《Epic of Necessity》 Prologue Chronomagias Continent. A mythical land once connected all continents of the Fortis World that vanished thousands of years ago. It was a small piece of land, yet it was known as the "original" land - the source of all life in Fortis. With the birth of life, a mysterious power called *Mana* sprang forth, a substance with unexplainable origin. It shrouded the whole world, like it naturally existed. Together with the emergence of Mana is the appearance of various weapons of Fate called *Archaios*. Thousands of years later - men has occupied most of Fortis, people started to look for clues of the knowledge behind Mana, Archaios, and their own origins. Schools of thought started to bloom as people thirst for answers. Men started to have two beliefs - one believed that Mana and Archaios were blessings from higher existences, while the other thought it was a power residing within living beings took form. These major beliefs created two factions between intelligent beings - Technicia of North and Scribia of South. Technicia, who believed that men inherently has the power of Mana within them, originated from the Northern part of Fortis - the Great Lojuris Empire. Led by the Empress of the North - Lancesa Lojuris, the countries of the north prospered and started to leave the orthodox way of Mana Manipulation and integrated it with man-made weapons and tools which they called Magiatech. These tools can be used by using a precious stone imbued with mana called Colcum. Driven by the scarcity of Colcum in their territory, the North tried to invade the southern lands which was proven to be abundant of these materials. With the sharpest weapon - Archaios Blade "Lojuris" in hand, the Empress started her conquest to unify Fortis. The underdeveloped South, which was too weak to fend off the attacks of the North, created an alliance to fend off the foreign invaders, which created the Novem Deux Alliance. Instead of Magiatech, they studied the orthodox way of Mana Manipulation into its exteme depths, creating their own specializations - Scripts.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Even with the power of Scripts, the north still had the upper hand and slowly overpowered the south until one man by the name of Aleister Ravenworth of Janus Tribe, emerged and became the leader of the Alliance. Like the Empress of North, he acquired an Archaios - the Archaios Warstaff "Oulixes" which made him invincible against people without Archaios weapons. With both having Archaios weapons, the Empress and Aleister fought for ten days but none emerged victorious. Both were gravely injured, and the fight ultimately stopped the north''s conquest, stabilizing the territories of both world powers. May it be Magiatech or Scripts, none of them can rival Archaios weapons and it became an accepted fact in whole Fortis. Archaios weapons shows that people wielding them will become a unrivalled existences and capable of breaking the balance between men and the land. These weapons are scattered around Fortis, waiting for those who were chosen by Fate to have them. Even so, many years has passed, but no Archaios wielder has emerged... Third Fang of Leo, Fortis Year 220 of the Fortis Calendar... Fifty years has passed since the war between Great Lojuris Empire and Novem Deux Alliance has started, the North and South showed fast developments in their own specialties, in order to make a decisive blow against their enemy. Now and then, small wars were waged by both sides, testing the capabilities of each other. On one fated day, in the middle of the battlefield, they have seen a miracle in the form of a lone winged wanderer who hails from the land of Chronomagias appeared out of thin air, who spoke of a prophecy... "Land of Forgotten, hear thy word! Another wheel of fatewill appear, one unlike any other! With sun and moon in hand, ye will defend the land from an ancient catastrophe bound by primal chaos and morphing destruction! Ye will bring the Land back to its former greatness!" Like how he appeared, he vanished without a trace. Many took his words as a joke, but some unexpectedly believed him and moved in the shadows. They started to search for the so called "Another wheel of fate" but none of them knew where to start since the wanderer had already vanished. Nobody knew that the wheel of fate has started to move, commencing a new era in Fortis. Chapter 1 - A Life Drifting Away Five years after the wanderer''s announcement, in Spardis Continent''s Decurion Country... It is one of the poorest country within Spardis Continent and regarded as a wasteland by many people. Here lies the Leonid City, an average city near the North-South Border. Just outside the Leonid City, a little boy was holding his frail mother''s hand, running away from a group of burly men who had malicious grin on their faces. Their actions are like a cat playing with the mouse before eating it. The little boy''s name was Bellwick, a slave boy under the City Lord of Leonid City. His mother, Lecille, is also born as a slave and he inherited his mother''s status in the society. Once an impeccable beauty, Lecille is a kind but headstrong woman who follows her own beliefs. Unfortunately, the shackles of being a slave can''t be erased by will or hardwork and her personality became a curse instead of a boon. She was liked by her master, the present City Lord of Leonid City and became pregnant of his child. When the news has reached the City Mistress'' ears, she became infuriated and assaulted the pregnant Lecille. With a dagger in her hand, the City Mistress has wounded Lecille''s face which left a very deep scar. It can be easily removed by using healing spells, but being a slave and incapable of healing herself, she didn''t have the priviledge normal humans had. The City Lord tried to heal her, but the Mistress forbid him from doing anything. "If I ever see her face return back to normal, that would be the time I''ll commit suicide!" Because the Mistress is also the sister of the neighboring city''s City Lord, the Leonid City Lord was afraid to offend her and her family. He left the pregnant Lecille in the streets without any support for both Lecille and his child. With no place to go, Lecille became a person of the streets with no permanent home. With her precarious situation, she decided to enter a monastery in the slums. Few months after, she gave birth to a healthy Bellwick. She named her son Bellwick because his voice can be likened to a bell''s soothing chime and a wick of a candle believing that he will carry on her dreams of freedom and happiness. Everyday since the day Bellwick was born is a life full of happiness to Lecille. Even though she''s tired from working all day, just hearing her child''s chuckle will wash all her fatigue away. He was Lecille''s strength and savior, his existence is her proof and cause of living. Now, nine year has passed since Bellwick was born. The City Lord died but left no heirs to inherit his position as the City Lord. As the South has a tradition of crowning sons as heirs, Bellwick was no exception. The Mistress and the Lord only had a daughter two years younger than Bellwick. The Mistress knew Bellwick''s existence and realized that he would be in the way if people heard of his connection to the City Lord. The Mistress hired a group of mercenaries to kill both Lecille and Bellwick to ensure her daughter''s position, but one of her maidservant, who was actually a close friend of Lecille warned her of the Mistress'' plot. Lecille and Bellwick tried to escape, yet they were still tracked by the mercenaries and now being chased by them. The mercenaries were laughing while playfully chasing the mother and child. They were confident that both of them can''t escape from them, so they were letting them use all of their energy before killing them. The chase continued until they reached the forest just outside the city. Lecille was out of breath, but still smiled on her innocent child. "Little Bell, let''s play hide and seek." She gently patted Bellwick''s head and turned her back against him. "I''ll count to ten, and I''ll look for you after I count, okay?" The timid Bellwick looked at her mother''s back, nodded and ran clumsily in the forest. He may lack confidence in his self, but he always believed in her mother. He knew that she won''t let him alone and it''s just a game. About those big men who were chasing them, he belived that his mother can beat them up. "Mom is the greatest person! Those baddies would run away crying! They''ll get beaten by Mom!" Seeing her son disappear into the woods, tears fell from Lecille''s eyes as she thought of her child''s future. "Be free, Bellwick. Sorry because Mom won''t be by your side as you grow up... Sorry because you were born as a slave... Sorry that you have to experience everything like this because I''m powerless... I''m sorry..." Lecille closed her eyes as she thought of her whole life. It was a bittersweet life full of ups and downs. "I don''t want it to end like this... I don''t want to!"Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Before she knew it, a flash of light has appeared in front of her. It was in shape of human, but its features aren''t visible because of the intense light shrouding it. Lecille was about to speak but the mysterious being interrupted her by speaking in a voice of a playful little girl. "Oh? I sensed a powerful soul here... Ah?! An ugly woman!" Little by little, the blinding light around the being disappeared, replacing it was a little girl with black hair and a pair of heterochromatic eyes. Her left eye was purple while the other was gold. Her angelic face and petite body will make one think she''ll turn into a wonderful woman when she grows up, but her aura and bearing stated otherwise. "W-Who are you?" The first one to speak was the leader of the mercenaries. Being in the business for god knows how long, it can be said that he met many kinds of people. Incidentally, he knew that this young girl isn''t someone that they could offend because of her overwhelming aura that makes him conscious of his own breathing rhythm. "Oh? Bugs are following you?" The little girl nonchalantly looked behind Lecille as she saw the group of mercenaries. "I''m in a good mood, so I''ll let you guys leave. If you don''t scram within ten seconds, don''t blame me for being ruthless." She spoke carelessly, but most of the mercenaries knew the weight behind her words. "D-Don''t f*ck with us! I''ll show you the power of Leplar Mercenaries!" The only one who can''t read the mood was the thick-headed brother of the leader as he charge with an axe in hand towards Lecille. Before the leader could stop him, the little girl suddenly moved her hand. "Gaaaaah!" "No! Targ!" Two daggers flew towards Targ''s face, accurately flying towards his eyes. Everyone''s face paled as if they saw a ghost. Instead of killing Targ, she only blinded him giving him a chance to recover his eyesight if healed immediately. "Incredible aiming and power control... is this girl even human?" Only pinnacle-level warriors can execute these kinds of ability, but this young girl looks like she''s only around ten to eleven years old. Fear was struck towards everyone in the area. The leader hastily grabbed his brother away, who was still grimacing in the floor because of the pain inflicted to him. "We''re leaving!" The Leader commanded his men and left without complaints. Even if they wanted pursue the little girl to give up the woman, they couldn''t do so because they don''t have the ability to do it. After seeing the mercenaries leave, the young girl returned her gaze to Lecille. "Hey, are you alright?" Lecille was still in a daze, confused and thought she was dreaming. She only snapped out of it when the girl spoke to her. "I-I''m fine. Thank you for saving me... I should find my son..." Lecille was at loss on where to start looking. This forest of Leonid City is also known as "Mischief Forest" because many has lost their way when they enter the forest. The only way to come back safely from this forest is by setting up a rope that will let one retrace their steps back. Since they entered the forest accidentally, both Lucille and Bellwick are surely affected by the mysterious power of the forest. Lecille was about to move, but the little girl warned her. "You won''t find him anymore. With your current condition, you''ll just kill yourself. You have been maimed by a poisonous arrow at your heel, so it''s either poison or bloodloss which will be the cause of your death." "E-Even so-!" "Don''t worry. That kid won''t die here. I don''t see Death Mana lingering around, so I''m sure you''ll see him again. One shouldn''t think of saving others if they can''t save themselves." Then the little girl held her hand towards herself and spoke proudly. "I am Gracia Lunastella." With another wave of her hand, a strong mana surrounded Lecille, purifying her whole body. The poison already disappeared, but the wound was too deep so it took long before it healed. Her scar which was a result of being a slave already disappeared, revealing her beauty. She was still pale of losing too much blood, but she could now properly stand. "Not bad! So this is your true appearance! I can say your beauty is second to mine, but it''s still not bad!" The little girl smiled sweetly as she proudly patted her chest. Lecille still can''t believe as she touched her face. Nine years... it''s been more than nine years since she last saw her true face. It may have aged a little, but the immaturity of her face before already disappeared, showing a mature face. If she told people that she didn''t have a child, no one would doubt her words because of her appearance alone can deceive them. "Follow me, and you will get everything this world has rejected you from having. Power, Fame, Fortune, or even Freedom! If you''re lucky, you''ll find your son again! Do you want to be this powerless when both of you meet again?" Freedom... chance to see her son Bellwick again... and the power to protect him from everything that could harm both of them... these promises are enough for her make a decisions she won''t ever regret. "I, Lecille, is born a slave and had no family name. Me and my son was hunted because of my son''s relation to someone I despised. If you don''t care of my own past, I won''t pursue it any further and wholeheartedly follow you." She kneeled towards Gracia, but she felt no shame doing it. In this world, as long as you''re strong, age is just a trifling matter. Strength is the only absolute. Gracia saw Lecille''s sincerity and nodded in approval. She might have detected her by accident, but if she didn''t like Lecille''s personality, she would outrightly leave her in the forest. To her, followers are as many as the sand and as numerous as the stars, but followers worthy of trust can be only counted by one hand. "Do you want me to make a move against those who ordered those men to chase you?" "No. This is my own problem. Revenge is something I should do with my own hands." Grace became satisfied to her answers. Revenge shall be something done by blooding one''s own hands, not of other person. "Let''s go, Lecille. I spent to long in this place. If this get into that Old Crow''s ears, I don''t know if I could protect you." Lecille was unaware of the identity of the person Gracia was talking about, but if there is a knowledgeable person around, they will know that Gracia was talking about the leader of Novem Deux Alliance, Aleister Ravenworth. "Y-Yes, Master." "Oh, you should call me Lady Gracia instead of Master. I don''t really like being called that way." "As you wish, Lady Gracia." "Hold on my hand." Gracia held out her hand towards Lecille. "I''m sorry, Bellwick... I don''t have the power to protect you... Please be safe... I promise that I will find you... If something bad happens to you... Death will be the sweetest word those people will hear when I return!" Lecille vowed to her heart as she held Gracia''s hand. In that instant, a bright light emerged and disappeared as if nothing happened. Chapter 2 - Little Machi Appears After the two disappeared, the mercenaries started to speak with each other. They noticed that a light appeared and disappeared, making them think that the little girl and Lecille already left. "Boss, should we go back?" The most intelligent among the mercenaries, Klirk asked their Leader as he walked beside him. The Leader listens to him most of the time since he always save their group because of his ideas. If only he was a little stronger than the Leader, the whole group will give the position of Leader to him. "Hmm? Do you have something in mind?" "I think that we should start a search on the boy. Our real target is that kid, the woman''s just a bonus. We can let the woman away, but that boy should be killed or it''s our head which will roll. The woman was wounded with a poisonous arrow so I think those two left to get that woman treated. The little girl might be a powerful warrior, but even if you add the time she was still a baby, she wouldn''t be an expert of both weaponry and magic in that short time! I think she has a Magic Tool in her disposal. We should find the boy before they could and leave this city... no, this country altogether! I heard that the City Mistress came from the neighbor city, so staying in this country would spell trouble if this matter get out. The little girl''s background is also extraordinary based on her bearing, so if the woman wanted revenge, we would be the ones who will suffer greatly." All of his words were plausible since all of them knew of the City Mistress'' temper and also saw the little girl''s bearing. They immediately approved Klirk''s word and looked towards their Leader with expectant eyes. The Leader looked at his brother and steeled his heart. He couldn''t bear to leave his brother right now, but this problem was something they themselves caused so he can''t turn their backs to this job now. "You, bring my brother to Mr. Rupert! If something happens to him, you know what will happen!" He pointed to one of the greenhorns, who instantly shivered in fear. Mr. Rupert is the best healer in the city and since most of mercenaries can only use weapons and basic magic, these kind of cases are left to the hands of Mr. Rupert. The greenhorn supported Targ''s body as they left the area. After seeing the two off, the Leader spoke in an imposing manner. "Boys! This time, we should learn from this lesson! We can''t play around our prey or it would be us who will become prey! If you see they boy, kill him immediately! The one who will get his head first will get a higher share on the reward!" Meanwhile, their target was lost in the forest while waiting for his mother to find him. He was walking around for a while until he felt that his feet were giving up. Then, he saw a tree which had a large hole on its trunk. It was large enough for hide Bellwick, so he crawled as he entered inside. "I bet Mom''s still looking for me..." He sat there and waited. One hour... Two hours... it continued until five hours had already passed. "I''m hungry..." Bellwick suddenly felt hungry. It was already noon, he and her mother escaped before they could even eat their breakfast, so the last time he ate was last night. Being unable to afford a decent meal and he was a growing kid, its not unavoidable for him to be hungry right now. "Right! Since Mom''s the one always looking for me, why don''t I suprise her instead! Hehehe~!" He was about to leave the hole but he felt something beside him. It was a little pebble embedded on the base of the tree. He accidentally placed his hand as he prepared to leave the hole. Suddenly, a pressuring aura has surrounded the forest. Every inhabitant of the forest - from birds to land animals - left the forest, fearing that they would lose their lives if they stayed. The landscape gradually changed. The previously large forest turned into a plain. It was no normal plain, for every corner of this plain had a weapon embedded on it. Axes, swords, spears, and even shields can be seen. It was like an ancient battlefield, with the exception that one wouldn''t find remains of either human nor beasts in the vicinity. In the middle of the plain was Bellwick, still on his knees while facing an awe-inspiring yet weird weapon which was struck into the ground. It was in a form of a sword, yet it had twenty-two circular spaces inside - a quality that staffs and magical devices only had. Most of them were empty, except for the three slots within it. These small spherical balls have certain unique charms when one looks at them. "Look! There''s the godd*mned boy! Get him!" Bellwick was still in a daze when a voice of one of his and his mother''s pursuers entered his ears. Bellwick sprang up into his feet and looked at the bloodshot eyes of his pursuers. "I don''t know what sorcery had you done to this place, but you''ll die soon! Your mother already left you in this blasted place so be obedient and let me kill you! Hahaha!" The deranged man charged towards Bellwick. Bellwick was still at loss when he heard the man''s words. His body lost its strength and his eyes lost its luster, as he found no hope in life anymore. His mlMom left behind, so in his mind, he thought of the worst scenario that could happen. "N-No.... Noooooooo!" His voice was weak since he already wasted his energy after walking and waiting for his mother for hours. It was not enough to struck fear into the charging man''s heart but it was enough to make a miracle happen. ¡¶Fingerprint required. Hold the HILT to REBOOT.¡· A woman''s voice came out from the weapon. It was cold and monotonous voice. Bellwick returned to his senses, shocked and turned his head back to the sword. There, he saw the world turn black and white. The charging man''s axe was suspended above his head, stopped before it could chop his head into two. The other mercenaries can be seen around the area, most of them with smiles on their faces. Bellwick moved his body away from the axe and looked at the sword embbeded into the ground. ¡¶Fingerprint required. Hold the HILT to REBOOT.¡· Bellwick didn''t notice that his hand was reaching out towards the sword''s hilt. When he got hold of it, a small pin pierced a small layer of his forefinger''s skin, making a small amount of blood come in contact with the sword. The blood instantly vanished and the voice returned without any change in tone. ¡¶ Blood Sample retrieved. ¡· ¡¶ Checking compatibility... ¡· ¡¶ Compatibility at 68.39% - Rating = Fine Match. ¡· ¡¶ MACHINA System - Ready to go Online. ¡· A large number of words emerged as Bellwick remained holding the sword. It was from a foreign language, but even if it is from Fortis'' common language, he wouldn''t be able to read it because he didn''t have someone to teach him, however these word are some kind of a part of in After the two disappeared, the mercenaries started to speak with each other. They noticed that a light appeared and disappeared, making them think that the little girl and Lecille already left. "Boss, should we go back?" The most intelligent among the mercenaries, Klirk asked their Leader as he walked beside him. The Leader listens to him most of the time since he always save their group because of his ideas. If only he was a little stronger than the Leader, the whole group will give the position of Leader to him. "Hmm? Do you have something in mind?" "I think that we should start a search on the boy. Our real target is that kid, the woman''s just a bonus. We can let the woman away, but that boy should be killed or it''s our head which will roll. The woman was wounded with a poisonous arrow so I think those two left to get that woman treated. The little girl might be a powerful warrior, but even if you add the time she was still a baby, she wouldn''t be an expert of both weaponry and magic in that short time! I think she has a Magic Tool in her disposal. We should find the boy before they could and leave this city... no, this country altogether! I heard that the City Mistress came from the neighbor city, so staying in this country would spell trouble if this matter get out. The little girl''s background is also extraordinary based on her bearing, so if the woman wanted revenge, we would be the ones who will suffer greatly." All of his words were plausible since all of them knew of the City Mistress'' temper and also saw the little girl''s bearing. They immediately approved Klirk''s word and looked towards their Leader with expectant eyes. The Leader looked at his brother and steeled his heart. He couldn''t bear to leave his brother right now, but this problem was something they themselves caused so he can''t go back to his job now. "You, bring my brother to Mr. Rupert! If something happens to him, you know what will happen!" He pointed to one of the greenhorns, who instantly shivered in fear. Mr. Rupert is the best healer in the city and since most of mercenaries can only use weapons and basic magic, these kind of cases are left to the hands of Mr. Rupert. The greenhorn supported Targ''s body as they left the area. After seeing the two off, the Leader spoke in an imposing manner. "Boys! This time, we should learn from this lesson! We can''t play around our prey or it would be us who will become prey! If you see they boy, kill him immediately! The one who''l8l get his head first will get a higher share on the reward!" Meanwhile, their target was lost in the forest while waiting for her mother to find her. He was walking around for a while until he felt that his feet were giving up. Then, he saw a tree which had a large hole on its trunk. It was large enough for hide Bellwick, so he crawled as he entered inside. "I bet Mom''s still looking for me..." He sat there and waited. One hour... Two hours... it continued until Five hours had passed. "I''m hungry..." Bellwick suddenly felt hungry. It was already noon, he and her mother escaped before they could even eat their breakfast, so the last time he ate was last night. Being unable to afford a decent meal and he was a growing kid, its not unavoidable for him to be hungry right now. "Right! Since Mom''s the one always looking for me, why don''t I suprise her instead! Hehehe~!" He was about to leave the hole but he felt something beside him. It was a little pebble embedded on the base of the tree. He accidentally placed his hand as he prepared to leave the hole. Suddenly, a pressuring aura has surrounded the forest. Every inhabitant of the forest - from birds to land animals - left the forest, fearing that they would lose their lives if they stayed. The landscape gradually changed. The previously large forest turned into a plain. It was no normal plain, for every corner of this plain had a weapon embedded on it. Axes, swords, spears, and even shields can be seen. It was like an ancient battlefield, with the exception that one wouldn''t find remains of either human nor beasts in the vicinity. In the middle of the plain was Bellwick, still on his knees while facing an awe-inspiring yet weird weapon which was struck into the ground. It was in a form of a sword, yet it had twenty-two circular spaces inside - a quality that staffs and magical devices only had. Most of them were empty, except for the three slots within it. These small spherical balls have certain unique charms when one looks at them. "Look! There''s the godd*mned boy! Get him!" Bellwick was still in a daze when a voice of one of his and his mother''s pursuers entered his ears. Bellwick sprang up into his feet and looked at the bloodshot eyes of his pursuers. "I don''t know what sorcery had you done to this place, but you''ll die soon! Your mother already left you in this blasted place so be obedient and let me kill you! Hahaha!" The deranged man charged towards Bellwick. Bellwick was still at loss when he heard the man''s words. His body lost its strength and his eyes lost its luster, as he found no hope in life anymore. "N-No.... Noooooooo!" His voice was weak since he already wasted his energy after walking and waiting for his mother for hours. It was not enough to struck fear into the charging man''s heart but it was enough to make a miracle happen. ¡¶Fingerprint required. Hold the HILT to REBOOT.¡· A woman''s voice came out from the weapon. It was cold and monotonous voice. Bellwick returned to his senses, shocked and turned his head back to the sword. There, he saw the world turn black and white. The charging man''s axe was suspended above his head, stopped before it could chop his head into two. The other mercenaries can be seen around the area, most of them with smiles on their faces. Bellwick moved his body away from the axe and looked at the sword embbeded into the ground. ¡¶Fingerprint required. Hold the HILT to REBOOT.¡· Bellwick didn''t notice that his hand was reaching out towards the sword''s hilt. When he got hold of it, a small pin pierced a small layer of his forefinger''s skin, making a small amount of blood come in contact with the sword. The blood instantly vanished and the voice returned without any change in tone. ¡¶ Blood Sample retrieved. ¡· ¡¶ Checking compatibility... ¡·Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡¶ Compatibility at 68.39% - Rating = Fine Match. ¡· ¡¶ MACHINA System - Ready to go Online. ¡· A large number of words emerged as Bellwick remained holding the sword. It was from a foreign language, but even if it is from Fortis'' common language, he wouldn''t be able to read it because he didn''t have someone to teach him, however these word are some kind of a natural part of instinct, something that he didn''t need to learn and knew how to understand them unconsciously. ¡¶ Do you want to see a new future? Yes or No? ¡· "A new future..?" A world without his Mom and just knowing that he would continue living without her... for him, that future can''t be called a futute anymore. "Can you give back Mom?" That is the only question he wanted to ask and have answer. It was enough. ¡¶ Answer: Yes.¡· ¡¶ Explanation: Everything that existed in the past can be returned. Warning! Memories during the "Blank Time" can''t be filled. Slight time disorientation can be felt by the target. "Blank Time" means period of non-existence of the target. ¡· ¡¶ Requirement: All Arcana Stones and 100% - Perfect Match Compatibility. ¡· Many technical terms had emerged which none of it was understood by Bellwick, however he saw everything that he needed. "Y-Yes, I want a future with Mom." A world without his mother is not a future he wanted to accept. ¡¶ Confirmation has received. ¡· ¡¶ Establishing covenant. ¡· A large array of symbols had emerged on the ground. It started to rotate with the intensity of the pressure emitted by it. Bellwick''s blood suddenly boiled and his body ached like it was pricked by thousands of needles. ¡¶ Covenant complete. ¡· ¡¶ ¡ö ¡õ ¡õ Rebooting... ¡· ¡¶ ¡ö ¡ö ¡õ Checking system... ¡· ¡¶ ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö Complete. ¡· ¡¶ MACHINA System is now operational. ¡· ¡¶ Human form can be used. Proceed? Yes or No?¡· The sword spoke continuosly until it gave Bellwick choices. He was shocked about a sword turning into a human, however he thought that it would be awkward to continue speaking with a sword, so he approved the idea. "Uh... Yes, Please." ¡¶ Affirmative. ¡· ¡¶ Initiating structural reconstruction. ¡· The sword starts to disintegrate until nothing was left. It was then replaced by a black spherical mass of matter suspended mid-air that absorbed the mana around the place. It suddenly showed cracks, which emitted blinding light. Bellwick can''t take it anymore and covered his eyes in reflex. The light dissipated, which was replaced by a cute little girl with blue hair and azure eyes wearing a frilly white dress. With her appearance, Bellwick thought that she was the same age as her. Her hair was tied into two pigtails, making her impression different from the cold voice earlier. She fell with arms outstretched, expecting Bellwick to catch her. Even though he''s already weak, Bellwick outstretched his arms, only to find out that the girl almost had no weight behind her. The girl left Bellwick''s embrace, but her cheeks turned slightly red. She regained her composure and made a curtsy. "Nice to meet you, Master!" A cheerful voice replaced the monotonous voice. Vigor and happiness can be felt from it. If one would compare the two, the previous one is the coldest winter while the current one is a bright sun during summer. "M-Master?" Bellwick was at loss on how to respond. Living as a slave for his entire life, he never dreamed of being called Master by someone, especially an elegant, rich-looking girl who was about his age. Comparing his present appearance to her, he was dirt that could only corrupt this ethereal beauty in front of him. "Yes! Master is Master so I called Master Master!" She spoke like there was nothing wrong about her reasoning and smiled sweetly. The girl''s smile was captivating and has the feeling of innocence. Bellwick had the characteristic of a child on accepting unexpected events like it was normal, but has the growing kid''s capacity to be embarrased in front of new people. "I-I''m not a master. I''m Bellwick." "So Master wants Machi call Master Bellwick?" The little girl named Machi tilted head in confusion. Unlike Bellwick, she didn''t seem to have an interest on the situation but was more interested on her master. "Y-Yes... You can also call me Bell if you like..." Machi pondered and she tried to understand her master''s words. After a few seconds, her confused expression turned into a bright one, as if she was enlightened by Bellwick''s words. "Machi understands! I will call Master Bellwick!" "Mhm!" Bellwick thought that Machi has understood him, but soon rejected that idea. "Master Bellwick" Bellwick thought it was hopeless. He can''t understand what''s on Machi''s head. He used all his courage previously, so he was all burned up to continue arguing. "Master Bellwick woke me up so Machi will follow Master Bellwick forever! Oh?" It was then that she noticed the other humans around them. "Machi detected bloodthirst and killing intentcon those big men! Are they enemies, Master Bellwick?" After being reminded by Machi, Bellwick looked at man who was about to cleave his head into half. He look at them with hatred, but his fear and despair was still there. Even though they weren''t moving, Bellwick was still wary of them. "They''re enemies! They killed Mom! Let''s run, Machi!" He wanted to avenge, but he was afraid that because of him, Machi will get involved. "Eh? But..." Bellwick grabbed Machi''s hand and dashed away without a certain destination in his mind. He just wanted to live and bring back his mother. "Oh well, if Master Bellwick is set on running, Machi won''t be against it. Master Bellwick should use Machi!" "Use... you?" Bellwick thought that the sword previously was an illusion and the real body is Machi, so he didn''t thought that Machi would say something like that. "Just call my true name! I''ll hear your voice wherever you are!" "Machi''s real name... Machina!" ¡¶ MACHINA System initiated.¡· A holographic screen suddenly appeared in front of Bellwick. It consists of large combination of letters and numbers. What caught his attention was a picture of his present self and the descriptions below it. ???????????????????????????????????????????????? ? Name: ¡¶ Bellwick ¡· ? Level:¡¶ 1 ¡· ? Age: ¡¶ 9 ¡· ? Race: ¡¶ Human ¡· ? Specialization: ¡¶ None ¡· ? Condition: ¡¶ Exhausted, Hungry ¡· ? Status: ?¡¶ Strength :¡î¡· ?¡¶ Intelligence: ¡î¡· ?¡¶ Dexterity: ¡ï¡· ?¡¶ Agility: ¡ï¡· ? Attributes: ?¡¶ Fire ¡ú ¡î¡· ?¡¶ Air ¡ú ¡î¡· ?¡¶ Water ¡ú ¡ï¡· ?¡¶ Earth ¡ú ¡î ¡· ? Magic: ?¡¶ None ¡· ? Special Skills: ?¡øBellwick ?¡¶ Zeroth''s Throne ¡· ?¡øMachina ?¡¶ Machina #7: Chariot¡· ?¡¶ Machina #14: Temperance¡· ?¡¶ Machina #21: World¡· ? ¡¶ Machina Special Effect 1: Transfiguration ¡· ? ? Equips: ? ¡øWeapon: ¡¶ (Incomplete) Archaios Machina ¡· ? ¡øUpper Body: ¡¶ Old Leather Shirt ¡· ? ¡øLower Body: ¡¶ Ragged Pants ¡· ? ¡øHeadgear: ¡¶ None ¡· ? ¡øGloves: ¡¶ None ¡· ? ¡øFootwear: ¡¶ None ¡· ? ¡øAccessory A: ¡¶ None ¡· ? ¡øAccessory B: ¡¶ None ¡· ???????????????????????????????????????????????? P ¡ú Passive , A ¡ú Active , A.B ¡ú Active Backlash , A.L ¡ú Active Limit ¡¶ Zeroth''s Throne¡· P? Ability to turn pressure into experience ? A? (Fragment) Gains strength in front of danger ? A.B? Enters a brief [Vulnerable] state, Defense - 70% ? ¡¶ Machina #7: Chariot¡· P? Increases Movespeed by 30% ? A? Ability to run any object regarded as [Vehicle] ? ¡¶ Machina #14: Temperance¡· P? Increase Mental Strength by 30% ? A? Ability to resist all Mind-related spells ? ¡¶ Machina #21: World¡· P? Increase Mana Regeneration by 30% ? A? Ability to see through every qualities of the target ? ¡¶ Machina Special Effect 1: Transfiguration ¡· P? Unable to wear any [Weapon] item category ? A? Ability to turn [Machina] into a race akin to user ? A.L? Age limited to user''s age ? A? Ability to turn [Machina] into a weapon? A.L? Weapon Strength depends on Weapon Mastery ? A.L? [Katana], [Dagger], and [Spear] are available ? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? "Zeroth''s throne?" Bellwick was browsing through his stats when he saw a skill which he didn''t know that he possessed itself. ¡¶ Query Received. Analyze?¡· "A-Analyze?" ¡¶ Analysis permitted. Analyzing... Complete. ¡· ¡¶ Zeroth''s Throne is an Unique Innate Ability once possessed by ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ¡· After that brief description, long lines of boxes suddenly appeared. "W-What''s happening?" ¡¶ Unique Innate Ability Data Corrupted. ¡· Bellwick didn''t understood any of it, but he knew that there''s something wrong. He decided to stop it before something bad happens to Machi. "S-Stop!" ¡¶ Analyzation Aborted. ¡· Bellwick sighed in relief. He suddenly noticed that time was already returned to normal. He was already far from his pursuers since never stopped running the whole time. His body''s adrenaline ceased, making his body ache all over. He dragged his weakened body under a nearby trench, praying that his pursuers wont see him. "M-Machi..." Before he lose his consciousness, he called out the blue-haired girl, whose smile stopped his mind from breaking down. He waited for a few seconds, but no one responded. "M-Machi?" He became nervous. He thought that everything that happened this day was far from real. His mother''s death, him being pursued for no reason, and him acquiring Machina, which led him on meeting Machi. ¡¶ Don''t worry, Master Bellwick. Machi''s here. ¡· The cold voice was coming from the ordinary-looking dagger beside him. He took it and lifted it up high. "Is this a dream?" ¡¶ Even if it''s a dream, Machi won''t leave. ¡· ¡¶ Even if Master hate me, Machi won''t leave ¡· ¡¶ Even if Master hate the world, Machi is here. ¡· The blade glowed briefly, but returned to it''s former form. An etherial image of Machi appeared and placed the weak Bellwick''s head in her lap. ¡¶ Machi will never leave Master Bellwick. Ever.¡· stinct, something that he didn''t need to learn and knew how to understand them unconsciously. ¡¶ Do you want to see a new future? Yes or No? ¡· "A new future..?" A world without his Mom and just knowing that he would continue living without her... that future can''t be called a futute anymore. "Can you give back Mom?" That is the only question he wanted to ask and have answer. It was enough. ¡¶ Answer: Yes.¡· ¡¶ Explanation: Everything that existed in the past can be returned. Warning! Memories during the "Blank Time" can''t be filled. Slight time disorientation can be felt by the target. "Blank Time" means period of non-existence of the target. ¡· ¡¶ Requirement: All Arcana Stones and 100% - Perfect Match Compatibility. ¡· Many technical terms had emerged which none of it was understood by Bellwick, however he saw everything that he needed. "Y-Yes, I want a future with Mom." A world without his mother is not a future he wanted to accept. He didn''t know ¡¶ Confirmation has received. ¡· ¡¶ Establishing covenant. ¡· A large array of symbols had emerged on the ground. It started to rotate with the intensity of the pressure emitted by it. Bellwick''s blood suddenly boiled and his body ached like it was pricked by thousands of needles. ¡¶ Covenant complete. ¡· ¡¶ ¡ö ¡õ ¡õ Rebooting... ¡· ¡¶ ¡ö ¡ö ¡õ Checking system... ¡· ¡¶ ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö Complete. ¡· ¡¶ MACHINA System is now operational. ¡· ¡¶ Human form can be used. Proceed? Yes or No?¡· The sword spoke continuosly until it gave Bellwick choices. He was shocked about a sword turning into a human, however he thought that it would be awkward to continue speaking with a sword, so he approved the idea. "Uh... Yes, Please." ¡¶ Affirmative. ¡· ¡¶ Initiating structural reconstruction. ¡· The sword starts to disintegrate until nothing was left. It was then replaced by a black spherical mass of matter suspended mid-air that absorbed the mana around the place. It suddenly showed cracks, which emitted blinding light. Bellwick can''t take it anymore and covered his eyes in reflex. The light dissipated, which was replaced by a cute little girl with blue hair and azure eyes wearing a frilly white dress. With her appearance, Bellwick thought that she was the same age as her. Her hair was tied into two, making her impression different from the cold voice earlier. She fell with arms outstretched, expecting Bellwick to catch her. Even though he''s already weak, Bellwick outstretched his arms, only to find out that the girl almost had no weight behind her. The girl left Bellwick''s embrace, but her cheeks turned slightly red. She regained her composure and made a curtsy. "Nice to meet you, Master!" A cheerful voice replaced the monotonous voice. Vigor and happiness can be felt from it. If one would compare the two, the previous one is the coldest winter while the current one is a bright sun during summer. "M-Master?" Bellwick was at loss on how to respond. Living as a slave for his entire life, he never dreamed of being called Master by someone, especially an elegant, rich-looking girl who was about his age. Comparing his present appearance to her, he was dirt that could only corrupt this ethereal beauty in front of him. "Yes! Master is Master so I called Master Master!" She spoke like there was nothing wrong about her reasoning and smiled sweetly. The girl''s smile was captivating and has the feeling of innocence. Bellwick had the characteristic of a child on accepting unexpected events like it was normal, but has the growing kid''s capacity to be embarrased in front of new people. "I-I''m not a master. I''m Bellwick." "So Master wants Machi call Master Bellwick?" The little girl named Machi tilted head in confusion. Unlike Bellwick, she didn''t seem to have an interest on the situation but was more interested on her master. "Y-Yes... You can also call me Bell if you like..." Machi pondered and she tried to understand her master''s words. After a few seconds, her confused expression turned into a bright one, as if she was enlightened by Bellwick''s words. "Machi understands! I will call Master Bellwick!" "Mhm!" Bellwick thought that Machi has understood him, but soon rejected that idea. "Master Bellwick" Bellwick thought it was hopeless. He can''t understand what''s on Machi''s head. He used all his courage previously, so he was burned up to continue. "Master Bellwick woke me up so Machi will follow Master Bellwick forever! Oh?" It was then that she noticed the other humans around them. "Machi detected bloodthirst and killing intentcon those big men! Are they enemies, Master Bellwick?" After being reminded by Machi, Bellwick looked at man who was about to cleave his head into half. He look at them with hatred, but his fear and despair was still there. Even though they weren''t moving, Bellwick was still wary of them. "They''re enemies! They killed Mom! Let''s run, Machi!" He wanted to avenge, but he was afraid that because of him, Machi will get involved. "Eh? But..." Bellwick grabbed Machi''s hand and dashed away without a certain destination in his mind. He just wanted to live and bring back his mother. "Oh well, if Master Bellwick is set on running, Machi won''t be against it. Master Bellwick should use Machi!" "Use... you?" Bellwick thought that the sword previously was an illusion and the real body is Machi, so he didn''t thought that Machi would say something like that. "Just call my true name! I''ll hear your voice wherever you are!" "Machi''s real name... Machina!" ¡¶ MACHINA System initiated.¡· A holographic screen suddenly appeared in front of Bellwick. It consists of large combination of letters and numbers. What caught his attention was a picture of his present self and the descriptions below it. ???????????????????????????????????????????????? ? Name: ¡¶ Bellwick ¡· ? Level:¡¶ 1 ¡· ? Age: ¡¶ 9 ¡· ? Race: ¡¶ Human ¡· ? Specialization: ¡¶ None ¡· ? Condition: ¡¶ Exhausted, Hungry ¡· ? Status: ?¡¶ Strength :¡î¡· ?¡¶ Intelligence: ¡î¡· ?¡¶ Dexterity: ¡ï¡· ?¡¶ Agility: ¡ï¡· ? Attributes: ?¡¶ Fire ¡ú ¡î¡· ?¡¶ Air ¡ú ¡î¡· ?¡¶ Water ¡ú ¡ï¡· ?¡¶ Earth ¡ú ¡î ¡· ? Magic: ?¡¶ None ¡· ? Special Skills: ?¡øBellwick ?¡¶ Zeroth''s Throne ¡· ?¡øMachina ?¡¶ Machina #7: Chariot¡· ?¡¶ Machina #14: Temperance¡· ?¡¶ Machina #21: World¡· ? ¡¶ Machina Special Effect 1: Transfiguration ¡· ? ? Equips: ? ¡øWeapon: ¡¶ (Incomplete) Archaios Machina ¡· ? ¡øUpper Body: ¡¶ Old Leather Shirt ¡· ? ¡øLower Body: ¡¶ Ragged Pants ¡· ? ¡øHeadgear: ¡¶ None ¡· ? ¡øGloves: ¡¶ None ¡· ? ¡øFootwear: ¡¶ None ¡· ? ¡øAccessory A: ¡¶ None ¡· ? ¡øAccessory B: ¡¶ None ¡· ???????????????????????????????????????????????? P ¡ú Passive , A ¡ú Active , A.B ¡ú Active Backlash , A.L ¡ú Active Limit ¡¶ Zeroth''s Throne¡· P? Ability to turn pressure into experience ? A? (Fragment) Gains strength in front of danger ? A.B? Enters a brief [Vulnerable] state, Defense - 70% ? ¡¶ Machina #7: Chariot¡· P? Increases Movespeed by 30% ? A? Ability to run any object regarded as [Vehicle] ? ¡¶ Machina #14: Temperance¡· P? Increase Mental Strength by 30% ? A? Ability to resist all Mind-related spells ? ¡¶ Machina #21: World¡· P? Increase Mana Regeneration by 30% ? A? Ability to see through every qualities of the target ? ¡¶ Machina Special Effect 1: Transfiguration ¡· P? Unable to wear any [Weapon] item category ? A? Ability to turn [Machina] into a race akin to user ? A.L? Age limited to user''s age ? A? Ability to turn [Machina] into a weapon? A.L? Weapon Strength depends on Weapon Mastery ? A.L? [Katana], [Dagger], and [Spear] are available ? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? "Zeroth''s throne?" Bellwick was browsing through his stats when he saw a skill which he didn''t know that he possessed itself. ¡¶ Query Received. Analyze?¡· "A-Analyze?" ¡¶ Analysis permitted. Analyzing... Complete. ¡· ¡¶ Zeroth''s Throne is an Unique Innate Ability once possessed by ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ¡· After that brief description, long lines of boxes suddenly appeared. "W-What''s happening?" ¡¶ Unique Innate Ability Data Corrupted. ¡· Bellwick didn''t understood any of it, but he knew that there''s something wrong. He decided to stop it before something bad happens to Machi. "S-Stop!" ¡¶ Analyzation Aborted. ¡· Bellwick sighed in relief. He suddenly noticed that time was already returned to normal. He was already far from his pursuers since never stopped running the whole time. His body''s adrenaline ceased, making his body ache all over. He dragged his weakened body under a nearby trench, praying that his pursuers wont see him. "M-Machi..." Before he lose his consciousness, he called out the blue-haired girl, whose smile stopped his mind from breaking down. He waited for a few seconds, but no one responded. "M-Machi?" He became nervous. He thought that everything that happened this day was far from real. His mother''s death, him being pursued for no reason, and him acquiring Machina, which led him on meeting Machi. ¡¶ Don''t worry, Master Bellwick. Machi''s here. ¡· The cold voice was coming from the ordinary-looking dagger beside him. He took it and lifted it up high. "Is this a dream?" ¡¶ Even if it''s a dream, Machi won''t leave. ¡· ¡¶ Even if Master hate me, Machi won''t leave ¡· ¡¶ Even if Master hate the world, Machi is here. ¡· The blade glowed briefly, but returned to it''s former form. An etherial image of Machi appeared and placed the weak Bellwick''s head in her lap. ¡¶ Machi will never leave Master Bellwick. Ever.¡· Chapter 3 - Advent of a Young Master "Are you sure that we''ll need to circle a so-called Leonid Forest? I don''t see any forest, but a vast wasteland!" The boy complained to his old carriage driver, who was flipping the map non-stop like a deranged man. "Young Master, I bought this map from Leonid City because most of the residents said that the forest outside is a natural maze! I don''t think that they''re speaking nonsense since the forest was known for its devilish mischief even by neighboring city!" "Well? Where''s that devilish forest now?" "T-That''s..." The boy sighed in resignation. He was travelling with this man for a while now so he knew that the man was being careful around him because of his bearing. They continued to travel the boundless wasteland which was supposedly Leonid Forest when they saw a group of men with large bodies, as if looking for something. They number around twenty and each of them were emitting killing intent. The driver decided to steer away from them, but they were still noticed by them. "Halt!" The driver became nervous. By looks alone, one could think that these men are either bandits or mercenaries. These two group of people are always unreasonable, so he didn''t resist any further and stopped the carriage. "G-Good day? What''s up?" The driver tried to initiate a friendly conversation with them, but noticed that it was ineffective. "Have you seen a boy with black hair and amber eyes, who was wearing ragged clothing around here? It was a slave of our Master who escaped a while ago. We need to take him at all cost." Instead of a request, the man''s voice sounded like a threat. The Young Master inside the carriage heard the stranger and stepped outside the carriage. "Oh? A little kid escaped all of you?" He revealed his appearance, which was so peerless that people will think that he was a man sent from the heaven. His long yellow hair that reached his shoulders and his amethyst eyes which instills a deep tranquility to those who see it. He was still young, around twelve to thirteen years old, but an aura of a sage can be felt around him. The killing intent of those men vanished and was replaced by awe and reverence. One of the mercenaries can''t help but utter: "Previously a Master Warrior little girl, now another weirdo appeared." The Young Master''s ears twitched, as if he heard something interesting. "A Master Warrior little girl?" The driver was impressed of the Young Master''s show of bravery but at the same time, was scared witless when he felt something was amiss in the Young Master''s words. "What? Do you know her?" A man walked out from the crowd. He was the leader whose brother had his eyes pierced. A flash of killing intent sparked on his eyes. He won''t forget the humiliation and the consequences because of the appearance of that little girl. "Boss, why don''t we take the boy first for some ''questioning''? That won''t be a problem, right?" One of the mercenaries asked the leader. Everybody knew that this ''questioning'' means. Some mercenary groups are fond of taking people and sell them into slaves. Their Leplar Mercenaries is one of those kind of groups. A malicious grin appeared in each of the mercenaries'' faces. Looking at the qualities of the boy, he would sell by a large sum of money. It won''t be an exaggeration if they earn much more money on selling him than the money the City Mistress will give after finishing the mission. Cold sweat started to appear in the driver''s face. He was hired by this Young Master as a carriage driver and paid him handsomely. He knew that the boy wasn''t lacking money and has a high standing in the society. What baffled him was the humbleness of the Young Master, for he carried so much money for someone so young, yet didn''t flaunt it like any spoiled child would do. He also didn''t have bodyguards to protect him, which was very unusual. He''s confident, but he was still showing signs of immaturity despite him possessing an aura of boundless wisdom. "I see. That girl''s still running around in circles." A disappointed sound leaked from the Young Master''s lips. Knowing that the boy knew the little girl before, the mercenaries took their swords from its sheath and circled the boy. "Obediently follow us or else you''ll experience something much worse than the word ''Death''." The Young Master felt the other party''s hostility but nonchalantly contemplated in his own world. "What was she doing here? Knowing her way of thinking, she will think that the ''Gift'' will appear after a strong reaction with ''Fool'' Stone. Did she really found the ''Gift''?" He looked at the leader, who was looking at him like a hungry tiger. "That girl, did she took someone with her?" "Since this will be the last time you''ll be able to be haughty, I shall answer Young Master''s question. Yes, she took an ugly middle-aged woman with her." "A middle-aged woman? That isn''t right... Something''s wrong here!" "Nothing''s wrong here! You can either submit or die!" A mercenary lost his calm and charged at the Young Master with a blade in hand. "*Sigh* I don''t want to waste my time around this wasteland, but I guess a little exercise won''t hurt." He raised his right hand into the air and roared to the heavens. "Mistelteinn, Come!" Suddenly, a scepter appeared on top of him. He grabbed it and used it to block the incoming blade. "W-What?! Is that an Archaios?!" The mercenary was shocked and jumped backwards. This weak-looking boy handled a strike from him with ease. Every mercenary knew the power behind these weapons. Presently, there are two known people who are using them, but they knew that there might be some who have them, but didn''t concern themselves with worldly affairs. "Yes, but I can''t be called an Archaios wielder because this weapon is still half-awake." He answered like it wasn''t a big deal and swung around the scepter. "I''m not as forgiving as that little girl, you know. I believe threats should always be removed before it could cause even bigger problems." "Boys! Kill him!" The leader ordered without hesitation. Unlike before with the little girl, they already had surrounded him. They outnumbered the boy and the boy didn''t have any way to escape in this wasteland. An awakened Archaios might be unbeatable, but if it isn''t, its just a pretty relic. "Let''s stop here for today. I''m not as graceful as Gracia, but please excuse my crudeness."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it He raised his scepter and spoke in an ancient tone. His blue eyes turned crimson and an evil grin desecrated his peerless appearance. "Solar Flare!" A strong stream of light flowed from the heavens to the mercenaries like a waterfall. Their skin started to inflate and explode, making them look gruesome beings which expels large amount of blood from their body. After the blood evaporated, their body contacted until their bones are visible. Muscles to bones, everything disintegrated until nothing left. The whole process was so disgusting, the driver puked out all what he ate until nothing left. "Well then, let''s go." The boy brushed the dust from his robe and returned to the carriage like nothing happened. The driver was still pale but obediently followed the boy. "That was close... I almost sell him out for my safety... If that happened..." He muttered as he imagined himself being one of those mercenaries. The driver continued his duties, but his attitude towards the Young Master changed drastically. His previous friendly personality was changed into reverence and fear. Their journey in the wasteland contined until they encountered a two-meter deep trench. It wasn''t noticeable from a far place, but they noticed it when they were fifty meters away from it. It occupied a large area, but it''s width was only one meter. Mysteriously, it looked like a blade slash made by a gigantic being. The driver took two strips of hardwood from the carriage which would act as a bridge. He was about to place it above the trench when he noticed a kid about nine years old. His features are exactly the same as the one being searched by those mercenaries earlier. "Young Master! I found the kid they''re looking for!" The driver didn''t forget to notify the Young Master. It reached the Young Master''s ears and left the carriage. "Oh? That boy looks skinny. I thought he had some kind of beastly body to escape those group of men. I''ll just ask him when he wake up. Take him to the carriage." "Understood, Young Master." He was about to return when he noticed that the boy was embracing a dagger. It looked ordinary, but he sensed that it was precious to the boy the way he holds it dearly. "Also, take that dagger. Stash it somewhere safe." The driver was baffled, but obediently nodded. After passing the trench, they continued to travel while the Young Master healed the wounds of the kid. It wasn''t anything serious, but the exhaustion of his body makes him unable to return to his sense. It took them three days to reach the next city, Pelan City. It was already fast because when the forest was still there, the travel between Leonid City and Pelan City usually takes more than seven days. Unlike the North which had advanced machinery like trains and cars, the South only had carriages. The South is regarded as ''Desolation of Machines'' because no one liked to develop machines but were more focused on developing larger, faster, and effective spells. Instead, the South make use of Magic Tools. Unlike those Magiatech of the Technicia, these Magic Tools are things that were circulating even before the war between the North and South had begun. Technicia call them relics because their Magiatech are advanced versions of these Magic Tools. If one would compare, it was like the difference between a bow and a gun. Pelan City is a small city when compared to Leonid City. They arrived before dawn making the streets empty. Their main motive is to rest and continue their journey eastward. "Young Master, I have to replace our horses if we''re bound to travel around Glassreach Mountains. It will take a half day or two days to acquire those horses, so..." The driver can''t just tell him to go so he tried to speak ambiguously. "Very well. I shall leave the boy in your hands. Perhaps you can find someone who could take care of him for the meantime? I don''t have time to babysit a kid around. Also, make the horse replacement within half a day. Money isn''t an issue so do everything you can." The Young Master threw a small bag from his sleeves. The driver was surprised when he caught it. The bag which the Young Master threw contained gems instead of gold coins. These are more precious than gold coins by ten to twenty times! "U-Understood!" He dropped the Young Master by in a nearby inn and dashed off towards the City Stables. With the money in hand, he finished the exchange within three hours. Luckily, he was the only customer around so he didn''t need to use the gemstones the Young Master gave. "Now, the problem is this kid." Looking inside the carriage, he saw the skinny kid who was sleeping comfortably. The boy was unconscious for more than three days, but there were no signs of him waking up. "I''m not familiar to this city... maybe placing him in a monastery would do!" The driver may be faint-hearted, but he''s a soft-hearted person especially to children. Monasteries of the Novem Deux Alliance are sponsored by the monarchs themselves. Since war orphans are increasing day by day, this is the only way for them to pay the sacrifices of their people to their kingdoms. After asking around the location of the monastery, he reached the place which was just outside the city which took him around half an hour. He looked around and moved when he noticed tha no one''s around. He carried the unconscious kid on his back and leaned its body beside the door. He left the dagger and some gemstones beside it. "I''m sorry kid. This is all that I can do for you. I wish that you''ll have a good life, away from slavery." The driver turned and left as how he came. "He''s a good man." When she noticed that the driver wasn''t around anymore, Machi returned to her human form. "That Young Master... Machi feels that Machi will meet him again..." Her gaze turned solemn as she petted the unconscious Bellwick''s hair. "Machi feels that Machi should change Machi''s clothes..." She looked at Bellwick''s clothes and felt that her clothes are eye-catching. It wasn''t that she was aware that clothes are connected to one''s status in the society but it was because of her human form''s natural sense of aethetics. She can sense that there''s something wrong but she doesn''t have the ability to craft good clothes for Bellwick, so all she could do is make her clothes comparable to him. She started to tear her own dress. Even though she can''t return it to its previous state, she didn''t have any problem with it, because she knew that problems may arise if the notice the difference of appearance between the two children. Being away from Bellwick was something she hated the most. She continued until the previous beauty of her dress was nowhere to be found. It only looked like a worn-out second-hand dress from an ordinary clothing store. When she was satisfied of her present look, she sat back beside Bellwick and leaned her head against his shoulder. Then, she took the gems the driver left with Bellwick. "These gems are gonna be useful. Machi saw the man valued it dearly." She closed her hand and made the gems disappear. She looked at the peaceful face of sleeping Bellwick and kissed his cheeks. "Let''s do our best, Master Bellwick." They sat there until morning came. ... "Don''t run around the hallway! Geez!" It was a normal for Elaine to scold these bunch of kids everyday. Since the day she became the assigned mother of this monastery. She''s still young, aging only 26, but was already assigned to handle most old-aged disciples of Nine Gods are only qualified. But the truth wasn''t that pleasant. She was one of the top disciples which had the chance to become the next head priest but was banished because of her beliefs. By using ''Spiritual Training'' as a front, she was sent to this city by herself. Although it was the case, she liked this city. As an orphan herself, the children around her makes her remind of her past, the times when she was still together with her childhood friends. "Big Sis Elaine! There are kids outside!" One of the children shouted while Elaine was still busy cooking the breakfast. "Sister Theia, please." "Yes, sister." Elaine left the cooking to another sister assigned to this monastery, Theia. She was younger than Elaine by eight years but was much more beautiful than her. If Theia wasn''t around, most of the guys in the city would hail Elaine as their idol instead. Even though Theia rarely shows emotion, men will flock around her everywhere she goes. "Big Sis Elaine! Hurry up!" The kids had already surrounded the two new kids outside.This wasn''t a new occurrence to monasteries near the war front, since even infants were left outside their doors every now and then. Unfortunately, people who adopt children are scarce. In front of the door, Elaine saw two children who were sleeping on the ground. The girl slept while sitting while the boy was sleeping on the girl''s lap. Thankfully, Pelan City was still on it''s summer season. Sleeping outdoors in this city during the winter is a death sentence for any person. "Go back inside. Breakfast is almost ready." She instructed the children, who nodded and dashed back inside. Elaine lifted the skinny boy and noticed that she didn''t need to exert that much force in lifting him. The little girl, as if she noticed that the boy''s head wasn''t on her lap anymore, slowly woke up. She looked around and saw the boy being carried by Elaine. "Little girl, can you stand?" "Yes. Where are you taking Master Bellwick?" Elainr noticed both curiosity and hostility in the little girl''s eyes. Hearing that the little girl called the skinny boy ''Master Bellwick'' and the way she looks at Elaine, Elaine knew that this boy was precious to the girl. "I''ll let him rest. Why don''t you come inside? Let''s eat breakfast." Elaine sweetly smiled as she took the sleeping Bellwick inside. The little girl followed behind without retreating her attention. She only withdrew it when she saw Elaine laid Bellwick on a bed. "What''s your name?" Knowing that she needs to start a conversation to make the little girl comfortable, Elaine asked her the most basic question she could ask. "Machi is Machi." Machi sat beside Bellwick and answered without looking at Elaine. "Machi, is it? What a cute name." Elaine left the room and returned with a bowl of water and a wet towel to clean Bellwick''s body. Then she took a pair of clean clothes for Bellwick and Machi. Finding out that Machi prefered to dress by herself, Elaine changed Bellwick''s clothes instead. Elaine soon became curious of Bellwick''s condition, but saw that there weren''t any problems in his body and was only resting so she left him alone. "You won''t eat?" Elaine''s worrily asked when she saw Machi stayed sitting without bulging from her position after dressing up. Machi''s actions could make one easily tell that she would stay like that, even forgetting eating lunch. "Machi''s fine. Please leave us." Seeing that Machi was acting distant, Elaine sighed helplessly. Most of the children who were with their brother or sister when they entered the monastery are always like this. They thought they had to depend on themselves and create a barrier to others. She was once like that... but it was a long time ago. "Very well. I shall send one of the children to deliver food for the both of you." The best way to handle this case is to give them time, Elaine thought as she left the room. "Malmeir..." She can''t help but mutter a name before she shook her head and returned to the kitchen.