(Written while listening to: "Ezio's family" by Jasper Kyd on YouTube)
<<<>>>
After he was left to fend for himself, Laito looked at the current intensity of the fake "sun" to guess how much time he had left.
The answer was none at all, so he rushed back in the direction of the closest city gate.
He sprinted through it while waving to the city guard (just a militia not a Knight) who wouldn't dare to bother an Incandescent Knight, even if it was just a Squire.
The city was vast so the boy needed quite some to get to the Higher City district where The Gate to the Incandescent Keep was located. He passed the lively housing area, the crowded main square, and loud commercial streets up to the serene, richer parts of the city.
There were no slums in the city under the Incandescent's rulership, as anyone in-need was being given required help…- or jailed if they appeared to be troublemakers (Gallows or capital punishment were also an option although rare), he hasn't passed the harbour as it was in completely different direction than his route has taken him.
Laito only stopped once he reached castle's Gate in front of which Gatekeeper Gastac, who has kept his vigil as usual. Awakened Knight just slowly shook his head, amused at the boy-in-hurry.
He clasped his hands theatrically and in response the enormous Gate behind him opened itself, seemingly on its own.
As Laito has witnessed the impressive sight already on numerous occasions he, just rushed through it without a moment of hesitation, his eyes now focusing on the mountain-sized Incandescent Cathedral at the opposite site of the Order's vast parade grounds.
He continued his sprint over the currently empty square, past the Cathedral entrance alongside the Awakened Knights guarding it and turned left, as if he went straight he would reach the prayer room with grand Sun Altar where divine flame burned.
He stood now at the bottom of the stairs.
Stairs.
A LOTS of them.
And he had to get onto the very top of them.
It was no problem. With Laito's [Stamina Recovery] anything, except intensive combat, was not capable of expending his stamina faster than he recovered it. Still, climbing them took a lot of time.
He was almost late.
Almost.
—
As the boy reached the surprisingly humble doors towards the office, he stopped once more to compose himself. He facepalmed at the realization that he still had the pieces of "armor" fashioned from cooking utensils (now utterly damaged) that he was told to wear "for immersion" despite them being more of a dead burden, completely useless against powerful strikes of Awakened Beasts, though the trick lies in "not getting hit" in the first place.
He quickly pulled out himself from it, while trying to avoid making noise as much as he could and lumped all of that clutter under the wall.
'I will clean it later…- ok? No time left.'
Laito composed himself one last time and attempted to knock at the door.
But before he did.
"Come in!" An aged hoarse voice called from inside.
"Excuse me!" The boy responded as he entered the Wizard's office for the second time since he got here.
It looked mostly the same. Documents covered the desk, walls lined with bookshelves and magical looking trinkets filled shelves.
The new things were two decorated boxes laying atop two small but elaborate "pedestals" which were placed at the side of the desk...
The Wizard was standing beside the large window, overlooking the sprawling city.
"Please take a seat." Transcendent Knight asked, his voice still tired.
"Alright, thank you." Laito sat obediently and noticed that there was a new plate with fresh cookies on the desk."
"You can help yourself with them." Lord Commander gave his permission, he hadn't moved from the window, so now he was standing with his back turned towards where Laito was sitting.
–
–
–
A few moments passed with awkward silence, broken only by Laito's slowly munching on cookies.
"
"Not really. I learned to take things as they are…- for the most part. Just staying vigilant, looking out for any trouble and every time something "unusual" happens, I guess that there is always some "reason" for that. I try to deal with that on case by case basis." Laito shared how he looked at things.
"Your words do not fit the youthful face you are wearing now." Gandeon responded with a pondering voice.
"But maybe that is precisely what we are going to need." And with that he turned and walked towards a small tabernacle standing behind his desk.
He opened it and took out a book from inside before closing it back.
The Wizard placed The Book onto a desk and reverently opened it on a certain marked page.
"Now." He started. "I need you to focus on your mind for a moment and look out for any changes in your perception. So prepare yourself."
"Huh? Fine." Laito narrowed his eyes at the aged Commander, but agreed still. He also got an idea and summoned his runes. They were just like before, including his rewards from today.
"Are you ready? Remember, it will work only for a short moment." Gandeon asked solemnly.
Laito only nodded his head at him.
"Then let's not postpone it any further…-
And then, Saint Gandeon Olorfnir, the "Font of Wisdom" has read two "Words" from the Book.
Laito instantly felt the "weight" of those Words. They carried meaning that was elusive for the mortal mind as if trying to erase themselves from memory of those who heard it.
They carried Power.
Yet…- Laito heard and remembered them clearly. He felt their meaning deep in his consciousness. They also invoked in him a slight feeling of...- nostalgia?
"Jierda! Dreyma!"
The reincarnator in a 10 years old body has curled himself slightly, as if from the "pressure" that was radiating from the Sorcerer.
'Shaping. He is shaping True Names!' Laito realized.
For a moment the world became slightly hazy in his eyes, but then it quickly returned back…- and nothing much really changed.
Although the one thing that stood out for Laito was a small change in his Spell runes.
There was an unknown and off-putting attribute listed there. One that, he realized, was there for some time already, his mind just involuntarily ignored it until now.
Attributes: [Divinity of Light], [Keen Sight], [Stamina Recovery], [Enthrallment]
The [Enthrallment] was a "new" one.
Attribute description: [Unknowingly, you are slowly being put under the Charm of a corrupted deity. "~Join Us. Embrace the Mother and accept Her into you. Fill your heart and body with Desire. And pour it all to Us. We shall be One. We shall be Many~"].
<<<>>>
[4 years left until MHA plot beginning]
[Chapter End] The story is not over yet