《(Un)Paralleled》 Chapter 01 - Aware With mind disordered, a single man walked through a silent forest, cloaked by a thick mist. With a pale blue light illuminating the otherwise pitch black darkness of the dense forest, only the sound of one step after the other, footfalls landing on a damp underbrush. No sounds of insects, of wind weaving through trees and rustling their leaves. If not for the somewhat distorted looking moon above, one would not even know what this place looked like. With the feeling of the cold and moist air on his face to keep him aware and awake, the man continued to trudge onward, unsure of his destination. His only driving force being his instinct, bearing down on him and heightening his senses, his fear prevalent in his short and hastened breathing. He didnt know what was wrong, but those instincts deep within him were screaming at him, telling him things were not as they should be, and to run. Run away. Keep running. Anywhere. Nowhere. Everywhere. Dont stop. The silence was unnatural. Even his rushed breathing was barely audible. Normally, there would always be some sort of sound coming from surroundings, from nature. The humming of a fan, the whistling of the wind, the contact of rubber tires on asphalt, the barely audible sounds of natures inhabitants going about their business, collecting pollen or crumbs from the floor, the scurrying of creepy crawlies under the floorboards. Anything and everything; silent. Even if one doesnt realize it, the absence of such causes disarray, similar to a sensory deprivation chamber. How long had he walked? How many inclines and declines had he traversed? Since when did the mist clear and the blurry moon replace the distorted moon? He didnt know. His mind was already preoccupied trying to organize itself from something else. He wasnt sure. It was there, all the thoughts and information he wanted, but his mind was passing through everything too fast, unable to focus long enough on one thing. He could barely register the fact he was moving onward and that time was slow and unusual, a growing migraine causing his eyesight to go awry and blurry, his thoughts even more messy. Time seemed stretched, and even his body didnt seem right. While his mind could recognize that he had been walking without pause, and that he had long exceeded his stamina and should be experiencing muscle fatigue, his body was still in optimal condition, no worse than before. No perhaps better than before. This disjointed feeling between mind and body caused him to momentarily falter in his footing, stumbling slightly as his gastric juices threatened to evacuate his stomach. Even his hunger was currently absent - something unusual for him. Gritting his teeth, a single thought managed to make its way into focus. One foot after the other... Keeping that one thought as focused as he could, the hazy look in his eyes began to vanish as his sight became honed in a single direction, he lax facial expression tensing up in determination. With more assuredness in his actions, his feet began to move once more, rhythmic in their timing, and no longer wavering to and fro. His mind, now managing to gain some semblance of awareness and focus, began to exert an unusual amount of rigidity, keeping him moving onward, no longer thinking of things such as the time passing, night and day coming and going, fog settling in and clearing. Before long, his body felt unnaturally languid, his strength beginning to fade while his mind started to feel foggy, as if the mist surrounding him had started condensing in his head. A numbness began to settle in as time passed. While this may usually be quite the problem, the man held his concentration and used the lack of sensation to keep going and ignore the languid feeling in his bones. At some point, he found himself crawling on his hands and knees, using the trees he passed as support. Eventually, his hand reached out for a support, only to grasp at air. Dragging himself up, he got up to his feet, his hands on his knees to support himself as he looked around. In front of him was a lone tree. It was reminiscent of a Sakura Tree, a piece of information in his mind. But the only difference was that aside from being larger than most, its petals were an iridescent blue, almost appearing as if they were letting out a pale light on the dark night, as if they were the moon itself. With a flash, a spark in his mind went off as the separation from the forest brought a bit of peace to his troubled mind. He awoke. Alone, in a dark forest, with no sounds, laying on the ground, nestled between thick roots of a Sakura Tree. Except that tree had velvet red petals. Walking up to the one in front of him now, he placed his palm on it, supporting himself as he closed his eyes, trying to remember what he was doing before ending up in this place. He vaguely remembered sitting on the edge of a tall rooftop, the cool wind on his face and running through his hair, causing a refreshing feeling on his tired mind. And then his drowsiness took over, closing his eyes as he slouched sideways. Then the next thing he knew, he had awoken here. Opening his eyes, the man looked up at the trees branches. At this moment, a few of the petals fell down, swirling around as if caught in the wind, landing on his now outstretched palm. Despite the numbness, he could feel the petals in his hand. Three of them. Gently wrapping his fingers around them, he held them to his chest for a second before placing them inside a zip chest pocket on his vest. It was time to move on. His mind was already beginning to shut down, overtaken by exhaustion, overwhelmed by the circumstances. Trudging onward past the tree, the man took a glance around the lone hilltop, seeing the forest on the descent, and noticing that there was indeed an end to this mirage-like maze of vegetation. Walking in the direction of the forest edge, his footsteps had become noticeably weaker, landing heavily and taking more time to move the next one. When was the last time he had walked so much? When was the last time he was surrounded by nature like this? With questions spinning around in his head, followed by unending thoughts, ideas, memories, and knowledge, he came to a halt after who knows how long. How long had he spent walking? It felt like days, maybe weeks, and yet the transition between day and night occurred less than that, as if time was stretched and distorted, not connecting. And all of that had led him here, standing at the top of a cliff that dropped down to a dark abyss, swallowing all light with an even thicker fog than he had marched through previously. And yet, when he compared the sight below to that of the eerie forest behind him, the choice wasnt too hard to make in what he wanted. His mind was already at its limit.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. His mind had been at its limit for a long time. Sitting down on the edge off the cliff, he looked down at the darkness below, wisps of white fog rising up now and then. As his eyes began to close, the scene in front of him aligned with that which he saw before arriving in this strange place. Almost as if walking in a dream. Then what better way to wake up from a dream, than to meet the same conclusion? Thinking this, he let his eyelids close finally as his body tilted forward, his feet lightly kicking off the cliff face, sending him falling headfirst towards the abyss. Feeling the air pressure around him, it almost felt like the embrace of nature as he felt the touch on his skin. Without feeling a thing, a sudden sensation of having come to a halt assailed him, no doubt having created a loud thud which was somehow inaudible to him. Managing to open his eyes just the slightest, he saw the leaves of green trees, different from the forest before, and a large cliff looming over him. With this sight, he gave a small exhale as his mind went to sleep. The sound of heavy ironclad boots stepping on sticks, stones and dirt could be heard over an over as four people dressed in half plate armor - presumably soldiers judging by the uniformity of their armor - came to a halt several meters away from what looked like a rockslide. While talking with each other, they began to advance, weapons drawn, looking about the fallen boulders and rocks for signs of anything amiss. Just when they were about to move on, one of them shouted out something to the others, causing them to gather around. What they found was an unconscious youth. The youth looked to be around the age of 17 to 21 depending on their land of origin, and was covered in dust and dirt here and there, showing just how arduous a journey he had been through. Skin was a tanned brown shade, with strange hair that was black at the roots but was a golden white from halfway to the tips, with a messy wavy appearance. A lack of skin blemishes while maining a thin but toned build. But what bewildered the soldiers the most was the clothing the youth wore which was nothing they knew of. A black and grey polyester singlet under a short sleeved black-grey-white checkered button up shirt. On top of that, a type of black puffer vest underneath a white zip up hoodie. Pants were rather durable cargo pants also colored black, with a belt around the waist and a clip-on chain on both his left and right hip, attached to the belt loops. Shoes looked like a running shoes brand with a primary black and secondary blue color scheme. Not one article of clothing was something the soldiers could recognize, and not only that, the two-tone hair with tanned skin was also unusual. When one of them opened the youths eyelid to confirm the eye color, once again it was something unknown. Obsidian purple, almost an iridescent purple. Taking a closer look, as if searching for signs of a curse or otherworldly power, the soldier was surprised to find it was a completely natural color. No signs of tampering in any way he knows of. With a glance at each other, the four nodded as two of them sheathed their swords, helping to carry the youth with one under each arm. Because of the fact they were wearing armor, even if only half plate, it was still too bulky to be giving a piggyback ride to a youth who stood 6ft tall. Before long, they retreated from the area, leaving the forest and entering what looked like a ruined village after the onset of a natural disaster. After giving a quick report to soldiers in similar attire, they carried the youth to a recently rebuilt wooden house, laying him down on a straw bed in one of the rooms. Two of them stood guard outside the room as the other half walked off to another tent, presumably to find their commanding officer. As for the youth, he showed no signs of stirring even after a few hours had passed. As the villagers went about their tasks of rebuilding, a young village girl was helping her mother with jobs around the house. In this home of theirs, the youth had been placed due to the lack of shelter among the soldiers, and was of course under guard for everyones safety. The young girl, probably no more than 10, was wiping the dirt off of the youths skin, cleaning up bits here and there on his slightly torn clothing. Rolling up his sleeves, she found what she assumed was a bandage, but it was odd because it was all one piece, stretching from the elbow to the wrist on both arms. Out of curiosity, as she was about to shift them, she saw his body jolt as his eyes opened, staring into nothingness with a blank stare. Startled, she fell backwards, causing the bowl of water to spill on her tunic with a clatter. Hearing the noise, one of the guards walked in. About to ask the girl what was wrong, he saw the youth with his eyes open. Calling out to the other guard, hurried steps could be heard rushing away as the soldier kept a hand on his sword, speaking softly to the girl as he stood next to the youths straw bed. The girl nodded and creeped away, glancing back once before running off to do other things. After waiting a few minutes but not seeing the youth make any other movements besides vacantly staring into space, the guard spoke up to him, but got nothing in response. Before long, footsteps could be heard as two people entered, one dressed in a more battle-worn version of the armor the soldier had, and another wearing robes that one might equate to a magicians robes. With a salute, the guard took a step back to allow them space to check on the youth. The man in the worn armor, seemingly the commander, spoke in a commanding voice toward the youth. Finally, he reacted, slowly turning his head to face the commander, eyes still vacant of any focus. Once more, he asked the youth something, to which he only slowly tilted his head. Sighing, the commander turned to the magician looking man and showed a bit of deference to him as they talked. As they talked, the mouth of the youth opened slightly as his eyes began to focus slightly. ... Anyone got a drink? (???) With a slightly hoarse voice, the youth spoke. Turning their heads, the duo looked startled and confused, not seeming to understand what was said. In a more calm voice, the commander once again spoke to the youth, now that he was responding. Iz et kornoss lo Khamus? (Commander?) Huh? Your words are weird (???) Noticing that their languages were different, the commander spoke to the magician. The youth couldnt tell what they were talking about. In fact, he was struggling to focus his mind on the current events happening in front of him at all. While he was lost in thought, the other two seemed to have figured something out. The magician walked closer and placed something around the youths neck, before speaking up. My name is Maximillian. What is yours? (Maximillian) ...?! (???) Chapter 02 - Ripples My name is Maximillian. What is yours? (Maximillian) ...?! (???) With a shocked look on his face, the youth finally seemed to react correctly. But immediately after this, his eyes lost their focus as his head drooped a bit, his mind spinning into gear, trying to sort through things. At lightning speeds, a lot faster than he used to be able to process thoughts, he began to organize information in his head into logical connections. He was in an unknown land, most likely not the world he had been living in until now. This conclusion came from the feeling of the straw bed he was laying - or rather, now sitting up on, as well as the clothes and armor which are impractical and outdated in his worlds current times. He had read plenty of novels before involving transportation to another world. And having read quite a lot of dark ones, he knew to keep a doubtful mind at all times in regards to his surroundings. Trust only himself for now. Next was the translating magic, figured out by the necklace he was now wearing, which was glowing faintly. It seemed to be the means of understanding each other, and also a realization that a thing called magic existed. Among some of the fields of magic he had learned from playing games and reading stories, one particular one dealt with the power of words and names. Ones name could be used against them with some spells, almost like hexes. He would need to give a false one to avoid this. Not only that, when it came to the memories associated with his real name, his true name, they werent particularly things he wanted to remember. I am rohirohi. Hiro for short. (Hiro) Hiro had decided. He didnt want to be known by his true name. Too many things he didnt want to remember. Tucking his messy hair behind his ear, he stared the mage straight in the eye, not wavering. But it seemed he was too slow to respond, as he could see doubt in Maximillians face. It wasnt hard to see, but Hiro was sensitive to body language. He could see it in the eyes, too. Just as he thought, the mage wasnt convinced it was his real name, but he could see the determination to be known as such. But that just made him all the more curious, and suspicious, of who this youth was. Said youth was currently looking at his hands, lost in thought. He had changed. His body was slim again. He had been quite chubby before, and his hands covered in small scars from all the cuts he had gotten over the years with work and hobbies. His overweight body had become slim, the lack of weight and strength in his muscles showing just how light of a burden he was lugging around from now on, and his once tight-fit clothing had become comfortable, if not a bit loose. Even his hair which had been rough from mismanagement was now lusciously glossy, reaching to mid/upper back. Albeit, he was still looking grimy and dirty from having walked through that forest, and his clothes torn here and there. Hiro I see. Well then, Hiro, can you tell me where you came from and how you got here? (Maximillian) At the question, the youth tilted his head slightly, as if pondering the question, his mind still in disarray. There were still a lot of things running through his mind, making him zone out, but he at least was beginning to understand why. His mind was working faster than it used to. Usually, this would be good. But for his mind, full of troubled thoughts that jump from one thing to another, pulling up information and then extrapolating from these to gain insights using his imagination and logical thinking, it was happening too fast without him having enough control over it yet. He didnt have his usual means of clearing his mind. His thoughts distracting him from answering the question, it looked like the commander was about to ask again out of frustration. Suddenly, he began to hum a slow melody, taking everyone by surprise. As Hiro hummed with his eyes closed, he could hone in on the sound and the memory of the music, drowning out the rest of his thoughts so that he could keep himself in the present. After a couple of minutes when he finished his tune, he opened his eyes again, the glaze gone as his attention was fully focused on the two in front of him. They had confused looks on their faces, but the magician seemed to have realized what he had been doing. The old looking man certainly was sharp and full of wisdom. Which made it harder to tell a lie. Well, half truths, truths without a full story should still be enough. I dont know where I came from, but I know this place and its people are unfamiliar to me. As for how I got here Im not sure. (Hiro) That was the best that he could do without revealing his world of origin. The mage seemed to know he wasnt telling everything, but seemed to be able to sense from the youth that he wasnt doing so out of ill intent. Nodding to himself, Maximillian made a somewhat gentle smile as he spoke up. Are you okay to walk? Id like to show you something. Theres a few things I need to check, if youre willing to help. (Maximillian) Um sure. But You are? Sir? (Hiro) Oh, I am Knight Captain Bhalrom. (Bhalrom) Caught off-guard at the sudden question to him, Bhalrom still responded promptly, looking at the mage and sharing a conversation through their eyes. With a nod, he gave a slight bow to the two before leaving first, presumably to resume his other duties. Looking between the two before focusing his eyes on the mage, the youth could see that the person in front of him was of high status for a Knight Captain to show such deference. Lets go, shall we? (Maximillian) With a nod, the two left the room and headed towards the direction of the forest. Hiro remained two steps behind and one step to the mages right. A habit he had, similar to a dog following their master, but not with the same implications. As they walked, the youth took in the sight of his surroundings. A ruined village, looking as if a tornado had blasted through and blown everything over.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Villagers were working to restore their homes, with a few of them already enough to shelter people from cold nights and stormy weather. Alongside them were soldiers, possibly knights if they were direct subordinates under the Knight Captain. They worked just as hard to help restore everything, while some remained posted as guards, and some sitting together among tents. An army camp. They looked ready to fight on a battlefield. With a small glance back, the mage took note of the youths curiosity, as well as seeing the sparks of understanding as well as questions in his eyes. Coming to a stop at the edge of the village, they stood a bit of a distance from a forest. It looked quite dark despite the somewhat bright afternoon sky. You were found inside that forest. Do you know anything about it? (Maximillian) Looking at the mages face for a brief moment, Hiro felt the casualness which was hiding some intentions of probing him, but shrugged his shoulders and answered anyway. There wasnt much to lose by being honest here. This forest isnt familiar to me. Dark trees and a fog that seems to take in the light. No The forest I remember walking through was normal uneerily so His words beginning to drift off towards the end, he stared at the forest ahead of him as he recounted his earlier experience. It was quiet a silence so loud... as if separated from everything (Hiro) With an unknown look, Maximillian looked at Hiro, before continuing their walk. Entering a somewhat large tent, the mage indicated to have a seat on one of the chairs as he rummaged around through some rucksacks he had placed on a table. Hiro took this moment to ask some things he had been curious about. Was this village razed by bandits recently? I cant think of much reasons for an army to be here. (Hiro) Quite the observant one, you are. They came here to investigate the tremor. Did you not feel the one earlier? (Maximillian) Sneaky old man. Probing me in such a casual reply. Thinking so, Hiro deliberated a couple of seconds on what to say in response. The mage had specifically said the tremor, which meant it was something larger than just the casual shake. It was also odd to use tremor, as that was a word used in times where science hadnt determined what they were. Earthquake. And that return question, asking if he had felt it or not, implying that everyone should already know about it if they lived in the same region or possibly further. The mage already had his answer. It seems I didnt. Maybe I had already been unconscious at the time it happened? (Hiro) Hmm Or maybe something else. Well, Im sure you would tell me if you wanted to. (Maximillian) With that, it seemed that they had both finish analyzing each other. Hiro had determined that the mage was suspicious of him and his intentions, as well as his origins, while Maximillian had understood that the youth was much wiser than he appeared, and didnt have ill will against them. Bringing a bag of goods along, the mage sat in front of the youth on a similar stool, placing the bag between them. It seems there is more to you than meets the eye. Tell me, what do you know of magic? (Maximillian) Hmm I guess a lot and nothing at all? Ideas and concepts that Ive imagined, but nothing real. This pendant was the first time seeing it. (Hiro) Saying that, he looked down and fiddled with the amulet around his neck, looking at its pale glow. Looking at the sleeve of his jacket, re realized he was still wearing winter clothes designed for mid winter, but it was a hot summers day in this current location. Another discrepancy between this world and the last to nail in the fact he was no longer in a familiar place. A rather odd yet interesting thing you said. Well, moving on. This yellow stone is called manatrine. Its used to measure the magic inside a person. Id like you to hold it with both hands and focus your energy into it--- (Maximillian) ~~~BOOM~~~ With the sound of a gunshot, the crystal exploded as Hiros finger touched it, sending shards everywhere. In surprise and shock, the youth had fallen backwards off his stool, while the mage was frozen stiff. After a moment, they both recovered and sat up in their stools again, looking at each other in confusion. With a more resolute expression, the mage reached into his bag and pulled out another crystal, more refined and larger than the previous. Holding it out to the youth, they stared at each other before he nodded, stretching his hand out. Just as he touched it ~~~BOOOOOOM~~~ Once again, it exploded with vigor, scattering everywhere with more power than the last. Deep in thought with a contemplating and serious expression, the mage moved towards his bed, reaching into a bag nearby. Hiro waited patiently, realizing that things shouldnt have happened like this. Coming back with both hands carrying what looked like a large rock, the reddish crystal looked quite heavy and unpolish compared to the last, but it had a large presence than the last two. Placing it on the ground between them, the Maximillian looked between it and the youth, before placing his own hand on his and closing his eyes, focusing his energy into the crystal. After a bit of a delay, a faint blue began to expand from the core of it, eventually filling the entire crystal. At this time, the mage let go and slouched in his seat, taking deep breaths, having expended too much magic in one go. After he had caught his breath, he looked at the youth, indicating for him to try again now that the stone had dimmed. ~~~FWH-BOOOOOOOOOOM~~~ Even louder and stronger than before, the blast wave knocked them both off their seats, Hiro a bit worse for wear having had his hand on the crystal. The soldiers and villagers, having heard this most recent one, barged in briefly to see if everything was okay. Seeing the both of them dusting themselves off, they figured nothing serious had happened and left, leaving the respected mage to continue doing what he was doing. Theres an older method I can try but Ill need your cooperation to do it. You need to remain still and relaxed as much as you can. (Maximillian) Seeing the expression on the mages face, Hiro nodded as he closed his eyes and let the old man do what he wanted. That expression was interesting, and he felt no ill will. A mix of curiosity, wonder, confusion, and even a hint of awe. It was like an explorer laying sight on the unknown. Feeling a hand on his head, he didnt feel much else beside that. Though, he did feel an invisible pressure begin to build up, before eventually feeling as if a thick mist was wrapping around him, feeling the sensation of the tiny water droplets on him. Just as he was about to ask the mage about the sensation, he opened his eyes only to feel a small shock, as if static occurred, and the mage sitting back down while looking haggard and exhausted, breathing heavily. As he started to calm down and fix his breathing, the look in his eyes showed that his mind was absent, as if looking far away. Confused as to what had happened, Hiro waited for the mage to come right and explain what had happened. At this moment, a Knight from outside requested permission to enter. Chapter 03 - Insight Hiro looked towards the tents entrance where the silhouette of a knight stood, waiting for permission to enter. Maximillian was still sitting in his stool, dazed and with a vacant look. After a few moments, the mage came to and let the knight in, who stood before them at attention. It was Knight Captain Bhalrom. He looked a bit perplexed as to the situation, seeing Hiros confused expression and the mages distant look. Sir Eisenwald, weve received order to return to the castle and report our findings. Have you understood the youths origins? (Bhalrom) His name is Hiro. The least we can do is call him by his name, cant we? (Maximillian) A bit bewildered, Bhalrom tilted his head, before nodding. It was reasonable enough. Though he did find it odd how the great mage was showing deference to a young man who looked to be barely off his mothers teat. Then its settled I have confidence that there will be no more events like previously. (Maximillian) If you dont mind my asking, how have you come to that conclusion? (Bhalrom) It would appear that the cause has left the forest. As for the cause Well, thats still something to think about from now on. (Maximillian) And the youth - Hiro - have you found out anything? Is he really from a foreign land? (Bhalrom) Well, he is certainly not from these lands. (Maximillian) Thats right. These lands, everything and everyone is unfamiliar to me. Neither of us seem to understand how I ended up here, unfortunately. (Hiro) That may be something that will take a long time to discover (Maximillian) Is that so? Well, I believe the King may want to meet you, Hiro. As the only discovery during these tremors, I believe that warrants a visitation. (Bhalrom) Of course, only if you agree to come with us, Hiro. (Maximillian) While Bhalrom seemed to be treating Hiro as a commoner who had little importance aside from his sudden appearance at this time, Maximillian was being more polite and treating him with respect, making sure to allow him to have a say in things. A bit flustered inside at Bhalroms dismissive attitude, he was still gazing at the youth with a look in his eye, knowing that Hiro would understand the look. Think hard about your decision. On the other hand, Hiro was looking between the two, trying to decipher the attitude of the mage. He was showing respect and understanding to him ever since that magic test. As for the look, he had certainly noticed it straight away. He would have thought hard about it regardless. While he wasnt too keen on the prospect of being involved with royalty, nobility and politics, he couldnt straight out deny the proposal. He was un an unknown world. No connections. No knowledge about the world. No assets. The mage was implying that there was more benefits for him than just going to see the King. Making connections, finding a living, learning new things. On top of that, he could figure that this mage was quite wise and respected in comparison to everyone else, and is someone he should get to know better. He also seemed to understand him better than anyone else, so the benefits were currently outweighing the negatives. With a sigh, Hiro scratched the back on his head as he responded. Well, theres no reason to say no. Im lost in these lands with nothing but my clothes after all. Besides, I wouldnt like to disappear without returning the favor for the help and the pendant. (Hiro) Good thinking. You would earn a lot of ire if you sleighted the great Magus Eisenwald. You should be honored and respectful to be in his presence. (Bhalrom) Magus? Is that a title in these lands? (Hiro) While Bhalrom seemed a bit annoyed at the youth for being so loose and casual with his words towards the great Magus, he couldnt be too angry as he was reminded that Hiro had come from far away. With his words, it seemed as if the title of Magus was unfamiliar to him and his origins. Conflicted over whether to vehemently educate the youth on its meaning, and understanding that it couldnt be helped since it was a land and culture he was unfamiliar with, he tried his best to be understanding. Hiro, of course, had realized by the way Bhalrom spoke of a Magus with such reverence meant it was something to be held in high regard, possibly on the level of royalty. With this noted, he did his best to speak in a way that would not anger the Knight Captain for his lack of knowledge about the world. It truly couldnt be helped after all. Seeing this happen on the side, Maximillian gave a gentle smile as he spoke up to the both of them. Its just a title. No need to worry about it, Hiro. Bhalrom, please remember that he comes from a distant land, and things are very unfamiliar for him. There are a lot of things he may not know, and cultural difference may become apparent in time. You remember how much trouble occurred when humans and elves interacted for the first time, right? (Maximillian) Yes, you are right. I remember being told the stories. Elves felt insulted when humans began hunting in their sacred grounds, and humans were offended when they were tried under Elven Law. Listening in, Hiro heard this piece of history, and began to extrapolate from it as much information as he could subconsciously, causing his mind and thoughts to go chaotic. Zoning out again with his head drifting, he began to think and dwell on things, creating hypotheses. In his mind, he began to create a general understanding of humans and elves, using previous knowledge to create possibilities, and backing them up with further examples, over and over. While this was going on, Maximillian noticed that the youth had lost focus again, but this time he understood a little bit why it was happening. Bhalrom, lets go outside, shall we? (Maximillian) Nodding, the two left the tent and went a bit of a distance away, leaving Hiro to his thoughts. Sitting down together at a dwindling campfire, they began to speak a bit more about what is to happen in the future. Bhalrom. Listen closely. That youth, Hiro. He is to be the Kings Guest. You understand what that means, as a Royal Knight, dont you? Furthermore, Ill keep him under my protection and take responsibility for him. That shouldnt cause a problem. (Maximillian) I understand, Maximillian. But, why do you go so far for him? (Bhalrom) Have you already forgotten? Forget about where he came from. What matters is that he is here, now, in an unfamiliar land, with no means of communication other than that pendant around his neck. (Maximillian) The mages words were spoken lightly, but Bhalrom felt like they were quite heavy on his mind. He hadnt forgotten the details spoken, but he hadnt thought about what that implied. Staring at the embers of the fire, his mind spun as he realized what had been hiding in plain sight. A man from an unfamiliar land, lost, who knows how far away from home or how he got here. No social status or local knowledge. No ability to speak the local language. Exhausted from the ordeal and possibly struggling to come to terms with his new environment, and the possibility that he may never return home. He didnt know for sure about everything, but at the very least, there was more to this than what appears on the surface. By making him the Kings Guest, means to show him courtesy befitting of such a thing, and showing respect to him. By being under the protection of the great Magus, he was in a position to receive a boon vastly superior than what he would gain alone as a commoner with nothing, avoiding the struggles that could possibly tear him apart otherwise. Being with the Magus also came with the freedom to choose his own path in the future, rather than be given no options at all. With a look of having come to understand all this, Bhalroms face contorted into that of agony. For a man so young, barely above a boy, to be forced into this situation, was not a pleasant thing. And he knew better than any just how dark and cruel the world could be to those who were lost.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. All of a sudden, they heard humming coming from the tent behind them. Like a slow ballad, they closed their eyes and enjoyed the tune, before it eventually ended, being replaced with Hiro as he exited the tent, having brought clarity to his mind. Ill be helping the men prepare for the journey tomorrow. Hiro, if there is anything we can do for you, I will do my best to help you. (Bhalrom) With a slight bow to him, the Knight Captain left the two to their own things as he left. Watching him go, Hiro sat down next to the mage in front of the firepit. While it was a hot day and he was still wearing his winter clothes, he didnt mind it too much at this point. Sweating while he was fat felt gross, but now that he was thin again? It was pleasant in comparison. The fire had probably been used to cook a meal. I see you defused the situation before it even started. Quick thinking. Nicely done, you trickster. (Maximillian) Cant beat you, though. After all, didnt you just give him a talking to? He looked much more accepting of me than before. Sly old man, Maximillian. (Hiro) Just Max is fine, Hiro. (Max) With a smile and nod at each other, they looked at the embers together for a moment. Maybe it was something unique to those with high levels on intellect and wisdom, but they felt a sort of bond between each other. For Max, he had found someone with an intellect rivalling, even exceeding his own, for the first in a long time. As for Hiro, he found Max to be someone who he could trust, even if temporarily. Still, no one knew what the future holds. Looking at the sky, it seemed that night was about to fall. Hiro had not woken up that quickly when he was found, so it was already approaching dusk when he awoke. They headed back to the mages tent, grabbing some jerky to have for a snack until it was time to cook a meal. Sitting down on stools across from each other again, Max had a more relaxed expression on as he started to talk. Your mind doesnt match your appearance. If you dont mind me asking, how old are you truly? (Max) I had just turned 31. Though I now look closer to 19 now. You seem to have figured out a bit about my situation. Was it when you did that mana reading on me? I take it that had the side effect of reading my memories. (Hiro) Well, at least youre not angry. I thank you for your cooperation, by the way. That mana reading only gave me a short glimpse. Coincidentally, are you young where you come from? (Max) Nah, not so much. For a healthy living, it would only be a third of my life. Life expectancy for a healthy person is around 90 years. (Hiro) Sounds like a good place to live. Life expectancy for humans here is about 45 years, maybe 70 depending on their lifestyle. (Max) Its a pleasant place. But theres always two sides of a coin. (Hiro) As expected of someone with such a vast amount of knowledge That is a great saying. The meaning behind such a simple phrase to be so deep. (Max) Maybe you can help me understand. You were reading my magic amount, my mana pool in other words. What does that have to do with knowledge? (Hiro) I see. I need to start the explanation from there. You see, Hiro. In this world, a persons mana pool is directly proportional to their knowledge. With a long life, one can gain more knowledge, and in return, have a larger mana pool. And yours is extraordinary. You could also say, out of this world. (Max) With a light chuckle from the both of them, they continued talking in between bites of jerky and sips of water from waterskins. From what youve told me, that would mean a manatrine measure this mana pool, but when such a large source came into contact with it, it overloaded and exploded. As if trying to shove vast amounts of water into a waterskin that is already full, or trying to move a boulder by throwing glass or another rock at it, causing them to burst or shatter. (Hiro) Truly a quick one to understand. Yes, those are great analogies. I might also add, before you ask, that it doesnt matter that your knowledge doesnt come from this world. A desert tree and a bog tree may not be alike, but they are still trees. The same applies to knowledge. (Max) That makes sense. Just like how both in this world and where I came from, a fire can still be started by burning logs. What did you happen to see in my mind? Im curious about what you saw. (Hiro) I do apologize for that. It was a shameful thing to do, but I had to be sure of who you are, and determine whether you were a threat. I should start by saying that I had to use all my own mana to encompass yours, and still couldnt manage it, or even cause yours to react. I had to forcefully invade yours to even get a reaction. While it gave me a glimpse of your mind, the backlash really knocked the wind out of me. You felt that rejection, right? Where it seemed like we had been repulsed. (Max) Yeah, I felt it. So thats what those sensations were (Hiro) Well, it seems you have a talent for detecting and possibly even manipulating mana as well. (Max) Looking at the youth with a surprised expression, it soon turned to one of genuine enjoyment. To find a talent like this was more than a miracle. As a scholar, and as a Magus, he would love to see how Hiro grows from now on. I wasnt able to decipher everything I saw, and even the things that I did see, I dont understand. Massive battlefields. Hundreds, maybe thousands on them. Different places, different times. Sometimes watching everything as if in the sky, sometimes in the thick of it. Weapons of unknown design and power, magic the likes Ive never seen, even weapon and body skills of which would rival masters. Fighting against untold enemies of various kinds. Evil, Good, Neutral, Beast, Godlike, Devil, Monster, Metal constructs. Even combat in space between huge masses of metal firing magic pillars of light at each other. The destruction of worlds. And it wasnt limited to this. I saw glimpses of you among people, nothing to do with the gore and bloody carnage I had seen before. These ones involved many, many people, many faces of both genders, interacting, fighting, falling in love, becoming friends. There was so much running through your mind at all times, and I could only catch a small burst of information, giving me a look at a map, but not being able to see the details on the map to scale. I understand why you lose focus. Your mind, in so much turmoil, constantly going through complicated and interconnected thoughts. It was overwhelming, to say the least. It took me a long while to organize all the information that he pierced my brain (Max) ... (Hiro) Hiro observed the mage, seeing that he had gone pale, and his facial expression a mix of confusion, awe, fear, and excitement. Waiting for Max to get a hold of himself, Hiro chucked another piece of jerky in his mouth. It was salted too much, and made his mouth dry. Regaining his composure, Max continued speaking. Aside from the memories I saw, there was also your knowledge. I didnt see anything, or even understand anything, but I just felt just a deep chasm, an abyss of information within you Hiro What are you? (Max) Shaking his head, Hiro looked the mage in the eyes as he spoke slowly. What you saw, most likely they were all not of myself. Judging by my worlds history, and from what youve said and what Ive seen, I presume that knowledge here is guarded and kept secret. In my world, knowledge is shared freely, and can be easily spread. Too much had been lost by withholding such information. What you glimpsed at, was the collective knowledge of our world. The imagination and creativity, as well as creations of our world. By being free to think and create, many stories were made. Not based on reality, but entirely a fantasy. This is what you saw. (Hiro) Then going by what youve said, with knowledge being freely available this world must be quite desolate. Youre right; people keep their knowledge secret, and it gets lost in time. Everything I saw appeared so real and vivid Its hard to imagine. While I understand you are speaking truthfully, its hard to come to terms with Does that mean that even young children learn things that may be considered highly advanced magic studies here? (Max) I understand what youre getting at. Yeah. From a young age, most children are educated on what we consider common knowledge, and as they grow up, they can choose to learn more advanced things, or go out and look for work. Theres no distinction between people. The caste system had long been gone, no longer used. Everyone is equal. Or at least thats what they try to promote. (Hiro) ... Id love to live there As a scholar, in the pursuit of knowledge And also as an old man with a fondness for the growing generation. (Max) Hiro stared at the Magus. Truly, he did seem like someone who had seen a lot in life, and would find pleasure in the younger generation. To see young children growing up with smiles. Even he himself would smile at the sight of kindergarteners playing games happily and getting along, not a trouble in the world. Max in turn was gazing at Hiro. The words that came out of the youths mouth sounded like that of a sage; full of wisdom and experience, bestowing knowledge unto others. He felt comfortable with him, with someone who was as much an intellect as himself. It had been a long time since he had found someone with the wisdom and insight to be able to discuss the mysteries of the world with. He felt like they could become great friends, despite their age difference. While Max may be superior when it comes to age, he felt inferior when it came to knowledge. But he wasnt sad or angry at that. It was a refreshing feeling, like being young again, when he was first learning about the world. Coming to a decision, Max stood up. Hiro, lets go for a walk. I want to show you my Magic. Chapter 04 - Thaumaturgy Hiro, lets go for a walk. I want to show you my Magic. (Max) Leaving the tent together, Max briefly stopped by one of the Knights, letting them know that he was going into the forest to practice some magic, and not to be disturbed. With that said, the duo started walking towards their destination. Along the way, Hiro began to theorize how magic would work, and the different possibilities that could be done based off of magic he knows from multiple fictional works. Once they were deep in the forest, they came to a stop near a clearing. First, some basics. Magic is used by channeling mana, and turning it into different phenomena by using your knowledge. New magic is created by imagining an effect, and using knowledge to support and fuel it. Magicians will use different ways to shorten the process. Hand or body gestures, incantations, even eye movements. Skilled magicians can conjure magic simply by thinking about it. If youre smart, youll understand the difference in applications. (Max) Saying so, Max turned to the sky and started to gather his mana together with no motions or words, demonstrating the skill of a Magus. Within seconds, he had decided what phenomenon he wanted to bring forth, and raised his hand above him. Suddenly, a large heat burst forth as flames shot out into the night sky, lighting up their surroundings. The several meter long flame last a few seconds before being stopped, the Magus lowering his hand and not looking tired in the least. Now, Ive proven magic to you. Lets see if you can copy it, shall we? First, imagine the creation of a flame, the foundation of fire, and then channel your mana into it. Give it a try. (Max) With a nod, Hiro turned towards the sky, raising a hand up as he constructed a flame in his mind. He stirred his mana pool, drawing three thin strands of energy separately, and imagining them composing the three elements needed to create a fire. In his mental landscape, one stand turned transparent to represent oxygen, another becoming reddish orange to represent heat, and the last one remaining a glowing blue to represent the fuel; his mana itself. Spinning them together, he sent the combination out of his hand and ignited them. The result was decidedly larger than the flame that the Magus made. If Maxs flame was equivalent to a car in size, then Hiros was the size of a logging truck. In a panic, the mage shouted for the youth to stop it, to calm his emotions. Looking confused at that knowledge and reaction, Hiro ignored the old man and instead focused his attention to the flame. Reducing the amount of fuel strand, the flame became smaller, until he eventually managed to bring its size into that of a small ball in his hand. From here, seeing the color being orange, he decided to test if his knowledge truly worked. With a thought, the mana being sent to the flame changed, and it became blue as it achieved full combustion. Excited at having succeeded in his experiment and confirming his thoughts, Hiro grinned widely as he spread out his mana and created a total of nine small balls of blue fire, using his thoughts to control his magic and guide the flame to spin circles around him. Strangely enough, he seemed to feel some heat, but not as much as would be expected, and the flame wasnt burning him. It seemed that by channeling his mana outward caused the heat to be repulsed. After he finished juggling the flames, he cut off the mana and let it vanish. With a wide smile at his accomplishment, he turned to the old man to see him slack-jawed, astonished at what he had just seen. Tilting his head, he was about to ask the mage what was wrong, when Max grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him furiously. What the hell happened?! Let alone ignoring my instructions to stop the emotional link to the fire, you even went so far as to change the fire blue and play around with it! What did you do?! (Max) Max, calm down. I think I understand the problem here. (Hiro) After taking a minute to cool down, Max took a deep breath before sighing and shaking his head, looking at Hiro. I think Ive realized the problem, too. Our knowledge is too different. Too far apart for this worlds methods to work for you. Tell me. How did you do that? (Max) Youre quite quick witted yourself, old man. In my world, we had no magic, so we had to discover how phenomenons worked by ourselves. Fire, for example, is made up of three key elements. Oxygen, which is present in the air we breathe. Heat, which can usually be accomplished with flint and stone, such as when lighting a fire. And finally, Fuel, such as the logs burned in a fire pit. By changing how much of each is used, the flames properties change. (Hiro) Huuuuu I didnt think I would be taught the principles of fire at my age Let alone discovering a different foundation - or perhaps the true foundation - of fire But how did you manage that with your mana? (Max) Theres a lot of different concepts and methods imagined by the creative people in my world, on how to use mana. Because we didnt have it, and were never taught how its used, with our freedom of thought, we came up with many ways. For what I did specifically, I pulled three strands from my mana pool, turned each one into a different element, and then combined them to cause the effect. (Hiro) That is quite the interpretation. Majority of magicians imagine their mana pool as water, and using it as if it was a wave being sent out. To interpret them as strings, and even succeed on your first try is truly astounding. I have much to learn. Honestly, I find it hard to understand and come to grips with myself. Perhaps Im just too set in my old ways (Max) Nah, its alright, Max. Youre a scholar, right? You live to learn. Its never too late. Though I do have a question When using magic, can you create any phenomenon you wish to, as long as you understand how its created? (Hiro) Thats right. While there are some exceptions, thats generally correct. As long as you experiment, it should work. (Max) With a bit of a devious grin, Hiro rubbed his hands together, a bit of a first expression of emotion from him compared to his logical, rational, neutral disposition so far. Smiling a bit wryly at that, Max did feel some warmth in his heart. It was always a pleasant sight to see young people be so enthusiastic about magic. Reminded him of himself when he first started learning magic. In my world, there is a word. Thaumaturgy. It means Miracle Work, or miracle worker. Because of our differences in knowledge for how magic works, Id like to call my version as Thaumaturgy. The magic seen here is based on different principles and foundations than what I use, so I feel like there should be some sort of distinction. Is there anything preventing me from doing that? (Hiro) Looking a bit sheepish about creating his own branch of magic, the Magus could see the shyness and nervousness in his face. Hiro had never been one that liked standing out or doing things that were unnecessary or beyond what he was willing to do. But that didnt mean he didnt dream of childish things like this. With a bit of a chuckle, Max pat the youths shoulder. I see no problem with that distinction. Its the truth, after all. In fact, do you want me to announce it to the King when we visit? (Max)This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Hmm I dont like attention though Id rather live peacefully and freely (Hiro) I see Well, I could say that Ive discovered a new branch of magic by the name of Thaumaturgy, and have begun studying it under the tutelage of a hidden master. With your permission, of course. (Max) That sounds alright, I guess. On that note, I guess we need some kind of background for me (Hiro) Thats true. My words can only hold so much sway. People will still be suspicious. Do you have any wished in that regard? (Max) Hmmm Well, it cant be helped that I was a bard who had encountered a magic phenomenon that sent me to this unfamiliar land. Maybe Ill take up work as a traveling merchant. Earn a stable living. (Hiro) With a shrug, Hiro spoke that and thought such a scenario would work well enough, giving him enough flexibility to travel and stay away from most problems, while avoiding revealing his prowess. Max put a thumb and finger to his chin, arm under elbow as he contemplated it, working it through his head and imagining future interactions. Yes yes, that could work. Nice thinking, Hiro. Very well, I shall help keep your secret. (Max) With a slight nod, they smiled at each other. By the way, the knights call you Eisenwald. It reminds me of some of the most common elven words and names used in stories from my world. And with the knowledge youve accumulated, I can only guess that you are an elf above the age of 200. To become a hero, a legend in the eyes of the humans here, you must have been around for quite some time. (Hiro) Wonder deductions. Yes, Im an elf. Im about 272 years old. It seems we are both older than our bodies suggest. (Max) Speaking of bodies, it seems things dont match. In my world, even if I looked like this, I wouldnt have such the strange feeling of power in my body as I do now. Not only that, my mind my thoughts have become much more powerful. What used to take a bit of time to think of now happens straight away. Like making the formula for that fire earlier. Perhaps its a difference in worlds, or an effect of having arrived here, Im not sure. Any ideas? (Hiro) Hmm I need to study more, but this kind of situation is one Ive only heard of in legends. Until then, youll have to adapt to this new body. Though there is one test Id like to do as soon as possible. I hypothesize that your world had a low connection between the mind and body, based on what youve been saying and what weve experienced so far. In this world, ones knowledge, ones mind has a direct effect on ones body. It is quite possible that any knowledge you have on combat could be used immediately, as your body now understands precisely what your mind knows and wants. Thats my theory anyway. The quickest way to test it would be having a quick spar. (Max) No, thats alright. I think I understand. By taking what youve said, and extending on it using my knowledge and theories, it seems the most likely. For example, in our world, everyone had access to a plethora of knowledge on how to train the body. But even when knowing that, one has to exercise and repeat those methods thousands of times before it becomes ingrained in the body, in what we call the muscle memories. Ill test it on my own at another time. Youve seen whats in my mind, so you should know just how dangerous some of my knowledge is. I wouldnt want to make a mistake in understanding it and cause you harm. It may be a repeat of what happened earlier with the flame, after all. (Hiro) Yes, fair enough. My my, so much we can learn together by speaking theories. This is an excitement I have long missed. (Max) With a pat on each others shoulder, they smiled to each other before deciding to head back to camp. Along the way, Max noticed that Hiros eyes had gone vacant. It seemed he had drifted off into thought. Though he managed to return to normal rather quickly this time, as he spoke up as they walked. Ive made a temporary fix to my mind using mana. Ive used methodology based on programming from my world to separate my mind into different segments, where I can allocated processing power to each. Ive also made some things into processes and moved them about. Now, any idle thoughts will stay in my subconscious mind, so that my conscious mind isnt taken up all the time and causing me to go vacant. Ill probably find another use for this in the future. (Hiro) Looking over to the mage, the youth saw him looking bewildered, before he remembered what he had just said. He had rambled a bunch of technological terms that dont exist in this world. Well, easiest way to explain it is, Ive used mana to clear my thoughts using a mixture of hypnotism and mind magic. Dont know what the side effects will be, but at least it will keep me aware of my surroundings for the meantime. (Hiro) I I see it seems there is much for me to learn (Max) Oh, I also took the time to sort through some of my knowledge, and create what Ill call the Telos-Style Swordsmanship. (Hiro) ... (Max) Something wrong? (Hiro) I dont know whether to laugh or cry You say youve just created a new swordsmanship school right after having learned and created a magic discipline I think Ill just leave it at as expected of Hiro from now on (Max) ??? (Hiro) Like that, they returned to camp in silence. Upon arriving, some of the knights mentioned how they saw the flames from the camp, praising the Magus for his talents. Scratching the back of his head, Max smiled wryly at them while Hiro snickered silently to the side. Before long, a Knight came to get them, telling the mage that the Knight Captain requested their presence. Heading to Bhalroms tent, the duo entered shortly after and took a seat across from the hardened knight. As a meal was brought to each of them, consisting of hard bread and watery soup, the Knight Captain spoke his thoughts. The King has requested a report on what has happened here as well as what was discovered. If it would not be too much to ask, I am curious as to what you have discovered. (Bhalrom) The first tremor seems to have been caused by an Astral Alignment combined with the buildup of mana in the forest over a long time. The mana seems to have burst out after the alignment caused it to rapidly expand. The second one was simply the cliff and ground giving out in the forest after the first tremor. (Max) That makes sense, I guess. But then, why was the First Army sent out here? (Bhalrom) Hmm That would be because I requested so of the King. I had suspected the involvement of Argos, or perhaps even worse, the Twilight Council. The Endher Forest is such a place that would attract the attention of those foul beings. (Max) I understand now. So thats why we were sent. In either case, I am glad that it wasnt so, and I thank you for your guidance, Eisenwald. (Bhalrom) Dont mention it. We all play our part some way or another. (Max) How about the youth? Uncovered anything else? (Bhalrom) Having the attention suddenly directed at him, Hiro stopped soaking his hard bread in the soup and looked up at the two adults. Yes, actually. His appearance was an unfortunate matter. A magic phenomenon with no solid evidence, where a person disappears. It seems he appeared here after being spirited away from his homeland, possibly due to the Astral Alignment and the mana burst. Ill be looking into this matter more deeply, since theres a chance it may occur again in the future to another unfortunate soul. (Max) That truly is unfortunate (Bhalrom) Young Hiro here was a traveling bard with some merchant experience. However, maybe there was some side effects to the event, but he isnt able to perform like he used to. (Max) Yes. I seem to have trouble expressing myself now As if my emotions have been blunted... I cant be a true Bard like this. When everything is over, Im thinking of becoming a merchant. I need to make a living still, after all. (Hiro) That I cant help but say sorry, young man. Hiro. Your entire life has been changed with no clear reason or person to blame and vent to I can only imagine how you must feel right now (Bhalrom) Well, not much actually. I suppose thats a bit of a positive. (Hiro) With a shrug, the youth responded as so, being nonchalant about his ordeal. Max gave Bhalrom a pat on the shoulder, telling him not to worry about it. He couldnt really blame the knight. After all, the mage felt more shocked about current events than the actual person causing them. Ill be teaching him a little about magic during our three week travel back to the castle. Ive talked to him about it, and it seems hes too uncomfortable with combat. Ill see if he can learn some basic defensive magic. What happened to him was no fault of his own, and we were the ones that found him. Id feel better about letting him go his own way later if I knew he wouldnt die an early death. (Max) Sounds reasonable. Thats a shame. The First Army is the best there is. It would have been a great opportunity to learn something from them. (Bhalrom) Sorry about that. Ive never been good at combat oriented professions. Some people just arent cut out for some things. (Hiro) No need to apologize. Theres a tailor I could introduce you to in town, you may be able to make some connections from there. May help you when you become a merchant. (Bhalrom) Saying thanks, they returned to their meal. It wasnt exactly pleasant to eat, but it was better than nothing. And it was certainly tastier than some alternatives. Chapter 05 - Limits In the first week of travel, Hiro spent the day observing the soldiers. How they marched, how they trained, how much they carried. From this, he began to construct a mental template of what the baseline would be for the average physical prowess of a skilled knight. From there, he would be able to construct two more templates, one at the level of a master, and one at the level of a novice. During the nights, he would be with Max in nearby forests or wherever the view was obscured, allowing them to practice magic together. The Magus would do his best to learn and understand Hiros knowledge and way of doing things, and in return, would guide the youth on the ways of the world, as well as the different standards, per his request. From what he found out, a mage could be at several different levels of mastery, with the pinnacle being a Magus. However, that required a title bestowal by the Monarchy. Below that, there was Grandmaster, Master, Expert, Adept, and unclassed. This was taken from the different classifications of martial artists, such as swordsmen. The martial artist equivalent of a Magus was called a Legend. With Maxs help, Hiro made a mental template of each level, having him demonstrate and explain their capabilities, and then attempting to adjust his own power output to match them. He had also began practicing with a wooden sword, learning the moves behind the sword style he had created, and making sure it worked. As expected, it was like debugging a program. There were a lot of flaws to work through and iron out. Like this, one week of three had passed by, and Hiro had started to feel more comfortable in his own body, especially after he did some physical exercise at night, training with the sword and doing calisthenics from his own world to become acquainted with his capabilities. As it turned out, his prowess with the blade was deadly. He had to learn to control the battle instinct created from his knowledge. During the second week, Hiro worked with Max at night to help with an idea he had. He would voice his ideas and rationalization of them, as well as how he would do them, and the Magus would use his knowledge and wisdom to make amends to any problems he saw with the ideas, before anything irreversible happened. In the process of doing so, Max ended up teaching Hiro about enchanting. By using glyphs and words to cause specific phenomenon, one would fill it with magic. The main different is that it is like casting the spell itself and more costly, imbuing it into the object being used. But because of what Hiro wanted to achieve, they had to explore unknown territory. The engraving on the body itself without any side effects. What the youth wanted to do, was to use the mental templates to apply limiters to himself. Both physically and magically. They would be separated into several levels of limiters, one to match each level of skill for a mage and a martial artist, with one final level being his original power. Max found this idea to be both amazing and confusing. Because there was no one who had too much power before, no one had thought to do such a thing. People liked to boast about how strong they were in order to gain more fame and status. What Hiro was trying to do was true to his wishes; remaining unnoticed. Of course, he was more than happy to help. They spent the entire second week studying how to make a limiter on the living instead of an inanimate object. With Hiros insights and different kind of understanding, combined with Maxs more grounded knowledge and experience, they worked through things much faster than any had before them. The Magus felt like things had gone in a blur, things being achieved so quickly. While he was excited at the progress, we was also fearful of the future, and how things could go wrong. Nearing the end of the third week, the night before they were to reach the castle, the duo once again went into the forest. Now was the time to create a limiter. Before they begun, Max spoke up. Hiro I ask of you, as a friend do not abuse this power of yours Youve learned how to seal someones magic, possibly even their physical prowess. In the wrong hands, this could be disastrous. (Max) I know what you mean. I dont see any reason why I would use it on others, but there may come a time where I use it against an enemy. Not like theres much that could stop me if I actually tried to do wrong but yeah. As your friend, Ill try to behave myself. (Hiro) Hiros words were somewhat cynical, revealing how close they had grown as he was feeling open enough to say such things, and to someone who was renowned throughout the land as a hero at that. Max had also gotten to know Hiro more deeply. While he didnt know anything specific, he did understand that his new friend had a troubled past, causing him to be dissociative. Giving a sigh and a shake of his head, he smiled wryly before putting on a serious expression. Lets start. (Hiro) Suddenly, the very air became heavy, thick with mana to the point it was beginning to make the entire surroundings glow. The pressure on Max who had to withstand that, and so close to the source, was immense enough to bring him to his knees. Hiro had his eyes closed, his mind spinning and turning over and over as he essentially began to program the limiters one after the other. In his mental landscape, his enormous mana pool was the sky itself, appearing like a starry sea in the sky. From this, he pulled out seven fragments, each of a different size. These sizes were in accordance with the mental templates he had created of a mage at different levels, with the 7th being that of a non-mage. Taking inspiration from stories he had read, he shaped each fragment into a ring, the smallest being overlapped by the ones bigger than it, similar to that of a gyroscope. In the center of it was his heart. As for the rest of his mana pool, still an immeasurable amount, he calmed it down so that instead of a tumultuous ocean, it was a serene lake, peaceful and hidden inside him as best as he could. With the seven rings solidified, they rotated around each other, glowing a brilliant blue, indicating they were active. Slowly, he began to calm them down, one after the other, starting with the largest, and the strongest level. As the largest ring, Level 1, stopped. The power of a Magus was sealed.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Limiter Set: Level 1 (Hiro) As the largest ring slowly came to a halt, the glow it let out dimmed until the ring eventually turned a slate gray color. Now he was only at the level of a Grandmaster. Level 2. Limiter Set: Level 2 (Hiro) The next ring began to halt and dull, before becoming idle like the large one before it. Now he was only a Master. Level 3. Limiter Set: Level 3 (Hiro) Another ring, making him an Expert. Level 4. Limiter Set: Level 4 (Hiro) Another ring stopped, dropping him to an Adept. Level 5. Nearly done. Limiter Set: Level 5 (Hiro) And another. Unclassed, Level 6. Limiter Set: Level 6 (Hiro) And finally, the last ring was halted, bringing him to the level of a non-mage. A civilian, Level 7. Limiter Set: Level 7 (Hiro) Letting out a long breath, Hiro took a seat for a moment. The mana in the air had dissipated as he sealed it, letting the Magus relax again. Inside of him, Hiro could tell that was was currently accessing only a tiny bit of his mana, as if holding a glass of water. But still, he could sense the rest of his vast mana inside of him, as if he was holding a glass of water while sitting in a boat in the middle of an ocean. Everything work properly? (Max) Yeah Gotta say, sucks feeling weak. (Hiro) Well, now you know how commoners feel like as children. (Max) Fair point. Right, lets move on to the physical prowess. (Hiro) Standing up again, Hiro dived into the depth of his mind once more, this time finding what he called his physical prowess. The way he had constructed the image in his mind was by imagining a lake of blood. It couldnt compare in size to his mana, but it was still bigger than a pond that a trained soldier would have. Manipulating this, he pulled out seven fragments, equaling about a third, maybe half his lake, and shaped them into rings like before. In the pit of his abdomen, he shaped the remainder of his lake into a cube, a box. From this, he turned the seven rings into a gyroscope around his box which he labeled as his core. With both the rings and the core glowing red in contrast to his blue mana, he first let the core dim down to almost nothing. It wouldnt be good if he was in an emergency and couldnt bring forth a burst of power to protect himself, after all. Restraint Set: Level 1 (Hiro) From here, he began to calm each chain, one by one, same as before, going from the level of Legend at Level 1, to novice/civilian at Level 7. Restraint Set: Level 2 (Hiro) Restraint Set: Level 3 (Hiro) Restraint Set: Level 4 (Hiro) Restraint Set: Level 5 (Hiro) Restraint Set: Level 6 (Hiro) Restraint Set: Level 7 (Hiro) When he finished those, he once again sat down, feeling exhausted. His body now felt like he was treading through mud, his body stressed, as if deprived of oxygen. It was definitely the perfect means of camouflage, but it came at a price it seemed. Seeing the youth looking exhausted, Max came over and gave him a pat on the shoulder. Congratulations are in order, I suppose. Any side effects? (Max) I feel like Im in a swamp Just gimme a night to adjust, I should be fine Just need some sleep, maybe (Hiro) With a nod, Max sat down next to him, looking at the moon in the sky. You told me that the large circle in the sky is called a moon where you come from And that the earth is round. I guess our civilization hasnt advanced enough yet to travel around and prove this yet. If there wasnt so much for me to do here, I would travel with you. (Max) Well, well be able to meet up every now and then. Exploring the world and the unknown I mostly just want to find a place to settle down, be left alone. (Hiro) As long as you let me visit sometime. But either way, the meeting with the King comes first. (Max) With that, they sat staring at the moon for this last night of peace before things were to become busy again. For the both of them. When they returned to camp, they had their meal before going to sleep. Come morning, the First Army and co. marched along the road, the castle visible in the distance. The duo had been walking part of the trip, and staying in the carriage sometimes when they were discussing things. Currently in the carriage, they approached the entrance to the castle town, being granted entrance immediately upon sight of the Knight Captain at the front. The difference in discipline and skill between the army and the guards were visible to the trained eye, with the latter being lax and tense in comparison. There wasnt much that Hiro observed about the castle and the town itself, aside from what he had already suspected. He hadnt been too interested in masonry type stories, though some city building stories were quite good, if only for the strategic and logical structuring, and accounting for future possibilities. Coming to a stop at the castles entrance, Max, Hiro and Bhalrom were guided by a guard, heading in the direction of the King who was apparently in the study room. Along the way, Hiro spoke up. I know a little bit of etiquette, but Im not sure what is suitable Anything I should know? (Hiro) Be respectful, lower your head, and speak only when spoken to. You should be alright with just those. Itll be less troublesome in the future that way, at least. (Max) Heh Understood. (Hiro) ??? (Bhalrom) Weve arrived. (Guard) Coming to a stop outside some double doors, the Guard knocked and announced the arrival of the trio before taking up a position beside the door. After being told to enter, Bhalrom opens the door and gives way to Max. Hiro waits for the other two to enter first, knowing he was of the lowest social status in the group, and took up a position a step behind and to the side of Max, who was his Mentor. Of course, Max made sure the guard knew that Hiro was to be allowed in with him. Bhalrom, Maximillian, come in. Ive waited long to hear from you. (King) Just as Max and the Knight Captain were about to speak up, a voice interrupted, speaking out clearly, dripping with disdain and contempt. What is this commoner doing in the Kings presence, in the Kings Study? (???) Observing the man, Hiro noticed he was blonde, around the age of 23, with an expression that didnt hide his contempt for commoners in the least. Just from his body language and facial expressions, the youth could tell that the man was full of himself. Taking from previous stories he had read, and history in his own world, he could only mentally sigh as he ignored him, keeping his focus forward, standing upright with hands behind his back. As he thought, Max and Bhalrom stood up for him. Apologies, my Prince. This youth was one of the mysteries we found when we reached the Endher Forest. I thought the King would like to meet him. (Bhalrom) You think too much, Bhalrom. You should reconsider ever bringing his kind into the--- (Prince) Enough, Kasius! I can speak for myself. You are dismissed. Leave. (King) The Kings voice was powerful and commanding. Bowing to his father, Kasius turned to leave the room, but not before looking at Hiro and Bhalrom with a dirty look, clearly angry. He also completely ignored the presence of the Magus. Hes going to be a problem in the future Should I nip the bud before it sprouts? Nah, Ill wait. Will feel all the more pleasant to kick him down afterward... (Hiro) Chapter 06 - Connections After the small disturbance, Bhalrom relayed the details of the event to the King, with Max filling in any explanations where necessary. The King took a moment to himself to think, staring at what looked like a game of chess. Letting out a light sigh, he turned to the Knight Captain and spoke in a soft voice, but still with a sense of regality to it. Thank you, Bhalrom. You must be tired. Go home and rest with your family. We will speak again tomorrow. (King) With a bow, Bhalrom took a step back, before turning around and leaving. As he opened the door and left, he bumped into a girl, nearly at the age of 18. Seeing who it was, Bhalrom showed a surprised look before bowing towards her. My apologies, Princess. (Bhalrom) Hearing that, Hiro slightly turned his head to look back towards them, curious about the royal family. What he saw was a young beauty dressed in what looked to be some sort of training uniform for ease of movement and durability. With honey blonde hair tied at the back, she had a straight posture and radiated elegance and femininity. Even her naturally gentle - if somewhat stoic facial expression combined with her blue eyes gave off a strong vibe. A stark contrast to the Prince who had vacated the room earlier. Turning his attention back to Max and the King, Hiros long and untied hair flicked slightly. The princess gave a light bow to the Knight Captain, about to continue walking when she noticed the oddity in the corner of her eye. Turning to look at the Kings Study, she briefly met eyes with the youth who had turned back around. But that was more than enough. His radiantly purple eyes, and the contrasting white and black hair combined with his foreign clothing of unknown design. It wasnt hard to miss him. But to her, he seemed more. A sense of imbalance. Seeing the revered Magus standing next to him, she thought no more on this topic, lest she be late to training. As both her and the Knight Captain moved off, Hiro glanced back one more time, a sharp look in his eye. Her senses are sharp Better be wary of her... (Hiro) The King and the Magus began to discuss serious topics regarding the war with Argus, as well as the deteriorating relationship with the Elves and the Beastmen. Max went into details on what had happened at the Endher Forest as well, in a way that the King could understand given their difference in understanding of things. Hiro stood close to the door, hands together in front of him and legs shoulder width apart. A bit of a formal stance he had picked up called rest from cadets when he was a teen. Looking around the room at the books, he realized that he could not read anything he saw. It seemed that the language barrier was only a temporary fix. Thinking in his head, he wondered if he could, at the very least, create a magic that makes others understand the words he was saying. Maybe something similar to the amulet he was wearing under his shirt. On that topic of his clothes, he had used a neat little spell he created, which is similar to a regulated temperature. It keeps his body at a cool temperature, not too hot, not too cold, and can be maintained with little mana usage. Not that he had to worry, since he could have to passively left on using his vast mana. It wasnt like the limiter completely locked it away. The principle of the spell was that a thin layer of fiber mesh mana was applied to his skin all over. To this layer, he created the magic like a program. If his temperature went above a certain threshold, it pulled heat from his body and dissipated it. If his temperature went below a certain threshold, it would heat up and warm his body. He also made a second camouflage layer while he was playing around with ideas for this mana mesh of his. The camouflage layer acted like an insulator, keeping his mana presence hidden. He had already learned how to calm it, but some extra reassurance never hurt. There were still other layers he wanted to test giving properties to, such as defensive layers. While he was thinking about all this, Hiro was brought out of his thoughts when he was mentioned by the other two in the room. So this is the boy who was found in the Endher Forest? (King) Yes, Elrik. (Max) Well, his appearance certainly doesnt fit any of the known people Young man, Ive heard of your circumstances. Tell me, what is it you plan to do from now on? (King Elrik) Yes, Your Majesty. I can no longer continue as a Bard, and I am in unknown lands. Max-- Sir Eisenwald has offered to guide me for a short while until I can stand on my own two feet, in return for helping him where possible. Becoming a traveling merchant to earn my keep is my most likely path after that. (Hiro) A well mannered young man. As expected of a Bard, I suppose. Have you ever performed for nobility? (King Elrik) No, Your Majesty. I do not believe I am worthy of doing so. (Hiro) Very well. You must be tired as well. I will have the guard show you to a guest room in the castle. I also invite you to the participate in the evening feast tomorrow, as a sign of faith, and as Maxs friend. (King Elrik) With a polite and soft tone of voice, as well as remaining bowed slightly with a straight posture, Hiro showed quite the elegance for a commoner. Of course, he had seen plenty of shows which portrayed royalty and nobility, so he only had to imitate them with the help of his knowledge. As the guard entered in response to the Kings call, Hiro and the guard left the room and headed towards the guest wing. Left in the room alone, Max and Elrik looked at each other as they both sat opposite each other, the board of chess between them. So, old friend what are you hiding? (King Elrik) With a knowing smile, Max reset the chess board as he spoke. Ive been with him for the past few weeks, and still struggle to understand him. (Max) He shows etiquette to the level of nobility. And you expect me to believe he is a commoner? Im not a fool, you old timer. (King Elrik) With the friendly banter going on, Max suddenly showed a serious face. I give you this bit of advice. He is wise beyond his years. We would all do well to show him that we are not his enemy. (Max) Taken aback by this statement, Elrik looked at his friend, wondering what he had seen to say that. He could tell that the Magus favored the young man, but not the reasons why. There was something else to this that the mage wasnt willing to share. I will investigate and help Hiro. He comes from far away, and can only communicate with us thanks to the elven amulet I gave him. Rest assured, I will watch over him. (Max) Shall we play a game of The Kings Play? (King Elrik)Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Hm, very well. Lets see how well you have grown while Ive been gone, shall we? (Max) Like this, the two old friends reminisced. The next morning, Hiro got up early did some training exercises in his room, working up a sweat. He had made it a routine to always get some exercise in. Having lived for a long time as a fat person, he never wanted to get that way again. After an hour of doing this, using mana to shackle himself as if applying weights, he stood up and stretched to cool down. Finishing his stretches, he used another unique spell he had come up with. By imagining the effects of cleaning products such as body soap, shampoo, conditioner, fabric cleaner, fabric softener and so on, he combined it all into one handy piece of magic. Activating the spell, his body glowed with a pale white light as all the dirt, grime and other such things were lifted off of his clothes and body. He especially made sure that he wasnt getting any acne or blackheads/whiteheads. He already went through puberty once, he didnt want to experience that again either. For the next hour, he spent time practising magic. Using a soundproofing spell, he made it one way so that sounds he made didnt leak out, but he could still hear things happening outside. From the start of his experimenting, he had been working on creating a dimensional storage type of spell. It was a trope in other world stories, after all. Convenient as hell, and a cool party trick, it was a must have. Especially if it was an unlimited space. He was already halfway complete with creating it. He had succeeded in creating an unlimited space which things could be put inside, and freeze the time of the things inside it, as well as recognizing what was in it. The only problem was, he was only halfway complete with creating it. Anything he had put in could still be consciously accessed, but he couldnt pull anything out of it. As such, he wasnt willing to put anything important inside it yet in case he had to collapse the space in order to create a new and working one. It was like working forever on a character in beta, only to have it deleted at the full release. While in meditation for the hour, he got a bit hungry and decided to finish. He could live with just one meal a day, but it was always good to grab a meal when you could. Leaving his room, he started to explore the castle area. He was only required to attend in the evening, after all, so he had quite a bit of free time until then. Meanwhile, King Elrik was sitting on a balcony with Bhalrom in attendance, standing behind him. I wanted to speak with you while Max and the young man werent around. Tell me, Bhalrom What do you think of him? (King Elrik) Your Majesty? (Bhalrom) What can you tell me about him? Your personal impression. (King Elrik) Well, I did spend some time with him, but not as much as Sir Eisenwald. He liked his space and time alone, but was more than receptive when approached in good will. Hiro would often be found singing quietly to himself while doing whatever task he was doing. While not particularly good at fighting, he has been getting lessons from the Magus in hopes to protect himself. The First Army has taken a liking to him, as he managed to keep up their spirits during the march back with his uplifting tunes and storytelling with different accents. The men will probably miss his stories now that he wont be with us. Aside from that he is mysterious. He seems more like a hermit scholar than anything else. He doesnt speak much, preferring to talk only when he has something to say. Ive seen him open up with Max by chance, and he had quite the joking attitude, somewhat cynical. Maybe he had a tough upbringing? (Bhalrom) I see (King Elrik) Letting out a sigh, the King could do nothing but look at the sunny skies. He wanted to learn more about the mysterious young man, but instead found more questions. Back to Hiro, he had found what he believed to be the castle garden. Having taken a moment to explore everywhere he could go without being caught or appearing suspicious, he had eventually ended up here. Being on a plateau with the rear of the castle inaccessible by natural methods, he could only shake his head at the lack of observers in the event someone got up that way. Climbing gear, magic, whatever they used, it was still possible. He didnt know how long he had been exploring, but it seemed as if quite a bit of time passed while he dawdled. Probably close to lunchtime. Finding a peaceful spot under a tree, he took a seat and leaned his back against it. Looking up at the leaves and branches, he could see some sunlight shining through it. Closing his eyes, he zoned out the surroundings as he began to hum a tune. It was a slow song in a different language. While the amulet would usually translate it to the language it was set to, Hiro had learned to filter it to only translate when he speaks English. Max could only shake his head when he learned of that. As the beginning tune finished and the words started, Hiro began to sing softly, his voice ringing out clearly in the empty garden. It was a large garden, so even if he made a bit of noise here, he doubted that people would be troubled. Senbonzakura, yoru ni magire~ (Hiro) Ever since he saw the Sakura trees in that silent forest, he had this song stuck in his head, precisely because of this one line. While almost all of that time was hard to remember, those two separate trees he had seen were the only things that were still vivid in his mind. One thing he was thankful to this world for, was his memory. Previously, he wouldnt be able to sing properly because he would always forget the words. But now, he could remember them easily. As he finished the song, he let out a slow breath as he opened his eyes, meeting eyes with several listeners. All but one of them he recognized, as they were from the First Army. They must have been passing by and heard him. As for the last person, it was the Princess he had seen briefly yesterday. With applause, the knights gave compliments to his voice and the song, despite not knowing what the words were. While the princess stood a short distance from the group, Hiro gave his thanks as they left, off to return to their duties. With just the two of them left, the youth gave her a slight bow from his seated position. While he didnt know her name, and only knew her position by hearing Bhalrom the night before, he didnt know of any etiquette where he had to greet her explicitly. And it didnt seem like she was the type to care about that. With a quick glance over her appearance, he could see some dust. She had probably just been training, though when considering the knights were around at the same time, maybe she was sparring someone? Or a fight. Yeah, probably a fight to win the girls heart. He seemed the strong-willed type after all, and he had seen some stories with a similar setting. He felt quite lucky he avoided the trope of fighting the princess for her hand in marriage. That sounded way too troublesome. You have a wonderful voice. (Princess) Thank you, Princess. (Hiro) So you know who I am. (Princess) Only your title. Knight Captain Bhalrom said it yesterday, and I was close enough to hear him. (Hiro) My name is Eileen. And yours? (Eileen) A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. My name is rohirohi. Everyone calls me Hiro. (Hiro) Then, you can call me Eileen. (Eileen) Yes, Princess Eileen. (Hiro) ... (Eileen) With a scrutinizing look, the princess stared at the young man who looked about the same age as her, frowning slightly at his humble smile. She didnt know why, but it somehow irked her. As for Hiro, he was smirking on the inside. Despite knowing she had sharp senses, he couldnt help but want to irritate her for no other reason than to have fun. She didnt want to be called princess or highness for some reason, but he still called her so. What is your relationship to Maximillian? (Eileen) He is teaching me for the meantime. At least until I can stand on my own. (Hiro) Hmm Also, what are those clothes of yours? (Eileen) They are native to my land of origin. I come from far away. (Hiro) How far? (Eileen) That, Im afraid, is hard to tell. At the very least, too far away to go back. (Hiro) Seeing that his facial expression and tone of voice remained unchanged throughout the small talk, Eileen began to feel wary about him, as if something was off. But at the same time, she was still curious. And she wasnt the only one. A distance away, the King and Queen were walking together, returning after watching Eileens matches earlier, and happened to hear singing. Darling, who is that young man? (Queen) I wish I knew the answer to that question (King Elrik) Looking at each other, the Queen had a curious expression, because her daughter was showing some interest towards a man for once, unlike the usual fake smile and dismissive attitude. Elrik on the other hand had an unsure look in his eyes. As they continued on, Eileen spoke up to the young man once again. Well then, I should be going. It was a pleasure to meet you, Hiro. (Eileen) It was a pleasure to meet you too, Princess Eileen. (Hiro) A bit irritated, EIleen looked at him no more as she continued her walk back to her room. Hiro on the other hand was snickering in his mind. His display had nothing wrong with it and couldnt be complained about, but he had still managed to annoy her for fun, because of her sharp senses. Though as he thought about it, his expression changed from being gentle, to something more akin to sadness. She had probably had a hard living, given her social status and obligations. And with a brother like that Kasius, he couldnt fault her for being a bit hard. He knew what it felt like, after all. Chapter 07 - Bard Feeling his stomach complain at the lack of intake, Hiro reluctantly got up from his comfy relaxation under the tree, and started to wander around the castle. He had mentally mapped everything out in his head earlier in the day, so finding the mess hall wasnt too hard. Once he got there, he noticed the flow of people had picked up from earlier, and once he entered, he understood why. Peeking in, he glanced around and saw that it was too crowded for a loner like himself. That, and his clothes stood out too much. Maybe it was time to wear something different? In either case, he decided not to enter. In his brief look, he had noticed some new figures that werent soldier-like. They had looked like mages. Typical cloaks and intellectual looks. They had all appeared middle aged, except for one who looked like a young girl. She was the reason he had taken notice of them. Why? She looks like someone fun to tease and play around with With a bit of an inner grin, he imagined random things he could do. Of course, he only imagined. Not worth the trouble to go out of his way to do anything. Turning a corner, he heard a set of footsteps next to him. As expected, you left the moment you saw the crowd. Come, Ill show you somewhere more comfortable to eat. (Max) Duly appreciated. Lets also look for some change of clothes. Something simple but tidy looking. (Hiro) Then, lets make a detour. I can show you around the castle town another day when we have more time. Any luck with dimension magic? (Max) A little. Another couple days at most, I suspect. Id have something ready straight away if I wasnt trying to customize it so much. Heat retention, frozen time, infinite storage, mental connection to the space and its contents and so on. How about you? Any luck understanding light and illusion magic? (Hiro) Getting there. Its such a fascinating thing; light that can bend and hide things, as well as create something that isnt there. Shall we make a bet on who finishes their spell first? (Max) Sounds like a good idea. Then, I bet you a weapon manufacturing method. (Hiro) Hoh? Looks like youre in need of weapons. Then, I bet you some mithril ingots. (Max) Deal. (Hiro) With that small talk which contained dangerous and unbelievable contents, the two of them made their way towards the castle gates, leaving the castle grounds and heading into the town. As expected, the youth ended up standing out quite a lot. Well, there was always that trick he could do resembling a certain phantom thief, where hed immediately change his appearance, throwing off pursuit since they would be looking for something that stands out. But he didnt want to reveal himself yet. Maybe once he had research illusion magic a bit more, he could work on making mana clones. Or maybe even something with substance something real. He had enough basic medical knowledge for his mana and subconscious to fill in the blanks. A doppelganger level of magic No matter. That can wait for the future. M*rdr*d was higher profile than him, anyway. No point imitating another overpowered person. As they arrived at a store, Max led the way as they spent a short while picking out something tidy and simple. After ordering a custom made black tunic and white pants, as well as a leather jerkin and some boots, he settled for a grey cloak to cover his unusual attire, making sure it was one that reached his shins at the very least. He would have gone for a nice black one, but his white shoes stood out too much that way. As for his hair well, he had a trick for that. After all, if you learn that you can create magic purely with imagination and understanding, why wouldnt you spend every waking moment and time alone experimenting on them? As they walked towards the next destination, a place to eat chosen by Max, hiro kept his hood up as he focused magic to his hair. By imagining his stripped hair color having its pigments blotted black, his hair changed to a radiant black for the meantime. It was only an illusion at the moment, so it would go back to half blonde when he cancels it back at the castle. Arriving at a tavern-looking place, Max translates the sign, knowing that writing isnt translated by the amulet. The Drinking Bear. (Max) Named after the owner? (Hiro) How did you know? (Max) Lucky guess. (Hiro) Tropes Tropes everywhere With that thought, Hiro followed Max inside. As they went towards a table near one of the more quiet corners, the youth observed the people around them. Rough looking men with tough faces were enjoying meals and drinking even though it was the middle of the day. But at the same time, they didnt give off an oppressive aura compared to what he felt from people in the castle, especially the mages. Just as they were about to take their seat, a large woman that could be adequately called a bear - with muscles, not fat - approached with wide arms and a large grin. Youre still alive, you old fart! (???) Heh, so even a bear calls The Great Magus as an old fart, keheheh. (Hiro) With a snicker and grin, Hiro watched the bear hug the old man who looked like a child in comparison. Not minding the youths sarcastic remark, already used to Hiros sense of humor, Max returned the hug before separating, talking to the two of them. Its been a long time, Syldis. Hiro, allow me to introduce an old friend of mine from the Northern Kingdom, ex-adventurer and owner of this establishment. (Max)This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. You will never find better cuisine in all of Allard! (Syldis) Pleasure to meet you, Syldis. Im Hiro. Used to be a Bard, until some stroke of misfortune. (Hiro) Now that he wasnt around any aristocracy, Hiro loosened up a bit more, his tone becoming audibly more carefree compared to his humble attitude in the castle. Removing his hood, he left the cloak draped around him for the meantime to cover up his clothing. Well youre definitely not Maxs son. All that knowledge, and yet I bet the old coot has never bedded a woman in his life! Hahahah! (Syldis) Who knows. Hell probably rant to you about his success with women in his younger days, Hahahaaah~. (Hiro) Really, you two have only just met, and youre on the same boat Anyways, Syldis. Hiro here is a friend of mine. Look after him when Im not around, will you? (Max) Of course, of course. Anything for my old friend. Have a seat, Ill bring you the finest meal and booze I got! (Syldis) As she went off to what Hiro guessed was the kitchen, the duo took a seat at their table. Quite the boisterous woman, isnt she? (Hiro) You meet for one minute, and you hit it off like old friends, taking jabs at me. Well, I can understand how, knowing your personality so far. (Max) So, there must have been a reason you brought me here, no? (Hiro) As expected, you knew. In a few days, Ill be heading North. I have business to take care of there, as well as finding out about what has happened to you, if possible. Id bring you along, but I have a feeling that you would prefer to do your own thing. (Max) Yep. I also wanna prepare some things for future travels. Though Ill probably have to earn some money first for that. (Hiro) Ill leave some with Syldis, enough to live off for a short while. Just dont go robbing people blindly, please. (Max) Nah, Im not that petty. Ill figure something out. Probably some convenient plot device will happen. (Hiro) You use some odd terms every now and then (Max) Ignore it. (Hiro) Here ya go, boys! Eat up! (Syldis) Thanks for the meal. (Hiro/Max) After finishing their meal, the two of them sipped their tankards of ale while discussing the topic of magic. All the different theories they had, spell ideas, what things would be forbidden and what things would be useful for more than just combat. As things calmed down, Syldis also sat with them, and they talked stories from their separate experiences. By the way, Syldis. Dont underestimate Hiro. He can look after himself for the most part. But since he comes from nothing, and has nothing, I ask that you look after him when hes troubled. (Max) Oh~ he must be quite the lad for you to say so, old friend. Thats fine with me. Lad, you said you were a Bard. Care to sing a song? (Syldis) Hmm~ I suppose so? Cant guarantee youll understand it much. (Hiro) With a large gulp of his drink, Hiro was still quite sober, but decided to loosen up a bit anyway. Sitting on his chair, he leaned back while lightly tapping his tankard on the table to the rhythm in his head. Before long, he had started singing a rowdy but fun song, suitable for the mood that the tavern was in. As he got into it, he stood up, tankard in hand, and pranced around as some of the other patrons clapped along. Improvising here and there, he had his fun, going for another two songs before finish his drink. With everyone in a cheerful mood, and the Bard having sat down again, some others started a song, obviously drunk from their slurred words, but people joined in anyway and had their fun. Not bad, lad! But now youve got them worked up. Gonna be a busy night now! Hahahah! (Syldis) Youre welcome, Miss Bear. (Hiro) With a grin, Hiro replied as he and Max said their farewells, heading back to the castle. Neither of them were drunk, but they had stayed a bit too long, and it was nearly time to get ready for the evening feast. After using a cleaning spell to clean the stench of alcohol from their breaths, the two separated to their rooms. Back in the guest room, Hiro found what looked to be a Nobles attire, or at least something similar, laying on the bed. Figuring it was for tonights feast, he took off his cloak, folding his current commoners clothing into it, and also putting his own worlds clothing into a folded pile in the corner of the room, concealing it with magic. With his hair back to normal, he tidied himself up in the nobles attire. Right Lets get this over with, shall we? (Hiro) With his long sleeved shirt on, he headed towards the mess hall, or banquet hall. Same thing in his mind. When he got there, it seemed people were taking their seats, with the important people on the table with the King. Out of place, Hiro sighed before finding a seat at the end of the table and sticking to himself. Sitting down in silence, he began to observe people of importance in the room. Front and center table was the King, Queen, Prince and Princess. Short and sweet. To the Kings left, were five Knights, including Bhalrom. So these must be the five Knight Captains for each Army. Each had a different color cape. Seeing Bhalrom sitting closest to the King, the seating must be in order of Army number. Purple first, green second, yellow third, blue fourth, and red fifth. On the Kings right were cloaked figures, most likely mages. Their colors were in the same order, with an extra purple and green due to having 7 Court Mages compared to the 5 Knight Captains. Seeing a smaller build among the middle-aged group of mages, he realized the second purple coat was that petit looking mage girl. Oh, how hed love to be a bit sadistic toward that naive looking girl. Woops, wrong thoughts, wrong thoughts. Im not in an adult anime or manga Well, not that I couldnt turn this into one heh... But that would definitely cause too much future problems. Thinking those random thoughts to pass the time, he looked around the room more and landed eyes on a man who was rolled up in bandages here and there. His position was slightly close to the King, so he maybe had some importance to tonights meal? Was he the unfortunate one to challenge the previous trope? With idle thoughts like this, he turned his eyes to the conversation of the people around him, ignoring the gaze that was directed at him from the Princess Eileen. No doubt wondering who he was, why he was there, what his relationship was with Max, and so on. The tables were laid out in a sort of U shape, staying short on the center tables so that it was mostly used only by the Royal Family. At this moment, Max walked into the room. As he went to sit near Hiro, the King spoke up, his voice reaching everyone in the room. My friend, come sit up here. I cant let a respected Magus sit at the edges. (King Elrik) With a smile, Max bowed slightly before taking an empty seat near the King. Hiro snickered inside, knowing that the Magus was just as enthusiastic about this thing as he was. If a commoner rejected an invitation to the feast though, it would have been much more troublesome. At least to him, there wasnt enough cons to showing up, since supposedly nothing would happen. But we all know how that shit goes Whatever can go wrong, WILL go wrong... Sighing mentally, the hall quietened down as things seemed to be proceeding. As the meals were served, Hiro at silently while hearing nobles sucking up to the knights in order to get benefits and whatever else. Taking a glance around, he felt an intense gaze on him, as if sizing him up. Without focusing his eyesight on anywhere in particular and using his peripheral vision, it seemed the one looking at him was the yellow knight. While the green knight looked inadequate and the red knight seemed to lack support, blue seemed upright and a stickler for rules, and purple Bhalrom was doing his best to eat in peace, only the yellow knight maintained a steady gauge on him. Hes up to something Now, am I a liability, or a hindrance? (Hiro) Chapter 08 - Divergence After everyone finished eating, the King spoke up and started speaking. From what Hiro could determine, it seems that the Princess undergoes a trial for a suitor whenever challenged, and if she wins, then they are not worthy of her hand in marriage. Like this, she is still keeping herself from being married off. Indeed, the bandaged guy happened to be some noble trying to marry her. Though looking at the princess, it seemed unlikely that she would be able to keep winning forever. Well, not without help. Was she under the tutelage of anyone? After a bit more talk, the feast came to an end and everyone was dismissed. While the royal family remained behind to talk, Hiro left the hall near the end as he contemplated what he wanted to do for the night. Up until he left the hall, he still felt the princesss suspicious gaze, as well as the Queens curious gaze, probably because her daughter seemed to be showing him attention. Back in the hall, while the King and Prince were having a discussion, mainly a lecture about the Princes attitude during the feast, the Queen leaned in to her daughter, having a quiet conversation. You seem distracted is there something wrong, my child? (Queen) ... (Eileen) It was that young man, wasnt it? With the white and black hair. (Queen) ... He irritates me, but he hasnt done anything wrong. But (Eileen) But you feel like theres more to him, dont you? (Queen) The Queen also had sharp sense, and had felt something odd about him as she looked at Hiro. She didnt sense any ill will, but there was a feeling of a calm but oppressive aura about him. His countenance throughout the feast only solidified this feeling. As the one who was next to the King, the Queen would have a lot of contact with the aristocracy and politics. And having been born in the Northern Kingdom where combat is in ones blood, she had quickly learned to analyze anyone and everyone that got close to her family, and vice versa. Elrik says he is close to Maximillian. If you hurry, you might be able to ask him about the youth. Clear up your doubts. (Queen) While thinking for a moment, Eileen eventually shook her head. Its alright, Mother It was just a chance run in (Eileen) Like that, the conversation came to an end as the Mother stroked her daughters fine hair. As for Hiro, he had returned to the garden, finding it the best place to relax for him. With no one around and the starry night sky above, he sat down with the tree against his back, looking at the bright moon high in the sky. Humming a light and peaceful tune, he zoned out while keeping a minimum awareness on his surroundings for his own safety. His thoughts drifted to the future, and things he needed to do in order to prepare for eventualities. While he could use magic to make up for anything, there were still things he needed to have in person in order to not be underestimated. Weapons and armor were a must. These, he just needed to buy the ore or ingots. With magic, he could smelt it himself by making a forge purely with mana. He had enough knowledge to do this at least. As for armor, he didnt want too much metal armor, so probably a strong hide armor would be enough. He was supposed to be a merchant, after all. This, he didnt have any knowledge on, so it would have to be custom made. For being a merchant, he would need to get himself a carriage or two, as well as the horses to pull them, and most likely some escorts. For the escorts He would need to find some trustworthy people, or finish developing a doppelganger type of magic. Though he had a feeling that such a magic may be outside the realms of magic, and more into alchemy Well, thats what future studies would be for. As he finished his thoughts and humming, he waited for his one audience member to speak up. You were at the feast earlier Havent seen you around the castle before. Who are you? (???) With no comment on his singing, the young female voice resounded in his air. Putting his hands behind his head and yawning as he stared up at the leaves, he glanced at the girl who was here. It was the same mage girl he had seen a couple of times, still wearing her robe. She had red hair, but none of her clothing could be seen with her robe on. A guest, at least for now. I came here were the Magus, Maximillian Eisenwald. (Hiro) The great Magus?! Are you his apprentice? (???) Hmm, not quite. I come from a land too far away. He teaches me about magic to protect myself with, and I teach him about where I came from. (Hiro) The girl seemed flabbergasted, not knowing how to respond to that for a moment. She seemed probably around the same age as the princess when he looked at her facial expressions closer. After a while, she managed to speak up again. My name is Lily Eilidh Fernis, Court Mage under the authority of the King of Allard. (Lily) rohirohi. Hiro is fine, though. Used to be a Bard, but Ill probably end up as a travelling merchant. (Hiro) Hiro. I see. You can call me Lily. So have you learned anything from Sir Eisenwald? (Lily) From what Hiro could tell, it seemed Lily was fascinated by Max, no doubt being a fan of his due to his accomplishments as a Mage. As for her interactions with himself, it seemed to be out of a mix of curiosity because of his relations with Max, and probably just being polite and keeping the conversation going. Hmm Ive learned a couple of things. He praised my control over mana, though. For example (Hiro) Holding his hand out palm up, he focused a little of his mana to it, creating a ball of mana after a few seconds. He could have used a chant, but felt it would best to make it seem like he could do simple stuff chantlessly, since he doesnt know the words in Elvish. Back when Max had introduced magic to him, he had said that there were different ways to cast magic. Chants, gestures, runes, and then pure imagination. When he later asked the Magus about this in detail, it seems that chants can help shorten casting time by tying the effect to the words in ones mind. To Hiro, though, he felt like the different between using words and not using words, could be summed up in one phrase form his world. Shouting Makes You Stronger! Well, that was stupid. Why give away what hes going to do? Hell just keep things in his mind, even if the speed or effect is slightly reduced. Hell just overpower anyone anyway.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. While having these thoughts, a small reddish orange flame appeared on his palm, hovering in the air slightly, before compressing to the size of a fingernail. From here, he made four more, having all five at the tips of his fingers, and then started weaving them in and out between his fingers. After that little display, he had them gather in his palm, combine, and then he grasped his fist around it, letting it disperse. Looking at the mage girl, she seemed astounded and confused. T-that You casted that without words, and moved them around (Lily) Ah~ I guess I should explain. Because of my culture and imagination, it seems Im more cut out for using magic for entertainment purposes like what I showed you. I can also do this (Hiro) With that, he created the figure of a woman with water magic, giving enough detail to have a distinctly human shape, and had it start dancing and spinning on the palm of his hand. After the dance was done, it finished with the figure spinning round and round, the water turning to mist before finally dispersing. Seeing the face of the mage girl, she was both intrigued, entertained, and blushing. Why? Because the figure of the dancing woman was naked, and seemed a bit too realistic despite being water. Looking at Lily, inside, Hiro was smirking. Ah~ these types were fun to tease. Hiro Are you busy tomorrow afternoon? (Lily) Not as far as I know. (Hiro) Looking at her expression, it seemed she wanted to talk more at another time when she was free. Tomorrow afternoon, 3rd step of the plateau. Youll find a training hall there. If you come by, Ill teach you some magic. In return maybe you could teach me what youve learned? (Lily) Well, I thought information about magic is a strict secret, wasnt it~? (Hiro) With a sort of a playful tone of voice, Hiro responded to the girl whose facial expression had a mix of unease and curiosity. After hearing his words, she looked ashamed of her actions. Heh. No need to look so troubled. He never said I couldnt tell anyone, so it should be alright. (Hiro) With a bright expression on her face again, Lily nodded and said goodbye, her steps taking her further away. Just before she was too far, she turned around and said to him. I liked the tune you were humming. It was relaxing. (Lily) Thank you, Lily. (Hiro) At the Kings Study, Max and Elrik once again sat opposite each other, a glass of liquor between them to take the edge off the day. While the King was getting some work done, the Magus was going about the room and looking at books, seeing if any of them had information on a particular topic. Say, Max What are your impressions of the young man? (Elirk) Have you tried talking to him one on one before? (Max) I dont see how there would be anything for us to discuss. (Elrik) My old friend He is a wise young man. Meet with him, alone. Talk about anything you want to. Maybe even about the war. You may be surprised with his responses. (Max) If you insist (Elrik) And Your Majesty, I implore you. Listen to my advice. Dont treat him like an enemy. (Max) ... (Elrik) While the King was still dubious about these warnings, he still couldnt ignore them. He had known Max for a long time, and knew better than to doubt the old man. With a nod, he returned to his work for the night. Once Hiro returned to his room, he gave himself a clean with magic, applied a sound barrier, and started weaving some anti-theft and anti-intrusion magic, using things such as ill will and bloodthirst as triggers to alert him when they were tripped, while leaving a magic trace on the person. He had read several stories where the guest gets attacked or manipulated in their room, or have things done to their room. He hadnt done this precaution the previous night, but to be fair, hes had a lot to think about, and doesnt always remember everything hes read straight away. With those done, Hiro finally went to sleep for the night. When morning came, he started his physical and magical exercises like previously. After finishing those and cleaning up, he stayed dressed in the noble attire since he would be in the castle for the most of the day it seemed. As he was about to leave his room, he heard a knock. After a short conversation with the maid, it turned out that the King had requested his attendance this morning. Knowing that rejecting would be a sleight to the King, he reluctantly went along to the Kings Study. Once there, he was let in where he stood up straight while waiting for the King to finish what he was doing. Once he was, he was allowed to take a seat. Though it seemed that the conversation wouldnt move along that much as is. Max seems to think that the best way to understand you would be to talk with you. (King Elrik) That annoying old man He did this on purpose, didnt he? (Hiro) Well, talking is a valid means of communication and understanding though I guess that isnt what you mean. Did he suggest anything in particular we could discuss? (Hiro) As it turns out, he did. He believed you would have some interesting words to say about the war to the south east. (King Elrik) Max must have suggested that for a reason Fine, lets go along with it this time. (Hiro) Im not privy to all the information, so I may not be able to offer a solid insight I dont know the lay of the land, but Ive heard enough to make a rough guess. As for the war and those involved Beastmen believe in Vitae, and their attackers, Argos, believe in Kror Mhot. Nature versus Death. Elves and Allard who are nearby From what I know of the different groups, the following is my interpretation of the information provided. Argos want to control everything, being zealots who wish for nothing more than the eradication of all else in the name of their God. So theyve attacked the Beastmen, while the Elves couldnt care less what happens outside of their lands. Allard would be waiting for both sides to be weakened How long has the war been going for? (Hiro) Elrik was surprised at the quick and concise conclusions that Hiro had come to in regard to the situation, and so it took him a moment to recover and respond. 110 years now. (King Elrik) Nearly jumping out of his seat, Hiro looked at the King in surprise, astonished at the number. Wars were not meant to last that long, typically coming to an end quickly do to the exhaustion of resources and loss of life, as well as mutual damage inflicted. The only reason a war would be dragged on so long would be... (Hiro) Adopting a thinking posture, Hiros mind quickly went to work thinking about what was happening. With a war between two powers going on, both sides would be weakened and the victor would be in turmoil for a short while afterward. With powers such as Allard and the North being in an alliance, it would be a major disadvantage for Argos who had started the fight if they happened to win. So the war dragging out would be on purpose, obviously intelligent enough to understand that they would be fighting against a bigger enemy while they were weakened. So to counter this, they would need to extend the war until theyve finished carrying out plans to prevent this outcome. Such things that could be done would have to include divide and conquer. And to do that, infiltrators would be in both sides to cause seeds of doubt and mistrust, before eventually destroying the alliance. Possibly, they may even destabilize both kingdoms from the inside, crippling them through politics, or may even with military might. Coup d''etat, assassination, kidnap, famine, guerrilla tactics, cutting off supplies and supply routes. Any number of these things and more could be used. Saying all of this to the King, and explaining how and why, Hiro looked at him with a serious face. He remembered that yellow coat Knight Captain who had looked at him with a fervent gaze during the feast. The face of the King darkened as realization dawned on him about the severity and likelihood of the described things happening, which aligned too well with what had already been happening. Hiro kept a strong gaze and serious expression on the King. Your Majesty take due care You may already be at risk. The sword in your hand is at risk of harming its wielder (Hiro) Taking a moment to repeat the words in his head, King Elrik understood what the young man was meaning, and he did his best to not scrunch his face up. A spy among my own trusted Knights?! With this thought, he sat there with his hands in front of his face for a moment, before thanking the youth for his time, and dismissing him. As he left, Hiro looked back towards the King briefly before leaving. The gears are moving in this complex machine. Hopefully this wrench is enough to shake the waters. Whatever happens from now on is not my problem. You hear that, Max? Annoyed with the Magus in his mind, Hiro sighed as he made his way to the garden, some time still left until when he was to meet with Lily. Chapter 09 - Murakumo Just as Hiro was about to reach the garden, a string snapped in his mind, indicating his room had been intruded on. Without delay, he cloaked his body in an illusion spell to hide himself, and sprinted full tilt towards his room. When he got there, the act had already been finished, but the tracer was still planted on the person who had intruded. Chasing them down, he came across one of the maids at a balcony overseeing the drop off the plateau. Anything dropped from there would be lost. Luckily, this was a corridor that was rarely used. It meant the maid could tear up the letter and dispose of it without being caught, but at the same time. ~Snap~ No one could see if something were to happen to her. Just as she was about to tear the letter, the sound of fingers snapping could be heard, and her body stopped moving. No matter what she did, she couldnt move her body at all. With a fearful look, she turned to the side to see a man in his forties with long black hair and a stoic face which had seen battle. With each one of his steps ringing in her ear, she knew she had been caught in the act, and the thoughts of what may now happen were spinning through her head over and over. As the figure came to a stop right in front of her, they took the letter silently and read it. In the letter, from Max it seemed, it stated that he was being threatened with a hostage, and he had gone to the house of someone by the name of Lord Landgrave. Understanding the situation, the figure let out a breath on the parchment. As he did so, the parchment started to turn to dust, blowing away in the wind on the balcony. With it being essentially a straight drop down, quite a bit of wind was blown up the cliff face. Turning back to the maid, she seemed to be in her mid twenties. Her looks were above average, which was probably expected of those working in the castle. Not only that, she had a trace of arrogance, so she was probably not a commoner earning their keep, but a noble-born with no claim to the family inheritance, sent of as a maid in the castle for bridal training and to gain connections. With her immobilized, the man placed a hand to her to her face, his fingers brushing against her face. At that moment, she felt an overwhelming power enter her, suppressing her as she felt like her entire soul was laid bare before him. After a few moments, or at least what felt like hours for her, he withdrew his hand. I see. So thats whats going on. Then, you are equally guilty (???) The unknown man, having seen evidence of the maids evil in her memories, made a barrier of earth in the corridor so that no one would come by while he was doing the next part, while also preventing the maids escape. Holding out his hands, mana started to compress into a greyish black form, molding itself into rope, chains, and a few other things. For starters, he immediately used a ball gag on the maid, preventing her from biting her tongue while also letting her breathe. Next, using a small blade made of mana, he cut her clothes off bit by bit while she watched, shouting for help. Unfortunately for her, a soundproof barrier had been placed. After all of her clothes had been stripped off and she was fully exposed, he began to use the mana rope to tie her up using a particular tortoise shell binding. With it digging into her skin deep enough to leave a mark but without fully cutting off her blood flow, he observed the body that had the breasts perked out, and the rope digging into the honeypot. Having been manipulating everything with mana, the man could just stand to the side and watch everything. Now that her body had been tied up, the chains snaked their way and attached to the maids hands and feet, embedding themselves in the wall over and over, allowing her no means of escape, and having been made with his mana, they would most likely be unbreakable for quite some time. This whole time, the maid had been screaming to the point of crying, and yet still, her lower parts were leaking some fluid, of the lewd kind. Though being chained there, she would eventually have to let her waste out. Letting the walls down, the man vanished into thin air as if he was a ghost, leaving the maid there to be found by other castle staff later on. As Hiro walked towards the training hall, he contemplated over the information he had just learned. First, Max had been drawn away, which meant that if something were to happen such as an assassination, there would be no stopping it if they had enough people. Max himself wouldnt have been drawn away if they couldnt guarantee to delay him, or possibly even hold him entirely, which meant he was also at risk alongside whoever he had gone to save. And for the Maid, it turned out that they had been running errands for quite some time for Rodrick, who turns out to be the yellow-caped bastard who wouldnt stop eyeing him. He had only seen him that one time at the feast, so he shouldnt have had much reason to go after Hiro, so it was probably for precaution since he was acquainted with the Magus. The other things in the maids memory were the deeds she had done. Spying for the most part, but it seems she wasnt above causing trouble and bullying when it came to those of dirty blood. Well, she had been punished well enough. And he enjoyed himself doing that. Now what to do about the upcoming problems? He could ignore them all, but he knew doing such a thing would come back to bite him in the future. And if he acted himself, he knew he would be put in the spotlight. Reaching the training hall, he entered to find both the mage girl and the princess together in the middle of the hall, hair in ponytails and wearing training outfits. The mage girl was giving a lecture on what appeared to be the use of magic, chanting elven words and sending an attack at the princess, who tried to defend it with one hand for magic so that she could still hold the sword. After they stopped and started talking about the things they were doing, the mage girl caught sight of him, and seemed a bit brighter now that he had shown up. Probably anticipating the upcoming information rather than Hiro himself. Noticing the red haired mages eyesight, the princess also turned to face the newcomer, surprised to see the person who had been singing the other day. At the same moment, she got suspicious of his appearance here. Before she could speak though, her sparring partner spoke up. Hiro, youve arrived. Sorry, Im still in the middle of giving a lecture at the moment. If its alright with you, Eileen, he could stick around until were finished? (Lily)Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Greetings, Princess Eileen, Lily. (Hiro) With a light bow, Hiro approached to a more comfortable talking distance to the two, waiting for Eileens response. What is he here for? (Eileen) Weve agreed to exchange knowledge about magic. He was taught a little by the Great Magus, so I couldnt help being intrigued (Lily) While the princess was suspicious and defensive against the unknown male, it seemed her long time friend was more open to him, probably because the topic was magic. Though, maybe there might be more? Neither of them would know, as both of them were inexperienced when it came to romance. Fine As long as he doesnt get in the way. (Eileen) With a nod from the two of them, the two girls began practicing again while Hiro sat near the entrance, creating a few small balls of water, having them spin around above his palm, and fly through an aerial course he made with rings of fire. Eventually, the two girls noticed his odd magic, and ended up being too curious about it. What is that magic? (Eileen) Its an exercise to improve my control of mana. With my difference in culture, I see magic as more of a means of entertainment, like this. (Hiro) Just as Eileen was about to make a comment, both Hiro and Lily suddenly jolted up straight, Hiro being the first to run outside. Somethings wrong. Wait, dont go out there, Hiro! (Lily) At that moment that he left the training hall, he turned to the side and had just enough time to raise his arms in front of his face as he was blasted sideways by a flash of lightning, leaving the two girls stunned. Lily tried to go running to check on him, but was held back by Eileen who had more experience with real combat. After calming down, the mage girl began casting defensive magic, and then preparing her specialty fire magic, aimed at the doorway. Eileen also took a stance to her side, ready to run out at any moment. Just as they wondered whether they would need to go outside, the wall behind them was blasted apart by magic, causing them to spin around to face it. As a figure appeared, Lily let loose her magic, aiming to fight off the attacker, only to be blocked by a magic shield like her own. At the same time, Eileen realized it was a pincer as she saw a figure ready a spell at the doorway, aiming at Lily. She wouldnt be able to block it in time. As she slowly saw things start to occur, she was left dumbfounded as the lightning went past her, but didnt hit Lily. Standing between the two, was a man who looked to be in his forties, wearing odd clothes and with long black hair. With a slate gray colored chain wrapped around his arm, he had somehow attracted the lightning, not taking any damage from it. Around his other arm was the same kind of chain. But because it was glowing a pale light, it was hard to tell if it was magic or an actual chain. For an instant, everyone froze in confusion. And the man didnt let this chance go. Throwing both arms out either side, the two chains shot out rapidly, splitting until there was four heading in each direction. Trying to ready a spell in time, both hostile mages resorted to strengthening their magic shields, only to be stunned as the chains punched straight through, causing their defenses to shatter. The chains wrapped around the two mages, binding them tightly before one chain each stabbed through their wrists and ankles, and then digging into the ground, pinning them where they were. With doubt, the two girls kept their defenses up against the man, who opened his mouth to speak. My name is Murakumo. Ive come at the request of my friend, Maximillian Eisenwald. Tend to the young man outside. I need to head to the King. (Murakumo) Like that, the figure started walking at a leisurely pace, or at least it seemed like it. Instead, as if melting into the wind, he vanished from sight. Looking at each other, the two girls decided to focus on the present. While Eileen checked that the two enemies were still down, Lily went outside to check on Hiro. Once she got out, she saw the body of the young man thrown several meters away, burn marks across his nobles attire, but nothing serious on his actual body, as if he had put up a defensive magic just before impact. With a sigh of relief, Lily heard a thud as a body was dropped next to the boy. Another mage with a black cloak on like the previous two, wrapped in chains. Looking at the figure who dropped it, she saw Murakumo from earlier. This one was hiding nearby. Keep your guard up, there may be more. (Murakumo) Y-Yes, sir (Lily) While she didnt intend to address him highly, she couldnt help it. He gave off this indomitable aura that she couldnt go against. As he vanished again, she checked Hiros condition and found that he wa still breathing, but he was sweating and unconscious. At this time, EIleen came outside. Another one? You alright? (Eileen) Yeah. What about the other two? (Lily) I tried moving them, but those chains wont let them budge from where they are. (Eileen) I see. Im going to try heal his wounds. There may be more, so please keep an eye out for me. (Lily) With a nod, the princess kept an eye on the surroundings as Lily spoke some elven words, a blue light leaking from her hands and illuminating the wounds on Hiro. What she was using was a water type magic meant for first aid. It was better than nothing, and would at least help recovery in the future. Speeding down the hallways of the castle towards the Kings Study, Murakumo made haste to protect the rest of the royal family. Well, it hurt, but at least taking that hit let me pretend to be unconscious. Now I can move about freely like this. (Hiro) Murakumo was actually Hiro. Murakumo was not a physical body, but a mana clone. A manifestation of his consciousness through his magic. By separating off a third of his massive amount of mana, he compressed it into this form and then used illusion magic to create a human figure. All of his weapons were made of compressed mana, and his high speed movement was simply him dispersing his illusion while his mana spread out and moved on. The wonders of the imagination and what they could achieve. This was actually what he had tried teaching Max, but he hadnt shown this form to him. As he arrived at the Kings Study, he saw six figures. Two cloaked, the King and Queen, the Prince unconscious on the ground, and Bhalrom. One cloaked figure was standing over Kasius, and the other had a knife to the Queens neck, having taken her hostage close to the door. They seemed to be talking about kidnapping the princess, killing the Queen, Hanna, and other such things while the King could only stare with eyes full of anger. But Hiro could care less. Bhalrom was the first to realize and notice it. The figure of a man appearing behind the hostage taker, as the other cloaked figure couldnt see behind him at his ally. Without warning, Murakumo thrust a chain through the head of the hostage taker, sending blood splattering over the wall and door to the side, while another chain shot past the Queen and pierced through the heart of the other man from behind. As the Queen started to fall, the dead mans arms still around her, Murakumo kicked the body away and held Hanna up until she steadied herself. While the King wanted to run to her, Bhalrom stopped him, suspicious of the newcomer. Seeing the look in Bhalroms eyes, he spoke up. Its alright. Maximillian sent me to help. Seems that they laid a trap for him, so I*ll be going to help my friend soon. There are three more that have been restrained at the training hall--- (Murakumo) My daughter Eileen! Is Eileen safe?! (Queen Hana) Not to worry. She and Lily are safe. They should be keeping an eye on the assassins. (Murakumo) Seeing that the Queen had steadied herself, Murakumo let her go and took a couple of steps back. My name is Murakumo. I will leave this pendant with you. Have you need of me, simply shatter it, and I will arrive shortly. Now, I must be going. Max is in danger. (Murakumo) Leaving a small fragile looking glass pendant in the Queens hands, Murakumos figure became blurry as he disappeared, as if melting into the wind once more. However, what those around couldnt see, was that all the mana that made up the being known as Murakumo, had compressed itself into the pendant, while Hiros consciousness went back to his own body, where he pretended to sleep for the meantime. As his mana would naturally recover anyway, by using a complex spell on what he had separated and making that pendant, he had essentially created a temporary doppelganger made of only magic, not flesh. If it was shattered, then he could send his consciousness, gather his scattered mana, and form Murakumo once more. Knowing that things in the future may get more hectic and involve him one way or another, it was best to make assurances. Besides, even if he hadnt acted, the people of Argos would eventually ruin any kind of comfortable daily life he tried to make. Chapter 10 - Forge Hiro made a groan, imitating slight pain and grogginess as he distorted his face before opening his eyes. Looking around, he could see Eileen standing guard, and Lily kneeling beside him, apparently having just finished applying first aid to his wounds. What happened? (Hiro) Just at this moment, he could hear Bhalroms voice echo throughout the castle, calling out Assassins! to alert all the guards to be at the ready and start searching. They would probably think the maid was abused by the assassins, but the one in the shadows would no doubt realize that someone had figured out she was an accomplice. You were hit by a powerful lightning spell. Im surprised you got off with just some burns on your arms. (Lily) How did you take that hit? As far as we know, youre not a mage. (Eileen) While Lily was thankful the damage wasnt more, Eileen was showing suspicions. Im not a mage, no. But the reason Ive been learning from Sir Eisenwald is to protect myself. I just didnt expect that Id need it so soon (Hiro) With a sigh, he let out a breath and then looked around, seeing the three unconscious mages. It seemed they hadnt managed to get away. He had partly suspected there would be one more in hiding, to make sure no information would leak. Or perhaps they were there to observe the results and report back. Either way, it seemed the three here were not going anywhere anytime soon. The next course of action would be to go and find Max. But for that, he would need to separate from Lily and Eileen. Before long, Bhalrom arrived and checked to see if everyone is okay. Following that, he checked on the three restrained mages. Underneath their cloaks, they were bald but middle aged, covered in tattoos. While none present could understand it, it didnt take long for Hiro to realize it. They were runes meant to bestow magic. Why did he know? One of the ideas he had for creating limiters was to use a rune placed on the body, sealing portions of his magic and abilities into it. He had to scrap the idea since it wouldnt be able to hold enough, and that it would stand out. And being able to recognize and sense the mana flowing in it was more than enough information to get out of them. Without warning, all three started to froth at the mouth, as if they had taken a poison, before dying. As they died, the chains were released, dispersing into nothingness as they returned to mana. That deals with them. Better make sure no poison remains in the air from the chains. Hiro had used the chains to release a poison for the assassin mages to inhale. Not hard to do when you know the properties of some poisons. Bhalrom began explaining that a lot of soldiers in the guard station had been murdered, possibly before the assassination attempt took place, and they hadnt caught sight of anyone fleeing out the cliff side, so it was likely that they were all dead. Eileen and Lily had to accompany Bhalrom back to the Kings Study. Hiro managed to get away by saying he would stay with Syldis at the Drinking Bear, where Max had told him to go if anything happened. This managed to convince the Knight Captain, but Lily was a bit worried while Eileen remained suspicious. Returning to his guest room first, Hiro discarded the burned nobles attire and put on his own worlds clothing, and then a cloak on top to cover it up. Before leaving the room, he fixed the heat and cold regulating layer on his body, as well as the mana cloaking. To go a bit further, he applied a healing layer to help heal his body faster. It was good that those biology lessons finally were useful. With those four layers applied, he was at the limit for his current seal, and wouldnt be able to cast anything else without either releasing a limiter, or bypassing the limiters entirely. With his hood off to not be suspected by guards, he eventually exited the castle and put his hood on again, the gray cloak matching the grey clouds above. The weather had been overcast all day, but now it was starting to rain, and quite heavily at that. As he started to walk through the town, Hiro started formulating magic spells in his head, making several different spells and processes, and then collecting them all under a single program of sorts. As his limiters were mostly for when in the eyes of the public and during combat as himself, he didnt mind dipping into his real mana pool for this sort of thing. Heading to the Drinking Bear first, he entered to find people drinking again, but there were faces he hadnt seen the first time. Some of them possibly troublesome. As he approached the counter to wait for Syldis, a man stood from his chair, blocking his path. Without even caring, Hiro continued walking and ignored the man speaking how a child, in his eyes, shouldnt be in such a place. Before reaching the man, Hiro quickly directed his mana and inscribed several different characters on the inside of his head-to-ankle cloak. ˲ (Flicker), B (Sturdy), and Լޏ (Self-Repair). Every material and object had a certain amount of characters or runes that could be inscribed on them. As Hiro did not have his own system of runes he could utilize, he had to use Japanese Characters which he could fit more of compared to English Characters. The cloaks limit was 10, probably due to its size and high quality materials compared to the leather jerkin he previously bought which could only support 6. As for his clothes from his own world? Well, he didnt want to ruin them to find out. Not yet, anyway. Just as it looked like Hiro was about to bump into the larger man with a lot of eyes focused on him, his figure flickered, before appearing on the other side of the man, continuing to walk towards the bar where the kitchen entrance was, taking a seat. As the bulky man looked around confused, he saw some stupefied faces of other patrons, as well as the laughing expressions of his own group to see him get outwitted by the person he tried to pick on. Red in the face, he turned around, looking to start a fight, only to see Syldis standing there, looking down on him. Viktor, keep a tighter leash on your dogs. You should know better than to mess around in my place. (Syldis) Yes maaaaaam~ (Viktor) The burly man sat down again at the table where the supposed Viktor was, while Syldis sighed, returning to behind the counter and grabbing a drink to pour for Hiro. Glancing at their table, Hiro noticed that they were equipped in a similar manner to mercenaries. Now that should be a good connection to make for the future.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Here alone this time? (Syldis) Yeah. Seems like Max has stumbled into a trap, so Ill need to go find him. Was hoping you knew the location of someone by the name of Landgrave? (Hiro) Syldiss expression darkened a little as she recalled the name. From here, she explained that the guy was a previous apprentice of Max, but had gone astray. When Hiro described the attack on the council, and how the black cloaked rune-faced guys were involved in it, Syldiss expression darkened even more. Feeling it was best that the youth knew, the Bear explained about the Twilight Council who those assassins were related to, and how Max was a sworn enemy of theirs. She also spoke of how she used to help him fight them, and that they were involved in many dark aspects of life. Assassination, kidnapping, slavery, magic stealing, and so on. After learning of the location of the Landgrave estate, Hiro was about to head off when Syldis stopped him. Hold on. I know Max said you can take care of yourself, but still. I told Max Id look after you, so Im not gonna let you go alone. Viktor! (Syldis) Before Hiro could disagree, she had called out to the mercenary from before. Well, it wasnt exactly what he wanted, but he could figure something out. As the mercenary approached and took a seat beside the youth, they sized each other up, ending with a grin at each other. This bastards senses are sharp. He can see Im hiding some power. (Hiro) Interesting This brat just analyzed me and figured out my strength. (Viktor) Viktor, I got a deal for you. Protect Hiro here while he goes searching for our mutual friend. A weeks worth of booze, on top of clearing your debt. You and your best have to go with him. (Syldis) Thats a lot for a simple babysitting task. Whats the catch? (Viktor) Our friend may be caught up with some very dangerous people. (Syldis) When Viktor heard that, he stopped lazing around in his chair and leaned forward, a slight glint in his eye. Hiro sighed mentally, realizing this guy was a sort of battle maniac. Someone who enjoyed the thrill of life and death. The same would probably be applicable to his mercenary band. Hoh~ My kind of danger? (Viktor) No My kind of danger. (Syldis) With a wide grin, Viktor stood up and went back to his table, anticipating the upcoming job. You can take the room upstairs, furthest on the right. (Syldis) Thanks. I just need to talk with Viktor for a moment. (Hiro) Approaching the Mercs table, Hiro pulled up a chair for nearby and sat on it, facing the group of 5. Viktor, two that looked like brothers, the one who tried to start a fight, and a woman. I got a deal for you. You and your crew protect me up until the residence of Landgrave, since theres a risk of danger, while I enter and look for our friend. As payment on top of Syldiss payment, Ill ask an acquaintance of mine for some weapons for you. Better grade and of better material than what those iron swords of yours are made from. (Hiro) Having seen the weapons of the people up until now, they were all made of Iron, and not very good forging techniques either. With the knowledge he had, he knew how to make a basic steel from iron. Intrigued, Viktor leaned forward, looking at Hiro. The mercenary knew that there was more to the youth than his appearance showed, especially after getting past his man with such ease. You have until tomorrow morning, before we head out. If you get those weapons before then, and depending on their quality, then well have a deal. (Viktor) After a bit more discussions about this, they had come to an agreement. As Hiro stood up, he was about to leave the tavern when he called out to Viktor. You coming? Otherwise, youll miss out on some fun. (Hiro) With a raised eyebrow, Viktor stood up and followed Hiro out. After walking for a short distance in the rain, he understood what the youth had meant, giving a smirk in response. This brat knew that he was being tailed. Guess Im already on the clock. As he thought so, Hiro spoke to him. Theyre quite skilled. I can shake them off and leave them to you. After all, I have to go retrieve those weapons. Have fun, Merc. (Hiro) Like that, he transcribed two more characters on the inside of his cloak, L (Conceal). With this, he vanished from sight as he suppressed his movement and sound, sprinting away towards a smithy he had seen. At the same time, it looked like Viktor had started tracking the ones that had been tailing them, probably to either hunt them down, or at least learn something about them before returning. Leaving Viktor to his own fate, Hiro headed in the direction of the smithy. Once there, he made sure there was no one around as he broke in and grabbed about three dozen ingots and twice as much coal. Ruining the blacksmiths business? Who cares. Not Hiro, at least. Using magic to carry them, he headed to the outskirts of town where he could be in peace without people around. Making sure he was in a wide and open space, Hiro deployed the program he had made earlier. One after another, several magics activated as his sight was covered in magic circles. A soundproof and concealing barrier were placed in a five meter radius of him, as well as a recognition inhibition barrier to deter people from approaching. Next, a magic circle of blue appeared in the center, with a green and red one stacked on top of it, with a black magic circle appearing above it. Blue would supply oxygen, green would contain whatever was placed above it, red would apply heat, and the black one above was an application of force and gravity. Floating all of the iron ingots and coal onto the magic circle, his forge, Hiro cranked up the heat and oxygen, melting all the ore within minutes, and he began to extract all the slag from it while using the coal to inject carbon into the metal. After heating the ore to temperatures that a standard forge cant produce - in effect, creating a blast furnace - he started to produce his own huge lump of carbon steel. Once it was all turned to carbon steel, he kept it heated on the magic circle as he bolded them into ingots, ending up with about 29 pure carbon steel after all the impurities were taken out. Activating another process to his magic program, he created a green magic circle which he left the ingots on to cool down. Now came the trial and error. Ingot by ingot, Hiro put them into the forge and heated them, using the black magic circle above to simulate a hammer, applying pressure to the ingot in order to shape it. First it was lengthening it, folding, hammer, fold, hammer, fold, until he had gotten at least 64 layers from using the folding technique. Then it was getting the shape and edges. After those, he started another process and brought up another red and green magic circle for tempering, and a separate green and white magic circle for quenching. Putting the blade through both processes, using some magic to speed up the process, he finished the first blade in due time. Seeing that the quality was decent enough from his own standards, he started to make a whole bunch of weapons. 6 double-edged swords, 8 daggers, 1 halberd, 1 warhammer, 1 lance, and 4 metal bucklers. Once he had made one of each, he could save that process as another program that could be run with his forging magic, storing it as if saving a file in his mind. As for his personal weapons, he made two katanas, one odachi, two wakizashi, and then used the last of the 5 ingots to make 10 kunai with holes in them for him to use a mana string. His reason for using Japanese blades was because it was unique, and not used in this world so far as he had seen. They did have curved blades, but not like these. In addition, he used a minimum of 256 folds. But for his personal collection, he wasnt finished there. Sacrificing 1 of the daggers made for the mercs, he tested how many characters he could imbue on steel. With the 12 characters, he started to doubt what his cloak was made out of for it to be able to support 10. For the things he decided to inscribe, he applied Լޏ (Self-Repair), 䄤 (Sharp), and ħΟo (Magic Invalidation)to all of his own weapons . As he had used characters, there were more, but from what he learned, runes would have half, maybe only a third as many that could be placed on the same item, depending on the rune. An analogy would be words being runes, and syllables in a word being characters. Having spent the last five hours doing this, it was still too early to meet Viktor. Keeping everything hidden with magic, he returned to the Drinking Bear after clearing the field of his magic. Once back, he kept his stealthy magic on and went to his room, keeping an alarm magic barrier on his room as he caught whatever sleep he could. Probably would have to get up in a few hours. Chapter 11 - Wait Waking up in the morning, Hiro did his routine of exercising followed by magic training. At this time, he had managed to realize something. While the limiters on his magic were not causing any problems themselves, there did appear to be a change in his body and mental landscape. For starters, the limiting rings he had made in imitation of the circles from one culture. They had began to solidify and become permanent, no longer just a mental image. They werent fully formed, but he could feel the change of them, becoming more solid and dense in comparison to before. Not only that, while they contained roughly the same parameters, they were starting to grow larger. Second was his restraints for his combat instinct and knowledge. He had previously formed several rings similar to the limiters, and placed them around a cube representing everything that was hiding. While the change wasnt much, the same thing was happening to these rings, making them stronger and more real. Even his cube was getting more dense, more refined, as if things were being concentrated and then expanded. While both his mana pool and core were not actively being utilized, they had still been affected. In particular, his mana pool still remained at the same quantity, but had begun to shrink. It was becoming more concentrated, compressing and shrinking, most likely to fit within his limiters in time. Mana Core and Aura Core. Named them so, he theorized how long it would take until his inner workings stabilized. Making sure he could do so, Hiro tested if he could still draw out the both of them while all the limiters and restraints were still in place. He still could, but he did feel like it had more resistance to it, drawing on his mental power to do so. It was miniscule at the moment, but no doubt it would be a problem in the future. Well, its fine. Situations where Ill have to force it out, such as in dire situations, shouldnt be a problem. As long as I rest enough. (Hiro) Aura Core, Aura Rings, Mana Core, Mana Rings. Doing some quick experiments, he found that he could reduce the mental fatigue caused by bypassing the limiters by taking it slowly. As for the rings themselves, he tried releasing some limiters and restraints to see how they reacted. In response, the smallest ring, the one closest to the core, would begin to spin around the core while glowing, showing it was active. He suspected the end result would be where the core would be limited to a small space, each ring being a wall. Once each wall was turned on, the mana could expand and leak more out. That is how he pictured it, so it would probably lead in that direction. After all, it was a creation of his own imagination, so it would probably just fulfilling his wishes. He wasnt averse to having these changes happen permanently. Whatever happens would happen, and he would take them as they come. After all, he only had to release restraints whenever he wanted more power, and he wasnt fully sealed off to the point that he would die before releasing his restraints. He still had enough instinct to react to life threatening situations, and could draw out power as much as he wanted as long as he was prepared to sleep a bit longer the next night. Well, he expected all of this would only fully happen after a month or two. The final change he noticed, was that by prevent his mana from leaking out, he had essentially built a dam. Theorizing a bit, he guessed that people typically didnt have to worry about the miniscule amounts of mana that radiated out of them, because it was so little. But for him having so much, it was much larger in comparison. If a mana pool was a cup, then a tap dripping into it was the body producing and replenishing it, even when it was full, causing bits to overflow. For himself, his cup was a lake, and his tap was a river. If mana potions were a thing, it was probably like pouring another glass of water into their cup to try replenish it. But the point he was figuring out, was the side effect of this dam he had built around his mana pool. Long story short, he felt that if he released his limiters, it would overwhelm the surrounding area, as if bursting a dam. Well, that was a cliche he would love to see, at least. Some tropes are overused and troublesome, some are just damn fun to see for a carefree person like himself. There was also a point he had thought of as to why this was happening. Previously he had been in his thirties, but now he was only just reaching his twenties. That much of a change, and yet his mind was still the same, with all of his knowledge. This world had a strong connection between mind and body. It may be possible that his now undeveloped body was adjusting to his mind and this world. A growth phase as such. Which means, having applied those limiters and changes in his mind, had caused it to become part of him. With his hour of theorization and contemplation done, Hiro used a sack to store the weapons he had made last night. Where did he get the sack? Stealing. Dont mind the details. For his own weapons, he only had one of the katana on his waist, sheathed in a black scabbard. For the hilts and guards and scabbards and everything necessary for a weapon Well, lets not think about it. He got them before he went to bed, and that is all we need to know. He even had to make some himself from the nearby resources like wood, and use magic to dry them, shape them, and so on. As for the amount of effort he took to do all this well, he would rather not speak about it. Because it was too troublesome. And honestly, he wished he hadnt made that deal now because of the amount of effort he had to use. Going downstairs dragging this heavy sack of weapons, he found Syldis at the counter, talking with Viktor.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Ah, youre up. Ill get you some breakfast. (Syldis) Walking into the back kitchen, Syldis disappeared, leaving Viktor and Hiro to talk. There werent too many guests, but they were noisy enough that they could talk quietly without being overheard. Heres the weapons. In return, you guard outside. (Hiro) Having a look at one of the weapons, even Viktor with his easygoing attitude had to open his mouth wide in astonishment when he saw the color of the metal. Looking them over in detail and checking everything he could without actually fighting with it, he sheathed it an put it back in the sack. ... You I wont ask where the hell you got so many weapons made of Living Metal, but you know youve overpaid us. Not that Ill return them now. (Viktor) Living Metal? Ah~ they must not have a name for steel. It does bend without breaking, so I guess the name comes from that. (Hiro) Overpaid? No. Its an investment. Looking forward to working with you in the future. (Hiro) Looking at Viktor with a peculiar gaze, it seemed the mercenary understood that Hiro was using this to gain their favor and get benefits from them in the future. In other words, make connections. It really made him wonder what the future had in store for them to warrant such quality weapons. How did the follow up go last night? (Hiro) They were skilled. They got away in the end, so we can expect a lot of trouble at the Landgraves place. Probably best to move at night. Theyll believe they have the advantage of the night, and well also not have to worry about anyone getting curious. (Viktor) Agreed. One of the tailers was a patron before I had gotten here, most likely knowing that Syldis was a friend of the one they had trapped. Theyll know a bit of our plans, so things may be tougher than expected. (Hiro) True. Well, Ill be gathering my men in the afternoon and bringing them here. Until then, I guess well be practicing with our new weapons. (Viktor) With a nod, Viktor left the tavern followed by his other friends he was here with the other day. As for Hiro, he ate his breakfast before talking with the Bear for a while longer. He didnt have much in particular to do, so he went to his room and used his cloaks stealth function before leaving again, heading back to the castle. While making sure to be stealthy considering the high alert from the previous day, Hiro entered the castle to look first for the maid. Getting there, he found that they hadnt been able to undo the chains, and she had even struggled, as evident of the red marks on her wrists and ankles. Well, there was enough chain so that she could move about a bit. There were plates, which probably had food on them. Seems she was doing alright. Well, physically, anyway. She had a blanket and whatnot, so her body would be okay. But her mind seemed to have taken a hit. Her eyes seemed a bit devoid of life. Peering at her for a while longer, he sighed as he modulated his voice, imitating Murakumo. So youre still here? Well then. Who knows what may happen to you if I release you back to your Master. Lets do this then. (Hiro) While still hidden, he let out Murakumos voice, and started manipulating his mana. The chains withered away before vanishing, and the rope bindings were removed, revealing marks that would probably remain on her body for quite some time. And then to finish off, he pried open her mouth and formed a small, soft ball the size of a fingernail. Making her swallow that, he left after leaving a message on the wall. P U N I S H M E N T S E R V E D Well, no one would understand it since it was written in English, but oh well. Maybe it would become a trend. Next, he walked towards around until he found the King, seeing him with his wife in the Kings Study. They were probably not wanting to separate for a while after that last ordeal. They had extra guards around them too. The Queen was looking at the pendant he had passed to her, contemplating what she should do with it, and whether she could trust it or not. Thinking about it, Hiro should probably make one of those each night before going to sleep, since his mana would restore by morning anyway. As he walked onward to the training hall, he made one of those pendants now, making sure that the mass of mana wasnt detected. When it was done, he placed it in his pocket as he arrived at the training hall, finding it under guard with the princess and the mage girl once again in there, though not as enthusiastic as before. The tension from the day before hadnt faded for anyone, whereas Hiro could only shrug his shoulders and sigh, shaking his head that everyone was so caught up on this. For himself, he had killed people and harassed a maid. For himself, he didnt feel anything. In fact, ever since coming to this world, he had barely showed any real emotion aside from the fake ones he showed. And his real ones were barely there at all. As if this life, this world, were nothing but words on a page with no affect on him. Finding nothing else of interest here, he left the castle and waited in his room at the Drinking Bear. Having lunch silently, having a few drinks, contemplating magic theories, nearly finishing his infinite storage spell, so on and so forth. In the end, it still felt like time was passing too slowly, so he started listening to music in his mind. A neat trick with his improved memory, he could remember a song and repeat it in his head clearly. When the rainy day started to night, he went downstairs and had dinner, talking to Syldis for a bit. Ive been having these meals and drinks, but still havent really paid for much. As much as I appreciate a free meal, I was still raised to earn my keep. After we get Max back, Ill be starting as a Merchant earnestly, so Im going to have to find some commodities to buy and sell. (Hiro) Make sure you register with the Merchants Guild first. They handle quite a bit of the goods distribution. A bit more expensive, but they are usually reliable. How far you thinking of traveling? (Syldis) Hmm Anywhere, really. As long as Im making some sort of profit. (Hiro) Then I got a deal for you. (Viktor) Saying so, Viktor took a seat next to Hiro and ordered a drink. There was still a half hour or so until they needed to get going. Looking behind him at the tables, Hiro saw 6 people sit down at a table, who were with Viktor. Im listening. (Hiro) Come with us. We do our mercenary business wherever there looks like theres a profit. Even if you cant fight, you could be in charge of buying and selling what we need, as well as do trading at whatever places we go to. (Viktor) Interesting proposal. But the places you go, may not be the places Id like to go. And profits will be different compared to what you look for. (Hiro) Well, worth a try. (Viktor) Viktor shrugged, half-hearted in his attempt, and noticing the youth was only entertaining the idea for conversations sake. As the two of them sat there silently, drinking their ale, they rain started to let up, becoming just a light shower, the noise dying down. At the same time, the two of them downed the last of their drinks, and hit their tankards on the countertop. Lets go. (Hiro/Viktor) Chapter 12 - Rescue As the night began to fall and the sky darkened, Hiro and a group of mercenaries walked through the town. Hiro took note of the people with him, as they were supposedly the best that Viktors mercenary troupe had to offer. Callan and Carrick. Two brothers, closer to twins with how similar they appear, in their thirties going by his own standard of human age. With red hair tied in ponytails. Callan held a short sword, dagger, and shield, while Carrick held a dagger, battle axe, and tomahawk. Levvie. A woman in her mid-twenties, black hair and tanned skin a bit darker than his own, and shorter in comparison to the guys. Equipped with a silver sword, it seemed she was using one of the steel weapons handed out by Viktor. They must be proficient enough to adapt to a new weapon so quickly. Her auxiliary weapons were a shield and two daggers. Judeau. A man in a cape, aged probably around his early thirties, and equipped with a bow with a short sword on his waist. He was the least conspicuous, probably something to do with his background and his choice of weapon. Needing to be hidden a lot, so he probably had this passive nature to blend into the background. His blue eyes with dark blonde made him think a little about elves, but there was no sign of such from this man. Alix. A woman who looked just out of her teens, so probably the youngest. To be included as one of the best, she must have quite the potential, as well as a possible cliche tragic background. Her choice of weapons was a bow and two short swords. Rock. A man in his mid, maybe late forties, making him the oldest in the group. While his head was full of brown locks and kept rather short, it couldnt be seen at the moment. He had a large build and was the most heavily protected with a metal-reinforced leather armor. His choice of weapon was a shield and sword, with a small axe on his back and a dagger at his waist. Viktor himself had emerald eyes hidden behind long black hair, and aged around thirty. To have established a strong mercenary group at his age showed proof of his mettle, and his charisma. His weapons consisted of a short bow, long sword, and two daggers. All of them were wearing different amounts of leather armor, ranging from vital protection to chest and leggings. Hiro himself probably looked the most odd as he only had a single sheathed blade at his waist of odd design, and fully concealed by his grey cloak. Underneath that, he had no armor whatsoever, preferring his own worlds comfortable clothing. That, and he liked the aesthetic of certain attire from his modern world being paired up with a shiny sword. Or pistols, but this world didnt have guns. At least not yet That would be something to plan for the future. Maybe a lump of metal in the shape of a pistol, rifled barrel, working trigger, and instead of a magazine, use something like a mana crystal to power it, using his own custom magic inscriptions to simulate the firepower of a bullet? Woops, getting off track. Arriving at the Landgrave Estate, what laid before the 8 people was a graveyard, which was probably where the family name came from. It looked eerie with the grey clouds and nighttime lighting. Those experienced at finding presences in the group had already realized that they had been surrounded. With a nod of agreement from them all, they kept walking further in. It seemed the trap wasnt sprung yet, and they were at the disadvantage of having no places for cover. Looks like the perfect setup for archers to trap us, probably at the halfway point between the estate and the graveyard exit. Got any ideas, Hiro? (Viktor) I got a few. Ill have it ready by the time we reach the trap. (Hiro) Release Limiter: Level 1 Saying that, Hiro began to release the limiters until he was sitting comfortably at the level of a Magus. From what he had understood about these mercs after observing them, they could keep a secret. So it shouldnt matter if he revealed some power to them. They already had enough shush money, and Viktor seemed to have come to the conclusion as well that it would be in their best interest to keep quiet about him. With magic flooding his body, he breathed out a slow sigh, his exhale becoming misty. With every step he took, he seeped his magic into the ground and several dozen locations in this place. From the center, there was probably 50 meters either side where there were lines of trees, giving a perfect setup for ambushing archers. Right as they reached the center, the sound of arrows being released from a bow could be heard with a slight whistle of wind. At that moment, Hiro stomped on the ground. Simultaneously, walls of solid rock emerged and created walls for them to hide behind, as well as cover throughout the graveyard. He had also arranged them in a way that they could hold themselves within a few walls without getting outnumbered, allowing some choke points. Well, as long as Viktors crew were proficient enough, at least. To top it off, he set up a fog which started to drift about everywhere, making it hard to see. Heres your battlefield, Viktor. Theres probably around 30 or 40 archers, and maybe half that in melee fighters. Ill be off to carry out my business. If youre still alive when Im back, then maybe well have some future dealings. (Hiro) Without waiting for a reply, Hiro dashed off towards the estate. As for Viktor, while he was somewhat annoyed, he was equally surprised at what had happened now. All that magic and power, and he had never heard of this kind of magic. But indeed, the youth had done more than enough.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Alright everyone Lets hunt (Viktor) As the mercs and miscellaneous enemies fought outside, Hiro entered the estate only to find it empty. Taking this moment, he applied an illusion to himself so that he would appear as Murakumo. That way, if there was any enemy that escaped after he found Max, they wouldnt know who he really was. Of course, he made sure there was no one who saw who he was before entering. The cloak came in handy for that. After a quick search using a magic kind of sonar or echolocation, Hiro found a way into what would probably be a hidden basement. Busting the entrance open with his sword drawn, he walked downward, only to be assailed with a horrid stench of rotting flesh, feces, urine, and so on. Wrinkling his nose, he let out a pulse of magic from his body, an odor removal, and breathed in fresh air. Continuing along, he could see that it was quite a large basement space, almost as if it was a boss room in a cave-type dungeon. Rotting and skeletal corpses scattered here and there, torture devices, dried and wet blood and flesh strewn across the ground, rusty metal cages, you name it. And everything here screamed Necromancy. Seriously, Necromancy? At least learn some more biology and human physiology first. Magic could totally be used to prevent flesh decay and rigor mortis as long as you knew how it happened and how to reverse it. Should I experiment on this in the future? Nah, better not. Max would get mad. And Im not into necrophilia. Though that one zombie fiction was interesting--- oh, were here. (Hiro) Walking through a few repetitive rooms, he came into a large room which had blood runes written all over the cave walls and ceiling, as well as a well in the center. Though it didnt look like a water well. Seemed like it was reeking - literally and figuratively - of undead. There were also plenty of skeletons in here. In a cage, he could see an old woman unconscious and looking a bit thin and ill. Chained to the wall across from the entrance was Max, looking like a raggedy man. Except older, and without a box. Standing over him and ranting about this and that was an old man who must be that Landgrave whatever. Just as he stepped into the area, the runes started to glow brightly, meaning something was activated. Warned by this, the necromancer wannabe spun around to see the intruder. Ignoring whatever he was ranting about, Hiro noticed his illusion was wavering, as if being distorted by the wind. Seemed the runes were being annoying. Release Limiter: Level 0 (Hiro) Just like that, the old man was forced to swallow his breath as mana surged and filled the area, suppressing the runes. Looking at them, Hiro held out a hand to them and released power with words. Written unto Unwritten (Hiro) With that, all the runes shattered and vanished. It seemed like the necromancer was stunned and confused, but quickly tried to fight back, not seeming to realize the difference in power as he sent out fireballs, and even a literal wave of fire. With pure mana, Hiro just breathed it out and blew it all away as if it hadnt existed. Next on the list was the well, and probably restraining that necromancer would be good. Still ignoring anything said, after all. Chains of Hell, Implosion (Hiro) Eight chains shot out of the ground made of mana, colored a blackish red, and pierced through the necromancers wrists, elbows, knees and ankles, melding into his joints as if they were a part of his body. At the same time, they stimulated his pain receptors. As for the well, it started to collapse in on itself, disappearing into a void and leaving a circular ditch where it used to be. Walking up to the mage stuck against the wall, Hiro used his sword imbued with magic, and sliced the chains, freeing the Magus. You look worse for wear, old man. Sorry about the delays. Been a bit preoccupied. (Hiro) That form is not but that power Oh, I see I guess I didnt win the bet. (Max) After a bit of internal thinking, Max realized that the figure in front of him was Hiro using illusion magic. And in affirmation of that understanding, he was reminded that they had made a bet, in which he would have to finish learning illusion magic in some amount of days. Hiro went over to the cage to check on the woman while Max went over to his previous disciple, Landgrave. With a sullen face, he spoke one sidedly to the pained necromancer, before coming to a conclusion. With a hand on the old mans forehead, Max forced memories into the man. Memories of horrors like none ever experienced before. Scenes which he had seen in the mind of Hiro. Pumping some magic into the woman, Hiro used his mana as a replacement for an intravenous infusion to fill her with the nutrients, before using what would probably be healing magic in order to restore her body to a healthy state rapidly. Well, her fatigue would still be there, as well as any muscle atrophy, but it didnt seem like she had been stuck down here that long. Removing his illusion, Hiro carried the woman on his back since he had a decent build, and the womans lithe frame wouldnt cause any problems. Walking over to Max, he started speaking. Theres a crew of mercs outside. The Bears idea. All they know is that were friends, and that I can use magic, so we can play it off as us being scholars of different kinds instead of me being your apprentice. Now, they should be finishing up out there soon, so well need to leave. We can talk once we get to the Drinking Bear, but did you want to use this moment to go into hiding? (Hiro) It seems like youve caught onto what has been happening. Since the Twilight Council is involved, it may be best for me to go into hiding. Are those mercenaries trustworthy? (Max) The fewer the better that know is usually the best policy, but itll be alright with them. Their leader, Viktor, has glimpsed enough to understand that leaking information would be problematic for his continued healthy living. (Hiro) My my my, just what is it you do while Im not around Alright, lets get going. (Max) That all said and done, Hiro gave the lady to Max and let them leave first. Once they were out, he held his hands out to both sides, and started to dig his fingers into the air, as if trying to claw and drag an invisible object. Before long, the entire basement began to collapse. Letting it finish by itself, Hiro left and came out into the estate where Max had now met the Mercenaries who had indeed finished up. Get em all? (Hiro) Like fish in a barrel. So this is the famous Magus. (Viktor) That I am. Though I would advise against revealing that Im alive at this point. (Max) Youd be facing more than Syldis kind of danger after all, if you did. (Hiro) While that does sound fun, Ill have to pass on that. Everything done here? (Viktor) Yeah. Lets get back to the Drinking Bear before anyone catches sight of Max. (Hiro) Like that, they all returned to the Drinking Bear under the cover of night, all of them wearing their cloaks and hoods. Outside of the estate, dozens of bodies could be seen scattered about. Before closing all his limiter rings, he quickly reversed the rock walls he had made, and made the ground swallow the corpses. The fog would dissipate by itself in time. Chapter 13 - Blood Remember, not a word about what weve seen tonight. (Viktor) Saying that, Viktor had the rest of his crew head back to the camping grounds outside of town. Entering the Drinking Bear, they met with Syldis who had already closed the tavern for the night. After filling her in on the details, they took the old woman - Eleanor - and left her in a room to recover. The four of them sat at a table with a tankard of ale each. I must head north and clean up there. While the Council still believes Im dead, I can contact people I trust in Thanes, and start weeding out the corrupt and the spies. (Max) Guess that leaves me to keep an eye on things here for now? Well, I have a couple of things left to do here anyway. Oh yeah, Syldis. Viktor. Take one of these pendants. (Hiro) Saying that, Hiro quickly formed two more pendants for creating Murakumo. His magic recovered quick enough that it wasnt too much of a problem to make them, not to mention that even after making them, he was still more powerful than a Magus. Viktor didnt doubt it and put it away safely, while Syldis seemed to be questioning it. Those are talismans of sorts. Just shatter them, and the power inside will be released, bringing forth a powerful spell to help you. Its a collaboration between me and Max. (Hiro) Of course, that was a lie, but it couldnt be helped for now. Being questioned was troublesome, so the credibility of Magus was handy. Though it still seemed like Syldis was confused as to how Hiro knew magic at all, since he introduced himself as a bard for starters. He still had one more pendant in his pocket, which he planned to give to someone else the next day. Once Eleanor has recovered, Ill be leaving without notice. Ill take her with me. Theres a safe place there. (Max) Well, I dont particularly feel like sticking around here sounds troublesome Though I guess Ill use it to keep the boredom away. (Hiro) Thats more than enough, Hiro. As long as youre here, I wont have to worry about losing those I care about in Allard. (Max) This talk sounds quite dangerous. (Viktor) Shut it, Merc. I got a job for you, after all. Payment will be well, well figure something out similar to last time. (Hiro) You sure are a hard worker, arent you, lad? (Syldis) Syldis had a half astonished look as she shook her head in exasperation. It hadnt been that long since she had gotten to know the youth, and already he was saying and doing all these things that was so far out of the norm that she couldnt react. Just like how Max had done, she was quickly starting to adjust and get used to it by saying to herself its because its Hiro. Im exhausted, so Ill be returning to our room to sleep. Goodnight, everyone. (Max) With Max gone, Syldis also took a moment of leave. With Hiro and Viktor left at the table, they began to discuss business. So whats this job youve got for me? (Viktor) Well, I dont know about the danger or how long it will take, but theres some things I want you to do. For starters, it would be keeping an eye on the route between the Kingdom of Thanes - the Northern Kingdom - and here. Whoever is trying to sow seeds of discord between the two will probably aim at cutting them off from each other. If I remember correctly, there was a city or something which was a vital location? Mightve been a large food supplier, I dont remember. But your job for the meantime would be to protect that and its surroundings. Recruit trustworthy people, expand. Ever felt like becoming your own army? (Hiro) With a smirk and a glint in his eyes, Viktor was intrigued and curious as to what was going through this youths head. Im interested. So what would the payment be? (Viktor) Well, lets see here (Hiro) When Hiro thought about it, he didnt really need to make money the normal way. He had already seen what magic could do. He knew the element of gold. So all he had to do, was expend the energy required to create gold. It would probably be far too much of a toll required to create gold from nothing, but who was he? How much mana did he have? Screw the rules, screw equivalency. With his hand on the round table they were sitting out, Hiro poured out magic, causing a magic circle to appear on the table. Before long, 10 gold bars, 12.4kg each, with a 100% purity, appeared on the table. The amount of mana consumed was equal to one Magus maximum limit, maybe double that. There wasnt any particular means of measuring after all. While it may be like filling a glass with water from another glass for other mages, for Hiro, it was like scooping up a glass of water from the ocean. When Viktor saw what was on the table, he was dumbfounded. His expression changed over and over, from surprise, astonishment, confusion, disbelief, wariness, and so on. Eventually, he calmed himself down, also seeming to adopt the because its Hiro mentality. Better to not think about it, otherwise itd never end. This can be for starters. Figuring out how to convert these discreetly is your problem. Ration your budget out, because unless I happen to be around or you come find me, Im not going to be bothered to chase you down. Deal? (Hiro) .... Deal. You sure are full of surprises. Silence is golden, quite literally, it seems. How soon do we need to get going? (Viktor) Whenever youre ready. We dont need rabble, so focus your efforts on finding skilled people, especially ones who know how to blend in. Itll be too suspicious to have a large mercenary band on display. Also need to keep ourselves hidden. (Hiro)This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Yeeeeep~. Well, I better get going. Shit, got my work cut out for me lugging these about without the brawny guys here (Viktor) Complaining like that under his breath, Viktor took a sack and put the gold bars in, just barely able to carry the damn thing with all his might. It was around 125kg after all, the size of a large muscled man. Left alone, Hiro went to bed for the night. He would be off to the castle in the morning, after all. Though this time, it would probably be as Murakumo. He would be the better one to explain the situation. Come morning, Hiro did his regular routine. During this mornings magic exploration, there were two things of note. The first was the completion of his infinite storage dimension magic. By piercing space itself with his mana, he could tear open a gap which he would fill with his mana. Filling it like so would turn it into a hole which he could open and close at will. As for the inside, it was a void which he filled with mana instead of oxygen, allowing him to map it out and create, essentially, a pocket universe. At the same time, he figured out how to use dimension and space-type magics like teleport, warp, blink, and so on, though those would need further testing. Teleportation-based ones were simple enough though. The other breakthrough was in detecting ambient mana. He figured that if he had mana inside him, then surely, the world itself had its own mana. And now, he had finally been able to recognize, detect, and differentiate it. At the same time, it was a breakthrough that let him see his own mana leaking out a little, which meant he could probably find others based on their mana. A sort of mana detection, or mana presence. Alongside this, he tried to see if it was possible to both take in external mana to resupply his own, and if he could take it in as nutrients. As much as he loved food, it would be nice to not have to worry about having a meal if he could breathe mana to survive. Since he had yet to have breakfast, he tried it out, and found it worked somewhat, but would need further study. With his time up, Hiro threw all of his unnecessary things into his storage, except for one katana which he left on his waist. In the end, he had a single katana on his left waist, cargo pants, sports shoes, undershirt, button up shirt, vest, and cloak. Heading downstairs to the tavern, he waved a good morning to Syldis, and had breakfast which seemed to be a stew. It was a bit heavy for a morning meal, but it was better than nothing. Was probably easier to prepare and keep warm as well. After it was done, he said goodbye to the Bear and walked outside. Taking back alleys, he made sure there were no followers before his body vanished as if the wind blew away his form. Hidden away like this, he applied the illusion magic to become Murakumo once more, and then dashed off towards the castle. Easily bypassing any guards, he located the King soon enough at the Kings Hall. Going inside without notice, he observed the room first to find the Royal Family sitting on thrones at the end, while rows of knights were lined up on his right, and mages lined up on his left. The noteworthy - to an extent - Knight Captains were all present at the forefront of a rank of knights, while the important court mages seemed to be fewer in number, leaving them to be lined up however they please. With one pendant in his possession still, he looked at the figures who were likely to need assistance while he wasnt around, in order for him to keep an amiable relationship with the person who had accepted him when he arrived in this world. Bhalrom was a trustworthy person involved with the military. The Queen already had one. The King would probably need one next, as well as the princess. And for the hell of it, Lily as well. The Prince? Fuck that asshole. That made 3 more pendants he needed to make. Quickly forming all of them, the large source of mana that he was restraining still seemed to leak out a bit, as the mages seemed to stir a bit at feeling his presence. Well, he did leave all of his limiters off. It seemed the core and ring formations were still progressing even if they werent sealing anything. Just as the mages finally turned around to try find the source of the power they could feel, everyone in the room could hear footsteps ringing out, approaching towards the King down the red carpet that, like a cliche, extended from the door to the bottom step of the Kings Throne. About halfway there, right between the mages and knights, Murakumos figure started to appear as if a fog had coalesced into his shape. Just before people were about to draw their swords and cast their spells, the Kings voice rang out, telling them to stand down. Like that, Murakumo made it to the front. When I was last here, I mentioned how my friend Max, the Magus, had been lured away by a ploy. I have just returned from investigating. (Murakumo) While I have to question how you managed to get in here twice without notice Speak, Murakumo. (King Elrik) The Magus has gone missing. When I arrived at the residence of Lord Landgrave, a basement was found with signs of necromancy and Argos Rituals. Neither the owner nor The Magus were there. Ive destroyed the basement as a precaution to any necromancy that may come from there. (Murakumo) With that news dropped, there were various reactions throughout the room. Surprise, confusion, astonishment, worry, and even a certain yellow-cape who seemed pleased. With a dark look on his face, the King spoke more. Then, is he safe? (King Elrik) At the very least, he is still alive. (Murakumo) This is grave news By chance, do you happen to know what happened to the youth who had accompanied him? (King Elrik) Hiro is currently recovering in the town, after there was another assassination attempt, and ambush at the Landgrave Residence. (Murakumo) I see. Ive seen your skills firsthand. Tell me, are you here to lend a hand? (King Elrik) Your Majesty! Surely you cant be thinking of accepting a vagrant with no background to stay within these walls?! Even after that commoner finally left! (Prince Kasius) Without getting a chance to speak, the Prince had spoken first in rejection of the vermin who had just strolled in like he had owned the place. In this brief moment, Murakumo immediately used a combination of Flicker and Blink and placed the pendants in the keeping of the King, Princess, Bhalrom and Lily. Along with it, he also used a magic to let his voice resonate in their heads. Keep these pendants on you at all times. In times of need, shatter them, and help will come. Keep them secret, and keep them safe. (Murakumo) The one who got the message were bewildered, but with a quick look from the King, they kept silent, knowing to just accept it. As for the King himself, he was quick to understand the situation after the Queen was given one back in the Study Hall. He also realized that Murakumo had a lot of power, and should not be underestimated. Possibly to the point that if he wanted to, he wouldnt need to use underhanded tricks, and could kill them outright if he wanted to. Which is what made Kasius remarks all the more intolerable. To be saying such things, without realizing the different in power. He must be a liar, a charlatan trying to gain your favor, Your Majesty! I implore you to--- (Prince Kasius) Before he could finish, he felt the touch of cold metal against his neck, followed by a sharp pain, and then a warm liquid. Touching his neck, he saw blood from where his neck had been cut just enough to bleed. In an instant that no one had seen happen, he had been close to losing his head, and no one could react. When everyone turned to look at Murakumo, he was still standing in the same spot, except before anyone knew, he had a silver blade in his hand, with a red streak running down it. A drop of blood. A day old baby who knows not what he says or do and believes everything is his. Truly foolish (Murakumo) Those words coming out with a deep voice reverberated in the room. Chapter 14 - Threats As a drop of blood hit the red carpet below Murakumos sword, all of the knights and mages in the room were about to start attacking the man. However, the moment the first sound of a sword being drawn was heard, everyone in the room aside from the King, Queen and Princess were brought to their knees as an unbearable pressure beared down on them. The more experienced people in the hall realized that this wasnt bloodthirst. This was pure presence emanating from Murakumo, and overwhelming them. After glancing behind him at everyone, he let out a hmph before flicking his katana, causing the blood to scatter off it, before sheathing it. In the deathly silent hall, the sound of his blade clicking back into its scabbard resounded, and at the same time, everyone breathed in relief as the pressure was taken off of them. I come here by the wish of Max, my friend, to offer my assistance. And I am repaid with slander, by the very person whose life I saved. You, Prince, are unworthy. This Kingdom would be better off in the hands of the Princess. At least she had the will to fight, and the strength to back it up. (Murakumo) Glancing over at the princess, Hiro left those words. In what little he had seen, he knew well enough from stories and what he had actually seen, that she was being seen as below such a worthless prince, just because she wa a girl, and born second. At least with this, it would be a good fuck you to the trash prince. While the King wanted to speak, he found himself at a loss for what to do. As a King, he needed to show dignity, but his son had just trampled all over it, so there was no point defending him. As a Father, he was ashamed that his son did not have any insight in the least to judge a persons strength and worth. If anything, he was thankful that Murakumo hadnt beheaded his son. Of course, there was a little uneasiness and anger in him because he just had some unknown person do such things in his court. Though he buried it down, knowing the circumstances were as they were. Ive done what I came here for. If you require my assistance, then you know what to do. (Murakumo) Turning like that, Hiro left the hall. No one stopped him either. They had felt that terrifying pressure hold them down, and it left a lingering sense of fear in the back of their minds. The prince, who was less stable than the rest, had a distorted look of shame and anger on his face. But as he looked towards his father, fear became more evident. His father was looking at him with a stern face, ready to beat him over the head. Returning to the Drinking Bear, Hiro became himself again and had a meal since he was hungry. Following that, he returned to his room and started meditation, focusing his mind as best as he could to revolve around magical theories and questions he had. In particular, now that he had given out so many pendants, he needed to be able to create a personality which he could segment in his mind, and attach those to the pendants. That way, when one pendant was called for, the personas conscious would activate and take control of that magic power that was released. On top of that, he needed to have a way to share memories between them so they could keep up to date with everything. While at it, he may as well allow it to be blocked by him to give them their space, customize each persona, and even their appearance. In the future, he planned on making real, living, breathing clones, doppelgangers, who would hold a portion of his power. Maybe 10% each clone, while he would still retain his full power. Why 10%? Because it was a nice number and fraction, and cliche. It didnt take him long to create this. Within his mental landscape, he converted the magic and knowledge as if he was using a computer. Creating a hard drive partition of his main memory, copying over the folders which contained knowledge and memories and whatnot, crawling through personality files and selecting what ones he wanted for each partition, selecting an image from his library of characters, merging some features together, and using that as a custom avatar for the persona. Applying motions to their avatar, special features, preferences, and so on. For anything else he missed, he imagined it being a program which had a randomly generate button for blank spaces in a form, drawing from his assortment of files to do so. In Hiros years of doing whatever he felt like, creating characters was something he was skilled at. Characters and plot lines were always his favorite. He just always had too much running through his mind to ever go beyond the mental creation process. Like this, Hiro created a total of 14 character partitions in his mind. Eventually, when he manages to make them of flesh and blood, each partition would instead be uploaded as the operating system of a new computer, instead of being a part of his own computer. Separating the minds so that they werent reliant on him. Before he knew it, it had already become the next day, and his stomach was complaining. Heading downstairs, he got some food from Syldis, ate his fill, then went out into the town. Before he left, he asked if the guests were still around, and heard that they left early in the morning. Seems like Max was making his move. Now in the town, Hiro wandered about as he kept a hand in his pocket underneath his cloak. Stealthily, he began creating gold lumps, as that was a lot more simple to synthesize than gems which had more complicated structures. After a while of going down backalleys, he found a place that looked like a good pawn shop. Entering it, he found a single person at the counter. It was a small store, but a lot more merchandise was probably in the back. There were also a couple of people in the room, probably hired thugs or guards. Walking to the counter, he put an illusion on his face, so that he was wearing a blank white mask with only a single eye hole on his left eye. Of course, he could still see clearly himself. Wrapping his arms in an illusion as well, he made it seem as if he was wearing long black sleeves and gloves. At the counter, he put a handful of gold lumps down. Without saying anything, he looked at the attendant. Seemingly understanding without words, the man moved the gold lumps to one side, brought out a device, and put them on it. It seemed like a scale made specifically for gold. After checking the measurement, the man looked towards Hiro. Even. (Hiro) Like that, the man reached under the counter and began to stack coins. From what he had learned, the currency was 1 Gold Coin = 100 Silver Coins. 1 Silver Coin = 100 Copper Coins. Typical and cliche, but it worked. The man had a large pouch ready. The even was referring to the distribution of coins. It was troublesome to spend a gold coin on something that only cost a few copper, after all. 15G 200S 500B. As for the small amounts after that, he left that in return for the service.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Checking if he was ripped off? He had no idea what the ratio was for gold to cash. But he knew well enough, and kept an eye out. There was no foul play. After all, if they messed up or ripped someone off, their reputation would fall, and theyd be at risk of being robbed and/or killed by angry customers if they did it to the wrong person. Burying his hand into the pouch, he left about 5G 50S and 100B, and put the rest into his storage. That would be more than enough for spending. It wasnt like he would be buying a mansion. Should he? That would be interesting Nah, too much attention. For the rest of the day, Hiro went through different stalls, trying different foods and looking at unique products. He also picked up his custom tailored clothes, though it didnt look like he would use them at this point. Leaving those in his storage, he also packed a bunch of food in his storage. Thinking about it now, he would need rations, camping gear, cooking utensils and so on. Heading to a general store, he grabbed anything he thought he would need and shoved it all in his storage. Done with that, he returned to the Drinking Bear, and paid for his stay in advance, as well as for his expenses thus far. While Syldis said it was alright, he paid anyway. Wouldnt be good for business if she lost out too much. A couple of days passed after that. Hiro spent most of his time in his room, training his body and studying magic theories. He was nearly done working on establishing a full flesh and blood clone. Most of the time was spent recalling his biology lessons, filling in the blanks he couldnt remember, and figuring out how to simulate a core of magic. As his own Aura Core and Mana Core had steadily been developing, he decided to use that as the basis. Formulating the magic theory to create his false life characters was the easiest bit. To finish it, he just needed more time and mana. Even with his vast amounts unrivalled by all, it was still not enough. It was creating life, after all. Though he had this feeling that after his mana core had finished forming, he would probably be able to do it. It was while he was meditating, that he felt a tugging in his mind. One of his pendants had been shattered. Sending out one of his personas, he resumed his meditation. In a dark cave where no light reached, even as the court mages tried their best, Lily was in a dead end with another mage a little bit older than her. With their back against the blocked passage, they were breathing heavily as they were trapped and caught by some shadowy monsters. Demons which even one of could easily massacre a platoon of Knights. But there were several here. They were desperate, and running out of mana. They had held out by working in tandem; one would create a light barrier to trap them at the entrance of the path, while the other would obliterate them with fire. But the clever demons werent so easily caught. At the end of their wits, Lily remember the pendant she had been given during the meeting a few days ago. Quickly taking it off from around her neck, she through it as hard as she could against the floor. The moment a clear sound of glass shattered was heard, a large swirl of mana expanded and flooded the cave before solidifying in front of Lily, taking up the form of a person. Short, blonde hair. Standing about 510. Pale skin. Golden eyes that were glowing with a pale light. Dressed in a pale bluish grey yukata, with a black haori over top, adorned with gold and red flower embroidery. In his right hand was a red parasol with beautiful flower patterns in a ring near the edge. Despite the darkness encapsulating them, Lily and her friend were able to clearly see the man in the dark cave. His whole body was emitting light. As the light died down, the man took a glance around, a piercing gaze locking on to the monsters hiding in the dark at the end of the passage. With his parasol closed, he pointed it towards the end of the tunnel. Beings Demons of shadow that seem to blend in the darkness. I can see them with mana sight. There are three of them. The counter to darkness is light and fire. (???) Reaching that conclusion quickly, the parasol fluttered open, and he began to spin it slowly. As the parasol began to glow, it suddenly shot out a white flame. Unlike a normal fire, this one moved about as if a snake in the air with its own will. At a high speed, it shot out towards the darkness. With the white flame snake finding its target, the man called out a spell. Absolving Flame (???) In an instant, the white flame snake burst out and engulfed the darkness, causing the death throes of the shadow demons to ring out. After all three were confirmed dead, the flames crawled over to the man quickly and creeped up with body, engulfing him. While Lily and the other girl were afraid of the power as well as concerned for their and the mans safety, they quickly noticed something odd. The flames werent hot to them. If anything, it felt comforting. The man also wasnt burning. The man had let the flames coalesce on him. Better to keep it around until he knew everything was clear. With a quick pulse of mana spreading out like a sonar, he detected three more presences. One court mage, two more shadow demons. And also It looked like there were five humans behind the blocked passage he was in. Turning to Lily, the man gave a slight bow to her. I have been summoned at your request, Lily. My name is Yasu. I detect one more mage, and two more shadow demons. The way out is clear. Please excuse me as I get rid of the remaining threats. (Yasu) Like that, his figure wavered with the flames on him, until he flickered out of existence in their eyes. All he had done was return his body to pure mana so that he wasnt restricted to moving like a human. As he left, the darkness receded, and the girls could see light again emitting from their illuminating spells. Yasu moved quickly, and soon enough, his figure appeared behind a court mage who looked to be in her thirties. The shadows were just about to swipe at her and separate her limbs from her body. Yasus hand shot out past the womans head, appearing in her sight, as he spread out his fingers. The flames crawling over his body spread from the palm of his hand, forming a shield of white flames. Absolving Flame (Yasu) As he said this, he used his parasol, opened up, to obstruct the view of the mage, and the topside of it released flames, engulfing the enemy. As their cries echoed out, he waited until they were completely burned up before he closed his parasol, holding it beside him as he walked to the front of the mage. Bending down, he offered a hand with a slight smile to her, the white flames still dancing over his body here and there. When looked at the womans face, she seemed to be left agape, and at the same time somewhat flushed? Regaining her sense of self, she accepted the hand up, standing up. My name is Yasu. Lily and her friend are safe, and the cave is now cleared. However, Im afraid to say that the three of you are the only survivors. The way out is clear, and the darkness wont hinder you anymore. Im sorry I cannot remain, but there are some pressing matters I must hurry and attend to. (Yasu) Before the woman could speak, Yasu had already flickered out of existence like a flame blown out by the wind. Passing through the blockage as just mana, Yasu reappeared in an opening which had a magic circle inscribed on the ground, along with a pedestal in the center with a stone sitting on it. Most likely something magical. There were the five dark mages in the room. Appearing next to the pedestal without a sound, Yasu had his parasol open and leaning on his shoulders as his flames surrounded him, ready to lash out. Apologies, men. It seems your luck has run out. (Yasu) As he said that, and before the men could respond, the flames shot out and surrounded them. Four of them burned up, screaming, as they turned to ash. As for the last man, his body had been restrained by the flame, and Yasu released pressure on him to suppress any suicidal thoughts. Walking over to him slowly, he put his palm to the mans forehead, and forcefully extracted their memories in order to learn everything he needed to know and share it with Hiro. It seems that the mages were created by putting runes on the body, allowing magic. The guy was just a thug who had been picked up and used. Though it did seem that there was some undead guy commanding them. As a result of the memory extraction, the man died. But, it couldnt be helped. The information was valuable. So this stone is linked to another, and when charged, they create a portal interesting. (Yasu) Like that, Yasu touched it, causing it to be charged instantly. Like that, a portal opened up, looking like a black void. Picking up the stone, he walked through it. Chapter 15 - Duality On the other side of the portal, Yasu found himself in a small room. Behind him, the portal closed, and he was left with the pedestal holding the other gem. Grabbing that one too, he pocketed them into his yukata for the meantime. From the memory he had extracted from the dark mage, beyond this room would be a chamber full of an assortment of tools and devices. None which would be of use, though. Walking through, he continued onward to a large chamber where the master stayed. Upon entering, small bones could be seen scattered everywhere. The bones of children. With a frown, Yasu moved his sight to the thin cloaked figure sitting on the throne located in the center of this decrepit place. Noticing the newcomer, the figure was about to speak. However, Yasu did not give such luxury. Immediately, Yasus mana filled the room and suppressed the undead master. By doing so, he was disturbing any attempts to form a spell by the undead. At the same time, the white flames crawling over himself began to get agitated, turning to a black flame with a purple hue. Something like you has no need to exist. And I would rather not have to know of the atrocities you have committed just to get useless information. (Yasu) Hah! Fool! I am immortal. You cannot kill me! (Undying Mage) The bag of bones, despite having no face, seemed as if he was gloating, getting the last laugh. But upon seeing the golden eyes of the man begin to shine brightly, a sensation he hadn''t felt for a long time began to overtake him. Fear. Raising his empty palm to the bone pile, Yasu spoke clearly. Deaths Flames (Yasu) The black flames shot forth, eager to devour the fool in front of them. As they swallowed the lich whole, they burned up the bones that formed the body, the shell. As they did so, the soul of the undead was left unprotected as it was eaten and torn apart by the black flames of condemnation. Hiro wasn''t knowledgeable on souls and spirits, but he had enough understanding from games and books he had read, letting his subconscious and his mana makeup the difference to achieve the desired effect. As Yasu felt the presence of the dark mage fade away, he spoke one final line to it. Where I come from, Death does not let go of anyone A cruel world, where those claimed by the Reaper, never return (Yasu) A dark shadow fell on the mans face, as he recalled some of the memories within his mind. Letting it go, he walked over to the throne in the center, used the flames to clean it up, before sitting down on it. His flames returned to white, and spread out across the chamber, illuminating the darkness. Closing his eyes, he checked on how much mana his form still contained. Originally, he still had power above that of a Magus, but after using all of those flames, he had dropped down to half what he started with. Well, it was still barely above a Magus, so it was more than enough to deal with most threats that would appear from now on. Entering into a meditative state, he began to work on maintaining himself and refilling his mana by absorbing the ambient mana of the world. After sharing information, Yasu was to remain where he was for now, and deal with any dark mages that come along, as well as to take action based on his own judgement. Hiro woke up from his own meditation, his dimmed consciousness and thinned out presence returning to normal. As he went down the stairs form the second floor to go get a meal, he laid eyes on Syldis greeting two women that had quite the power in comparison to those he had seen so far. At least from a passive observance. At the time he sized them up with his eyes, both of them had a sharp glint in their eyes and sunk a bit lower to the floor, taking what looked like a combat readiness pose against him. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked at Syldis and approached her. Afternoon, Syldis. Friends of yours? (Hiro) Yeah. Hiro, this is Therese and her apprentice, Leona. (Syldis) Therese. She was tall for a woman, and looked in her mid-twenties to early thirties, but in this world, it would be hard to know for sure. After all, her demeanor gave the sense that she was much older and more experienced, filled with dignity. With golden eyes and long, pale, blonde hair, she had a somewhat gentle atmosphere, but still seemed unapproachable. She had armor focusing on freedom of movement with metal armor on the shoulders and chest, leaving the rest to be protected by close fitting chainmail which wasnt as restricting on the joints as leather. Her weapons was a two handed sword sheathed on her back. As a side note, she had well shaped assets both above and below. Leona. Much younger in both appearance and atmosphere, she seemed to be in her late teens, 20 at the oldest. Her pants were sitting lower on her hips than the women he had seen in town, giving her a sexy look combined with the vest which was unbuttoned partly and propping up her cleavage. Still, that didnt draw away from her skill, as she had an atmosphere closer to an untamed fighter rather than a calm master. With brown hair tied in a ponytail and jade green eyes, her athletic figure was dwarfed only by Therese next to her, and a sharp look in her eye. Additionally, she had a scar across her right eye vertically, as if having just missed the eye itself. Her weapon was also a two handed sword on her back. Heya. (Hiro) With just that short greeting, Hiro looked at the two with a bit of alertness in his mind, seeing as the two of them were still looking as if they were wondering whether to attack. Syldis gave them both a pat on the shoulder as she spoke to them.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. No need to be so alert. This is Hiro. You saw Viktors group with those living metal weapons, and he got them from this youth here. (Syldis) Returning to a more relaxed posture, Leona and Therese continued to stare at the youth. Therese approached him and reached up to place her hand on his head, her rather elongated nails visible. Hiro didnt worry, as he saw no ill will in her eyes. The moment her hand landed on his head, her irises turned to slits as if they were cat eyes. This only lasted for a very short moment though. Her body had suddenly tensed and slightly persperated, but immediately relaxed as she backed away, her stare gazing at the distance nothingness, lost in her mind for a little bit. I understand (Therese) Like that, Therese nodded as she backed up, looking at Syldis who had a somewhat understanding look, but not for the same reasons. Syldis had the three of them sit at the counter as she got a plate of food for the three of them as well as a drink, explaining as she went. Therese and Leona are from the Beast Lands to the east. Therese is a part of the Lions Clan, and Leona, the Wolfs Clan. Its said that beastmen are able to sense and detect a lot about a person, simply by touching them, due to their strong instincts. Well, thats the belief, anyway. No one but the beastmen themselves know for sure, after all. Its a customary thing. Theyre also a bit reclusive and dont speak much, finding more meaning in actions, expressing themselves with action rather than words. Though since the human and beastman culture tend to interact so much, the species as a whole will at least talk when appropriate. (Syldis) As she finished saying that, four plates of meat were placed on the counter, one for each of them and herself. Alongside that was a tankard of ale. While Syldis and Leona looked at Therese before eating, Hiro just went ahead and started eating the meat from the plate. It was delicious as usual. He doubted he would be able to do the same. Well, he might be able to. He used to space out too much and ruin the food, but maybe now he would be able to focus on cooking a meal? As he munched on some meat, he looked over to the trio and saw Therese eating normally, Leona looking at him disdainfully, and Syldis looking at him apologetically. Ah I forgot to explain to you. Its customary in beastman culture for the strongest one at the table to take a bite first before the others can eat, as a sign of respect. (Syldis) Whats done is done, so Hiro just nodded and bowed slightly in response and politeness before returning to his meal. But it seemed Therese herself didnt mind, which puzzled the other two who were familiar with her strength and her adherence to the rules. After eating or a little bit, Syldis started a conversation seeing as nothing was happening. Therese and Leona are looking for a weapon made of living metal, the same as the ones Viktor has. And as it turns out, since I figured that you gave them to him, you might be able to help them with their request? (Syldis) Well Its not impossible, I suppose? I cant reveal where I got them from, but I could probably have one brought along if I knew what kind of weapon is needed, and for what purpose. But before that... (Hiro) Looking at Leona who seemed to be wanting something, he glanced between her and Therese. Is something wrong? (Hiro) Leona and Therese shared a silent look for a while, before Therese gave a nod. Leona turned to Hiro, changed seat to be next to him, before asking. May I? (Leona) Her hand was outstretched, wanting to do the same thing as what Therese had done earlier. Nodding his head, Hiro lowered his head of black and white hair for her to better reach. She also had no ill will in her gaze, so he found no harm in letting this happen. As the wolf beastman put her hand on his head, her body tensed up as she began sweating and breathing a bit heavily, her eyes glazed over as they became sharp like those of a wolf. In Leonas beastman instinct mindscape, she found herself standing in a meadow with flat to rolling hills. The sky above was hard to see, but it looked to be in a twilight, with the sun and moon seen on opposite horizons. Surrounding her was a dense blanket of fog, obscuring most of her view. Before she knew it, she looked towards the sky, and saw a full moon. Except it wasnt. It was the eye of a gargantuan beast standing not too far away from her. The iridescent blue iris emitted a pale light. As she focused on her, all the hairs on her body stood on end, her instincts screaming at her that she would die in an instant if the beast so chose to. As her eyes focused, the fog shook slightly and separated, allowing her to see the massive beast the size of a mountain. It was a white furry beast with black stripes. A white tiger. Or more specifically, the Byakko. And from the look in its sharp gaze, it was getting frustrated and angry. As it took a step to turn towards her, the ground shook her to the ground. White teeth were bared at her, a low growl as if thunder had descended on her entire being. Shaking and scared, she closed her eyes, covering her face, all her battle prowess gone, turning her back into just a girl. With her arms in front of her face, awaiting her death, she heard only silence. Opening her eyes, the large Byakko had suddenly calmed down, and was looking at her shoulder. Directing her eyesight there, she saw a small feline. Its presence was so thin that it was as if it never existed. Even its form would have been invisible to her had she not known the beast had been looking at it. That was how thin, how weak it seemed. And yet as it turned its golden cat eyes to her, the Lynx emitted such a feeling as if it was seeing her entire being. Coming to rest on her lap, the Lynx looked back at the beast which was now laying down, staring at the sun on the horizon. When Leona looked at its face, she felt her heart beginning to break. The emotions she could feel were crushing. Loneliness, enough to paint the sky black. Loss that broke her heart. Hardship that would break her back. She felt that the Byakko was lost, forever trapped in this fog, never finding its way, suffering over and over without escape. And even a feeling of guilt and shame towards the Lynx sitting in her lap. The Byakko felt incomplete. Looking at the feline, she felt as if it was the only thing keeping the Byakko from giving up. Coming to this realization, she went to stroke its head, before her senses brought her back to reality. Wordlessly, Leona looked into the distance, her entire body relaxing again. She stood up and tried her best to hold herself together without looking at the youth. Sitting back down with Therese in between her and Hiro, she put her head on the counter so that her face couldnt be seen. Silently, a few tears leaked out. Therese, understanding what she had just seen, stroked her back to help her calm down. In all honesty, she also felt like doing the same, but she knew better than to show something so unsightly. Such was the power behind the vision she had seen. Among all of the people she had touched, this youths was the strongest presence, and the most vivid and clearest of visions she had experienced. She didnt know what the youth had experienced or been through, but what she could interpret from what she had seen no, she didnt want to linger on it. After a few minutes, Leona had regained herself and wiped her eyes, and they all resumed eating. Hiro seemed nonchalant and carried on as if nothing happened, despite sensing the fluctuations in the inexperienced Leonas emotions. Therese ate silently, Leona did her best to eat despite losing her appetite, and Syldis seemed confused at what had transpired. Chapter 16 - Spar After the silent meal, Syldis returned to work while Therese, Leona and Hiro sat at a secluded table with a drink in their hands. From here, it was onto business. After an explanation, Hiro summed it up as follows. Therese was defeated and essentially exiled by someone who fought using a living metal sword. They had been traveling while also training, in order to find someone in possession of, or capable of making such a weapon to fight back with. Having seen Viktor with one in passing, they learned that they could get one from him. Previously, Hiro had told Viktor not to reveal who he had gotten the weapons from, but after seeing the two in front of him now, he could understand somewhat why he had let it slip. Well, it didnt matter too much. There was a persona that he had made specifically to create things. Trinkets, buildings, weapons, armor, whatever needed to be done. Of course, using magic, and using all the available knowledge he had. For the blanks in his information and bits he didnt know how to do, it was up to that persona to figure all of it out with trial and error. Now to figure out how to offload the troublesome things to that persona somehow. But as he looked at the two of them, it didnt seem like they would let him get away easily. He could see it in Thereses eyes, that she wouldnt let him escape her watch. Breathing a sigh, he spoke up. I understand what you want. But youll have to wait a while before I can put you into contact with The Architect. (Hiro) Architect? (Therese) Correct. Designer and purveyor of crafts. As for the payment (Hiro) Well pay whatever is necessary. (Therese) Escort. The payment will be escorting The Architect to the Northern Kingdom. The materials he needs are there, where he has someone meant to supply him with the ingots he needs. Sound like a deal? (Hiro) Understood. Then, we will stay with you. I have a feeling you would disappear, otherwise. (Therese) ... Suit yourself. Ill be meditating and training in my room for the most part. (Hiro) Like that, they finished their drinks while discussing minor details. Leona didnt talk much, and seemed to avoid looking at Hiro at all. As they stood up to do their respective things, Leona was suddenly left with Hiro, as Therese wanted to go and greet the royalty. And in order to not lose their lead, Leona was to stay with Hiro. ... As long as you dont annoy me, youre free to do as you wish. (Hiro) Saying that, Hiro went back to his room with Leona silently tailing behind him. Therese watched them until they disappeared up the stairs, her thoughts dwelling on the vision she had seen. At his room, Hiro laid down on the floor. The room had a table and desk, as well as the bed, so he left Leona to find her own place to sit. On the floor, he got into a comfortable position and closed his eyes as his mind started to turn once again. He needed to hurry and finish the creation of his doppels. Leona wordlessly sat down with crossed legs on the floor, seeming to think it disrespectful to sit elsewhere while the rooms owner was on the floor. Placing her weapons down beside her, she silently watched the youth who had already drifted off to his own mindscape. But despite looking at his defenseless body, she could feel no openings from him at all. It was a feeling as if no matter how he looked, he had an aura emitting from him that was hidden away, like a weapon ready to strike at an unsuspecting predator. Having seen the beast that represents him, she felt this was understandable. But what was that other being inside that she had seen? Hiro delved into his consciousness and started constructing the spell. The spell would be finished by the end of the week at the latest, maybe the end of the night if he had a spark of insight. While dedicating the majority of his processing power to this, he left some space to think about random things. Wasnt good if his mind burned out and got tired of doing the same thing. The reason he had decided on 14 personas was to match up with the amount of rings he had in his body. When he thought of making even one more, his mind seemed to lose connection, so this was probably his upper limit on creating a persona, and possibly the amount of doppels he could create. It hadnt been long since he discovered his rings and cores were solidifying, but it seemed as if it had progressed faster once he was aware of it. After playing around, he found that it also advanced quicker when the seals were undone, allowing power to run through them. Despite this, he could still feel that, if he so chose, he could unravel it all now and return it to normal. But he didnt really have anything to lose, so he let it continue as is. His mana pool no longer felt like the ocean, and it instead felt like a dense liquid mana core inside of his rings, and then a high humidity in the air, the mana in the air itself becoming thick. The same applied to his aura core. The rings themselves had basically been finished, and were just shells for now. Incomplete, but ready to be filled at any time to be completed, similar to filling a steel wireframe with concrete mix. A little before dinner time, it seemed that Therese wasnt coming back. Probably, she was made to be included in a feast at the castle. A little uncomfortable having someone around him after all his years being alone to his thoughts, Hiro let out a sigh as he sat up, looking at Leona. She was still sitting in the same position. A bit restless underneath, but maintaining a passive expression as best as she could. Lets spar. (Hiro) ... Okay. (Leona) With nothing better to do, Hiro figure he may as well adapt himself to battle and get some exercise, as well as learn the level of combat of what he figured would be skilled beastmen. Leona seemed hesitant to respond, but agreed in the end. Inside, she didnt know why the youth had wanted to spar, and didnt know if he would even be that strong. However, having seen the strength laying inside, she knew that she shouldnt judge by his appearance. Not only that, Beastmen followed the strong. It wasnt her place to deny him, even if he wasnt her Master. Grabbing his sheathed katana, he made sure his cloak was firmly on and then tied the scabbard to his waist. Looking over at Leona who had finished strapping her sword to her back and was waiting for him to go first, he gave a slight nod and left the room.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. From the brief stance he had seen from Leona earlier, he figured that the two of them would need a large space to spar. Larger than the space at the back of the tavern. His destination was the forest outside of town, where there would be a good clearing away from prying eyes. When it came to the gate and gatekeeper, and the requirement of an ID, he used a Merchant ID. He originally wanted to be a merchant, after all. While Leona looked a little concerned with the distance they were taking, she eventually spoke up as they walked through a meadow, approaching the forest. ... Why are we going so far? (Leona) I dont like prying eyes. Id rather avoid troublesome things such as being well known and stuff like that. Besides, I have a feeling that well need the space when we spar. (Hiro) With nothing more to say, Leona nodded and followed behind. Eventually, they came to a clearing in the forest which had plenty of space. Walking to one side of the clearing, Hiro took off his cloak, revealing his unique clothing and hair. Leona found herself intrigued by the look, but because it was a foreign thing, she couldnt really find much of an appeal to it. Though it may not have been a conscious decision, Hiro didnt want to part with his clothes. The last remnants of his origins. Not that he wanted to return, but still. It was a lingering thought. Come at me first. Hold nothing back. You seem to have judged my strength already, as well as Therese. No point in me pretending to be weak. (Hiro) Leona seemed cautious at first, but eventually determined to go at full strength. Taking a stance with her two handed sword in both hands, she had her feet spread and knees bent, her posture lowered with her blade firm and pointed vertically. As she looked at Hiro, he hadnt even drawn his blade yet, and wasnt taking any stance. But despite that, she felt pressure from him, similar to when she was fighting her Master, Therese. Keeping a tight grip on her weapon, she dashed forward at a fast speed, closing the distance fast while keeping her defenses up. Arriving in front of Hiro, with her kinetic vision - naturally better due to her wolf origins - she saw no attempt to defend from the youth. Swing horizontally, she expected the youth to dodge backwards. His sword looked too thin to block her bigger sword. However, unexpectedly, her blade came to a halt just a hairs breadth from Hiros outstretched palm. With eyes widened, she saw a weirdly shaped barrier. A flat, six-sided shape (hexagon), transparent with a slight purple tint to it, the same as the youths eyes. She didnt feel a recoil, but it was as if the blade had just stopped when it touched the barrier. Hmm Peak Expert, or maybe beginner Master? (Hiro) Hearing that mutter, Leona was once again left dumbfounded as he had accurately gauged her strength. As she took a few steps back and fixed her stance, she felt Hiros presence, that inviolable aura, weaken. Hiro had initialized his restraints to put him at Grandmaster level. He figured this would be most beneficial for the both of them. With a nod, he lowered his posture with legs bent, and hand on his blade. He could see that there was mana coursing through Leonas body, strengthening her to low tier Master at most, and allowing her to easily cross the threshold between ranks. Again. Put in your all. I expect you to be covered in sweat and unable to move by the time we finish sparring. (Hiro) Saying such a thing with double meaning, he smirked slightly in his mind, but for Leona, she could only be fearful of what she was about to experience. Not waiting, she immediately charged in, step by step, using fluid movements and attacks as she slashed and stabbed al she could. Hiro obliged and, while at a more manageable level of Grandmaster, fought at a strength just above her. Unlike most combat he had observed where people focus on their sturdy blades to block and counter, he had his own methods. Taking the hits at certain angles with his blade, he parried by letting them slide off the edge of his blade. By receiving the blows at suitable angles, he optimizes the redirection of force while reducing the risk of damaging his blade. At the same time, because hes applying a repulsing force, it looks as if he is striking back, when he is really only causing the attacks to miss him. He would also use his body to avoid and dodge attacks by a hairs breadth. But in the end, he found this worlds combat to be boring. Happening on only one axis, either moving forward or back, and halting. As Leona started getting frustrated at not landing a single hit, Hiros words brought clarity to her mind, albeit only a little. Focus. Use all your strength, but dont forget to learn. Why are your attacks not working? How am I stopping them? What does it feel like when I stop them? How do I dodge so closely? Where are your eyes and mine directed during a clash? What do you feel from your sword as it cries out? Ill be countering now. (Hiro) And just like that, with her very next attack, a diagonal swing from above, Hiros blade came to meet it. But instead of sliding her blade just past him, instead, his blade creeped up her blade at the moment of contact, and as if pushing off from her, came aiming directly at her. Moving back in surprise, she managed to avoid losing her stance, but she did have to open quite some space as she calmed her labored breathing. He didnt know where he heard it or if it was true, but Hiro remembered something about it taking twice the energy to swing and miss, than to successfully deliver a hit. From here, Hiro spent some time countering, until Leona seemed to struggle too much and lose focus. After that, he made some space, and let her rest a couple of minutes. By now, with all the dodging which pushed her to her limits and broke her stance half the time, she was having a tough time breathing and keeping up. While she was a beastwoman, as relatively strong at that, she had a stamina to match it. But this spar, this was something else entirely. The high intensity of it, the amount of mental fatigue she felt as she seemed pressured the entire time, both by concentration and his presence overall, she was struggling. The tenseness in her body wasnt strong, as she had trained a long time to respond instinctively, but even her nerves were being hammered down by Hiro. But she didnt have time to delve deeper into thoughts about how this youth was so strong. She felt the pressure coming from him increase. This time, youll be on the defensive. Ill warn you now. My combat style is vastly different to what you know. (Hiro) With a nod, Leona righted her breathing and took up a defensive stance. Watching Hiro, he had his blade drawn, one hand on the scabbard, the other holding his blade. Running towards her, she kept her eyes wide and vision open. But even with that, his movements were too erratic to keep up with. Maintaining a constant speed, he would duck up and down diagonally, move sideways slightly, and overall just make it difficult to predict anything he would do. His constant movement was making her weary and slightly dizzy as her mind tried to comprehend and understand what he would do, as it constantly changed. Just as he came up close to her, she thought he would slash. But instead, with his sword drawn back with his arm across his body, he suddenly dipped low diagonally, his feet crossing before sliding behind her to the side. With this, he rapidly came up to her side from below, his blade ready to cut her apart as he passed by her. Not only that, by moving so deep into her range, she couldnt help but stumble backwards to open enough space to swing. Giving her just enough time to barely put up a defense, Hiro made his slash just as Leona managed to bring her two handed sword in front of her. With that strike, he just glanced her enough so that she would feel as if he had struck, before he quickly back-stepped, followed by a rapid backflip, rotating in mid air. Just as his head was below his feet and he was facing Leona who was desperately trying to make a counter with a diagonal upwards slash, he reached the midway of his flip, and was in a posture with his blade near his waist. His aura suddenly clad his blade in a pale light as he spoke. Kusanagi-No-Tsurugi (Hiro) With a flash, his blade lashed out, meeting Leonas counter. And like that, a blunt force struck the two handed sword. Unable to hold onto it, the blade left her hands and went flying several meters behind her. Collapsing to her knees from the shock and exhaustion, Hiro relentlessly stood before her. Stand up. We still have another ten minutes or so. Grab your weapon, were continuing. (Hiro) Needless to say, Leona looked like she was ready to cry again, but for a different reason. Hiros sparring was far too different and harsh in comparison to what she had experienced so far, even under the tutelage of Therese. Chapter 17 - Architect Originally, Hiro intended to end the sparring and head back straight away but As he looked over to Leona, he saw her breathing heavily and collapsed on the ground, unable to move. And passed out. Apparently his sparring was too high intensity for even a beastman. Well, after thinking about it for a while, it made sense. After all, despite having a restraint on to help train himself, he was still moving about enough to the point that even he himself was sweating. After all, exercise isnt helpful if youre not even working yourself hard enough. With a sigh and shake of the head, Hiro walked over to Leona before using his cleaning magic on the both of them. With their sweat dealt with, he put on his cloak and sheathed his sword, carrying Leona on his back alongside her sword. Thankfully, he was taller than her. With his cloak on and hood up, he made sure he wasnt too discoverable. After applying an invisibility spell, he started moving back to the tavern. Weaving through the afternoon crowds, he reached the Drinking Bear in short time. Since Syldis had seen them leave, it would probably be best to enter while visible. Doing so, he reappeared without notice and entered. After entering ,the same rowdy people were drinking and eating, making merry. Of course, no one picked on him since a lot of them recognized his cloak and appearance. Well, not that they didnt throw curious glances about since he was carrying a woman on his back, alongside her heavy two handed sword. Reaching the counter, he called out to the big Bear herself. Syldis, were back. Leona passed out from training too hard. Ill leave her in my room for now until Therese gets back. Meal for one, and make it big this time, Im starving. (Hiro) Got it, Hiro! (Syldis) Syldis shouted back as Hiro went up the stairs to do as he said. Syldis could only tilt her head in wonder, at how a beastwoman such as Leona, especially being under the care of Therese, could have passed out during a comparatively short sparring session. Though by now, she was at least starting to click that the youth was quite a bit stronger than what he showed on the outside. But that strong? She still felt doubtful, having not seen anything herself. Before long, Hiro was sitting at a table alone in a corner as Syldis brought out his meal and a tankard of ale, before returning to work. Although he had been drinking alcohol all this time, Hiro only just now thought more about it. The ale wasnt exactly tasty, and it was warm, but he wasnt getting drunk in the least. And that was saying something, considering he didnt exactly have a high tolerance normally. He suspected his body had changed quite a bit at this point. Oh well, at least he could drink more without suffering a hangover. Well, he didnt need it for its alcoholic content anymore, at least. Hiro sat at his table and drank slowly as the sky darkened. After waiting long enough, Leona finally came downstairs, looking somewhat displeased as she laid eyes on him. Sitting down at his table, he ordered another plate, for two this time, from Syldis. A while after Leona finished her plate, she sat in silence and sipped her drink slowly since it didnt seem like Hiro had any intention of starting a conversation. Eventually, Therese finally came back as most of the rowdy patrons had left, and it had quietened down. Spotting the two in the corner, she walked over and sat with them. While seeing that Hiro looked rather aloof and uncaring about the things happening around him, Therese could tell that Leona seemed exhausted, mentally. Just as she was about to speak to the youth, his mouth opened. Lemme guess. The King held a feast and you attended so that he wouldnt lose face. After all, for you to go greet the King, must mean you have quite the amount of fame. That, and the patrons earlier in the day were also acting as such. And you also look exhausted. Dont like the high life? (Hiro) ... Correct, on all accounts. Leona seems to be quite worn out. Did anything happen? (Therese) Not much. I got restless and bored, so I dragged her along for a spar. Well, it seems like her stamina was lacking a bit. (Hiro) With eyes wide, Therese could tell the youth wasnt lying, but she looked towards Leona to confirm. With an apologetic nod, she confirmed that she had indeed sparred and passed out from not being able to keep up. So, you and Leona sparred Well, I suppose it will help her improve to have some diversity in her training. On such a topic, it seems Ive ended up becoming the Princesss training partner for the next week while we wait for this Architect of yours. (Therese) Oh, Eileen, is it? Well, I suppose being trapped in the castle, she would only be able to fight against Nobles who put on airs too much. Should do her some good to fight a Master like yourself. (Hiro) Hiros eyes narrowed slightly as he said that, gazing at Thereses body. He could tell at a glance. Her presence, body figure, mana, posture, all of it. He could only deduce that she was a beginner Grandmaster, and not lower than a top Master. Therese also narrowed her eyes at him. His powers of deduction without actually fighting were frightening. She felt like she couldnt hide from his gaze, as if it looked through her entire being. Shortly after, Syldis sat down with them, a plate of snacks and a fresh tankard for each of them in her hands. And like this, the rest of the night passed by with casual small talk, and the three women recounting their life experiences and adventures. And there was a slight moment where the three glared sharply at Hiro, due to his cleaning magic. The two bigger women noticed that Leona looked so clean, skin smooth, hair silky soft, and so on. When even she didnt know how, Hiro nonchalantly said he had a cleaning magic. Well, no surprises that the women were deeply interested and jealous. In the end, Therese insisted on staying in the same room as Hiro so that he couldnt run away, and he just shrugged, giving his okay. Syldis moved them into a bigger room. She didnt worry since the two women could look after themselves, and being good at judging ones character, knew that Hiro wouldnt try anything. Like that, the three went to sleep. Like this, it was a repetitive week. Therese would head to the castle during the day to train the Princess. Leona would be dragged along by Hiro to train after breakfast. While she recovered, he would work on developing his magic. They would spar again, rest, eat, spar, theory, spar, eat, drink as a quartet, then sleep. Every now and then, Hiro would be singing to himself while he waited, or if the bar got rowdy and he got lured by the mood. On the promised day, that morning, Hiro had finally completed the doppelganger spell as per his previous estimates. He decided to name it Faux Persona. False personality. Despite the name, he believed that they would be very real. A flesh body, their own mana pool which recovers itself, their own mind and thoughts and personalities. Even their knowledge was the same. Of course, their memories too, at least at the moment of their creation. While technically they would be an extension of himself that he could unravel if he wished, he wasnt so callous as to end a life he had created, and would sever such a connection, allowing them to live their own life as they wish. They would have telepathy available between them as a result of how he had constructed the spell, so that they could remain connected. He had no worry about them rebelling, since it was embedded in their very core that he was a higher existence to them. They would know that they were created, and given a purpose as a guide to how to live. The knowledge they would have is everything he knew, except each personality would focus on developing a separate area of expertise. And for their memories. All of them would have all of Hiros memories. This did not mean that they would believe themselves to have been him at one point. It would be like having all those memories as a separate existence within them, and their memories starting from the moment they were created. If he was creating life, he sure as hell wasnt going to leave any loose ends that could come back to bite him when he least expected it.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. When Therese went out to train the princess, Hiro delved straight into work with Leona watching over him. Of course, he kept things hidden so that he wasnt detected in what he was doing. In his mindscape, his mana pool had grown, both in quality and concentration as it condensed into a core. Thanks to this, he would be able to plant the seeds for all of his Personas in a single go. From there, he would only have to feed them mana over time. Even without that, they would take in the mana from their surroundings to grow. As a side bit before he forgot, he also sent a mana packet to his pendants he had handed out, rewriting the instructions slightly. If a persona was available, they could choose to answer the call. If not, then it would form a clone of Murakumo. If a persona answered, then it would convert its mana to become a teleportation spell to summon the persona. With that done, he split off the seeds for 12 of the personas and let them start growing in the locations he had thought of. As for the other two. The first was Yasu. He sent the completed spell package to him who was in a distant land, and basically upgraded him from a being of pure mana with a will, to a faux persona. He would probably sleep for a while until his body adjusted. And then the next, he made in the clearing where he had been training with Leona, now that they were staying in the room for the day. Instead of a seed, he was creating the entire faux persona, draining a portion of his mana pool. Well, he would recover before long, so it wasnt much of a loss. After confirming that the persona was awakening, he let them wait in the clearing until the time Therese came back. At lunchtime, as Leona and Hiro were about to head downstairs for a meal, Therese walked into the room. There was a complicated look on her face, so something probably happened at the castle. As none of the pendants he made were broken, it must not have been life threatening. Speaking of pendants, he had forgotten he was still wearing the elven one to translate the language. It was probably about time to get rid of it. He had already learned the language, after all. How? When? During the trip with the First Army to the castle. He would listen in on the conversations of the Knights, use magic to record the syntax and construct a language database, and then uploaded that into his mind. He didnt want to be caught in any situations where he wouldnt be able to understand what was happening. Thats why Yasu and Murakumo had been able to speak and hear the native language without trouble. After Therese took a seat on the floor with crossed legs like the other two, Hiro spoke up. Youre back early. Something happen? (Hiro) The Princess had a dispute with a noble from the North. He stole her lips while their weapons were locked during a spar. Of course, I busted him up and reported the incident to the King. The Princess is fuming, though, so she challenged him to a duel for tomorrow. Ill also be there to watch. (Therese) Oof. Wouldnt be surprised if she cut off his arm, at the least, knowing her temperament. (Hiro) She nearly did, if I hadnt stopped her. Actually, the Princess came along with me. (Therese) ... Well, she doesnt know that Im strong, since Ive been hiding it. Complicated introductions and troublesome things that I dont want to be caught in Though I suppose you wont let me go without introducing you to The Architect first (Hiro) Dropping into silent thought, Therese seemed to have understood what Hiro was talking about, as her Master similarly didnt like being the center of attention. As for the circumstances of how he and the Princess met She didnt know what it is, but it was his decision, so she respected that. Leona only seemed confused though, but kept her silence, knowing not to interrupt. Okay, lets do this. Ill use a disguise and another name in front of her. That way, any troublesome things will be left to a person that doesnt exist, and Ill be free. (Hiro) Just after he finished saying that, his body wavered, as if his body had been distorted by the light. With a little shimmer, his body had changed to that of a female with straight, red hair, piercing blue eyes, glossy white skin, and a toned build suitable to Hiros original build. Standing up, he did a bit of practice walking and gestures, making sure his posture looked feminine enough, while retaining a slightly wild and tomboyish look. With a nod, he looked at the two stunned real females in the room. Ah- ah- aaaah~ Mhm. Yes. Hello. (???) With a bit of a vocal check, he adjusted his voice with magic to sound decidedly feminine, with a bit of androgynous features mixed in, so that if he slipped, it wouldnt be hard to play off. With another nood, he swung his his to one side, hand on it as he let the other rest to his side, looking at Therese and Leona. Well? What are you two surprised for? Youve already judged me to be strong, no point being slack-jawed now. Anyways, lemme introduce mself. Im Avemir. Ave for short. Ygot it? (Ave) Avemir. Made up on the spot, but pronounced as AH-vey-meer. Emphasis on the first syllable, and a little on the last syllable. Therese was the first one to come to grips with what she saw, before standing up and nodding to Ave. Leona followed suit and stood up, still overwhelmed. Ave didnt have a large chest, but there was still a noticeable bump, of course, created with magic. While a standard illusion would be fake the moment they touched any part of the illusion, Hiro was meticulous in the construction of his illusion magic. By replicating the tactile senses on his magic skin, he made it seem real, and then inflate the magic skin to fit the proportions he wanted. Clothes were also included in this feeling. Otherwise, he wouldnt be able to replicate the item from nothing, after all. The magic skin is the layers he had made before, which included the cloaking, insulation, and air conditioning layers. Oh, and it also had a nice defensive layer now. By using many many maaany times smaller hexagons, he layered those into a shield. Only if you looked at his skin within a centimeter at the moment of taking an impact, would you even see it. Anyways, back on topic. With Therese in the lead followed by Leona and then Ave (decided by Hiro, so that it didnt seem like he was the most powerful), the trio went downstairs to a table where the Princess was waiting, a white cloak on to cover her appearance. Hiro had disguised himself with an illusion, including his appearance, making him look similar to the two beastwomen. His cloak also changed from grey to dark brown like tanned leather. Once there were four at the table, Therese started off after they ordered their food. Eileen, this is my apprentice, Leona. (Therese) Greetings. (Leona) Likewise. (Eileen) And this here is Avemir. She is someone I have business here with. (Therese) Nice ta meetcha. (Avemir) ... Yes, nice to meet you too. (Eileen) Whether she had noticed something, or just found her way of speaking odd, Eileen tilted her head while looking at Ave. Once the food arrived, Eileen waited for Therese to eat, who happened to be waiting for Ave to eat. Hiro sighed mentally, as he moved his hand fast enough for the Lioness to noticed but so that Eileen wouldnt know, and took a bit of meat from his plate, quickly eating it. Like that, the meal proceeded. After eating in silence, they soon enough finished their meal. Therese turned to Ave. Is it possible to meet The Architect now? (Therese) Yup. Ill lead the way~ (Ave) Standing up, Ave made sure the three were following before leaving the Drinking Bear. Hiro figured that Therese and Eileen must have talked already, which would explain why the Princess didnt ask anything. While they walked to the clearing, leaving town with Thereses name as their guarantee for the group, Hiro thought about his convincing disguise as a female. Why could he pull it off? Well, he certainly wasnt a crossdresser. Sure, with his constant involvement with anime and such things, he did think of cosplaying as a trap, but never did. Then how can he put on such a foolproof act? Simple. Magic. With his enhanced mind, he analyzed the information in his head. He was already an observant person before coming here. The way girls walked along the street, acts in movies and shows, how writers portrayed their acts and movements. Everything, he extrapolated on, drew out the bits he wanted, compiled a sort of animation set, and applied them to himself. Of course, in combat, he probably wouldnt be convincing enough, but he didnt plan for that to happen. Reaching the clearing where he had been sparring with Leona, the four of them stood in the center. While Eileen seemed confused, Therese and Leona trusted in Hiro, and waited. Ave walked a few steps from the group, and then whistled a peculiar but clear tune. This tune was actually a hymn of sorts that Hiro would hum as a child to calm his mind, and overall just relax. When Ave stopped the whistling, a few seconds later, the same whistle was repeated back from the forest. And like that, a figure appeared from the treeline of the clearing. The moment they stood in the light, their appearance was revealed, and left everyone slightly awed. A light green dress, flax-weaved sandals, petite build, slightly tall with delicate limbs, flawless skin, radiant platinum blonde hair thats closer to silver, emerald green eyes, and the most striking feature: long and pointed ears. An elf. Well, this is a fantasy world, after all. Why should Hiro stick to only making humans? In fact, he used the concept of High. High Humans, High Elves, and so on. By the way, Yasu was a High Fairy. Exuding elegance, the elf approached the group and stood next to Ave, who turned to look at the group. Eileen was surprised as she didnt expect to see Elves in the Kingdom of Allard. Therese and Leona, however, were stiff. Despite the overwhelming presence of Hiro in front of them, the Elf was still noticeably large. Well, its unsurprising, since if compared to a Magus or a Legend, the Elf was still a tier above them. In gaming terms, of a Magus/Legend was Level 100, and Hiro was Level 999(ERROR), then each of the Faux Personas were to be at the level of 250. Or something like that, anyway. That was just how much power he was investing into each of their creations. He would feel like shit if he gave them life, and they ended up dying because they were too weak. Hello, everyone. My name is Vila, The Architect. Pleasure to make your acquaintances. (Vila) Yup, Vila here is amazing, yanno? If a Human Craftsman makes works with hammers, chisels and other such things, then Vila uses her specialty, Magic, to do all of that. Amazing, right? (Ave) While the trio seemed confused on to what Ave meant, she just shook her head. Hiro had shared his spell creations with his personas. So of course, Vila knew how to use the Magic Forge he had created. Vila, you should demonstrate! They dont look convinced! (Ave) Ave, please calm down. Theyre just at a loss for words. In any case, I have heard from my friend here, that Miss Therese wishes to have a weapons made, in return for escorting me? (Vila) Of course, Hiros current personality for Avemir was something he made up. Its fun to pretend to be someone else now and then. While Therese looked at Ave, questioning with her eyes as to how Vila knew about her and their deal already, Hiro gave a little smirk and tapped his head with a finger. After thinking creatively for a moment, she figured it out. Long distance magical telepathic communication. Chapter 18 - Brigantium With the all-female group changing locations back to town (save for the disguised Hiro), they made small talk on the way back. Vila materialized a green cloak which covered her entire body with the hood up, so that she could hide her appearance. Once they got back to town, a guard recognized Eileen and passed on a message that she was to return to the castle for her duel, which had been decided for the afternoon. Therese and Leona decided to go with her. While the two of them felt slightly like they should stay with Hiro, he just waved the group off as Avemir, giving a knowing nod to Vila who responded in kind before following the group. Once they were out of sight, the carefree smiling on his face disappeared as a more stoic and unreadable expression plastered his looks. With his cloak fully on, he walked back towards the Drinking Bear as he let his illusion unravel out of side, returning him to normal. Back at his temporary house, he went back to his room and cleaned up. He didnt care to stay in this town for much longer. No attachments, no unfinished business. Thats how he wanted to live. Well, if it was a story that was trying to keep reader, he would probably go to a dungeon. Not that he knew whether those existed or not. Sitting down in meditation in his room, Hiro closed his eyes and felt for all the unborn seeds he had spread. He wanted to get them done before getting down to wandering. Merchant? Nah, couldnt be fussed anymore. Spreading out his mana as if they were umbilical cords, he started supplying his seeds with their much needed mana. This would speed up the process, so he kept a regular feed going while making sure he kept at least Magus-level strength reserved for his own protection. The next few days were a repeat of each other. Three meals a day, daily physical training, daily mana exercises and spell development, listening to soundtracks in his head from memory, feeding the seeds, and sleeping. Like this, he filled up his mana right after finishing the growing of his doppels. As for his mana and aura cores, it seems that him not being at full capacity had stalled its growth, so there was probably a month or two until those would finish. Well, he felt a sense of foreboding about that. Or maybe foreshadowing would be closer to what he felt. With everything he had read and seen in his life, there were too many cases where something would happen at certains times. It was around this time, that he felt the shattering of a pendant. This particular one was a bit of a distance away and was in the direction of Brigantium, meaning it was the mercenary he had employed, Viktor. Looks like there was something occurring there after all. He would leave it to one of his doppels, but they were all given their own jobs to do. Not only that, the doppels still hadnt had enough time to turn knowledge into experience, so their combat capabilities wouldnt be refined at all. Putting the cloak on and covering himself up, Hiro let a fog leak out from under the cloak to obscure anyones vision of him and make him seem more mysterious. Only that. There was no other function to it. Like that, he answered the call, letting the mana sealed in the pendant be the catalyst to a summoning formation. Taking a crouching position, he made sure the fog was wrapping around his entire body to mask him in the event anyone could see under his cloak, and also covered his non-standard clothes with the fog. Better safe than sorry. As he vanished from his room in the Drinking Bear just before lunchtime, he reappeared in the middle of a battlefield. The sounds of orcs and goblins and trolls? Their roars reached his ears, as well as the distance sound of humans shouting. There werent any sounds of weapons clashing, so it seemed the two sides hadnt engaged in battle yet. Standing up, he was in a small clearing in a flat area, surrounded by monsters. Looking around, it seems that they had been blasted away by the summoning formation. Looking behind him, he could see town walls surrounded by looked like a magic barrier. Not only that, the barrier was falling. On the walls, he could see soldiers and mercenaries and adventurers, all lined up and shooting bows. Magic users seemed to be doing their best at reinforcing the barrier. But as he watched, large fireballs from the monster side were being launched and were piercing the barrier, possibly because it wasnt holding well enough. On the wall, he could see Viktor and his company. Deciding it was time to start, he first stomped his foot, letting out a pulse of pure mana which blasted away the now approaching monsters, on top of reverberating across the entire battlefield. Immediately after that, he held out a smoky hand towards the town walls and released a large amount of mana. Right after that, a new barrier began to form with a slight blue tint, surrounding the entire town and protecting it from both magical and physical attacks. As more fireballs were launched, they striked against the new barrier, and splayed across it before dissipating, unable to penetrate it. The barrier itself remained unshaked despite this hit. Next order of business was the monsters that seemed to number in the thousands, maybe tens of thousands. With his back to the wall, he struck both palms outward and held them there as he released a massive amount of dense, black fog. Might as well stick to the theme of fog. Like that, the fog started to spread around the town and encircling it, and engulfing below the town walls so that any enemy that had already gone past him, would be dealt with. The fog itself didnt look threatening, but whenever a monster could be seen through the fog, there was only death. He figured a neurotoxin would be best. Least amount of environmental damage, and no lasting damage on the bodies, so even if someone ate orc meat later, they wouldnt die.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Well, orc meat is supposed to taste like pork or boar, isnt it? Thats usually the standard in fantasy worlds. With an AT (Absolute Territory) zone established, he stopped emitting fog and stepped forward. Now he could let loose and test out some magic he had been dying to use practically. Or rather, Thaumaturgy. First attack he decided on was against those in his immediate vicinity. Condensing fog over and over until they were as dense as metal, he refined them into straight one-handed blades, with sharp edges. And of course, since it was neurotoxins, even a non-fatal hit would still cause death. What? Fog didnt have any special properties? Well, that was true at the time. Shut up. Things change. Now its practical and cool at the same time. Lining up dozens and dozens of these swords behind him, he raised a hand, and lowered it. Gate of ahem Bladeworks. (Hiro) With his voice modulated to have both a deep mans voice dualed with a soft feminine womans voice, he left out those words. Anime and whatnot would always be an influence on what he would create. Why? Because its cool. After lowering his hand, all of the blades shot forth, each one finding their own target and, probably due to the lack of skill of his opponents, they went straight into the chests of the monsters. A second after hitting, they would turn back to fog. It was kind of disappointing, because in under a minute, he had massacred everything within 200m diameter of himself. As for how he could accurately form and land strikes with all of those blades against so many moving targets. By layering several magics, it wasnt too hard. First magic was Spatial Detection which mapped out the area around him to whatever distance he chose. Second was Target Lock which recorded the location of each enemy within his detection range, and created a unique ID (eg.: 0001 ~ 9999), and saved the location to the ID, constantly tracking and updating in real time. Third was Parallel Processing which was more of a buff for his mind, to allow him to do a variety of things. In this case, assigning an ID to each blade, and matching it with an equivalent target ID. If there wasnt enough blades, he would create more until it matched. Though it sounds complicated, it was all being carried out in his subconscious. It was the same as being able to look at a screen of red dots on a blue map, and watching each thing move separately. Imagination is an amazing thing. When bigger monsters came along, he used more than one blade against them, and if a skilled opponent managed to avoid or block the fired blades, he would just spam more blades against them. Quality? Not needed against these small fry. While walking forward slowly, he kept making more and more blades and shooting them off. Quantity, especially with his mana, was more than enough to overwhelm them. The blades did well getting through leather armor, but for metal armor that some monsters were wearing, he just had to aim for vitals or just use more and more against them. Truly, he was an OP character. And then just as he had finished maybe half of the enemy army, time stopped. No, it had slowed down so much that it seemed as if time had stopped. The things in front of him had lost their color as well. How did he know all of this? In his lectures with Max, there was a topic about magic resistance. With enough mana within him, he could easily resist certain things, such as spells which were like debuffs. As if a pebble had tried to move a boulder by tapping it. Playing along, he kept looking around, and eventually, a cloaked figure started approaching him. One of those people from that council of twilight or whatever it was. He had already forgotten the name of them. The person stopped in front of Hiro, looking at his face, but seemed unable to look through the fog that obscured him. Just as they were about to open their mouth, Hiros hand shot out and grabbed their throat. Unable to react, the mage struggled, confusion and horror on their face as they didnt know how he could still move. Not letting them speak, Hiro spoke first. You know This magic? Appalling. This time magic of yours, which only slows time. Its useless and flawed, especially against me. Let me show you real time magic. Stop and Decay. (Hiro) With those two words, two magics were cast. Stop was used on one of the mans arms, causing it to stop completely, even in this stopped time. How did he do it? Hiro thought of time as particles. Particles that move. All he did, was stop them from moving in the mans arm. As for Decay, it sped up the time particles, causing it to quickly age and undergo muscle atrophy from lack of nutrients, before becoming skin and bones, and then dust. No blood form the wound either, as it naturally healed itself. A nasty thing he had made. After the man tried to scream from the pain, Hiro finished him off. Gathering knowledge? Cant be fucked. That would mean having to do something later. With the mage dead, time started moving at normal speeds again. Hiro resumed his murder spree, this time, increasing the amount of blades to about two hundred which was his current limit without enough practice and refinement in the individual processes. The monsters had started to run, most likely due to having lost their leader. Seeing the orcs and trolls and goblins working together, it shouldnt have been possible without one leader to connect them. And like that, within 20 minutes of him appearing, the battlefield had been cleaned up. All that was left, was a field of monster corpses. Only because Hiro couldnt give a rats ass about the bodies and didnt want to dismantle them. Not that he knew how much hed get for them. Looking back at the wall, he could see the dumbfounded and scared faces of everyone, whereas Viktor had a thousand mile stare. With a hand raised, he swiped sideways, and the barrier and fog he had made began to scatter and disappear. Along with that, he also cloaked himself with magic, sending a whisper into Viktors head. Ill meet you later for dinner. Keep a spare seat open. (Hiro) Following this, Hiro tailed Viktor for a while, watching over him as he let his company gather corpses for funds, and to help out with the restoration project that would no doubt happen now. With an ear out, he mostly heard people talking about his appearance. Wondering if he was an enemy or not. Some in awe, some fearful, and so on. Not that he really cared what they thought. He was just protecting his investment. Looking inside the town, there were people desperately working to put out fires. With a sigh, Hiro dispersed magic into the air, making clouds form in a natural process, and begin to rain. That would put out the fire in due time. Checking out other things, he found that Viktor had stuck to his word, and was establishing a mercenary troupe on a large scale. They blended in well with their surrounding groups well. Not that they could hide from him. They numbered close to 400. Hiro hoped for at least a thousand, since that would make the minimum for a group that could tip scales, in his opinion. When night began to fall, he followed Viktor to a tavern, watching him and a couple of the others he knew take a seat in a secluded spot. The place seemed to double as an Inn. Taking a seat in the empty spot out of peoples eyesight, he undid his invisibility, reappearing in front of Viktor. Without the fog, his appearance was back to normal, though he still had his cloak hood up. Seems its been busy here, as expected. (Hiro) Chapter 19 - Crystals Sitting with Viktor and his crew, Hiro leaned back in his chair, looking at the trio. Viktor, Levvie, and Cloak man what was his name? Oh, right. Judeau. Sounds like Judo. Judo chop. While thinking this, Hiro ordered a tankard and began discussions after it arrived, having sat in silence up to this point. So, seems youve been busy. Or at least I hope so. I invested in you, after all. Or did I buy your services? Oh well, doesnt matter which, its pretty much the same thing at this point. You were in a bind this time, but is there anything else you need or wanna ask? (Hiro) Well, a fight like that was certainly fun, but the odds were too far apart for me to enjoy the thrill. Weve been gathering people from here and there, but its getting hard to keep everyone hidden like you asked. (Viktor) Hm. I dont know your area of expertise, but I can give you funding for a few things. Ill give you some options on what to do while Im gone. Gather influence in each town and city. Take control of the slums probably would be a bit much for mercs, but I feel you could do it anyway. Create an information network spanning as far as you can hold influence. Recruit trustworthy people throughout the land, be they retired and unable to fight, or whatever. Their experiences could still help. No need to restrain yourself by staying in Brigantium. Well? Sound like enough to keep you busy? (Hiro) ... Maybe too much. But, heh, wheres the fun when theres no challenge? Fine. Ill accept. But the cost is gonna be quite high, and I know youre good for it. (Viktor) Sure. Ill give you extra too, since Ill leave all the details up to you. (Hiro) Saves me the trouble. (Hiro) Like that, they finished off their drinks while talking about the battle and what had happened up to this point, before returning to Viktors room for a moment so that Hiro could conjure up a bunch of currency. While gold bars would be more money in a smaller amount, it would be too suspicious to exchange so many of them. Hiro first made a copy of the gold coin, using magic to probe and identify all of its details, even if he himself didnt understand it all, and saved it as a blueprint. With that, he formed more coins by pumping magic into the blueprint. In a way, he was just acting as a coin printer thingy whatever those machines were called. Press? Minter? He didnt know. Either way, he kept pumping out gold coins into coin purses until Viktor ran out of pouches. And just as Viktor was about to speak again, Hiro gave a wave, and turned into fog before disappearing, having teleported back to the Drinking Bear Tavern. Or was it a Pavilion? He didnt have access to the internet anymore, so he couldnt search for definitions. If he had read it before, he could probably recall it, but as he hadnt, he was out of luck for that. Back in his room, Hiro stretched before abruptly deciding on his next course of action. Having developed his mana breathing enough, he could live without eating if he wanted. He also had enough knowledge in hunting to be able to get fresh meat if he wanted to. So what he wanted to do now, was find a nice and quiet place with a good view, and isolate himself there. Now that his memory was like a computer where he could more easily recall things, why not take advantage of that, and rewatch some anime? Oh, and magic theory. Thats important too. And exercise. Heading downstairs, it was night time and the customer count was pretty low at the moment. Seeing Syldis at the counter, Hiro walked over and took a seat as he started a conversation. Yo, Syldis. (Hiro) Oh, Hiro. Tankard, is it? (Syldis) Nah, not this time. Ill be leaving now. Going traveling, since things are settling down around here. (Hiro) At first, Syldis seemed surprised, before coming to an understanding, and then nodding as she gave him a rough pat on the head. As expected of a friendly bear. I see. Then make sure to stop by for a visit now and then, okay? Ill keep a room free for you. (Syldis) Youll be losing out on business like that. No idea when Ill come around, after all. (Hiro) What business? People barely stay the night anyway, besides those too drunk to leave! Hahah! Oh, and if you see that friend of ours, tell him to come by some time as well. Without bringing trouble with him. (Syldis) Ill be sure to let the bag of bones know. See ya, Syldis. (Hiro) Until next time, Hiro. (Syldis) And like that, Hiro stood up and left just as night was falling. Why at night? Because he forgot that it was night time. But, well, it didnt matter much to him. Leaving the town by sneaking out as usual, Hiro teleported to the clearing from previously, and did a magic scan of the area, spreading it out. If possible, he wanted a clearing in a forest, close to the ocean. By making use of magic, he began to move at a high pace, scanning as he went, trying to find a good spot. After several hours, he managed to find a place he liked. The clearing was the size of a living room in a small house. Not big at all, but enough for him. Within a half hours walk was the ocean, and there were plenty of fish. The forest also had plenty of bounty to catch if he wished. Since it was the middle of the night, Hiro stopped here and decided to get some rest. Setting up several barriers, he promptly went to sleep. The barriers he used were as follows. Concealment to prevent people from seeing within. Recognition Inhibition, so that people would overlook it even if it was right in front of them, as well as to make them avoid it subconsciously. Physical and Magical barriers to prevent people coming in without permission, as well as protection. And lastly, sensory prevention, so that things like sounds and lights wont extend outside of the barrier. No doubt, if a normal mage were to know of all of this, they would be spewing blood for various reasons. From here, life got pretty repetitive for Hiro. While periodically hearing from his Doppels who were now out and about in the world, he kept up the same schedule each day with no interruptions from anywhere whatsoever. Free to live as he wished, how he wished. After sleeping however long he felt like it, he would wake up and do an hour or two of exercise, using magic to add intensity by making each muscle have to work so much more to do the usual things. Following this was breakfast which was either game he had hunted, non-meaty choices from nature, or fish. After breakfast, he would either go hunting, fishing, foraging, or practice magic. Lunchtime, he would eat from the same selection, and check on the progress of his cores and rings.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. After lunch, the task would be to practice his knowledge. Skinning, dismantling, swordsmanship, sciences, languages, everything and anything that took his fancy. He had all the knowledge, but he hadnt really integrated it into his body yet. It was sort of the difference between streaming anime online, or downloading it to your hard drive. The more he experienced the information ,the quicker he could recall it, and use it subconsciously without need to constantly think about each step. After this was dinner, which he would tend to do on a roster so that he wouldnt get bored of eating the same thing over and over. And of course, roast was on the menu. Wild boar, wild goat, wild deer, wild uhm whatever that other thing was called It tasted like beef though, so it added a nice variety. Though he still hadnt found anything resembling the taste of chicken. The fish lets face it, he rarely ate seafood, and sucked at identifying what each thing tasted like. The best he could do was say this is fish and this is octopus. Or was it squid? After dinner, he would continue his magic theories. Letting his mind go wild, sort through everything, every idea he had, and whatever else. Currently, for a month now since he had been in the forest, there was a particular thing he was interested in. Without the common knowledge of this world, he wasnt sure what existed, and he didnt ask his doppels about what they discovered either. Otherwise, he may lose his creativity. What he was researching was manufacturing magic stones and the higher kind, magic crystals, to be used as power sources in place of electricity. It was a common thing in transmigration and reincarnation stories, so theres nothing wrong with him doing it too right? Right? Currently, he had successfully created both of them. Magic stones could be made by mixing impurities such as a rock, and saturating it with mana, condensing the mana into it, until it eventually turns into a mana stone. Though the amount required is about that of a senior mages capacity, on top of having to guide the mana, forcing it to compress as if it was under pressure. The other way to make one was what he expected would happen with monsters with magic stones, and that is to compress mana until it became solid, with the purpose of mana going in and out of it constantly, as if it was an organ, rather than a battery. While he didnt understand the full structure of it, his idea was close enough that he could make it. Though it cost more mana, of course. Along the way, he tested out using other things as a battery instead of rocks and pebbles. As a result, he managed to make a field of glowing flowers in his little paradise, as they adapted to absorbing mana from their surroundings like photosynthesis. He wasnt sure of they had any medicinal or alchemic properties, though. Oh, and after using a metal sonar in the ground, he pulled out trace amounts of iron, turned it into a stone, and tried to make it a mana stone. Instead, it seemed to have become a false magic metal. He made tableware with this stuff. Knife, fork, spoon, plate, bowl. Of course, his handy dandy cleaning magic would clean them. When he stopped digressing and got around to doing magic crystals, it seemed they formed from high density of mana in nature, being subjected to pressure, and coalescing until they became a solid crystal. These couldnt be forced, and had to be made over time. So how did he cheat this? He added another barrier to contain ambient mana on top of his other ones, and let his mana leak out naturally. Next, he sped up time in a designated area, and also applied a barrier on it which applied pressure to the inside. He also added an extra measure, a mana attraction barrier, to suck in ambient mana. After some time, he had successfully created several mana crystals the size of crystals, and one large one the size of a heart. Surprisingly, they all turned into perfect spheres. He didnt know if this was caused by the type of mana, the person producing the mana, the area he was in, or what. They all had differing colors, but all were translucent, seeming somewhat radiant. An earthy brown one, a nature green one, one clear like the wind, another deep blue like the ocean, and even one that was a lighter blue that looked like pure mana. As for his largest one, it was colored an iridescent purple, just like his eyes. The mana stones werent much in comparison. They looked impure, jagged, and dull. Their colors followed the same format, though. While they looked quite decorative, he was still in the process of playing around with their uses. As a guess, he would say that they absorbed elements, such as wind, earth, water, nature and so on. For the large one? He felt like that was one because it had absorbed so much of his own mana. After all, during its creation, he had increased the time dilation and poured in as much of his own mana as he could into that small space. For their uses so far Well, its still ongoing. He has taken to increasing the production of them, and using them for lighting in his forest clearing. He managed to figure out that they could be enchanted, as if programming them. So for starters, he tied a single crystal to each barrier he had made, finding that was their capacity for what he had programmed them with, as well as their throughput of mana. The barrier spell itself, ambient mana absorption to stay powered, signature recognition and differentiation to allow people entry and exit, and mana convergence which would allow it to blend with other barriers without interfering. Similar to radio frequencies, and how it would be distorted if two were using the same frequency. Hiro wasnt sure how others used magic, but for his, because he imagined that the barriers may interfere with each other, it was quite likely they might do so. After he had finished putting each barrier to its own mana crystal, he then realized he probably could have simplified it by making an array or formation. Well, that would need some trial and error anyway. The mana stones were too low in quality for him to use it for much, but he did user them for some low quality golems. Remember those toy robots, or your more ahem adult figurines? Well, Hiro decided to create those using his memory for the details, and his knowledge on the human body for the internal structure, and then several mana stones to be the cores. Because these were miniatures and not full body, he didnt make them completely human-like internally, and stuck to using things like a skeletal frame and joints which are strengthened, and then the actual body shape built on top of that. Thanks to magic, he didnt end up with obvious joint and moving parts in his golems, and they were smooth enough to look human, if not for the color of it dirt. So he coated it with a thin layer of iron. For the mana stones to become the cores, he used three in a simple array. One was a battery, another was a generator which gathered ambient mana and stored it in the array, and the third was the controller which he programmed with human movements. If he had to actually type out each thing like a program, he would have given up. But thanks to the magical thing called magic, he transferred the portion of information related to movement and whatnot directly into the controllers. Like that, he now had cute little anime-looking girls helping out here and there. Cleaning, tidying, moving things and so on. Reminded him of that anime, H*nd M*id M*y. And like this, another two weeks had passed while he played around. While Hiro sat admiring the dozen or so anime figures adorned with outfits made with magic, and the piles of mana crystals, he looked over the newest addition to his clearing which had become his living space. In a small spot where he had dug out about a meter deep to act like a bath, an iridescent blue was glowing. He now bathed in liquid mana, which he had made by condensing mana to the brim, as if it were water vapor, and let it coalesce into a liquid. The concentration was enough that it would probably kill anyone who drank it, since a glass of it was about the same quantity as a magus. He had a lot of time on his hands. Hell, he wouldnt be surprised if people became mana-drunk just by bathing in it. After all, people can get drunk by being in a sauna thats had alcohol spirits poured over the rocks. Oh, and the outside of the barrier had become a fog because of the high concentration of mana in the forest with him constantly living there. That also became a thing. Also, there were beasts with mana in them that had started appearing now and then, which he slaughtered and ate. Their meat was delicious. Monster? Nah, if his hypothesis was correct, monsters were created with mana and miasma. But there was only mana in his surroundings. So these would probably be classified as mana beasts. All their materials infused with traces of mana. By the way, what is miasma? Hiro still questioned this. Well, he could figure it out another day. He was having fun now. The peak of excitement, making all these interesting things. And rewatching anime. Cant forget about that. And also rewatching some hentai. His memory on that was especially stronger. Hes only human. Still got humanly desires and whatnot, after all. The peak of his enjoyment in this world so far, with no disturbances thanks to his doppels taking care of things for him. Truly, the peak. Because now The part of his world, his soul, his being, that had been given to Vila, who he always felt connected to just like all of his doppels Has vanished.