman, albeit she knows where to draw the line."
"She constantly seeks new things to see and experience as she finds the life in the Palace boring, her abilities and understanding of politics allow her to manipulate others around her so she may seek her entertainment."
"There is no indication she has ever used underhanded means or manipulated others in a malefic way to this day, merely making use of her many strings to fit her young and childish desires."
"Hm…"
That was all he needed to hear, for everything fell into place for the Elf…
No, it had already clicked long ago.
His starlike pupils seemed to shine even more as his eyes set on the foot of the distant mountains.
"There is… a human hero in the City of Freedom."
"Wh…?"
"A very very interesting person… indeed…"
'I found you, wandering knight… or actually… that isn't the wandering knight.'
'A knight moves by order of a lord. Isn't that natural?'
His eyes shone even stronger, 'There is another piece… no… another board above mine.' He thought as he looked above him, the faint traces of another game board manifesting before him.
But the guest before him didn't seem to realize that yet.
"Your Highness... Isn't it too early to assume things?"
But the Royal replied without even turning his face, "Haven't we done this before? If I'm wrong, then I shall admit my mistake, but until proven otherwise, I'll move with this idea in mind."
"... As you wish."
'You have yet to be mistaken in your assumptions, I'm afraid…'
"One after the other... In the following sequence of events..." He mumbled out loud as his fingers drew in the air
"If we draw a line..."
The Prince moved his finger in the air... towards the other side of the mountains, "Then we go back... to the Palace."
Of course, by this point, the aged Elf had already understood what he was insinuating.
"Y-Your highness, isn't it too much to assume all of this are the workings of the recently summoned Warriors?"
"... I think its too much to disregard this very possibility." He replied as he tilted his head, "Potential isnt solely determined by species... Do you know why you are my retainer?"
"I-I..."
"You aren;t the most capable, nor the strongest, my brothers and sisters have chosen a vast array of potent subordinates... yet they fail again and again before you."
"Y-You jest... I'm not that great..."
He smiled, "No, you are."
"The most important thing in you is the ability to understand and have an open mind..."
The royal's gentle eyes suddenly darkened, "So never allow yourself to lose this ability."
"I-I'll keep myself in check."
"Good."
He looked at the forest, "We are so high in the sky, that sometimes, it becomes hard to understand the shapes in the leaves."
"The dirt that keeps us afloat... it can be hard... but it can become loose, like sand. So don't underestimate them, otherwise..."
"You may lose your ears." He finished with a smirk as he tapped his chin
His expression went back to a relaxed one, while his lips widened into a genuine smile.
"But truly… how impressive."
He closed his eyes in thought, "I lost once to an enemy I didn't even know existed, and almost lost again without even knowing… how long was he planning to keep me in the dark? Until I found myself buried neck deep?"
"If it wasn't for a naughty girl… I would still be in the dark…"
A shadow formed around the corners of his lips…
"Then… why don't we send a gift to them for helping us? I think it's just fair we reciprocate their level."
"Players must match on a level field. I can't let myself lose momentum to a newcomer."
"... You mean…"
"Call them…"
He looked at the giant tree that rose to the skies, especially towards a certain place further above, a massive Palace that was built around the massive trunk of this gargantuan tree…
"I have a task for them."
"..."
The middle-aged elf nodded, bowed down, and said, "As you wish, your highness..."
"The Crown Prince."
Upon saying his farewell and leaving behind the documents he brought with him, the man stepped onto the flower, letting it close around him once more.
/Cough…/
"… I fucking… COUGH!"
Faint coughs were heard soon after.
"..."
/Shu…/
The magical board appeared on the table once more. This time, the Prince rearranged the pieces, leaving behind only two.
One piece that was nothing more than a white rectangle, and another one… the Knight he held not so long ago.
"Now… I'm not a very good loser."
/Clack…/
The Prince moved his hand, placing three new pieces onto the board… but hesitated to place another behind the knight.
"But I'll give this victory to you." He said as he put the extra piece away
"Slowly... we'll set up this new board. I want to see what kind of game you're bringing to this table."
'Since the others bore me.'
The Prince smiled as he put his back against his chair, "I made my move…"
…
/Somewhere a bit far away…/
/Swoosh!/
/Swoosh!/
"..."
Back at the Academy, Fabrin lazily sat on a beach chair, overlooking his daughter as she swung her sword again and again…
In his hands, he held a piece of black and white paper with many images printed on it.
Some of these images were actually moving, while others even jumped out of the paper, moving in the air as they became three-dimensional…
It read:
*Todays Dream*
"Huff… dad, can you stop reading the newspaper like an old man and help me? I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!" Ivia asked as she breathed heavily
/Flip…/
Fabrin carefully moved one page, reading the next article.
*Still no signs of the culprit; whose fault is it?*
"Just a bit more, dear, keep up the good work… a hundred more to go." Fabrin replied without even glancing at her
'This edition is quite good... this might be the best of the year yet.'
Ivia's face tensed, "#!! I've been doing this for over two and a half hours, even though you told me you were going to continue where we stopped yesterday immediately."
"Then take it as a warm-up…"
"If this goes on, I will not even be able to lift my arms later!"
Fabrin scoffed as he put his newspaper down, "Don't you want to get strong? So keep swinging it."
"As a woman, if you want to keep up with a man, then you need to put in three times the effort and learn how to aim where it hurts. That last part is essential."
"I…"
'But I don't want to become a Macho girl!… And I don't want to punch that either!!'
"..."
While his daughter complained mentally, Fabrin read the article with a dark expression…
*... After an entire day of investigations, the thief's method of entrance has been discovered — a backdoor in the defensive arrays around...*
/Shake…/
But Fabrin eventually shook his head.
'Kid… Hopefully, I'm thinking too damn much.'
'Take care out there, I'm rooting for you… So you may find what you were looking for, and the reason you persevered through that training in the first place.'
He finally closed his newspaper, unwilling to read the rest right now.
He had lost the drive to read it further. Instead, his gaze fell on his daughter's "awful" display of swordsmanship... and from within, he saw the shadow of something rather familiar.
'Has she imprinted a part of that boy's swordsmanship on her mind? Despite leaving, it seems he remains inside her mind still…'
"Tsk… If you're tired, just slow down, there's no point in the training if you don't do it properly."
While he approached his daughter to help her with his posture, he thought about the current situation of the Academy, 'It's so messy right now… to where it makes me wish to just bail out…'
'But I can't… I'm waiting for someone. And I have to take care of this brat too.'
"Like this?" She asked as she put a step forward
"The angle is off, try again… and stop trying to copy him. Your body and his are fundamentally different. Didn't you see enough from his training?"
"Ha! As if there was anything to see in you butchering him daily!"
'I know that much… he said that himself several times already!'
Fabrin exhaled, "Haaa..."
'She resembles her a tad much… but at the very least… she now listens.'
He touched his head in frustration, ;Sigh, to think I would need another man to put some sense into my own daughter… I'll just go complain to that old man later, perhaps he knows more about this...'
'And also a bit about raising rebel girls, he did it thrice after all. I can't even imagine it… having to deal with an entire generation of stubborn women… will my granddaughter be like this too?'
'Just thinking about that…'
"U-Ugh!…"
Ivia almost dropped her blade as she felt a massive cramp in her shoulder.
But Fabrin was merciless, forcing the blade back onto her hand:
"Giving up already? You barely swung it ten times properly."
'That boy... I would've killed him once by this time... Perhaps not that extreme, since he would react, but a few bones would be the least... It was rather convenient, actually. Since he'd always be back in full force after…'
'Sorry... but I can't do the same to her, not even close.'
'If you're resentful, come back stronger, heh.'
Ivia complained, "I'm trying, but its surprisingly difficult to do it like this..."
'My arm will fall at this pace... but there is progress. As long as I can keep up…'
/Tad/
Fabrin touched her shoulders, releasing soothing light from his palm.
"Keep doing it until you imprint the proper moves into your bones, make this task something natural to your brain, just like breathing."
'Re-arrange your muscles, temper your flesh…'
"Until then, you'll have to calculate on your own… now, again!"
/Swoosh!/
"If you don't try your best, next time we meet that kid hell wipe the floor with you with little effort… even that little wizard girl next to him might do it."
"Urg! No need to tell me…"
'He already does that enough in that "simumumu" room or whatever he calls it!'
/SWOOSH!/
"That!"
The girl kept moving her sword while under three pairs of eyes, albeit she only saw one…
Not all Heroes come from afar, most were born from effort and opportunity…
Albeit it would be an overstatement to say that this is enough.
…
/At the same time, further down South once more…/
Within a beautiful green field next to a crystal clear lake surrounded by a forest…
"Urg… Hu… I'm dying… P-Please... at least some fucking water..."
"Stop being dramatic, and watch your language, plus five minutes."
"Uhhh..."
Two men could be seen training, one doing a handstand, his face extremely red and his arms swollen…
While the other one was barefoot and… walking on the water?!
"You've only been there for…"
But he was interrupted.
"I've been here since 5 Am, okay? I've been counting!"
"The first thing I did after breakfast was come here... No, I didn't even have that, I merely ate a toast you did half-assedly, and now I'm here, dying of hunger and thirst."
"The moon fell, and the sun has risen since then. At first the sun was shining on my back, now the sun is shining on my chest and face, and I didn't even use sunscreen."
"Give me a break." Petter exclaimed with a tired face, his expression displaying his agony
"Hm… a little more and we'll call it."
'He has quite the energy for someone who has been doing that for close to half a day.'
"You've… said that… several fucking times… already."
"Add one more then."
"..."
Petter stopped talking. He felt that if he were to lose concentration, he would faint right then and there.
Dae on the other hand, raised his left hand…
/Splash…/
The water morphed, becoming a Trident…
/Splash…/
But just when he grabbed it, the trident dissipated, mixing with the water once more.
"Sigh. Not yet…"
'I have yet to fulfill the requirements…'
'But that's strange, even though I was very occupied in the first month of the Summoning, I still tried my best in the following one.'
'I should've done everything… Did I forget something? That would be… not ideal.'
He touched his head in frustration. When you have so much going through your head all the time, it was normal to forget one thing or another…
More than once, he found himself standing somewhere only to remember he had forgotten something. So many things happened so fast that a few details flew past his eyes…
"But I ought to keep trying."
'I need to have this and one more thing ready by the time Philip comes back. At least those two things…'
Dae's Class, Legendary Hero is as great as the name says.
Starting off with close to twenty Skills. That alone would already make it incredible, especially when those weren't ordinary Skills mashed together without order, but a group of abilities that added upon each other into a proper set.
With a few of them being Unique Abilities rarely seen if at all.
Not only that, Dae's Class gives him a total of ten Stat points towards all Major Stats every level.
This made it one of, if not the Class with the highest Stat growth in recorded History.
If there were some that went beyond it, then it did in only one and not all four values. However, that in itself wasn't enough for him to be considered "Exceptional".
When being surrounded with so many Hero Candidates, having a large growth prospect wasn't enough.
And that is where his Sword, Excalibur, comes into play.
Excalibur can be considered the main part of his Class. First, it is considered a lone entity, meaning it has a Level and Stats as well.
Second, it can hold Skills and Abilities just like him, albeit no Traits since despite having a Level, it isn't a living being with Sapience...
Third, no one else can use it… well... not quite. That was mostly a lie Dae spread around. Just like in the Myth, those worthy of wielding this sword can lift it; however, finding such a person would be difficult, much less having said person wield it well.
Most people have assumed Dae's Class is merely a reenactment of King Arthur's tale, his myth, that he'll become a great swordsman and leader together with the mythical sword.
But that couldn't be farther from the truth.
For them, he was the King of Heroes in the flesh, you could say… After all, most heroes were like that, a resurgence of myth, tale, story, folklore... with most being from Earth, a few, from this one.
And who was King Arthur, if not one of the best - known tales all around?
Dae's eyes brightened, "Let me try something…"
/Splash!/
"Hm?... Hey!"
"..."
Did he just jump into the lake for a swim again?
Petter's expression was a mix of envy, anger, resentment, desire, and more...
'While I'm forced to have my face burn in the sun, you go for a dive?'
"Fuck you!"
…
Dae swam into this surprisingly deep lake, and when he hit the eighty meters mark, he finally reached the sandy bottom.
Lodged onto the rock was his beautiful sword, waiting silently amidst a few algae, a small school of colorful fish with stripes.
They had a half-moon shape, and they looked very pretty.
Those fish seemed very used to Dae's presence, so much so they completely ignored him even when he walked right through them.
If he wanted to, he might even grab one of them with little effort.
/Grasp…/
Dae grabbed the hilt of the sword, but he didn't pull it. Instead, he focused his attention on the series of notifications that played on his eyes.
"..."
'As I thought. Only 4.7%... and its stuck at this value.'
'I thought leaving it here for two weeks would be enough… but is its Level too low?'
Shaking his head due to his oversight, Dae proceeded to fix his mistake.
[... Transferring]
[Readjusting Statistics…]
[All Parameters will be kept the same]
[DING]
[Holy Sword Excalibur's existence has been increased]
[Increased…]
[Incr…]
Five prompts, one after the other, repeated in front of his eyes.
But finally, as the final number turned from nine to ten, Dae's eyes relaxed.
'So I wasn't wrong. I just forgot to take better care of it…'
[DING]
[Your state has been readjusted]
"..."
'So Im back at Level 9?'
'How awful… It took me so damn long to hit Level 10, then after they checked me, I used those levels to raise Excalibur to Level 5.'
'Then it took me an awful amount of time to become Level 20, and now I'm back at 9.'
He thought about the life he left behind, 'I sometimes forget how much of a pain the first time I dealt with this, but at that time, I received a lot of help from the Crown... albeit it made me a tad too tied.'
'I even... Sigh, hopefully, shell have a better life this time around.'
'Lowering my level is fine, since it's a complete regression. My parameters are recalculated, but Excalibur's powers increase, allowing me to tackle greater foes.'
'But of course, I can't win them all, I'm not like Philip, who can get stronger indefinitely without the necessity of leveling up and rake in achievements, that damn bitch…'
'Still, he has his own problems. Living outside the System yet keeping one foot in it is not a simple thing to do, and by now... he should be facing the consequences of that.'
'I warned him of that and gave him a solution… but fixing that fully will have to wait.'
'Anyway…'
Dae smiled, a small vortex forming around his body as he pulled the sword.
/Shine…/
The sword shone, becoming like a mass of light…
'Come on… don't fail now. I've wasted enough time on this already.'
The light distorted, finally taking the shape of a Trident.
/SPLASH!/
All the water around him was suddenly blown away, creating a vacuum at the bottom of the lake. The poor fish were sent rolling in the water...
But despite the pain he felt all around his body, he smiled.
[All of the conditions have been achieved]
[Excalibur is transforming, taking the shape of a new Myth]
[A Great Accomplishment!]
Suddenly, a new message played in front of Dae, this one being blue, but a dark blue.
{How odd}
A voice echoed within his mind.
"..."
{Hmm... you qualify}
/Shine…/
{Take it, worthy one. I'll keep an eye on you with interest}
{Lift the seas onto the land, and lay waste}
[The Trident has manifested]
[You are one step closer to realizing your Class Fate]
His ears were bombarded with the annoying system notifications, but Dae didn't pay them any heed.
He had already heard them once before after all… What mattered was that he had done it again, now years ahead of time.
The first of many.
[Your attributes are being adjusted…]
He closed his eyes and let the surrounding water engulf him once more.
…
/Splash!/
After a while, Dae jumped out of the water, but he had nothing in his hands.
"You're finally back." Petter exclaimed in annoyance
"Well, sorry for that."
"..."
Petter's face was red, not from anger, but all the blood pooled inside his skull.
"You... you can stop if you…"
/THUD!/
"HAAAAAAAAAA…"
Petter immediately let go, letting his head hit the ground, but this little pain was incomparable to what he was feeling right now.
Petter cried, "I'm too tired to sleep…"
"..."
Dae on the other hand, rolled his eyes.
/Step step step…/
It was at this time that someone approached them from the side.
Dae already knew who it was, he had been waiting for him to arrive… However… now of all times? It obviously wasn't a coincidence, because this man wasn't one to lose his timing.
A man who always arrived when it was most proper… It was a blond man wearing an unbuttoned shirt together with a pair of slippers and dark glasses.
"Roy."
"Hey man, wats up? You look a bit… shaken." He added with a smile as he put his hands on his pockets
/Stare…/
The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds, one smiling, the other serious.
Every time they met, a battle of wits would play out, while poor Petter wanted nothing more than to let his blood rush down from his head…
"Did you bring it?" Dae questioned
"Oi oi, don't speak so loud…~"
"Stop playing around. Do you really think we can hide anything here? Now, did you get it?"
"Sigh, you're so boring when alone… completely different from how you were at school… and around those guys as well." Roy pointed out as he scoffed, stretching his neck
"Dont you think so?~" He asked as he pulled his glasses down
Dae wasn't willing to play his mind games right now.
He merely crossed his arms, "People change, if you don't, you'll end up like those rejects and be traumatized."
"You sure speak rough for the Hero… no sugar, aye?"
Seeing that Dae wasn't having any of this, he spoke again as he lifted the item in his left hand, a small stack of papers:
"Here, take it, took me quite a bit of work to get it. Those bratty kids sure know how to negotiate. I almost left without my pants, and I like them."
"Honestly, I have no idea how they smuggled something like this into the Palace at all."
Roy smirked, "As you said… people change… some for the better, others due to necessity… And a few just end up home, and I guess those guys are one such case."
Dae didn't say much, instead, grabbing the papers.
The first words on the paper were:
*Todays Dream*
It was a newspaper.
Roy looked at the newspaper and frowned, "I've taken a look at it on the way by the by… and I gotta say, why do you need that?"
"Information on the outside is always valuable." Dae replied without showing much of a reaction
"Yeah yeah, right… the same words as before. Keep your secrets or whatever…"
But he then smiled widely as his eyes shone, "Send him my regards."
"…"
Seeing that Dae was now more focused on reading the paper rather than communicating, Roy coughed awkwardly and asked:
"Then…"
/Swoosh!/
"Oi…"
A piece of paper was sent flying into Roy's face, but he effortlessly caught it.
Opening it revealed a small rune, but Roy smiled in deep excitement as he studied it.
Finally, after so Goddamn long, he managed to get it… 'What a beauty. So this is the answer I've been looking for? Or did it find its way to me instead?'
'That does it for now.'
"Thank you, as always, you've kept your promise."
"I'll be back tomorrow with more news as you've requested… until then…"
Roy smiled, "Have a nice day, my friends. We ought to enjoy this while we still can…"
"Because it seems we won't be having it easy that long either…"
Dae interrupted him, "Another one of your predictions?"
Roy smirked, "No… I can't see that long… call it a gut feeling of mine."
"The gut feeling of a diviner isn't something to ignore." Dae mumbled without taking his eyes off the paper
Roy felt as if this entire conversation between them was of no consequence to Dae. Was it really that meaningless to him or was this one of the many facades he spread around the place to throw others off?
"I'm honored, albeit I'm far from being the diviner I was supposed to be."
But as he said that, Roy's eyes sharpened. Enough jokes, this time, he sincerely wanted to warn them.
"Be careful, friend." He said as he looked at Petter
"Hm? Why the warning?" Petter asked as he raised his head from the ground, a bit tired
Petter looked above his face drenched in cold sweat, "Hey, Roy."
"Wassup my dude, once again, we meet like this… Is there a time you aren't hyperventilating on the ground?"
"You should rest a little from time to time."
"Say that to him…" Petter said as he moved his hand to the side
"Anyway… Is there something wrong?" Petter asked as he rolled on the ground
"Ahh… perhaps you should ask him, by his looks, he has already started to realize what's wrong."
"Hm? Dae?"
But the man in question did not give in.
"... Forget about it, focus on resting first."
Dae turned to Roy, warning him with his eyes, "As for you, beat it, don't fill his head with useless thoughts."
"I'm genuinely offering advice, you know?" Roy added as he touched his chest, slightly offended
His eyes opened, becoming serious as he took out his glasses.
"Those guys… they don't like you two very much. Living on the edge, far from most, doing who knows what and how…"
"Yet you're still the strongest… some don't feel convinced… perhaps unwilling."
He shrugged, "Honestly, a stupid thought to have… Especially you, my friend." He said as he pointed at Dae
"It is clear those guys are separating us into groups, that was clear to all who have a functioning brain."
"And now, the talks of a leader have started to spread... Your reputation is very solid, you are everyone's friend, there is no one that doesn't know you…"
"But at the same time, you have no achievements apart from winning the few spars that happen every so often."
"You even refuse more spars than anything, and they seem to take it as a sign of weakness."
"You've been helping a selective few improve, and this has led to those that weren't helped to feel resentment…"
"But you do nothing to solve this… Soon enough, this will explode…"
Dae spat on the ground, "And?"
"..."
"..."
Dae was utterly unmoved.
"Heh… I knew you would say that. After all, you…"
Oh no, Roy said a tad too much this time.
"!"
Before Roy was allowed to say anything else, Dae tensed his arms, looking at him without moving, but the air became a bit more palpable.
The very blades of grass flattened beneath his feet as Roy felt an invisible pressure weigh down his shoulders…
"I… Damn."
'This feeling again. Just like when I met that other bastard…'
'Why do these strong guys like to show off like this?'
He smiled internally, 'Well… it's only a matter of time. I've spent my chips, and now it's too late to take them back.'
'Philip… I hope that guy returns soon. But first… he'll have to go through all of that…
'Sometimes I hate this ability, it makes life a tad too… predictable.'
Roy shrugged. He turned around, trying to keep a steady expression.
Raising his hand, he waved as he started walking away.
But who knows?
Destiny isn't set in stone.
Fate can be altered… and renewed. Just as much as it can be broken.
And in the end, Roy knew he was nothing but a glorified gambler.
Because he always bets on what I couldn't see
His eyes glowed, the image of a wheel turning being reflected within his pupils.
[...
Skills:
…
Glimpse Lv4 (Unavailable)
Final Moments Lv??? (Unavailable)
…
]
'I'd rather bet on an unknown, unlikely future… than tread down a path of certain doom.'
"I'm not that bad of a person, alright…"
'I just want to live. Although I'll admit, I'm an awful person to be friends with.'
'Im sorry but… I have no intention to hang in the towel.'
Roy disappeared into the forest under the gaze of a pensive Korean man.
After a while, Petter let his sealed thoughts out, "Can we have some tacos tonight?"
"I ... fine."
Dae frowned as he walked in the direction opposite to Roy's.
"Hm?!"
'He agreed?'
…
/Back in the Crown Prince's home/
/Clack.../
/Step step step.../
"There they are."
The Prince looked to the side, seeing three people entering his room, two girls and one man.
"I've been waiting."
"Heroes."
.
.
.
Notes
We continue with Philip's actions next chapter. I thought I would've been able to add them here, but I thought it was fine if I did a mostly side chapter focused on others.
There will be more chapters focused on the actions of other Heroes and how their powers work, but it is what it is. I can't have them all flourish in the story. I have plans for about half a dozen of them aside from the main cast, and I'm certain most already know who those are.
Anyhow, I'm out. The next chapter shouldn't take so long to come out.
Peace!
PS: I would add more images, but I'm tired right now.