ã€ŠThe Meaning of Lifeã€‹


 Prologue: A Dream

    "Okay... what the heck?"I said while sitting up. I am inside a very old-looking temple-like structure made out of stone. There are a lot of pillars like in those Greek and Roman temples, some of them broken with pieces of it lying around. There are also a lot of carvings of words and pictures in the walls that must have portrayed a story in the past but is now useless as most of them are already reduce to a pile of rubble. When I look up, I can see the sky through the many holes in the ceiling. I''m impressed that this building is still standing even though it is in a state of absolute disrepair.

    Wait... no. This is not the time to be distracted. Let''s assess the situation here. I''m alone in an abandoned temple without any knowledge of my whereabouts. How did I get here?  I''m pretty sure that I was sleeping in my apartment room in my bed... Oh wait I remember. I had dreamed about a voice...

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________

    I''m in a dark space floating around. Where am I? Probably in my dreamscape. How do I know it is a dream? Because I know I went to sleep awhile ago and now I''m floating around which is quite impossible to do in the real world but not in the dreamworld.

    Still, this is quite a surreal yet dull dream if I do say so myself. The sensation of floating and leaning in a certain direction to move is somewhat peculiar but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. But seriously I''ve been waiting for a while now and nothing''s happening. I''m so bored! What happened to all my interesting and fun dreams!? Goddamn it!

    One of my few and rarely experienced surreal dreams and all I got is a dark environment with only the feeling of flotation as entertainment... I swear I''m gonna explode in a flurry of cursing to relieve my boredom if this continues.

    "Hello Krey" Ah finally! An escape for my boredom! Although its odd that all I got is a female voice for my dream, and one who knows my name at that... Well whatever. Now that I think about it, this girl''s voice is pleasant to hear. It''s not alluring or charming but gives of a soothing impression, like a cool breeze in a hot day.

    "Ah yes. Who are you if I may ask?" Always be polite if you talk to someone you meet for the first time. Simple manners. Also I''m really bored and I''d hate it if she gets irked by a bad first impression and leaves right away. Although it is my dream I am not always in control and it is more fascinating this way.

    "I am Frelinia the Goddess of Life. I am here to request your help for an issue of utmost importance."

    ...Pfftt.. ahahahahaahahaha!!! Oh wow *mentally wipes tear*. This is incredibly funny. A girl with a case of chuunibyou (eight grade syndrome)! I thought I would be leading the conversation but I''ll let the "Goddess of Life" pfft.. do the rest.

    "Pfftt..*cough* I''m sorry ''bout that. What is your request Lady Frelinia? As long as it is within my capabilities I will see it done" Whew! Almost lost my act there. I figured that it will better to go with the flow so that things will get interesting. Since she said that she''s a "goddess" I am acting respectfully with a servile tone and attitude.

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    "Thank you young Krey. But before you hear of my request you must first learn the history of my world. You see, I am not from this world but in another one entirely, far bigger and dangerous than these one. Long ago.." Hhmmm... Another world huh? Considering this element I fully expect that the request will be me going to another world and fighting the demon lord or something like in those fantasy stories. Oh well! Its pretty interesting but the history lesson and request details are too damn long. Meh, I''ll just skip it.

    "I will accept your request milady Frelinia. Rest assured that I will complete it no matter how long or how dangerous it is!" Well its just a dream anyway so better end it with a flashy line!

    "Thank you. You are a brave and kind soul. Please be careful when you get there and just follow my instructions and you should be safe for awhile. Good Luck young Krey.

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________

    "Hmm.. Going along with what Frelinia said I am probably in another world but... its better to not take it seriously and just check the surrounding area. Maybe I''ll find some clues about my location" I said while standing up.

    "Hm?" My line of sight drifted over to two objects at my right. One is a fancy ring. Its color is black with gold-colored patterns that looks like runes in a fantasy story. In the middle is a pale gem. At first glance it looks like a sapphire but if looked you at it very closely, it ripples occasionally and every time it does that its color will change like that of a rainbow.

    The second one is an a large egg. Its similar to an ostrich''s egg but three sizes bigger. What''s really unusual about it is that its color is a glossy black. I would have liken it to a black pearl if not for its slight oblate shape.

    I walked closer to those two objects and reached out to touch them until I noticed... My hands are smaller than I remember them to be.

    "......?!" I also take note of the fact that I am naked but most importantly... Why in heaven''s name did my wiener got smaller. Not only that but every part of my body is significantly smaller than I remember it to be.

    Slightly panicking, I looked for a mirror or anything that I can use to look at my appearance. "There!" Luckily, I found a clear puddle, probably built up because of the depression of the floor as well as collected rainwater. I looked at the pond and there I saw...

    "I...I-I turned into a child?!?!" A boy at five years of age with black hair, big brown eyes, small but firm frame and a very cute and surprised face that would be mistaken for a girl''s face. It.. it looks just like me when I was five years old in the photos...

    Isn''t this one of the things Frelinia mentioned that will happen to me when I accepted her request..? Oh man.. I''m actually in another world!

 Chapter 1: Lore

    (Info dump chapter part 1)

    Yep, that settles it. I really am in another world yet I am surprisingly calm about this... yeah that''s a lie. In fact just minutes ago, I was jumping around, bawling like a kid  and punching stuff while cursing my stupidity and predicament. I mean who wouldn''t be? But I got over it quickly. One of my many perks.

    What? You think I would blame Frelinia for my situation? Of course not! Perish the thought! As a gentleman I should not be blaming other people because it is useless, unproductive and immature.

    Haaah...Oh yeah I became a kid again. Though it might suck for me for various reasons but it¡¯s actually needed for me to survive in this world.

    Heh. Don''t think that it is a disadvantage for me that I have a body of a weak kid because there are reasons for this as Frelinia said... which will be revealed a bit later. BUT!! There is still one more advantage to being a kid and that is...

    *DUM DUM DUUUM*

    I can finally do stupid stuff without anyone judging me! Society''s a bitch and knows how to bite you in the ass if you¡¯re an idiot. Hehehehe¡­ now I can play around the sandbox again! Another thing is that in my current state of being ¡°kawaii¡± will definitely make a lot of people want to care for me and I will exploit that state of weakness.

    Well that¡¯s all about the uses of my being a kid. Now¡­ fufufufu¡­ I am expecting much from this fantasy world because of the elf and beast girls! Fuck yeah! I will definitely rub their ears and tails!

    Although I could also rub the ears and tails of males it seems¡­ creepy to me and girls are much nicer to look at.! Even if it¡¯s the last thing I do, I will accomplish this!

    I specifically asked this of Frelinia a little while back for fun but I''m really thankful for it now. I have something to look forward to! Anyway back to the situation at hand.

    ______________________________________________________________________________________________

    I am currently looking at the ring in my hand. I picked it up a little while back and also considered to pick the egg up but... It''s too big and quite heavy! It¡¯s more than a third of my size and really uncomfortable to hold with my arms for a long period of time.

    These are the items that were left to me by Frelinia to help in my very long term quest. I asked Frelinia if there is a time limit to the quest and she said that I have at least a century to finish the quest.

    Okay! Let''s have a history lesson! This world is called Salratia. It is 4 times bigger than earth and luckily landmass covers 2/5 of the earth''s surface with the other 3/5 being oceans, lakes, rivers etc.

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    Daytime here is actually 28 hours while night time is just 20 hours making up 48 hours in a single day... I think my body clock needs very serious adjusting here. How in the hell would I be able to work and sleep with these kinds of conditions?!

    Anyway this world is being managed by 20 gods. Yeah that''s right, managed. Unlike what I was thinking, the gods were not the ones who created this world but it was instead created from those celestial bodies like comets, meteors, asteroids and other outer space stuff but science was not the only reason it was formed.

    It was created with the help of mana.

    Mana is what you could consider electricity in this world but more powerful and has a lot more uses than electricity. Mana flows through this world and is used by its inhabitants and even the gods themselves.

    In fact, the gods were formed by the raw mana that was left after this world was created. At first they were semi-conscious and barely able to think well and sense their innate abilities much less use it. But as time passed, their intellectual capacity grew and grew until they finally reached human intelligence and began experimenting with their powers.

    This world was still barren and could be considered as a big chunk or space rock from afar but the gods changed that. With a few accident-*cough* experiments, they were able to alter the evolutionary route to make intelligent creatures that can survive with the consumption and use of mana.

    These first creatures were the dragons. And then after another series of accidents, miracles, and mishaps did their minor influence made it into the fantasy world it is today with the humans, elves, dwarves, demons, spirits, monsters, and a whole lot of other races but the ones above are the most numerous.

    But of course, as I said they only managed it. They cannot destroy or make major changes to this world like changing the landscape, but they can influence it just like they did earlier. Nature was still formed through evolution with a lot of help from mana and a little bit of interference from the gods.

    After the new inhabitants of this world started building civilizations, the gods decided to finally give a name to this world. After discussing a bit they¡¯ve decided that henceforth the world shall be known as Salratia.

    And no I did not ask Frelinia why they named the world that way. It¡¯s too troublesome to do remember every single detail.

 Chapter 2: Quest Details

    (Info dump Chapter 2)

    Whew... that was a big recap but from what I heard from Frelinia, the gods have been mysteriously disappearing, leaving behind only their divine essences or divinities and treasures.

    I asked Frelinia if there was a time limit to the quest and she said I have a century¡­

    I was surprised at the huge amount of time given but soon I learned that time flows differently for the gods. One year can be said to be equivalent to a day for them. Also there¡¯s another reason why she gave me this deadline¡­ which will be revealed later.

    Now back to the problem at hand.

    Seven of them have disappeared with two being her big brother and big sister. Their names are Azeroth and Lisaria, the God of Magic and Change and the Dragon God, with respect to their names.

    It seems that filial love exists among the gods who are very close to each other or at least close to the divinities they govern. Since the Dragons were the first life and the first change in Salratia, naturally a bond has formed and only gotten stronger after many years of companionship between the three.

    ¡°¡­¡­..?!?!¡± My word¡­ Now I know why Frelinia gives of a soothing atmosphere. No, I don''t think it is only because of her being a Goddess of Life. It is also because she is one of those formidable and unforgettable existences in pop culture, a... LITTLE SISTER! A little sister stereotype goddess!

    Hah... little sisters. They can be considered as one of the important treasures of every MC. They give off the same feeling as pets.  In fact, to me they are the same as cute little pets!

    Look at my evaluation of little sisters; they want to be fed, spoiled, given presents, attention and play a lot. A perfect example of a pet. Yep. My time with Frelinia is really akin to that of pet therapy.

    Although Frelinia unconsciously tried to hide her sweet persona in a mature fa?ade I, as person who loves anime to death, will absolutely not miss such an important air of a character! On the contrary it only serves to make her cuter in my eyes, like a little kid pretending to be an adult to impress others.

    Anyway ignoring the little sister talk, that is the reason why she gave me this deadline. Well actually the deadline is not for finding her brother sister, It is for me to get stronger and establish a foothold in this world to make it easier for me to do my quest. Also she will awaken from her sleeping state after a century, more or less by her calculations.

    You see when her brother and sister disappeared she became¡­ alone. Although she is friendly with the other gods it does not mean that it extends to their filial circle. And her brother and sister usually have some quarrels with some gods making it quite hard to ask for help from the other gods. These gods also have their own problems dealing with their missing members in their filial circle.

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    They investigated on their own about the disappearances of the gods and haven''t told their followers about this because such a major investigation will cause uproar in the world of mortals. Frelinia herself doesn''t have any followers and simply chose to enjoy life in its simplicity. Although she could ask a strong and capable mortal to fulfill her request, it is impossible.

    From birth, mortals have a certain inborn instinct to revere and fear the gods. This makes situations complicated when you try to communicate them. They will either immediately refuse your request out of fear or accept it make a mess of it in the end because of complacency and arrogance. Basic mortal stupidity¡­ she said.

    Anyways she was at her wit¡¯s end. Only after thinking really really hard did she remembered a divine spell created and taught to her by her brother Azeroth. It¡¯s a summoning spell with a few tweaks in it.

    The spell allows the caster to summon something with high intelligence, unlike other summoning spells where the caster must control their summoned beings, and allow the caster to augment, enhance or change the being in a way convenient for him/her.

    Well in the case of Frelinia she modified the spell a bit to allow her to communicate and ask permission from me before summoning me. What a good girl~.

    And the result of the summoning is yours truly. It seems Frelinia added some changes to my body. I can actually feel something different in the air... it is probably the so called "mana".

    I also feel that my body seems stronger than I remember it to be in the past. It was hard to hold the egg but not impossible for the current 5 year old me. I''m pretty sure that the past 5 year old me won''t even be able to lift the egg.

    But still... she must be really desperate to resort to summoning an unknown individual to help her huh... Luckily I am a person of good moral character. At least I think I am¡­ maybe¡­

    ...

    ......

    *mentally coughs hard*

    Now then what to do with the ring and egg..

 Chapter 3: New Insights

    The ring... needs to be bound with my blood right?

    I''ve tried rubbing, tapping, and hitting it in the ground but there is no reaction from the ring apart fromthe occassional rainbow-colored ripples in the pale sapphire-ish gemstone embedded in the ring.

    I''ve also tried asking nicely to the ring to give me a tip or something on how to use it... What? You''ll never know if there might be some sort of spirit sealed in the ring.

    This is a world with magic after all!

    And the reason I don''t know how this works is because at first I was only half-serious about my talk with Frelinia because I thought it was a dream... Like I said I only got the general gist of my situation. I haven''t asked for the important details from her because I thought it was bothersome.

    I treated my discussion like an interesting game which ended up with me having trouble with the ring Frelinia left me.

    *very long and deep sigh* Well I just have to try my best. Last thin? I thought of now is blood binding the ring.

    "Okay let''s see here..." I bit my index finger a little bit and squeezed out a drop of blood and let it fall into the ring.

    Then something happened!

    The pale gem absorbed my blood and started to shine brightly with a rainbow colored light and then... it shattered and became a multi-colored smoke!

    "... E-eh?... EEEEHHH?!?!" Why did that happen?! Did my blood taste that bad so it exploded? This ring is rude. It''s like implying that I am filthy!

    Wait... the smoke is coming towards me. I tried to move away but... I already inhaled it and then-

    "...?! *THUD* Ugh... *groan* huff huf... *breathes hard* W-what is t-this....?"

    I fell to the ground hard. My head suddenly began to hurt and throb badly and my body is steadily becoming sore... Huh? What are these words appearing in my head?

    ".... D-divine Art: Magic Creation Array... Composition of the Elements of Magic... Mana Core Accumulation... Divine Art: Mana Force Manipulation... w-what are these things...?!.... Wait this is..."

    As more information started to flow through my head I started to understand it a little... and the thing I realized made me excited and impatient.

    When my headache and bodily pain subsided

    I stood up and quickly went to the puddle to check my reflection.

    "Incredible..." My eyes changed its color from black to a bright blue with some multicolored ripples that are barely perceptible even with a good eye.

    The newly gotten information I have in my head is about all details of magic anf things related to it.

    It probably comes from that rainbow-ish smoke that I inhaled. As expected from a fantasy world.

    Anyway the phenomenon I''m experiencing right now is called "All-Magic Awakening".

    Anyone in this world can use mana. From warriors, mages, craftsmen and even the common folk can use mana.

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    But someone with good talent in manipulating and using mana can be found in 1 out of 1000. Someone with a great talent in 1 out of 10000 and so on and so forth.

    Elemental Mana Affinity is also included here. There are 9 elements in magic. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Destruction, Nature, Light and Darkness.

    Having one elemental affinity is considered to be average. Having two is good. Three is rare. Four is very rare and can cause an uproar. As for the rest... you get the idea.

    From the name "All-Magic Awakening" you can already deduce what it is... Me having experienced this has caused me to have an exceptional affinity to all the nine elements and have prodigy-level talent in using mana... basically I received a cheat.

    "All-Magic Awakening" is believed by the people in this world to be a blessing from the God of Magic and Change. It is said that only one person can have this in a millennium.

    "I don''t know how this sort of "blessing" from Frelinia''s brother got into the gem in the ring that Frelinia left to me but I have a few ideas about it...

    Okay back to the task at hand!

    Since I''ve already confirmed that I indeed have "All-Magic Awakening" I sat down in a meditating position... damn it my butt is uncomfortable in this rough and dusty floor.

    And then I closed my eyes and started to feel the mana around me.

    Yup. The feeling of mana is very different from before. At first I perceived mana as smoke or mist. I can touch it but it disperses afterwards. But now mana feels like... a liquid I guess? Its a very unique experience. Its like being on land and water at the same time with water being the mana in the environment. Anyway the mana that I am sensing has a variety of colors. Some blue, others red and many more.

    It might be the different elemental mana that I am sensing.

    I started to manipulate the mana in the surroundings to flow into me and accumulate into a small region around my chest.

    The accumulated mana inside my body, started to condense and compress in my chest as I draw in more mana from the surroundings.

    I continued doing this for an two hours or so and then-

    "...?!"

    My body felt refreshed and invigorated like I woke up after a good sleep.

    "Yes! I did it!" Although my butt and legs are so sore from the rough, hard temple floor, I still did it!

    I sensed for changes in my body and there I found... a small, round and smooth crystal inside my chest. Its the size of pebble and is shining faintly. Its absorbing the mana in my body and surroundings little by little. Also as more mana is absorbed by my core, it shines more brightly each time, though it is hardly unnoticeable.

    With this, I have made my first step in the path of a mage. I''ve reached the initial stage of the apprentice rank!

 Chapter 4: Mana and Storage Ring

    Mana core formation goes like this. One has to draw in mana from the outside and absorb it into the body. And then gather and compress it around your chest. Condense and compress the mana until it solidifies into a mana core. The core will then generate its own mana. Mana produced by the core is known as ''refined mana'' while mana from the outside is called ''raw'' mana.

    It is called raw mana because the mana in the surroundings are a combination of all 9 elements. This is where a person''s elemental affinity comes in.

    A person''s affinity not only determines what kind of spells they can use it is also a factor that decides on how fast a person can refine and accumulate mana.

    Take for example a person who has two elemental affinities, earth and wind. When they draw in mana they will only be able to refine and accumulate in their mana core earth and wind type mana. The rest of the unrefined mana simply goes back outside again as raw mana.

    That person can refine and accumulate mana twice as fast as a person with only a single affinity but is slower compared to people who has more elemental affinities than that person.

    Of course there are two more factors which decides the refining and accumulation speed of a person. The environment and the talent of a person.

    For talent, if a person is skilled in manipulating mana they can draw in more mana at a faster pace than an average mage.

    The environment on the other hand... does not always have the same quantitative ratio of elements. For example in hot places like the desert, fire type mana is bountiful here while water type mana is very scarce.

    Usually it would take a non-magician a whole day ( remember one day is 48 hours) to solidify their own mana core, two if they take breaks in doing so.

    The reason it only took me an hour or so to form my very own mana core is because of "All-Magic Awakening". Since I have all nine elemental affinities, I am able torefine and accumulate all of the raw mana in the surroundings with no excess. Another thing is because I have exceptional talent in sensing and manipulating mana making me able to draw in huge amounts of mana in a extremely fast pace. Also thanks to me receiving important information about mages I can use certain methods to make accumulation and condensation of mana much better than usual.

    Mages have power ranks they adhere and work hard to raise. There are ten ranks each divided by three stages; initial stage, middle stage, and late stage. From first to last are; apprentice magus, magus, senior magus, elite magus, elder magus, grand magus, arch magus, magus saint, magus king and magus emperor.

    Warriors have similar rankings but the knowledge I got from "All-Magic Awakening" only made me learn stuff that is essential for a mage.

    Although it is nice and nifty that I got a wonderful cheat and all but... I still don''t have clothes and I''m really uncomfortable being naked in the open even if its inside a building.

    Come to think of it, one of Frelinia''s instructions were to activate the ring, or storage ring and everything I might need will be inside.

    Right, a storage ring. In this world there are magic items and they are very rare and expensive. To use magic items one has to infuse refined mana into that item so that it will do its intended purpose.

    This is also why I was impatient to reach apprentice rank. Only if I have a mana core will I be able to use refined mana.

    I looked at the ring in my hand and put it in my left thumb because it is really big and my other fingers won''t be able to hold it. Then I infused my refined mana into it.

    "Whoa!!"

    The ring surprisingly melted then began to form creepy looking tentacles that attached themselves to my thumb...

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    "Kyaaaah~" Screaming like a girl I watched as those tentacles began forming two lines of runes that circles my thumb. The first line has gold-colored runes while the other is black. The same colors as the storage ring. Then it gradually faded.

    O-okay....*deep breath* C-calm down Krey. The creepy scary thingy is gone now. Wheeew.

    I''m really bad with horrific stuff. As long as I see something creepy I''ll immediately run away. Jumpscares are even worse for me.

    Anyway it looks like this storage ring is has a unique feature of being hidden while not in use and when I will it to appear, it takes the form of those runes earlier.

    Pretty convenient~. And a perfect tool for theft, Ufufufu~

    Now then the next instructions are; take care of the creature that hatches and raise it well. Then get stronger and build up a reputation and foothold in Salratia.

    They can be done at a later time.

    First let''s look at my booty~

    Willing the ring to appear I "looked" at the items inside and I found...

    "Clothes~!"

    A set of clothing. A white cotton shirt and brown cotton pants as well as leather sandals and underwear!

    "Hic *sob*... wuuwu *tears falling*. F-finally... something to wear..."

    I''ve never been so glad to see clothing in my life until nowI was really worried that I''d be naked for a long time until I find something eligible to wear. I mean seriously, being seen naked even if you look like a child is still embarassing. Also I would have no protection against the forces of nature, namely temperature and dust, if I didn''t find these clothes.

    Taking the clothes out of the storage ring, I immediately wore them and they fit very well and are pretty comfortable.

    Frelinia must have considered my current size of a five year old when she summoned me her and placed the clothes in the ring. What a thoughtful girl~

    Now let''s look at the rest of the things in the ring. There seems to be what looks like a... glaive-ish weapon here. Again its probably a magic item. I can tell from its peculiar appearance. The blade is shaped to be able to slice and pierce at the same time. It''s color is dark blue with the component connecting the blade too the long black metal handle fashioned into the form of a golden snake with a red gem at the mouth. I took it out, bound it with my blood and infused my refined mana into it. When I infused my refined mana the handle amazingly got shorter until it was just the right length for someone of my stature. By the way, I am four ft tall while the current length of the glaive is about 1.5 meters, formerly 2.3 meters long. I gave it a few swings and got use to it after a few minutes of swinging.

    I put it back in the ring and took out the last item... a necklace.

    "...?"

    It looks pretty plain to me though... a thick string which hung a bronze coin with a picture of a mountain carved into it.

    I tried infusing mana into it but all I got was some sort of aura that was coming out of the coin. I don''t know what it does but its better not too brood over it too much.

    Now then I better place the egg into the storage ring to ease my worries a bit.

    Okay then. This temple ruin although a bit dreary, has housed me for quite some time so I will stay here for awhile.

    Time to raise my mage ranks and make some spells!

 Chapter 5: Spells and the Forest

    12 hours. This is how long it took for me to reach tne next rank. magus rank, initial stage but...

    "Ugh... uu... w-why is thiis so painful...?"

    I am currently hugging my head while kneeling down. Although I did reach the initial stage of the magus rank, the mental strain of three continous breakthroughs came crashing down on me the very moment I stopped meditating.

    Mages experience some mental feedback after breaking through stages or ranks, with the rank breakthrough''s being the most severe.

    Although I knew this fact from the magical knowledge I recently gained I had to take the risk. I know my current standing here in this world.

    My only affiliate here is Frelinia who is unfortunately out of commission. So for now I am on my own. Therefore I have to find a way to protect myself.

    The first rank, apprentice magus is a preparatory stage for mages to get used to manipulating mana and to build up their mana reserves in their core. In fact even if a mage reaches the late stage of the apprentice magus rank, after casting about ten low level spells that mage will have no more refined mana. Therefore it is foolhardy to engage in battle with only this amount of strength

    Only if a mage has reached the magus rank can he/she be considered a competent combatant.

    This is because the mage''s mana core undergo changes in this level. After breaking through this rank. the mana core will get bigger about as big as an average person''s fist therefore increasing the rate of generation of refined mana in the core as well as a larger refined mana reservoir inside the core. Therfore allowing the mage to last longer and be more effective in combat.

    Now then... after my headache subsided somewhat it is time to work on my next objective...

    Spells!

    I have the know-how and capabilities to become a great mage but... I don''t know any spells. This is the drawback that I am having now. Without spells I am basically a soldier who has bullets but no guns. Completely useless.

    BUT! I''ve received two skills in exchange for having no knowledge about spells. Divine Art: Magic Creation Array and Divine Art: Mana Force Manipulation.

    The personal skills of the Azeroth, the God of Magic and Change himself! Albeit a weaker version because true divine arts will burn my puny mortal body away.

    The first skill allows me to create new magic spells but in the range of the nine elements.

    The second... allows me to use an advanced version of "The Force" in the Star Wars film series I think... anyway it involves controlling the surrounding mana in area and willing it to do certain actions exactly like how those Jedis use the force. There might be more to this than I know but detailed experimenting can be done in the future.

    I tested it out on a piece of stone in the pile of rubble. I willed the mana to act as a "hand" and picked up a stone the half the size of my head. Now its floating in the air. I tried willing the mana around the rock to spin it. And the rock spun.

    Wait... this gives me an idea! I again willed the mana in the area to spin the rock faster. Now... that piece of rock looks menacing as it is rotating in absurd speed. Yup this is perfect. And then I willed the mana to launch the rock downwards.

    *Boom*

    Dust and smoke appeared at the origin the rock has been shot towards and blocked my vision for a while. After the smoke cleared I saw a at the point of impact a small crater. Cracked stone littered the inside as well as the vicinty of the one meter in diameter crater.

    *whistles* I whistled in appreciation to the destructive power that "Divine Art: Mana Force Manipulation" is capable of dishing out with the right methods. Looks like its uses has just increased.

    Now then. Let''s test out "Divine Art: Magic Creation Array". From what I can understand, three components are needed to use this skill. One is of course, refined mana. Two is the imagination. The image that the beholder wants to create musr be firmly elaborated in his mind. Three is the person''s will. The stronger it is the better the spell envisioned.

    I imagined a bulky bullet , as big as my small arm, made out of hard compressed earth. Then I imagined a second bullet, only this time it has a sharp point, thinner and more inclined to a stream line shape. Its also made of the same material.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    I then willed my mana to create this images in reality. And right before my eyes, the two bullets began forming out of the refined mana I had emmited above my right hand.

    After they finished forming, I willed them to rotate like with the rock but this time, using the Magic Creation Array (I''ll just shorten it to MCA and MFM for mana force manipulation).

    And like the rock they also rotated fiercely with great speed, albeit much faster than the rock uaing MFM. If I would liken the speed to a drill then the MCA would be a nicer quality than that of the MFM.

    Satisfied with the results I decided to test the thinner earthen bullet. Using the MCA I willed the bullet to "shoot" towards the temple wall a few meters away. Then-

    *FWOOOM*

    Making a sound akin to that of an airplane, the bullet made a small hole in the 20 cm thick wall. Fumu.

    It worked as intended. This spell shall be name ''Assasination Spike'' and save. The hardest part in using MCM is the creation process and the action of the spell. Once they are all done, its a simple matter of the MCM saving the memory so that the next time it is needed, the spell will be instantaniously made.

    Now for the bulky bullet. As I willed it to shoot towards the same wall-

    *BOOOOM* *FWOOOOM* *CRACKING SOUNDS* *BAAAMM* *RUMBLE*

    It made a very large hole in the wall and blew away the debris outside. Then it plowed through a line of trees only stopping when it had hit a cliff face and made a large crater at it.

    "...L-Looks like the personal skills of magic god are absolutely amazing huh? Ahaha..."

    I laughed weakly as I once again realized that gods were in a realm of their own. I wonder what would happen if this is used against a person... *shiver*.

    O-okay let''s get that terrifying and grotesque thought away. I think my firepower is equivalent to that of a basic attack spell of the elite magus rank. I shudder with fright and excitement when I thought of the spells that Azeroth was able to make as a god and the fact that I have the same potential as that god.

    For now, I''ll name this spell "Impact Bullet". By the way I still have half my mana left. "Assasination Spikes" probably took an eight of my total mana to cast while the rest was used by my "Impact Bullet". Luckily my affinity with all 9 elements lets all raw mana be processed and refined by my core semi-passively coupled with my own mana regeneration makes me recover almost immediately. And after 10 minutes, my mana is back to full. After that I created 2 more attack spells,  3 defense spells, 2 utility spells and 4 buff spells which I of course tested on myself and the temple ruins. The details will be revealed in the future. All this took up 6 hours. It is now early afternoon. How do I know? The position of the sun told me ( yeah I forgot to tell this because a world where you can''t see shit will pretty much suck. So I assumed that you know that there is a sun here).

    Surprisingly, the temple ruin is still standing even after taking heavy abuse from me... the architects who designed this must''ve been geniuses.

    Having that thought in mind, I decided to take a peek at the place I am right now. And what I see are thickets of trees. Lots of green and brown in front of me with a steep cliff at my right (the one with that still has not been damaged by me).

    Yup. I am in a forest.

    *stomach rumbling*

    "..."

    Okay...?

    Come to think of it, I haven''t eating anything since I have been summoned to this world huh?

    Never mind. I''ll hunt something to eat and find a route to the nearest town. Hopefully I''ll meet an elf in the forest!

 Chapter 6: Encounter

    Sadly there was no meeting with elves... very sad. On a side note I am proud to say that my first hunt ever was a bit taxing but I did get something to eat.

    After leaving the vicinity of the temple ruins I entered deep into the forest. For two hours I was alert the whole time I walked and made sure to be quiet while I looked for tracks or a trail that may lead to an animal for me hunt down and eat or a predator I have to avoid. There were some berries and shrubs in the trees and bushes I passed but I abstained from picking it up. Although I''m pretty hungry I don''t know which one was edible or poisonous. I can''t base my knowledge from earth on this world. Its better to hunt for meat instead because If its cooked well the meat should be safe to eat. Hence why I am looking for clues to food and danger. Well it all depends on the size of the footprints. But the problem was...

    "Huff... hufff... *wipes sweat away* whew...!"

    Every 20 minutes or so of walking, I take a short 5 minute break to recover my energy, wasting time in the process. My body is still that if a child so my stamina is considerably low, even if I my specs were upgraded when I was summoned here by Frelinia. Oh and the reason I''m a child right now? To make my foundation for growth firm. It is said that it is better to start the training of the path you wish tread on, around my age because the speed that one develops is considerably faster at the age before 25. Then it stagnates as you grow older.

    Anyway back to the hunt. As I was taking a break for the 5th time. I saw movement from a bush up ahead. I had my guard up, worrying that it might be a predatory animal but luckily...

    *rustle**clop clop*

    It was a just a deer-like creature. Its looks pretty docile, but different from the deers I know. It has long white horns that curve backwards instead of the usual antlers. Also it has blue fur/pelt.

    Although I''m a bit emotional from the glory of seeing a fantasy world creature and this being my first time looking up close to a real live animal...

    *stomach rumbling*

    My tummy takes priority~.

    I silently casted [Assasination Spikes] and made three fiercely rotating spikes in the air above me.

    I aimed them at the pseudo-dear and shot the first spike.

    The pseudo-dear, as if sensing the danger, crouched down narrowly voiding the fast moving spike. It tried to ran away but unfortunately...

    *splat*

    My second spike was able to blow its head off. Eww... too much blood and... is that a part of the brain over there?

    As I was wondering about that, I let the third spike dissipate back to mana again. I walked to the pseudo-dear''s corpse, took out my glaive from my storage, and cut off its thigh. This''ll be my lunch~.

    I don''t want the rest of the pseudo-dear to go to waste so let me use one of my newest and first utility spell!

    [Ice Field]

    This spell is the AOE type. It costs all of my mana to cast if I expanded it to the max size I am currently capable of which is approximately a circle 15 meters in diameter. Its really costly~. Its effects are to freeze anything inside the circle, perfect for slowing down and freezing them but... my insignificant mana pool has does not allow me to use it properly in combat so for now it shall be used to preserve this pseudo-dear.

    I drain the blood out of the deer leg into a ditch by a tree then skinned it resulting in a mangled looking piece of meat due to my inexperience but still meat nevertheless.

    I hold it up using MFM: [Telekinesis] while gathering firewood.

    Then I lit it up a fire using my third attack spell called [Compressed Fireball].

    Its basically a ball of flame that is compressed to the point that it looks like a mini-sun. It is is a channeling type spell and its size is adjustable. Once it is thrown and hits something it would explode like liquid napalm. Good for crowded enemies~.

    I then began roasting the deer meat. Thankfully, [Telekinesis] only needs my concentration and will to use otherwise I would have ran out of mana by now.

    By the way, I learned this outdoor stuff from the

    survival shows I liked to watch in my free time back on Earth.

    Oh right I haven''t really thought of my life back then. My full name was Krey Ericson but I just like to go by Krey. My parents were Adrian and Tessa Ericson but that''s not important. They were already dead.

    They died when I was a kid but left me some inheritance money. I lived independently with some help from others.

    I worked part-time at the age of 10 all the way until I was 17. I do go to school and made decent grades even if I was busy. In my free time I liked to watch anime and different kinds of documentaries, read manga and novels. I had a few friends but none that is noteworthy.

    Apart from my attachment to eastern pop culture, I have no important ties back on earth. I think its good that I came here. Who knows maybe I''ll find something special here other than magic.

    As I reminisce my life on earth the meat has finished roasting.

    I took a bite out of it and it taste pretty good. There were no spices but its juicy complexion makes up for it.

    I finished eating the whole thing and resumed my journey. One hour and three breaks later I found a stretch of road but...

    "Give us your valuables and women now! There will be no trouble afterwards!"

    I saw a terribly cliche situation...

    There are a group of men wearing tattered leather armor, dirty clothes and wielding rusty blades encircling a carriage as well as a group of six people. Four men and two women. Two of them, who by the way has plain faces, are dressed up in plain clothes, and iron chainmail, greaves and gauntlets. One is wielding an axe and the other a sword. Another man is wearing some fancy clothes. A stereotype of a merchant I guess. One woman is dressed in white garbs with yellow trimmings and is holding a staff and has a cute face and the right curves in the right place. What really caught my attention was the other two... beastmen! Haha, yes. They look alike so they must be twins huh?~ There are two dog type beastmen, one a man the other a woman.

    They have black hair and their ears and tails ere of the same color. Aww~ those cute dog ears and tails are relaxing to look at. The guy is wearing leather armor and holding two daggers. The girl also has the same get-up but she has a bow and arrow. Kuuhh~ My otaku blood is boiling~! Hail fantasy world fights! Huzzah!. The group of six look tense and nervous. The girl in white... probably a healer is even faintly trembling, hushed fear evident in her eyes. The sixteen men surrounding them has sinister grins on their faces while throwing lewd glances at the girls.

    "Bullshit!! You''ll kill us all even if we complied and do you think we''ll just stand around here and let you take our money and our girls without doing anything?!? I will not let you touch Sarah and Lily!"

    The swordsman screamed out of frustration. Although the axeman (I guess?) and the dual dagger wielder didn''t say anything I could tell from their expressions that they are also angry. The merchant unexpectedly has a tense and solemn face on. His right hand is holding a quite thick stick (no pun intended) seemingly preparing to fight to the death as well. Aren''t merchants usually greedy and care only for themselves? At least that''s what I noticed about merchants in the novels I read. Oh well. Let''s not be prejudiced.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    "Hahaha. That''s fine by me! I''ll let you guys watch as we fucked those girls up before killing you."

    " Boss can I have the dog chick over there? I wanna lick them ears"

    " Yeah. I''d like to suck on them busty nipples of the healer over there!"

    " Alright but the first taste goes to me!"

    The bandits talked among themselves about which girl they wanna fuck as the two girls faces become pale while the guys get more enraged minus the merchant. He still has that solemn face. Somehow I''m frustrated that my view of merchants are being changed in this moment.

    More than anything, I am appalled... at the bandit''s stupidity. Even if they outnumber the six as their numbers are eighteen, based on how they''re not serious anf the amateuristic way they hold their blades... I''d say half of them would die. Really stupid.

    I am irritated. If there''s one thing I don''t like in a fantasy world it would be rape and involuntary slavery. Killing is not good or bad in my line of thinking. Its just a necessity. Just like the need to eradicate this bandits. Based on my mana pool and accuracy, Ill be able to kill at least six of them before running out of mana. My semi-passive raw mana absorption and refined mana generation would fully recover my mana after 20 minutes and if I meditate and concentrate on absorbing raw mana then refining it my mana would recover in 5 minutes but... that is plenty of time for them to find and kill me.

    *sigh* I''ll have to use my glaive and fight in close combat... even if my current strength and skill is literally not enough to kill all of them, I just have to support my body and glaive with ¡¶Telekinesis¡·... I think my head will hurt after this but on the bright side it doesn''t cause any mana to use, only my concentration is needed along with a bit of mental stamina.

    I casted [Assasination Spike] X8 as that''s how much my mana pool should be able to support but...

    "Hmm?"

    My glaive''s gemstone let out a dull glow and I felt warmth in my chest and I noticed that my mana pool which should be empty by now was diminished by a mere quarter.

    Eh?... EEEEHHHH?!?!

    The glaive has the setting to reduce the costs of spells by 75%!? Oi oi oi... ain''t this a bit too much. I understand the cheat that Frelinia gave me, though a bit OP, I still needed some sort of advantage to survive and help her out but isn''t she too trusting or maybe too desperate? Heeeyyy~ Frelinia-san why the heck are you giving an OP item right off the bat! What if it was someone who is evil or unpleasant? Won''t you have more trouble than before if that happens? Not that I''m evil or anything.

    Don''t tell me that the egg and necklace has some special effects as well!? Like the egg hatching to a powerful beast or the necklace being able to revive me when I died... okay the egg theory is possible but the necklace theory is too far-fetched and impossible.

    Haahh... whatever. I guess I got a bit angry cause there''s no challenge anymore... Sorry ''bout that Frelinia. Not that she can hear me.

    I casted another [Assasination Spike] X16. I have 24 floating and rotating spikes at both my sides as well as above me. Okay. With this I should be fine even if I miss a few times~. Oh! Looks like the bandits are attacking. Not on my watch! I shot four [Assasination Spikes] at them and... I severely underestimated the power of Divine Art: Magic Creation Array.

    *splat* *splat* *blood spraying*

    "Uuugggh!!"

    "AAAAAHHH!!"

    "*coughs blood*... W-what the...?* falls to the ground*"

    "What was that?!"

    "A mage!"

    "''Kyaah!!"

    One spike blew a bandit''s head off like with the pseudo-dear but hit another bandit in the knee, severing his leg. The second spike pierced straight through a bandit''s chest now a gaping hole, blood flowing down profusely and hit another two bandits. One had his right arm sheared off and the other had his head cut off but only at the base of the neck. The  third similarly turned another bandit into mince meat and ended a bandit''s manhood right then and there. The fourth only hit a single bandit but still got insta-killed. All in all 5 bandit''s were killed, 2 heavily injured, and 1 became a eunuch.

    I did imagine the spell to have powerful penetration potential but... I never expected it to be able to easily make a hole in a human body while still giving of the same damage to another target.  As expected of a god''s personal skill I guess? I surprisingly didn''t miss and were able to reduce their battle strength by a lot.

    But... I''m kinda hurt. I was trying to save you guys and all you gave me was a "kyaah"? Shouldn''t you be saying "A mage has come! we are saved" or something? Oh wait, I still haven''t shown myself. I walked out of the bushes, made a few rustling sounds in the process and revealed myself to them. I must look pretty intimidating right now huh~? With spinning spikes floating around me all and holding a unique weapon i. And as expected the bandits visibly flinched and some were frozen stiff in fear. The six people I wanted to save were looking at me with gapin jaws with the healer girl staring at me intently with shining eyes. This lasted for ten seconds until finally the bandit boss who talked about raping the girls broke the silence by saying-

    "W-who a-are you? W-what d-do y-y-you want?"

    He stuttered while asking those two questions. Now how should I answer this?~ Should I say "I am Death. Your time has come" or something? Nah. Let''s see here, I am a kid (body-wise) so I''ll just be straightforward.

    "I am Krey. Uncles, please die quickly okay?"

    I say in a cute voice while tilting my head and smiled sweetly while willing eight [Assasination Spikes] spikes to shoot towards the remaining bandits.

    _______________________________________________________________

    Author Note: Sorry for late update. Having exams right now. As you notices Magic Creation Array spells has a [  ] between them while Mana Force Manipulation has {  }. I hope you enjoyed it.

 Chapter 7: Tagging Along

    {Sally P.O.V.}

    I am Sally. I am an E-rank adventurer and a late stage apprentice magus and my elemental affinity is light. My role in the party is a healer. Me and my friends are all E-rank adventurers and we accepted our first out-of-town request. Usually we just accept requests to hunt low level monsters or gather materials at Loren Town, our home where I grew up and became an adventurer, so we were naturally excited.

    The contents were to guard and escort merchant Norman out of Loren Town ang go to Arles City. The reason why it was considered as an E-rank request instead of a D or D+ rank request was because the path we will travel in to arrive at Arles City is to go through the Rietol Forest.

    It was a considerably safe forest with the monsters only going up as high as a middle stage magus in strength and usually they rarely appear. It was suppose to be a simple trek lasting 4 days but...

    "Give us your valuables and women now! There will be no trouble afterwards!"

    On the second day of our journey, we were ambushed by bandits. They were all initial stage warriors and there were sixteen of them! We were completely outnumbered. The strongest of us is surprisingly the merchant Norman, who we were suppose to protect. He is a middle stage warrior but I don''t think that even if he has an advantage in stage level he will be able to fend of the bandits.

    What should I do? Those bandits are looking at me with strange, almost hungry gazes. Oh no... they''re not thinking...? No... no no no!!! I don''t want to become a plaything! I don''t want me and Lily to be like some toy! Yet... I also don''t want to kill people. All we have been doing is fight and kill mindless monsters in the outskirts of Loren town while gathering materials. I''ve never fought anyone before. I still haven''t seen anyone die before.I don''t I don''t want to die! I don''t want anyone to die! I''m scared... so scared. I faintly trembled with fear. Lily is also sweating nervously.

    "Bullshit!! You''ll kill us all even if we complied and do you think we''ll just stand around here and let you take our money and our girls without doing anything?!? I will not let you touch Sarah and Lily!"

    Lean, our de facto leader, an initial stage warrior as well as a swordsman screamed out. Karl, also an initial stage warrior and an axe wielder also looks angry. Den, a dogkin late stage novice warrior and our scout is fuming mad. I can tell it because he is silent, not like he''s easygoing self. Lily, his twin sister is also a late stage novice warrior, has a frightened face so I am sure that''s he is pissed as her brother. I''m glad that I have good friends. It eased my chaotic mind.

    "Hahaha. That''s fine by me! I''ll let you guys watch as we fucked those girls up before killing you."

    " Boss can I have the dog chick over there? I wanna lick them ears"

    " Yeah. I''d like to suck on them busty nipples of the healer over there!"

    " Alright but the first taste goes to me!"

    The bandits talk are talking about us. I''m scared. Terrified even. These people want to rape me and Lily then make our friends watch. How evil. They''re immoral, vulgar and cruel. Are they even human? They want to make us girls their toys to release their desires..? No... n-no no... I didn''t do "it" with anyone before. I always planned to meet someone I like then get married and do "it" with them but... am I gonna be tainted now?... No...no please... someone help us... someone save us. I thought I silently as I become paler and started shaking. Even Lily, who is usually calm, is trembling and pale-faced. The guys become madder when they heard that except for Norman. He has serious and solemn look on his face.

    Just when the bandits advanced and tears almost fell from my eyes something happened. Four fast objects, even faster than well-aimed arrows were shot out from the forest treeline and...

    *splat* *splat* *blood spraying*

    "Uuugggh!!"

    "AAAAAHHH!!"

    "*coughs blood*... W-what the...?* falls to the ground*"

    "What was that?!"

    "A mage!"

    "''Kyaah!!"

    Me and Lily involuntarily screamed from seeing someone die for the first time in a bloody and gory way. Blood, severed limbs, even a head... ugh. But my mind concentrated on what Den had said... a mage? What skill. For that person to be able to incapacitate and severely wound several people at once... and with such speed! They might be a Senior... no an Elite Magus! But what is a powerful mage doing here? Well... we are lucky that someone powerful is here and by the looks of it, that person is at our side. Thank the gods... they answered my prayers...wuwuwu.

    As I silently shed tears the bandits are all panicking, looking for the one who killed so many of them instantly. Then I noticed a small figure come out of the forest, some meters away from us and there I saw... the most beautiful boy I have ever seen. Walking with slow yet elegant steps, a boy five years of age appeared with floating earthen spikes floating around him. Although he wore plain but clean clothes, it further emphasized his pure and charming aura. His smooth, dark hair and snow white skin contrasts perfectly.

    But most captivating of all... was his eyes. Bright and radiant, like the sky at its bluest... no even bluer than that. Another thing was the multi-colored ripples in his pupils like an aurora constantly interchanging shining colors of the rainbow, making me feel disoriented but instead of it being bad, I felt at peace like I was being lulled to sleep. Those eyes made for a higher existence... that all-encompassing gaze of his, coupled with the hovering javelins of earth that are like loyal knight awaiting his will and that beautiful and artistic glaive, making him seem... majestic and noble.

    If he wasn''t a kid I would have fallen in love hard. All I feel now is complete admiration and affection towards the boy. All of us, including the bandits were silent and shocked as the one who clearly caused mayhem appeared before us, and it was a boy barely six. What''s more... he bears the strength of an initial stage magus, at five years of age! That is amazing!

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Most people follow the path of warriors as it is easier for them to gain breakthroughs but mages are different. It takes a lot of skill, perseverance and very good control of refined mana. The breakthroughs are different for warriors and mages. While warriors rely on instinct and emotion to do this, mages rely on intellect and other factors we do not know. Probably luck or chance. And now a five year old child is standing here in front of me with an even higher rank than me and I''m already seventeen!

    When me and my parents realized that I have very good control over refined mana at the age of seven,  we were elated and immediately celebrated. Even in Loren town I am considered a genius healer but... here I see true and unprecedented genius. Finally someone broke the silent stand-off. It was the bandit leader from before, the one who said vulgar profanities earlier... looking at him still scares me.

    "W-who a-are you? W-what d-do y-y-you want?"

    Hearing this stiffly said question, the boy looked thoughtful for a moment then answered with a voice as sweet and heavenly as an angel.

    "I am Krey. Uncles, please die quickly okay?"

    But contains a death sentence given by the reaper. Although he, "Krey" said it cutely while tilting his head to the side, I can''t help but feel a chill in my back. Eight floating javelins immediately shot forward impaling and killing the remaining bandits. It was a massacre, blood and corpses of bandits everywhere.

    How decisive. A child capable of killing without batting an eye to the act. What mental fortitude! Comparing myself and him from earlier, I can''t help but feel ashamed.

    As that happened, Krey walked forward, with his javelins still hovering, to the scene of carnage. Wrinkling his noise, he crouched down, put is glaive down and started to search through those... gory disgusting remains of the dead bandits... Ugh, my god. Who is this child? To be unfazed and even touching the corpses... really admirable. Seemingly finding nothing, Krey got up, picked up his glaive, walked out of the space with blood and gore, and wash his hands with... water magic... wait, he has dual affinities? After washing he conjured a small ball of bright... flames?! Triple-affinities?! So many surprises. I looked at my friends and they too look taken aback. Krey propelled the bright fireball towards the corpses and the area exploded in fiery fumes. What a powerful spell... it must have cost a lot of mana but Krey doesn''t even look tired.

    Then the boy turned towards us, made his javelins disappear and asked...

    "Hey, big sister I don''t know where a town is. Can I tag along with you? Please~?" He asked pleadingly and adorably but it looked intimidating to us with the red flames at his back contrasting with his blue eyes. We don''t really have a choice do we?

    ___________________________________________________________________________________

    {Krey P.O.V.}

    Woohoo! That was fun. I relieved some of my stress over there. While I don''t show it, I''m actually tired and pissed at the long and tiring voyage in the forest. So killing those bandits actually felt great. Do I feel bad about killing? No. Do I regret acting impulsively and in turn lost my humanity? No. Why should I? Those bandits were trash so how could I "lose" my humanity. I saved those six didn''t I? Killing for me is not a matter of black and white. It is a method, a necessity to achieve something. But if someone I like gets killed then I''ll immediately go and have vengeance.

    How could I say something so immoral? Blame the lack of guidance because of my parent''s death and the fact that I learned most of human emotions through anime, and damn does anime have a lot of info and genre. I also blame the weirdness of the internet.

    But let''s forget my rambling.

    After killing the bandits, I went to their corpses, it smells so bad, and started looting them~! What? They''re already dead so let their blessings be given to those who are of need. Mainly me. I have cheat ability, weapons anf equipment but no money. After finding some coins, I put them in my storage ring and after doing so, I counted them. Wow, these bandits are pretty well of huh~? I found two gold coins, thirteen silver coins, and and sixty six copper. I don''t know the monetary values for this world but judging it with the help of fantasy novel info, this would be a lotta money.

    Oh yeah! Jackpot!! Keeping that thought to myself, I left the bloody area and washed my hands with the new spell I''ve just created [Water Spray]. Its for cleaning. I feel like I''m abusing Magic Creation Array by doing this but... who cares?

    As I finished washing my hands, I casted [Compressed Fireball], which took out an eight of my mana, with the glaive''s effect still here, so it is a considerably strong I spell I''ve chanelled, as strong as an intermediate elite magus spell, and propelled it towards the dead bodies. The area went up in flames burning the corpses black. We wouldn''t want it to block the road after all~.

    I made my remaining [Assassination Spikes] dissipate back to me in the form of my refined mana and my mana is filled 12/20. *sigh* Cheat items... though their awesome, their also disheartening to use.. for a reason I will not talk about.

    I then asked the healer girl a question, once again acting adorable.

    "Hey, big sister I don''t know where a town is. Can I tag along with you? Please~?"

    Ufufufufu... you cannot resist my natural cuteness! Now on to the nearest city~~!

    _____________________________________________________________________

    Author Note: Exams are done and I probably passed... maybe. Here you guys enjoy! And I changed "elder magus to elite magus" in chapter 5 to give MC a little nerf. To those who are against it then I''m sorry. I''m not going to make him even more overpowered to the point that it is cliche. I want to give more depth to the story than that. But MC will still be OP.

 Chapter 8: A Seal

    And so here I am sitting on a pillow inside of a carriage enduring a less than comfortable ride through the dirt road in the forest. Now I know why the others are more inclined to walk outside~. Not only is the carriage slow, it is also uncomfortable to be on. I am surrounded by crates containing stuff for trading and the things that I can see are, food, cloth, accessories and medicines. Its filled to the brim, barely having space for me to sit on.

    When I asked to tag along with them to their destination, as expected they immediately agreed. I thought it was because of my cute face and that I rescued them but... Their afraid of me huh~? Along the journey, I made some small talk with Lean, the swordsman, Karl the axe-guy, Den the rogue... or maybe scout? I don''t know. As well as Lily the archer girl but they all talk stiffly and with slight fear, sweat flowing down profusely on their face. When I realized that I became depressed but quickly got over it. The ones who I can talk to normally are only Sally, the healer girl and... unexpectedly Norman, the merchant. I am sorry for getting angry at you for no reason, Norman-san. You are a good guy.

    When night is near, we looked for a spot to camp in just like the first time we met but with a slightly less tense atmosphere than before. The four are still wary of me and that just makes me even more sad. Wuwuwu... *sob* I wanted to touch those cute, twitching ears and their fluffy tails. But its better than last time when no sound came out as we ate dry meat and dark bread in front of the campfire. Ugh... that was a nightmare. How could food like that exist?!

    On the second day, I decided to use my remaining pseudo-dear, making it appear out of the storage ring, shocking them once again.

    "Y-you have a storage ring!" (Norman)

    Norman exclaims with vigor and excitement. I guess he wants one as a merchant, that way more goods can be carried and travel speed will be faster because there is no weight.

    "Hmmm~? Yes I have one. It was given to me by my master when he sent me out. He said it would help me in my travels and training. I got this thing from one of my hunts and froze it to preserve the rest." (Krey)

    I lied in a believing tone. You see, here is my backstory for this world. Ever since I was a baby, I''ve never met my parents nor do I know them, and I was raised by an old mage in a tower filled with lots of books and artifacts. The mage was very old, so old like he might die any moment but he was still jolly and strong despite his looks. He was my only parent and master, yet he never told me his name. He took care of me, fed me, taught me his morals, trained me in the ways of the force *cough*-magic and told me to go on a journey for training. Not knowing that it was dangerous for a five-year old to be alone by himself and lacking some common sense and general knowledge, I assented to his advice and I was given a storage ring and some instructions. Then I suddenly lost consciousness and found myself in the forest. I walked, hunted for food, and slept up in the trees till I reached a stretch of road and saw the earlier incident. End of story~.

    Using this excuse I was able to learn some general knowledge which I will reveal later. Hearing my explanation, everyone got over it a little and watched as I defrosted the pseudo-dear corpse with a small-scale [Compressed Fireball]. Then I gave it to Den and Lean for them to prepare it for dinner.

    "Wait... isn''t this a Larsit?" (Den)

    "Larsit?" (Krey)

    "Larsit. Its what we call a dear that was able to evolve into a monster by making its own mana core, making changes in its body build. They are can grow as powerful as an middle stage warrior." (Lean)

    "They are usually docile and don''t attack people. But the most distinct trait about them is that all of them are very fast. What''s more is that their meat is very delicious so a lot of hunters try to catch and kill one, but a lot of them failed." (Den)

    "Is that so~?" (Krey)

    "You''re pretty lucky to get one, Krey. Well I guess it is as expected of a genius mage." (Lily)

    Hearing Lily talk to me, I was surprised but I didn''t let it show in my face. Finally their wariness is gone. I am happy. But still, Larsits are fast huh? No wonder it was able to dodge my first spike. As you have heard, monsters are like animals that have evolved thanks to forming or eating a mana core. They''re levels are similar to the ranks of mages. The same goes for the warriors.

    "This is great! We can have a good grub tonight!" (Karl)

    "Yes. Eating dry rations is cumbersome" (Sally)

    "Hmm. This will be quite the meal. Alright, I''ll spare some of the spices and wine for tonight!" (Norman)

    "Hurray!" (Everyone except me)

    "Uh... okay" (Krey)

    I hope the wine is not the same as beer. I don''t like to drink alcohols too much because of the law and the stuff I hear about getting sick but maybe wine is healthier...? Oh well. That night, we ate the entire larsit. I saw a monster'' core for the first time, and it really looks the same as a smooth, shiny and green pebble. It was given to me later on by Lean. Of course I will get it, I''m the one who killed it after all. After eating, we all went to our tents to sleep. The tents are actually just a big cloths, being made to form a tent by some wooden supports. Its pretty nice and comfy since there are fur mats placed inside. There are only three tents though, so I get to stay in the girl''s tent as it is bigger and has more space because you know... girls are thinner~. Hehehe... being a kid has its perks after all~! They''d think I won''t do anything out of the ordinary for someone of my age... of course I won''t!

    I''m just gonna enjoy the softness and warmth of two adolescent girls~.

    "Come on Krey. Its time to sleep." (Sally)

    "Okay." (Krey)

    I lay down between Sally and Lily, and thankfully, Lily is not tense around me anymore. Haaahh... this is bliss. Lily and Sally are really soft. They also smell very good. I felt my eyelids closing and I soundly fell asleep.

    Later in the night, I woke up to the sound of someone opening the tent flaps and I realized that, its probably time for one of the girls to take watch. Every four hours or so someone will be awake to take the place of the earlier person to spot any anomalies or danger in the vicinity of the camp. Of course I''m not included in that rotary system. I opened my eyes and looked to my left. Hmm... Lily''s still here so I guess its Sally''s turn huh~? I am now awake so its time to do what I''ve been waiting for ever since I''ve arrived in Salratia. Time to touch those cute, fluffy ears~!

    I silently approached Lily, got closer to her head and rubbed them little stubs on her head

    "Mnnn... ah... ah.." (Lily)

    Lily made some cute noises but still not on the level of waking up. I continues to trace my fingers along her furry ears and... does this feel heavenly~. Its like patting a pet dog at home. Its really comforting. I rubbed Sally''s cute ears more vigorously.

    "Ahhh...ah...ah ah.. Mnn.. s-stop... Ahhh."

    I was spooked to hear Lily talked and when I looked at her face... luckily she is still asleep. Her face is flushed, really red and some sweat is flowing down her face. Whew. Looks like she is a heavy sleeper. However, are ears really that sensitive? If so, even more reason to continue doing so. What? I am not really touching any erogenous zones like her breasts or her inner thighs. I only plan to rub her ears and tail.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere."Ahh... mnnn- oooh.. ah" (Lily)

    While Lily continued to make some seductive sounds, I stopped rubbing her ears and went for the fluffiness that is the tail. I patted it and... how lovely. If this was bigger I would use this as a pillow. As with the ears, I rubbed it very roughly to feel the fluffiness even more and held it close to my face.

    "Mnnn... ahhhh!.... haaah..haah" (Lily)

    Ah. It seems Lily climaxed. Did it really feel that good... no what am I thinking?! Did I just sexually harassed a girl?!  I am really sorry. It was not intentional... well maybe its not but it was not my goal to sexually harass her. *sigh* My image of being as a gentlemen has been destroyed huh? Wait... Lily''s still asleep, albeit sweaty, blushing and a small smile in her face. Seriously?! You can sleep even though you climaxed?! Wow... what a heavy sleeper. I didn''t really notice it the night before because I immediately fell asleep as soon as I entered the tent, losing the chance to perform the act I''m doing tonight. Okay. as long as no one knows then this event will go to oblivion

    Still, its going to be a pain waking her up in the morning. Thankfully, I am not really obligated to wake her up so good luck with waking up your fellow girl Sally! Speaking of which, she''s still taking watch huh? Let''s accompany her. No use lying around while I can''t sleep. My altered body is still having trouble of adjusting to the time in Salratia.

    Opening the tent flaps, I got out of the tent, finding Sally outside looking at our tent. She seems a bit troubled about something.

    "What was that? I heard Lily scream out faintly. What happened?" (Sally)

    Shit. It seems she heard Lily''s moan. Okay, the situation can still be salvaged. Make up an excuse, an excuse, an excuse, excuse... Aha! I got it. Let''s just hope Sally will believe it.

    "I think she''s having a nightmare. In fact I woke up because of it" (Krey)

    I looked at her nervously, hoping that she won''t probe any further. Thankfully, she just sighed and shook her head looking at me apologetically.

    "Is that so? She''s always having weird dreams. I''m sorry about that" (Sally)

    Hearing that, I mentally sighed with relief. My gentleman''s image has not been tarnished. Whew, gotta control my impulses. But I really can''t help myself. Its a beast girl y''know? They only appear in certain medias and books so seeing and touching them in this fantasy world is like heaven for an otaku such as me. Still, is this a coincidence~? That she actually ''has'' that condition. If so I must be lucky.

    "Its alright. I had enough rest" (Krey)

    "Are you sure? You need some sleep. You''re still growing after all" (Sally)

    "Its fine. I''m wide awake now. Besides my master taught me to sleep lightly." (Krey)

    I made up a lie. Still, I quite like talking to Sally. She seems so pure and charming to me. Also she is a courteous one. Moreover, she''s naturally kind and caring, even to someone like me whom she barely knows. This is what I could gather from my interactions with her for the past two days as well as the incident with the bandits. I don''t know if it is flaw or a blessing but its who she is so I have no right to judge.

    I sat down next to her, watching the embers of the campfire as it burned through what''s left of the wood. Its a little bit awkward, with the silence and all but Sally, fortunately initiated the conversation.

    "Hey Krey, how are you so strong?" (Sally)

    "Hmmm~?" (Krey)

    "I mean how are you be able to take these things lightly, being all alone, and... killing so easily. Furthermore, how is that you have reached such a level at your age. I know its not only because you were taught by someone strong."

    "You''re right. The reason I am like this... is because I matured quickly. I don''t know why but it just happened." (Krey)

    Again, I made up another lie... but it is true though. Having no parents back on earth, I did mature quickly and relied only on myself. Though financially it is thanks to my  parents, but the only one I really relied was myself.

    "Anyway, you want to get stronger right." (Krey)

    I quickly changed the subject because talking about such things doesn''t sit right with me. This is usually what people expect if they ask that kind of question. Sensing my discomfort, Sally clumsily replied.

    "Eh.. um, uh yes. Yes I do" (Sally)

    "Give me your hand" (Krey)

    "Um... okay" (Sally)

    Slightly perpelexed, Sally held her hand out and I grasped it. Then I sent out my refined mana through her hand reaching her mana core. Believe it or not, there is a way to increase one''s talent for manipulating mana, but only I know how to do it. Receiving the knowledge from "All-Magic Awakening" the method is quite complex. First you have to manipulate your refined mana, to saturate the person''s mana core with your own mana and... reconstruct it to a state you desire, to allow said person''s "talent" to increase but it is not easy. You have to be very skilled in manipulating mana to do so. Luckily, I have exceptional talent and Mana Force Manipulation. So doing so is a piece of cake for me.

    Why am I doing this? There are two reasons. The first is I want to experiment on the knowledge I currently have to discern if it is really effective. After all, it was forcefully uploaded into my head, making it quite surreal for me, even after all that''s happened. The second is because I think that Sally is worthy of it. I''m not sure why, but my instincts are resonating with this thought. Well, she is a nice girl, and I''m probably attracted to her as a teenager myself (in my head). As I was re-configuring her settings, I noticed something inside of her core. A seal. No, two seals. It seems that this seals are obstructing some of her natural affinities. Fire and Lightning huh? Though they''re complex seals, I easily broke them. Thank Frelinia for the MFM. I don''t know who sealed her affinities but its best not to think about it. She wants to get stronger so I will help her.

    It seems that the process of enriching her innate talent has made her unconscious. I let her sleep on my lap. I am currently supporting her weight with {Telekinesis} so its not heavy. Haahh... looking at her closely, she really is quite a beauty. Having that thought in mind, I once again use {Telekinesis} to get from the carriage, blank book and a pencil, those things exist here, and began writing. I''m sure Norman won''t mind.

    Finally, morning has come and Sally woke up. She realized that, she was sleeping on her lap and she got flustered and then suddenly paled. This girl is cute~.

    "I''m sorry! I''m really sorry!! Please forgive me for falling asleep on your lap!!!"

    "Its alright. You were not that heavy~"

    "But still!!-"

    "And I quite enjoyed looking at your adorable looking face~"

    "Eh... *blush* uuu... why do I feel like I''m not talking to a kid"

    Sally blushed and then looked away. Haha, Maybe I''ll try dating her when I get bigger? I mean in this world, humans have an average lifespan of three hundred years or so. She''ll still be young when I reach eighteen. I''ve pondered on another funny thought.

    "Come on Sally. Let''s wake up the others and prepare breakfast"

    "Uh, wait up!"

    Fufu. Well it is a nice reflection though~.

    _________________________________________________________________________

    Author Note: So yeah there''s a poll over here so give me your suggestions.

 Chapter 9: Arles City

    *creak* *creak* Goddamn it!! This is really NOT a comfortable ride. My back and buttocks hurt from all these movement. Seriously. Has suspension springs not yet been invented in this world? Or is it because it is considered a magic item? That''s why it is expensive? *sigh* Who knows? We finally got out of the forest and are traversing through the mostly level gravel road. For all my complaining, I am still writing down some notes in the book I''ve gotten from the carriage.

    When Norman saw what I took, he merely shrugged and waved his hand. Yep, definitely a nice guy. Now one might be wondering why I am doing this. Well, again its because of three reasons, not two like earlier. One is for testing if my newly uploaded knowledge is credible, which I know it is but it can''t hurt to be safe right? Second, its because of Sally. I guess you could say I''m attracted to her. Now it is not hormones. My body is that of a kid right now and I''m sure kids don''t undergo puberty at the age of five, even in another world. That is simply ridiculous.

    And she has certain qualities that makes you want to help her. Kind of like the feeling when you see an abandoned puppy in the street and you want to take care of it. The third is because... of those seals. Its my first time here and now I am witnessing a mystery. Seals are like locks. There are different kinds of seals but they all have one purpose: to restrain whatever it was placed upon. Seals can be created with all elements and specific elemental seals restrict their specific elements. Like a fire-type seal can inhibit a fire-element item or animal.

    Those are what seals are. In Sally''s case, she had two special seals in her core inhibiting her from using her fire and lightning affinities. Usually, seals are very expensive and hard to make. You have to employ a mage who has excellent control in mana, has a large mana pool preferably of the grand magus level, and in some cases have specific materials. Initially, only wealthy and influential people can employ or have such mages in their circle. I, myself can create simple seals but it is a long tedious process, even for the simple ones. Also I have not attained requirements two and three. But the real problem is... who is Sally? From my conversations with her in the carriage (yes, she has low stamina, so I have someone to else to share my burden with, not just Norman) she came from "Loren town" just one of the many ordinary towns in the Tolkium Kingdom. But then, why did she have seals inside her body? Really mysterious.

    Well, I''m dying to see where her prospects might take her. So enriching her "talents" and unsealing her affinities should make her future brighter. I just hope that it won''t take a dark turn... Anyway, back to the trolley ride. If you want to know about what happened to Lily, well er, she''s...

    "Hmm~hmm~hmm~La~lalala~ Hmm~" (Lily)

    It seems that she treated my actions last night as a dream. How do I know? I eavesdropped on Sally and Lily''s girl talk at breakfast. What? I. am. a. kid (in body). Decorum is not expected of me at my age. Anyways, most of the talk was filled with "kyas~" but I got the gist of it. She dreamed of her ''prince charming'' and they ''made love''. Typical. I guess they are at that age now. Whew. My reputation is safe.

    After travelling for two, maybe three days I could finally see a silhouette of walls up in the distance.

    "Hey guys! We''re almost there." (Norman)

    "Heeh~. Is that the City of Arles?" (Krey)

    "Wow. Its so big." (Lean)

    "Yeah. I can see the walls from here!" (Den)

    "Loren Town''s walls are only as tall as a grown man. But... its obvious that the city walls are much taller than that" (Karl)

    As we continued to chat, we came closer to the city. There I saw a long line of people. There are many carriages and carts of different age, design, and sizes there. The horses pulling them are also numerous. Lots of people are lining up with their carriages and horses as well. Most are wearing simple commoner clothing while there a few who wear fancy clothes like coats and mantles. I kinda expected this kind of settings in a fantasy world but I can''t help but be taken aback.

    "Whoa~! That''s a really long line over there~." (Krey)

    "You haven''t been to any settlements right Krey?" (Sally)

    "Un. Are there usually this many people in settlements?" (Krey)

    I kept my act as an ignorant child who has not come in contact with any type of mass civilization. Apart from the room I usually stayed in.

    "Not really. Only big cities have this long lines of people and carriages." (Norman)

    "Heeh~." (Krey)

    We''re now currently waiting in line. Once again, I saw a variety of people with carts lining up. Some have grains or vegetables in their carts. Others are like Norman here, carrying a bunch of crates as well as some interesting stuff inside their carts or carriages. A few are holding weapons like Sally and her bunch. Oh no. I forgot they''re might be security measures by the gates over there. I hope they won''t ask for Identifications for me or something.

    "Hey Norman. Will I be able to pass through? I mean I don''t have any documents about myself." (Krey)

    "Ah. Don''t worry about that. Children at your age don''t usually have status cards." (Norman)

    "Status Cards?" (Krey)

    "Yes. Children generally receive their status cards at the age of five, like you. So we can just make an excuse that your here to have your status card made." (Norman)

    Heeeh~. That''s fascinating. Is it like those dog tags I hear about? Why didn''t the bandits have those I wonder? Maybe it magically appears or something? Who knows. Oh wait!

    "Hey. Where can I register for status cards?" (Krey)

    "At the church or the adventurer''s guild"

    Wait... there''s a church here? What god do they worship? Meh, whatever. I have no intention to tangle with them. Politics are a troublesome thing. Hmm.. let''s just ask what religion it is.

    "Hey~ which gods do they worship?" (Krey)

    "All of them. The religion of Tolkium Kingdom is the Church of Salratia." (Sally)

    "Tolkium is a special kingdom. Here every race are allowed to live in peace. Even the nobles and royal family have different races in their bloodline. This is the only kingdom who has a variety of races, has no traces of discrimination between races and is strong enough to defend against other countries who disbelieves in racial equality. In fact, this kingdom''s borders encompass an entire continent!" (Norman)

    "Heeh~." (Krey)

    This is unexpected. There actually is a kingdom like this. I''ve got to read up on the details of this world. Wait, I got off track.

    "Hey~ can I get my status card at the adventurer''s guild?" (Krey)

    "Umm... yes you can but... usually people register and get their status cards at the church because its much more common. And not to mention, adventurer''s jobs can be dangerous." (Norman)

    "Hmmm~ don''t wanna~It''s much more interesting being an adventurer." (Krey)

    "Hahaha... considering your strength, Krey, I think you''d be fine." (Lean)

    Mmm. Well we''re almost getting close to the gates. But I''ll tell them my decision later. After a few more minutes we''ve reached the end of the line. *whistle* That''s a really big gate. I am looking at the five meter tall and one meter thick, wooden gates, riveted with steel supports. It looks very imposing. There are some guards over here, wearing plate mail armor and swords sheathed at their waist,  checking the carriages cargo and the status cards of the others except me. I didn''t get a close look at them so I don''t know what they contain.

    "Where''s your status card?" (Guard)

    "He still doesn''t have one. We will have his status card made in the city." (Norman)

    "Hmm. Alright, but we have to follow city regulations and you will have to pay a fee of five coppers." (Guard)

    "Of course." (Norman)

    Norman gave the guards the five copper fee. I''m really sorry about that Norman-san. I can''t just take out the money I got from the bandits after all. Some questions will be asked of me if I do so. Especially since its in my storage ring.

    "Thanks, Norman" (Krey)

    "Don''t be, you saved us after all. (Norman)

    After that we finally entered the city. Wow, it really is like medieval times. Crowds of people are filling the streets. It''s quite noisy with all the talking. All of them wearing different kinds of clothes. There are also carriages pulled by horses traversing through the streets. Some stalls are at the side of street with merchants selling their wares. There are many buildings made out of wood and stone. A lot of them has signs over the doors. Probably shops. One has a drawing of a sword and hammer, and I can hear clanging sounds from there. A blacksmith. There are many people getting in and out there carrying weapons. And there''s another shop over there... a bakery? *sniff* That really smells good. Looks like there is an opening in the front for selling bread. Anyways, we were going in the direction of the marketplace. I continue looking at the many people at the sides. There are humans, dwarves, and... yes elves! The dwarves look like the template dwarfs I''ve seen. Stocky build. Short stature and magnificent beards. And for some reason they always carry... axes? Must be a fashion statement. The elves on the other hand, they are few but all of them look attractive. I mean seriously! No ugliness can be found in their faces unlike the humans. In fact, all they''re looks are above average. Haahh~. There are also beastmen among the crowd. Dog-type, cat-type, bird-type, rabbit-type and many more I don''t know about. Surprisingly, they look a lot like humans, only a little bit of animal traits exist on their body, like the ears and tail for example. After we reached the marketplace, I saw a lot more stalls and a few makeshift shops in the square. And its noisier and really crowded.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    "Okay guys, here is the request fee. Thank you for escorting me. With this the request is completed" (Norman)

    "Yes thank you." (Lean)

    While saying that, Norman gave Lean a bag filled with coins. Lean and Norman took out their status cards and lightly bump their cards together. I faintly heard a *ting* sound coming from the cards. Cool. I''d like to get that very soon.

    "And, Krey here is-" (Norman) "Krey, this is for-" (Lean)

    "That won''t be necessary." (Krey)

    "Eh?" (Everyone)

    I know what they''re thinking. They want to give me some compensation for saving their lives back then but... that was just a coincidence. Of course, I won''t be so shrewd. Besides, I don''t like taking money without working for it. I simply passed through when they were under attack, and assisted is all.

    "I don''t need the money." (Krey)

    "But-but you did save us y''know...?" (Karl)

    "Yeah...can you please take this... we would be really happy if you do so..." (Lily)

    "No, but I thank you for your concern." (Krey)

    Its better this way. Besides, taking free money just isn''t right... unless its from a bad guy. So far they''ve shown they are good people. Well its time to drop the bomb on them.

    "Furthermore, this is where we will be separating." (Krey)

    "E-eeeh?! Why so soon...?" (Sally)

    "Yeah, Krey... can you stay with us for awhile...?" (Den)

    "I''m sorry, but these are instructions from my master. I must resume my training." (Krey)

    Again its a lie. What I really want to do is investigate everything about this world. So far all I learned from Sally is the currency, territory, topography, monsters and a few general knowledge. Not enough background information to make a foothold in this world. So I don''t need any distractions for awhile. My objective is first and foremost, help Frelinia. This is the reason I was brought here after all.  Additionally, Sally and the others will probably return to Loren township since the request is done, and Norman will go to another place because that''s what merchants do. It''s not right to get in their way.

    "Sally here." (Krey) I throw her my finished, handwritten notes for magic training.

    "E-eh *fumble* What is this...?" (Sally)

    "Some guidelines for magic training. This is everything I learned from my master in a nutshell. Follow it well and you should become a great mage. Oh there are some instructions for mana control as well, so you, Lean, Karl, Den and Lily will benefit from those notes."

    "Huh-huh?! Wait i-isn''t this priceless!? W-why are you-" (Sally)

    "Y-yeah wh-why-" (Everyone else)

    "Think of it as a parting gift. Sally, check your elemental affinities once more and follow those guidelines well. If fate deems it, we shall meet again."

    "W-wait!-" (Sally)

    Saying those cool lines, I turned around and cast two buff spells. [Wind Run] of the wind element. It increases my speed and agility in proportion to how much mana I put into it. Right now, I could probably go sixty kilometers per hour if I ran. It really took a long time for me to imagine, visualize and create this spell. [Body Burst] of the nature element. Its like getting adrenaline, giving me enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, and accelerated thought. And like adrenaline this only short term, probably a minute or so. Casting all this took half of my mana. I''m really conservative so I thought out rationally and carefully about the spells I created putting efficiency and effects first to my spells. I''m not like those flimsy protagonists and their exploding powers or some shit.

    Now, the reason I''m doing this is... because I want to look cool. I mean ain''t it awesome to be a mysterious character?! Give an otaku such as me some slack. Also, I want to test them out more conscientiously. I did try them out before at the temple ruins but I immediately cancelled the effects. I was pretty impatient to leave back then.

    And now I ran towards the opposite direction, dodging people and carts, jumping around the stalls, going through alleys and stuff until I''m sure I ran far enough and the effects of [Wind Run] & [Body Burst] ran out.

    Whew. I seem to be in an alley somewhere. There are no people here, just me, the dark, some crates and a few water puddles. Somehow, I feel lonely... *sigh* I really have to make up my mind if I want companions or not. Thinking of another notion in my slightly chaotic mind, I got out of the alley and there I found the ever so familiar crowded road... not. It''s surprisingly peaceful in this street. I can see people walking around but not enough to be called crowded. The shops are present and this doesn''t seem like a bankrupted or disconcerting neighborhood so what is this...? Feeling slightly perplexed by the absence of bustling activity, I looked for a place that looks like an inn.

    Hmmm... where~,where~, is~ the~ inn~? Ooohh! Found it. In front of me is a four-story building, made out of wood and stone, glass windows which shows some light from the inside, over all giving off a homey feel. There is a sign over the door that has the words written: Bunny Point Inn... Okay...? This is quite a weird name for an inn. Maybe this is one of those... ''whorehouses''? I shiver at that thought. I''m not disgusted by the thought of prostitution. Its simply a way of life and I will not condemn people for engaging in such activity. But I will not stand for anything that''s involuntary or against a person''s will. I''m just worried for the thought of ''shotacons'' inside there. I mean look at me!? Don''t I look like a perfect example of a shota right now?!

    Not sure if I should enter or not, the door suddenly opened from the inside and there I saw... a bunny girl. Whew, fortunately I have played with Lily long enough to suppress my urge to jump the beast girl in front of me and tough the fluffy ears once again. *cough* Anyway, back to the situation at hand. It''s a bunny-type beast girl wearing a... uniform of sorts? Her brown hair is tied into a pony tail and when she saw me, she smiled and asked me-

    "Hello, little boy~. Welcome to the Bunny Point Inn. Do you have want to stay for the night? Where are your parents?" (Bunny Girl)

    "Uh-um no. I mean, yes. But it''s just me." (Krey)

    "Oh is that so? Please come inside then and we should discuss the price of the rooms." (Bunny Girl)

    "Uh yes." (Krey)

    Somewhat bemused, I followed the bunny girl inside. Its seems the entrance is a sort of reception room, with some couches and small tables in one side occupying most of the space, and a counter with another bunny girl, this time with a twin-tailed hairstyle writing on a big book. Probably a record book. The pony tail bunny girl went into the counter, said something to the twin-tailed bunny girl and then both of them faced me and professionally smiled.

    "Welcome to the Bunny Point Inn. What room will be you taking. We have several types of rooms that-" (Twin-tailed Bunny Girl)

    "Oh-uh thanks. So I will be taking your cheapest room along with meals." (Krey)

    "Of course. How long will be your stay?" (Pony-tailed Bunny Girl)

    "For now... a week would suffice." (Krey)

    "Duly noted. Please hand over two silver and five coppers" (Twin-tailed Bunny Girl)

    Ugeehh. So cheap! Is their business bad or something. No. They seem quite well-trained judging from their actions and attitude towards me, a child. But... are inns this cheap?

    "Um sure. Here you go." I pretended to take out the coins from my pocket but I''m really getting it from the storage ring and put the seven coins into the counter. By the way the currency conversion goes like this 100c-> 1s, 100s-> 1g and so on and so forth. Luckily, I am tall enough to reach the table counter, even if I''m small.

    "Thank you. Lunch will be in four hours. Here is your room-key. Its in the second floor, room 12. Do you need me to show you where it is? (Pony-tailed Bunny Girl).

    "No its okay." (Krey)

    I declined the offer. Its not too hard to look for the room. I left the reception room, went through the short hallway, climbed up the stairs and after peering awhile into the various halls, lighted with magic stones, in the second floor, I finally found room 12. I unlocked the door with the key and opened it. Inside the well-sized room is a wooden bed with a mattress, pillow and blanket. A desk and chair as well as a cabinet. *whistle* For a cheap room, this is quite good.

    I locked the door, placed the key in the desk, took off my sandals and jumped into the bed. I silently pondered on my next moves.

    "Hmm... I guess I''ll become an adventurer~." (Krey)

    I said happily.

    _________________________________________________________________________

    Author Note: Okay guys thanks for voting. I''ll try making a side story after chapter 12. The timeskip chapter. If you have any suggestions for the story pls. share it.

 Chapter 10: Kiralne Street

    (Sally P.O.V.)

    "That won''t be necessary." (Krey)

    "Eh?" (Everyone)

    Did I hear it right? Krey, the mysterious five year old boy, does not want compensation for the valiant act he did? We''ve finally arrived here in Arles city. The request has been finished and Lean, as our team leader confirmed it with our client Norman in his status card. We wanted to give some money to Krey because of his circumstances and in addition to the fact that he save us but... he refuses it. Why? In just three days, I''ve gotten used to Krey with us. He is like any other kid out there, smiling, laughing, asking a lot of questions and sometimes playing but his unnatural multi-hued eyes that always seem bright blue give the impression that there''s something more to him as I continue to see flashes of intelligence in it.

    I''ve always been perceptive ever since I was young. I got along with the kids of my age, but I always notice something different about them and me but I can''t put my finger on it. Also, thanks to my habit of being observant and curious, I''ve uncovered a lot of secrets back in my hometown. Most of them are just on the level of a joke, like kids stealing some money out of mischief and stuff like that. But a few... are quite serious. So serious that I only understood it when I became fifteen. One of them is that... I was adopted. My adoptive father and mother never said anything to me but I knew it from one of their conversations that I secretly listened to. But I was not troubled.

    They adopted me from somewhere, took care of me as I grew up, and helped me in many ways. I did not bring it up to them because to me they are my wonderful parents but, I can''t help but wonder what is my origin. This is what I feel in me and in him, Krey. He said that, he was raised by an elderly mage from infancy to childhood. He was taught magic by the mage and sent him out to train. I don''t think Krey cares about it but... that was pretty irresponsible of the old mage. He did raise him and all but that does not mean you can just send a child into a world he knows nothing about! What''s more on his own! Who does that?! But Krey knows the mistake and he simply ignores it. Its very mature I guess or simply the carefree nature of a child?

    But I know there''s something more to him. I''ve noticed it only a couple of times, during the rare times he is silent in the carriage, while the horses are going through a smooth plot of land, he always puts on a brooding and thoughtful expression unfit for a child. If the road is rough most of the time, he talks and chats with me and the others happily but when it gets level enough to make the ride comfortable he always puts on that expression.

    And recently last night I saw another glimpse of the other side of Krey, although a bit short...

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    After our delicious larsit feast, provided by Krey of course, we all went to sleep. We took turns in taking watch, Krey not included, and it was finally my turn. Den woke me up, and I went out to sit on the dying campfire while he went to his tent shared with Norman. After an hour or so, I heard a small cry from the tent. It sounded... a bit like Lily''s voice. Five minutes or so of staring at our tent, someone came out of it. It was Krey. He has a tranquil look on his face, I don''t know why and I can''t help but ask about the noise earlier.

    "What was that? I heard Lily scream out faintly. What happened?" (Sally)

    Hearing my question, he seems troubled for a while and finally answered-

    "I think she''s having a nightmare. In fact I woke up because of it" (Krey)

    Confirming it from Krey, I can''t help but sigh deeply. Lily always had a habit of having weird dreams and sometimes they are amusing and fun to hear about but tonight, it only disturbed someone''s sleep, and a small child at that! I looked at Krey apologetically and explained my friend''s conditions in a lighthearted manner.

    "Is that so? She''s always having weird dreams. I''m sorry about that." (Sally)

    "Its alright. I had enough rest." (Krey)

    "Are you sure? You need some sleep. You''re still growing after all" (Sally)

    "Its fine. I''m wide awake now. Besides my master taught me to sleep lightly." (Krey)

    And with that remark he sat down next to me, no longer a brooding expression but still a thoughtful one combined with somewhat melancholic gaze as he stared at the campfire seemingly interested in the burning embers.

    This is what I found about Krey. He is eccentric this way, a child at one moment, and an older version of himself at the next. Sometimes I wonder how he can be like that. He is mature in mind yet remains a child at heart. That''s what I can get from my insights of him. The way he looks at the fire, reminds me of myself at some point.

    Oh yeah. Why am I so interested in him? If you look at it this way, he is our benefactor and savior and if you look at it another way, he made me a memory I will never forget. A memory of fear, astonishment, dread, sadness... and death. Through him I felt hope, in the despair I was in, during the ambush of the bandits where I can do nothing but stand frozen still in fear and anxiety. Through him I felt the dread of death, and the swiftness of murder by his actions towards the bandits. And yet... through him I felt something more than those two, something I can relate with. A feeling of... familiarity and kinship.

    When he told me his story, I can vaguely connect what his feelings were when telling his story to the time I first discovered that I was adopted. Sadness, longing, curiosity, and acceptance. These factors brought me to where I am now. My thoughts towards him shifted from happiness to respect to fear to sadness to longing and to sympathy. All of these made me attracted to him. And I asked him in a low murmur-

    "Hey Krey, how are you so strong?" (Sally)

    "Hmmm~?" (Krey)

    "I mean how are you be able to take these things lightly, being all alone, and... killing so easily. Furthermore, how is that you have reached such a level at your age. I know its not only because you were taught by someone strong."

    "You''re right. The reason I am like this... is because I matured quickly. I don''t know why but it just happened." (Krey)

    It seems that this is a sore subject for him. Even I think so. My being nosy in unpleasant in some ways but my attractions towards him compels me to be doing this. I want to know what he thinks about solitude, what he feels in knowing something others do not, what he wants to do with it. I want to know it. So that I may be able to do the same as him. To be strong. To do what I can with my life. To know what is the feeling that I''ve been missing ever since the day of my discovery. I am merely following a path of uncertainty, looking for a purpose while still enjoying life. While thinking that I am caught of guard by a question of Krey''s.

    "Anyway, you want to get stronger right." (Krey)

    "Eh.. um, uh yes. Yes I do." (Sally)

    "Give me your hand." (Krey)

    "Um... okay." (Sally)

    A bit baffled by this development, I placed my left hand upon his own small hand and he lightly grasped it. I felt refined mana course through my hand up to my chest, and then I feel something warm there. It stung at first, but the prickly feeling instantly came to past, and was replaced by a cozy, relaxing one making me feel lightheaded and I felt my self falling down. I was frightened at first but I was held carefully by someone, I didn''t know who it is and I fell asleep.

    Soon after, I woke up and I saw Krey''s young and fine face and I understand what happened. I was talking to Krey, then she told me to do something and then I fell asleep... right into his small lap! ''Uwaa!! Wha-?! Why?! Why did I do this!? Why did I fall asleep there?! I must have been too heavy for a child such as him! No, no I''m terrible!'' I panicked when I realize this. And then I immediately apologized.

    "I''m sorry! I''m really sorry!! Please forgive me for falling asleep on your lap!!!"

    "Its alright. You were not that heavy~"

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it."But still!!-"

    "And I quite enjoyed looking at your adorable looking face~"

    "Eh... *blush* uuu... why do I feel like I''m not talking to a kid..."

    In that exchange I became embarrassed. How pitiful of me. To be caught of guard by a child and his compliments...*sigh* I''m really not use to those things. I mostly cover my face when I go out with my long hair ever since childhood so I''ve never taken note of my appearance so that''s why... this happened. Really now. I can''t help but wonder if he''s a child or not.

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    "Furthermore, this is where we will be separating." (Krey)

    "E-eeeh?! Why so soon...?" (Sally)

    "Yeah, Krey... can you stay with us for awhile...?" (Den)

    "I''m sorry, but these are instructions from my master. I must resume my training." (Krey)

    As I was reminiscing a bit... Krey made a shocking announcement. I was particularly flustered and was unable to think clearly to mend the situation and with Krey''s uncharacteristic fast-paced talking, I was not ready to talk back.

    "Sally here." (Krey)

    "E-eh *fumble* What is this...?" (Sally)

    "Some guidelines for magic training. This is everything I learned from my master in a nutshell. Follow it well and you should become a great mage. Oh there are some instructions for mana control as well, so you, Lean, Karl, Den and Lily will benefit from those notes."

    "Huh-huh?! Wait i-isn''t this priceless!? W-why are you-" (Sally)

    "Y-yeah wh-why-" (Everyone else)

    "Think of it as a parting gift. Sally, check your elemental affinities once more and follow those guidelines well. If fate deems it, we shall meet again."

    "W-wait!-" (Sally)

    Towards his unanticipated actions we were unprepared for it. This book... is the one he was writing on while in the carriage despite the rocky vibrations isn''t it? And he said book for magic training!? And he summarized it for us?! Wait! What did he mean by checking my affinities again...? And isn''t this quite costly to give?! Moreover as a parting gift? Ah... no wait!...He''s gone. He was too fast. Wha-what the...?

    "Ahahaha... looks like Krey is busy and has other businesses to attend to. Now, why don''t you guys go along now. Like he said, you''ll probably meet again. (Norman)

    Norman affirms so to calm us down. He is surprisingly more composed than any of us. Well for now, I''ll follow what''s written in this book. I will also listen to Krey''s advice. *sigh* I still didn''t get to ask him anymore questions. Since the request is finished, naturally we will go back to Loren town after two days. Krey, I hope we meet again someday.

    ___________________________________________________________________________

    (Krey P.O.V.)

    I am eating dinner in the bar/dining hall while facing a beautiful and busty female elf with blonde hair, green eyes, a green tunic that looks a lot like a uniform for an all-girls school fused with glossy dark brown leather armor. Right now, she is smiling at me and humming a tune, for an unknown reason and its freaking me out. Such is the situation I am in right now. How did this happen you might ask?

    Well after confirming my current goal, I began to meditate once again before lunchtime. Four hours of meditation will allow me to accumulate some needed refined mana for a breakthrough. The only problem is the that I need something else other than mana. Its what you could say a stroke of luck. While concentrating on the condensed and compressed refined mana inside the core, one must also keep compressing the refined mana and analyze it until you gain enlightenment in the elemental refined mana you have been accumulating in the core. After that you will breakthrough. Pretty vague, but that''s what it is to be able to advance to the next level. Think enlightenment as a path or branch you want to follow. That is what it means to gain enlightenment when you analyze the different elemental refined mana in the core. For most people, that is the case. Now in my situation, knowledge from "All-Magic Awakening" allows me to choose a variety of "truths" from different kinds of elemental enlightenment. I just have too choose a specific truth I wish to follow and continue enduring the pressure of condensing the mana. The downside is... I have to wait for my breakthrough. It could take a short time or a very long time to be able to breakthrough. This is quite the problem. And that problem is what I''m facing now. *sigh* Whatever, I''ll just accumulate mana for now.

    And so I meditated for four hours in my bed. Its lunchtime. I got out of my room and saw that there are some people in the hallways of the second floor. They look like human travelers though. Not adventurers, with their thick clothing and thick boots. It would hinder movements if they fight in that. Ah. Whatever.

    I follow them down to the first floor and into the dining hall. The dining hall is quite big as it couples as a bar. I think it takes up most of the first floor. There are some dwarves and beastmen in one table. An elf and dwarf in another. So far there aren''t really any racial discrimination here. But that''s simply ''racial''. Social status must also be noted.

    I moved to a corner of the dining hall, finding a relatively out-of-sight table and sat down while waiting for lunch. A few minutes later, bunny girls, a whole variety of them came out with serving trays in their hands. *whistle* *applause in head* Quite the pleasant service. One particular bunny girl, giving out an elder sister feel came to my table and gave me my food. Lunch consists of rye bread, not the dark one, yes!! Spicy beef stew... I think? And a lettuce salad along with water. I ate the food in front of me so quickly, I probably broke a record as the bunny onee-san is still there holding the tray while looking at me with surprise in her face. But then she immediately giggled.

    "My~my~You are quite a quick eater, little boy~ Are you alone?" (Bunny Onee-san)

    "Uh yes. Is there anything you need from me?" (Krey)

    "Oh and polite too~ No, but you can ask any questions from this big sister here. I haven''t seen you around this place before so you must be new right~?" (Bunny Onee-san)

    Hoh~. A good assumption. They are really trained professionals huh? But... why is it so cheap here if they give off such service?

    "Um okay. Why is the streets here not crowded and silent? I''ve seen other parts of Arles City and this is the most quietest and serene of them all here~. Why is that~?" (Krey)

    "Hmm... it is because of Lady Kiralne. She is an SS-class adventurer and currently lives and owns this street here therefore it is aptly named Kiralne Street. She asked for a plot of land as a reward from the request she completed from the lord who governs this city and the other territories surrounding it. As they are good friends, the lord gifted this entire street to her. Lady Kilrane is very peculiar. She likes quiet and peaceful places the most and hates the opposite of it, so this is how the entire neighborhood transformed over time. As a side note, Lady Kilrane is a peculiar elf. She does whatever she wants and rarely appears in public. She is quite famous in the Kingdom of Tolkium and other nearby countries but she chooses to live here. Furthermore...."

    And so on so forth. Bunny onee-san was rambling on about the elf known as Lady Kilrane. As expected, strength really counts in this world huh? After the one-sided conversation with her, I returned back to my room and meditated again. This time I was able to breakthrough from the initial stage into middle stage magus. But what came after... is a severe migraine. I meditated for ten hours and then had a five-hour headache. Luckily, I was barely able to make it in time for dinner in the inn. But this time... I''m not alone.

    "Hey little boy~. I''m Kilrane, an elf. Nice to meet you! What''s your name?" (Kilrane)

    I seem to have met a big-shot character earlier on. Okay let us see whether this is a blessing or a curse.

    __________________________________________________________________________

    Author Note: Here we see the inner workings of Sally''s mind and the meeting with a powerful... friend or foe? Who knows. Anyway sorry for the update being late in the night. I had classes and I''m very tired... or more like lazy so please bear with me. Well, I hope you enjoyed it.

 Chapter 11: ProtèŒ…gèŒ…

    ......

    "Hmm~hhhm~hmmm~hhmmm~hhm~" (Kiralne)

    *chew* *munch* *slurp* *drink* *gulp*

    "Hhmm~hm~hhhhm~hmmmm~hhmm~hmmhhmhhhhm~hhhmm~hm~" (Kiralne)

    *bite* *munch* *slurp* *swallow* *drink* *gulp*...*sigh*

    ........

    This is quite troublesome. When the first time Kiralne introduced herself, I knew that this will be troublesome. I quickly came up with a number of excuses in my head and picked the most suitable one to use in this situation.

    Which resulted in her watching me eat my dinner while humming a tune with a a

    smile on her face. This... is very weird for me.

    While eating, I began reasoning out why would an SS-rank adventurer come to me personally and with such a friendly attitude and how was I found specifically at this inn. I know that this is technically her turf and all but this street is huge! With many alleys and buildings in its vicinity so how did she...?

    No... wait that''s not important. What I need to do now is to hypothesize reasons why she came up to me specifically. What are my special characteristics right now?

    Hmm... let''s see: I am a kid with bright blue eyes with multi-colored ripples in the pupils somewhere, a potential bishounen face that is currently cute but will develop someday, and a five-year old male physique. First assumption is that she is fond of kids and merely wants to talk to me as a change of pace. That is a good reason. I mean I have a lovable appearance right now.

    Second assumption, she wants something from me... which is highly unlikely. I just arrived in this city a few hours ago and surely I came to this world three days ago so there''s nothing with me that could possibly garner her interest... apart from the ring, glaive, egg and necklace I have. Of course she knows nothing about this.

    Third assumption. My face or figure reminds her of something or someone and hopes to remember it... which is cliche and I really want to discard this notion but there''s a chance of it happening if she has a dark past or memory loss.

    Last and least favored assumption of mine... she is a ''shotacon''. This is what I completely fear right now. This what happens if you have been exposed to the weirdness that is the internet. Ignorance is bliss. I look like a genuine shota right now (If you don''t know what it is just google it). Please, please, please! I hope she is not like that. I don''t really like that kind of people. They are hard to predict. And are usually crazy. I like to go on my own pace but with people like that, it is gonna be very hard to move.

    As I was continue to anticipate many more reasons, some rational and most stupid, she noticed that I''ve finished eating my dinner. By the way dinner was amazing! Chicken soup, beef steak with mushroom sauce, a bread...ball I guess. It was hard to chew but goes along with the soup and steak as well as fruit juice. Seriously, if I can, I''m gonna rate this as the perfect fantasy inn. I''m wondering why this place despite being so cheap, gives of great customer service. With the food that is.

    "Hey~. You''re done eating right? Come on tell me your name. Don''t be shy~. You know what I''ll introduce myself again~. I am Kiralne, an el-" (Kiralne)

    "Yes, I heard it the first time, miss." (Krey)

    I break off character thanks to this well-endowed elf. It''s really hard to converse with a possible pervert, so my face is probably stiff right now. *sigh* Shit. I was supposed to use the cuteness given to me by Frelinia to exploit any weaknesses from people but... I can''t use it here. Not with a possible pervert. That''s just digging my own grave.

    No doubt, my face that looks stiff is perceived as nervousness by the surrounding people. A lot of humans, beastmen, dwarves, elves and... a demon? as well as other races that are humanoid-looking are sneaking glances at me. The bunny onee-san from earlier looks very worried for me. Hehe. I guess my cuteness did work out on people here~. Many people must have seen and heard of Miss Kiralne. And with those that don''t know her face, those that do tell them of it. Then they will stare in shock at her then me.

    Let me see what the expression of the people in the dining hall are: one faction, the average sized one has people with worrying expressions for me, especially the bunny employees I''ve met before, as well as a few considerate people; the largest faction consist of people who are curious of me because of Kiralne the SS-rank adventurer talking to me; the smallest faction... are probably morons. I guess they must be a Kiralne ''fan club'' with them drooling while looking at her hourglass figure while staring daggers at me. *sigh* Can''t you see that I''m just a kid? What are you glaring at me for?!

    "Don''t pay attention to them~. They are just curious is all. Now, can you tell me your name, little boy~" (Kiralne)

    "... My name is Krey, miss Kiralne." (Krey) I say while adjusting my position beforehand to defend for any perverted actions.

    "Heeeh~... Krey is it? Why are you alone? Where are your guardians?" (Kiralne)

    "I travel alone. I have no companions." (Krey)

    "Is that so~. Then... one last question for now and I''ll go immediately okay?" (Kiralne)

    "Um... yes. Its fine" (Krey)

    .... What''s wrong with this elf? Does she have a habit of talking to every new people she meet? And even a kid at that. I''m wondering if she''s an aunt, a mother or a big sister. I mean its unnatural that she''s treating me familiarly for some reason, with her easy-going tone... or is it a trait of hers. My carefree persona is constantly being dismembered due to her presence.

    She walked closer, leaned her body so that her head will level with mine (She''s 175 cm tall by the way), positioned her head to my side as if to whisper something to me, then touched my chest, no not my chest, she''s... the necklace?! Why does she-

    "What does a child like you doing with an artifact of the Goddess Frelinia hmm~?"

    I frozed when I heard that. I immediately backed away, thankfully I have adjusted my position to easily move for anti-pervert measures earlier and then took out my glaive. I instantly cast [Body Burst], [Wind Run], [Assassination Spike] x6, [Ice Shield]x3, one of my defense spells which effects are summoning floating shields of cold, hard ice as interceptors against attacks and a another newdefense spell, this time using only Mana Force Manipulation {Mana Shield}. It works like this. I controlled the raw mana in my surroundings to form a dome around my body. My mana will run out each time I took a hit, so its quite the mana spender if I continuously take hits, but casting it is does not have any mana cost. If you are confused, MCA and MFM compliments each other when creating spells. MCA is the editor and saving mechanism while MFM is control. So they are all needed for new creations of spells.

    I shot out two [Assassination Spikes] towards Kiralne, but unlike the bandits, she takes it head on, breaking it to pieces, causing them to scatter at the floor. Not feeling discouraged by that, I charged at her, speeding up with the help of [Wind Run], [Body Burst] and {Telekinesis}, I jumped and swung the glaive, aiming at her head, but she dodges it by crouching. Of course that''s not my aim, it was just a feint. While charging at her earlier, I already casted [Compressed Fireball], [Impact Bullet], and another attack spell, [Ice Cone]. Its effects are the same as [Compressed Fireball] but this time with freezing effects. I threw the [Compressed Fireball] and [Ice Cone] at her. Then when I''m sure that those two spell will absolutely hit her, I also shot the [Impact Bullet] and remaining [Assassination Spikes] and prepared to cast [Ice Field] and a utility type spell of the darkness element [Conceal]. Its effects are pretty much shown in the name. It hides me in the cover of the dark so that I may sneak up or out.

    You probably guessed my plan already. I wasn''t trying to defeat Kiralne. She''s an SS-rank adventure y''know?! That basically has the words "OP Boss character has appeared. It is dangerous" written all over it!! There are too many unknown valuables in this situation and it all happened so fast. I also did not want to take the risk of determining if she is an enemy or not. If she was a friendly then it was her fault that she acted so suspiciously. If not, then bad luck for her and good luck for me. But I doubt my spells, albeit powerful will be able to defeat an SS-rank adventurer. Based on my guesses of strength here with Sally and her group as the sample, I could probably easily win against a C-rank adventurer with some effort. Narrowly win against a B-rank adventurer. Survive against an A-rank adventurer and the difficulty just goes up. Although I probably can''t last long, with the element of surprise I can at least escape.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Furthermore, I have little battle experience, making it very disadvantageous to fight against a veteran of combat in a straight fight so the only option is to escape.

    The plan was, distract Kiralne with the [Assassination Spike] and charge while throwing the [Compressed Fireball] and [Ice Cone] to explode and possibly blind her, as well as create steam that can greatly increase the effects of [Conceal} and further reduce her vision, unless she has a spell or skill that can offset that. Then distract her once more with the [Impact Bullet] and [Assassination Spike] while casting [Ice Field] to slow her down slightly. That is my impromptu plan. Not particularly bad ain''t it. This is thanks to constantly watching anime fight scenes and always pointing out mistakes of the MC and other characters.

    I''m sorry that the spells I''m casting going ballistic inside the inn will damaged it... maybe even destroy it entirely but this is a matter of my well-being so please understand. I''ll probably come back here and pay for the damages once I have enough money.

    As I was expecting an explosion of epic proportions like those in Michael Bay movies, Kiralne made an unexpected move. She took on a strange stance, I can''t describe it very well ( and I never will) but I can faintly sense a combination of wind and nature elemental mana converging into both her arms and legs. Although my knowledge in magic is unequaled except for the god of magic himself and a few other exceptional individuals, there is still a difference in ranks so that is why I can''t sense very well the movement of mana of higher leveled individuals.

    The one thing I can understand though is that, she is combining wind and elemental mana to achieve something. Of course I don''t know what it is as many people follow different paths and truths of elements so its troublesome to think about it.

    Afterwards she... cut the [Compressed Fireball], [Ice Cone], [Impact Bullet] [Assassination Spike] with her mana-coated arms dispersing them back to harmless mana and lightly stomps on the floor, cancelling the [Ice Field] that I have prepared....Oi oi oi... this is pretty unfair isn''t it!?

    A boss character right off the bat and I have no experience or recollection of fighting?! Is the world broken... it probably is with seven gods missing, one in deep slumber and the rest panicking up in there godly realm, forgetting their job of properly managing Salratia. As if it is?! I retorted in my mind as to calm myself.

    Okay... that shit happened so let''s escape immediately. I wanted to cast {Telekinesis} [Conceal] [Wind Run] [Body Burst] and another buff skill [Fiery Surge] of the fire element which was my first attempt in creating a buff and its effects are pretty much an attack spell in itself but out of stubbornness I insisted that its still a buff skill, but something unexpected happened again!

    I was prepared for the feeling of being strengthened by [Wind Run] and [Body Burst] and rushing towards the opposite direction of where Kiralne was because of [Fiery Surge] I heard *shattering* sounds and I realized that... Kiralne is not infront of me and that all my [Ice Shields] were obliterated to fragments of snow.

    Then I felt my mana rapidly depleting because of the {Mana Shield} taking powerful and fast hits. I tried to move away but two seconds later my mana pool was emptied and I felt something hit my head and chest. Then I lost consciousness.

    __________________________________________________________________________

    (Kiralne P.O.V.)

    Good grief! This child is unexpectedly hard to handle. I think I sensed five different affinities being used back then. And it matches with the spells he used earlier. This kid is full of surprises. A boy five years of age and already a middle stage magus! With five different affinities at that! What''s more he''s fast reflexes and resolute actions... he will be a terrifying mage.

    But most importantly... why does he have the holy artifact "Frelinia''s Band" I wonder. It usually appears on someone the goddess favors and we elves, though we do not pray to the goddess Frelinia, we respect her greatly for she is the Goddess of Life. We elves are connected to nature and life, therefore she is also one of our most important lifelines. Furthermore... my clan had a special obligation to the goddess and whoever gains her favor... although our clan is no more. I still follow the traditions. But why did it appear now? And on a human instead of an elf?

    While silently thinking that, I carried the unconscious Krey and apologized to the innkeeper girls as well as the tenants for the trouble. Luckily I was able to neutralize the effects of Krey''s spells before it caused damage to the inn surroundings so there''s no particularly big trouble. If anything, I think they are quite happy with what they saw. As expected, a child magus fighting an SS-rank adventurer caused blood to pump wildly in their bodies (meaning they''re excited). I could hear people saying something along the lines of-

    "Whoa! That kid is a mage?!"

    "Such skill... I''ve never seen anybody handle spells so quickly!"

    "Multiple affinities?! This child is amazing!"

    "But isn''t Lady Kiralne more amazing? To be able to stop all those spells easily!"

    "As expected of an SS-rank adventurer."

    and many more murmurs and gossips about me and Krey''s short exchange. I turned to Filly, the waitress and my constant conversation partner here in Bunny Point Inn and told her-

    "Hey~Filly. I''ll be going back to my room in the fourth floor okay~" (Kiralne)

    "Oh... um sure Kira, but... please take care of Krey... though I didn''t know he was an amazing mage he is still a kid so I hope you won''t hurt him." (Filly)

    "Of course~. I''m gonna do the opposite actually~." (Kiralne)

    Lightly saying such words, I walked to the stairway and went up the fourth floor and walked to my room. I wonder why she cares so much about Krey? Do they know each other? I looked at Krey''s small face and I can see striking and handsome features in his childish visage. Oh my... if he was older I would have went for him right now... wait he''s still a child so there''s a possibility of training him and... ufufufufu... *sighs happily* What bliss. After fantasizing a bit about Krey and my plans I finally reached the door, opened it and went inside my room, while still carrying Krey. I enjoy staying here in the Bunny Point Inn. The employees are all good, quiet and trusted people, so I can stay here without anyone bothering me. Being an SS-rank adventurer, its hard to be in public. I made Krey lie down in my lap while I sat inn the luxurious sofa and waited for him to wake up. The fourth floor has marvelous and comfortable rooms but I''m so used to it that I don''t bother looking at everything in the room anymore. After 30 minutes, Krey opened his eyes and when he saw my face, he was instantly alarmed but I calmed him by saying-

    "I''m not your enemy. Don''t panic," (Kiralne)

    Hearing my words, the wariness lessened in his bright blue eyes which has a multi-hued ripple in the center, quite mesmerizing actually, and opened his mouth to say something but I stopped him-

    "Before you say something, hear out my request." (Kiralne)

    Saying that, I looked at him deeply and he absentmindedly nodded and I said-

    "Krey, will you become my disciple?" (Kiralne)

    I say to him seriously.

    __________________________________________________________________________

    Authors Note: So hey. I finally chose a plot for the story to follow so hurray for me! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please comment on the fight scene.

 Chapter 12: The Beginning: Part 1

    I lost consciousness for a moment. I''m thinking about a minute or less was the duration of my short blackout. I guess being hit hard in the head and chest was registered as shock by my body and I blacked out. Good thing that my specs were augmented beforehand otherwise I would be out for a whole day.

    I already regained consciousness but I didn''t open my eyes and stayed still in my position. The reason was that I can''t really move due to the sore feeling of my head and the aches in my chest from being hit by Kiralne.

    I can still hear the murmurs of the people inside the inn''s dining hall but they seem different somehow. They sounded hyped-up about something. Ah whatever! I need to get my injuries healed. If only I could resist this painful feeling in my body.

    I felt someone picked me up and carried me to a certain direction. Oh no! Please let it not be Kilrane please, please, please...

    "Hey~Filly. I''ll be going back to my room in the fourth floor okay~"

    No!! That sweet voice befitting of an elf, and tone almost as carefree as mine!! Its her! Why her of all people?! Can''t the rest of you guys carry me and not this hostile and suspicious elf!? Hey, you Filly. Tell her to put me down!! I am not sure of she is an enemy or not but with her knocking me out and making me feel a lot of pain, she''s already registered in my psyche as a dangerous person.

    "Oh... um sure Kira, but... please take care of Krey... though I didn''t know he was an amazing mage he is still a kid so I hope you won''t hurt him."

    Heeeh~ isn''t that bunny onee-san''s voice? So her name was Filly huh? Wait no! What did you say Filly?! Why are you allowing this elf to take me away?! Look at me, I didn''t do anything wrong y''know?! Can''t you judge that from my innocent face?! This is bad! She said ''her room on the fourth floor'' so this inn is where she lives in? Such bad luck.

    Her knowing about the necklace given to me by Frelinia is in itself troubling. That means keeping a low profile until I get stronger may not be possible. Other factors can come into play, I realize that now. The question now is... is she a friend or foe?

    "Of course. I''m gonna do the opposite actually~."

    Those words helped me calm down a bit. At least I know she won''t do anything bad to me while at the inn but then, what happens after? I really can''t think very well as result of getting hit in the head. I fear it will hinder my reasoning in the future.

    As she said that, I felt her walking once more while carrying me up the staircase. I had the strength and resolve just enough to open my left eye but what I saw... caused me to close my eyes in fear and did my best to be as still as possible. T-that face was too scary!!

    Although the first thing I saw was the beautiful face of Kiralne, the expression that adorned it was... dark and perverse. Her eyes glazed over and some drool was present at the side of her mouth which curved into a perverted smile. Overall giving her a look like she''s obssessed or close to lunacy. I myself know that I am not a perfectly sane individual. Throw me into a puddle of blood and guts but I would not flinch a bit. Threaten or harm me and I will retaliate calmly. As long as I know I can handle what is thrown at me, I will not be afraid. That was how I was able to live my life on my own.

    But... I absolutely can''t take anything horrific or creepy! If I encounter such things, I will immediately run away. No questions asked. And right now... t-that face I saw w-was similar to the f-face of the woman in ''T-the Grudge'' only this time its more yandere. It was both horrifying and disturbing to me!   I-if I see it again I''m not sure if I will last long...

    As I waited for the worst to happen, I heard the sound of a door opening then lightly closing as moments later I am laid on a comfortable spot somewhere with something soft under my head.

    ...

    Wait... maybe she''s gone? She must have thought that I would be unconscious for a couple of hours right? I don''t know if she''s here in the room or not, but I will not use my buff skill [Heal] of the light element to alleviate the pain in my body. Too risky. She might have not left and is around somewhere.

    I''ll have to endure it and wait until I can move somewhat. After 30 minutes or so, I slowly opened my eyes and what beheld me was twin peaks of perfect proportion and the graceful visage of my adversary.

    Seeing that she''s in close proximity, I realized that my assumption was wrong and was instantly on guard against her. Quickly trying to analyze my predicament and plan the sequence of spells to get away from Kiralne''s grasp, she opened her mouth and said-

    "I am not your enemy. Don''t panic." (Kiralne)

    Hearing those words, I calmed down but kept my guard on. I wanted to say ask her something but she beat me to the punch.

    "Before you say something, hear out my request." (Kiralne)

    While saying that, she took a deep breath and I watched the magnificent tremor of the two peaks. Distracted by this historical moment, I absentmindedly nodded my head as I try to firmly engrave the scence that is usually viewed in anime, deeply in my mind while gathering the rest of my thoughts. Come to think of it, if she''s very close doesn''t that mean that the thing under my head be her thighs..? If so, isn''t she giving me a lap pillow right now? Wait if I look at it from a certain perspective, don''t we look like siblings with a close relationship? It seems nice but I won''t be fooled by such shallow fantasies!

    "Krey, will you become my disciple?" (Kiralne)

    ...

    ......

    Huh? Huh?! Is there something wrong with this girl''s head... it probably is with her scary expression in the staircase and easy-going attitude that''s similar to mine but unlike hers, mine is permanent... so fuck yeah!

    But there''s something wrong with the development here. Shouldn''t you first apologize to the person, a kid, that you hurt!? Are you heartless!? Or just dumb despite your strength?

    My silence was determined as hesitation and Kiralne spoke once more with a confident voice while putting on a light smile.

    "As an SS-rank adventurer,  this serves as proof of my power and it is benefi-" (Kiralne)

    "I REFUSE!" (Krey)

    I don''t need any tutoring from anyone thank you very much. Though I need some insight on close combat, magical warfare can serve as a guide for me since I''ve gotten the knowledge and all secrets of this world''s magic from "All-Magic Awakening" and a bit more extra, courtesy of Frelinia.

    "Wh-" (Kiralne)

    "If you want to know why I refused, there are three reasons." (Krey)

    I say while holding up my left hand with three fingers raised. The discussion is hard to take seriously as I am lying on her lap with her looking confused and flustered as I broke out of her pace and dragged her to my own.

    As expected... her over-bearing manner of conduct can be countered as long as I keep going at my pace in the conversation. Based on the scary and perverted look on her face earlier as well as my speculations of her conceited ego as someone powerful and factoring that she might be much older than what her looks suggest as elves are naturally long-lived, I therefore conclude that she might have developed something akin to a case of superiority complex.

    If she''s not an enemy then I''ll have to establish that I''m an ''equal''. She wants something from me, that''s my bargaining chip. Now let''s see if I can get any benefits from this transaction.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "I don''t need you as my master. I have my master''s notes to teach me for that. Also I don''t trust you and I have no guarantee that complying to your demands will not hinder my goals. Finally, you''re too suspicious and I''m reluctant to agree with someone who knows my secrets."

    I said coldly. I hope that the thing she wants is important enough to bargain for it. I know its not just for the reason of becoming her disciple.

    Thankfully she looks conflicted as she if is coming to a hard point in her decision. Finally, she sighed deeply and determination surged up in her eyes.

    She turned to me then... kissed my forehead. Eh? What is she doing? Is something REALLY WRONG with her head? As I was worrying about that, Kiralne spoke-

    "This is the "Kiss of Vow" my clan has performed to those who owns "Frelinia''s Band". Hereby, I swear that I will not hold enmity or hinder you in anyway and protect you as the last of the Vitavare elves."

    When she said that suddenly, I felt a burning sensation in my head and then I began... to feel something. What is this...? Sincerity, anxiousness, annoyance, embarrassment, determination, happiness, sadness and pride. My mind is being bombarded by these emotions. What is happening to me?!

    "The thing you are experiencing right now is called "Soul Bonding". You are reading my emotions at this very moment. It is to ensure trust exists between us. My clan, the Vitavare clan were once the protectors of the wielder of "Frelinia''s Band" the holy artifact of the goddess of life, Frelinia. Now we are no more. A chosen of the Vitavare clan will be the one who performs "Soul Bonding" with Frelinia''s Champion. I am the last Vitavare Elf. And as tribute to my clan ancestors and the goddess, I will be your protector."

    When she said that I received another bombardment of emotions, only this time it is much more intense. Happiness, sadness, despair, anger, determination, shame, piety, pride, and reverence. Each more intense than the last, all a mess in my head

    When I look at her face, I can see a resolute expression in her face... This is an awkward situation.

    "For now... can you turn the emotion reading off?" (Krey)

    I said while feeling mildly annoyed and a bit overwhelmed. No matter how I see it... this a weird development!

    ______________________________________________________________________

    I am sitting in a fancy chair while sipping a cup of tea in the facility known as the Adventurer''s Guild.

    My talk with Kiralne was a bit interesting. She is the last Vitavare Elf who serves Frelinia-san. For now I can trust her because of the "Soul Bond" and that she seems sincere about her promise. By the way, we turned off the emotion reading. As expected its too embarassing for your emotions to be laid bare in front of a stranger. I also didn''t tell her that I was summoned and simply used my ''backstory'' while adding some elements that can make it more believable. I''m not so  gullible to tell such information.

    I find it odd though that Frelinia didn''t mention this to me. She said she has no servants. But here is one right now. Is she heartless that she didn''t even consider Kiralne here? Or is she just a klutz and forgot about her due to the disappearance of her family? I hope its the latter.

    Anyway, the content of our discussion was her being my guardian, which I completely approve. After all, having an unyielding SS-rank meat shield is reassuring. As well as a few other things which includes this. I will be registering as an adventurer with Kiralne handling the documents in promoting me to C-rank.

    We went out of the Bunny Point in and said goodbye to the bunny girl innkeepers and Filly-san but not without catching attention.

    Many tenants saw us when we were coming out and began pointing, whispering and wearing excited expressions. Luckily, the moron faction is absent. I''m too tired to deal with them.

    At least Kiralne chose to pass alleyways and small streets to lessen the pressure of the public''s attention. After 20 minutes, of non-stop walking and casting [Body Burst] two times to keep up, barely surviving the hellish walk with my pitiful stamina, we have arrived at the four-story building made completely of polished stone. And Kiralne... was inconsiderate. I think she is still angry at being caught off guard by my cold outburst that is unbefitting of a child. I think despite her being my protector she is trying to change and mold me somehow... sorry girl, I''ve seen too much psychological science documentaries to know what your doing and I''m telling you that its impossible.

    If you think I will be beaten by this hellish walk, you can think again!

    That''s the reason why she is not stopping amd why I''m not complaining. This silent war will go on for a long time.

    When we were entering the guild, naturally we were seen and with Kiralne at my side, getting attention was inevitable.

    What I saw seems to be the stereotype of adventurer''s guild I''ve read in light novels. A lot of people wearing all kinds of armor and clothing with a variety of weapons in hand. Different races, different ages and genders are here. The left side looks like a mess hall with many adventurer''s sitting down while chatting or eating. The right side on the other hand are request boards with some adventurer''s looking through them. The upper right looks like a bar/ a counter for ordering food. The upper left also looks like a counter but this time its for accepting requests as well as receiving rewards.

    And just as it happened with the inn tenants, the surrounding adventurers saw us and are excitedly chatting about Kiralne.

    Of course, me and Kiralne are of the same mind right now and I followed her as she moved with graceful strides towards the staircase leading to the upper floors. The peanut gallery split open to give way for us and we went to the third floor where I was asked by Kiralne to wait in a private reception room while she handles the necessary procedures for my C-rank adventurer status card. I need some form of identification for myself right?

    While waiting for her, I checked the egg in my storage ring once again. Recently it was showing signs of hatching, it slightly moves every three hours or so. This started on the second day of travel with Sally and her bunch. I wonder if it was already incubating long before I received it. And by the way, this storage ring has no time-stopping setting like those inventories in games so things can rot or grow old inside my storage ring. They can still be subject to the passage of time. And inside the storage ring, I noticed a crack in the egg.

    ...

    It''s hatching! What is inside of it?! I seriously don''t know what to expect of the creature inside. Over time the cracks became bigger and finally something broke through the cracks and made a gap in which it popped its head out. It was a...

    ___________________________________

    Author Note: Sorry for ?ate update. I broke my mom''s laptop so my typing speed has slowed down due to using my phone to encode the story. I think the next update would be tomorrow. So here''s a quick poll that is necessary for the story. Please choose what you think is best and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.  :)

 Chapter 13: The Beginning: Part 2

    ... A lizard? No it has wings so... a winged lizard? Oh fuck it. I know its a dragon. There inside of the black space, a life was born... *cough*. Anyway, I took the egg/baby dragon out of the storage ring and placed it in my lap. With the help of {Telekinesis} of course. I watched as the little critter slowly but surely, break out of its egg. When its finally out, I used {Telekinesis} to remove the egg shells from my lap and placed them in my storage ring. Who knows, maybe dragon eggs are edible or expensive in this world.

    After placing the fragments in my ring, I finally get a full view of the dragon hatchling. I don''t know why but its scales are the same color as the egg, jet black. As black as night. I''m not racist if that''s what your thinking. The hatchling is very cute by the way. Its like a plush toy. The dragon has a round serpentine head, with stubs sprouting out from the back of its head and little but slightly sharp frills at the side of its face. Its neck is not short nor it is long but its just right. At its back, stubs smaller than the ones on the head run along its spine up to the tail that is almost longer than the body and head. Along with those stubs, there exists the wings, although small as it can be disregarded if its folded at the back. Now the legs are also have some stubs on the joints but still smaller than the ones on the head. The stomach part, has larger looking scales than the ones on the rest of the body but the color is a shade lighter.

    Its whole body is actually close to that of a snake but the torso is much, much thicker giving the look of a dog if you don''t mind the wings, stubs and serpentine head. I didn''t pay attention to it much, but as I looked closely, I can see faint red-colored markings on its body. Its pretty to look at. Then the dragon, which still had its eyes close all this time, suddenly opened its eyes. It was gold. The color of the dragon''s eyes were gold. A very profound and noble color. The slit pupils present to all serpentine creatures were there but the rest of its eyes were golden. It was beautiful.

    The little dragon looked at me for a moment, cocked its head to the side and inched closer to my face. Though I say ''little'', the dragon is two-thirds my size but I can still hold its weight. It slightly opened its mouth and let out a ''kyuua''. In that moment, I heard a voice.

    "W-who are you..." (Voice)

    It was the voice that of a girl. It sounded young, like a child. But in that pure and soothing voice lied uncertainty and anxiousness. I was instantly alert as to ascertain who it was and looked around the room.

    "Where are you?" (Krey)

    I said calmly. There is no need to provoke a child, well at least that''s what I can get from the tone of the voice.

    "I-I am here... in y-your lap..." (Voice->Little Dragon)

    Again I heard that voice and realized that the one talking... was the little dragon in my lap. Is this the so-called... telepathy? I asked that question to myself. I looked at the dragon once more and answered her-

    "I am Krey. What is your name?" (Krey)

    The little dragon had a confused glint in her golden eyes and said-

    "I don''t have a name yet. Will you give me a name?" (Little Dragon)

    The voice said cutely and pleadingly while the little dragon once more said ''kyuua''. I know the voice is not actually trying to be cute, but the sound alone produced an adorable feeling and it welled up in my chest. N-now then... what should be her name... Oooh! I know!

    "How about Lisana? Is that good? (Krey)

    The little dragon looked thoughtful for a moment and then I saw that she looked happy about getting a new name.

    "Un! But... are you my papa?" (Little Dragon-> Lisana).

    She asked with a questioning tone. Hmmm... now let''s see here. Does imprinting exist in this world? I think imprinting only happens to creatures who are not at the level of human intelligence but Lisana is smart even if she just hatched. Seeing that she can speak telepathically to me and knows words and some terms like ''lap'' and ''name'' proves her high intelligence. Maybe imprinting does exists but with a difference. Lisana is comfortable enough with me after a short exchange and asks to give her a name. So here''s my idea of imprinting in the case of Lisana. Imprinting in earth= first thing to see after hatching is considered to be the parent. Imprinting in the case of Lisana= confirms safety and character before considering the first thing she sees after hatching as her parent. Well at least that''s what I think. Now let''s see here, objective no.2 is take care of the creature that hatches from the egg. Okay let''s do this! But I will not be a papa!! Its too early and I''m not ready yet! I will compromise even if Lisana is a bundle of cuteness.

    "No. I am not papa. I am... your big brother! And I will take care of you from now on." (Krey)

    "You are not papa? You are big brother... Krey?" (Lisana)

    "Yes I am. I do not know who your parents are but I promise you that you won''t be lonely as long as I am with you." (Krey)

    I am not a lolicon but I have a soft spot for little girls. Even if they are dragons. Besides... this is the best chance to try out being a big brother! I''ve never really taken care of anyone in my life but since this dragon will be my little sister from now on... I''ll just treat her like a pet!

    "Big brother... yes! Thank you big brother Krey!" (Lisana)

    "Now that''s better! From now on call me Krey onii-chan and I will call you Liz okay?" (Krey)

    Of course that doesn''t mean that I won''t take advantage of this situation right now. I''ve always wanted to know how it feels when someone genuinely calls you like that. I''m not afraid of spreading some trend in this world because as far as I know, Liz is talking to me telepathically so no danger there. I am also having a conversation with her through telepathy. It wasn''t hard separating my real thoughts from the ''actual conversation''. I''m used to multi-tasking after all.

    "Liz...? Krey onii-chan?" (Lisana)

    "Its a nickname for you and me. Onii-chan means big brother and Liz is your nickname. Doesn''t it sound nice? (Krey)

    Maybe its too soon...? or not. It did feel good for a moment though in my mind.

    "Yes. Big brother Krey, no I mean, Krey onii-chan!!!" (Lisana)

    She seems happy now from the tone of her voice and I can see it from the way her dragon body suddenly hugged me, with her forearms. She then climbed to my back, held on using her tail to wrap around my waist and using her dull talons to hold on to me while placing her head in my right shoulder, all the while saying "Kyuu~Kyu~Kyuuaa!!"cute dragon get~! This is bliss. Yes, cuteness is justice. I wholeheartedly believe it now.

    "Do you want to eat something Liz?" (Krey)

    "Yay! I want to eat meat..." (Lisana)

    And so began my happy days as an inexperienced big-brother with my cute little sister/pet/dragon.

    <hr />

    (Kiralne P.O.V.)

    I don''t feel well today. That kid... is not simple. He''s story has some incontingencies in it and its barely believable but... its alright. All of us have secrets we want to hide. I didn''t even tell him the full story anyway. I have the feeling that training Krey into someone I can easily handle is going to be hard. If he was as strong as me, it would even be impossible. He has a strong-willed personality that''s uncommon for a child. Is he even a child...?

    As I think of that, Krey''s status card is finally finished. I thanked the staff for their services and went to the room Krey is in. Well, I''ll be sure to break that personality when we arrive at the Magic Mountain Range! As I think of the place that I''m going to train Krey, I opened the door of the room. But why is there a monster here!?

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    A monster with color as black as night, is holding onto Krey''s back while Krey is handfeeding it some meat. What is a monster doing here?! Monster''s don''t generally appear within cities and the few that serves as companions and familiars are rare as beast tamers and summoners are of the minority. Is Krey a summoner?

    "Krey... what''s that on your back?" (Kiralne)

    "Hmmm? Oh! Kiralne you''re here! This is Lisana my little sister/pet!" (Krey)

    "Umm... okay. Where did it come from?" (Kiralne)

    "From my storage ring! My master gave HER egg to me before as a present!" (Krey)

    "..." (Kiralne)

    I don''t know where I should begin to retort here. No... I shouldn''t mind it. From the start he was already odd to begin with. These just makes it more of a challenge to groom him.

    "Right. Well here is your adventurer status card. Get ready to leave. We''ll be going to the Magic Mountain Range. Its the place where we will train, as it is the best place for mages and warriors alike to get stronger here in the Tolkium Continent." (Kiralne)

    I say to him as I toss him his status card.

    <hr />

    <hr />

    Name: Krey

    Age: 5

    Rank: C+

    Profession: Penta-Elemental Mage (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Nature)

    Job: Rear-Guard Support/Damage Dealer

    Request: N/A

    <hr />

    <hr />

    It took a lot of pulling strings to ensure that this information about Krey to not go  public. A magus with five affinities will be a great weapon in war and politics. Being used as a chip by the nobles and royalty is not a good way to live life. I lost a lot of money just to bribe those guild staff. Now... be thankful and hug me like the kid you are! It won''t be long before you grow up into a perfect young man so I''ll enjoy your childish cuteness now!

    "Hiii-?!*scurry away* B-back you abomination!!" (Krey)

    "Kyu?" (Lisana)

    Eh? Why did he run away? I only wanted to pat his head for awhile since he was so cute but... why did he seemed scared and said some hurtful words to me just now? Did I do something wrong? Him fearing me will be detrimental to my plans for training him. Most of all, I wouldn''t be able to face my ancestors if the one who has made the "Kiss of Vow" with the Champion of Frelinia indirectly violated this sacred bond is me! That woulde be a disgrace! I will not dishonor the Vitavare clan!

    "Krey what''s wrong? Are you okay?" (Kiralne)

    For now, I will not jump to conclusions and just interact with Krey normally.

    "N-nothing *cough*. I''m fine, thank you. Can Lisana come with us?" (Krey)

    "That depends..." (Kiralne)

    I mulled over the fact that Krey became a bit too polite all of a sudden in contrast his ''my pace'' attitude as I carefully observed our companion-to-be Lisana. Hmm? Isn''t Lisana a lesser dragon hatchling?! Although there are differences with the usual dragon hatchlings, Lisana is no doubt a dragon! She must be a variant to have a different appearance! Adult lesser dragons are as strong as a Middle Stage Grand Soldier! Right now my current rank is that of a Late-Stage Grand Soldier! Having Lisana as additional protection for Krey will make my job easier and by the looks of it, Lisana is awfully intimate to Krey which is goo. She will be more inclined to protect him in the future! Taking her with us to the Magic Mountain Range will help her grow faster and make her stronger. This is a great chance! Krey''s master must be a powerful individual to give him a variant lesser dragon egg as a present. They are absolutely expensive! Whoever he is, I must thank him for his generosity.

    "Sure! Lisana can come too!" (Kiralne)

    "You hear that Liz?!" (Krey)

    "Kyuuaaa~! Kyu kyu!!" (Lisana)

    ... That was so cute just now!! Without him having an unruly and lofty demeanor, and just having an attitude of a happy child he can be very cute! I want to hug him right now! It kinda makes me feel bad that I won''t tell him that the Magic Mountain Range is home to dangerous monsters to make him more dependent on me.

    "Well, I didn''t really have to ask you about this matter since I''m bringing her along with me anyway~. And I don''t wanna leave today~. I''m too tired, I''ll go back to the inn. Let''s leave tomorrow okay~?" (Krey)

    "Kyuu~!" (Lisana)

    Even before he said that, he walked out of the room with Lisana in tow, leaving me behind without even asking my opinion on his one-sided decision.

    "... *vein popping*..."

    *sigh* This is stressful. Taking care of a spoiled kid and I''m not even allowed to beat some sense to him physically. Before when I knocked him out at the inn to keep him from breaking the things inside, I thought it would be easy to handle him. But when he denied my request earlier... the look in his eyes were the same as that of my father''s back then... It made me hasty and I immediately performed the "Kiss of Vow" without setting up some ground-rules first. Now I have nothing to support me in training him except my own wits. I can''t even relieve my stress on him because of the sacred ritual. I''m not able to hurt or get angry at him for too long or rather, I am compelled not to do so by the sacred ritual "Kiss of Vow". And so my stress will just keep on piling up but my anger is already gone, making that stress an unnecessary burden.

    "Hey~! Kiralne come on, don''t be slow~!" (Krey)

    Sighing inwardly for the Nth time, I swore that I will definitely change him into the perfect individual! Psyching myself up, I left the room to follow Krey back to the Bunny Point Inn.

    <hr />

    (Third Person P.O.V.)

    In a dark room with only a single candle as a light source and a table and chair as the only decoration, a large man wearing a bulky full-plate steel armor with some rough details and outlines is drinking wine by himself. He is a middle-aged man with an unkempt beard and eyes filled with malice. While silently ingesting more of the high-quality wine on the table, he suddenly heard a knock at the door.

    "Speak." (Bearded Man)

    Without even opening the door, he bluntly told the person outside the door to speak. This shows his uncaring attitude to others.

    "Boss. We found her going inside the adventurer''s guild with a young boy. The boy seems to be someone important to her. We are still keeping an eye on them." (Pitiful Underling)

    At those words, the large man suddenly shook and his lips twisted into a sinister smile while his eyes showed even more malice and an icy glint revealed itself.

    "Good, good. Continue your job." (Bearded Man)

    The large man said, barely able to keep his excitement in check.

    "Yes boss." (Pitiful Underling)

    As the person outside left the vicinity of the door, the large man obnoxiously laughed and pumped his fist to his chest, sadistic light flooding prevalently in his brown eyes.

    "AHAHAHAH!! Kiralne! I don''t know what got into your head when you showed yourself today but... you have sealed your fate. I will torture the boy and let you watch his suffering and listen to his screams. Then I''ll kill you! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" (Bearded Man)

    The large bearded man declared as he laughed loudly, almost to the point of insanity.

    <hr />

    Author Note: Yo! Sorry again for the late updates. The loss of my laptop filled me with melancholy... but mostly its hard to type in an outdated mobile phone. Please continue your suggestions and criticism. Its really helpful! I hope you enjoyed it! And thanks for your suggestions. :-)

 NOT A CHAPTER

    I''m really sorry guys but... my requirements and projects piled up and my computer time has been greatly reduced. Being a student is hard. The next chapter will come out a bit later in the afternoon and the chapter after that will probably come out on Thursday or Friday. I''m really sorry about the tardyness and I hope you''ll understand.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Also, thank you to those who rated my story as well as the ones who followed and liked it. I am happy about the comments and suggestions you guys make even if its my first time writing a story.

    Once again thank you for your suppprt and sorry for my lateness.

 Chapter 14: Abducted

    *plop* Haaahh... lying on a high-quality mattress feels really good! This is Kiralne''s room on the fourth floor of Bunny Point Inn. Her room is high-class, comparable to the hotel rooms in Earth... which I only saw on pictures. I have not been in any resorts or hotels because they are costly. I was living on inheritance money and part-time job payments after all.

    Kiralne''s room has a big queen-sized bed, varnished wooden desks with drawers and chairs, comfortable and bouncy sofas, and a wardrobe! The room also has its own personalized bathroom and toilet. When I first saw the bathtub and toilet, I marvelled at how its similar to the things on earth. Only this time, it relies on magic, not the laws of physics.

    Magic, or should I say mana, really breaks the laws of physics. They seem to function thanks the runes placed on their surface structures. I can''t really discern the runes used because of my low magus rank. Okay! It is decided! I will definitely reach the elder magus rank to properly understand rune enchanting! I know how to enchant things but my mage rank and mana pool is too low to utilize rune enchanting.

    Rune Enchanting also relies on the elements to work. Take for example, a movement type rune uses wind mana. An energy-type rune relies on light, lightning or fire mana. And many other aspects of the elements and their own profound truths. I can''t explain in full detail because that will take a long time to do. I will also definitely use other useful facts in my head that are related to magic. Hehe. I''m such a cheat! Sorry to the mages who are working hard on their field of magic but I basically outsmart you in your branch of study.

    Anyway, I wanted to experience more of this world''s civilization and wonders before getting dragged back to the wilderness for training. Although Kiralne is probably a pervert, as I can tell from her expression when she looks at me, she is sincere about her promise as my protector. And training with an SS-class adventurer will surely increase my battle experience. As I contemplate silently in the bed, Liz who''s also in the bed comes closer to me and I subconsciously hugged her, a natural reflex of mine when I''m lying down and notice a pillow. Her scales are not a bother and Liz is so warm!

    "Krey onii-chan. Don''t squeeze me too much. Its so tight!" (Lisana)

    |Kyuuuu~Kyuaaa!|

    "Ah! Sorry Liz! Here you go." (Krey)

    I let go of Liz and she starts jumping around the huge, fluffy bed while occasionally ''kyu-ing''. As I watch Liz play in the bed, I remembered the fact that I should be angry with Liz since my hard-earned money was on the brink of disappearing due to the things she ate prior to arrival in the inn.

    <hr />

    I left the reception with Liz clinging to my back, leaving behind Kiralne who I want to get away from. She made that disgusting expression once again, scaring me out of my wits. I think she is a pervert. Its similar to the faces of perverts in Earth but hers is horrifyingly disturbing.

    I walked down the stairs, meeting the curious gazes of other adventurers who are going o the upper floors.

    Now then. Before I get swarmed by those adventurers in the main hall, I deploy {Mana Shield} and ready {Telekinesis} just in case.

    I arrived in the first floor and as expected, the adventurers who saw me immediately came in droves, inquisitive gazes land upon me, threatening to engulf me both figuratively and literally.

    But when they get closer at the edge of my {Mana Shield}...

    "Uwaa-?!" (Male Human Adventurer)

    "W-what is this...?!" (Female Beastman Adventurer)

    "Magic...? No... there''s no chant..." (Male Demon Adventurer)

    They stop as if they hit a wall around me, and I continue to walk forward to the exit. The surrounding adventurers, regardleas of gender or race, were all pushed aside as I advance. Some of the more stubborn ones, I fling aside using {Telekinesis}. Its quite funny to see people get tossed around for no reason.

    After a few more steps the distance between me and the exit gradually lessened. By now, the adventurers must know that I don''t like their behavior and kept their distance.

    Leaving through the large doors, I waited for Kiralne to pick up the pace while playing with Liz''s stubs... horns.

    It did not take long though. Shortly after I played with Liz''s horns, Kiralne arrived with her brows raised.

    "Did you have to use your weird magic in front of a lot of spectators?" (Kiralne)

    I shrugged and said-

    "There are the ones blocking the way. I simply moved them is all~." (Krey)

    I gave my completely logical and rational explanation to Kiralne about my actions. On the other hand, Liz is trying to get my attention with something. She keeps nudging me with her snout. Well, at least she''s polite.

    ''Onii-chan, I am hungry!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyua!|

    ''What!? You ate just a moment ago!''

    "I''m still hungry!" (Lisana)

    |Kyu kyuu!|

    Her tone now an impatient and stubborn one. Okay. Forgot about what I said of her being polite. She''s still a child so I''ll tolerate such behavior... for now. *sigh* Now I know why I like being alone most of the time. I simply have inadequate experience in handling people. Light novels and anime are much easier to cope with.

    ''Haah... Fine. I''ll get you something to eat later.''

    ''Un!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyu!|

    As I concede with Liz''s demand, I noticed Kiralne looking over at me with an annoyed face. We''ve been walking through the alleys for awhile now. We''re probably close to Kiralne Street. She must have been trying to strike up a conversation with me.

    "Hey... why are you ignoring me!" (Kiralne)

    "No, I wasn''t~. You are just boring." (Krey)

    "What?! Why?!" (Kiralne)

    "Maybe later~. Where can I find a clothing store and food store?" (Krey)

    "*sigh* At my street, there''s a well-known tailor there that I frequently go to on some occasions. The prices are just right and if your lucky, there might be something cheap over there. Food store...? Hmm. There''s a retail store right next to the inn if that''s what your looking for. It sells mainly meat, vegetables, spices and a few other things. Why are you asking me this?" (Kiralne)

    "To buy stuff~." (Krey)

    "*sigh* Do you even know how to haggle? Fine. Here is two gold. This is your allowance for the week. Not that you''ll be able to use it after three days. I''ll be around the area if you need me." (Kiralne)

    She handed me two gold coins and then went to a nearby store. Hmph! I was self-reliant back on Earth. Frugality is important to me. You''d think I''d be careless? Not that she knows of course. Come to think of it, we''re at Kiralne Street already huh? The street still has that quiet and pleasant atmosphere. As expected, the street has a moderate amount of people strolling in the road and walkways, but not enough to cause traffic.

    I looked for the tailor store that Kiralne recommended bur before I do, my hair was pulled by Liz as if to stop me. All I can say is... its painful!

    ''Gyaaah-?! Hey! Liz what are you doing?!'' (Krey)

    ''Onii-chan, meat over there~!'' (Liz)

    |Kyuu'' Kyuaaa~!|

    Liz pointed her paw to my right and what came into my sight were barbecue stalls. Vendors grilling a lot of meat with different spices and sauces as additives are there too. There is about 27 stalls here in Kiralne street, and over 6 of them are barbecue stalls. Weird.

    ''Alright, alright. Wait a while.'' (Krey)

    ''Okay!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyu!|

    I approached the nearest and vacant stall and asked for the prices of the skewers. Hmm... there are quite a lot of varieties of meat here. There''s the expensive Larsit meat as well. And it seems the chicken-like meat is the meat of a Cortyal. A predatory ostrich. I don''t know what''s wrong with the biology of this world.

    "Okay, uncle. I''ll buy the..." (Krey)

    ''Larsit skewer~! Cortyal skewer~!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuua~!Kyuun~!|

    ''Oi?! Why are you choosing the expensive ones?!'' (Krey)

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ''They look delicious!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyu kyua!|

    ''...'' (Krey)

    I think I''ll have a money crisis in the future. I ordered three Larsit skewers and five cortyal skewers. One skewer is absolutely expensive! I could get two days stay in the inn with meals out of the price of one skewer! Its 50 copper. All in all their 4 silver. *sigh*I think money just went down the drain.

    ''More!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuan!|

    W-what?! I didn''t even had a bite yet and she already finished it all?! And now she''s asking for more?! What about in the future? Won''t I be bankrupted immediately at this rate?

    ''More onii-chan~!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuuaa~!|

    ...

    I''m screwed...

    <hr />

    ''I''m sorry about that onii-chan..'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuuu..|

    Liz looks disheartened when she heard of my plight. In the end I was still able to buy the things I needed but... my money has been drastically depleted. I spent 1 gold, 98 silver and 25 coppers for the things I bought awhile ago, while most of it... were all spent on feeding Liz high-quality=costly meat. I only have a measly 24 silver and 8 copper in my storage ring. I want to cry right now. My only consolation is that, Liz will be feeding on mana in the future as she grows older so this incident won''t happen again... I hope. Being naturally stingy back then, losing a lot of money in a single day is a big blow to my self-esteem.

    The stall vendors must be happy right now, leeching of the money from me because of Liz. I already forgave her in my heart but I''m afraid she would be too spoiled so I gave her a punishment.

    ''Liz, you will have to be my hug pillow for tonight. Its the only way or me to forgive you.'' (Krey)

    I know that she hates being restrained. I show a slightly angry and demanding expression to Liz so that she will learn to be moderate and behaved. And it worked!

    ''A-alright Krey onii-chan...'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuaa...|

    Liz came close to me and I immediately hugged her. She squirmed awhule but eventually calmed down and I enjoyed her warm scales.

    Haaah... I''m sleepy...

    <hr />

    Mmmm...

    *nudge*

    "Hey, Krey wake up." (???)

    What... who disturbs my sleep. I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was the plains and trees... which are moving fast for some reason.

    "...?!" (Krey)

    What?! I looked downwards and I saw a galloping horse... which I''m apparently riding on. We''re... travelling? I turned around to look at Kiralne, who is holding the reins. Her silky, blonde hair swaying freely as the winds buffeted her. Right now her clothes are different from usual. This time instead of a long skirt, she''s wearing a mini-skirt! Her green blouse and brown coat/blazer are also new additions. Moreover, she''s wearing boots and thick knee socks! She looks younger and more outgoing with this outfit. Still, the horse runs pretty fast. Wind is hitting my face but I don''t feel good. It is just irritating. Liz is still asleep in front of me. At least she''s comfortable.

    "Hey. You''re finally awake." (Kiralne)

    She flashed me a small smile but it just made more confused and annoyed at the situation.

    "Why are we here?! I was supposed to be sleeping back in the inn!" (Krey)

    I wanted to take a bath in the bathtub and change my clothes after napping. Then sleep again afterwards in Kiralne''s comfy bed. After that I wanted to eat more delicious food!

    Kiralne grinned at me and answered-

    "Well about that... I kinda want to leave early so I put you and Liz to a deep sleep using a drug and left Arles City, while bringing you and Liz along. Don''t worry, I''ve prepared all our supplies, bathed and changed your clothes as well as a few other things."

    Huh?! Aren''t you kidnapping me?! I clearly did not give my consent to this barbaric act! Furthermore, what''s with the impatience!? Is this payback or something?

    "That''s not it! I wanted to relax for awh...?!" (Krey)

    As I was about to complain, I suddenly realized that she said "bathe" and "changed clothes". I looked at my clothes and they''re different... I''m wearing a thick, black-colored trench-coat with yellow patterns at the front, a dark blue long-sleeved buttoned shirt underneath it and fur-lined black trousers. Slowly my face turned pale and asked the Kiralne the dreaded question. I don''t want to believe it but there is no other way to know but ask.

    "Kiralne... did you say ''bathed'' and ''changed clothes...?" (Krey)

    My tone solemn and near-desperation. I can feel my face distorting into that of anguish.

    "Hmm? Yeah. I did. And I must say..." (Kiralne)

    Kiralne glanced down at my lower part and smirked. I can see a faint blush in her face but I don''t care about that. Why did she smirk?! Oh no please no...

    "You have some potential down there.*wink*" (Kiralne)

    While saying that, she turned her gaze back to the front, occasionally reining the horse. She is no longer paying attention to me. My mind is preoccupied by thoughts of this... tragedy

    No.... no no no no NO NO NO NO!!! NNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!  WHY!!?? Why must this happen?! I''ve been defiled!! My purity, my innocence, my future prospects have been ruined!! My immaculate and pure body (lol), touched and stared at by a deviant such as you! Damn you! You she-devil! This humiliation of being seen bare by a pervert like you... I WILL PAY IT BACK A THOUSAND-FOLD!! Just you wait!! A gentlemen''s revenge can wait. Ten years. Twenty years. A hundred years!! Every second, every hour, every day. I will count each of them. All of them will contribute to my vengeance and the degree of suffering you shall bear!!!

    As I continue to curse Kiralne in my mind, my expression turned to that of smoldering anger and embarrassment. By reflex, I squeezed Liz who was still sleeping in my embrace and accidentally woke her up.

    ''Uwaaah-?! Onii-chan let go of me! Its too cramped!! No~!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuaa?! Kyuu! KYuuuu!! Kyun~!|

    I ignored Liz''s squirming and incessant pleas as my mind is still filled with the venomous thoughts of humiliation and vengeance. Liz gradually increased her squirming but I still had her in an iron grip to help placate my anger.

    ''Onii-chan! No! Stop it!''

    |Kyuuu! Kyua! Kyuuaa!|

    I''m still angry.

    <hr />

    (Third Person P.O.V.)

    "Boss. Kiralne left the city with the boy and his pet. It seems she''s heading to the Magic Mountain Range based on the direction she is travelling to." (Pitiful Underling)

    In the dark room, where the large bearded man is sitting down, still drinking wine, the previous person once more informed him of the status of his hated adversary. The large bearded man abruptly stood up and yelled-

    "Ready the wyverns! We will arrive there first and set up an ambush! Call Folrido. Tell him to bring the poison." (Bearded Man)

    "Yes, sir!" (Pitiful Underling)

    Once the man left the vicinity of the door, the bearded man laughed sinisterly.

    "HAHAHAHA! Kiralne! You have chosen quite the grave for yourself! Don''t worry I''ll make sure to let you enjoy your last moments! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" (Bearded Man)

    The bearded man said with ridicule and disdain. He once more drunk wine, spilling some of it in his armor.

    "Once you, and the rest of the Grand Soldiers of this kingdom are taken care of, Tolkium kingdom will fall! I should thank them for giving me the chance to finish you off myself!"

    The man murmured to himself as he walked out of the door.

    <hr />

    Author Note: Yo! Late update. Projects and requirements. School life. Yada yada yada. Please suggest names for new powerful spells and their effects please! I''m running out of ideas. It''s quite a short chapter though, please bear with it. Anyway, there will probably be a war or disaster, who knows? I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

 Chapter 15: Mana-Binding Viper Poison

    Ugh...I still feel sullied.  Its been 7 hours since I woke up. I already ate some disgusting dried meat awhile ago to relieve my hunger. Liz is exhausted in my arms. Probably from squirming too much. We''ve already left the plains and are now travelling through the forests of the Magic Mountain Range. Throughout the ride, Kiralne, specifically her bountiful breasts, has been useful for me. The horse, although better than the carriage still does not beat modern-day cars so it wouldn''t have been a comfortable journey without Kiralne''s well-endowed chest. The soft texture of her breasts help ease the pain in my back as well as my neck. Furthermore, it serves as a wonderful suspension system. The vibrations coming from the rigid movements of the horse that goes through my body will simply transfer to her breasts, reducing the discomfort received.

    I would rather praise her chest than the person herself in this situation. She is still a pervert in my eyes and the idea that she most likely molested me while bathing and dressing me when I was drugged to sleep by her is still fresh in my mind. This further lowered my evaluation towards her character.

    Curious about the place we are going to which is said to be the best training spot for warriors and mages alike, I reluctantly asked Kiralne about the Magic Mountain Range.

    "What is so special about the Magic Mountain Range?" (Krey)

    Hearing my question, Kiralne inclined her head towards me and answered-

    "The Magic Mountain Range has the greatest concentration of congregated raw mana. Its one of the peculiar locations here in the continent. Its quite close to Arles City which is why the best mage and warrior academy in the kingdom are situated there."

    Eh? I didn''t know that. I haven''t been to the other parts of Arles City. Arles City is divided into four quadrants. The inn and the guild are in the southern quadrant. The academies are probably at the other quadrants. Still, Arles City is quite big huh? I wonder how this pervert got acquainted with the territory''s lord?

    "We''re here." (Kiralne)

    "Huh?" (Krey)

    I was puzzled. Right now we''re still in the forest of the Magic Mountain Range, a good two kilometers away from the nearest mountain. We are in a glade surrounded by shrubberies and thickets of trees. Boulders jut out occassionally in my line of view. To our right I could see the sun, in the middle of the sky, signifying that it is noon. Sometimes it is hard to adjust with the time in this world

    "This is where we get off. I used to take this path whenever I go to the Magic Mountain Range on requests." (Kiralne)

    Kiralne says as she got down from the horse. Not completely convinced, I jumped off the horse, avoiding Kiralne''s prying hands that wish to touch me. I landed with a *thud* at the hard forest floor and turned to look at Kiralne who was gnashing her together, looking vexed.

    "Gunununu... Why can''t you be more like a child..." (Kiralne)

    As I was about to retort with a rhetorical question, Liz who woke up while I was talking with Kiralne and is once again clinging to my back, abruptly stiffened and exerted effort to drag me somewhere (and failed in the process but succeeded in making me feel pain in my scalp) while her panic-stricken voice resounded in my mind.

    ''Krey onii-chan, look out!!!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuuu!!!|

    Alerted, I immediately scanned my surroundings and barely able to discern a faint red blur coming towards me from my right. I panicked and forgot to deploy my [Ice Shields]. Luckily the pervert- I mean Kiralne came to my rescue. She suddenly appeared, as if she teleported, and blocked the object that was threatening to hit me. I wasn''t able to see it because Kiralne blocked my view with her ass.

    She then inched closer to me, checking if I was injured to which I responded with a shake of my head, assuring her that I''m fine. I can see that her face has no more traces of complacency and is replaced with cold seriousness. This is not the time to take it easy. There is danger present right now.

    I break out into a cold sweat. I did not notice it at all. That thing that almost got me was so fast... I was barely able to see it. If it wasn''t for Lisana and Kiralne, I would''ve been done in by now. Though I''m still angry at Kiralne. I also cursed myself. I was never quick to act to begin with and I always followed my own pace at everything. Right now... this attitude came back to bite me. I panicked when I should have reacted. *sigh* Its kind of humiliating. Still, I will not let go of my personality. Its what I am and I am proud of it!

    I examined the blur that was supposed to hit me and I realised that it was not a projectile, it was a person... An assassin? Rogue? Ninja? I can''t really give a better description but that person is clad in red. Cosplay? Isn''t it hot? He seems to be a male judging from his stocky physique and the lack of womanly curves.

    I can feel Lisana tightly gripping her dull talons on my shoulders, while positioning herself in order to better hold on to me.

    ''Uuuu... onii-chan there are nine other people hiding in the forest. Big sister Kiralne might have trouble.'' (Lisana)

    |Grrr... Kyuua kyua|

    ''Tch!'' (Krey)

    I clicked my tongue and made a sour face to the words uttered by Liz. I''ll tell to her later that Kiralne is not supposed to be called "Big Sister". Its unpleasant and worrying. That pervert may corrupt Liz in the future!

    I looked at Kiralne and she had her brows furrowed and eyes squinted as she stared at the red guy. Does she know him?

    "Folrido huh? If you''re here then that means that idiot Bolg is here too? Why did you try to hurt Krey? You better come up with something or this will be the last time I''d let you guys off the hook! (Kiralne)

    I can feel her rage seething in her cold detached voice. This is new. It looks like they are acquainted. Quite surprising actually.

    The red man, Folrido, did not say anything and once again charged, not to me but to Kiralne. She snorted and a green glowing sword appeared in her hand. Then Kiralne, Folrido and two more accomplices dashed westwards, their blows and exchanges that were all a blur to the current me left destruction in their wake. Trees were blown away, dust and rocks flew about while waves of mana is strewn around. I can see wind and nature type mana that Kiralne has. There are also earth, water and lightning present there. The damages don''t reach the glade I am in because they are quite far from here.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    "..." (Krey)

    ''...'' (Lisana)

    It seems that Kiralne has some enemies here. This is quite irresponsible of her. But I''ll forgive her a little bit. Why? Because of this awesome fantasy fight scene! I''m an anime lover and the fantasy genres are always my favorite. Its quite thrilling watching this battle but I have other problems right now.

    The seven people left in the forest also came out. Hmmm. There are two mages and five warriors. The mages are wearing green robes with black mantles. Quite the get-up. The warriors on the other hand are fully armored. I can see some scale mail, plate mail, chainmail amongst them. No leather.

    "Oi brat. Come over here!! Our bosses are gonna beat that elf bitch so don''t think of running away!!" (Pitiful Underling I)

    "We''re gonna sell you to those slavers and keep that monster there!!" (Pitiful Underling II)

    I ignore those idiotic and cliche words and took out my glaive. I also summoned my [Ice Shields]x2 and [Assassination Spikes]x6.

    This is gonna be a hard fight. Two are initial stage senior magus. The rest are probably warriors and their levels are similar to the mages. The other is quite strong though. Probably in the middle stage of the senior level.

    "Hey be careful! That kid''s a mage! Don''t be careless you dolts!" (Slightly Smart Yet Still Pitiful Underling)

    Hmm? Wow there''s actually a smart person here? I think its the middle stage senior level guy over there. Heh~ fascinating.

    I''m slightly worried. My battle experience is nil. Fighting so many at once is unbecoming. And I''ll get hurt badly. I don''t like pain. I''m not a masochist!

    ''Onii-chan! I will help you!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuu! Kyuaan!|

    Huh? Liz you look like a plush toy right now and I doubt your cuteness would be helpful in a battle unless used for distraction.

    ''Oi what do you mean Liz-?!'' (Krey)

    I feel... something different. What is this?! Thi-this is?!

    <hr />

    (Kiralne P.O.V.)

    Tch! Why now of all times?! These bastards actually dared to come after me now?! They can''t even match me right now. Three initial-stage grand soldiers will not be able to kill me. Comparing the initial stage to the late stage is simply laughable.

    What is their aim? To aim for Krey is not productive but it still pisses me off! Did they know about my duty as his protector?Thinking about it angers me much more!

    The assailants are scum that I should''ve gotten rid off when I had the chance but opted them to live because of the values of my clan. Folrido, an initial stage grand soldier who specializes in assassination. He''s still wearing that red outfit and is as silent as ever. Bolg. This annoying geezer. Despite being a former knight of a small country, his actions and temperament are despicable. I do not know who the third one is but she seems to be a mercenary hired by those two. She is of the demon race in contrast to Folrido and Bolg who are human. I''ll cripple her later. That is enough punishment.

    I was wondering why there are no monsters in the area. So it was them huh? This time there will be no mercy!

    We haved exchange blows for quite awhile now. I hope Krey is safe. Although I don''t know what level the remaining assholes are that stayed behind, as long as its not A-rank, Krey can hold out.

    I have to finish this as soon as possible! I increased the intensity of my attacks and infused more mana into my beloved sword, Latulis.

    Folrido, noticing this change in my blows suddenly took out a knife with serrated edges coated with a violet substance. Then Bolg, also taking note of the change used an all-familiar skill.

    "Hah! Take this! <Fissure Strike>" (Bolg)

    From his blade, earth-type mana surged and became more undulated as the earth beneath me became riddled with cracks as the strike imbued with mana approached me.

    Hmph! I''ve already deflected this skill a lot of times. Don''t think I could not do it again! As I prepared to block and deflect this strike, the demoness appeared instantly at my side and slashed with her axe.

    I was caught of guard by this surprise attack of hers. A movement-type skill? How profound! I can''t even sense the element used! I tried to dodge the geezer''s skill and thos girl''s attack by moving backwards but... that was my biggest mistake.

    "Wha-?!" (Kiralne)

    I felt intense pain in my back as well as a burning feeling in my chest. My body is also considerably weakening at a not-too slow yet not-too fast speed. I can feel the refined mana dissipating in my body. Folrido, the one who stabbed me went back to Bolg''s side. Bolg, that geezer laughed and looked at me with a sinister gaze. I find it funny sometimes when I beat him up and see that gaze. But now is not the time for that. I tried to suppress this weakening feeling with my mana but it just makes me lose more mana in return. This not good!

    "Y-you... what did you do to me?!" (Kiralne)

    I asked them fiercely. This is not normal. I know that Folrido stabbed me with that dagger and I know its been coated with poison but what poison is it exactly?! Most poisons can be suppressed easily by a grand soldier or grand magus mana alone but clearly this poison is not simple!

    Bolg, took in delight to my predicament and curled his lips into that of disdain and mocking. His eyes hinting that he is borderline insane but you can still see the happiness in there. Its... disgusting. He spoke with a taunting voice.

    "That is no ordinary poison in your veins. It is a Mana-Binding Viper Poison! A benefactor of mine lent this to me. I''m glad that is doing its work!! HAHAHAHA!!!!" (Bolg)

    He laughed once more but my mind is still shocked at what he said. Mana-Binding Viper Poison?! Here?!

    <hr />

    Author Note: Heyo! After toiling for hours and thinking up different words I finally finished it! Please comment on the descriptions and small fight scene. I''m not confident in it. I hope you enjoyed it! :)

    P.S. I suck at giving names and descriptions.

 Chapter 16: Plans, Plans

    "Hooohh... Mana-Binding Viper Poison huh? Moreover, its a concentrated solution of a life-preserving antidote and the poison itself! How intriguing..." (Krey)

    A bit startled from this, I mused to myself as I continue to observe the charade between these Grand Soldiers under the cover of my darkness-element spell, [Conceal].

    Tsk tsk tsk. As expected of the Magic God''s skill, Magic Creation Array! The spells created from it are profound! They can''t even sense me despite their high rank! I''m currently crouching at a tree branch while holding a sack meant for potatoes which contents will be revealed later. Its kind of thrilling spectating a battle of the strong.

    Then again, maybe its because they''re warriors and not like mages who can sense anomalies in the surrounding mana? Meh. Whatever. Warriors and mages follow completely different paths in mana manipulation. By the way, [Conceal] belongs to the <Manipulation> branch of magic. There are different branches but I don''t plan on exploring them yet. For now, I will only use <Manipulation> and <Materialization>. Explaining is a hassle especially with me trying to listening to the conversation filled with hostility between Kiralne and the three enemies, while keeping my balance. Its hard to do as the sack that I slung over my shoulder keeps moving.

    If one wonders about my earlier scuffle between those senior level assailants, I would not say that it was a smooth venture. I had to cast a few [Heal] spells on myself after the battle and that''s still when I had the help of Liz! I need to be careful in the future. Unexpectedly, the meat shield, otherwise known as Kiralne is not really received for free. These guys probably came for her... I was naive. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. The fantasy atmosphere got to me... and I guess I enjoyed it too much, enough to be called intoxication. Well, at least I have experience on being mortally wounded. Just remembering the battle causes my head to ache at the results...

    <hr />

    ''Wha... what is this?! Liz what are you doing!? Stop probing around my head!'' (Krey)

    I panicked at the actions of Liz who is not only digging her claws through my scalp and causing some tingling yet strangely not painful throbs at the top of my head but is doing something more dangerous! She is trying to control me... I think. She is somehow using telepathy to change something in my head''s inner workings. How is she doing this? Isn''t she still a baby dragon?! As she continued doing her thing, I slowly felt something... different.

    I can''t really decribe it well but that''s the way I am feeling right now! Its like my conciousness is being immersed in a paralytic jelly-like liquid. Although common sense dictates danger, one would still like to feel the smooth and cool experience of that jelly-like liquid. That''s what I think I feel right now.

    I won''t ask Liz how she isis doing this because I might get a headache soon. Its worrying because I am in a dangerous situation right now.

    ''Its for your own good  Onii-chan! Your emotional and mental state are really muddled! Every time we speak through our minds, your emotional state is always lax and laid back. Its disconcerting! Like this, any sense of danger, aggression, worry or anxiety gets thrown out of alignment making you unable to react accordingly! Only a few go through the right place! It affects your natural inborn reflexes as well! It''ll be alright  Krey onii-chan! Leave it to me!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuuuuuu~!|

    Liz''s machine gun-like explanation suddenly resounded in my mind. Its the first time I heard her being like this. Not that we''ve been

    together for a long time but Liz strikes me more as a reserved individual whose cuteness flares from time to time. Also... isn''t she smarter now? I know that she is already smart when she was born as proven by her capability of speech but this...is too advanced! Well, a smart little sister is cute as well. The gap moe is destructive to my heart. This right now is quite a surprise.

    But those words caused me to frown a bit. Lax? Laid-back? Muddled? Thrown out of alignment? What does that mean? I do admit that I react slowly and rarely take problem seriously, even back in my old world. Even he situation of mine, facing seven combatants an entire rank above me is very worrying but strangely... it does not reach to the point where I would be anxious. At the very best my worries can be compared to the problem of choosing between chocolate or chips as a snack.

    I think its normal though? Liz you are acting rude to me y''know? Are you implying that I am a psychopathic maniac that should be put into a medical asylum? It sounds interesting but I am absolutely not a maniac! They''re unpredictable! One moment they sit around and have a nice cup of tea with you. The next, they point a chainsaw at you. Seriously! I had to kill one of those guys that escaped from the asylum when they attacked me while I was walking home! I heard from the media about an escape patient from a medical asylum a couple blocks from my apartment. I ignored it of course. And then that happened! Of course, I left no evidence. The police are pretty lax these days~The next day, I once more seen on the news about a corpse found on one of the public garbage bins that is similar to that of the patient. Authorities urged us to be careful as there might be a killer in the neighborhood. I don''t feel guilt. It was clearly self defense! If anything, the one who should be blamed are the security personnel of the medical asylum. The developers must also take responsibility! I mean seriously, which idiot would build a quackhouse near a residential area?

    Anyways, as I was saying, If I was a maniac, I would be scared of myself! Enough to the point of suicide.

    My xenophobic tendencies are really the lamest part about me. I''m not that flexible when it comes to the unknown.

    Before I was able to stop Liz from doing her thing, the damaged had already been done. I felt intense pain surged out through my body starting from the head. I could suddenly feel my mind become clearer than before! Usually its sometimes operate slow but I somehow know that my thinking and reaction speed are better, no it far exceeds what it was before! Not that it was quick or anything.

    But Liz, the critter who caused this slumped her body as if downhearted. Hmm? What''s wrong with her?

    ''Not good... Krey onii-chan''s emotional and mental state are not getting better... his thought processing and reflexes are faster now but it does not matter if the person himself is mentally crippled...'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuuu...Kyuuuaa...kyun|

    Her tone is that of a little girl who had lost all hope when they realized that Santa is not real. DAFUQ? Since when did she learn to change my inner workings? Genetic memories? Innate ability? But more importantly...

    ''Oi Liz! What do you mean by that?!'' (Krey)

    This is discrimination! Does being relaxed and unserious count as being crippled?! I have feelings too y''know?! Hearing this from her, I can''t help but feel hurt. I can feel other emotions too y''know?! I clearly remember being angry and then scared a while ago. Is that not proof enough that I''m stable?!

    Before I could explain this to Liz, I saw a glimpse of what seems to be a sword heading for my shoulder. I reacted to this and dodged it by a hairs breadth but not before sensing another presence behind me and moved away as I felt sharp pain coursing at my back followed by a cold sensation as if liquid flowed out. I barely escaped with my life over there! Sneaky bastards. Liz is fine of course. She was able too scooch over and let the blade leave a deep wound at my lower back. Its bleeding badly huh?

    I silently watched the four senior ranked warriors position themselves at my front and back. Their shields poised up preparing to receive the [Assassination Spikes] revolving around me which I have no intention to shoot right now. My [Ice Shields] were not able to do their job because I was distracted... again. This is making me pissed! {Mana Shield} will not be used this time. I saw a fatal flaw in this shield when I fought against Kiralne! Although it can defend me from any attack it takes my refined mana as compensation. This is troubling. I need years to reach the level of Mana Force Manipulation where I can use raw mana in my surroundings for my spells!

    "Hey, kid. Stop resisting! Those flimsy rocks won''t get through us!" (Pitiful Underling #5)

    Hah? My [Assasination Spikes] can pierce you anytime! You didn''t even use mana to enhance your bodies! Are you underestimating me? Even if you have a five-inch thick steel wall protecting you, your still soft. Much less those stupid shields. I am still waiting for the best chance to catch you off guard.

    Wait... this was one of my goals ain''t it? Use my small and harmless figure to lower their guards! Fufufu... excellent.

    Four initial stage senior level warriors are surrounding me. The middle staged senior level warrior is guarding the mages. The mages seem to be chanting something! Heeeeh~ Interesting.

    Common sense says that mages should be  at the back. Well lets charge in~!

    I casted [Body Burst], [Wind Run], [Fiery Surge], and used {Telekinesis} to speed through the gaps of the warriors and shot four spikes towards them, leaving two for the mages up ahead. I also left an {Ice Cone} so it can freeze and kill them. Unless they use mana to enhance themselves beforehand which is unlikely.

    I aimed the two remaining spikes at the busy mages while swinging my glaive to hit the middle-staged senior level warrior. This is a mouthful! I''ll just call him Baldy since he''s bald. Baldy reacted pretty well. A mana-enhanced sword met my glaive and some sparks flew.

    I got blown pretty far back, probably three meters or so. Baldy on the otherhand... he only took two steps backwards. Tch! He then ran towards me, fully intend to exchange blows with me. I barely follow his strikes somehow but each blow makes my little arms numb. Its painful! The glaive is my only saving grace here. The strikes filled with mana is hard to handle even with my buffs. Luckily, the glaive''s quality is good so I can manage it somehow.

    I turn my head to glance at my earlier onslaught and I can''t help but be displeased. One mage survived, albeit a leg short. I can see that although his now pale face is contoured in pain with beads of sweat appearing, he is still chanting. I know that he has a light affinity so he might use it to heal or enhance his comrades. They''re all professionals. They are surprised but they acted accordingly. The other mage is decapitated. Fumu. Two warriors are still alive. They both dodged the effects of [Ice Cone] but not my [Assassination Spikes]. It pierced through their stomach and waist leaving a gaping hole in them. The dead warriors on the other hand look like ice sculptures depicting scenes of death by impalement.

    The lucky survivors crawled towards the mage. Goddamn it! I''ll have company soon! Injuries like that can be healed quickly through magic. I''m already preoccupied by Baldy over here so it''ll be troublesome after a few minutes if they attacked me along with this Baldy.

    ''Onii-chan...'' (Lisana)

    I heard Liz''s worried voice in my mind. Haaaahh... I know Liz. This is gonna hurt pretty bad...

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I watched his mana-filled blade and waited for him to make a piercing maneuvre. Most of the time he just slashed, hacked, sliced and swung his sword towards me. I have a plan but its stupid and risky. I have no choice though.

    He''s faster, stronger, more skilled and has an abundance of experience in the field of fighting. If one would look at it that way, its a miracle that I lasted this long. But I''ll be skewered instantly if he had extra help.

    Oh here it comes! Baldy finally made the effort to aim at my center and try to pierce me. Hah... let me oblige.

    *shwoom* *blood drip*

    ''OH THE AGONY!!! ITS TOO FUCKING PAINFUL!!! WHAT WAS I THINKING?! THIS IS A HORRIBLE PLAN!!!'' (Krey)

    ''Krey onii-chan!!!?!'' (Lisana)

    As I screamed inwardly from the incomparable and heart-rending pain while naturally coughing up blood, Liz''s shocked and scared shout was heard in my mind. My innards must have been wacked right now huh? Baldy''s sword penetrated my stomach and is sticking out of my back. Blood is dripping from the tip.

    In the corner of my eyes I could see that Baldy and his lackey''s faces twisted into that of delight when this happened. Ignoring them, I casted [Ice Field] around the area Baldy is in. Now his visage distorted into that of horror as icicles and frostbite form through his armor and skin, making him look like he is close to freezing to death. Not that its false. Bone-chilling frost is emmited under his feet as my spell does its work keeping him in place.

    With his frozen hands still holding over the sword that''s stuckn my body, I looked over the equally horrified faces of the lucky trio.

    I breathed a sigh of relief and let a light smirk form in my face. They''re not yet recovered completely and don''t pose a threat... yet.

    Once mpre suppressing the pain in my gut, I casted [Compressed Fireball]x2 and threw it at them.

    "AAAARRRGH!!!" (Pitiful Underling #7)

    "It burns-uurrgh!!!" (Pitiful Underling #3)

    "H-help...!!" (Pitiful Underling #2)

    I made a pleasant smile as I listend to their loud screams and incessant begging. Music to my ears. They''re clothes and armor are all burnt with the metal parts glued to them. Watching their skin burn to a blackened crisp and muscles peeling out of their body is a fascinating activity. Moreover, seeing their white bones show through the gaps of melted muscle and waiting for them to turn black is humorous.

    *coughs blood*

    I coughed up blood as hair-raising pain transmits itself through my body. *sigh* This moment would be perfect if I am not skewered by a blade and in constant agony! I would also like a coke and chips in hand.

    I looked over at the frozen Baldy and lightly hit his hands with my glaive. It crumbled like brittle ice under my exerted force and I immediately held the sword to prevent further pain but failed as a wave of pain assaulted me once more. Fuck! Damn it! Take this you asshole! [Assassination Spike]!

    *shatter* *cough blood*

    Oh shit... bad idea. I really, really, really should have not than that! I shot an [Assassination Spike] at his face and enjoyed the scene of Baldy''s head exploding into icedust as it was demoslished by my spell. Unfortunately, I was out of mana that time and used my mana from the refinement base. This is incredibly agonizing. I should manage my mana pool more carefully! I took out some of my mana in the refinement base... which is idiotic even for me. Impulses are natural so I''ll forgive myself a bit.

    ''Onii-chan... are you okay?'' (Lisana)

    |Kyua...Kyuuua?|

    Liz asked me of my well-being. I seriously want to retort if having a foreign object forcefully penetrate your body (no pun intented) can count as being OKAY!! I''m bleeding for Frelinia''s sake!! But as someone as mature as me I answered reassuringly-

    ''I-I''m fine Liz... Don''t disturb me for a bit...'' (Krey)

    I gave this instruction to Liz while I painfully sit cross-legged and assumed a meditative stance. Liz jumped off my back while watching me with her golden eyes. Her dark-colored body settled down somewhere in front of me. I could see the worry in her eyes. I closed my eyes and concentrated on absorbing and refining mana in my surroundings to recover my mana. By the way to clear things up, the refined mana can be put into two containers in my mana core. One is the mana pool or mana reserve where refined mana is usually put when it is used for spells. The other is the the refinement base. Once it is filled to the brim, the individual is qualified to seek enlightenment for breaking through stages and ranks.

    Also there is something special about the refinement base. You can use the refined mana in it to fuel your spells or skills but at a cost... that is lifespan. The human race, amongst the civilized races has only an average lifespan of three hundred years. The other races have higher lifespan but... once a person reaches the elder level, they can significantly increase their lifespan and youthful appearance! Each breakthrough is an increase in strength and longevity! But for most people, even raising one stage would take as long as three decades!

    I am an exception of course. You can''t place a cheater like me with them. If people keep comparing themselves with each other, they would only die of jealousy and hate. Besides its really immature and unproductive in some cases.

    Earlier I used mana from my refinement base to fuel my spell, causing me to lose a few days in my life span. No biggie. But I should be cautious from now on. I absorbed more mana and refined it while separating it into two, one going to the refinement base and the other going through my mana reserves.

    After refining raw mana and naturally producing enough refined mana to fill up the mana reserves, I steeled myself and prepared for the incoming misery. Using my small arms and supported by {Telekinesis} I pulled out the sword stuck in my stomach.

    *shiing*

    "Kuh-!!" (Krey)

    OH MY GOOD LORD!!! WHY MUST I EXPERIENCE MISERY AND TORMENT ALL THE TIME!!! I fucking hate pain!! I rate pain as top ten of my hate list!!

    The sword was pulled out leaving me convulsing as I casted [Body Burst] to stop the bleeding. Then I finally casted [Heal] for the second time. The first time, I used [Assassination Spike] to make a wound in my hand. But with the stroke of bad luck, it sheared of most of my left arm making me realized that I hate pain... and that I have lousy accuracy.

    [Heal] is very effective in allievating the pain. [Body Burst] is useful for healing as well. [Heal] was created by my imagination and so far was the hardest to create. The second hardest was [Ice Field]. [Heal] is special because it directly uses the power of light=holy so in a way, it can be classified in the <Mutation> branch.

    After casting [Heal] over my belly, I heaved a sigh of relief and comfort and lay down in the ground. Liz jumped into my chest, leaving me gasping for air at the sudden increase of pressure in the form of weight in my chest. She nuzzled her cute snout at my cheek and asked-

    ''Are you alright now Onii-chan?'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuu?|

    ''Yes I am... but Liz...'' (Krey)

    I looked at her deeply and made an evil grin.

    ''You will have to explain yourself~'' (Krey)

    <hr />

    ''Onii-chan let me go...'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuu..|

    ''No! Be quiet and behave inside the sack!'' (Krey)

    After interrogating Liz like crazy, I discovered that her knowledge is equivalent to that of an adult human! But she''s stil mentally at the age of a toddler so she is still dependent on me. And its Genetic Memories as expected. She won''t tell me in exact detail though.

    Unsatisfied with this, I put her inside the sack of potatoes ( the potatoes were removed beforehand) until she reflects upon her actions. Its not that I am angry at her enhancement but... I was still hurt by her earlier comments. I can be called any bad names but it should not be related to the word ''crazy''! If anyone calls me that, I''ll shove an [Impact Bullet] up their ass!

    ''Onii-chan I''m sorry okay!?! Let me go!!! I won''t call you weird anymore!!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuuu!?! Kyu!!! Kyua!!|

    ''Are you sure?'' (Krey)

    ''Un!!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyu!!|

    ''Are you really sure?'' (Krey)

    ''Yes please let me out!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyua!|

    ''Okay next time don''t do it again'' (Krey)

    I say inwardly as I opened up the sack, letting Liz out and put her back in her favorite spot. My back. I place the sack back to my storage ring. I bought the potatoes as well as other commodities in the retail store. Surprisingly, all of the vegetables and plants are the same back on earth. If they are different, it just means that they were filled with too much mana causing them to evolve in different ways.

    I once more watch the interesting exchange between Kiralne and the other three. Before I arrived her, I first finshed interrogating Liz and rested for a short period of tim. I could still hear the constant booming sounds from far away. The battle between Grand Soldiers. I heard this term from Kiralne that time. She said that she was a late-stage grand soldier or something. I still don''t know the exact differences of a warrior from the mage. The warriors received the origin of their training methods from the God of War. I don''t know his name.

    I followed those sounds with Liz slung over my shoulder at the time and watched from afar the awesome fight. After seeing them stop, I immediately went their and casted [Conceal]. Hence my current situation. Mana-Binding Viper Poison. It comes from a rare monster called a Mana-Binding Viper. They are the bane of mana manipulators such as warriors and mages. The cause is the poison they produce. Anything under the Arch level has their mana pool and refinement base suppressed, weakening them over a period of time. But there is actually two simple ways of getting rid of the poison. Most opt for potions created by alchemist but there is something better that that. The first is-

    Will.

    As long as you have enough willpower you can suppress the poison. But most people panic and become scared when they are poisoned so this technique was forever lost. Until today. But Kiralne''s frantic expression won''t help her here. Its not like I can''t save her or anything. I''m still preparing to cast multiple [Compressed Fireballs], [Ice Cone], and [Impact Bullet over their heads. It''s not because I''m angry at Kiralne or anything. Nope not at all. I am seriously not punishing her sadistically by letting her feel despair. Yes. I am a good person. Besides its good to gather information from the chatterboxes up ahead. Oh! Looks like they''re going to kill her now.

    Luckily, the bearded guy likes to gloat for some reason so I concentrated full time in absorbing and refining mana. Right now I have four of each spell ready to <Materialize> overhead. Okay! Operation: Rescue the Pervert/ Meat Shield will now commence!

    <hr />

    Author Note: I procrastinated okay?! Then I was banned by my parents to use my phone!! I''mnot making excuses or anything!! Here is the 16th chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! :)

 Chapter 17: Fall

    (Kiralne P.O.V.)

    I can feel myself getting weaker. This is not good at all. To think that this guy possessed this particular poison... I can''t help but feel weary right now. This is really the worst possible outcome for me!

    After getting over my initial shock, I started considering my options. Usually this would be the time that I''d escape. Escaping isn''t dishonorable for me and I still have an important task to do. Right now, I''d use ''that'' to escape but... Krey is still in the forest somewhere or he might have fled to one of the mountains in the Magic Mountain Range. That kid is smart so he would not think of going back to the city. Its all plains on the way back. He''ll be spotted easily and escaping from people higher levelled than him is close to impossible.

    If what Krey said was true, his supposed master is a powerful mage. At least he might have given Krey a magical item to be able torotect himself or escape since he DID give him a storage ring which in itself is valuable already but... I doubt it would be too effective in a straight out battle and escaping via plain sight is stupid so his only choice would be to hide in the forest or mountains. I don''t know how big the area that the monster repelling magic item encompasses nor how effective it is since I cannot base it on Bolg''s and Folrido''s earnings alone.

    Mana-Binding Viper Poison can be considered as a national treasure in a middle-sized country and it still has considerable value in a big power such as Tolkium Kingdom. A successful grand soldier or grand magus can barely afford two vials of diluted mana-binding viper poison and they''d be penniless already. Even with my entire fortune, I can only afford three of them.

    But this... this is clearly a more potent poison and much more expensive by at least tenfold! Seriously where did he get that sum of money...?

    "Hey stupid bitch! How does it feel for death to be this close to death?" (Bolg)

    The sorry excuse for a knight asked me condescendingly. Though he still won''t come close to me even though I am clearly groggy right now.

    I don''t answer and simply stare at him with cold and indifferent gaze, my body poised to easily defend myself. Killing intent slightly flickered around me but I immediately invalidated it. Our clan''s virtues will not be dissuaded, even if it is no more. I once more coldly laid eyes upon him. Though it looks like this right now, I am clearly at a disadvantage. Earlier the fight was leaning favorably to my side, but this demon girl... has some tricks up her sleeve that I didn''t expect...

    "Oh I remember how you always beat me into submission, always humiliating me but today... I will return the favor!" (Bolg)

    The threat is real but I find it hard to take seriously since they won''t actually confront me directly. A cornered rat will definetely bite back so they are extremely careful around me. I really look down upon these kinds of people. I furrow my brow in displeasure. Bolg and Folrido always got in my way back then, the were only getting they''re just desserts, why come after me now?

    "Hoh... big words coming from someone idiotic such as you." (Kiralne)

    The big dolt only became angrier as he stared at me with bloodshot eyes. Folrido on the other hand is still quiet but the viciousness emanating from his eyes don''t escape my attention.

    Finally, no more noise! Words are unnecessary when you are fighting for your life. That much is true.

    We are currently in a small glade surrounded by tall trees on the left, the short cliff on the back, rubble from our earlier exchange in the front and more trees on the right. Bolg is maintaining a six meter distance as he circles around me, taunting me and waiting for the poison to take full effect. Folrido and the girl are surrounding my flanks entirely ignoring they''re stupid companion''s antics and also waiting for the poison to do its work.

    At least these two are smart, keeping they''re guard against someone like me but this is really not good for me. ''That'' item currently cannot be used not only because of Krey but... its in my storage ring, which is inaccesible for now. To use my storage ring, I need my refined mana but its suppressed by this damn poison! I can use some of my mana in the refinement base but its too wasteful! Also I still have to look for Krey! This item is suitable for only a single person''s use so its stupid to use this.

    I am not entirely defenseless though. Even if my mana reserve is suppressed and my speed simply laughable even to me, I can still pose a threat to these guys. A warrior is not like a mage who rely mostly on mana for them to be of use. Each breakthrough of a warrior greatly strengthens and hones their physical capabilities! What happens is that during each breakthrough, their mana core has little  change except for the expansion of the mana reserves. But mana infuses itself in the flesh and bones of the warrior, greatly empowering that individual. I do not know how it is for mages but it seems that their minds are more tuned to handling mana. This makes them better mana manipulators than warrior but it doesn''t mean that they''re better in combat.

    A late-stage grand soldier has a very powerful body and great constitution! Even if they attack me altogether right now with full power, I could still fight back!

    But... these poison is clearly weakening me at a fast rate. I think that after 20 minutes, I would be completely defenseless and unable to move, much less resist making me easy prey for them. I may perish but... I don''t care. I don''t fear death, that is a fact but it doesn''t mean I have a favorable impression of it. Having death fill your childhood can build up a resistance to such things...

    Immediately, painful memories surfaced in my mind. I once more drive them back as I have been doing all these years. Its not useful in this situation. I can''t be distracted right now. I observed my opponents while preparing to flee and confirm if Krey is safe. I will not fight them head-on in my gradually deteriorating state. That is just foolish.

    Without unfocusing my gaze at them, I silently fiddled with the sacred mark in my forehead. I did not tell Krey this but the ''Kiss of Vow" not only makes a special tattoo in the foreheads of the protector and the champion, it also allows the protector to track the champion through their bonds. I didn''t want to tell him this because we both agreed that this bond will not be activated... for now. Sharing your emotions with strangers is not a comforting experience.

    I have never used it before in fear that we might read our emotions again, and I seriously don''t want a bad relationship to sprout between me and that cute kid! I activated the mark''s use  and instantly, an imperceptible spiral wave of mana resonated with me as its center. This mana wave is basically inexistent except for the user. It was made by the goddess of life after all! It was merely passed onto my clan as we are protectors. Afterwards, like a raindrop falling in a still surface of water, the wave travelled towards every direction. The way it works is that once the wave comes in contact with Krey''s mark, I''d know where his location is at but he won''t know where I am.

    But... not long after the mana wave travelled, I already got a reaction. It''s coming from the right...and its near?

    "Nu-?!" (Kiralne)

    Krey... he''s here?! Where is he?! But more importantly why is he here?! I don''t try to look for him so that my opponents would not notice it but my face changed into that of panic and helplessness. They misunderstood this as fear and Bolg once more ridiculed me but I ignored it. Only the demon girl seems to be cautious of the change in my expression.

    Why is he here?! Shouldn''t he be hiding somewhere? That child, why is he being silly now of all times?! Doesn''t he know that danger should be avoided at all costs? I frantically thought if ways to keep Krey safe in my current ways when I felt a fluctuation in mana above us. Bolg, Folrido, and the demon girl also looke up, also noticing the fluctuations.

    There I saw...

    Eh? Isn''t this Krey''s spells...? No why is he attacking now?! An earth-type projectile appeared above the demon girl but before I screamed for Krey to stop and leave... More of his spells <Materialize> overhead... A purely compressed fireball the size of a grown man and an clear spike of cold ice also appeared out of the mana fluctuations... and they only increased in number!

    One, two, three... five... twelve... sixteen spells instantly <Materialized>! I found myself staring stupidly at the spectacle that only a mage of at least the Archmagus rank can perform! High-speed chain <Materialization>! Krey is actually capable of that?!

    Back in the inn, I''ve already seen his prowess in instant <Materialization> and chantless invocation and already rated him as a capable mage of the elite level despite him being a middle-stage magus. I had to use my <Merged> wind/nature skill to completely neutralize his onslaught before and I only had to stop four of them. Each spell belonging to a different element with one having traces of being <Mutated>!

    Those three were greatly alarmed and braced themselves for the inevitable. Cold sweat involuntarily apppeared in my forehead, and I swallowed my saliva. This... it might injure them greatly but what is he...?

    Before the spells hit the enemies in front of me, I heard leaves and wood crackle in the right as if it was burnt, and felt something hitting hard against my stomach making me involuntarily gasp for air and close my eyes in pain. Thoughthe pain really felt good for awhile.

    Then someone whispered closely to my ear-

    "Hey, be quiet and stay still. It would be hard to carry you otherwise. [Conceal]" (Krey)

    "Kyua!" (Lisana)

    A childish voice said to me as I felt darkness covering me. Shockwaves of the explosion as well as varying degrees of temperature were felt as I vaguely notice someone carrying me, moving fast in a certain direction.

    <hr />

    (Krey P.O.V.)

    Four [Impact Bullets], four [Compressed Fireballs], four [Ice Cones} tweaked to last for a long duration and ready for <Materialization>. Check. Mana-reserve filled to a third of its capacity. Check. Mana Force Manipulation. Check. Okay, preparations are ready! Begin!

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    By my will, Mana Force Manipulation made a spot for my refined mana to <Materialize> the spells over their heads and instantly [Impact Bullets], [Compressed Fireballs], [Ice Cones] readily appeared. I don''t want any impurities in the space where my refined mana will do its work. My spells will be useleas otherwise! Before they do they''re work, I dispelled the [Conceal] spell and I casted [Wind Run], [Body Burst], [Fiery Surge] and used {Telekinesis} to speedily arrive in front of Kiralne and... hit her gut. This made her fall into a semi-unconscious state.

    There are reasons for this of course~!

    One is because, she overestimates herself.  I made her unable to move for awhile because she might do something stupid while I carry her away and escape. She''s weakened to the point that even a single punch from my enhanced self would definitely hurt her because of the effects of mana-binding viper poison. This particular mana-binding viper poison is too concentrated. Probably modified by an alchemist. It is designed to instantly suppress the natural ability of an individual to an almost terrifying degree. I say ''almost'' because I can easily suppress the poison with my will even if I''m weak right now.

    At this time, she no longer has the strength of a late-stage grand soldier. It has been reduced to level of an apprentice magus if compared to a warrior. I discovered this through observation.

    Before I never knew the differencea between a mage and warrior because the knowledge imprinted to me was all about magic and magecraft. But when I arrived and concealed myself to watch the fight, I saw refined and raw mana fluctuating? or maybe flickering? around Kiralne. And there I noticed the poison. Intrigued by this, I observed Kiralne''s perfect hourglass body that would make any men feel weak in their knees (but not me) and women boil with envy. A few breaths later, I''ve gained insight between the difference of a mage and a warrior. For mages, their mental prowess and mana core would be severely suppressed to the point of inaction by the poison. Its like they are brain dead, making them useless sacks of meat. And I think warriors have their physical prowess instead of their mental prowess suppressed as well as their respective mana cores.

    I deduced this from watching refined mana disperse around her body. I think the breakthroughs for warrior increase their physical abilities. At least that''s what I can assume from the phenomenon occuring to my perverted protector.

    She might think that she is still strong in body but she is wrong. Very wrong. Dilluted mana-binding poison can instantly suppress your mana core and slowly erode the fields a mage or warrior specializes in. The concentrated one on the other hand os as mentioned above, total domination. She''d be dead right now if it wasn''t for the life-preserving antidote mixed in there. Come to think of it why is it mixed with the poison? Hmmm... I''ll think about it later~!

    The second reason is because I wanted to have revenge. Earlier my plan to watch her get humiliated by her enemies and feel despair was trashed by the person herself! She stood there, like an unyielding valkyrie, ever so confident in her position, gazing at her enemies with emerald green eyes, inside a dim light of frigid coldness.

    Seeing her like that, I can''t help but see her as ''cool'' at that time. This made me even more angry at this revelation so I had planned to hit her hard in the abdomen.

    A feeling of satisfaction came over me as I heard her gasp in pain but it immediately turned to confusion. I knew she felt pain but why did I saw a small smile and blushed cheeks in her face? Was my hypothesis wrong and that she was also denied of her mental capability by the poison? A bit worried by this, I first whispered to her-

    "Hey, be quiet and stay still. It would be hard to carry you otherwise. [Conceal]." (Krey)

    ''Hello!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyua!|

    I told her this since I can still see some semblance of consciousness in her. Its better to be safe after all~. Lisana greeted the pervert while I helplessly shake my head and casted [Conceal]. I tweaked the spell with Magic Creation Array so that it would be able to cover Kiralne as well. Then, I princess-carried Kiralne with some difficulty with big help from my buffs and {Telekinesis}. The three assailants saw me but they obviously can''t do anything about it. Not when lethal spells are literally just a meter above their heads. Its really disturbing watching the ugly face of the bearded man distort in anger. Not good to look at. The red outfit guy is funny to look at though! Fromthe space in his mask where the eyes are showing, I can see that his eyes are bulging red, clearly passing the stat of being bloodshot. Its like a cartoon character! The demon on the other hand... is just plain creepy. Her plain and expressionless face is fine but those blue eyes... they''re staring at me too intensely! Fortunately, i was able to ignore it and looke for a good escape path.

    Immediately after, I dashed at the speed of a motorcycle to the nearest mountain''s direction as my spells hit their marks. Shockwaves can be felt under my feet as earth, fire and water-type elemental mana surged into a roaring tempest of destruction. Varying degrees of extremely chaotic temperature can be felt in the air.  From the corner of my eyes, small and large debris coated with both flames and ice passed me and I worked hard to dodge some of them that are coming towards me as I ran away.

    They would not die from this, that I know seeing as they''re all grand soldiers. But it would give me time to escape with Kiralne and Lisana.

    Right now I''m half a mile away from the ongoing magic tempest of fire and ice, a one hundred meters in diameter. I''m already in a rocky area very close to the mountains. Turning back to see my work from far away, I can''t help but still he astonished at the wonders of magic.

    This lasted for awhile until a foreign lightning-type mana from inside drove away the tempest of destruction and immediately after, electricity flickered ominously. Seeing this, I instantly concentrated on running away to the mountains. I saw a few monsters on the way but I passed them quickly, not giving them a chance to chase us.

    ...

    A few minutes later, I finally arrived somewhere in the middle of a mountain. Trees and shrubs can be seen here and there but most of the things here are boulders and dirt.

    Its pretty high up, and only weak and slow monsters are here so I''m pretty safe here as long as I run. My stamina can still hold out as I continously cast [Body Burst]. The downside is that my mana can''t hold out for long even with the help of my glaive.

    I turned to look once more at the jellyfish-shaped electricity field down below. I feel very anxious about what''s inside as it continue to grow bigger. Before it was just a one hundred meters in diameter, the same size as the fiery/icy/rocky tempest but it soon grew bigger. Now its half a kilometer in radius! Its too big! Disturbing sounds coming from the air as electricity bathes it in its essence are heard even this far up. Lightning-type mana is stirring inside of it, churning tendrils of lightning are ever so present. Anything those lightning tendrils touches instantly disintegrates to nothingness. I feel sorry for the trees below but I don''t know how to stop that thing.

    For now, escaping is my priority and I can hide in the mountains with Kiralne and Liz so even if its some sort of special skill made to annihalate us by our assailants, it won''t matter as long as we are far enough.

    When I was about to turn back my attention to the rigid mountain path, the dangerous-looking lightning field abruptly shrunk into a tiny shriveling ball of lightning, barely perceptible only through the light it emits. Then suddenly, like a bullet it shot at a fast speed towards... me? What the heck?!

    Panicking, I used the last remainder of my mana to cast two [Ice Shields] and placed it three meters in front of me. Most of my mana were spent on continous casting of [Body Burst] and [Wind Run] so I barely have enough mana for protection. The larger-looking ball of lightning arrived instantly and strucked the two ice shields. They barely slowed it down as they were instanly broken into little pieces of ice by the ball of lightning!

    Out of options, I decided to rely on my glaive. I slung Kiralne over my left shoulder and put out my glaive from my storage ring and used my right hand to hold my glaive as I used it to block the three-meter ball of lightning. I just hope that the glaive has the setting of negating electricity... Hanging on to that bleak hope, I watch the approaching ball of lightning with enhanced thinking speed thanks to [Body Burst]. In that large ball, I vaguely see the silhoutte of a person holding an axe which met my glaive.

    *shiing* *DDOONNG* *bachi bachi bachi* <-(AN: I don''t know the sound of electricity in English so I used the Japanese onomatopeia. Please bear with it!)

    After the collision, my arm became numb and I fell to my knees dropping Kiralne to the side. Lightning travelled in every fiber of my body, stiffening me up and forcing me to clench my teeth and endure the pain. Kiralne was affected by this too as she instantly awakened, albeit groggy and miserable. Only Liz seems to be fine. She''s still clinging to my back, tilting her head in confusion.

    ''Hey Krey onii-chan~ Are you okay? Why did you kneel down and drop big sis Kiralne? Also what was that ball of light earlier? It was sparkling~!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuu~ Kyu? Kyun? Kyuaan? Kyuuuu~!|

    Her unnatural upbeat voice resounded in my mind. Is this some sort of game to her? Earlier she was awfully serious about my mental state or some crap but she''s having fun getting electrocuted?! Lightning clearly passed through me and affected her but she didn''t even flinch! *sigh* It must be because of something in her race trait.

    ''Liz... I''m injured right now...'' (Krey)

    ''Eh~ I''m sure you can handle it onii-chan~'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuuua~|

    Oh great... she''s clearly intoxicated for some reason. Her voice is different, like that of a drunk person. Is lightning alcohol to dragons?

    Thinking of something useless again, I watched with painfully squinted eyes the movements of the ball of lightning some distance away. The light slowly died down, revealing the figure of the demon girl in her baggy warrior tunic. Carrying her axe with her, she steadily approached me. Closer and closer. When she is finally just two steps away from me, she stopped and used the flat part of her wickedly sharp axe and asked me with a cold and demanding voice-

    "Who are you?" (Demon Girl)

    <hr />

    Author Note: Okay just one more chapter before the time skip~ I.E. the demon girl is not an ally. Don''t get your hopes up. Here is the 17th chapter! Hope you enjoyed it~

    P.S. If anyone is wondering, all the names of the branches of spells and skills will start with ''M''.

 Chapter 18: Bluff and Disaster?

    Author Note: So hey guys! I am really sorry about my false prediction in making side story after chapter 12 and the time-skip part. I tend to drag things longer than I should so... this kinda thing happens. But after this chapter, the promised side story-> intermission  will come out then the next chapter after that is a... maybe five-year or seven-year time-skip? Since I''m wrapping it up, this chapter is long this... to me at least. Sorry for the inconvenience.

    <hr />

    "Who are you?" (Demon Girl)

    Hearing these question, I stopped my preparations to burn out my refinement base for one big attack, set my glaive down and knelt in contemplation, somehow ignoring the threat of the sharp axe below my chin.

    Why is she asking me this? Confused but still on guard, I stared at her light blue eyes, trying to discern her purpose. I can judge someone by looking at their eyes alone. Its a skill anyone can do as long as you have a lot of experience and have a natural intuition. For me, I picked this up in one of my part-time jobs. I once worked as a jewelry store clerk and I liked to observe people''s behavior every time they check out the wares. Naturally, I became proficient in discerning people''s character just from their movements alone but its a lengthy process. The easiest way is too look at there eyes. One''s feelings and intention are shown in their eyes. Once, some guy came in acted suspicious... like just standing near the doorway. I happened to glance at his eyes and they were bloodshot... they were filled with malice and greed. I know his eyes were like that because I always had the same look in my eyes when I think of rich billionaires

    Unfazed, I naturally slip out of the counter without catching the eye of the suspicious person. Then, I hid in the store bathroom and took out my outdated phone to call the police. I heard shouting outside right after the call and waited till I hear the shuffling sound of jewelries. I silently opened the door and saw the earlier guy with a knife threatening my co-employees telling them to put the jewelries in a bag, with his back towards me. Seeing that, I knew what to do. No, I did not fight him, I only bashed his head with a chair while he was busy drooling over a gold-encrusted silver bracelet. He really was an amateur, lowering his guard when all he saw was two female employees present. Ugh, he''s ugly face right before fainting was disgusting... and he even blushed while looking at my 15-year old face! I shiver when I think of that person. I know that I have a charming appearance back then but I didn''t like it as I looked feminine which harms my pride as a man. That guy made me depressed in many ways...

    He was incapacitated by me and got arrested 20 minutes later. I never knew his name, but I will not forget that I lost most of the month''s earnings because of him. I mean seriously! Of all the places he had to fall down unconscious, it had to be wear the most fragile and most expensive jewelry showcases are! The manager did not charge me for all of it, but my payment as a store clerk took a huge blow. I tear up inwardly, imagining how much money I should have gotten on that miserable month...

    I shook my head slightly to clear up my mind, entirely forgetting to observe the demon girl''s eyes. Tch, having that horrible memory isn''t pleasant. Taking the movement of my head as defiance, I saw the girl''s eyes turn colder and I felt the axe pressing much firmer onto my neck. Small traces of electricity form around her eyes but nothing too lethal for me.

    I glanced to the side and saw Kiralne struggling to get to my side, probably to protect me but the earlier attack must have offset the life-preserving antidote mixed in the poison, therefore resulting in her getting the full brunt of the highly concentrated poison and another effect which is immobilization. Nice try Kira, but I think you have to sit this one out. Liz is... swaying? Still intoxicated huh?

    "You don''t want to speak? Maybe you''d like to end up like the other two..." (Demon Girl)

    "What other two?" (Krey)

    I say while I fix Liz''s uncomfortable position on my back due to her unstable sense of balance. I am really hypothesizing if lightning is liquor to dragons.

    "So you speak now? Hmph, very well. The two grand soldiers with me earlier, the ones who wants that elf dead... I killed them. Well, I think you should know this by now, don''t you? Esteemed Saint Magus?" (Demon Girl)

    "???" (Krey)

    I raise my right brow in surprise and doubt. As expected, Kiralne and them had a relationship. Yet, she killed them? Internal dispute? I''m not so gullible to believe everything she says but strong people don''t tend to lie to someone weaker than them. That''s a stain to their pride if they do so. I don''t care about treason in the enemies'' ranks so I am not inquisitive. Besides, judging from the unruly state of her clothes, she must have had a good scuffle making her words of killing them seem more plausible. But Saint Magus? My earlier desperate display of power is likened to of a Saint Magus? I am flattered~...not. I''ll ask the demon girl about it.

    "Saint Magus? Me? I''m just a middle-staged magus!" (Krey)

    "Not you brat! I am talking about the prismatic-eyed one! A child your age shouldn''t have reached that stage as a magus and is not supposed to be that powerful! Someone must have helped you. And that someone... is in you. You have someone''s soul inside you... someone powerful. Only a Saint Magus or a War Saint and above have the capability to separate their body and soul! Let me speak with the prismatic-eyed one, brat!" (Demon Girl)

    "Huh?! What are you talking about?! There''s no-" (Krey)

    "Don''t speak lies! I saw it. The prismatic-eyed one cast a myriad of spells that only an Archmagus is capable of... using your body. Although it can''t be compared to an actual Archmagus''s firepower, high-speed and chained <Materialization> is still a capability of an Archmagus. No child can do that. It has to be because of the Saint Magus! He resides within you. Let me speak to him!" (Demon Girl)

    The demon girl demanded, sparks jumping in and out her. Her pretty yet still expressionless face showed a faint look of outrage. Her axe that''s positioned under my chin was pressed to the point that it would almost cut me where I can also faintly feel lightning-type mana gushing into it. Who''re you calling a brat?! I don''t like being called like that. Although I''m keeping a troubled facade on the outside, I am smoldering in anger on the inside. I''m really starting to hate this girl. She is rude! I find Kiralne, despite being a pervert, more endearing than this bitch. Coupled with the fact that Kiralne is my meat shield, influence magnet and a peerless beauty while the demon girl is my enemy, in my eyes Kira won by a slight margin.

    But Saint Magus? Prismatic-eyed one? What is she... wait. Doesn''t that happen when I''m casting spells? My eye color right now is no longer black like before. Thanks to All-Magic Awakening, my eye color changed to that of bright blue. With faint tinges of an iridescent color. Whenever I cast spells, I notice that my eyes slowly changes from blue to a rainbow color. I usually hide it by willing my eyes to turn back to blue, like the time when I met Sally and her teammates and the time with Kiralne. The reason is because... having rainbow-colored eyes seems weird, even to me. I wonder why this girl thought of that... oh yeah. So this girl thinks that a Saint Magus''s soul exist within me? ... Pretty far-fetched, even for me but who am I to judge? Let''s not sweat the small details...

    But still, if she thinks that there is someone''s soul in me... does she have a condition or merely insane? Its plausible if you look at it from an outsider''s point of view.

    Many changes happen every time you increase your rank, especially in the later ranks. One thing that happens is that you''ll receive and be able to use divine arts. One divine art that everyone can use is Soul Revolution. Its received at the Saint Stage! One''s mana core no longer exists in the body, but it assimilates into the soul. The soul is basically an amalgamation of one''s memories, experiences, emotions, consciousness and personality.

    It is the representation of your very being. Don''t ask me how this soul thing works. I just got the information tossed to my head so I don''t understand it that well.

    A normal soul needs a vessel, a body to survive but... a soul that has undergone "Soul Revolution" can live freely without the restraint of a vessel but it doesn''t mean that it is intangible. There are many things that can harm the soul. The elements for example has influence over the soul and souls can even be ¡¶Sealed¡·. What''s special about this is that if a magus or warrior''s body gets destroyed, their souls can live on and can continue cultivating their refinement base to gain rank enlightenment and breakthrough. They can also take on new vessels or bodies even if it has a soul. The problem is they can''t control the vessel if it has another soul.

    Though its quite rare as there aren''t that many Saint level individuals. An Arch level individual might undergo a premature "Soul Revolution" due to some circumstances but that''s even rarer.

    After hearing the words uttered by the blank-faced demon girl and thinking about stuff for a moment, I first looked at the girl with eyes full of pity for her upbringing, and then  a <del>crazy and devilish</del> brilliant and amazing plan lit up in my brain. Kufufu... my inner chuuni, I leave this to you!

    Thinking so, I willed my eyes to change into a prismatic color. After a quick contemplation, I decided to just screw it and unhesitatingly burned out my refinement base until it made me dropped down a stage and then a rank... after that my rank is no longer of the Magus level and instead back to the Apprentice Magus level. I''m just a late-staged Apprentice Magus now. But all is well despite the nauseating pain that I managed to hide with a carefree smile as I prepared to used the refined mana along with superficial assistance from my precious glaive to fuel up a hastily created spell I just thought of...

    ''Ahahaha! Krey onii-chan~ Meat, meat lightning meat! Ahaha!~'' (Lisana)

    | Kyuu~ Kyua~|

    Lisana is nibbling my ear with her dull baby dragon teeth while using her legs to dishevel my damaged cloak in order to catch my attention. Unfortunately it only serves to annoy me further as her actions are similar to those of drunkards back on a Earth..

    ''Quiet!'' (Krey)

    Can''t you see I am busy and dizzy? Stop being spoiled for a moment! Are you seriously a happy drunkard? I prefer a depressed drunkard! No wait, that''s worse...

    I argue inwardly with Liz as I enact my <del>diabolical</del> well-thought out plan. This is really hard. My thoughts might have been accelerated thanks to Liz but its still not fast enough. Maybe I''ll hit her with [Water Spray} to make her sober up for a bit..

    <hr />

    (Kiralne P.O.V.)

    I can''t move. I really cannot move... What is wrong with me... I feel weak and feeble... Pain... horrible pain. No, no I must endure. I tell to myself as I bear the sudden flashes of pain in my body as I watch helplessly from the side as Krey is being threatened by the demon girl.

    I try to push myself closer to at least block Krey from her but found it difficult because of the decreased capability of movement due to the poison. More pain-flashes assaulted me as I close my eyes once more.

    Earlier, I felt a strong jolt hit me and out of nowhere, pain blanketed me and I lost any semblance of strength in my body. Panicking, I looked over my surroundings while still sprawled on my back. I saw countless boulders and a few plants in my line of sight. Then I shifted it to Krey and the demon girl. Seeing this situation, I somehow grasped the gist of it.

    Krey produced an amazing feat of magic to distract Bolg and his accomplices and tried to rescue me. I don''t remember anything after that since the mana-binding viper poison made me half-conscious... it seems I failed in my mission. I sigh a defeated sigh. I keep failing even after all these years. Even though I promised myself... even though I swore an oath... even if I''ve reached the level I am in now... When it matters the most I fail miserably. I sighed a defeated sigh.

    I force down a cry of anguish as another wave of pain assaulted me and focused on reaching out to my mana core.

    ...

    ...Nothing. I feel absolutely nothing from my mana core. The poison is too strong. Only more pain and frustration filled my entire mind as Krey is held at axe-point.

    More flashes of searing pain cover me, making me sweat as I endure it. My inner blouse and skirt, are wet with cold sweat. Feebleness emanating from my body makes me want to laugh at myself. This is so frustrating!

    I continued struggling pointlessly until my and Krey''s eyes met. Eh? I was expecting him to have an urgent look in his eyes but its completely different.

    I am surprised at this child''s nerves. His eyes radiated a natural calmness of an adult, not like the innocent and carefree atmosphere a child like he has before His eyes are... eerily calm as he glanced at me before turning his gaze back to the demon girl, holding him at axe-point. Complex emotions surfaced in me but I stopped as another onslaught of suffering come over me.

    Seeing Krey being like this made me dumbfounded.  As a champion of a goddess, he will most likely be strong in the future. Yet... not enough to bridge the gap as far as the heavens and earth like the stage I am in. He has the right to be afraid of his adversary who is a bit weaker than me.

    Fear is a natural instinct to stay alive but no signs of trembling nor submission can be seen on him. Is he confident of something? Perplexed and worried, I observe Krey and the demon girl while doing my best to endure the unceasing waves of pain.

    "You don''t want to speak? Maybe you''d like to end up like the other two..." (Demon Girl)

    "What other two?" (Krey)

    "So you speak now?  Hmph, very well. The two grand soldiers with me earlier, the ones who want that elf dead... I killed them. Well, I think you should know this by now, don''t you? Esteemed Saint Magus?" (Demon Girl)

    She killed them?! Well, it doesn''t seem to be in opposition to the clan''s rules so... its okay? I guess... Different complex emotions surfaced in me when I heard that this mercenary killed those two bastards. Although people like her work for money, with her employers dead, is she still gonna follow protocol and kill me?  At least leave Krey out of this! I will definitely won''t fail on this! Never again.

    I was about to scream at the demon girl to leave Krey alone, although its pointless in this case, but the words got stuck in my throat when I heard her say ''Esteemed Saint Magus''. Saint Magus?

    I looked at Krey deeply, trying to figure out what she meant by that. Clearly, based on the level of his mana core, he''s just a middle-staged magus, the second level of a mages, albeit prodigious in <Materialization>. Unless he has... a trump card?

    "Saint Magus? Me? I''m just a middle-staged magus!" (Krey)

    "Not you brat! I am talking about the prismatic-eyed one! A child your age shouldn''t have reached that stage as a magus and is not supposed to be that powerful! Someone must have helped you. And that someone... is in you. You have someone''s soul inside you... someone powerful. Only a Saint Magus or a War Saint and above have the capability to separate their body and soul! Let me speak with the prismatic-eyed one, brat!" (Demon Girl)

    "Huh?! What are you talking about?! There''s no-" (Krey)

    "Don''t speak lies! I saw it. The prismatic-eyed one casted a myriad of spells that only an Archmagus is capable of... using your body. Although it can''t be compared to an actual Archmagus''s firepower, high-speed and chained <Materialization> is still a capability of an Archmagus. No child can do that. It has to be because of the Saint Magus! One resides within you. Let me speak to it!" (Demon Girl)

    Wait, if its true then-!! Could it be that he''s trump card is... a soul of a "Saint Magus"? I was hit hard by a sudden unbelievable thought when Krey became silent for a moment while his pet/little sister Lisana playfully nibble his ear, before something strange happened. I can feel that the mana around us is converging and surrounding Krey''s body. Furthermore it emitted... a powerful pressure. I can''t make certain of what level this pressure is but the unchangeable fact is that the pressure is there and makes me uncomfortable.

    Krey''s posture also changed. I always noticed that Krey always leans back slightly when he sits or kneels down and even when he is walking or standing. Always giving of a relaxed and lazy feeling but now its different. Right now he''s back is ramrod straight as if he had been filled with confidence.

    He feels like a different person... no. He''s a little bit similar to the ''normal'' Krey but more... powerful? This is what I feel about Krey as of right now. He suddenly spoke... in an overbearing voice not befitting of a child. This tone... is even colder and stronger than the first time we met.

    "Hmph. The nerve of a mere Grand Soldier. Despite seeing through me, she doesn''t see the distance between heaven and earth." (Krey)

    Words containing disdain and sarcasm sounded around us, growing stronger as mana fuses into it, as if gladly obeying this voice. To think that his master would join him in his training... So his master really is indeed a Saint Magus. I breath a sigh of relief before looking back anxiously again at Krey, who I think is being controlled temporarily by his master. Is this what someone who has undergone a"Soul Revolution" is like? But its different from my father''s. It''s... severely weak...

    ""Wha-... are you... the Saint Magus?" (Demon Girl)

    The demon girl asked this with a bit of fear and astonishment but also delight in her small voice. It seems she hasn''t felt an aura of a Saint Magus before, unlike me. This aura is very, very weak but its similar to the War Saint aura that my father possessed. Unfortunately for her, ''Krey'' didn''t answer and the axe underneath his chin is pushed back by an unknown force. Then ''Krey'' stood up, with glaive in hand and Lisana in tow and limped towards... me? Curious, I watched as he sat down and leaned against me, the abrupt contact caused more pain to flare up within me.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ''Wha-what is he doing?!'' (Kiralne)

    I can''t help but scream to myself as the poison continues to do harm to me while ''Krey'' leans himself on my chest. ''Krey'' then put Lisana on his lap, who looks sick for some reason and played with her wings and tail. Lisana continued playfully biting his finger before ''Krey'' looked back at the perplexed demon girl and said with an icy tone containing ridicule-

    " What do you want little girl? To have oppressed my sole apprentice to this extent... a bit over our heads now, aren''t we?" (Krey)

    Unexpectedly... it seems Krey''s master only has him as his apprentice therefore he has taken this stage. No wonder a person higher in standing and strength than even a formidable Archmagus, would take action. I don''t know what spell, magical item or divine art that his master uses to temporarily take over Krey but... with him here, Krey''s safety is assured. My sigh of relief was halted by the increase of weight in my chest as ''Krey'' supports himself, leaning his weight on me. Although I''m glad that he''s comfortable, at least have a bit of compassion! I am poisoned and in excruciating pain over here! I complain in my head as I closed my eyes to endure and just listened to the conversation.

    "I''m sorry for my earlier words, exalted Saint Magus. This lowly one only wanted to ask you, who is full of wisdom about this child''s identity and why he had a divine aura but I had no idea that this child was your beloved apprentice. I swear that I have no intention of further causing harm to him." (Demon Girl)

    "Hmph. Paltry words to gain favor. Twice have the precious treasures been used today, because of you. You do not need to learn of his or my name. I may not be able to utilize my full power but it doesn''t mean your little life is safe. Go, speak. After this, do not show yourself in front of my apprentice again." (Krey)

    This Saint Magus clearly treasures Krey very much. Well, who wouldn''t? He probably figured out that Krey was a Champion so even a strong expert like him would be this careful. The gods are the real sovereigns of Salratia. Many people think that they are myths or religious figures but they are definitely real. He didn''t even give heed to flattery of the demon girl.

    "Yes. Esteemed Saint Magus... are you allied with the Tolkium Kingdom?" (Demon Girl)

    When she asked this question to Krey, I opened my eyes with difficulty and looked at the leaning ''Krey'' and then at kneeling girl. I can''t see her face but I think she is sweating. A Saint Magus is indeed another existence. But this question... it makes me baffled. It also gives me a feeling of anxiety.

    As she was kneeling, her tattered leather armour, obviously made with high-tier materials, shifted to show a familiar looking clothing. This is... Lumen Isles Union! A high-ranking military uniform of the Union''s army, is being worn by this girl.

    When I saw this, things started to make sense as I make out why strange things are happening around me...

    "Hooohh... what''s this? A little girl going up against an entire kingdom? No... I see. Ahaha... so this is what''s happening. Little girl, you wish to know if I have any important relations to this Kingdom? I say... no. I don''t have any relations at all.  Now tell me why you asked this of me. This old man here has gotten curious... I hope you won''t leave any important details." (Krey)

    The demon girl became tensed right after ''Krey'' said this to her.  Clearly, from ''Krey''s'' words, he wants to know everything. She is producing beads of cold sweat over her forehead. While I piece the puzzle together. Lumen Isles Union. A lot of Mana-Binding Viper Poison... Bolg and Folrido''s sudden move... the demon girl killing them... and her me. Grand Soldiers... poison. Support from behind...

    As I came to an answer, the demon girl raised her head, her face no longer blank like before but still shows nervousness.

    Her response confirmed my suspicions.

    "Esteemed Saint Magus.... I am from the Lumen Isles Union. I have other comrades in this country with me. We are here to fulfill the mission given to us by the Council of Lumen. Eliminate all the Grand Soldiers and Grand Magus in this country." (Demon Girl)

    Her words are already tantamount to treason but... it is understandable. You should not offend a strong individual. A Saint Magus is at the peak of the world of mana manipulators. They have the strength to overturn, even a big country. Strength is everything. Without it, you will be trampled upon.

    "Oh? And why is that?" (Krey)

    "To pave the way for the conquest of Tolkium Kingdom. This is the wish of the Council of Lumen." (Demon Girl)

    As I thought... its really that huh? The tides of war once again will befall this land.

    In the East, countless islands, some equivalent to that of a continent in size while many others are only as spacious as a city are ever present. In these islands and mini-continents, states and countries are abound. There are two major countries and a handful of mid-sized countries. The mid-sized countries, even if they were to band together, won''t be a match for the two countries. The first power is the Tolkium Kingdom. Its territory encompasses the entire Tolkium Continent, the only recognized continent in the East and the smallest continent in all of Salratia. The second power is The Lumen Isles Union. Its territory consists of ten massive islands and hundreds of other smaller islands. All the other mid-sized countries get what''s left of the landmasses of the East.

    The Tolkium Kingdom is an special state since it is recognized worldwide as kingdom without discrimination in race. It has allies but also enemies. One of them is the Lumen Isles Union. The union is a coalition of six stronger mid-sized countries. Each country has a different race and their unity is also questionable yet it is still a strong force. It is governed by the Council of Lumen. A council of six leaders of each race.

    The Tolkium Kingdom and the Lumen Isles Union has always have had a strained relationship. They have a long history of war and conflicts but for now, they all conceded for peace.

    Until now...

    This Kingdom holds a special place in my mind. I''ve traveled from the South and to the East of Salratia, where I settled on this kingdom. I have connections with some nobles here and it is what I would call home. But... clearly my allegiance should lie with Krey. He is the only connection I have to my fallen clan. He is my objective now. Whatever he chooses I should follow as his less-than-perfect protector. And besides... having two cute companions will liven up anyone''s day~. I just hope I could remove this accursed poison before I become entirely useless to him...

    As I was about to self-depreciate, ''Krey'' laughed dryly and said

    " Aha... what an ambitious and shallow wish. Very well, if the reason you asked if I had allegiance to this country was to ascertain its war potential, then you can rest assured little girl. Worldly matters such as these are already beyond me. As long as no harm from your so-called council''s wishes, will come to my apprentice and this... elf with him, then I won''t bother with your war." (Krey)

    As he said that, he turned his head towards me and the first thing that caught my attention were his eyes... beautiful. Two colorful orbs are in my view. His eyes have the color of a rainbow. So this is how Krey looks like when he is temporarily possessed by his master. To think Krey was hiding this trump card... crafty kid.

    Heeh... so his master knows my and Krey''s situation huh?

    The demon girl looked a little dissatisfied but nodded her head nonetheless. As she was about to get up and leave, I who was still affected by the poison wanted to ask her for an antidote but was not able to... because pain even more excruciating than earlier made me gasp and breath heavily, my face a bit red. The reason was... ''Krey'' stood up and lightly tapped the butt of his glaive on my chest. But this action of his only increased my suffering.

    ''Wuwuwuwu... Please be considerate to the injured...'' (Kiralne)

    I cried inside my head as I breathed heavy breaths. Through my teary eyes I could faintly see puffs of steam forming from my hot breaths as it meets the cool air of the mountain.

    "One more thing before you leave. My apprentice here has yet to see the divine art of a Grand Soldier, "Aura Domain". It would be beneficial for his growth to observe it in detail. I would like it if you show it to him, seeing that you are a Grand Soldier yourself." (Krey)

    "... As you wish, exalted Saint Magus..." (Demon Girl)

    As those words came out of his mouth, I panicked at this order. A divine art shouldn''t be used in the Magic Mountain Range! More so if it comes from the later levels of a mana manipulator! The lordly being of the mountain range will definitely not like this!

    There''s a reason why many people die here unknowingly as they all keep using divine arts. Anyone who used a divine art will perish at the hand of an unknown being. This being is incredibly strong... an Archmagus or an Archknight can barely fight it but definitely not head-on.

    And this girl agreed?! Wasn''t she warned beforehand by those two bastards not to use divine arts here?! Oh no... this is not good. Fear seeped out of my consciousness as I watched this inauspicious exchange. This mana-binding viper poison already weakened me this much... I won''t be able to escape with Krey if this goes on.

    Hearing words the  of acknowledgement from her, ''Krey'' slightly nodded his head, hoisted Lisana over his back and turned once more to the demon girl. This made me panicked even further but I am not able to warn them as I don''t have the strength to speak...

    "Now... I will be off. Little girl, I hope you won''t go back on your words otherwise... there will be consequences and I assure you that they are not light." (Krey)

    Saying that, the prismatic color of his eyes faded and once more became blue. Krey suddenly collapsed and by reflex, stood up and caught him safely though it came with a price. I did catch him but I also collapsed in pain and fell down on my butt and leaned on him and Krey also leaned on me. Sweaty and breathing heavily, I vigilantly stared this demon girl as she nonchalantly prepared to activate her "Aura Domain". I pleaded with my eyes to stop her actions but its too late.

    "Watch carefully kid. This is the "Aura Domain" of a warrior. I will only do it once as I have other things to do. You elf... I won''t touch you this time around but it doesn''t mean others will also." (Demon Girl)

    "*breathing heavily* Sure... go for it..." (Krey)

    Losing almost all hope and cursing Krey, his master and the demon girl altogether, I hugged Krey and Lisana to protect them from what is about to come and ignored the waves of pain and Krey''s protest as the lightning-type mana continue to congeale into a small domed area with the demon girl in the center. Its a perfectly good "Aura Domain" yet I can''t but feel despair as this girl just dug our graves...

    <hr />

    (Third Person P.O.V.)

    A 10 meter in diameter "Aura Domain" was formed. Lightning faintly crackled in the vicinity as more tendrils of shocking energy gave of short explosive sparks as it danced around the demon as the elf, young human and young dragon were huddled up. It was an incredibly beautiful scene. An Aura Domain is a divine art that mana manipulators (I.E. warriors and mages) naturally receive upon breaking through the Grand level.

    This divine art gives of an A.O.E. effect and has many types. The attribute or elemental affinity that the user has also corresponds to the element an "Aura Domain" possessed. The profound truths comprehended by the mana manipulator in their elemental affinity. The profound truth comprehended by the person also has ties to what kind of Aura Domain forms. An Aura Domain is the Grand Soldiers and Grand Magus''s bread and butter. Without it... they can only be slightly better than Elite level mana manipulators and never stand above them.

    Unfortunately, a calamity will descend upon this mountain because of it...

    At this moment, boundless destruction-type mana erupted from under the massive mountain range.. It gave off a feeling of being divine yet also devilish in nature.  It was on the scale that covering the entire mountain range would not be impossible. It formed a distorted figure of a person that cannot be seen by others. It flew over to where Krey and the others are and situated itself in the air above them. Seeing the imposing "Aura Domain" in its sight, it coldly snorted. This grunt instantly made the mountain where they stand seem dangerous. Then, a cold and deep voice sounded from the invisible figure and spread to the entire mountain. It was an unbearably sinister and archaic voice. As if the bane of the ancients was awakened.

    "A follower of Norvalia... or is it Azeroth? It actually dares to use their filthy, phony divine arts on one of my territories... how amusing."

    All manner of beasts fell into submissive positions, shaking in fear and reverence when this voice sounded. Clearly, this voice was already imprinted deeply into their racial memories. Even the mountain itself seems to be on the verge of collapse as the voice blanketed it. Kiralne hugged Krey and Lisana tighter while Krey stared blankly at the mountain wondering whose voice resounded.

    Although Krey seems to be unaffected, Lisana, Kiralne and the demon girl are filled with great fear. Lisana woke up from her drunk stupor and immediately hid between Krey and Kiralne. The demon girl on the other hand is frozen. Not only with fear but its as if the voice compels her body not to move. Her "Aura Domain" was instantly quelled when the voice sounded, as if it was a tiny spark blown over by a hurricane.

    The invisible figure pointed with its hand and instantly, the boundless destruction-type mana gathered into its hand. It formed a gigantic sphere of destruction-type mana. It gave off a crimson violet light yet it does not shine brightly. Instead, light in the surrounding seems to be drawn into it, giving the entire mountain a dark and desolate look.

    Krey saw this sphere, and was instantly filled with apprehension, his face grim. Lisana cowered in fear between Kiralne and Krey while Kiralne held him closer, as if to shield him... which is impossible.

    The demon girl even more so was horrified. She clearly senses that that this baleful globe is directly aimed... at her. Her pretty face is no longer expressionless but has already twisted into that of immense fear.

    "Be grateful. Even though this is merely a sliver of my power... it is more than what you can ask for. I am not in a good mood... curse your unlucky selves for this blunder you have committed."

    As it said that, the sphere of mass destruction shot off to them. In a space of single breath, a large explosion that emitted crimson violet light covered the entire mountain. It was very strong and the entire Magic Mountain Range seemed to shake,no it did shake immensely under its mighty yet horrifying scale.

    After the long and drawn out flashing of crimson violet light, what appeared was a sorry sight. The former 3000-meter tall mountain, a marvel created by nature... was reduced to nothingness. What''s left is a deep and wide crater all filled with small and large cracks alike.

    It was very wide indeed. Almost 4 miles in diameter and the deepest point of its unstable structure is 40-meters, and the large cracks seemed even deeper, as a blackness that cannot be fathomed is seen inside of it. It was like a broken, rough, bowl. The invisible figure nodded deeply and was about to leave when it felt a certain energy in the air.

    "Oh... Frelinia''s mana... her champion is here?... No... he seems to be caught in the blast. If he has perished... then I merely helped Frelinia get rid of a weak pest. No matter... "

    The invisible figure muttered to itself as it slowly disappeared. The Magic Mountain Range and the newly formed gigantic crated, still seething with destruction type mana was once again quiet.

    ....

    Deep under the Earth, inside a vast cavern with a big unaligned crack on top with uneven surfaces in all directions and stalagmites and stalactites all around, two people were huddled up together in front of a small fire. It was a human boy and a female elf. They were Krey and Kiralne. They have light injuries in their bodies and relatively unharmed but Kiralne''s  beautiful face is twisted in pain and is filled with sweat as she slept. Krey let Kiralne''s  head rest upon his small lap, her silky blonde hair flowed down to the ground while he continued to meditate. A small serpentine creature, Lisana can be seen on his back, occasionally letting out ''kyua'' sounds.

    Krey opened his eyes and said to no one in particular in a bitter voice filled with annoyance-

    "Oh I''m not dead asshole... but you will be... soon." (Krey)

    Krey said with a tone that didn''t seem to be joking...

    <hr />

    Another Author''s Note: I want to make some changes but I need your opinion. Please fill in the poll with your best interest. This is the 18th chapter! Hope you enjoyed it...

 SS: Frelinias Plight

    (Third Person P.O.V.)

    In a dark, vast  space, a lone figure of a male youth floated about. One could not easily tell that the youth was a boy for he carried slight feminine features. His age seemed to be in the later teens. He had short and wavy black hair and dull black eyes, a common color of those of Eastern descent but instead of the usual slightly tanned skin a young Eastern male has, he has white and unblemished skin like that of a lady. He wore black pajamas that seemes to complemet well with his complexion. The boy looked around, boredom evident on his young handsome face. He decided to maneuver himself with his will to float around to ease the dullness that he feels.

    Unbeknownst to him, another being is present. One that he cannot see. It was a woman''s figure... or to be more precise a girl a bit younger than the boy.

    She had long flowing brown hair and amber-colored eyes. She was clearly very beautiful. Thin lips, smooth and white skin, mesmerizing eyes and an astonishingly developed figure, one somehow inappropriate for a girl her age yet matched her very well. She wore a simple white dress that accentuated her figure and gave of a pure feeling.

    But what is really eye-catching about her was that she radiated... power. Unrivaled power. The space around her seems to distort into ripples yet stays in place. However the aura she emanates is not dangerous nor terrifying but rather... homely and peaceful. This further bolsters her image as a goddess!

    ...Well she is a goddess anyhow. This is Frelinia. The goddess of life and one of the gods of Salratia.

    Right now, she is looking at the boy as he floated around, obviously still bored. Frelinia is tightly knitting her eyebrows and is currently scrutinizing the boy as she observed him yet the gaze she has seems to bore straight through his very being.

    After a few moments, Frelinia put on a slightly astonished expression and then smiled wryly. But her eyes show the hidden sadness within. Clearly, she has become troubled by something.

    <hr />

    Frelinia (P.O.V.)

    "What should I do...?" (Frelinia)

    I ask to myself as I continue gazing at Krey, torn on how I should approach the problem.

    I''ve been observing this child for a long time. This child has a high sensitivity towards mana and when I arrived in this world, I was immediately drawn towards him and I found myself in this dark and cold place. This is where I saw him and have been probing him.

    Since nothing comes to mind on how I should hold a conversation, I sighed dejectedly for the Nth time and once again stretch out my hand, channeling the everlasting mana inside me and said softly-

    "Divine Art: Life Archive" (Frelinia)

    A moment after, a large, leatherbound book appeared, floating steadily. It was not adorned with too many decorations, though it was very large, maybe a half a meter in length, a bit shorter on the width and its thickness...maybe 18 cm.

    It is plain in appearance but I know very well that it is not all it holds. This book has been with me for how many millennia, even before I met my beloved brother and sister.

    Unhurriedly, I flipped through the book in an experienced manner and let my fingers stop on a certain blank page and said lightly-

    "Krey Ericson. Life Scripture Acquisition." (Frelinia)

    The page shines a soft white glow and letters only gods such as me and a few others can understand revealed themselves. I read the information in it slowly, gazing at it sadly while sorrow, guilt and hesitation welled up in me.

    Divine Art: Life Archive. A divine art that I have created with my mana and will long, long ago. With it, anything brimming with life or was once alive, no matter the origin will be affected. All of their experiences, events and actions will be shown in the book but... never their emotions. Emotions are tightly joined with a person''s will and therefore cannot be toyed upon... even by a god. Unless the person has a weak will.

    Having such thoughts run in my mind, I skimmed the information within and each word caused my chest to tighten.

    Each sentence made me more and more reluctant to talk and ask for his help. Each paragraph only served to make the sadness and anger that I have sealed within when my brother and sister disappeared once again surged. Was it hopelessness? or frustration?

    That I didn''t know.

    While having those feelings in me, I reviewed each word written in this large page. Unlike what others might think, I am not reading it, per say, like literature but instead... I get to see his life play out before me. Each letter can be compared to a second, a word to a minute, a sentence to an hour. All of them transforms into a moving image that only I and others that I permit to see. But... it is only an image. No sound, just vision. He''s life played out before me, as I read the long, long text.

    His life, in my eyes is not pleasant nor is it miserable but... a lonely life is one of the worst possible things that an individual can experience. Being a god, born out of pure and refined mana with a limitless lifespan and everything within our reach in Salratia, a lonely life can even make us crazy. I know... it happened to all of us.

    A life filled with solitude. No... not like the solitude of being the only individual in an isolated area but rather... being isolated from society as a whole. No family to rely on. No father, no mother, no siblings nor relatives. No friends that can soothe the emptiness inside. He''s just like any person in the street. Nothing special.

    A life where he doesn''t bat an eye when he kills or hurts a person. A life spent on working at a young age... only the work criteria is questionable, based on the values I''ve instantly learned when I arrived here. The people who try to get close to him... all were almost instantaneously ignored except for a few others.

    No companionship, acquaintances or concepts of family. Always alone, simply reading books, studying and working. It was as if... a machine, a construct like one of the magic artifacts, my brother Azeroth, the God of Magic and Change likes to make. Almost like a doll... if not for the little bit of emotions he shows once in a while.

    I just watched it all. I don''t know what the person is thinking nor what he feels. His face always shows a carefree smile that seemed out of place in that anguish-filled world. All that I have deduced above are based on my observations and hypotheses. I could understand if he endured solitude as an adult but clearly he is still a child! Not even twenty years of age.

    When I arrived here in this world, I was drawn into this space and seeing him, Krey I became excited and relieved and I instantly used my divine art to know his background but it gave me a huge regret right after. I don''t know how  much time had passed but it took me a long while to compare his bored face from the carefree smile in the book. All I know is that I have re-read his scripture again and again while hesitating. I can''t just ask someone to do my request willy-nilly  especially if he might have some... problems.

    "...*sigh*..." (Frelinia)

    I don''t know how many times I''ve sighed today but it definitely exceeded the fiftieth mark. After that, I looked off into the non-existent distance while remembering the events that transpired earlier...

    <hr />

    I was in a forest like I usually am, watching the animals frolic along the trees. They make use of the caves and scavenge for food. I gazed at the small rabbits jumping about while they''re evolved and strong cousins, Kopies stand guard, their shiny glistening fur became even more illustrious as they bathe in the sun. Larsits, lowering their speed to be able to keep running among their deer cousins. Foserx, an evolved cousin of the foxes, its six-tailed enormous orange furred body covered the den of the foxes who are not strong enough to fend for themselves. Dalura, violet streaked birds that are the evolved cousins of sparrows fly about, keeping their sharp eyes on the nest above.

    This was my daily routine and I never get tired of it, rather I relish in it. As the goddess of life, watching animals bloom and prosper like they should, brings to my heart a sense of accomplishment. Who wouldn''t want the thing they stand for continue to thrive with as much vigor as it wanted. To me, even if a millennium passed by, I would not even twitch my eyebrows as long as I could continue overseeing it.

    The only other important existences in my life are brother Azeroth and sister Lisaria. They were the first fellow gods I met and overtime we developed a sibling relationship with one another. I deeply treasure them and always delighted to be with them, to talk to them, to laugh and play with them.

    The other gods I also treated very well for it is the smallest amount of courtesy I could give. Besides I don''t want any enmities to spawn. After all, enmity births hatred, hatred births death. Although death can be considered be part of life, it is still sad even for me. I don''t want any other living being, the mortals, the monsters, to be caught up in such a trivial feud.

    Although gods can''t affect the whole of Salratia by themselves, through their champions and worshipers, their will can be transmitted and war against these gods'' servants would commence. Technically speaking, gods are unable to kill each other, therefore any enmity or offense would be settled on mortal wars.

    I am no stranger to it but I don''t participate in such a barbaric act. Though my brother and sister always join in. It is within their right and power to do so and I have no power nor intention to stop them. I will only avoid it and continue governing life in Salratia as it is. Thinking so, I was about to call over sister Lisaria for a chat as I have finished my daily routine to watch the innocent creatures of the forest but when I tried to access the divine link between us siblings... I couldn''t feel the natural divine mana that we gods possess from the divine link. Instead I felt an indescribable energy permeating through the link, making me shudder as I cut off my consciousness from the link..

    I was immediately flabbergasted, worry and anxiety welling up like a brewing storm. It seethed and finally, I broke out of my surprised state and I instantly shot up to the sky, my white one piece dress fluttering in the air as a vortex shimmering with white light appeared in front of me. A portal to the Divine Realm of Salratia. I entered the Divine Realm of Salratia, where we gods, half-gods, spiritual beasts and peak mana-manipulators live.

    This realm is nothing more than a mirror image of Salratia. But this is where the departed souls and other strong beings live in. Giving the name "Divine Realm of Salratia" is not exaggerated since this is where all the gods reside in. Using my limitless divine mana, I teleported to the entrance of the palace of my good friend, Yulin the goddess of healing and alchemy. The palace is just an eyesore for me and is too gaudy for my taste, not to mention that my emotions are in a state of disrepair. I looked for her in this overly massive palace.

    The annoying thing about this palace is that we are not able to teleport directly inside nor are we able to affect it at all with our divine mana. Our authority as gods are somewhat suppressed here too. I don''t know which idiot built this but its probably Gilfor, the god of arts and craft.

    When I came here, I wasn''t impulsive enough to immediately cry because of this phenomenon and looked for my confidante, Yulin. Although we have not established divine links between the two of us, we are still good friends. Divine links disappearing is not rare but it has never happened between a bond of sibling-hood among the gods. That kind of divine link is special to us.  She is smart and good girl. I am very distraught right now and she happens to be the smartest goddess after Baltazar the god of wisdom and luck. Getting advice and asking help from her would be the best choice in this bizarre situation. Or so I thought but...

    When I was about to speed into the medicine hall of the palace where Yulin usually loiters about, making new medicinal recipes and potions, someone appeared in front of me. Someone I know well. Baltazar, the God of Wisdom and Luck. The elder brother of Yulin.

    He had long silver hair with purple streaks and amethyst eyes. He is wearing a simple gold-colored robe with purple embroidery designs. He had a solemn look on his face as he and I came to a silent understanding.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Yulin is gone too. Along with my brother Azeroth and Lisaria. This is an unnerving situation.

    <hr />

    My thoughts are interrupted as Krey floated towards me making me startled. But I immediately calmed down. Its just a fluke. He didn''t notice me yet. No matter how sensitive he is towards mana, he still won''t be able too sense a presence of a god. Much less if that god does not want to reveal his/her existence.

    Come to think of it, how did a child like him be born sensitive towards mana when he is in a world void of mana? This world is really strange but Krey is much stranger.

    I gaze at Krey''s face that still has evident boredom plastered in as he spun around slightly in place while floating in front of me.

    I shook my head and determination grew in me. This might be selfish and irresponsible of me to ask a pitiful child like him to help me which may very well endanger his life but... he''s the only likely candidate.

    Mortals and immortals back on Salratia cannot be trusted with what I am about to do so its better to leave it to an outside party.

    And its foolhardy to send a cripple over to fulfill my request. The inhabitants of this world were born without any interaction with mana and Krey is one of the few oddballs here, possessing high sensitivity to mana. I expect that if he was born with that constitution in Salratia, he would become an outstanding mana manipulator, even in the Divine Realm of Salratia.

    And besides he might refuse my request so what I am about to ask of him would be decides by his own will.

    I did not reveal my presence to him but only let my voice reach him.

    "Hello Krey" (Frelinia)

    Krey''s expression abruptly changed from boredom into his signature carefree smile that I always see when I view his Life Scripture.

    ... At least its not as eerie as before.

    "Ah yes. Who are you if I may ask? (Krey)

    Krey asked me in a polite tone. Hearing this, I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting him to answer me coldly or start shouting at me but he asked a question politely. There is still some hope for his social relationships.

    But now is not the right time. I''ve decided to go through with this so I must be frank.

    "I am Frelinia, the Goddess of Life. I have come to ask your help for an issue of utmost importance." (Frelinia)

    When I said this, Krey visibly flinched and his lips made a twitching motion. I guess in a mortal''s point of view, suddenly meeting a god such as myself would be something out of their expectations so his reaction is satisfactory. But as soon as he flinched he immediately regained his composure and put on a carefree smile before coughing and said-

    "Pfftt... *cough* I''m sorry ''bout that. What is your request Lady Frelinia? As long as it is within my capabilities I will see it done." (Krey)

    Even though he said that I still didn''t calm down and planned out my next words. I decided to tell him the background of Salratia first. Then explained my request. It was a smooth explanation with no setbacks other than the time when Krey asked if there were any elves or beastmen in Salratia to which I answered yes.

    I didn''t know how he knew this term but I did not ask him about it. The first thing that I saw in this world was tall glass skyscrapers, even taller than the palaces of mortal rulers on Salratia. But it was only a glimpse as I was instantly drawn somewhere and I found myself in this dark space.

    Even I found this world quite peculiar since his Life Scripture showed some very fascinating things. I have flexible thought processing so I just attributed his words as part of the strangeness of this world. Beside his clothes are strange as well.

    His eyes gleamed brightly for a moment when I said that though.

    In the end, Krey accepted it and I breathed a sigh of relief. My worries seemed to disappear when he did this. I wished for his good luck and we disappeared from the dark space.

    We reappeared in a small blue colored stone room. Its in a shape of a square and the walls look very smooth. There are no doors nor windows but just a rectangular opening that led to a hallway.

    It was quite dark in here but I can see clearly. Being a god is not just for show. Something like this darkness won''t bother me.

    There are  few furnitures in this room. Just a desk filled with small thin books and writing utensils, a moderate sized bookshelf filled to the brim with books and a small bed where Krey is sleeping, fast asleep.

    I was about to invoke the spell taught to me by my brother when suddenly, space distoeted into a swirling vortex behind me. A figure appeared out of the vortex and I was surprised when I saw his features. Silver hair with purple streaks, amethyst eyes and gold and purple robe. He had on a light smile on his face. Baltazar.

    "How did you get here?!" (Frelinia)

    Baltazar put on a quizzical look then smirked in a playful way before saying-

    "Oh please Frelinia. Me and Azeroth are good friends and often share secrets with each other. Did you think I do not know that he was trying to create three new elements?" (Baltazar)

    Hearing this I became anxious. Seeing me like this Baltazar put on an apologetic look before reassuring me-

    "Don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone. Azeroth also has some of my secrets and we promised each other to keep it to ourselves. Aside from Norvalia and the other elemental gods, Azeroth is the only one who has complete mastery and understanding of the elements and the only one who has that ambition and I am not against it. In fact I support it completely. As the god of wisdom, seeing my fellow gods broaden their knowledge makes me happy~. Besides, he is deriving the new elements from the wind, lightning and destruction elements. In fact, the spell you used to get here was the wind-derived space element spell [Dimension Transfer] right? By the way I also used the same spell to get here." (Baltazar)

    My brother is quite immature. He and Norvalia, as well as the other nine elemental gods have quite a relation towards the elements. Him and Norvalia understands the profound truths  and mysteries of the elements. Understanding these things would help you tilize the potential of that particular element to a whole new level. The elemental gods only have understanding towards their own element. For example, Mahlrus the god of water only understands the profound truths and mysteries of water. But the elemental gods have their own advantage. They have complete control of their elements. It doesn''t matter if my brother and Norvalia understand the elements well if the other gods can simply manipulate it according to their will.

    But brother has the ability to also have complete control, not on the elements but mana. Although he cannot control all kinds of mana in Salratia as there are many types, he can control pure or refined mana as well as raw mana. But, like I said he is immature. He also wanted to have complete control to elements like the elemental gods but that is impossible since Salratia birth as gods to have specific abilities.

    And now... he wants to create his own set of elements. Me and sister Lisaria actually hoped that he would stop but he was already half-way finished and showed me and her, and probably Baltazar as well, the new element: Space. He made quite a few spells that uses this element but he is still not done yet... is what he said. Personally, I think he is just making trouble with the other gods since he always picks a fight with anyone, especially Norvalia. Sister Lisaria also follows along blindly.

    But to think I''d use it here when brother Azeroth and sister Lisaria disappeared... ironic if I do say so myself.

    "Did you calm down now?" (Baltazar)

    Baltazar asked me with a knowing smile. To think he''d calm down even when his sister, Yulin my good friend disappeared... In a way he is really amazing.

    "Yes I have. What are you doing here?" (Frelinia)

    I asked him curiously. Among the gods, he can be considered the all-around good-natured guy. He always pacifies conflicts and barely quarrels with the other gods. I know that he is called the god of wisdom but I really wonder if he also has the divinity of peace. A divinity is the purpose that we gods follow. Without a purpose, we would be basically simple beings with unlimited amounts of mana. Divinities are important to us because it is essential for our existence, or rather the basis of our existence.

    "Same as you, I guess. Passing down the divinity of Yulin, my sister''s legacy to an inhabitant of this world. Mortals on our world are quite... unpredictable. Although its our fault for fooling around when making them. [Dimension Transfer] is really convenient~." (Baltazar)

    Saying so he, he laughed with vigor. But I didn''t think he would also do the same as me. I only told Krey fabricated lies of what he should do in Salratia but his real purpose... is to be the legacy protector of my sibling''s divinities.

    That indescribable energy... it still lingers in Salratia but not too much. Its a safe place for their divinities to reside. Krey is free to use them but... it would take a very, very, very long time for him to use it fully. It belongs to gods after all. Besides I would be following the trail left behind by that indescribable energy. It''s too risky to bring along the legacy divinities.

    When they, brother Azeroth and sister Lisaria disappeared, their divinities were sent to me directly but I didn''t notice at the time as I was drowning in worry for them. Although divinities are like our lifeline, we can separate from it and find a new divinity. Though we would probably dissipate into pure mana after a year of having no divinity. Gods exchanging divinities are not uncommon but they usually do it for fun. I myself did it with sister Lisaria once... it was really uncomfortable though.

    "So Frelinia... will you be following the trail?" (Baltazar)

    "...Yes I will. If what you said is true then... Azeroth, Lisaria, Yulin and the other two are no longer in Salratia but... somewhere else right?" (Frelinia)

    "Mmm. Luckily, Azeroth actually finished making the two of the three new elements, though not as powerful as the original nine in Salratia it would grow exponentially. Space and Time element are particularly useful. They could be used to-" (Baltazar)

    "Stop." (Frelinia)

    If I hadn''t stopped him then his quirk as a chatterbox would only make the situation worse and the energy trail he found might disappear. We don;t know if that energy trail has the same quality as mana so its quite risky too let too much time pass.

    "Before we continue... Baltazar let me remind you. As the goddess whose divinity is life, it doesn''t mean that I can be trifled with. Depending on the situation, when I find that you are spouting falsehood... detaining you would be a simple matter" (Frelinia)

    I don''t think Baltazar would lie. If six of the gods are total powerhouses, including my brother Azeroth, sister Lisaria and Norvalia, Baltazar would be the only think-tank. He is literally smarter and wiser than all of us. Besides his sister is in trouble so I don''t think he would do something nefarious.

    Baltazar evidently put on a darkened expression on his face before smiling dryly and said-

    "I know, I know. Hurry up and make the necessary changes to the kid... hoh. Amazing. This kid actually possessed that kind of killing intent in that fragile frame. A shame he does not have battle intent. It would be a good show if he and Norvalia met-" (Baltazar)

    "Okay, stop!" (Frelinia)

    Jeez... he''s too easygoing for someone who had one of his family disappeared. Mortals have a high dependence on family. We gods are no different. Otherwise we would all be insane right now.

    Baltazar put on an apologetic look and urged me to continue. I modified Krey to have a good foundation to become a legacy protector and soul-bound the divinities to him. Soul-binding is as simple as flipping a book for us gods but it is a really powerful method. That way it won''t be stolen, even by a god. There are twenty of us in Salratia. Five are missing, probably had something to do with that indescribable energy that we felt before and the two of us are here. Thirteen gods and goddesses that may or may not respect my decision or are too greedy.

    When I was done with modifying Krey, what appeared before me now was a cute short haired child... oh dear. He looks too much like a girl! But he''s clearly male... ahh~ I don''t care anymore! I soul-bound the champion''s armament "Frelinia''s Band" to him. All he needs to do is to bind it with blood and he will be fine.

    I invoked [Dimension Transfer] and designated his location to Salratia. The space around him visibly distorted before a vortex appeared sucking him in and hopefully sending him to Salratia... I just hope that he would land in dry land and not an ocean... if he does I hope he can swim.

    Baltazar clapped his hands together and said-

    "Okay lets go!" (Baltazar)

    A [Dimension Transfer] vortex sucked him in and I followed suit with my own [Dimension Transfer] vortex.

    <hr />

    Author Note: The Side Story/Intermission is done! The next chapter will be five-year time skip~! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and sorry for the wait. Tons of stuff I had to do...

 Chapter 19: Five-Year Isolation Part 1

    Five years have passed since we fell in the underground cavern. My body is now that of a ten-year old boy, about five feet tall which is an above average height for a ten year old boy. My originally white skin became even paler as a result of being inside this dark cavern. Ever since that bastard god almost blasted us into oblivion, I always had a grudge that I want to settle with him but I put it away for now to concentrate on training and treating Kiralne''s poison. Kiralne is still inflicted with the mana-binding viper poison but I already have a solution for that. Over the years, Kiralne has been... a pervert but she did become more responsible, so her position in my eyes has been promoted from perverted stranger to pitiful and troublesome onee-san. What can I say? Five years of being stuck together can raise the affection levels whether you like it or not.

    Right now, me and Kiralne are about to have a duel. Of course, I am still a mage but I figured that being able to engage in close combat is substantial to me. Kiralne also approved of it and she taught me how to handle polearms. She may be a pervert but her battle experience and weapon handling skills are first-class.

    By the way, my rank is now that of an Initial Stage Elder Magus. I can now use <Seals> and <Rune Enchanting>, <Sigil Formations> and other divine arts! Kufufufu... my arsenal has grown bigger. But enough about that.

    I slightly bent my knees and leaned forward while facing Kiralne who was also doing the same as me. The glaive, which I aptly named Geheimnis Kaiser, is held in my right hand. Kiralne told me to give a name to my weapon and so I did. She was right. It really gives the feeling of being close to your weapon. I am wearing a simple hemp brown shirt and hemp brown pants. They fit loosely so it gives me free movement and it is refreshing.

    Kiralne who was ten meters away from me had her shining blonde hair tied into a pony tail giving her an athletic look. Her smooth white skin also became paler but it only added a quality that make her seemed like a secluded fairy coming out of a forest, very enchanting. She is wearing a white dougi, though the material is not really better than what I''m wearing. It is also loosely fit for her but... her figure really shows through the fabric. Fortunately, I have a stronger mind than most people so I splendidly averted my eyes from such a dangerously distracting body.

    Her sword, Natur Fron, is being held by her two hands while she took on a stance. Her pale white skin glistening from the spell, [Illuminating Sphere], which I casted so that the cavern would not be too dark. Although [Illuminating Sphere] is nothing more than a strong and effective light source, it is a <Mutated> spell. Different from the usual <Materialization> and <Manipulation> that I like to use. It has a perk of being an undying light bulb. Very convenient~ Plus I can move it, so it can become a flashlight-ish lamp... I think.

    In the thirty meter wide elevated square space of smooth rock, which I carved with the spell, [Hydro Blade], we faced each other ready to attack. Kiralne is being surrounded by a film of nature-type mana, a strengthening/buff spell I invoked on her. An enhanced version of [Body Burst], [Cloak of The Trees]. Its effects are the same as [Body Burst] but even more powerful along with other perks I randomly came up with.

    The mana-binding viper poison is still suppressing her Mana Core so she is no different from a normal person. I cast [Cloak of the Trees] on her so that she would have the capability to be able to spar with me.

    I on the other hand will only rely on {Telekinesis}, {Force Thrust] and {Mana Film} to enhance my body.

    I slowly positioned my stance the way Kirale taught me and prepared for the go signal. Outside of the arena, a little girl, no more than six-year old, had her hand raised above her head and have a big smile on her face. She was a very, very cute girl. She had dark black hair, pristine golden eyes and a tender young face.

    Her hand which was raised abruptly fell as she shouted-

    "And~~begin!!" (Little Girl)

    -in an upbeat voice. Her voice is really cute~!

    My face sprouted a genuine bright smile different from my usual carefree smile as I relish in the bliss of listening to the little girl. Kiralne on the other side is also smiling, albeit brighter than mine.

    It was only for a second though, before I dashed towards Kiralne, Geheimnis Kaiser thrusting at her center. Kiralne, as a former Grand Soldier, easily reacts to my attack as her abnormal reflexes allowed her to parry my glaive away. Seizing the chance when my glaive was forced back, Kiralne slashed at my side but I don''t back down and spun my glaive around so that the hard handle would collide with her blade.

    The blade and handle collided, creating a small spark as metal clashed. Kiralne jumped back while I swung the glaive towards her right flank.

    Seeing this, Kiralne adjusted her posture and abruptly spun her body around to the left, the centrifugal force helping her parry Geheimnis Kaiser''s blade away and she began dashing towards me. Natur Fron''s sharp blade shined menacingly as it tried to pierce my center. I dodge it by moving to the side and I tripped Kiralne over. But she did not fall down and instead did a handstand with her left hand, while her blonde hair swayed with her motions.

    Of course, I didn''t just watch and tried to pierce her as she did that but she sensed my maneuver and parried it with Natur Fron, utilizing  the force of my blow to allow herself to be propelled up high about fifteen meters in mid-air.

    I jumped in after her and swung my glaive diagonally, hoping that it will reach her. But as one would expect from a former Grand Soldier, even when she was upside down in mid-air, she was able to dodge it with graceful movements and swung her sword towards me which I blocked by using the long black handle of the glaive.

    We pushed each other away while in mid-air and landed fifteen meters away from each other. And then both of us charged once again. Blow after blow, hit after hit, sparks flew as we continued our sortie.

    Thirty minutes later...

    Finally, the duel reached it limit as Kiralne slid down as I swung the glaive in a horizontal arc. She penetrated my guard, and kicked my legs and sweeping me off my feet. I landed hard on the ground with a *thud* and as she stood up, she positioned her sword on my neck. The flat of the blade shined brightly as if to mock my defeat, which was fine. Kiralne smiled dazzlingly and I returned it with my usual carefree smile.

    Kiralne held out her hand as the spell, [Cloak of the Trees} wore off and helped me to get on my feet. I asked her about her assessment of my skills in close combat. The little girl is happily watching us, not interfering.

    "How''d I do? Was there any problems?" (Krey)

    "No, not at all. If anything you are a fast learner. Your proficiency with the glaive can be considered more than satisfactory, and can even be considered advanced in some cases. Though..." (Kiralne)

    When she was about to say something, her face distorted and she suddenly leaned back and almost fell down.

    Fortunately, I was able to adjust my stance and catch her before she hit the floor. I put Geheimnis Kaiser back in the storage ring in the meantime. Although she was tall, I was no midget either and I set her down on the ground. She is breathing heavily, her eyes tightly closed and expression twisted to show the feeling of unbearable pain. Large amounts of sweat begun forming all over her body, making her clothes soaked. She is a wreck. Unlike the magnificent performance she had earlier, this was a far-cry of of it and before.

    I channeled the refined mana withing my mana core towards my arm and to my index finger. From my finger, mana itself manifested, becoming floating symbols in the air, a groundwork for a <Seal>. I concentrated forming a <Seal> in the air as the little girl ran towards us, her face showing worry and asked me-

    "Krey onii-chan... is big sister Kira alright...?" (Little Girl)

    "Yeah. She''ll be fine Liz." (Krey)

    Yes. The little girl, is actually Liz! Lisana the dragon! Ufufu her calling me ''onii-chan'' in my mind was good enough, but when I really hear it outside... well let''s just say that the <Seal> would dissipate back into refined mana and wasting the time and effort of Kiralne to endure if I writhed in bliss.

    It seems that it is also one of her abilities to change to human form. It started four years ago. Kiralne''s dragon form is as big as a horse back then and her claws, teeth, spikes, and frills became bigger and sharper, but she still looked cute to me. When I and Kiralne saw her turn for the first time into human form and heard her say "Onii-chan~ look at me!" we had different reactions. When she first transformed, my first reaction was to search through my storage ring and found her a big, fluffy coat for her because... she was entirely naked. As the responsible big brother I was, this was my first reaction. Her turning to human form is not really surprising. I can always say ''it''s a fantasy world after all'' if something weird happens so I am lax towards those things. It was lucky that, I bought that coat five years ago when it caught my eyes back at the tailor shop on Arles City. She is now wearing the clothes that Kiralne gave to her. Kiralne''s storage ring was handed to me since she can''t used it with her mana core suppressed and... truthfully, I am really wondering if Kiralne has a habit of collecting random stuff. Its like a treasure trove of junk inside her storage ring. Of course, I didn''t touch them without her permission. I''ll steal only from a king or noble. There might be a better haul if I do so.

    As for Kiralne that time, her eyes opened widely and her lower jaw gaped in surprise and astonishment but most of all her eyes gleamed with excitement. She asked me a lot of questions after that about Liz and I only answered them vaguely. Its troublesome after all. But she was satisfied nonetheless and then she dragged Liz away without my consent to a corner of the cavern. Five minutes later, the became close like sisters... they were already quite close five years ago when Kiralne played with Liz while I was meditating but this time its on a whole new level.

    I don''t know what Kiralne used to bribe Liz but it works fast.

    Thinking about that random memory, I shook my head eliciting a puzzled look from Liz.

    After a space of two breaths, I finished forming the <Seal> and willed it to descend upon Kiralne''s chest. It emitted a faint glow before being completely absorbed into her body. Using my augmented eyes, I can see that her mana core, a simple light green globe with figures and patterns etched beautifully into it, still has the dark yellow film surrounding it.

    But as the <Seal> descended upon the core, the dark yellow film became thinner and the color turned lighter, becoming light yellow. As that happened, Kiralne who was suffering earlier calmed down and settled peacefully on the floor.

    Liz breathed a sigh of relief while I just stared calmly at Kiralne, observing her mana core and the state of her body. It seems she had another attack. When we fell down here five years ago, I raised my rank to an initial-staged magus and made a prototype version of the <Seal> to suppress the mana-binding viper poison.

    Throughout the years, as I raised my rank, I also practiced on developing more <Seals> to increase my arsenal as well as to help Kiralne recover. Unfortunately, <Seals> are not omnipotent so I can only suppress the effects of the poison and prescribed a method for Kiralne to recover. And the <Seal> can wear down over time and I am not able to predict when it will happen so she would have an attack every now and then. During which, I''ll recreate the <Seals> Even now she is using it but as she is under the effect of the mana-binding viper poison, her strength can only be equivalent to that of a normal girl who doesn''t practice mana manipulation.

    As Liz settled down, I willed {Telekinesis} to coat my body as well as Kiralne and then I knelt down and princess-carried Kiralne over to the direction where the house I made with [Stone Wall Array] is. Liz followed me closely, skipping happily.

    "...*sniff**sniff*..." (Kiralne)

    Of course, the actions of Kiralne who was smelling me as her head is nuzzled into my chest is ignored. I''ve had quite a good growth and the daily practice of handling my glaive built up a good body for me so my size is above average from the usual ten-year old kid. But it only made it easier for her to take advantage of it. I''ve gotten used to her being like that and its better to ignore it. Or else my head will explode out of anger right now.

    "...*sniff* fufufufu... *sniff sniff* guehehehe..." (Kiralne)

    "Hmmm~? Big sister Kira, you''re awake! Why are you smelling Krey onii-chan? Does he smell good~?" (Lisana)

    "Eehh-!? U-um this-this is..." (Kiralne)

    Lisana who noticed that Kiralne was awake, ran to my side and her eyes flashed with glee as she asked Kiralne that question that may very well change her opinion of her. Kiralne is panicking, her eyes going in circles until it settled on me. She flashed me a look, pleading for my assistance... Of course I''m not going to do anything. She dug her own grave when her perversion took over. Of course, Lisana still has a mind-set of a child but she is thoroughly becoming more mature.

    Seeing that I won''t help her, Kiralne lost almost all hope but suddenly her eyes shined brightly, as if she came to a conclusion and explained to Liz with a serious expression-

    "Liz, you''ll understand it when your older." (Kiralne)

    "Ehh~~~!" (Lisana)

    ...Nice save. A common excuse to use when confronting a child. But, what''s really amazing is that Kiralne can keep a straight face while saying that lie. She didn''t twitch at all and she had on a serious and deep expression, as if she was sincere about her answer.

    "B-but I really want to know..." (Lisana)

    "Ahaha... please don''t ask anymore...okay? Please...?" (Kiralne)

    As Liz is desperately inquiring about Kiralne''s actions with teary eyes and trembling lips, Kiralne is also begging for her to stop probing with an equally mortified expression... It looks like she doesn''t want Liz to know that she''s a pervert. Well, whatever. Its her problem not mine.The three-err two of us, since I''m carrying Kiralne, soon stepped out of the large stage and walked to the stone building. Its the house I made with the new spell [Stone Wall Array]. The spell is actually just forming walls of hard and compressed earth and moving it to attack or defend. In my case, I used it build the house. It was tricky to pull off but I did it.

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    I figured that it would be lighter on the mind if I built a house or room to sleep in rather than just staying out in the open.The house is basically a large rectangular box with a door also made out of stone. Its twenty meters long and fifteen meters wide. A bit cramp but its just a temporary house anyway. Its plain in appearance since I am not an architect and I opted for practicality and forgone the aesthetics. The house only has one floor and has four rooms divided by a hallway. The hallway is illuminated by, yes, miniature versions of [Illuminating Sphere], as all the rooms are. There is a meditation room, bedroom, dining room and kitchen.

    By the way the furniture are all made by me, still using the [Stone Wall Array] and with help from [Hydro Blade]. The meditation room has two blocks where I and Kiralne sit down and meditate. The bedroom has also two rectangular blocks that serve as our beds. Like I said, Kiralne has random stuff in her storage ring and she has some large monster pelts that are soft and fluffy, making it a good mattress. There is one block larger than the other because that''s where Kiralne and Liz sleep in human form. *sigh* She always sleeps with her...

    The dining room and the kitchen are connected by a doorway unlike the meditation room and bed room which are solely enclosed. Like the other two rooms, we have a rectangular stone block in the center as a table and two smaller blocks as chairs.

    Liz does not eat and merely absorbs mana but when she does ingest something, she turns back into her dragon form. She says it taste better that way. Thankfully, she can also turn back to her miniature dragon form so its really convenient for me. I don''t need to enlarge the house if she ever wants come in.

    The kitchen is... special. We have a pseudo-stove, pseudo-sink and a pseudo-fridge. All of this is thanks to <Rune Enchanting> and yes all of them are stone blocks. I have no regards for the design. In a large rectangular block where one parts is caved in which serves as the sink, at the side there''s a small stone pillar with a hole in the side which is a pseudo-faucet. Engraved at the side are runes which I configured. You see <Rune Enchanting> is the method to use runes, a magical language to enchant certain objects. Also the effects of the rune are permanent unless you put in another rune which acts as a stopping mechanism or on/off option. It really gives off a fantasy feel.

    Of course, like <Seals> runes are also not omnipotent and there are a lot of restrictions but making a pseudo-faucet is not hard for me. I just needed to use the elements of water and wind to make it work. The wind element rune acts as the on/off option. By the way, there is a hole in the sink where the water goes through but I also put a special type of rune there. It is a disintegration rune. A simple rune made out of the destruction element.

    Though its structure is simple, making it is risky if you do not understand the profound mysteries of destruction like me. It literally makes the water non-existent. Really scary if it was used to enchant a weapon. The pseudo-stove is just a flat block enchanted with a heating rune. I didn''t bother placing an on/off rune over there. Its too troublesome. It is placed atop the rectangular block where the sink is. The fridge is also a stone block that I carved out using [Hydro Blade] and enchanted with a freezing rune. The cover is a relatively thin stone block. And its also placed in the rectangular block. The kitchenware such as earthen pots and wooden ladles as well as wooden spoon, fork, bowl and plate are placed in the carved out space below the rectangular stone block. The kitchenware came from Kiralne''s storage ring as well. Seriously, random junk are scattered here and there in her storage ring.

    Anyway, the runes are a really big help. It might seem simple but the things I have done are really hard to do. There are so many complicated stuff that even if I studied runes for a century without All-Magic Awakening, I won''t be able to reach my current understanding of runes at all! I can do this stuff thanks to All-Magic Awakening so I''m really thankful to Frelinia for it.

    As I was thinking of the many things <Rune Enchanting> can do, we finally arrived at the door. I used {Telekinesis} to open the door while Lisana who was still inquisitive towards Kiralne, ceased her questions and said-

    "Okay big sister Kira. I won''t ask for now but I''ll definitely get the answer from you later at the bath~!" (Lisana)

    While saying that, she closed her eyes and from her body, seethed out a unique type of mana. Mana that belongs solely to dragon-folk. Dragonic mana.  I tried to control it with Divine Art: Mana Force Manipulation but I had the feeling that it isn''t as easy to control than the raw and refined mana. Furthermore, it has a certain quality to it that doesn''t seem to go well with my divine art. It was unruly.

    Liz coated herself with it and with a flash of black and golden light, what appeared before me was the small-sized dragon form Liz. She flapped her now-strong wings and settled... on my back. No matter what, she still likes to hang on to my back. I don''t now why but I simply let her. She has a habit of shifting from human form to dragon form. That too, I didn''t know why.

    Kiralne smiled wryly, relieved that Lisana stopped asking her about the earlier matter and said to me-

    "Okay, Krey... I''m fine, I can walk by myself-" (Kiralne)

    "No, you cannot. Remember this is the final stage of assimilation. You need to rest up and prepare. I''ll carry you to the bedroom. I''ll make my own food so you don''t have to worry." (Krey)

    "But...! *sigh* Alright...fine." (Kiralne)

    Kiralne had a look of defiance at first but she sighed in resignation and let me carry her to her bed. I can understand her feelings. Besides it isn''t pleasant to know that your crippled. She doesn''t like to rely on anyone, the same as me. In fact, if Kiralne wasn''t meant to be my protector and if I wasn''t wary of this world, I would be working alone right now. Its not that I don''t like company, I''m just used to solitude.

    I went to the bedroom and placed Kiralne on her bed. Liz jumped off my back and flew towards Kiralne, nestling on her chest. Kiralne smiled and covered herself and Liz with the pelt blanket. As I was about to leave Kiralne opened her eyes widely, as if realizing something and said-

    "Ah! That''s right! Krey, before you meditate, make sure to take care of the crops! And please wash the sink as well as the bathhouse! Also, don''t forget to take a bath right after! Hey wait! Where are you going?! I''m not finished yet!" (Kiralne)

    "Kyua kyuui~" (Lisana)

    |See you later, Krey nii-chan~|

    Before she finished, I already left the room. Sheesh. I don''t know what''s worse, her being a pervert or her being a nagging mother/big sister. After resting for a while, the <Seal> would take effect and she will be able to move again so I better hurry. I ran towards the exit and went to the garden. The garden is where we raised our crops to eat since we are trapped here, with no food source. The seeds all came from Kiralne though. I don''t know how or why she had seeds in her storage ring, but she said that, in her free time she likes to collect rare plants and therefore seeds.

    Its luxurious that we''ve been using them as our staple food for the past five years. I saw Kiralne crying a little when we first ate it. The seeds are actually very special. All of them are packed with mana. Refined mana to be exact. If it was sold to the market, we can get a very good price. And the plants produce more seeds after growing. Meaning more money. And the vegetable are really delicious. Even Liz, who loves meat too much as she emptied out my and Kiralne''s dried meat supply in our storage rings, occasionally nibbles it while in her dragon form despite saying that she dislikes eating vegetables.

    The garden took up ten acres of cavern space, almost a quarter of the entire underground cavern. There are a variety of vegetables here, almost ready for harvesting. I think it would be more appropriate to call it a farm field and not a garden if not for the fact that the living conditions here are unbearable. No water, no soil, no sunlight. Just damp mossy rocks everywhere. Not even a bug. If I hadn''t created a new complicated <Mutated> spell [Earth Blessing] of the earth element to at least be able to alter the structure of the stones here into fertile earth and another <Mutated> spell [Life Advancement] of the nature element to hasten and improve the growth of the magic vegetables we would be starving right now... unless we resorted to eating rocks.

    As I had that weird thought in mind, I invoked a water element spell [Water Spray Mk. II]. Its in actuality the same as the original [Water Spray] just with a wider range and more water being spouted out of my left hand.

    The downside towards these things is that they need daily supply of water to grow properly. So its a chore to always water them, especially since the expanse of land is more than thirty kilometers in size.

    While watering the enormous garden, I held Frelinia''s Band in my right hand while thinking of the event back then, five years ago. It was this thing that saved us and allowed me to create my own divine art.

    Divine Arts are divided into two categories: common divine arts; and true divine arts.

    Common divine arts are naturally received as one increases their rank as mana manipulators. Whether a mage or a warrior, they all receive the same divine arts as they increase their rank. This divine arts only requires you to use refined mana to activate. It is said that the ones who built this system are Norvalia, the Goddess of War and Azeroth, the God of Magic and Change.

    True divine arts on the other hand... are created using divine mana. Divine mana can only be bestowed upon you by a divine entity, like a god or spiritual beast, but that rarely happens. True divine arts are risky to create as you have to handle divine mana, which is different from raw or refined mana. It is absolutely the pinnacle and only a few individuals can use it. And each individual''s souls can only handle creating one divine art as divine mana puts stress on a normal mortal soul... unless the soul has undergone Soul Revolution or any other special method.

    Frelinia''s Band had divine mana flowing out of it that day, and using Mana Force Manipulation, I dragged the excess divine mana closer to me with much difficulty before we fell into the abyss.

    In the knowledge that came from All Magic Awakening, a method to create a divine art also existed but I didn''t dare to hope for too much of a cheat and made a simple yet true divine art. Divine Art: Parallel Thought

    A true divine art, not like the common divine arts like Aura Domain, Aura Cloak, and Aura Wing Technique. A true divine art the is the same as Magic Creation Array and Mana Force Manipulation, all made with divine mana. Its power might be weak compared to the other two but I have a lot of uses for this thing. Divine Art: Parallel Thought. Like it says in the name, it allows me to have multiple thoughts with no repercussion. Its like having a lot of minds in one body. For now, I only had the equivalent of four minds.

    Without this, I would not be able to contend with Kiralne who has reflexes suitable as a grand soldier. One mind focused on reading her movements, the second is focused on controlling my movements, the third is focused on planning my next moves and the fourth is utilizing {Telekinesis}, {Force Thrust} and {Mana Film} to aid my attacks. This divine art will grow stronger in correlation to the rise of my rank. What''s more is that, those ''minds'' are also affected by the increase in thought processing speed after each breakthrough.

    Warriors strengthen their bodies while Mages strengthen their minds. My true divine art, Parallel Thought is a good gain for me. If I breakthrough the initial elder magus level, my thought processing will once again increase. The reason why I lost to Kiralne is that she is that good. And that I haven''t used any new buff spells like [Cloak of the Trees], [Cloak of the Wind], [Robe of the Eruption] or [Robe of the Deluge]. In fact I already have a lot lot of spells in my arsenal. I just let it pile up somewhere in the corner of my brain. Also, my third and fourth mind is always making new spells, seals, rune enchantments and sigil formations. My first mind is reminiscing and the second mind is controlling my body and the spell [Water Spray Mk. II].

    "...Whew~! Finally done..." (Krey)

    An hour passed as the last expanse of vegetables have been watered down. I wiped the small bead of perspiration off my forehead and ran back to the house to get something to eat. But when I arrived at the kitchen, Kiralne was already there, cooking something along with Liz in human form. Kiralne is still wearing that dougi but she untied her hair, letting it flow freely down her back. Liz is watching with curiosity as Kira stirs the ladle in the pot while humming a tune. She noticed me and flashed a small smile and said-

    "Krey, you''re back! The soup will be done any minute now so go wait with Liz in the dining room okay~?" (Kiralne)

    "R-right..." (Krey)

    This is what I meant by responsible. Ever since we were trapped and began living here Kiralne slowly began to change. When I built the house, the bathhouse, the garden and the arena, I noticed this change. Kiralne''s bearing became totally different. She did almost all of the housework, from cleaning, cooking, and gardening/farming. No matter how I see it, she became something like a mother/big sister... albeit a perverted one. Still, I expected her to rest some more but she is already up and about. Jeez... what about those chores you asked me to do? Was that a joke?

    "Come on Krey nii-chan~!" (Lisana)

    Liz dragged me to the dining room where I sat on one of the chairs/blocks while Liz went back to her dragon form, once again firmly settling herself on my back. After a few minutes, Kiralne came out of the kitchen, a motherly smile plastered upon her face as she carried the pot with her hands protected by a fur pelt and placed it at the rectangular/block.

    "I''ll just get the spoons and bowls from the kitchen. Just wait over there." (Kiralne)

    "Wait!" (Krey)

    Kiralne turned around and sported a questioning look and asked me-

    "What''s wrong?" (Kiralne)

    "Kyuu~?" (Lisana)

    |What is it?|

    Kiralne and Lisana noticed the seriousness in my voice as they both asked me with a concerned tone. I sighed and asked Kiralne the question that''s been nagging me for a while now.

    "What do you think about the war between Tolkium Kingdom and Lumen Isles Union?" (Krey)

    <hr />

    Authors Note: Yay! I found the time to write this part! You guys might have noticed that I usually post a chapter once a week. Well, its because I''m busy~. But today is a holiday so I finished this one as fast as possible. This is the 19th chapter. Hope you enjoyed it :)

 Chapter 20: Five Year Isolation Part 2

    When Kiralne heard my question, she frowned and sighed. Then she looked at me deeply. I don''t inch away from her stare and also gave her a deep look. After what seemed like an eternity within a moment, Kiralne sighed again then closed her eyes. When she opened them, I faintly saw a flash of sadness in her eyes. She said in an almost emotionless tone-

    "I''ll tell you my opinion on it while we eat. Is that alright?" (Kiralne)

    "Sure!" (Krey)

    I answered her positively. Kiralne went back to the kitchen while Liz engaged in a conversation with me.

    ''Krey nii-chan. Do you want to join the war?'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuu Kyuuui?|

    "Yes, I do." (Krey)

    Since Kiralne already knows that I can Liz can talk and can transform, there''s no reason to converse with Liz only on my mind. But I use a whispering voice out of habit.

    "Is that so?" (Lisana)

    "Yeah. why?" (Krey)

    "Nothing, Krey nii-chan." (Lisana)

    Even if she said that, I can''t help but feel a bad premonition. Even half a decade ago, she was also like this once. Where she forcibly did something to my weak reflexes and thought processing speed. Come to think of it, wasn''t that feeling of being suspended in jelly from before seemed to contain a trace of Dragonic Mana in it? But still, whenever her tone of voice changes from a cheerful little girl to a gloomy little girl, I was always wary. She had that phase only twice, well thrice if you count this time, one on the Magic Mountain Range, two on the Underground Cavern.

    The second is very disturbing that I don''t even want to remember it.

    But worrying about something that''s not there won''t solve anything so I set my mind back to the issue that I should have addressed a long time ago.

    Of course there''s a reason for it. If what the demon girl said is true then, she and a couple of other Grand-level mana manipulators infiltrated the Tolkium Continent and were tasked to kill every Grand Soldier and Grand Magus in the Tolkium Kingdom. I think that the Grand-level mana-manipulators are very important in defending a kingdom. They are basically one-man armies, an efficient fighting force. The question is why does the Lumen Isles Union want to invade Tolkium Kingdom? How is Tolkium Kingdom''s war potential compared to the Lumen Isles Union? What are the repercussions if Tolkium Kingdom lost?

    I still haven''t discussed this with Kiralne before because she was in a really bad state five years ago and I didn''t have any leisure to be dilly-dallying that time. I underestimated the potency of the particular mana-binding poison and stabilizing her condition took almost a month, during which she was in constant pain and agony. By the way, a year is equivalent to fifteen months, a month equivalent to four weeks, a week equivalent to ten days, and a day equivalent to forty-eight hours.

    Its amazing that she was able to withstand such heart-rending agony for three weeks. My respect for her grew because of that. And the prescribed method to cure the poison needs my attention as well so I didn''t think too much of mundane things. Also, I was too caught up with developing my own true divine art, Divine Art: Parallel Thought as well as new spells, <Seals>, <Rune Enchantments> and <Sigil Formations>. Anyway, the demon girl was probably sent to kill Kiralne along with the beard-man and red ninja guy. I admire that demon girl because of her craftiness. She tricked those two to attack Kiralne together to take out the bigger threat and killed them while she was at it. She was a sly person. Too bad she was rude to me. I didn''t know if she survived or not but I think she was also caught up within divine mana sphere that protected us from that stupid god''s attack but I don''t know what happened to her.

    Well whatever, if she died then hurray for me. If she survived, I''ll kill or torture her during the war. I mean, that spell took a hell of a lot of refined mana, even with the cost reduction ability of Geheimnis Kaiser. I burned out my refinement base and lost eighty years of my lifespan because of that damn aura-raising spell. A mana manipulator can emit Aura Essence when they become a Senior-level mana manipulator. Aura Essence is a common divine art. I don''t want or dare to use that horrible spell again as it forcibly creates an artificial Aura Essence and makes its quality rise to the level of a Saint. Tricky. I don''t want to name it or I might get attached to it and impulsively use it.

    A little while later, Kiralne came back with three bowls and two spoons. I waited as Kiralne filled up a bowl of vegetable soup for me, and for herself. The last one is for Liz but she seemingly ignored it, only to take occasional glances once in a while. Finally, while we both pretended not to look, she took a little sip, then went back to lying down. To that, we could only look at each other and smile wryly.

    Kiralne picked up her spoon and lightly stirred the soup in her bowl, and then she began to speak-

    "The war... as long as it doesn''t endanger you, I won''t care about it. Unless... you have a reason for being curious about it?" (Kiralne)

    While she asked me that despondently, I took a sip of the murky yet delicious liquid and responded-

    "I''m planning on joining the war." (Krey)

    "...Eh?" (Krey)

    When I said that, Kiralne put on a face of disbelief and the fingers holding her spoon began to slightly tremble. Her face also began to slowly change to that of anger. A bit worried about this, I was about to explain my intentions when-

    "W-what did you say!?" (Kiralne)

    "I said, I want to participate in the war on Tolkium''s side. There might be some ways to ge-" (Krey)

    "Stop joking! You are still too weak! And I can''t even protect you with this damned poison in my body!" (Kiralne)

    Before I finish stating my reasons, Kiralne interjected fiercely, stopping the words in my throat as she suddenly stood up and yelled at me. I felt a vein suddenly appear in my vein with a *puchi*. I don''t like getting interrupted. Even if you became a perfect example of a perverted tolerable elf onee-san that I can only encounter on anime, light novels and games which I am quite fond of, you can''t get away that easily with irritating me!

    As my expression darkened, Kiralne ranted a bit more-

    "And you''re still a kid! What has gotten into your head?! Besides we are trapped in here until the poison is out of my body. And even if we do get out, I''m not letting you join the war. There are many more dangers than you can ever imagine in a war between these countries." (Kiralne)

    Now Kiralne adopted a pose that seems to be scolding me. Her arm on her hips, her finger gesturing towards me and a frown on her face. I felt two more veins pop out with a *puchi puchi* sound and I''m almost in the brink of exploding. Lucky for you Kiralne, that you are a girl, otherwise I would have blown your head off and cremated your remains! You''d be the third person who might have received that treatment if your and my relationship hadn''t improved in the past five years.

    "Hey, Kiralne-" (Krey)

    "No! No! As your protector, it is my duty to keep you out of harm''s way until you are capable of defending yourself. Even if I die, as the last member of the Vitavare clan, I will see to it don- Ow-?! Wha-!!?" (Kiralne)

    As I felt three veins popped on my forehead figuratively for the first time in five years, I used {Telekinesis} to make my spoon float and controlled it to flick Kiralne''s forehead. Since she has the strength of a normal girl in her early twenties... well based on her appearance that is, the {Telekinesis} spoon-flick which I flung without thinking caused her to fall down the ground on her butt, holding her forehead with teary eyes... its actually cute. Suppressing my irritation and sadistic nature, I looked down at Kiralne coldly, the carefree smile I usually have is wiped out from my face and I adopted a slightly stern expression.

    "Kiralne. I know that you have the duty to protect me but this is my decision. Didn''t you swear an oath not to hinder me in anyway? Or is that oh-so-sacred ''Kiss of Vow'' simply a joke?" (Krey)

    "Of course not! Each word, and that ritual are genuine! Even if you are the Champion of Frelinia, I won''t have you look down on my clan''s legacy!" (Kiralne)

    As I said that casually, Kiralne stood up and angrily defended her clan''s honor. How admirable but unfortunately, I don''t understand your feelings and I''m a little fickle. Now, let''s see here. I''ll just use the same thing I used every time me and Kiralne have an argument. It was only by chance that I discovered her weakness. Even with her mana core being suppressed, rendering her a cripple who cannot manipulate mana she was still incomparably unyielding. Most likely, she was bred as an oujo-sama so she is very proud. But I discovered the number one/ best way to make her yield! And its quite simple.

    In a span of five breaths, my gaze slowly turned cold and dark while my expression became desolately indifferent. A dispassionate smile hung on my face.

    "And? Will you still obstruct me from my objective? Or will you follow the purpose of your clan? To serve Frelinia. the Goddess of Life and to help her Champion, me. Which is it?" (Krey)

    As I said that, I closed my eyes and let the spoon that was floating a while ago return to my hand. Using it, I took another sip of this delicious yet somewhat bland soup. Mmmm.... The texture is just right and the leafy vegetables have a certain chewiness yet also soft. As I make positive reviews about Kiralne''s cooking with my second mind, my first mind is utilizing Aura Sense.

    Liz is trying to make a telepathic conversation with me but I block it with my third mind. The fourth mind is on standby. Making new spells, seals, rune enchantments and sigil formations can be done at a leisurely pace. Preferably when I''m meditating or asleep.

    Kiralne is probably gnashing her teeth right now while tapping her finger furiously on the table. Every time we have an argument, I just have to act indifferently towards her and she will become like this. She doesn''t seem scared of me but she is indeed agitated. I don''t know why but its a trump card I''m willing to constantly use.

    Even with my eyes closed, Aura Sense, a common divine art received at the elite-level allows me to ''see'' what is happening outside. Its like an enhanced sonar/radar.

    Me and her already came to an understanding four years ago that I don''t have a mindset of child and she is to treat me like an adult. Of course when she first heard it, she didn''t believe me and as I slowly pressed her she relented reluctantly with a bit of sadness and longing.

    Of course I know its also because she doesn''t want to anger me. Our relationship unexpectedly improved  to the level where I won''t feel disgusted and instead be happy to call her onee-san affectionately. Though I won''t do it, otherwise a creepy yandere face might appear again and scare the shit out of me.

    "...on one condition." (Kiralne)

    Finally Kiralne spoke and I opened my eyes to look at her. The sharp gaze and icy, indifferent smile that I still have is directed at her, but she amazingly ignored it and looked at me. She would usually meekly back down in our arguments but clearly she is resolute this time.

    "If the poison is gone... and if you reach at least the elite rank... I''ll let you join the war and I will follow you. The wars last as long as two centuries and as short as three years... by now you must be a late-stage senior magus right? With your talent and resources given to you by your master, reaching elite rank will not take too long." (Kiralne)

    With those words, my gaze turned softer and I put on my usual carefree smile. You underestimate me too much Kiralne~. Well I''m a cheat character anyway so I can''t be proud. Maybe have a bit of fun here and there with my power but its not really mine... maybe I''ll return it to Frelinia once this issue is done... Whoa! Almost got depressed there. I shake of such negative thoughts in my mind and said-

    "Alright!~ Well, let''s finish eating and begin the treatment given by my master~" (Krey)

    "... You really know how to stir me up." (Kiralne)

    She uttered this in a tired voice. Well, she seemed considerably stressed when the topic about her clan''s honor came up. She did say that she is the last Vitavare elf. Family bonds are quite strange. I usually see them in stories about blood being thicker than water but I still don''t get it. Take it from a guy who only relied on himself ever since he was a kid but I don''t see the significance of family. Close relationships might be beneficial in the long-run but its fine if its just a business connection right? Well, whatever. Since she said that she''s the only member left of the Vitavare clan. I wonder what happened? Well, she''ll tell me in due time. Maybe she''ll also tell me why she is uncomfortable with seeing me become disinterested.

    "Haha, your just easy to read. Now why do these wars take a long time to end? You said three years in the shortest?" (Krey)

    This is what I want to ask. I''m not sure why wars are long here and the wars I heard of on Earth generally lasts for five months or more but wars that take years are rare... to me anyway. I don''t pay attention to foreign affairs after all~. Hearing my question. she first pouted but still replied-

    "Wars between huge countries like the Lumen Isles Union and Tolkium Kingdom are like that because, neither side can take advantage of each other. Tolkium Kingdom is specialized in ground battles while the Lumen Isles Union is specialized in naval warfare. Skirmishes can occur on both land and sea. In the end, it becomes a war of attrition with victory or defeat lying on the resources of each country and the advances of their respective ''Colonnades''." (Kiralne)

    "What''s a Colonnade?" (Krey)

    I ask her as this is a new term I have just heard. A colonnade? Like in a building supported by a group of columns? Don''t tell me that wars are decided on who destroys whose base first is it? Or maybe they''re talking about a certain point? A location? Or is it an object?

    "A Colonnade is a title, given to people who possess the strength of a Grand Soldier/ Grand Magus and above. A colonnade supports an entire structure just like these certain individuals hold the future of a kingdom. I, myself was given a title of Colonnade but I rejected it. Nevertheless, they still pinned that title on me." (Kiralne)

    As Kiralne said that, she put on a look of annoyance but it looks more like a pout to me. I really don''t know why pretty girls, no matter what expression they make, they are still lovely. Is it a pre-established trait? Are the heavens that biased?

    "Hmmm... *slurp*One more bowl please." (Krey)

    "... I know I''ve asked this a lot of times before but where do you put that food in your small body?!" (Kiralne)

    The fuck you are talking about? I am not small! You are just taller than me! Although the wooden bowls are eight inches in diameter and four inches in height, I usually eat a lot even on Earth. Studying and working can make you very tired so it is necessary to replenish your energy with sleeping and eating. Though I usually do the latter. I was reserved last time with Sally because I want to keep up an image of an innocent young boy... though it must have already failed when I killed those bandits last time. And I wasn''t that hungry anyways.

    Nevertheless Kiralne still filled up my bowl with another serving of her vegetable soup. In the corner of my eye, I can see Liz putting her head in her own bowl, also ingesting her own share. But when she sensed my gaze she instantly returned from her original position, pretending to ignore the soup.

    "I''m a growing boy. This much food is nothing. Besides, practicing stances with my glaive for two hours was your idea wasn''t it? You cooked this much soup so isn''t it an insult to you if I didn''t eat it all?" (Krey)

    "Uuuu... you''re right. Hmm? What is it Lisana?" (Kiralne)

    "Kyu~!" (Lisana)

    "Eh? You also finished yours?" (Kiralne)

    Liz unexpectedly consumed her share while we were talking earlier. Lisana nudge Kiralne with her snout and and pushed her empty bowl using her snout towards Kiralne. Kiralne looked baffled but still filled up Liz''s bowl with more vegetable soup.

    "What about you? You won''t get another serving?" (Krey)

    "No. One bowl is enough for me and I know most of the soup will be consumed by you two so I''m not worried about any leftovers." (Kiralne)

    "Hmm... *slurp* *slurp* *slurp* *chew* *swallow* *slurp*... One more please." (Krey)

    "Kyu~! Kyuaa~!" (Lisana)

    After a few minutes we finally finished eating everything in the entire pot. To that, Kiralne leisurely took the pot back to the kitchen and sounds of water flowing can be heard from there. Liz lazily stretched her limbs and flew to my back, once again hanging on to me.

    I was already used to her backpack-like weight and went to the meditation room. The meditation room has a <Sigil Formation> embedded on the floor. Made by me of course.

    There''s a difference between <Rune Enchantments>, <Seals> and <Sigil Formations>. <Rune Enchantments> are magical words used to make an ordinary item into a magic item. Of course, there are many ways to create a magic item but using <Rune Enchantments> is one of the three best ways. Of course enchantments don''t necessarily mean ''good''. It depends on the mage who wrote the enchantments to determine the nature of their use.

    <Sigil Formations> on the other hand are, in a way, related to <Seals>. If <Rune Enchantments> are magical words then <Seals> and <Sigil Formations are magical symbols.

    There is a difference between symbols and languages. For example, a symbol like %. Its not a letter but a symbol. Words are formed by letters and % is not a letter.

    Understanding this is hard because magical words and symbols are called Runes and runes in my eyes are fancy scribbles.

    <Seals> are used to suppress, otherwise weaken a particular target while <Sigil Formations> are used to enhance, strengthen, reinvigorate, quicken, empower... yeah, anything related to making something better.

    To put it simply, they are like De-buff and Buff spells respectively but unlike spells that are effective in the short term, they can be give long term or permanent effects in a fixed location.

    This particular <Sigil Formation> is a complicated one. It gathers the raw mana in the surroundings, sifts through it and separates wind-type, nature-type and water-type mana from the raw mana and congregates it into the space where the <Sigil Formation is, which is also the space where the two stone blocks are. It also expels the other raw mana which are not needed in this treatment.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    This <Sigil Formation> is shaped like a circle with runes arranged in an elegant manner. It actually looks like a magic circle. The process of curing the poison in Kiralne''s mana core is an easy yet tedious process. This particular <Sigil Formation> is to make a comfort zone for Kiralne since her elemental affinities are nature-exceptional, wind-good and water-average.

    Its not like I want to make her feel comfortable or anything. Its just to ascertain that no impurities in the surrounding mana so that the treatment would go smoothly.

    After a few minutes, Kiralne finally showed up and with experienced movements, sat down in the lotus position and turned away from me. She then slowly removed the top part of her dougi, revealing her smooth, unblemished white skin. I''ve seen it a couple of times already and Kiralne has proven that she is really a top-tier beauty. Every part of her is evidently beautiful.

    "Okay... Kiralne, this is the last step in assimilating the poison with your mana core. Once the poison is assimilated within your core, it would become a part of you and you will be able to use it indiscreetly. You musn''t lose focus during this process okay?" (Krey)

    "Yes. Krey..." (Kiralne)

    Kiralne seemed to have hesitation when she called out to me making me curious so I asked her-

    "What is it?" (Krey)

    "...No, never mind." (Kiralne)

    "Hmmm... fine. Concentrate on meditating and tell me if you feel a change in your core." (Krey)

    Though a bit unsatisfied by Kiralne''s unusual indecisiveness, I reminded her to focus on the task at hand.

    Kiralne nodded and closed her eyes while I simply stood behind her. Channeling the refined mana from my mana reserves is second nature to me because of Divine Art: Mana Force Manipulation. Refined mana gathered and condensed in both of my palms. I approached her and placed my hands upon her back. My augmented eyes observed the situation of her core. Her mana core is still covered in that poisonous film while the <Seal>, an <Ethereal Seal>is still placed on it. There are many types of seals and this seal is the most useful for Kiralne''s situation.

    Refined mana swirled in my palms. The light blue coloration of the clouds of refined mana rotated steadily, neither fast nor slow. I placed my two hands upon Kiralne''s pristine white back and willed the refined mana to enter her body while I observed the state of Kiralne''s mana core.

    The light blue strands of refined mana reached the area where Kiralne''s mana core is. The poisonous film suddenly became thicker, as if attempting to block the strands of refined mana from reaching the mana core but I''ve already seen this happen a lot of times.

    As if on cue, the <Ethereal Seal> flashed a bright white light and then the poisonous film became thinner, miuch more thinner than it was before. It looked very fragile, like a simple touch would break it but I know how resilient and stubborn this poison is. It would take a whole lot more than a <Seal> created by an elder magus to suppress this particular poison.

    In the area where the <Ethereal Seal> is placed, multiple gaps can be seen upon which led directly to the mana core. I willed the light blue strands of refined mana to pass through the gaps and reach the mana core. The light blue strands of refined mana touched the surface of the mana core and is slowly being absorbed inside of it. The patterns around the mana core seemed to get brighter, as if they were plants receiving their daily nourishment of water becoming more vibrant as it receives more of the strands of refined mana.

    With my augmented eyes, I observed the inner parts of the mana core. In my sight, I can see a tube. A simple tube thst is cylindrical in shape and has light blue liquid substances inside of it. The liquid substances almost filled up the entire tube, with only a few more drops of liquid in order for it to be full. Right now the strands of mana have reached this tube. This tube is known as the refinement base.

    The numerous strands began to congeal outside of the refinement base, condensing into something thicker and with form. After what seemed like long time, the strands finally transformed... into a drop of a liquid substance. The same liquid substance in the refinement base. Liquefied refined mana. A compressed form of mana whenever it is in the mana reserves or refinement base.

    This drop of liquefied refined mana slowly floated towards the refinement base and with a *plop*, it joined the other liquefied refined mana. The strands of refined mana once again began congealing to another drop.

    My method to cure Kiralne is actually simple~. The Mana-Binding Viper Poison is a special type of poison. Instead of directly affecting the body, it instead corrodes and suppresses the mana inside of the body. The body can still live on without mana but is a huge blow towards the mana manipulator.

    Another special thing about the Mana-Binding Viper Poison is that it does not actually kill the infected individual. A peculiar trait of this poison. But instead it would make the infected individual feel agonizing and heart-wrenching pain, enough to force the person to commit suicide.

    When a mana manipulator is afflicted with the Mana-Binding Viper Poison, the mana core would be suppressed to the point where you will feel like an ordinary person, weak, feeble, powerless. But the rank which one has attained... can still be reclaimed.

    The poison only suppresses the mana and mana core but it cannot obliterate it. It is still there, just rendered immobile and inactive.which is why there are antidotes for this thing but they are very expensive. Mana-Binding Viper Poison is expensive because it is used for sinister activities, in other words torture.

    Its popular with the nobles if they want to make fun of their enemies that they have captured but that''s just human nature. I won''t dwell on it.

    The Mana-Binding Viper Poison is only effective to those under the Arch Knight and Arch Magus rank. There is a reason for this but I don''t feel like explaining. If the poison is only effective to those under that particular level, won''t it be simple to raise the person''s level towards that level (Arch rank)?

    The answer in no. When one is afflicted with the Mana-Binding Viper Poison, one will lose the ability to feel, control or utilize mana. Not only will the mana inside one''s body be suppressed, one also won''t be able to feel it, much less make use of it.

    But in Kiralne''s case... she has me. A person who has experienced the phenomenon, All-Magic Awakening, making me a paragon of magic, an entity who has understood the profound mysteries and truths of the elements. Another thing is that I possess the True Divine Art: Mana Force Manipulation, a true divine art allowing me to control and use mana as I will without difficulty.

    The process to raise one''s rank is to fill up the refinement base to the very brim, and meditate and try to understand the profound mysteries and truths of one''s elemental attribute/affinity. If one is trying to raise one''s stage, one must meditate to understand their respective elements'' profound truths while those who wants tor raise one''s rank, one must understand their respective elements'' profound mysteries.

    Since all I have to do is fill up is Kiralne''s refinement base, simply shoving the refined mana towards her refinement base is a simple job for me. Of course, this is not the only way to cure Kiralne from the poison. I can simply overlap the <Ethereal Seal> with more and more other seals to dispel the poison but that would be boring.

    Besides... I have other plans for this Mana-Binding Viper Poison.

    After a long period of time, Kiralne''s refinement base is made full. At this moment, boundless refined mana suddenly surged out of Kiralne, making me take a few steps back. And I dashed towards her front, surprising Liz who was hanging on my back and throwing her off making her fly around the room. Kiralne had her eyes open and looked at me with shock and disbelief. Of course she''s like this. I simply told her that I''ll cure the poison but I did not tell her how. Yet she still believes it because she thinks that the method came from my "master"... its a bit annoying to keep up this facade. I''ll tell her the truth after this... well one part of the truth anyway.

    Kiralne continued to stared at me, shell-shocked and had her mouth flapping, uttering incomprehensible words which I somehow understood.

    "Wha-?...How-? Wh-" (Kiralne)

    A bit annoyed, I once more put on an icy indifferent expression. Dispassionately gazing at her I said coldly yet with a commanding tone-

    "Focus and meditate. Understand the profound mysteries of nature, wind, and water." (Krey)

    "Y-yes!" (Kiralne)

    "Kyua!" (Lisana)

    She suddenly stiffened and closed her eyes. Liz flew towards me but did not attach herself to my back and just flapped her wings, staying in that position in mid-air, beside me.

    ''Krey nii-chan, are you sure that this will work? Will the poison truly assimilate with big sis Kira and allow here to use its power?'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuua? Kyuuu?|

    Yep. This was my plan. The Mana-Binding Viper Poison is a special substance, no it might even be called a natural treasure. Its de-buff potential is very endearing to me but I can just create a spell with the same effect as it. So I figured that its better to hand it over to Kiralne. A strong party member is a must in RPGs, and its even more precious here in Salratia where strength is one of the factors that allows you to survive.

    What I''m doing is raising Kiralne''s rank to an Arch Knight and assimilating the poison with her core, allowing her to use the power of the poison in battle but... its just a theory of mine.

    "Liz... to tell you the truth, I''m just experimenting here." (Krey)

    ''What?! That''s big sis Kira over there! What if you will hurt her?!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuiii?! Kyu! Kyuaaauu?!|

    Lisana was startled and began to panic. She flew towards me and tried to scratch my face with her somewhat sharp talons and bite my ear with her small yet sharp teeth. Of course I have a {Mana Film} deployed beforehand to shield myself from this adorable onslaught.

    "Liz, calm down! I said experiment but it does not mean that it will fail! In fact, this has a high chance of succeeding!" (Krey)

    I say confidently. Kiralne is already a good companion to me and it would leave a bad taste in my mouth is she got hurt, therefore I only did this with a certain success percentage in mind.

    ''... How high?'' (Lisana)

    |Kyu?]

    "22 percent!" (Krey)

    ''Stupid onii-chan!'' (Lisana)

    Then Liz scratched and bit at me with more vigor as if overcome with madness. Hey what the hell is wrong with 22 percent chance of success? Its already high for me and if it does fail, at most Kiralne would feel horrible pain even more sinister and vicious than before but she''ll still live. And she''ll be an Arch Knight to boot too! Its a win-win situation for all of us.

    "Alright Liz, time-out for you. [Electric Wave]" (Krey)

    I cast one of my new spells towards Liz, [Electric Wave. After that sparks and tendrils of yellow lightning manifested in front of me. They began to compacttogether and formed a vague outline of a fan and shot itself towards Liz.

    ''Noooo~~! Krey nii-chan!... Guehehe~~~ Haha~ Onii-chan~ Why are there three of you~?~~ Is it a new spell? Kuehehe~~''

    |Kyuaaa~~! Kyuuuua!...  Kyu kyua kyui~~~ Kyua~ Kyuiuiuiu~ Kyuaa~?~~ Kyuiii? Kyuuuu~~|  (Lisana)

    Liz who was hit by the [Electric Wave] stumbled in the air spinning a few times while howling in frustration then flew unsteadily in the air uttering words in a tone that could only be compared to a drunk. I don;t know what species of dragon Liz is but she is definitely intoxicated by lightning. Yep. To win an argument one must always have the upper hand. It is true that 90% of problems can be solved through violence though it wasn''t really violence that I used.

    While thinking that, Liz who fell on the floor transformed back to a little girl with dark black hair, white skin and golden eyes and wearing a black one-piece dress. She had a sleepy yet sleazy expression in her face as she lied down on the ground.

    As a responsible older brother, I took out a pelt from Kiralne''s storage ring and placed it on top of Liz. She''ll be comfortable this way.

    As that happened, I turned back to look at Kiralne, who still had refined mana emitting from her body. The refined mana is slowly swirling about in the room but I prevent it from leaving with Mana Force Manipulation.

    Using my augmented eyes, I observed the situation of her mana core. Her mana core is slowly changing. The elegant patterns and smooth surface of the globe is still there but a type of armor is growing on the surface of the mana core. Its not gaudy nor plain but its also as elegant like the mana core.

    The poisonous film is still suppressed by the <Ethereal Seal> unable to impede the progress of the mana core''s transmogrification.

    Smirking, I channeled refined mana onto both of my finger tips and began to write in the air. My left hand is writing the diagrams for another <Seal>, an <Acceptance Seal> while my right hand is making the symbols and arranging them into a <Sigil Formation>, a <Lesser Empowering Sigil Formation>.

    Complicated and beautiful runes are gradually formed in front of me, making the scenery mystical. The light blue glow coming from these runes light up the room along with the refined mana coming from Kiralne.

    While writing the <Sigil Formation> and <Seal> with the help of my First Mind, I glanced at Kiralne and assessed her progress... I know I''ve said this before but are the heavens this biased or do they truly favor this elf?

    I can see that her mana core has finished transmogrifying which signifies that Kiralne has understood three profound mysteries... in a span of two hours.

    Geeez! Not only a beauty but a genius as well!

    I can''t help but click my tongue in praise. Kiralne is quite special. She would have been a perfect ojou-sama if she wasn''t as perverted as this.

    While thinking that I willed the <Acceptance Seal> and <Lesser Empowering Sigil Formation> towards the still clad in mana Kiralne.

    Her mana core finally changed with a beautiful armor-like edges on the smooth globe making it look beautiful yet imposing at the same time. The patterns became even more obvious and also intricately spread around the surface.

    The poisonous film seems to be on the verge of dying out. I was expecting it to get stronger as Kiralne meditated but Kiralne''s comprehension speed is simply too fast. Her stepping into the Arch Knight rank instantly suppressed the poisonous film. She is hiding the fact that she is a genius inside huh?

    I wonder how old Kiralne really is?

    Well, whatever.

    The <Ethereal Seal> attached itself to the mana core with the poisonous film in tow, compressed into a small ball of poison. The <Acceptance Seal> embed itself into the <Ethereal Seal> and the small ball of poison, which was shrinking abruptly stabilized. With the <Ethereal Seal> on one side and the <Acceptance Seal> on the other side small ball of Mana-Binding Viper Poison floated harmoniously on the surface of Kiralne''s mana core, as if it was a part of it.

    The <Lesser Empowering Sigil Formation> also embedded itself onto the area where the poison and the two <Seals> were and also surrounded the ball of poison. Nurturing energy transmitted from the <Sigil Formation> towards the ball and very slowly began strengthened the ball of poison.

    Looks like its a success.

    After I retracted my sight from her mana core, Kiralne also opened her eyes, happiness and excitement visible on her expression. She jumped up with vigor and skipped happily towards me.

    Before she could ask me about what I just did, I simply cut to the chase to got this over with.

    "Hey Kiralne. You already are an Arch Knight right? If so activate your Aura Essence. Don''t hold back." (Krey)

    I no longer have the desolate and blank expressions from before and instead a carefree smile floated on my face. The one that I was used to for a long time.

    "Why?" (Kiralne)

    "Just do it." (Krey)

    Although Kiralne frowned about this request, she still trusted me and activated the Common Divine Art: Aura Essence.

    From her body, refined mana surged out like a wild wave, flooding the entire room and expanding towards the outside, possibly the entire underground cavern. The refined mana was like a powerful yet gentle force, spreading its presence everywhere.

    The refined mana slowly changed to three different types of mana: nature, wind and water. Each with different characteristics. Nature-type mana overflowed with the vitality of nature seemingly declaring that it will always and forever be itself in the endless expanse of reality. The feeling is very soothing, almost lulling anyone to sleep.

    Wind-type mana swirled with gale force. Formless yet strong. Forever free and can never be contained. The sky is its domain and the power of the winds strong and weak will always be there. Always present. Always free and unrestrained.

    Water-type mana was much more reserved yet hidden underneath was a strong power. It can be yielding and fierce depending on the will. Its nature is neither good or bad. It is what it is.

    The mana of an Arch Knight is quite exquisite. This Aura Essence also contained somw of the profound truths and mysteries of nature, wind and water.

    It is an amazing display of Aura Essence. It will be enough to instill weakness on the weaker mana manipulators despite it being a common divine art received at the Senior Warrior and Senior Magus rank.

    "Why do you want me to activate my Aura Essence?" (Kiralne)

    Kiralne still asked me this. Of course I want to see what an Aura Essence of an Arch Level mana manipulator would look like and I must say that it met with my expectations. I''m pretty satisfied with this already but its time for the real thing.

    "To show you who is superior." (Krey)

    I smirked and also prepared to activate my own Aura Essence. This time... with all elements.

    <hr />

    Author Note: Yo! Sorry for being late~ Exams coming up and I''m panicking, cramming all sorta stuff into my head. Teehee~ Well the next chapter will come out on Tuesday next week! This is the 20th chapter~ Hope you enjoyed it~! :)

 Chapter 21: Moving On

    As I have said, I am planning to assert my dominance. There are just some things that cannot be explained through words and this is one of those things. It must not go back to the way it was before. She is currently not a possible threat to me but still a slight detriment. From our interactions, I have noticed that she treats me like a son? or maybe a little brother? She dotes on me a lot, up to the point that I think I might throw up but strangely enough, I find it enjoyable. Its a new and pleasant experience. Though I don''t know why.

    Its probably me being immature... I think.

    But since she dotes on me a lot... she is also very protective. I mean seriously, when she asked me to practice the stances of the glaive, she always asks if I am tired or uncomfortable. Once, I unwittingly answered yes, and the training stopped prematurely. That sucked.

    Then on an occasion where I tried to cook something but ended up with a scalded palm due to a careless mistake, she panicked and tried to look for medicine on her storage ring... which did not work as she had her mana core disabled. I treated my hand with a [Heal] and showed my hand to her but she still did not relent.

    Therefore I was banned from the kitchen, which I built on my own for a month. I think I was eight-years old at that time. A feeling of perplexity slowly grew in me as series of events where she becomes overprotective continuously occurs. Even when we were sparring, I could tell that she was holding back. In the past, I could not have noticed it but the small and mysterious upgrade from Liz as well as my newly created Divine Art: Parallel Thought, which effects are not only to add an additional "mind" but it also increases my perception, thought processing speed, and memory after each breakthrough.

    She was definitely holding back. Her strikes are slow and I could tell that she was rarely aiming for my vitals. She only tries to disable me by sweeping me off my feet or disarming me.

    I kinda feel like I''m being treated like her last family member. Its not disconcerting but it is a weird feeling nonetheless. Still its pleasant somehow. Again I don''t know why.

    Anyway, if she is able to use mana again then there is a slight chance that she might prevent me from doing what I think is necessary to achieve Frelinia''s task. Her restrictive patronizing of me might clash with the usual stupid, impulsive and dangerous decisions that I make, which are very effective on my opinion, and she might strive to stop me. Not that I can blame her. Protecting is a vague concept. It can either be good or bad and her sincerity will only make matters worse.

    She can definitely prove to be detrimental to my plans because she is stronger than before. Well, its a matter of course. I was the one who assimilated the poison with her anyway. She''ll be able to use it by intuition. And I also strengthened the foundation of her mana core while I was at it.

    She is  now stronger than most mana manipulators at her level but it might prove to be difficult to be superior against other Middle-Staged or Late-Staged Grand Knights/Magus that have their own specialties.

    Salratia is boundless after all. Who knows if a divine beast blessed an individual or if a secluded member of a large clan came out of meditation. There are many coincidences that are happening out there.

    And since Kiralne is powerful already, I''m not only worried about the actions that may prove to be unhelpful for me... I''m also worried that she might get conceited or something. Five years of being a cripple mellowed her down a lot and she is very likable-no lovable, Very lovable. But even though she has mellowed, I can tell that she is ashamed and frustrated on the inside.

    Think about it. If a person at the top suddenly fell out from grace, would that person not feel wronged or angry? This is Kiralne''s situation. If she suddenly gain back her power again she''d get arrogant to be able to regain back her dignity. I would not want to see her become arrogant again... wait was she even arrogant?

    Hmm... let me see. I guess she was arrogant before but not overbearing. Maybe its just the pride of an ojou-sama that I can sense from her back then. Even back on Earth, a lot of girls and boys exuded that aura... though they are pathetic in my eyes. Kiralne is definitely more high-class and graceful than them, plus, she is more beautiful and charismatic.

    Well, whatever. I lost track of my objective. Though our relationship is very good, I still don''t have absolute control over her. Not that it is possible to do that but I at least want her to be predictable. I do not want a wild card out in the open. It is very troublesome to deal with those kinds of issues. Therefore I must "tame" Kiralne.

    "Show who is superior? What do you mean?" (Kiralne)

    Kiralne asked me but I did not answer. She displayed a look of questioning and a bit of impatience. I think she is sulking a bit but its very cute. I ignore that question as I faced Kiralne, whose bearing became majestic and is clad in Aura Essence and stated this question instead with a playful tone.

    "Hey, Kiralne. What do you think my rank is now~?" (Krey)

    To my question she look a bit puzzled and even more impatient but she still conceded. She sighed and gave me a long and deep scrutinizing gaze. Told you. She is quite doting. Unnaturally so. Come to think of it, when we first met and I wanted to buy stuff, she did not reprimand me and just sighed and handed me two gold coins. She is soft on the inside.

    "Your rank? I think you are a Senior Magus already. Possibly on the late stage but..." (Kiralne)

    As Kiralne was saying that, she suddenly froze as if she received a shocking revelation. Her eyes widened and her lips trembled. Her Aura Essence flickered, as if it was about to dissipate but it soon became normal again. With her finger she rudely pointed at me and asked in a flustered voice.

    "Init-tial S-staged E-e-e-elder M-magus?! How is that possible?! Clearly you were a Middle-Stage Magus five years ago and should be a Middle-Staged Senior Magus with the help from your master but this is just too ridiculous!!" (Kiralne)

    Good. Good. Yes, be surprised. Step one is done and now to begin step two of taming Kiralne. As Kiralne issued out those words oozing with complete surprise and disbelief, I willed my own Aura Essence to appear.

    Refined mana erupted out of my body, though not as extreme as Kiralne''s as she and I have different ranks. Hers is much deeper and more vigorous than mine. But it doesn''t mean that my refined mana''s explosiveness pales in comparison. We stood there facing each other, though Kiralne is still stupefied and I, a little eager to test myself out.

    Gradually, the clouds of refined mana slowly transformed into nine types of elemental mana. Just like Kiralne''s Aura Essence, they slowly filled the area around me. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Nature, Light, Darkness, Lightning and Destruction.

    In the first place, refined mana is simply raw mana, a jumbled combination of various elemental mana, purified by the mana core into something easily controlled by mana manipulators. One of its purposes is to aid in using elemental mana, a basis of power for mana manipulators.

    Surprisingly they came out in different colors. Usually it would take some time before the refined mana slowly changes into elemental mana. The mists of elemental mana has nine distinct colors around me. Fire is bright red. Water is dark blue. Earth is golden brown. Wind is... colorless? No, its milky white. Lightning is purplish gold. Quite weird actually. Nature is light and subtle green. Destruction is a dark and dense violet. Light is a yellowish silver while Darkness is... well black...-ish. Its dark. Not much to say about the color.

    A multi-colored mist exuded from my body which is in fact, manifested elemental mana.

    Aura Essence is after all a Divine Art that makes use of refined mana and turns it into an elemental mana mist as an enhancement, per say, to raise the mana manipulator''s abilities and power by a lot. A little similar to the Aura Domain but its more powerful than that.

    But it still depends on the mastery of the Divine Art as well as the insights gained by the mana manipulator regarding the Profound Truths and Profound Mysteries of the elements.

    Sensing the collaboration of all the elements in the air, Kiralne sported and even more confounded expression, along with a glint in her emerald colored eyes that contained vague traces of fear but mostly astonishment. Her face is a bit pale but other than that she still kept that speechless bearing.

    After a while, she uttered disbelievingly-

    "Five-no... Seven? No!! I-its all of them!! Nine! All nine elements?! That''s too much! Only the champion of Azaroth has that blessing-" (Kiralne)

    Ignoring that insensible comment that I usually encounter on light novels, I took a step forwards and willed  the surrounding elemental mana... to fuse. Fusing the elements together is another trick towards this Divine Art that needs a lot of insights. Something I have plenty of. Fire first merged with Earth. Even though my Aura Essence has all elements in it, it''s still not enough to match the Aura Essence of an Arch-level mana manipulator. And Kiralne is probably a casual activation. I need to force her to be serious.

    My Aura Essence instantly became more powerful than before. It became more ravenous and thick. Though I can still feel the horrendous pressure of that ridiculous Aura Essence coming from Kiralne, I don''t back down and take another step.

    Soon, Water joined the two fused elements and my Aura Essence went up another level. The colors of red, brown and water no longer repelled each other but they are now mixed together, creating a surreal three-colored cloud around me. Coupled with the other colored clouds, I look a bit funny  if seen from an outsider''s perspective but I''m obviously brimming with power.

    I stared at Kiralne for awhile and said-

    "Come on, Kiralne! This is your big fight in a long time~ Don''t make my efforts in hiding my battle prowess meaningless~" (Krey)

    "Eh... what?" (Kiralne)

    Seriously?! This is supposed to be an epic display of power between the two of us and the other side can''t so shit! I am a bit annoyed at how she is still shocked about what just happened. I am not happy with this unusual indecisiveness of hers. She is acting like a headless chicken!

    "W-wait! This development is too fast isn''t it?! I don''t know where we are going anymore!!" (Kiralne)

    "Tch. Its just an Aura Essence battle. Stop complaining!" (Krey)

    This is not fun anymore. I was hoping she''d go with the flow but I guess its impossible. The power of my tri-elemental combination Aura Essence already matches that of hers, but its not enough. Let''s take it up a notch. I took another step and willed another element, Wind to fuse with the tri-elemental combination and soon the power of my Aura Essence became more ferocious, exceeding that of Kiralne''s. The three-colored clouds became four-colored clouds! They almost drowned out the other elemental clouds but I can still sense the other elements in my area.

    "Fine! You asked for it!" (Kiralne)

    A pleasant response was heard and I got even more excited. Yes, step two complete! Force her to try and stop me. Even if she had doubts about my abilities, she''ll have to compete in full force. It''ll be a hit to her pride after all. Now I must complete the next step and force her to activate her Aura Domain. Then completely overpower it with Aura Essence. Fufufu~. This''ll be the greatest embarrassment for someone of her level.

    As I was rehearsing the plan on my mind, Kiralne did something that is very surprising. The clouds of Aura Essence surrounding her also began... to fuse. Wind an Nature elements fused together and a shocking energy billowed out from her, almost suppressing my own quadra-elemental Aura Essence.

    "Hoh. I guess I''m not the only one to have sufficient understanding regarding the elements." (Krey)

    I lightly smirked and soon understood that she has not yet fully understood the profound truths and mysteries of water. Otherwise, if she did a tri-elemental combination and implement it in her Aura Domain... I''ll have to fuse all elements together to suppress her.

    "*breathing heavily* I''m still not done y''know... Haah..." (Kiralne)

    Kiralne, who was already breathing heavily said defiantly. Good. I''ll crush that resistant will of yours! I think this sadistic thought to myself as she suddenly forced out even more power on her Aura Essence. Moreover, its intensity surpasses mine! Kuuh! I don''t know why but it causes my blood to boil!

    As I withstand with all my current strength, the pressure coming from Kiralne''s Aura Essence, I took another step and willed another element, Lightning to fuse with the quadra-elemental Aura Essence. And with a *boom* the originally solid room began to have cracks all around it. The distance between me an Kiralne is just a meter now.

    Aura Essence doesn''t really affect the surroundings that much as it simply cloaks the mana-manipulators body. Very rarely does it cause external damage in the area... unless the minor pressure coming from the Aura Essence is simply too intense then it will cause damage. My and her Aura Essence are colliding, both trying to gain the upper hand over each other, but it has reached a stalemate.

    Kiralne is still breathing heavily with sweat coming out of her body. She is lightly glaring at me while I give her my carefree smile. Fufu. Fusing elements together can take a toll towards the body and mind if you do not have complete understanding. Hers is probably a forced fusing, supported with a great understanding towards the wind and nature elements. A nice try, but I sincerely hope she''ll use her Aura Domain now. I want to see how powerful it really is!

    As I was about to urge her to let go of her pride and activate Aura Domain when I felt someone pulling my shirt from the back and got surprised. When I looked back, I found a sulky black-haired little girl. Her golden eyes are a little wet and her brows are drooped down. She had a pouting face on and held a part of my shirt. She gazed at me with upturned eyes and said-

    "Krey nii-chan, let big sis Kira rest for a while. She will still receive a backlash from breaking through the Arch Knight rank, don''t you know that? And also, stop throwing lightning at me when you don''t want to talk!" (Liz)

    "Eh? Liz? You''re awake already?" (Krey)

    Hmmm... I''ll have to develop a more effective and non-lethal lightning element spell next time. She''s waking up too fast. Lisana, who was clad in that unruly dragonic mana pleaded to me. She can clad herself with dragonic mana and made something similar to an Aura Essence huh? I wonder what system of strengthening dragons follow?

    But wait... let her rest? But I won''t be able to tame her then! This is a waste of effort on my part if I do so! I want her to unconditionally obey me and this is one of the ways to do it. The other methods would take too long. I won''t be able to play around if I use other methods.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    *sigh* Whatever. Liz wins.

    I willed my Aura Essence to fade away and inquired Liz about the backlash as the colorful clouds around me slowly and quietly disappear.

    "What do you mean "backlash"?" (Krey)

    "Its what you experience all the time Krey nii-chan. You always get a major headache once in a while right? I asked big sis Kira about it and she said that its a backlash you get when breaking through. Except that its different for mages and warriors." (Kiralne)

    "Eh? Warriors get backlashes too?" (Krey)

    Now, this is new. I thought that its only me who get backlashes because of fast breakthroughs but it seems that all mana manipulators get it too. But I really didn''t expect warriors to have them as well. And to think that Liz noticed my breakthroughs. If so then...

    "So what kind of backlash to warriors get?" (Krey)

    I ask Liz when suddenly-

    "Aaaaahhhh!!!" (Kiralne)

    I heard the sound of Kiralne screaming and I turned my head towards her direction. I caught the scene of Kiralne, her Aura Essence flickering and fading, falling powerlessly on the ground. I caught her before she fell with {Telekinesis}. I still can''t carry something with the weight of a ton but my maximum capacity is probably 300 kg. Kiralne is light so it doesn''t really take too much effort.

    "This backlash, Krey nii-chan." (Lisana)

    Liz says as she watched me drag Kiralne over in mid-air with {Telekinesis}. Her golden eyes stared accusingly at me while I scratch my head in confusion.

    "Oookkaay... Now what?" (Krey)

    "*sigh* Krey nii-chan. You made it harder for big sis Kira. Making her expend such effort after breaking through is really harsh." (Lisana)

    Ignore it.

    "Uhuh. So what''s gonna happen to Kiralne?" (Krey)

    I ask Liz while gesturing towards the floating Kiralne, who had her eyes closed. Liz is the one who has the most contact with Kiralne. I basically spent my time meditating and training while Liz and Kiralne played around. Kiralne helps me with training every other time but she mostly spends her time with Liz. They probably have a lot of conversations.

    "When I asked big sis Kira about it, she said that warriors experience something similar to metamorphosis. They''re bodies change and become stronger because of the excess mana flowing to every part of their body. The mana seeps through their cells and strengthens the warrior. They''re appearances might also change during this process." (Lisana)

    "Hmm. Is that so? What should we do now?" (Krey)

    I have no experience with a breakthrough backlashes in regards to warriors and I can''t base the treatments of mages to help Kiralne. That would be stupid. Of course I don''t feel guilty about putting Kiralne through this. Nope. Not at all. I was originally a shameless person on Earth. Old habits, die hard.

    "I don''t know but... Kiralne said that the body of a warrior would be shrouded in a light but... Oooh! There it is!" (Lisana)

    As Liz said, a soft three-colored light was being emitted from Kiralne''s body, covering her entirely. Its like a human-shaped lightshow. Seeing this, I became a bit jealous of warriors. They receive such a cool backlash while we mages have to suffer severe headaches.

    "It''s not like that y''know Krey nii-chan. Throughout the metamorphosis, the warriors experience the searing pain of having their body modified. And they''re conscious the entire time." (Lisana)

    "Eh? How do you know what I was thinking?" (Krey)

    "Its written all over your face Krey nii-chan. Also you''re saying your thoughts out loud." (Lisana)

    Really? I should control my facial expressions a bit. But thinking out loud? I''m pretty sure that I don''t do that sort of thing.

    I willed Kiralne to float towards the exit. I followed after her and Liz, who surprisingly didn''t turn back to her dragon form and walked alongside me.

    I floated Kiralne over to the bedroom and placed her upon her and Liz''s bed. I sat down on my own relatively small bed and turned to Liz who is sitting on her and Kiralne''s bed. *sigh* I have no idea what Kiralne did to her but they are very close. I kinda feel isolated. Something I haven''t felt in a long time.

    "So Liz... how long will this take? (Krey)

    I''m curious on how long this so called "metamorphosis" would take. It''ll suck if it takes too long.

    "It won''t be too long, Krey nii-chan." (Lisana)

    Liz shook her head and gaze at me meaningfully for a moment and said-

    "I want to ask you something, Krey nii-chan. Why did you fight with big sis Kira?" (Lisana)

    Hearing her say that question, I weighed the pros and cons and the possible consequences I''d get if I tell her. Liz is unnaturally smart and she might see through my lies and get angry at me. I shrugged internally and decided to tell the truth.

    "Well, you see Liz..." (Krey)

    And so began the long explanation. I tried my best to say it in a way that would be logical and effective while minimizing the ridiculous points in my actions. I kinda feel like a company worker reporting about the monthly fees to a CEO. Glossing over some mistakes and such.

    Liz listened attentively, with the her eyes shining once in a while. I think it took about an hour to assert my point during, which the three-colored light surrounding Kiralne continued to get brighter. Its a little irritating.

    "Krey nii-chan, you could have just asked nicely y''know? Big sis Kira is quite soft towards us and she might listen to you if you explain your request properly." (Lisana)

    "And if I want her to let me do something dangerous and not stop me? You do know that she is protective of us and she won''t sit back and let me jump into danger." (Krey)

    "Big sis Kira is quite gullible so you just have to tell her a lie and make it believable." (Lisana)

    "And if she saw what I was really doing?" (Krey)

    "Hmm... then try your best not to get caught." (Lisana)

    Such words of wisdom-not! Well at least she didn''t get angry. It would be hard to appeal to her if that happens. I might get the silent treatment for a whole week. Maybe two, if I''m unlucky.

    "Big sis Kira should be done right now." (Liz)

    As Lis said, the three-colored light shrouding Kiralne gradually became dimmer. I got up and went closer to Kiralne. After a few seconds the three-colored light finally died out, revealing Kiralne in all her entirety. With a few surprising changes.

    "Uwaahh... big sis Kira became cuter!" (Liz)

    "I think she became younger..." (Krey)

    Liz exclaimed excitedly with shining eyes while I said a certain fact observantly. Kiralne... became younger looking. She had a mature twenty-year old face that made her look regal and refined in my eyes before but now... her face became softer? No. More innocent. Younger even. Probably in the age of seventeen. Her skin became smoother and had a pinkish glow. Her original blonde hair seemingly became brighter, giving off a healthy sheen. I think she also became shorter and thinner. She was originally 180 cm tall but she is now 170 cm tall. Her arms, legs and torso gave of a feeling of being... weaker for some reason, making her thinner in my perspective.

    A typical body size of a teenage girl.

    "Liz, is this one of the changes during metamorphosis?" (Krey)

    "Un. I think so, Krey nii-chan. It matches with what big sis Kira said." (Lisana)

    I squinted my eyes, immersed in observing for anymore changes that happened to Kiralne. My eyes stopped to a certain part of her body and gave a sigh of relief. At least her chest didn''t get smaller.

    My eyes wondered over to her pointy ears and I had a sudden urge to touch them. I haven''t touched it yet and Kiralne doesn''t let me for some reason. Isn''t this a good chance now? It will fulfil one of my dreams if I do so. Heeding to my urges, I leaned towards Kiralne. She is showing signs of waking up so I move my hand faster and stroked her ear.

    "Hyaan~!" (Kiralne)

    ... Its a bit disappointing. Although its interesting to touch, Kiralne''s ears don''t give of the same addiction as touching Lily''s ears. Oh well. I''ll touch it some more.

    "Hyuu! Kya! Ahn! W-wha..." (Kiralne)

    Kiralne opened her eyes and our gazes met, Then she saw where my hand was and felt something touching her ear. Her face suddenly become red. She sat up and ran away at a speed of sound, leaving a faint afterimage behind. Um... what just happened? I get that she can run that fast because she is a warrior but why did she run?

    "Krey nii-chan... you''re quite audacious aren''t you." (Lisana)

    Liz also had a red face but her golden eyes are glimmering. No, seriously what did I do?

    "Liz, what just happened?" (Krey)

    "Well... big sis Kira told me that for elves, touching or stroking the ears is the same as k-k-kissing... or proposing! Its something sacred for them and is usually done by elf couples!" (Lisana)

    "Oh good! I thought it was something serious! I''m gonna go repair the meditation room." (Krey)

    Whew! I thought I did something bad. I don''t care if its sacred to them. Its just simple skin-ship to me anyway. I hum a carefree tune as I go towards the meditation room, leaving behind a stupefied Liz behind. Now then, should I fix the walls first or re-align the <Sigil Formation>?

    <hr />

    (Third Person P.O.V.)

    In a simple wooden room adorned with some medicinal plants, two figures sat down in a wooden table. The first figure was an old man in thick brown robes. He had a kind face and white flowing hair and beard. Although he is old, he exuded a hearty air, as if he is not impeded by age.

    The second figure was a middle-aged man. He had short blue hair and red eyes and had pointy ears. But it was different from an elf''s. This man is a demon. He wore a magnificent coat and underneath are beautiful robes. The two men sat down in a table together, drinking tea and chatting harmoniously.

    "So how is your family, Arles my boy? I hope the brats are still the energetic critters that I am fond of." (Old Man)

    "Ahaha. Yes, yes of course Lord Turlan. They are both studying in Arles City and are getting along with the rising genius." (Arles)

    The old man, Lord Turlan made an approving nod.

    "Ah yes. Sally was her name was it? To think we missed such a talent five years ago... A shame we didn''t get to meet her master." (Lord Turlan)

    "Yes sir. It seems that her master disappeared five years ago, and she refuses to talk about it. Her friends also benefited from the teachings of her master." (Arles)

    "Mmm. On another note, you are quite the crafty dog aren''t you Arles? To immediately drag her over to our faction must have took some effort didn''t it? Kekeke." (Lord Turlan)

    "Its just my job sir. But..." (Arles)

    The harmonious atmosphere seemed to get dragged down and became dreary. The temperature seemed colder and the room became darker. This is not an exaggeration. Its as if the room is tightly connected to the moods of these two men.

    "...compared to losing Kiralne, what I did was simply adding a drop to an already empty bucket. We''ve lost too much already." (Arles)

    While saying that, Arles sighed in defeat. Lord Turlan also had a solemn air and his face was no longer jolly. In fact, it seemed that he got older in that moment.

    "Nine Grand Soldiers, Seven Grand Magus and one pseudo-Arch Knight... all dead. Lumen Isles Union had hit us hard. Our ''Colonnades'' got reduced by half making this war of ours difficult." (Lord Turlan)

    Arles no longer spoke, and instead was quiet with his head down. A lonely image of a man can be seen when looking at him.

    Lord Turlan sighed, and looked out the window staring at the distance. This room, this house is located at a mountain-top. In fact, it is at the very peak. When one looks out the window, all they can see is the boundless blue sky. The clouds in all their majesty. And monsters capable of flight flying around. It was such a picturesque scene. Yet the old man seemed to see further.

    He looked back at his own tea cup and saw that it was empty. He filled it up with some fragrant tea out of a pot and sipped lightly. He said softly-

    "Kiralne that lass... I miss our usual bantering. A lonely little girl and a lonely old man. *chuckle*" (Lord Turlan)

    While saying that, he closed his eyes then suddenly re-opened them. His face morphed into a mixture of surprise and ugliness. Arles too, seemed to vaguely sense what was going on and hurriedly asked Lord Turlan-

    "Lord Turlan, what is the matter?" (Arles)

    "Somebody broke through." (Lord Turlan)

    He stated blandly. Arles put on a shocked expression and said-

    "What?! But I didn''t sense anything..." (Arles)

    "Its either too weak or too strong for you if so. But this is clearly the mana... of an Arch-level Mana Manipulator. Probably a dog from Lumen Isles Union." (Lord Turlan)

    "There is no other peak late-staged Grand-level Mana Manipulator here in Tolkium Kingdom. It really must be Lumen Isles Union! To think they''re so arrogant to meditate in our land!" (Arles)

    As he said that, a two-colored aura seeped out from his body as he stood up. Ice started to form on the floors and walls.

    Then, Lord Turlan waved out his wide sleeve and a gust of hot wind blew Arles back into his seat. The ice also started to melt.

    "Do not be brash! Immediately contact the sentries in Arles City and put them in high alert! Request help from the other factions as well! " (Lord Turlan)

    "Lord Turlan! The source of that mana..." (Arles)

    "Yes. Its direction coincides with the direction of Arles City is." (Lord Turlan)

    When he heard that, Arles clenched his teeth and ran out of the room. Lord Turlan flicked his sleeve, revealing an old hand. In his bony finger, a storage ring was put on. By his will, a staff made out of white wood with an elegant design appeared in his hand as well as four floating purple gems appeared in his vicinity. They revolved around him and his eyes flashed a cold glow.

    "This old bones would soon lose its purpose... but not before annihilating Lumen Isles Union. You will pay." (Lord Turlan)

    Lord Turlan began to walk towards the door. Light began to congeal in his back and formed a three-colored wings of light. They gave of a noble air yet they seem sinister.

    <hr />

    Author Note: So yeah... I''m super late. I don''t think I''ll put a schedule anymore. I have an incoherent schedule IRL. Really sorry about that. Here is the 21st chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!

 Chapter 22: Leaving the Cavern

    Author Note: I am not dropping this story. It would leave a bad taaste in my mouth. I still have problems in IRL... and hardcore binge-reading and playing MMORPG''s. Sorry about that. I will not drop it but the releases might get better (and by better I mean faster)this summer. I still have classes ( Can you believe that shit? I am suffering here! T_T) for now so it is a bit taxing but vacation is near! Hopefully the ideas I have in my head can be put to good use by then. Anyways, to those who are still reading this story, I thank you for your support.

    <hr />

    "Uwaaaahhhh!?!!! No!! Please don''t burn it!!! I''ll do anything but just don''t burn it!!!" (Kiralne)

    I am sitting on a block of stone while using {Telekinesis} to fiddle a floating object in the air. A book to be exact, filled with details that should not be shown to children. A [Compressed Fireball] the size of my fist is also floating in the air around me. Kiralne is kneeling in seiza, with her hands tied by my Overstone Shackles crying, tears flowing down her face with an expression of despair.

    We are now preparing to leave this underground cavern. Since Kiralne condition has finally stabilized, there should be no more reason to stay here. Except for the fact that I really want to beat up that stupid god. If all gods are like this then I''ll feel sorry for Frelinia. She is a good girl on my opinion.

    While playing with the floating book and fireball with the help of Mind 1, Mind 2 is helping me concentrate on watching Liz. Liz is in her little dragon form, flying towards a pile of magic vegetables. She is holding a clump of magic vegetable, which looks like a carrot. She dropped the carrot towards the pile and flew happily towards the garden.

    Its actually interesting to watch Liz do this kinds of things. It kinda feels like how a parent would feel when watching their child play around. Its a very relaxing activity.

    Following her are golems that also have magic vegetables in their arms, dropping them into the massive pile. Its kinda silly but it makes Liz cuter in my eyes. Its like Liz is playing ''follow the leader''. They are golems that I made from the spell [Stone Golem Creation], belonging to the Manifestation category. They look like the mannequins in department stores except for three things. One, they can move. Two, they are made out of rough grey stone. Three, they have a "core" in the center of their chests. Mind 3 is currently controlling them. Since they are golems made from a spell, I need to be the one to control them as their creator.

    Making constructs are more reliable than this though. I am planning to keep these magic vegetables in my storage ring for future transactions. They are really beneficial for the health of mana manipulators so they will sell well. The storage ring now has the feature of keeping things fresh so I don''t have to worry about the vegetables spoiling.

    I was supposed to be the one picking these vegetables but Liz seems keen on doing the task. So I simply let her.

    "Hey, Kira. Why do you have this thing with you? Are you alright in the head?" (Krey)

    I now address her as Kira. Why? Because she looks like a teenager right now and my mental age is in the 20''s so I subconsciously treat her like someone younger than me. Besides, its easier to call her like this.

    "I won''t tell you until you give me back that book!!" (Kiralne)

    "Oh well. Suit yourself" (Krey)

    Facing her defiant answer, I shrugged and summoned three more [Compressed Fireball] and willed them to revolve around the obscene book.

    Kira''s face became paler and more tears came out of her eyes. My Overstone Shackles are still holding her down, preventing her from standing up and keeping her hands tied. She can break out of her bindings easily but I can just cast an even stronger <Seal> around her and multiply them. She knows that so she simply begs for me to let her off.

    "Do you know what this thing is?" (Krey)

    Kira calmed down a bit but she is still visibly shaken. What''s wrong with you? This is a book with bad influence y''know?

    "That *sniffle* is a book about the Theory of Wind Displacement. *sniffle*  Uuuu... I won that in an auction a few years ago. P-please don''t burn it. I''m still deciphering it. *sniff*" (Kiralne)

    "No. This book must be disposed off. And clearly you have already been corrupted. No wonder a pure elf like you would become a pervert." (Krey)

    "What?!! N-no!! Wuuwuuuu~ *sniff* I r-really worked hard to get that book. *sniffle* Its really important to m-me Please don''t-" (Kiralne)

    "No." (Krey)

    Refusing her request, I burned this evil book with the four [Compressed Fireball]s and watch as the vile aura from the book escape into the air. But before it does, I turned the [Compressed Fireball]s into [Unearthly Frost Flames]. Mutation category. They now look like flickering blue wisp. Except they are cold to the touch. But, they are quite unique. This flame freezes an object then incinerates it from the inside. What''s more, it is very effective against any spiritual targets like the soul, the will or a spell in the Manifestation category. The four clumps of [Unearthly Frost Flames] surrounded that vile aura. Then it gradually began to disappear. In the background, I can hear someone screaming. Two people actually. The first is that vile aura. Its a disturbing screech of anger, kinda creepy. The second is Kira, who is crying even more hysterically.

    I ignore her for awhile, assembling my thoughts. Liz looked at us, hear little dragon head tilted in puzzlement. Then after a flash of dragonic mana, Liz turned back into her human form and went over to Kira, consoling her. Kira then hugged Liz, sobbing on her small chest.

    ''Krey nii-chan. You could have just burnt it while she wasn''t looking y''know? She might get traumatized.'' (Lisana)

    ''She''s a hundred and thirty-seven years old. She''ll get over it.'' (Krey)

    ''You do know that big sis Kira has an unusual attachment to that book right? Ever since big sis Kira had the poison removed from her body, she took out that book and read it for a long time didn''t she?'' (Lisana)

    ''It''s better to remove the threat as early as possible. The Will Bestowal on that book is too strong and too malicious. It has already seeped into her consciousness, eroding her will slightly. Its a bad thing for her. Anyway I leave Kira to you.'' (Krey)

    ''Whatever you say, Krey nii-chan~'' (Lisana)

    Lisana shrugged happily, leaving me be.

    Seriously. Who owns this stuff? The book has traces of a strong will. A malicious will at that. It must be an expert on Will Bestowal. Here in Salratia, the saying "If there''s a will, there''s a way" is taken to a whole new level. Will is not a spiritual thing. IT is literally one of the factors that determines the strength of the person. It is the only other thing that can bend the laws of physics and reality other than mana.

    A will that affects reality is a form of Will Bestowal. Usually, a Will Bestowal as damnable as this would be tracked down by mana manipulators immediately. But this thing is well-hidden, even I didn''t noticed it while it was in Kira''s storage ring. Only by chance did I notice something peculiar about the book when I saw a fanatic gleam in Kira''s eyes as she read it. I really want to meet the person who did this. As knowledgeable I am in magic, Will Bestowal is another art that I would gladly partake in. It''s like a better version of Rune Enchanting. The other two arts are alchemy and blacksmithery.

    "Uuuwwwaahh~!! *sniffle**sniffle*Uuuuuuu...wuwuwu" (Kiralne)

    "There, there, big sis Kira." (Lisana)

    Liz patted Kira''s head while I directed the golems to continue their work. After half an hour, the golems finally gathered all the magic vegetables and I put them all in my storage ring. Kira fell asleep on Liz''s arms, mentally exhausted. Hmmm... so a warrior has great physical strength but overshadows mental strength while a mage is the opposite of that. Good to know.

    I told Liz about what I think happened to Kira. It was when I finished "sparring" with Kira, I explained to her about my powers. Of course I had to explain it properly towards her who was so shocked that she froze for a full minute. After a long time, I ended with the explanation, ''I am a Dual Champion. A Champion of Frelinia and Azaroth.'' Fortunately, I didn''t have to explain anything about Liz. She was smitten by her adorableness. So its fine.

    Then we went back to our "normal" lives. Well, at least it was supposed to be like that, until Kira took out that book. At first glance it was really a book about the theory of Wind Displacement, a supposed profound mystery of the wind element. Technically it is false, because it is a profound truth not a mystery. If it was a profound mystery, only the author would be able to understand it.

    Then, I looked into Kira''s eyes out of habit and saw a different gleam in her eyes. Slight fanaticism and insanity. I recognized that because I usually see that kind of gleam when I look in the mirror. Then I observed her book closely and sensed the nasty atmosphere around the book. Hence, the situation devolve into the issue earlier.

    Although she could have broken through her bindings with enough effort, the Kiss of Vow prevents her from doing so. She is not allowed to hinder me and she must protect me. Those were one of the conditions in her vow. Meaning, I could basically make her do anything I want and she will have to obey. The earlier issue of her abducting me is part of a loophole in her vow.

    Very sneaky, even I didn''t noticed it at first. Anyway, I told Liz that Kira''s will has been eroded by the Will Bestowal. I really want to learn from this expert. It looks fun. Unfortunately, Liz is against it.

    "Krey nii-chan we have to find that person and make that person suffer for hurting big sis Kira!" (Lisana)

    Liz said that while a ferocious gleam lit up in her golden eyes. She is gnashing her teeth, while supporting Kira who has fallen asleep on Liz''s small lap. Okay. Her total sleep count has finally exceeded the five thousandth mark. I make that note inside of my head while watching Liz throw a cute tantrum.

    "Krey nii-chan, where can we find that person? I will definitely tear that person apart and feast n his flesh!" (Lisana)

    "Now, now Liz calm down. We''ll definitely catch him later but now we should leave okay? I still have other things to do." (Krey)

    While scared on the inside about Liz''s word, I made a light smile appearing to disregard what Liz said and told Liz to prepare for departure.

    "Hmph! Fine." (Lisana)

    Liz pouted cutely before urging me to carry Kira. I did as she said and finally, Liz coated herself with dragonic mana and transformed to her big dragon form.

    "Wow, huge..." (Krey)

    Liz''s big dragon form took a lot of space in the underground cavern. After gawking for a few seconds, I shrugged once more, giving a carefree smile and levitated myself and Kira using {Telekinesis}. I set down on Liz''s head and ask Liz a question that I am really curious about.

    ''Liz, if you are saying that you want to punish the person that hurt Kira, why do you not hate me?'' (Krey)

    I can tell that Liz and Kira are very close. She should at least have a little bit of dissatisfaction towards me for my actions right? I''ve literally committed a lot of bad acts against Kira as revenge for what she did to me five years ago. Yet I do not sense any hatred coming from her.

    ''Krey nii-chan is the best person in the world.'' (Lisana)

    Liz telepathically said to me with confidence, as if stating the truth about the world.

    ''Before I hatched, inside my egg, I was awake and conscious the whole time. For a very long time, I was all alone. I could not cry nor could I move. It was very lonesome in my egg.'' (Lisana)

    As she said that, she gave off a low growl and with a flap from her large wings, we flew towards the big hole at the ceiling of the cavern. I ignored the small details like the wind force and occasional zig-zags that Liz''s large body could barely squeeze through and listened to Liz.

    ''After I hatched, the first thing I saw was you. My instincts told me that you were a threat but you told me that you want to take care of me. That... was the happiest moment of my life.'' (Lisana)

    Liz said dreamily while I prevented myself from retorting that she had only lived for five years. My sharp tongue might ruin the atmosphere.

    ''Anything that Krey nii-chan does is right. I know Krey nii-chan will not stray from his path. I could see it in your eyes Krey nii-chan. No matter what you do, in my heart I will always support you.'' (Lisana)

    ''Is that so?'' (Krey)

    I replied vaguely while searching for something good to wear in Kira''s storage ring. Ah good! There are also black clothes here. With this, my set is complete. I laughed crudely while not noticing the small sigh coming from Liz as we flew towards the surface.

    <hr />

    (Lord Turlan P.O.V.)

    By the devils of Fulskha! What in blazes are those idiots plotting?! An Arch-level Mana Manipulator in our borders and they give such reasons not to come!? Curse those infidels!! I might even die early thanks to those bastards. *sigh* Forget it. I''ll take matters into my own hands.

    My old hand is slightly trembling while reading this stupid excuse of a response in the form of a letter. Rune Enchantments have been placed beforehand so that the only ones who are able to read what is inside is me and me alone. I stroke my beautiful beard to calm myself down and turned my gaze to one of my confidantes, Filly.

    This girl is the one I assigned to look after Kiralne... and to hopefully bring her to my side. Unfortunately, that lass is as stubborn as a Gurindis, giving me endless headaches. Well, at least they had a good friendship... while it lasted.

    Filly is an Elder Adept, possessing two elemental affinities, earth and nature. She is a beastman, a Rabbitkin to be exact, and the few competent people under my command.

    "Filly, make haste and deliver my commands to these three individuals: Arles, Halendoth and Daniel. Tell them to mobilize all of our Elder-level mana manipulators. The other lords will not come. We have to deal with this problem ourselves." (Lord Turlan)

    "Yes, milord!" (Filly)

    Her rabbit ears which were rested behind her head immediately stood erect in response to my order. She bowed down before rushing out of the tent, in which I have settled in. I massage my temples before sitting down in a chair and summoning four Crystals of Tahlkes from my storage ring.

    This were the magic items that I painstakingly developed to be of aid to me. These four floating purple crystals are made of a nearly indestructible material called Manatite. No one actually knows how this material is formed but we Mana Manipulators can sense an terrifying amount of mana in these materials. Unfortunately, we cannot harness it but these stones are already a good conduit for our spells and skills.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I willed the crystals to surround me, positioning themselves in the four directions. I got out of my chair and prepared to walk out of this gaudy tent. *sigh* Such a waste of materials. If they wanted to put in decorations, put them on the cities instead. I grumble inwardly and was about to open the tent flaps when someone abruptly entered.

    Of course I already know who it is. Only four people under my command are allowed to enter the Commander''s tent. The other three are away on a mission and only Filly should be present. And it really is Filly.

    Her rabbit ears are once again rested on her head, while I can see faint signs of panic on her face. Worried, I asked her what''s wrong.

    "Filly what is the matter? Have you already delivered my commands to them?" (Lord Turlan)

    Of course that is impossible. Our camp is about a day away from the forest of the Magic Mountain Range, where I sensed the faint mana waves of a breakthrough. Although we could use some magic items or make use of spells to contact these people, it still would not be that fast. The only way to inform them is to directly head over to their location. What''s more we don''t have those kinds of things here. This is a hastily assembled coalition, to prepare against the enemy.

    Even if I, a Middle-Staged Archmagus is here, I''m the only Colonnade present within ten miles that represents Tolkium Kingdom. It will not be funny if I am ambushed by a a group of Colonnades due to my carelessness.

    "U-um its- well... its c-can um...." (Filly)

    She is clearly disgruntled. Holding the hem of her dark mantle while constantly fidgeting. She has an expression of unease and uncertainty, which worries me.

    "Um its... where can I find them?" (Filly)

    "...Huh?" (Lord Turlan)

    "W-well you see, I was on vacatio- no, I mean I was having a holid-sorry. I was recently working in the Bunny Point Inn and I am not really well-informed about the nobles. How should I contact them?" (Filly)

    Towards those words uttered by Filly, I almost fell over and cough up blood due to stress. Luckily, I am used to stress and gazed coldly at Filly, not approving of her words. So she treated that assignment as a vacation did she? I should cross out the ''competent'' evaluation I gave her later. Are my subordinates getting lazy now? I must be treating them too kindly. Their brains are already equivalent to that of the slimes. I''ll have to discipline them swiftly. I silently took out my staff from the storage ring and approached Filly, my eyes flashing with murderous intent...

    A few hours later...

    "Thirty-seven Elder Adepts and fourteen Elder Magus have been sent by Archduke Arles, Duke Halendoth and Marquis Daniel altogether Lord Turlan. Unfortunately, they cannot send anymore capable mana manipulators. They apologize for their inadequacy." (Filly)

    "Hmmm... It is fine. Go back to your post." (Lord Turlan)

    "Yes sir." (Filly)

    I watch Filly, who has multiple swollen bumps on her head leave the tent, allowing me to assemble my thoughts. This number of people are barely enough to activate the Sigil Formation. I just hope that they are only a few of them in the Magic Mountain Range. If there are more than five Colonnades over there, then the casualties among the coalition will definitely be huge.... *sigh* Such a headache. Why are we still fighting among ourselves. Internal conflict, how laughable. I stroked my beard once more before sensing a faint fluctuation of mana in the direction of the Magic Mountain Range.

    Solemnly, I summoned my staff and willed the Crystals of Talhkes to surround me once more. I activate my Aura Wing Technique and three-colored transparent pair of large wings materialized on my back.

    With experienced movements, I flew out of the tent through the roof, blowing away the tent in the process due to the speed of my flight. After a short burst, I looked down to see a clustered group of tents along with the small figures of mana manipulators. I''m probably 2000 meters up in the air, about the height of the average mountain. The sun is almost setting, creating an orange backdrop in the horizon.

    I looked of into the distance to stare at the distant Magic Mountain Range... or what''s left of it. The airspace around this former Mountain Range seemed more dangerous than the airspace away from it. The originally picturesque mountain range is now a wasteland wrought with destruction. The gigantic mountains that dotted have been reduced to miserable piles of rubble. Destruction-type mana has long been seeded into this place. It is very dense, clouds of destruction-type mana hung in the air around the craters.

    Even the land itself has been poisoned, no longer was it the vibrant brown and gentle green it usually was but it is now a malicious shade of violet. Among the elements, Destruction is the most dreaded and feared. Unlike the other elements which can provide benefits for the people, Destruction as the name implies only brings about devastation. Luckily, its profound truths and profound mysteries are very difficult to fully comprehend. Only a minuscule few have the chance to truly make use of it, even if one has the destruction affinity.

    Although I''ve seen this scene a lot of times, I can''t help but take in a cold breath, watching this astonishing scene of desolation. The Magic Mountain Range, one of the five wonders of the Tolkium Continent, is only a shadow of its former self. Only a third of the mountain range is left. The forests have long since withered, only dust remains. A barren wasteland. It has been like this for five years.

    We still do not know who was the cause of all this. It may very well be an expert at the Saint level, or maybe even beyond that! What''s more, this expert has great insights towards the profound truths and mysteries of destruction. The lord of the Magic Mountain Range must be fuming now. But it doesn''t concern us that much. As long as that thing doesn''t bother our kingdom, then the Great Ancestor won''t do anything to him.

    I swept my gaze around this wasteland and spotted a figure in the distance, also in mid-air. I raised my guard and prepared my spells. I have a feeling that this figure is a real danger. I carefully scrutinized the blurry figure, covered by fog that has built up over the years. Gradually, I found something strange about this figure. It is huge and not humanoid in shape, but edging to the animal side.

    After a few moments, the fog made out of destruction-type mana residue cleared up, and what I saw made my expression turn graver. It was over sixty meters long from the base of the tail up to the snout and twenty meters tall. Dark and domineering scales covered its massive body. Its spine was lined by horrifying and sharp spikes all the way to the thick tail. The tip shaped like a spearhead but more jagged, giving off the impression that this things was not meant for killing but for tormenting.

    Black leathery wings spanning up to a hundred twenty meters flapped strongly, strong winds forming around them. Strong legs and talons hung in mid-air. The joints also have spikes protruding out, like an overgrown bone, except it was an obsidian color giving off the impression that these spikes are not as fragile as they seem. The head was symmetrically triangular, big dark horns, a gigantic sharp frill in the neck and sharp teeth. Bright red patterns lined its ginormous body.

    What was really eye-catching was those eyes. Golden eyes. It was enchanting yet also domineering. It made one confused whether to be mesmerized or back away.

    It was a dragon.

    This made me drastically alarmed. The mana fluctuation was probably caused by this dragon. I am not sure whether this dragon is a lesser dragon or a high dragon but it appearing in these barren lands is not a good sign.

    Destruction-type mana is absolutely horrendous, literally destroying anything it touches. Fortunately, this was not imbued with the will to completely destroy, otherwise the damages to the surroundings would be far worse than it is now. But clearly that dragon is fine, making it possible that this dragon has an affinity for destruction. The dragon race is a very powerful race.

    Although dragons also follow the path of mana manipulation, the same as we warriors and mages, they are more powerful than us. Even an Elder-level dragon can go head to head with an Archknight or an Archmagus. And that is if it is a lesser dragon. An Elder-level High Dragon may be able to dominate even those in the Saint level!

    But... a Lesser Dragon is far more dangerous than a High Dragon. High Dragons are intelligent and are reasonable. They don''t wantonly slaughter and only idle around in their territory. Solitary and peaceful type of dragons. But there are very few of them.

    Lesser Dragons on the other hand, though they are also few in number, they still have a greater numbers than the high dragons. Theses dragons are acting based on their instincts, animals in a single word. They cannot be reasoned with and will attack if provoked. Fortunately, some lesser dragons are docile but it highly relates to their elemental affinity. Those who have the destruction affinity tend to lean more in the aggressive and violent side. The same goes with High Dragons.

    Seeing this dragon here confirms one thing. It is a dragon with an affinity for destruction. To survive and not be bothered by the dense destruction-type mana, it has to be that. But there is also one likely reason but it is just a legend, a myth to be exact. No one knows if those kinds of dragons still exist. Those legendary existences might have existed long ago but they are undoubtedly gone now.

    Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I prepared to fly closer when suddenly-

    ''Fellow expert, we are only passing by. We do not harbor ill will. Please stand aside.''

    -I received an Aura Transmission. Aura Transmission is a divine art that can be practiced by anyone so as long as they reached the Arch level or have great understanding towards this divine art. It needs great control of refined mana to allow one''s voice to travel in a single line towards a certain destination. I vaguely sensed that the Aura Transmission came from the direction of the dragon.

    Clearly, it was not the dragon who sent this Aura Transmission. The voice sounded young but very mature. I could not easily tell if it was a man or a woman. On top of the dragons''s head, I can see a person sitting cross-legged, a mask covered that person''s face. It didn''t have any designs, it was purely black with two holes for the eyes. Mana manipulators generally have good bodies. With my eyesight, I could see bright blue eyes staring calmly at me. But, I have the strange feeling that the gaze was not really meaningful. That person had black hair and wore black clothes. Black coat, black robes, black pants, black straps, black boots and black mask.

    If it wasn''t for that Aura Transmission, I would have assumed that this person was a part of the enormous dragon. I breath a sigh of relief. It looks like that person is controlling the dragon. There is no need to worry about a rogue dragon anymore. Furthermore, this person is actually capable of Aura Transmission despite being at the Elder level. This person must have an impressive background or incredibly talented. This person was actually quite small for an average adult. But I could not tell really clearly due to the distance if he/she was really small but that person has a relatively thin figure.

    Calming my thoughts for awhile, I used Aura Transmission to transmit my voice towards that person.

    ''I am afraid that it is not possible fellow expert. You are within the borders of the Tolkium Kingdom and  must be subjected to questioning. Please do not resist.'' (Lord Turlan)

    I am not worried about him in general, rather I am worried about the dragon beneath him. The dragon is the biggest threat for now and I do not know whether this person is related to Lumen Isles Union. Letting a suspicious person like him go is a stupid act. I must be certain if he really does not pose a threat or wishes harm upon the kingdom. But I still don''t know if that person is a mage or a warrior. Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between warriors and mages. The black-robed figure was silent for a while making the atmosphere tense.

    ''Filly, prepare the Godrealm Sigil Formation. Be as discreet as possible. I am currently near the Magic Mountain Range, about two miles from the camp. Assemble the coalition.'' (Lord Turlan)

    I sent an Aura Transmission toward Filly asking her to come. The dragon should be at least the Archmagus level. The mana fluctuation from a breakthrough probably came from this dragon. I have to hold them here.

    <hr />

    Now then, what will you do child...? Will you follow the path of a saint or a devil? Bearing the burden of three divine beings on your shoulders. Will you stand strong or fall like those before you...?

    The other gods have separated like the fools they are.Your patron won''t be able to protect you while she is away. Until that time, I will be watching.

    A soul such as yours is hard to find... and yet so easy to make use of. But I wonder? Is your heart like the foolish heroes of the gods or the vehement fiends of Salratia?

    No matter. You shall fall in my clutches soon ... and that will be the day the other gods will realize their mistake.

    <hr />

    Another Author Note: Hope you enjoyed it~ Still binge-reading ATG and MGA by the way.

 Chapter 23: Understanding

    ''And how is she right now?'' (Krey)

    I find myself in a serious yet laughable predicament that is somehow messing with my usual pace. I am speaking with an old man, which resembles Gandalf a lot except for the wings and the four floating pieces of Manatite surrounding him, using Aura Transmission while also talking with Liz through telepathy.  The problem does not lie with the old man but Liz and Kira.

    In my head, an image of the human form Liz appeared. Its a new and very interesting feature of the telepathy between me and Liz. I am currently sitting down on top of Liz''s huge head. Liz''s massive body is kept afloat by her large pair of leathery wings... and Liz said that she is still growing. I don''t know what size she will actually reach but it would be a really bad joke if she reaches the height of Godzilla. I don''t want my little sister to join the ranks of the Kaijuus.

    The Liz in my mind moved her lips and began answering my question.

    ''Not really good but she''s getting better. Although she keeps murmuring, "So Krey really hates me that much huh? *sniffle* But that was just a simple joke I made years ago... *sniffle* Uuuwwu... Liz''s frills *sniffle* Uuu..". Hehe, so Big sis Kira was actually just joking with you Krey nii-chan. Yet you actually hated her for it. She is really shocked right now. Just leave her alone for awhile, it will settle soon. But I wonder, is my frill such a comfortable space to be in?'' (Lisana)

    Liz made an expression of amusement and gave me an advice that I''m not sure I can follow. I want to hit my head atop Liz''s skull but it might hurt Liz so I won''t. My mind is a mess trying to decide which one is at fault, me or Kira. I really, really, REALLY just want to dump all of my problems on Kira and blame her for what happened between us but I know when not to cross the delicate line. A person can only be shameless at the right time. Now is not the right time.

    ''Oh crap... this is troublesome. I''ll properly apologize after she settles down.'' (Krey)

    In fact I don''t really want to apologize. Unfortunately the scene of Kira shaking, tears coming out of her eyes in large drops, face ashen has been deeply imprinted in my mind. Sometimes, I wish that mages didn''t have perfect memory. Now the memory of me making a girl will occasionally show up in my train of thought along with other bad memories. Damn it, and her looking like a teenager just racks up the guilt points inside me.

    ''Ufufufu. You are so childish Krey nii-chan. From my understanding of your society''s laws, engaging in any sexual activities without the consents of both parties are frowned upon. What big sis Kira did was simply stare at your naked body for a while before moving on yet you actually misunderstood it. Despite giving off the feeling of a mature person, Krey nii-chan is actually very inexperienced. Oh, now Big sis Kira is squirming in a space behind my frill. Hya- it tickles!'' (Lisana)

    Oi oi oi, who said I am inexperienced! I have a multitude of experiences! I''ve worked on a lot of part-time jobs! Heck, I even perform assassinations! Who are you to say I am inexperienced! I simply don''t have friends okay! Its troublesome to always keep the status quo with them.

    ''Hey! What the hell are you going on about now?! I admit that it was my mistake for jumping into conclusions but it is also Kira''s fault for making me misunderstand and acting perverted all the time! And what''s up with your tone of speech? Where did my cute and lovable Liz go?!'' (Krey)

    Yeah! Why do you sound like a mischievous brat all of a sudden?! Do you have mood-swings? Multiple personalities? First you have the cheerful little sister mood. Then the gloomy serious business girl mood. Now you have mischievous and cunning mood. I don''t know you anymore!

    ''Alright, I''m sorry Krey nii-chan~ I won''t tease you anymore~But you should really reflect on your actions Krey nii-chan. Although I don''t really care about what you do, Big sis Kira is important to us, so you must do your best in appeasing her! Ahaha, that tickles~!'' (Lisana)

    ''*sigh* I know, just let me talk with our little friend here for a moment.'' (Krey)

    ''Whatever you say, Krey nii-chan~'' (Lisana)

    I finally escaped the pressure of being scolded by Liz... well I wasn''t really being scolded but it still weighs on the mind. Although Mind 3 is the one handling that conversation, it still affects me very much. To make the long story short, Kira woke up and first thanked me for severing the Will Bestowal on her psyche then complained about my rough treatment of her. Then I told her the reason why I was like that to her. And then she got shocked and shakily explained what really happened back then on the inn five years ago. This in turn gave me a huge surprise and a very heavy and painful feeling engulfed my chest. I realized that this was guilt. Now Kira is resting somewhere on Liz''s frill, sulking and occasionally weeping which I can hear and makes my heart feel like it is being squeezed. Man, this is really troublesome.

    It has been a long time since I felt this... vexed? ashamed? stupefied? *sigh* This is really one of the drawbacks of constantly being in contact with other people. I miss the days that I am alone in my apartment. Just reading light novels and manga, watching various documentaries, surfing the net for new part-time jobs, doing household chores, making new and effective toxins and poisons to use for the rare assassination jobs that I occasionally receive, cleaning and fixing my tortur-*cough* "interrogation kit" and the like.

    Haaahhh... that was blissful. Building up relationships is really hard. Although I can talk to people really well, I always put up a mental wall between me and them. It is like I see them as something unreal, something for my amusement and comfort. Kira and Liz are probably two of the four people I can treat as someone I have a relationship with and people I care

    for. Although there are some issues with Kira, I do genuinely consider her as someone important to me.

    Fuuhh... why do people seek companionship anyway? I really just want to be alone but some part of me yearns to be with other people. This is quite annoying. I do not like it if I can''t even control my own urges. My favorite time is when I''m alone, but unfortunately my ''special'' connection with Liz and Kira never lets me be alone. Although I can be alone, I can never be truly alone. The mark in my forehead allows me to sense where Kira is and Liz... well she''s always talking to me in my mind.

    Facing the contradicting opinions I make, I can only shake my head and throw that issue in the back of my mind and concentrate on talking to the old man. Of course as a mage, whole focusing on one thing is our forte.

    Let''s get back to talking with the old man. We are still facing each other high up in the air. Since I don''t know what his name is, I''ll just call him Gandalf-san in my mind.

    Now then what are you planning Gandalf-san? Why the heck are there people riding monsters here at top speed? Although I am sitting here on Liz''s head more than two-thousand meters up in the air, my Aura Sense can still reach up to a radius of four kilometers. Normally, Elder-level Mana Manipulators''s Aura Sense''s range can only reach up to half a kilometer, one kilometer if one is talented, but since utilizing this Common Divine Art highly depends on the control of mana, no one can beat me in that field. Except probably for the gods... and some other exceptional people.

    I know that two kilometers away from here, a large group of seventy-six Elder-level Mana Manipulators are heading at our location. Half of them are riding some peculiar mounts. There are some that look like lizards except that they have crystals for scales... it kinda looks like a lump of diamonds from far away. Others are horses except for the purple gleam on their coats. And some look like ostriches... except that they are on fire. No not like a phoenix that is made out of entirely flames, but more like the pokemon, Torchic. Well there are only seven of them there. The ones riding them probably people with an affinity with the fire element.

    The others that are not riding the mounts are running. Seriously running. Based on the speed of the mounts, I think they are rushing here at speeds of sixty kilometers per hour. The ones running are probably warriors and the ones riding the mounts are mages. I now realize the painful truth that mages are physically weak. Well what about me then? I have a very good physique that even Kira praised so am I an abnormality? I don''t know if its because Frelinia modified me or because I''m her champion but its fine since it is helpful.

    Now then, why are they heading here? Surely Gandalf-san will explain. Why? From our conversation through Aura Transmission earlier, his alignment is of the Tolkium Kingdom. And the group heading here are carrying flags that have the device of Tolkium Kingdom emblazoned on it. Its a silhouette of a book being surrounded by various weapons, essentially forming a circular wall of weapons around it. Quite weird but hey, who am I to judge? I am not stupid. Them coming over here are related to Gandalf-san over here.

    Okay, let''s ask nicely for now.

    ''Fellow expert, are the people coming here your subordinates?'' (Krey)

    I was told by Kira that this is how Mana Manipulators address each other if they do not know each other''s names. Sometimes even though they already know their names, they''d still add "fellow expert" before the name. I am seriously tempted to say "Fellow Daoist" like the characters do in the xianxia stories I read but its counterproductive. Hell, they might not even understand what Daoist means.

    Gandalf-san had his old face twitch for a moment before replying.

    ''Why yes, fellow expert. They will serve as our entourage. I hope that fellow expert will heed my request to follow me into a city.'' (Gandalf-san)

    ''I am terribly sorry fellow expert but I have other businesses to attend to. I hope you don''t take offense for this but I can assure you that I have no intention of being an enemy of the Tolkium Kingdom'' (Krey)

    Although I can achieve my objectives if I do follow Gandalf-san, I still don''t trust him. Trust is very hard to earn and if I make a mistake, it might endanger Liz. The objectives given to me is 1.) to take care of Liz and 2.) to make a foothold or a foundation in this world. Although Liz has already hatched and has a better chance of surviving that way its not really a good reassurance. Her strength of a late-staged Grand-level Mana Manipulator is helpful to me, but there are still many things that can endanger her. I trust Liz since I can tell that she is smarter and saner than me but I still have my own values... though they might be wrong but I still trust my values no matter how twisted they be.

    My first and foremost job is to follow Frelinia''s requests, and taking care of Liz is the one of them, and much more important than getting integrated in Salratia.

    Now then the issue with making a foothold. It is better to be in a position of power in one of the factions in Salratia. Kira has some connections with the nobles in the Tolkium Kingdom so I reckoned that aligning myself with Tolkium Kingdom would be rational. My first plan was to become an adventurer and step by step, slowly build up strength and reputation. But it changed when I met Kira, so my plans had to be redesigned on the drawing board. I was even dragged by Kira to begin champion training in the Magic Mountain Range which ended up with me being trapped... how sad.

    By the way, giving the instruction manual to Sally was part goodwill, part curiosity about her mysterious background (rare affinity sealing), and part directing attention towards her and her friends. Although I want to be in a position of power, I don''t want too much attention so I had Sally test out the waters. Of course if something bad happens to them, even I''d feel bad so I specifically wrote a lot of advice for Sally on how to handle any problematic situation that might occur. Its a bit irresponsible I know, but I had a gut feeling that Sally would be fine so things should be alright.

    Now Kira has connections with the nobles. That''s what she said. The problem is that the connections that Kira made... I still don''t know will be useful after her five-year disappearance. According to my inferences, there might have been a large-scale assassinations of Colonnades in the Tolkium Kingdom by Lumen Isles Union and there is a 70% chance that all of them succeeded, placing Tolkium Kingdom in a sorry state.

    Since Kira disappeared for five years, she might have been presumed as dead. I don''t really know what the attitudes of the nobles are, what they will do when they find out Kira is still alive and is much more powerful than before, and if they will try to send her out in the battlefield. So its better to investigate the nobles that she has a connection with secretly before coming to a judgement.

    Ally with other factions? Nope. Here in the East, the alleged superpowers are Tolkium Kingdom and Lumen Isles Union. The other kingdoms are simply there thanks to the insistence of Tolkium Kingdom to let them exist. Otherwise, Lumen Isles Union might have swallowed them all up. Lumen Isles Union is a no-go. One reason is that it has an unstable cohesion between the various species and I am highly doubtful that it would be a good place to be in. Two, the demon girl is there. She probably survived since she was also caught up in that membrane of Divine Mana that the protected us from the stupid god''s death ball. Although Destruction-type mana is dangerous, there are surely experts that can cure her there and she will definitely survive.

    I''m counting on the chance that she became crazy or had some sort of trauma from the experience in Magic Mountain Range, but that''s a bleak kind of hope. The danger that she possesses is fatal to me since she saw my face and although it can be solved with wearing a mask, there is a risk of her exposing my ''false identity'' which are in some ways worse than my real identity. I supposed I did dig my own grave when I bluffed that way because of her daydreaming issues with Saint-level Mana Manipulators. I tend to follow the flow in times of pressure.

    So my plan is to stay here in Tolkium Kingdom, observe the state of affairs then make a move to instantly get a position of power in the Tolkium Kingdom. If that fails, my back-up plan... I think I''ll have to rely on Sally if that happens. I hope she finished reading the entire book I gave her. Otherwise the hidden message won''t be transmitted to her.

    ''Ahaha. That won''t do fellow expert. Please do stay here for a while'' (Gandalf-san)

    Gandalf-san gave a good-natured laugh and denied my request.

    ...

    Somehow I''m finding Gandalf-san annoying right now. I''m seriously tempted to refer to him as ''Geezer'' but let''s calm down first. I was about to respond to him but something that showed in my Aura Sense made me turn quiet.

    Hohh... so this was your plan was it, Gandalf-san? Ufufu. I am quite angry right now. Trying to buy time until our ''entourage'' arrives are you? The large group is already half-a kilometer away from us and will be arriving shortly. We should have left long ago. Next time, I¡¯ll think twice about wasting time chatting with old people

    ''Fellow expert... why are your subordinates forming the "Godrealm Sigil Formation"?''

    Godrealm Sigil Formation. One of the Sigil Formations that I can''t use on my own. And one of the relatively powerful offensive Sigil Formations.  It is composed of ''foundations'' to support the ''core''. These ''foundations'' are Mana Manipulators who needs to be at the Elder-level and has Sigils embedded on their mana core. The Sigils are temporary of course. The ''core'' is also a Mana Manipulator, except it is better for them to be a tier higher than the foundation. The core is probably Gandalf-san. This is really bad.

    Gandalf-san became silent and expressionless. I myself became silent as well. We stared at each other, both hiding the increasing hostile intents in our eyes but it seems to be useless. For what seemed like an eternity, finally, one of us made a move.

    Its not me of course.

    Gandalf-san... The old man suddenly sent one of his Manatite hurtling towards us and from his mouth I can hear chanting. I don''t bother to listen to him and prepared to intercept the Manatite with one of my spells. Suddenly, I realized what he was planning to do and said to Liz in a fluster-

    ''Liz, back away!! Now!!!'' (Krey)

    ''What?'' (Lisana)

    Oh fuck it Liz, stop dilly-dallying!

    ''Fly away now!!!'' (Krey)

    As I screamed this to her, I levitated myself off of her head and summoned Geheimnis Kaiser out of my storage ring. I flew towards that Manatite, preparing to place a Seal on it but I was a tad too slow.

    "Resplendent flames that burns in the Fields of Fulshka, do my bidding and erase those who stand against me! Reduce them into nothingness! [Ifrit''s Inferno]!" (Old Man)

    As I hear the final verses of his chanting, the Manatite that was heading towards us suddenly gave of a bright light and a gigantic cluster of purple flames, even bigger than Liz herself appeared in my midst. It was a bizarre kind of flame as it had a horrendous aura about, and is probably much much hotter than the flames of my basic spell [Compressed Fireball].  Liz already flew away at that time but she is still near enough to help me, yet far enough to keep out the blast range.

    "Krey nii-chan, let me help you!" (Lisana)

    "No! Keep out of this fight and don''t tell Kira about what''s happening here. Fly below us and wait for my orders. Is that clear?" (Krey)

    "But! Krey nii-chan-!" (Lisana)

    "IS THAT CLEAR??!" (Krey)

    "... yes, Krey nii-chan." (Lisana)

    Dejected, Lisana flew downwards while I faced the thirty-meter cluster of purple flames hurtle towards me like an executioner''s blade. Why I don''t want her to help me? Simple. It contradicts with Frelinia''s given objective. She might get hurt after all. Why I don''t want to tell Kira to help? Simple. I was guilt-tripped. Besides, I always wanted to fight in a life and death battle. They say that constant fighting can help stabilize your foundations and refinement base. I usually stabilize my foundations by meditating but it takes too long, so I want to try out this method to strengthen my foundation.

    Whoa- the flames are almost here. But with my Parallel Thought going on full throttle, I can only see this as slow, but it''s not the same for my body though. I gave a cold laugh and cast my own spell.

    "[Nightmare Wave]!" (Krey)

    An enormous writhing wall of darkness appeared in front of me. Ghostly faces flickered all around it, all showing expressions of terror and ferocity. The wall contracted and fiercely collided with the purple flames. The space between us was wrought with shock waves and mana fluctuations as the barrage of two opposing powers fought it out. During that time, I already cast four buff spells on my body. I plan to only use darkness, lightning, destruction, earth and water in this fight. Otherwise my identity in the Adventurer''s guild might be leaked out.

    The four buff spells are [Cloak of the Ephemeral], [Robe of Thunder], [Cloak of Desolation], [Vestments of the Firmament] and [Robe of the Deluge]. By the way, buff spells are not in any of the categories of magic ans skills. So far there are only six categories: Materialization, Manipulation, Manifestation, Mutation, Merged and Melded. Magic Creation Array is a very powerful divine art, solely relying on the person''s imagination, will and mana capacity. A pity it was only Azaroth-san who had this, otherwise people would be scrambling to get their hands on this divine art.

    I flew around the blast range of our spells and caught sight of the old man, who has now assimilated with the Godrealm Sigil Formation. Illusory runes flowed around him in a swirling manner, while bright, blinding patterns appeared on his clothes and skin. His eyes turned golden, not like Liz''s dark and icy gold but more of a shining one.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    I looked down and to my left I can see the sorry state of the former Magic Mountain Range. Sheesh! Kira said that the Magic Mountain Range was his territory, that''s why he attacked us when I coerced the demon girl to activate her Aura Domain. It was partly to instill to her that I am an innocent brat who knows nothing of the world and partly due to curiosity. Who knew that that stupid god had some issues with common divine arts. Well fuck that memory.

    And to my right I can see the vast plains with the occasional grassy hills, and the group of mana manipulators all sitting cross-legged on the ground, their eyes flashing with the color of gold. Their arranged into a circular formation and are directly underneath the old man. I can see threads of mana flowing out of their bodies and float into the old man''s body.

    The old man also has threads of mana coming out of his body, floating towards the sky before expanding into a net, making a barrier in the form of a transparent dome. The dome has a two kilometer radius, encompassing a huge space with me, Liz and Kira inside it as well.

    "An Elder Magus actually has this power... no. This must be a magic item. Fellow expert, that attack just now was a warning. Please obediently follow me into the city otherwise... you and your dragon won''t live to see another day." (Old Man)

    The old man coolly said that as the four pieces of Manatite revolved around him. His wings flapped in a slow manner giving off the impression of an ancient deity. I snorted coldly and replied.

    "And what makes you think that I can''t break out of this flimsy barrier, ''fellow expert''." (Krey)

    This guy is really a hypocrite. Still boldly saying fellow expert in a friendly manner while throwing out threats, quite annoying.

    "Fellow expert, seeing as that you know about the Godrealm Sigil Formation, you must surely know the predicament you are in. I implore you to surrender. Losing a young talent such as you would be a big loss to Salratia." (Old Man)

    Oh fuck you and your threats underlying on words of kindness. I am gonna shove those pieces of Manatites up your ass! Although they are precious materials, I know how to easily make them so I won''t worry about that!

    "Yes, I do know about the Godrealm Sigil Formation. And there are horrible flaws in such a formation." (Krey)

    I said in a jubilant tone, making the old man frown. Obviously he knows about these flaws. Suddenly, his eyes showed an ominous glint before pointing his staff... towards Liz! Refined mana started to gather on the point of his staff. Oh no you don''t!

    ''Liz! Hard right!'' (Krey)

    While saying that, I launched myself towards the old man. Liz already dodged forcing the old man to stop his attack. The old man had a surprised looked on his face before the the Manatites around him also launched towards me. The old man clearly didn''t expect me to do this. Fufu. One flaw in this formation is that, although it empowers the ''core'' greatly, it only strengthens one''s original capabilities. For example, a mage that is skilled in long-range attacks will have their long-range attacks instantly grow more powerful than it ever was. The same goes for warriors. This old man is a mage so he''s specialty is in long range attacks.

    Me going to him is forcing him to engage in close-combat, the nightmare for mages. Although he can cast spells in our fight, he will use only low-level ones so that he won''t be affected by the force of the spells. Unfortunately, the Godrealm Sigil Formation also enables him to survive as it constantly supplies him with power. Injuries would be healed in an instant and he has a nearly inexhaustible supply of energy, so this is not really a great advantage for me.

    The Manatites started to glow red and four molten rocks appeared in their places. Cautious, I dodged two of them while letting the other two hit the [Vestments of the Firmament] and {Mana Film} which I placed on my body. The {Mana Film} instantly shattered while the [Vestments of the Firmament] glowed red but soon it returned back to being the brown coloured illusory armor it once was.

    While that was happening, I prepared to cast my own spell while contacting Liz through telepathy.

    ''Liz, fly above those Mana Manipulators and cripple them. You can''t kill them nor can you eat them... On second thought, only if you cut off one of their limbs can you then eat the severed body part.'' (Krey)

    ''Yes, Krey nii-chan!'' (Lisana)

    Finished with giving my command to Liz, I faced the old man and cast the spell I chose after careful consideration.

    "[Tribulation Lightning]!" (Krey)

    Dark red lightning appeared around me and forked its way towards the old man. The red tendrils crackled intensely while letting out a hiss that sounded like the laughter of the devil before flashing, and hit the old man directly. The old man''s face turned red and he spit out a mouthful of blood. Red electricty coursed through him before disappearing. His face also became normal, as if nothing happened.

    Fuck it. I''ll use a more powerful spell next time.

    "I told you, fellow expert. Even if you you continue using the tactics of close combat, it won''t mean much. I''ll simply wait until you run out of mana." (Old Man)

    Yeah, that is impossible old man. With Geheimnis Kaiser''s mana cost reduction capability, all-elemental affinity, divine art that can control mana and my knowledge as a mage, I can never run out of mana. Although it is troublesome to keep up the fight like this.

    "Fellow expert, I told you that the Godrealm Sigil Formation has many flaws. Let me show you one of them." (Krey)

    I pointed down and what was there was the scene of Liz flying down towards the mana manipulators, her mouth wide open as dragonic mana coalesced towards her mouth. The old man''s eyes narrowed before instantly flying down to intercept Liz but I don''t let him.

    "[Relic Ice Walls]!" (Krey)

    Out of thin air, beautiful and intricate walls of ice appeared in front of him. The ice walls are both imposing and beautiful, creating a scene of glorious majesty. I want to give myself a pat on the back. Adding the palisades was a really smart move on my part. Now it still looks practical.

    The old man stopped in his tracks and was about to cast a spell to break the walls but I charged at him, forcing him to back away. The old man looked coldly at me while I raised my hand and waggled my index finger sideways.

    "No, no, no~ You have to get past me first!" (Krey)

    While playfully saying that, I once again charged at him, employing my experiences on polearm techniques to damage him. Hey, even when you know an enemy''s beat you still have to fight him right? Besides, it was always Kira who beat me on our fights. Let''s have the old man take the brunt of it as well.

    While thinking that, my face that was covered by the black mask formed a smile as I contiued to rain down attacks on the otherwise helpless old man, swatting away his flimsy spells.

    <hr />

    (Kiralne P.O.V.)

    "Was that really fine, Liz?" (Kiralne)

    I asked Liz this question, perplexed by how she is acting around Krey. My mind is a bit clearheaded, now that the book is out of my system but seeing the book, which I once thought as something precious to me burn before my eyes, my eyes turn misty. But knowing that Krey was the one who did it, unwittingly I started to get cloud-headed and breath heavily. Is this normal? I kinda want him to abuse me more...

    "Of course it is, big sis Kira! Now then, we have taken another step to curing Krey nii-chan''s state of mind!" (Lisana)

    The image of the human-formed Liz jumped happily in my psyche. Truly remarkable. Telepathy is a very special ability and few have one but Liz... no, Liz is a True Dragon after all. Her turning into a human is proof of that.

    I nod to myself, pretty convinced that Liz is of a legendary race of dragons. Now I''m really curious of who Krey''s master is. To be able to train him, a unique Dual Champion and to assign an egg of a True Dragon to him, truly formidable!

    "Are you sure that Krey has a mental problem? He seems fine to me." (Kiralne)

    I ask this question towards Liz. Apart from the daily sinister pranks and occasional creepy laughs, he seems to be a good kid to me. Besides, he is really cute! I want to cuddle him along with Liz! I woke up long ago and I am here snuggling in the corner of Liz''s huge frill. Dragon''s normally don''t have frills but since Liz is a True Dragon, it must be a normal part to her.

    "I told you, big sis Kira. I can''t read Krey nii-chan''s mind at all! That only happens if the person is far away or is insane! I love Krey nii-chan but I really want to read his mind!" (Lisana)

    Yes. Liz also has the ability of mind-reading. I suspect that it is one of the legendary True Divine Arts. My deceased clan only had one True Divine Art but many Common Divine Arts, yet despite that we were one of the top clans in Salratia before our descent. Liz has already read my mind it seems. She still hasn''t told Krey about this which is a bit odd and only talks about it with me. I know that Liz loves Krey very much. Her eyes even shows a fanatic glint every time she talks about Krey. Its a bit worrying but it might be a sister''s love towards her brother. And the reading mind part? I don''t really mind. If the records in my clan''s historical manuals are right, True Dragons never resort to malicious acts. It is said that they are a part of the Five Supreme Guardian Divine Beasts, protectors of Salratia. Therefor I can conclude that Liz does not have a bad nature. But the fact still remains that she trusts me more than Krey. This I can be proud of!

    When me and Liz actually talked in person a few years ago, I was first shocked and then excited about the existence of Liz. Not because of the realization that she is actually a True Dragon, but because she greatly resembles Krey when she transforms into a human. Oh the bliss when she addressed me as ''Big sis Kira''... *happy sigh* If only Krey does it as well...no, no. I think it''s better if he looks at me badly. Seeing him stare at me coldly like I am the lowest existence gives a happy feeling in my heart. I can''t help but shiver in delight! *cough* No, that''s way too soon. I''ll wait for a few more years.

    "Anyway, that was a good act, big sis Kira! Even I almost believed that you were truly wronged!" (Lisana)

    The mental image of Liz gave a thumbs up to me while I laughed wryly. Aren''t we tricking him already? I already knew that Krey hated me a long time ago, back when we were travelling towards the Magic Mountain Range. Who wouldn''t notice the cute trembling that was coming from him before. He was really fun to tease. Still I only changed his clothes before, I certainly did not molest him. I did stare for quite a while but nothing more than that.

    Yet he actually was offended. Looks like he has an understanding towards his sexual position. He is quite mature already. I only listened to Liz''s request to act like I was saddened to make Krey feel bad. I don''t know why Liz wants to do that but a True Dragon generally has high intelligence so I don''t have to worry about Krey for now.

    I gave out a long sigh before snuggling myself into the tight space of Liz''s frill. I still feel guilty though. Krey cured me of that poison and also removed that addictive and evil book out of my system. Although I didn''t know it that time, but I really shouldn''t have bought that thing. The profound mysteries of wind has to be understood with my efforts alone. I should not rely on external help to achieve understanding. Krey... he has done a lot for me and I still haven''t done anything noteworthy for him.

    This is really disheartening. No, wait. If I help Liz cure Krey''s state of mind, though I''m not sure if it is true, I can still help Krey! My position as his protector is a bit out of balance since he is already very strong so I can only help him out in other ways.

    Yes! That is it!

    I psyched myself up. I was about to go to where Krey is at when suddenly, Liz lurched and turned her direction of flight in another path before speeding up making me hold on tightly to her.

    "Liz, what''s going on?!" (Kiralne)

    I asked Liz in a flurry.

    ''An enemy.'' (Lisana)

    Hearing those two words, my eyes turned cold and I was about to deploy my new Aura Wing Technique and summon my beloved sword, one of the treasures of my deceased clan, Natur Fron and head out but Liz stopped me.

    ''Big sis Kira, don''t. Krey nii-chan told us to move away and not interfere.'' (Lisana)

    I raise my brow in surprise before nodding. If it was before, I would have immediately rushed out, and stand before Krey preventing harm from coming to him but now... I think he can stand on his own. He dominated me instantly, even though it was only a contest of our Auras, I still lost. If we truly fought, I might only have a slight advantage against him, even with using the special poison in my mana core on my attacks.

    Since Krey wants to handle it on his own, I''ll just watch from afar and support him if need be. Deciding so, I activated my Aura Wing Technique. Three-colored transparent wings appeared on my back. I can feel that I can move them easily like my very own limbs so flying shouldn''t be a problem.

    I flew out of the space of Liz''s frill and floated by her side. Heeh~ Liz''s dragon form is quite huge~ I''ve seen a lot of monsters that are more enormous than Liz but her size is still impressive. The monsters? Unfortunately, due to the sacred oath of my clan, we are not allowed to kill living things. Only when certain conditions are fulfilled can we be allowed to kill. Of course, we can leave them (our enemies) in a state close to death so our oath is not too restricting but it is troublesome.

    I looked towards the direction Krey was in and I opened my mouth, slightly shocked. Isn''t the person Krey is fighting with... Mr. Turlan? He is a good-mannered old man, although a bit crafty and cunning. He is one of the three Archmagus of Tolkium Kingdom, a Middle-Staged Arch Magus and the second most powerful in the entire Tolkium Continent. From what I hear, the most powerful is the founder of Tolkium Kingdom, the great ancestor who was said to have reached the Saint level! Of course it might be rumors but he clearly admits that there is someone stronger than him in the Tolkium Continent.

    Well, whatever. What''s most important is... Krey is simply too powerful! Only ten-years old and he can fight Mr. Turlan to a standstill?! Wait there''s also the factor of him being the champion of two gods! Really, thinking about all this is making my head spin. Stop them? No way. Krey wants to fight so I should just let him. This can serve as his training.

    Fighting against the Tolkium Kingdom? I''ve considered everything and I think that they wouldn''t mind letting us toy with Mr. Turlan for awhile. In fact, they should be happy to let us. They would probably try to rope us in to contend against Lumen Isles Union. Well it all depends on Krey though. Whatever he decides, I will simply follow.

    ''Big sis Kira! Krey nii-chan produces a lot of colorful spells doesn''t he?'' (Lisana)

    And as always, Liz is so adorable!

    ''Big sis Kira, Krey nii-chan wants me to take care of the people down below~ I''ll be back~!'' (Lisana)

    While saying that, Liz''s massive dragon body flew downwards towards an unassuming group of people below. Eh? Isn''t that Filly? I can see the familiar figure of the rabbit-kin Filly, also one of my few friends... Wait, isn''t she my only friend? This is kind of depressing. The people I am close too are a pitiful number... *sniffle*

    So I wonder what they are doing there? These positions... Sigil Formation? I lightly bit my lip and turn my head towards where Krey and Turlan are fighting. A gigantic wall of ice suddenly appeared, blocking Turlan who was heading towards Liz. Hmm? Mana patterns and illusory symbols of that kind? No way... Godrealm Sigil Formation? Is the situation that serious to call for this thing to be deployed?

    Ah! So that is why Krey is resulting into close combat! Such a smart kid! Utilizing the flaws in the formation, no ordinary people can do that. Well this is a bit troublesome. I chased after Liz and reached her before she was about to launch a breath attack and said urgently-

    ''Liz, don''t kill them okay?'' (Kiralne)

    I was worried that Krey gave an absurd command to Liz. We can afford to offend Tolkium Kingdom a bit, but I hope he won''t be too excessive.

    ''Don''t worry, big sis Kira. Krey nii-chan said to only sever the limbs. Ufufu... I wonder how they might taste like~?'' (Lisana)

    Oi oi Liz. Don''t make such a scary comment. Even the people down below can sense what you are thinking you know? Your drooling y''know? We are only a forty meters up in the air right now. Seeing a gigantic dragon like you will plummet their morale. Stop gathering mana in your mouth!

    ''No don''t. Just disable them. Don''t sever any limbs or the like. We''ll get you high quality meat later alright?'' (Kiralne)

    ''*pout* Fine.'' (Lisana)

    Whew, I was able to convince Liz not to take things too far. Now then. Krey has had enough fun, let''s end this foolish fight for now. I flew towards the two combatants at top speed. I think I''ll use the special poison ability that Krey gave to me. I haven''t tried it yet after all.

    When I was only a few tens of meters from them, I used the special skill that I recently developed and merged it with the special poison in my mana core. The Vitavare clan are masters of combat, developing skills is a bit hard for the current me but I can still manage.

    "Decaying, depraving wind... [Cornelius Gale]" (Kiralne)

    From my sword, refined mana flowed like a steady stream and surrounded my blade. The special poison in my mana core, I think I''ll call it Anti-mana Essence because of its mana-binding properties also coated the surface of my blade. This created a bizarre blue and yellow glow to cover my sword, Natur Fron.

    This could be one of my strongest skills... at least based on what I thought it should be. While speeding towards them, I rotated my body and formed a swirling gale around myself and my blade. Eventually it turned into a cyclone and it covered Krey and Turlan, blowing them away and eliciting shocks on their faces. Well not Krey, since his wearing a mask. Even I am a bit surprised.

    The mana surrounding them are basically non-existent right now. Krey is alright but Turlan is in a rough state. The mana patterns and symbols are flickering. I was feeling a bit guilty but I had to stop this fight for now. If they were to seriously fight it would be a disaster.

    "Lord Turlan, Krey, why don''t we talk first before lashing at each other''s throats?" (Kiralne)

    Haaii~ I still have to address Mr. Turlan as ''Lord'' since he is a noble, though its quite annoying, as a scion of the Vitavare clan, acknowledging nobility should be within my sphere of tolerance. But I used Krey''s name to address him, maybe this is a bad thing for the negotiation?

    I think that to myself while waiting for Mr. Turlan to calm down and respond to my question.

    <hr />

    Author Note: Heyo~~ It''s summer already! This is the 23rd chapter~ Hope you enjoyed it. If you want to know what the various buff spells actually do, I''ll make a side chapter for it when I have the time... and motivation.

 Chapter 24: More Tidings

    Author Note: This really was a headache to right. Don''t ask me why, I just don''t feel well. On the bright side, fufu... class finally ended! Freedom!!

    <hr />

    Uwaahh~ scary, scary.

    The mana outside of my body has been weakened to a degree where it should be considered as non-existent. The poison essence that lingers around the area is slowly disappearing but the area I am flying in now is void of mana. I could still sense the boundless reserves of mana in my mana core but it would be foolhardy to use it when I am surrounded by an air filled with poison essence.

    Fufu. I am proud of myself for implementing this idea on Kira, and at the same time horrified. At first, I thought that it might be a good experiment to infuse the poison essence on Kira''s mana core but who would have thought that she could combine the poison essence with her attacks so perfectly? This is too terrifying. I even thought that it would take some time for her to comprehend how to use the poison essence but that was a wrong estimate. She basically has the power to sever and weaken mana. For mana manipulators, that is our bane, our natural enemy.

    And I even set a Sigil Formation that empowers the poison essence as she has a breakthrough. Meaning that the poison essence grows stronger as she get''s stronger. Convenient right? Now she has a major advantage against those in her level. *sigh* This is a headache. Well, whatever. She won''t harm me anyway so its fine. Besides I have complete confidence to best her should the time comes.

    Agreeing with my line of reasoning, I calmed down and silently waited for Kira to explain herself. A glance to the side shows the pitiful state of the old man. Robes in disarray, mana patterns and symbols are flickering like they are about to die out, and eyes bulging in shock and fear. Seeing this, I gave a sneer in my heart, happy about the sad situation of the old man.

    The mana threads have been severed and dissipated back into the atmosphere, making the originally strong barrier gradually fade into mist. Another glance downwards and I can see Liz flying above the mana manipulators. All Elder-Level Mana Manipulators have tense expressions on their faces with a little fear mixed in but surprisingly, none of them are trembling. Admirable. Their discipline is quite good.

    After a while, Kira spoke out and the contents stupefied me.

    "Lord Turlan, Krey. Why don''t we talk first before lashing at each other''s throats?" (Kiralne)

    ... I''m sorry what? Stop? No way in hell Kira! We were still warming up you know? I can tell that we were only feeling each other out.

    I''m a little dissatisfied with Kira''s interference. Clearly, he attacked first and although I want to engage in a friendly relationship with Tolkium Kingdom, he crossed the line. Not me.

    And you know this guy? I''m sorry but that doesn''t excuse him from the hell that I''m gonna unleash upon him. If you want me to stop, then send him an Aura Transmission to apologize to me right this instant before I continue my shoving-manatites-up-his-ass endeavors. *sigh* Let''s just inquire first why she stopped our battle.

    ''Kira, what the hell?'' (Krey)

    I asked her with a bit of irritation in my voice. Yeah, its a bit crude but I''m currently pissed so using bad language should be justifiable. It might offend Kira but I did not upright insult her so it should be fine. I still know that I''ve offended her before and I am careful not to strain our relationship too much. Hell, I am not even sure if she will talk to me properly or look me in the eye at all.

    ''W-what is it?'' (Kiralne)

    Kira stuttered before answering in a subservient way through the Aura Transmission. Her voice through the Aura Transmission is a bit weak and sounded sad somehow. Though she is indifferent on the outside, while we are talking through the Aura Transmission, she shows her feelings to me.

    ... What the hell? Are you seriously that shocked and saddened? Was I a bit too rough on you? *sigh* My heart can''t take anymore of this kind of guilt... well it probably still could but I''m still reluctant to do so. Kuu... I really hate getting close to people, it is hard to interact with them in a familial manner especially if even my subconsciousness desires to have a good social life. This constraints prevent me from doing my thing, and I don''t know if its good or bad. I softened my tone a little bit and said-

    ''No... never mind. Fine I''ll stop.'' (Krey)

    Saying so, I flew over to where Kira is while keeping my guard on. After I arrived beside her, I crossed my arms and remained silent. Although almost every fiber of my being wants to bash heads with the old man, for Kira''s sake I won''t take things too far. Besides Kira is the one with the most experience in handling these situations among us and she might actually have a close relationship to this old man. Even if he did attack me, and I am incredibly pissed, there was no danger to my life so for just this once, I''ll let it slide.

    Our battle could barely be called a battle, at least in an Archmagus''s point of view. He and I clearly did not use any sort of high-class spell, at best the spells we used could barely be called middle-class. And... he has no qualifications nor the skill and power to kill me at all.

    Getting killed by an Archmagus? Hah! Laughable! I''m confident that even if a King-Level Mana Manipulator will come, I can still escape along with Kira and Liz. Keep in mind that I was able to do that five years ago, and I can certainly do it again. Except with the probability of another fatal injury.

    "... Who are you two?" (Turlan)

    The old man calmed down almost instantaneously and actually asked us for our names, out loud. Witnessing this scene, I gave a low cold laugh, barely inaudible to hear. Isn''t this a bit like ''shoot first, ask questions later'' scenario? Probably thinking too much.

    Ah, oops. That laugh was supposed to be inaudible but unfortunately, since all of us are Mana Manipulators, our bodies and minds are unnaturally sharp. The old man heard me and a slight frown appeared on his face. Kira made a helpless smile at my actions before replying to the old man.

    "Oh? Was my seclusion training actually that long for you to instantly forget about me?" (Kiralne)

    I raised an eyebrow at this but I continued to let Kira do her thing. She technically just lied right now. I don''t know why but there are two reasons I can deduce from here. One, she is simply too prideful to admit that she lost miserably, got disabled for a quite a while, and had to rely on a kid to survive. That''s the first, but I don''t think that Kira would be like that.

    The second is, she is hatching a devious plot. Don''t get me wrong, although I like to think a lot, I absolutely suck at communication, negotiation, plotting, and tons of other stuff related to those kinds of crap. I read a lot of novels and watch documentaries about how cunning and sly people really are, and how they use it in many situations. Its cool and funny but sometimes it annoys me. Although I can see the logic in this, Kira isn''t revealing any information at all. A smart move. Sometimes truth and lies have to be interwoven and then separated again to reach a favorable conclusion. Again, annoying and troublesome.

    Well, since the other side is a bit hostile to me, Kira will be the one in the line of fire and I don''t have to deal with this old man anytime soon, hopefully removing any possible headache-inducing problems that can befall upon me. She might have a plan to handle this old man and considering that my blabbering mouth can actually cause problems for her, I will not interfere at all. Hmph.

    "What? Seclusion training? No... it can''t be... y-you!! Kiralne Vitavare?!" (Turlan)

    The old man''s facial expression changed into that of shock and disbelief. Hoh? It looks like people think that Kira actually is dead. Luckily, I didn''t do something rash after resurfacing. I thought for a moment and returned my attention towards the old man. After that, following those expressions were relief, puzzlement and joy.

    "Heee~ So I could still be recognized even when my appearance changed like this huh? Yes, it is me Lord Turlan." (Kiralne)

    Kiralne lightly smiled and confirmed her identity. Okay, now I really don''t get what she is doing. The old man paused and suddenly... laughed. He laughed heartily, joy plastered on his face and then he slapped his knee. It kinda resembles drunk people from the bars I frequent back on Earth. Of course, I drank alcohol lightly. I''m not much of a drinker anyway and I certainly don''t and won''t get drunk.

    "Hahaha!! You''re alive!! I was worried that another of my drinking partners bit the dust but it looks like I was wrong! Haha!!" (Turlan)

    With those words, I turned my eyes on Kiralne. She had a smile on her face, but some sweat appeared on her forehead. My eyes are fixated icily at her, while still paying attention towards the old man who was floating over to us. It seems that he is not an enemy... for now. But first, Kira.

    ''Care to explain yourself, Kira?'' (Krey)

    I''m not angry of course. Whether she is an alcoholic is not really a problem but I''m curious nonetheless. I pictured elves as pure creatures so I want to know if Kira is different.

    ''I just do it once in a while! I certainly am not an alcoholic!!'' (Kiralne)

    Kira''s right eye twitched and more sweat appeared on her forehead, but still unnoticeable. Her face is a little red and her breathing a bit flushed. Her voice through the Aura Transmission is stiff and nervous. Eh? I''m not angry y''know? Well, whatever. Fortunately even with all the obvious signs of abnormality, Kira was able to keep smiling and chatted with the old man, who didn''t notice the weirdness just now.

    "And why would I be dead? Anyway, it has been a while Lord Turlan. How are you?" (Kiralne)

    "Fine, fine. Apart from the daily stress I get from the other nobles and the imminent threat coming from the Union, I am doing really well. What about you, old friend?" (Turlan)

    The old man, waved his hand around and shook his head lightly with a smile on his face before continuing their small talk. Hmm, the old man might be a good conversation partner. Unfortunately his affection points in my mind are currently at the negatives, but I can still tolerate his presence.

    "Is that so? I''m fine as well. Now, let me introduce to you my new travelling companion, Krey. Although he is an Elder Magus, he trains in a Divine Art that can allow him to face off head to head against opponents that are two ranks above him, as you have experienced earlier." (Kiralne)

    And Kira smoothly introduced me to him in an experienced manner. Damn, how can you lie like that with a straight face? Even I can''t do it that well. It''s not really a question of  why she didn''t say the truth. Hell, you just don''t say something like "He is a god''s champion/envoy/messenger" out loud. That would be stupid, and I can''t begin to say the many repercussions that would result from that kind of stupidity.

    The old man looked at me meaningfully for a moment before bowing lightly, causing slight surprise to emerge from Kira''s face. The old man slowly and sincerely said-

    "Fellow expert Krey, I deeply apologized for my earlier act of aggression. There are no excuses for my behavior and I humbly ask for your forgiveness." (Turlan)

    The old man apologized to me. No excuses? Hmph. Lowering yourself and asking forgiveness doesn''t really raise your image in my mind but for the sake of Kira and Frelinia, I would concede. But I will not give you face at all. People with great strength often have lofty and prideful attitudes and I have to follow this example even if I''m just a cheat. Of course, I was also an unbridled individual back on Earth and I have a deep-seeded arrogance hidden in my heart as well, and I hold grudges pettily almost to the point that it would never be fulfilled.

    Proof? Look at Kira. I consider her as an elder sisterly-like figure but I still like to hold vicious pranks against her to satisfy my anger. I know. I live a sad life.

    I gave a cold snort, which resounded in the area we were in. I ignored the old man and turned my head to Kira, who had a slight frown her face. I said to her in an indifferent tone-

    "You continue your business with this old fellow. I''ll go to the Magic Mountain Range to meditate. No need to call me." (Krey)

    Saying so, I turned around in mid-air and started to fly towards the only intact area of the former Magic Mountain Range. The earlier scuffle made my mana reserves go in a state of unrest. Its not dangerous nor unpleasant according to my knowledge, but it is beneficial to me. After the state of unrest, the foundations of my mana core and refinement base would get stronger.

    "Fellow expert Krey wait!! Please tell your dragon to let my subordinates off." (Turlan)

    I sighed with annoyance but I did not stop flying and merely took a glance downwards. The grassy plains was what appeared in my vision. The sound of the wind blowing through the fields is pleasant. The light breeze also carries the scent of fresh grass and flowers. Unfortunately, I can''t stop and enjoy it at the moment. I saw the humongous figure of Liz, flapping her large imposing wings. She is staring viciously at the group below.

    Its a bit of a silent stalemate there. And throughout it all, I have never heard Liz roar or make growling sounds. A bit weird but hey, she''s the one in control of her body not me.

    It seems that she is only keeping them in check, not physically attacking them at all. Probably got told off by Kira. Although they were not the ones who attacked me, they still assisted the old man in fighting against me. If I did not know anything about the Godrealm Sigil Formation, I would certainly be played and killed by the old man, so a little punishment was necessary was what I thought but this is good for now. Although I can''t harm them due to Kira, the mental stress that is being caused by Liz might be getting to them since its quite unnerving being stared at by a ferocious dragon, which brings satisfaction to me. Not only that, Liz''s eyes have a certain aura to them, an indescribable aura of authority, oppression and coldness. But to me, Liz has very charming golden irises.

    ''Liz, that''s enough.'' (Krey)

    ''Aw... alright Krey nii-chan.'' (Lisana)

    Liz''s pouting image appeared in my head and an unsatisfied voice resounded in mind. Liz gave a low growl towards the people below and flapped her wings, soaring towards us.

    "Thank you, fellow expert Krey." (Turlan)

    The old man''s grateful voice sounded from behind me but I''ve totally ignored it at this point. Then, I received an Aura Transmission from Kira.

    ''Krey, considering your attitude... I won''t try to reprimand you and clearly, it was Mr. Turlan who offended you first but...'' (Kira)

    At this point, I stopped in place and took a glance back at Kira. Kira has a warm smile plastered upon her face, her right hand placed upon her hips and left hand holding her sword. During this moment, Liz who was currently flying over to me, flew past her causing a light wind to blow her hair to the side, but it looked really fantasy-like especially with the three-colored transparent light wings on her back. Moreover with her clothes that looks like something you wear when you cosplay. An elegant light green coat with black shirt and black skirt with golden embroidery on it. Black knee socks as well as black boots also lined with golden patterns.

    ... She changes clothes way too often.

    That''s the only opinion I can give right now. Kira''s eyes also had a happy yet troubled glint on it making me unsure of what she really feels right now.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ''... try to establish connections on your own okay? It''ll be a good experience for you in the future.'' (Kira)

    ''I don''t see the need to and its too troublesome. Besides, I have you so its all good.'' (Krey)

    I actually think that it might be useful to me if I had friends but like I said, although I need social interactions, it would be at most the minimum of it. A certain balance is needed, like the time when I first arrived here to the point that I met Sally. That was a good balance of solitude and socialization. The deer doesn''t count since it was my food.

    ''Alright, I''ll chat with Mr. Turlan for a bit and see what I can find.'' (Kira)

    By this point, Liz already arrived by my side causing a strong wind to form and blast in my direction. Fortunately, {Mana Film} was able to shrug it off and I gave a glare at the giant dragon-formed Liz. The dragon gave a low growl while an image of Liz appeared in my mind and stuck out her tongue childishly.

    ''Yeah, sure good luck. I''ll go to you when I''m finished.'' (Krey)

    At my side, Liz had dragonic mana seeping out of her body coating her in a dark and gold colored aura. As always, it had that annoyingly unruly and wild aspect to it that I so loathe. One day, I''ll definitely conquer it! Just need more practice.

    With a flash of dark and golden light, what appeared was no longer the huge, awe-inspiring, noble yet ferocious black dragon but a cute dark lump of adorableness. Liz in her little dragon form, flapped her relatively small wings and once again positioned herself on her favorite spot, my back.

    ''Aahh~ yay! Krey nii-chan''s back!'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuu! Kyua!|

    The old man had his jaws agape while Kira merely sighed. I don''t bother to explain anything and started to fly towards the single surviving part of the Magic Mountain Range, careful to avoid the parts stained with destruction-type mana. Although I can probably control all of it, I''d have to use two minds and I don''t want to waste time on doing so.

    ''Liz, why didn''t you go with Kira?'' (Krey)

    ''At first I wanted to but big sis Kira told me not to since she told me that she''ll be ne-go-tia-ting~ with the old man with the funny beard.'' (Lisana)

    |Kyuuu~ kyuan.|

    ''Is that so? Well, I''m gonna meditate for awhile so if you get bored, just fly around and hunt some animals if you get hungry okay?'' (Krey)

    ''Yes, Krey nii-chan!''

    |Kyua!|

    Lush, green trees soon appeared in my line of sight. The forests beneath and on one of the mountains give off a refreshing feel and I can feel that the raw mana here is far, far richer than what it was outside. Hmm, truly a wonder. But, if I dig around her for a couple of months, I''d likely find the reason for it.

    The mountain itself is not that high, barely surpassing eight hundred meters in height and there are more greenery than stone. Abundant are the animals and monsters. Herbs that look quite rare expensive can be seen here and there. It might be good so I''ll procure some in a little while. A very good example of a beautiful forest. As long as you don''t mind the poisonous plants and vicious monsters as well as other dangers that are much larger in density than normal forests.

    I started to descend somewhere near the peak, scaring a mountain goat-like creature except with the horns having a C- shape, furs and scales overlap each other creating a bizarre yet fascinating image and hooves having a blue-glow. Furthermore, it had a height of three meters and length of eight meters. The size complimented its appearance and it looked very imposing.

    Unfortunately, by my observations it only had a strength of an Elite-level Mana Manipulator. And since monsters have incredible instincts, it instantly knew that me and Liz are enemy number one.

    Liz''s eyes shined and she started to chase after it playfully, flying fast or slow, essentially playing with the terrified creature as they passed trees and bushes. I feel sorry for it, so after meditating I will be sure to kill it and end its misery.

    I set my foot upon the ground as I landed. I raised both of my hands and started to write in the air. Sigils made out of refined mana started to appear out of my fingers. I wrote the sequence and formation positions to make two protective Sigil Formations: Holy Rectification Sigil Formation and Unholy Resolution Sigil Formation. You can guess by their names that they are one of the best Sigil Formations that I can make considering my rank.

    I won''t be cheap when it comes to protecting my life, and the refined mana used although large can still be regenerated so I have no lost. In my right, swirling images of little light fairies are flying peacefully as they soar and dive in the area, which is covered in a soft yellow white glow. In my left, dark mist like figures appear and disappear mysteriously, almost like ghosts. In contrast, that area is covered in a dim gray glow. Below, them you can see intricate and complex Sigil Formations, one white and one black, on the ground with a soft humming kind of light around them.

    Satisfied with this I sat down cross-legged and focused my consciousness towards my mana core. In my mind, I can see a multicolored-globe shining in a blinding manner. Small and hardly noticeable patterns are seen on the surface. It is lined with precise and stationary protrusions on some parts making it look like an armored ball.

    Then after careful observation, I saw something which surprised me greatly...

    <hr />

    (Kiralne P.O.V.)

    "You are really having a bad day aren''t you, Lord Turlan?" (Kiralne)

    I said laughingly while I continued to enjoy the good aroma of the tea that was prepared for me. I was able to convince Krey to back down which is a relief. Really, it seems Krey was affected greatly by my false display of weakness earlier on. Liz is just too cunning.

    It looks like showing a weak front to Krey would lead him to surrender instantly. Its a really good feeling but at the same time worrying. Well, surely Krey won''t be too naive during this time, so maybe my worries are just fleeting thoughts.

    "Yes, yes. My nerves have been a little jumpy lately, I guess it''s old age taking over. Living for four centuries doesn''t really feel amazing." (Mr. Turlan)

    Mr. Turlan said with a sigh while I gave a small smile in response. Me and Mr. Turlan went and flew over to the forward camp. Mr. Turlan said that it was a response to the mana fluctuation that he felt when I had my breakthrough. I apologized for the commotion I caused but he just waved his hand and told me to don''t mind it. Rather he is happy that its a friend who had a breakthrough and not an enemy. Well, since Krey does seem keen on joining the war on Tolkium''s side, I guess we could be considered as friends.

    Truthfully, we are just acquaintances albeit we have many meetings and talks. I can''t help it, the tea that Mr. Turlan prepares is quite good, much better than the tea in the stores. That is also why Lord Turlan addressed me as one of his "drinking partners". Uuuwu, I hope Krey will not mistake me for a lowly drunkard. Though being stared at like I''m a piece of trash by him seems to be endearing to me.

    "Well, Krey has a bad image of you right now. Please think of some way to appease him. He even once had the thought to help your Tolkium Kingdom but clearly... that kind of thought is on the verge of disappearing." (Kiralne)

    "*sigh* Really so. It came as a shock you see. The Godrealm Sigil Formation is a Sigil Formation that few people know about. The process and techniques to successfully implement it was a treasure of my house. Only you and a few others have any idea that what it is. Not even the ones who served as ''foundations know about it. Yet that prismatic-eyed fellow recognized it at a glance..." (Mr. Turlan)

    "Well that''s just how he is. I too, was shocked that you even deployed it. You were a bit reckless that time weren''t you? Truly rare for someone of your age to be like that." (Kiralne)

    I said in a teasing tone before sipping more of the aromatic tea. Mr. Turlan had an expression of slight surprise on his face before turning back to the jovial old man expression. In fact, every time I spoke he seems to be surprised yet hides it immediately. Of course I can see it clearly. Mr. Turlan straightened his back and asked curiously-

    "Kiralne, I can''t help but notice something different about you. You, the one nicknamed the "Untouchable Maiden" by the masses and the "Icy Elven Princess" among the circle of nobles, could actually speak in a warm and lovely tone." (Mr. Turlan)

    I stiffen and almost spat out my tea hearing the embarrassing aliases that have been pinned on me ever since I settled on Tolkium Kingdom.

    "W-what do you mean?" (Kiralne)

    I asked in a stuttering manner, unsettled about hearing those horrible nicknames. Mr. Turlan, calmly sipped some tea before stroking his long white beard and started to recall all of the things that he remembers about the subject.

    "Well, to the common people, you are an invincible yet pure maiden elf. A figure of both grace and authority. Most people would be satisfied to see your face alone while a few others dream of being your love interest. An untouchable and pure existence in their hearts." (Mr. Turlan)

    I felt my right brow twitch, a little overwhelmed by the truth of it all. Yet it still seems to be appropriate. Strength is revered in Salratia after all. No matter who you are or what you do, as long as you have strength no one will openly go against you.

    Mr. Turlan looked at my expression before continuing in a slow, delicate manner.

    "To most of the nobles on the other hand you are a cold woman. In all the banquets, parties, celebrations and events that  you were invited in, you were quite... cold. Your manners and actions are very refined and courteous yet you seem to emit an aura of inviolability and detachment. An otherworldly temperament, a icy indifferent attitude and sometimes your smile would make one feel dread. Yet all the young and old male nobles can''t help but be enamored by your beauty. Even I can''t help but put on my guard each time we have a chat." (Mr. Turlan)

    As I listened to Mr. Turlan, I could not help but remember all the times that I saw the reactions of the people I come across. Almost all of them fit in Mr. Turlan''s description. Well, how I treat people is my business and mine alone. Its better to ignore such things. And besides, I certainly have my reasons.

    I took another small sip and then put down my cup on the small table.

    "And? What of it?" (Kiralne)

    "Now what I am curious about is, how can such a person change so much in just five years? Now, you are like any young girl. An enchanting smile, graceful movements, and just your presence seems to light up the atmosphere. And I am very sure that it is not just because of a mere breakthrough and change of appearance." (Mr. Turlan)

    To those words, I can''t help but make a wry smile. I know the very reason why that happened. I probably mellowed after five years of inaction. My everyday life in those five years, consisted of training Krey, doing chores, and playing with Liz. It was a really pleasant life. Its like having a family again.

    "People change don''t they? Lord Turlan, although it is pleasant to chat with you, I am here for more pressing matters." (Kiralne)

    At this time, Mr. Turlan put away his jovial face, and replaced it with the familiar business look. Now this is a bit nostalgic. I usually buy potions and equipment by asking from the source. After all, of the four Archdukes it is Mr. Turlan who is the head of the country''s commercial power, though he may not look like it.

    All kinds of products are flowing in the channels and the best way to get them is through the head himself. There''s a guarantee for the quality and the price when I do it like this.

    "It is the issue of the war... how is the situation?" (Kiralne)

    Mr. Turlan became had a surprised face but then put on a look of vigilance and at the same time curiosity. Seeing this, I nodded in my mind. It is not strange for him to be like that. The Adventurer''s Guild in Tolkium Kingdom is unlike any of the other adventurer guilds in the East. In times of unrest, the adventurers are required to help the the country and its citizens. Of course there are compensations for their deeds and it is not forced at all. Almost all of them are loyal to the country.

    There are very few corrupt nobles as the kingdom follows the principle of "The Nobles are there for the People". The nobles here, although arrogant, and a bit obnoxious always act in accordance with the needs of the common folk. This kind of system is something very rare in the nations of Salratia. Also one of the reasons why I settled here for many decades.

    This is why the adventurers, which usually comes from the commoners are loyal to the country. Very admirable.

    Unfortunately, although I am registered in the Adventurer''s Guild, I absolutely don''t have any obligations to this country. S, SS and SSS Class Adventurers are supported by the Adventurer''s Guild. The Adventurer''s Guild is not only located in Tolkium Kingdom but are spread far and wide. They usually don''t concern themselves too much about a country''s status, except for a rare few. After all, S Class Adventurers, no matter where they go they will always be well-received.

    Thus S Class and above don''t have any obligations to any factions. It is a well-understood law, and are accepted by all of the factions of Salratia. No one wants to offend this large organization.

    As an SS Class Adventurer, I am free to do what I please as long at it doesn''t goes against the law in a region. I can even act as a spy for a faction. This is why Mr. Turlan is vigilant.

    "Don''t worry, I am not a spy for Lumen Isles Union. They tried to kill me after all." (Kiralne)

    Saying that, I continued to watch any changes in the expressions of Mr. Turlan. He too, observed me quietly. After a long time, he finally gave a sigh and sipped his tea. Seeing that it is no longer hot, he frowned and put it down on the table. He then looked at me and asked-

    "You were attacked?" (Mr. Turlan)

    I gave a nod.

    "Did they try to use the Mana Binding Viper Poison in that attack?" (Mr. Turlan)

    I gave another nod.

    Seeing me nod, he stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he opened his mouth and began chanting. From the words, it looks like he is chanting a Basic Class spell. I remembered that Krey uses a Basic Class spell to water the plants on the cavern, but I don''t know what the name is. He is capable of Voiceless Incantation after all.

    "... give heat. [Fire Wisp]." (Mr. Turlan)

    A small lump of yellowish orange fire appeared in his hand. He then willed it to descend on his tea cup, where it landed on the tea causing it to boil for a moment before it started to emit small amounts of steam.

    He waited for a moment before sipping lightly. Then he directed his attention towards me once more, and asked-

    "If I tell you... would you be willing to help our Tolkium Kingdom?" (Mr. Turlan)

    I paused for a while, before smiling at him and said-

    "Of course. It is what Krey wants, so I''ll have to help." (Kiralne)

    Stating that answer, I closed my eyes and sipped more of the fragrant tea. *sigh* It''s not warm anymore.

    <hr />

    Author Note: This is the 24th chapter~ I''ll try to write again tonight because even I am curious about what''s going to happen. Lol. Hope you enjoyed it~

 Chapter 25: New Problem

    Author Note: Purple text-san... we meet again-desu. This might be a long chapter, I don''t know. Maybe a little over 7,000 or 8,000 words? Whatever. Anyway, I am currently very sick so describing Krey''s pain is easier somehow. And the reason why this is late :3

    P.S. If my body is riddled with red dots... its called measles right?

    <hr />

    ... What in the flying fuck is a purple dot doing in my mana core?

    I asked this stupid question to myself as my gaze landed upon a single impurity in my mana core. My mana core looks like a glass-like prismatic colored ball that has armor-like protrusions on some of it''s parts, essentially looking like a fragile mace-head. But... colorful and probably more dangerous than a mace-head. Now like I said, it is prismatic colored meaning it looks like the inside of a kaleidoscope but the colors are mixed thoroughly.

    By the way, Kira''s mana core somewhat looks like mine but larger, has patterns and symbols while having a three-colored radiance: light green; deep blue; and milky white. They correspond to the elemental affinities that Kira has.

    Now then, the abnormality here is that deep-purple dot on one corner of my mana core. At first glance, it blends in very well with the other colors but I can''t be fooled. I literally did nothing but train for five years and the many times that I have seen my own mana core cannot be counted by me anymore. Really I am amazed at myself for not getting sick of looking at it. Maybe because controlling mana is fun? Well at least I did not get bored.

    Really, if I just take a look at it normally, it really just seems like a strange purple dot on my mana core. Its looks like a small pebble yet at the same time like a smudge. Harmless and probably a hallucination on my part... if not for the slight menacing aura that I can feel from it.

    In fact, it is very similar to the aura of that book. The book that was infused with the ''will'', a horrifying and disgusting will of a certain expert. That expert is probably a master in the terms of <Will Bestowal>. An expert I can respect and probably face in the future.

    Kira said that she won that book in an auction. I have to admit that the author of the book was really creative in fabricating a profound truth as a profound mystery. Altering the facts is a taboo, and the comprehension of the elements solely lies on the person. Unless you have reached a very high level of comprehension regarding the elements, you can forget trying to express your understanding to other people.

    The author has certainly reached a satisfactory level of comprehension towards the element of the wind but not enough to really express it. And no, the expert and the author are probably not the same person. I highly suspect that the Will Bestowal Expert just randomly infused his will towards random objects as training.

    But enough about that crack author. What I''m really worried about is how that strand of will managed to attach itself to my mana core? If I remember correctly, I used a Top-Class Spell, [Ethereal Flames] to burn it out of existence. I am pretty sure that I thoroughly made it so that even ashes will not remain. Yet... a will strand is able to materialize into a strange dot in my mana core? Really very strange...

    Since I''m already meditating, might as well fix the problem before something bad happens. I directed my consciousness, which is actually a spiritual manifestation of my soul, towards the small purple dot. But before I even began to carefully probe into it, the disgusting aura suddenly surged towards my consciousness, startling me a little but I eventually shrugged it off.

    Now then, let''s take a good look at you. Thinking so, an invisible force started to form itself inside my mana core. This is my will. I directed a small piece of my will, or a will strand towards this small dot. Manifesting and internally or externally controlling your will is something that King-Level Mana Manipulators naturally learn to do after their respective breakthrough in that rank.  As they''re souls have been nurtured by the Soul Revolution during their time at the Saint rank, they''re will which is tied to the soul exponentially becomes stronger and therefore allows them to create their will strands.

    Though people who have innately strong souls also can learn slowly how to manipulate their will. Me? I think I only have a slightly strong soul. Being able to manipulate my will like this is because of my gained knowledge and as well as the Divine Art: Mana Force Manipulation.

    Believe it or not, when a will has been manifested, it becomes a new energy that is similar to mana. A new energy can be used for new things but I am not really an expert in that department so I won''t be thinking about it too much. Since I have absolute control towards most types of mana, trying to manifest and control my will can also be done, albeit a little hard. In fact, I can probably only make a few hundred will strands before I lapse into a long coma. This is not really impressive since King-Level Mana Manipulators can make a few thousand will strands before becoming very tired.

    Really admirable. I am jealous. Though the me at that time still hadn''t realized that I was still only an Elder-Level Mana Manipulator, a weak ant compared to those King-Level Mana Manipulators but that''s a story for another time.

    And now back to my mana core. My will strand slowly made its way towards the purple dot. Maybe I should call it speck instead? Yeah let''s just call it speck. If I say dot, then that just sounds like someone drew a dot on me, meaning someone vandalized me. Come to think of it, isn''t vandalizing equivalent to violating a property? If so then I was...?

    Suddenly an image of a fat, greasy man wearing a large suit appeared in my mind and I suddenly got goosebumps. He was smiling creepily and rubbing his oily, blubbery hands together as if waiting to wring out some profit from a poor fellow...

    No, no, no, no. Let''s not get into that topic. Its just a passing thought... passing thought... passing thought... not. I''m sure I have not yet been violated before. Yes, yes. Fuh... self-denying is hard. Fine. Maybe I was violated before, but it is probably related to money and nothing sexual... I think? Wait, maybe Kira...? No, no. She just steals my laundry and sniffs it like a dog, while heaving deep seductive breaths, having making a weird blushing face, also a made bit of moaning with her hand somewhere underneath...

    Then my mind shifts again to the scene of the elf who was engaging on an immoral activity...

    No, that''s a bad memory. Fortunately, I am a nice person and splendidly ignored such weird habits of hers. The compensation for that though, was her receiving my wrath in the form of brutal pranks like throwing a bucket of hot scalding water at her and putting sharp rocks underneath her pelt. Unfortunately, most of them failed because Liz was there with her. Ah, my laundry was returned after she did her business. It was a bit wet though, it reeked of sweat and smelled like Kira.

    Of course I did not sniff her clothes to become familiar with her scent. Every time she beats me up *cough* trains me, we are always in close contact so catching a whiff of her smell is not really rare. Why she is able to beat me up? One, I did not use any type of magic except for {Telekinesis}. Two, she is a monster in combat and my High-Class Spell, [Cloak of the Trees] raises her strength from a weak girl to something well... you know... strong. Like giving a tiger wings.

    But enough about her. Let''s see here... my will strand finally got in contact with the speck but then a stream of menacing will energy came out of the speck andsuddenly latched itself into my will strand. It traversed through my will strand to reach my consciousness.

    The speck already faded but the problem has not yet been solved. I wasn''t able to stop it and then the will energy manifested as a will strand and it slammed into my consciousness. Ugh... this aura... nauseating. Its even more annoying and revolting than the aura from the book. How much will energy was condensed in this will strand? Ugh... goddamn it. My consciousness would have already blacked out if I didn''t use a few will strands to make a sort of shield surrounding my consciousness.

    Still, I don''t feel good. Can I throw up in my mind? Probably not. This is the second time I ever felt disgusted, the first time was when I dissected a still-awake human being to observe and experiment which poisons would be the most effective on certain people.

    I should have tested it on animals? Don''t be ridiculous. The poisons I used must be scrutinized at a cellular level and they need to be human cells. Even if its more interesting that way, assassinations are not a joke. If a poison is defective then I most likely would have failed an assassination mission.

    Assassination missions. They give out tons of money and are very rare. Who in their right minds would fail a job when it gives out lots of money? Really, the most disgusting part was watching the man scream horrendously as I took notes about the movements of his intestines and excretions when I put a little special chemical in it.

    Why I was able to see it? I cut open his stomach after all. Usually it is hard to do so without killing them but I was pretty skilled in making these kinds of chemicals and poisons so keeping the person alive was possible. Sadly he died a few weeks later. Cause of death: sheer fear. Sheesh. Well that was my first time anyways. The successive experimental subjects were able to survive for a few months and I didn''t feel disgusted anymore. But Magical Girl Madoka-chan with her usual cuteness, healed my soul so I was able to work properly after each experiment. Watching anime will definitely calm one''s mind~

    Well they were all vicious criminals who were given the death-row anyway. I even specifically checked out their backgrounds before experimenting on them. There was a woman there too. Since she was a beauty, I was reluctant to experiment on her so I just put a special poison in her bloodstream and asked my business partners to slowly train her to become a prostitute in mind and body.

    I usually send her towards my targets which consisted of gang leaders, syndicate heads, and some corrupt officials. I always time the moment when the poison in her bloodstream becomes active before sending her as a meat toilet towards them. Fortunately, I always succeed and all her partners died the next day. Unfortunately, she only lived for a year. Sad, really. I lost a good convenient weapon.

    Fufufu. And experts say that reading stuff in the internet is unproductive. So much information in one place. You just have to look for it properly. So many part-time jobs available...

    Well enough about my past antics! Seriously, my mind is all over the place. This disgusting feeling, nevertheless... makes me feel really light-headed. Is this possible?

    No, wait! Shit! All four of my minds are feeling lightheaded. Ah goddamn it. Even a True Divine Art is being beaten by such a thing? More importantly, how on earth did that stupid will strand escape my grasp?! It seeped into my four minds, corrupting all four of them and made me like this.

    I opened my eyes and panted heavily.

    "Haah... haaah...haah...aargh- bluurogh!!" (Krey)

    *vomit*  <-(AN: LoL this SFX)

    This feeling is really not my kind of thing. I then felt a surging feeling from my stomach and I began to throw up the contents of my brunch. Stomach fluids and nearly digested foodstuffs fell to the ground. It''s a good thing that my vision is blurry otherwise I might even regurgitate more than necessary due to the disgusting view. But this is really such a waste!! Kira''s cooking was superb, the food she food should not be wasted like this!

    As I thought that indignantly, I tried to look towards my front but I only see blurry images. A-ah fuck! Why the hell did I let that will strand escape into my head!? No it seemed to make weird movements that I can''t catch. That is a huge problem. I seem to be shivering and along with the lightheaded feeling, my head also started to feel cold.

    Then I heard a voice somewhere in my mind. This voice... its a deep powerful voice. Something I really don''t like.

    "Oh? Child... this is a somewhat fast meeting. Kukuku... truly fate is fickle even if I oversee it. Corrupting that high elf, even just a little was a good choice on my part. Fate connects the two of you, and many others are connected to you as well. Kuku. Truly many cards to play."

    Hearing those words, I merely scoffed at such a cliche monologue and ignored it. Why? Let me ask you something, if a police officer wants you to come to the police station for an interrogation but you really, really want to take a dump, what would you do first? Let yourself be arrested or take a long satisfying dump in the bathroom? Those who voted for the latter, you are normal. Those who voted for the former, then you are probably a masochist and have an anal fetish. See? Same concept. I feel sick so I have to deal with this first.

    I concentrated on locating that malicious will strand. After a few minutes of searching, feeling sick and cursing, I was able to locate it in a small corner of my head. All four of my minds are on the verge of blacking out. Haah~ my consciousness is really tired. Making spiritual manifestations requires a strong soul and willpower an I''m already out of the latter.

    Steeling myself, I tried to restrain the malicious will strand that was residing on my head but suddenly, a wave of mana appeared between my will strand and that malicious will strand and slammed into my consciousness, making me lose control and jolting me from my meditative state.

    Then I felt an incredible pang in my head, and I felt that my nose, mouth, eyes and ears are secreting some sort of fluid. Is this... blood? Unfortunately before I can confirm it, following that pang... deep, excruciating, agony pierced me and I screamed like a madman. It was too sudden! And really painful!! What the heck is that?!

    "G-gaaahhh!! Bu-?! Guha-!!" (Krey)

    *splatter* *drip*

    And then I coughed up a mouthful of blood. What the heck...? Did that wave of mana also affect my body as well? Wait what kind of mana was it?! I wasn''t able to control it really well!! I came to this revelation while breathing heavily and squatting on the ground. I started to compare the wave of mana to the kinds of mana that I have encountered and I found a horrifying match...

    ''...No way... Divine Mana?! Oh hell no! That malicious will strand had THAT card? Will and Mana Assimilation?! This difficulty level is too high man!'' (Krey)

    As I cried that out, vexed in my heart, more Divine Mana began to agglomerate near that will strand.

    As I''ve said, it seems the Divine Mana came from that malicious will strand. Goddamn it, I was tricked! This is even more vexing than reading a bad novel. Probably comparable to the time that my boss in the bakery store cut my job payments. I was pretty sure that I was a great clerk! Stingy bastard!

    After having that random thought that always seem to appear on inappropriate tiimes,  I finished prepping myself and after making sure that my body is still operational, I once again tried to enter the meditative state. My consciousness manifested itself again and I faced that malicious will strand once more.

    It was now emitting a purple, chaotic aura. Divine Mana also spewed out in droves but not coming in contact with any part of my brain. The purple, chaotic aura caused me even more discomfort than the waves of Divine Mana that the malicious will strand is spewing out.

    If the aura of the book was so disgusting that in a scale of one to ten I would rate it as a perfect ten then this aura... probably surpassed the billionth marking already. I knew it even though I am not in contact with it... yet. I still feel light-headed and I can''t think straight but I am not stupid enough to go against that net of Divine Mana. I was barely able to control the Divine Mana coming from Frelinia''s Band and now I have to face this thing?

    Then that voice resounded in my mind again.

    "Hahaha... no use in resisting child. A soul holding the legacies of two gods and the essence of another god is an amazing feat in itself but sadly, it is no use against a god such as me. What a pity. As you mortals say, ''curiosity killed the cat''..."

    After that voice said that, the purple chaotic aura started to surge at one point and it began forming a blurry figure. After a few short moments, the figure was starting to clear up and... "his" face made me frown... at least mentally I guess.

    His face, no... his entire being looks like me. Back when I was seventeen. The black hair and black eyes was replaced by purple hair and purple eyes. His clothes... frankly it just looks like the clothes I am wearing right now, except bigger and silver-colored. There was no pupils in the eyes making it look like an eye of the statue but I know my features very well. Same build, something between thin and buff. Same height and same annoyingly white skin.

    Yes, I still have unblemished white skin until now. I want it to get tanned but it still won''t get dark no matter what I do. It really makes me look like a girl.

    "What do you want?-Buh-?! -Hua!" (Krey)

    *splatter* *drip*

    I ended up saying it through my mouth instead of my mind but I can''t help it. Compared to my physical state, where I have a lot of internal injuries, my mental state is in a far more dire situation. So speaking out loud would be the next best thing for me. Unfortunately my internal injuries flared up because of that and I was forced to cough out another mouthful of blood. I reflexively wipe the side of my mouth while still focusing on the impostor inside of me.

    "What do I want? Kuku... kukuku... kuhaHAHAHAHAH!! An interesting inquiry... by a child. Kuku... in time you will know. But for now, enslaving your soul will be enough to quell my monotony. Hmm... should I torture you first? Yes, that would make it easier for me..."

    Wow, a three-step laughter. Wait! Now is not the time to be impressed. Should I even try to converse with this guy? Why did I even start with a "What do you want?" question? It must be that aura that''s getting to me. Fuu... can''t think straight.

    The guy that looks like me suddenly held his hand over his head and started to laugh maniacally while uttering something incomprehensible, even to me. Kuuh... why is it that it is my mental capabilities that had to be checkmated? Can''t you just appear in some other place and cripple me physically? No that''s an irresponsible wish. I''ll just have to make due.

    Without even bothering to know who this entity is because of the dizziness that I am feeling, I began to make preparations to get rid of this pest. Shoot first, ask questions later. If I survive, I''ll definitely interrogate Kira on where she found that book! It is really getting on my nerves. And I''ll definitely reprimand her for dissuading herself from the proper path of strength. The apology will be put off for later.

    As I was having that kind of thought, Mind 1 and Mind 2 are now laying the foundations for the Seals that I have in mind. Mind 3 is drawing upon the Sigil Formations to support the Seals. Mind 4 is on standby and currently occupying this little bastard. Spells should not be used unless I want to implode myself, which I don''t. This is really depressing for some reason... only using one mind should be enough yet I have to resort to using all four...

    Unfortunately, it looks like that this bastard noticed what I am doing and started to smile like a lunatic. Hey! That''s not how I smile! Stop ruining my less than perfect face! Seriously, he''s ruining my mental image of myself.

    Grrr... just you wait! I''ll definitely use my strongest trap card against you!

    "Trying to fight back? Truly amusing. I have expected you to beg for mercy as I mutilate your soul but it looks like Frelinia luckily chose a soul such as you... one who holds fragments... but I doubt if she could unlock your full potential or even know what you really are... Sadly, your broken soul will be the catalyst for my freedom!"

    While saying that, that  figure inside of me aggregated the Divine Mana towards his illusory hands and alarms suddenly went off in my head. Shit! Should I stall for more time? The <Heaven and Earth Seal> still needs the <Four Element Sigil Formation> to work and that particular Sigil Formation is one of the most complicated Sigil Formations that I have ever theorized and made! Fuuuh... distract him?

    Yes, yes! Must keep him occupied but... whaa- so fast!

    The Divine Mana began to form a vague silhouette of a long staff with two curved blades on each end. It kinda looks like a scythe though. The figure smiled ominously and struck out against... wait my consciousness?! At least hit any part of my body instead!! A mage doesn''t necessarily need a body to work and I''m sure as long as I have my soul, repairing my body would be possible. The only problem would be that it would take many, many years before I can thoroughly repair my body.

    But this guy... seriously wants to get rid of me! In the small space of my head where the figure was in, it chose to attack my spiritual manifestation. My perception of time suddenly slowed down, probably because of me being near death and I began thinking up possibilities and and solutions towards my predicament. But no matter what I think of, all of them have high risks and low returns.

    Soon my perception of time gradually became faster and desperation started to come over me. More and more options were sifted through, each one riskier and deadly than the last. After what seemed like an eternity, my mind that was inflicted with the ghastly aura of that figure suddenly became clear. A spurt of energy began nurturing me and I suddenly knew what feeling is this.

    A feeling after desperation. A feeling of reckless abandon. One last time. It seemed like the shackles of imminent defeat that were hindering me were suddenly removed and my will to fight surged. Very well!! If this is the day that I will pass on, then I will pass on with style!

    I thought that with the vigorous energy that come from who knows where which now streaming all over me, unaware that such a hot-blooded declaration would become a part of my dark past in the future.

    <hr />

    (Lisana P.O.V.)

    ''Hey~ Why are you running away? Come on let me eat you!'' (Lisana)

    "KUEEHHHEE MEHEHEE" (Voracious Goat King)

    (AN: Can''t help it. Don''t know the SFX for goats lol)

    I am currently in my... I guess this is what Krey nii-chan would call Little Dragon Form? But its better if its called Playing Form though. I am still playfully chasing down another Voracious Goat King. I could just end its life right now but that would not be fun. The poor insect *cough* toy *cough* creature is very tired and you can see despair written all over its funny face.

    Of course, I killed its entire family after all. And since this creature is probably as strong as an Elite-level Mana Manipulator, some form of personality must have formed. Despair, hatred and fear is emanating from me and it only compels me to play with it more. Big Sis Kira said that it is bad to play with food but I can''t help it. Somehow inflicting pain on lesser creatures brings happiness to me. I guess it is bad, but they won''t know anyway so its fine!

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    It seems that the earlier one that I was chasing was a part of the group of Voracious Goat Kings. I instantly killed all of them and left one for me to play with. The one I am chasing down is probably the leader of the herd since it is a bit bigger than the rest.

    Of course I don''t want our little chase to end so quickly so I hunt other animals and monsters, letting him rest for a little while before chasing after the Voracious Goat King again.

    The corpses and material I placed in my [Pocket Dimension]. Fufu. It is a spell that can only be used by us dragons since we have Dragonic Mana. If I told this to Krey nii-chan, he might get jealous and strive to control Dragonic Mana. But I don''t want to~ Krey nii-chan should just do things at his own pace, just how I like him.

    From big sis Kira''s memories it seems that the meat from a Voracious Goat King is even better than the meat from the Larsit that Krey nii-chan bought for me! Also that some parts of the Voracious Goat King can be sold at a high price. The horns and hooves are great materials for magic items and weapons. The fur can also be used to make high quality coats... I don''t understand these nobles. What is the use of wearing such expensive things? I think Krey nii-chan would not waste money like that. At least that''s what he told me.

    It has been a few hours since Krey nii-chan started meditating and I''ve been hunting some monsters and wild animals while also gathering herbs that Krey nii-chan would like. Most of them are expensive and rare herbs so I think Krey nii-chan would be happy! Big sis Kira is still negotiating with the man with beard... was it Turban? or Turkam? I''ll probably find out later.

    ''Ha! I''ve caught you now!'' (Lisana)

    I exclaimed that happily inside of my head and I flew in front of the Voracious Goat King. I think I know what I should do. Big Sis Kira once did this method to kill a certain beast but... really the conditions for Big Sis Kira to kill is really restricting. I kinda feel sorry for her but Big Sis Kira said she doesn''t mind... even though it is the reason why she was alone for decades...

    I sink into deep thoughts before psyching myself up to do the suicide method that Big Sis Kira used. The Voracious Goat King looked at me with horror and opened its mouth to scream but this is the moment I was waiting for!

    I dove down straight into its mouth, ignoring the grotesque meaty parts around and went down its fleshy throat. Its a bit smelly, sticky and tight but I won''t give up. By now, I am crawling down its throat. Interestingly, it is different from the fleshy insides of the beasts that Big Sis Kira encountered. Most of them have red-colored meat, the occasional orange-colored meat and the weird violet-colored meat.

    But the meat of this Voracious Goat King has a blue color and even its blood is colored blue. My talons made a lot of wounds on its throat and I can feel the erratic movements of the Voracious Goat King... really, it should just lay still and wait for me to tear its innards out.

    Anyway, I will do my best! Uuu! Uuu! Nifu~~! Its t-tight...! But I''m almost there. For a large monster, its esophagus is considerably small. Crawling in its fleshy and bloody tube is taking a toll on my patience. Fuu... why must its internal organs be too far away? My body, tail and wings are already drenched in its fluids. Even my snout is drenched in a sticky bluish substance. Kuuuu... disgusting. I like the meat but not the blood. But I must do this! For Krey nii-chan''s sake! And more importantly, for my stomach''s sake!

    Hiku~~~Uuu! Ah! There it is! In my line of sight is a blue mass of pulsating muscle! It contracts and expands like a fluffy cloud. Its succulent shape and fascinating contours is so mind-blowing and very beautiful... should I eat it now? No, no. Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira said that it should be cooked first. Uuu... I know! I''ll grill it!

    Unlike other dragons, I don''t have a natural breath attack. Its what I learned from big sis Kira''s memories. All I know about myself is that I can control and produce something called Dragonic Mana that is prevalent among dragons and dragon-kin. And I seemed to be able to read minds. I realized it when I first hatched and met big sis Kira. She was the first person whose mind I read... it was really thrilling and interesting to be able to read people''s minds... though the me at that time was really overwhelmed so I haven''t really had a meaningful conversation properly with Krey nii-chan.

    And Krey nii-chan is really weird. Its like a torrent of chaotic energy is preventing me from penetrating into his mind. I suspect it might be because of a god''s blessing but I''m hoping that Krey nii-chan has a mental disorder instead. Luckily he has one, and I''m already implementing a plan to cure him.

    Also since big sis Kira was the first proxy for my mind reading ability, I was immediately attached to her... in a familial way. Besides she is so cool and pretty! And her memories are very entertaining as well. Though it seems in her mind, Krey nii-chan is like a precious treasure rather than a normal person. She would most likely give her life for Krey nii-chan. This is also why I like big sis Kira very much.

    My throat seems to have an organ that might be used to create my natural breath but I can''t use it for some reason. This is why I only use Dragonic Mana. Luckily, there are some spells and skills in my genetic memories that are only for us dragons to use. Yes? Of course I have genetic memories! Genetic memories are legacies branded into us dragon''s mind and soul by our ancestors to allow us to survive and thrive. Being stuck in my egg for a very, very, very long time had been a silent torture for me. I can only peruse my memories to comfort myself and my genetic memories are already there at that time.

    Now then... what should I use. Hmm... its hard to think with all the shaking that''s being done by the Voracious Goat King. Haah... why can''t it just wait for me to burn its heart? It should be honored that I will be the one to savor its juicy,tender, lovely, meaty and tasty-looking heart... *drool* thinking about it makes me want to eat it faster!

    ''By the will of the dragon, humble flame beneath the world of mortals that seeks to bathe everything in ashes, appear before me and lend your power! [Dragon Flare]!'' (Lisana)

    Dragonic mana seeped out of me and coalesced into a magic circle, kinda similar to Krey nii-chan''s Sigil Formations but instead of magic language, what is inscribe there is dragonic language. Very soon, flames began to appear out of the magic circle and formed a figure of a flaming dragon.

    I limited it to be the same size as me. Soon, the walls of flesh began sizzling from the heat and producing an intoxicating aroma. Then by my will, the small flaming dragon launched itself towards the heart and soon covered it in a blazing coat. Yes, yes that''s right. Slowly and carefully cook it... just like the meat skewers that Krey nii-chan bought for me.

    Very soon, the thrashing done by the Voracious Goat King gradually subsided while I concentrate on grilling its delicious looking heart. Aaand there! It''s done... I think I burned it too much?

    It looks like a lump of charcoal. Kyuuu! Why did it become like that?! Was I too distracted? No, no it must be because I used a Mid-Class Spell. I want to cry... and its really tight here. *sniffle* Maybe I''ll just take the charcoal with me? Wait, it still might be edible...

    With teary eyes, I slowly directed my mouth towards the charcoal meat and took a little nibble... ah. Now I know why big sis Kira prevents me from going to the kitchen. I spit out the disgusting lump of meat and used [Dragon Flare] again to remove any proof of its existence.

    I placed the burnt heart in my [Pocket Dimension] with complicated feelings. I then used my claws to tear through the muscles and bones of the Voracious Goat King. Uuu, Kyuu, to-! Yeah! I made it. I tore through its relatively thick hide and exited its body. I shook off the body fluids around my body and stared again at the carcass of the Voracious Goat King. Yes, I''ll place it in my [Pocket Dimension] as well. Big sis Kira might have some use for it...

    Now then, let''s see where I am now. It seems I am deep in the forest and there are a lot of herbs here. The animals and other monsters probably ran away already. Oh well, I will just have to gather all these herbs. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They smell peculiar as well.

    Fuu~ Its better to this when I am in Human Form. Thinking so, Dragonic Mana seeped out from my body again and coated my entire being. After a while, I felt my body structure changing and very soon I have assumed my Human Form. The way to change my form is also in my genetic memories. Big sis Kira says that I look like Krey nii-chan when I am in this form but I am not really sure. Although Krey nii-chan looks a little bit like a girl, he is undoubtedly a boy so I am unsure of big sis Kira''s conjecture. Krey nii-chan should cut his hair so that it won''t be too confusing for other people.

    Well let''s begin. I began to pick up the herbs in my surroundings and placed it all in my [Pocket Dimension]. Human hands are useful after all. It''s easier to grab things than when I am in my Playing Form and Original Form. After a few long minutes, I have finally gathered all the herbs in a 1 kilometer radius. Whew~ I had to transform into my Playing Form to finish gathering them in an hour.

    Since I''m done, I''m gonna go to Krey nii-chan now. In my Playing Form, I began to fly in the general direction that Krey nii-chan is in. Our unique link let''s us sense each other no matter how far away and also the reason why I can communicate with Krey nii-chan very well. I think that Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira also have some sort of bond but I think mine and Krey nii-chan''s link is stronger.

    I hope that he''s done meditating. I really do not understand Krey nii-chan''s and big sis Kira''s way of mana manipulation. We dragons merely let our Dragonic Mana develop us overtime yet they actually have to work hard to get stronger? I feel sad for them. But Krey nii-chan''s speed is considerably fast. And somehow I can feel that the mana around Krey nii-chan flow in a harmonious and peaceful way. It is unlike big sis Kira''s systematic and forced flow of mana.

    Maybe Krey nii-chan should teach big sis Kira? No, no. Big sis Kira is already training Krey nii-chan to develop his physique. She taught Krey nii-chan an unnamed peculiar martial arts. Martial arts are generally used by warrior and what separates them from mages. Of course, mages can use them as well but it is considered foolhardy to do so... well at least that''s what''s it entails in big sis Kira''s memories. Really, why do they separate mana manipulators into two categories? It is confusing for me.

    This particular martial art is not really deadly to others but it has close to no offensive power at all. It instead revitalizes and stregthens the physique of the practitioner. I think its called the Everchanging Lifeflow Stances? That''s what it is called in my genetic memories. I don''t think that big sis Kira would believe me if I tell her the true name of that martial art that she is teaching to Krey nii-chan so I will keep this to myself.

    Big sis Kira is really worried about Krey nii-chan''s safety so she trains Krey nii-chan in this kind of martial art. But Krey nii-chan is strong y''know? He made some Sigil Formations that even I can''t hope to break with my current strength. At least not yet. But big sis Kira is older so I will listen to her. Ah, I''ll also listen to Krey nii-chan of course! Though I think that Krey nii-chan is merely treating it as a side-job of some sort. Its a good thing that Krey nii-chan had a good body foundation that comes with being a champion of a god, otherwise I think the Everchanging Lifeflow Stances would be useless to him.

    Ah! There it is! I finally reached a clearing which Krey nii-chan is meditating. At first it was simply a small clearing but I gathered all the herbs and cut down all the trees and greenery so that it would make a landmark. It is now a forty diameter wide clearing. Fufu. I worked hard y''know?

    ''Krey nii-chan! I''m back!'' (Lisana)

    I said as Dragonic Mana surged out of me once again before wrapping my entire body in a dark golden film. I assumed my Human Form once more. Hmm? Why isn''t Krey nii-chan answering? Usually even if he''s meditating, I can just telepathically call out to him and he will immediately respond but now he isn''t really active. Telepathy is also one of the abilities that I''ve learned from my genetic memories and are usually used by High Dragons and True Dragons... but I don''t think I''m either of those.

    "Krey nii-chan? Are you still meditating?" (Lisana)

    In my Human Form, I asked Krey nii-chan loudly while playing with my skirt. Each time I transform, Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira asked me to wear something and I was able to take my dress out of the [Pocket Dimension] and instantly put it on after transforming. Fortunately, they did not asked me how I was able to put my dress on so fast so I was able to avoid explaining something that even I cannot understand.

    I am walking towards the spot where Krey nii-chan is meditating. Krey nii-chan set up some Sigil Formations that are very strong and eye-catching. I think its for protection? But I don''t think anything can hurt Krey nii-chan! He is stronger than me after all~ The Sigil Formations produced images of little flying people on the left. Fairies I think? They are shining luminously and are very beautiful to look at. They cover half of the ten diameter circle that Krey nii-chan is.

    On the right side which is the other half of the ten diameter circle, dark misty figures appear and disappear in a ghastly manner. There seemed to be always some sort of dark film that is covering the entire space to the right of Krey nii-chan. I-its creepy for some reason... um Krey nii-chan? Why are you not answering?

    "Krey nii-chan come out please!" (Lisana)

    By now, I am slightly worried and began prying around the Sigil Formations. My hands collided with the barriers and I received a small jolt to my hands but I don''t mind it. I peered into the Sigil Formation barrier. Usually the barriers made through Sigil Formations should be transparent but Krey nii-chan is well... muddier? Translucent. And its thicker than other barriers from big sis Kira''s and my genetic memories.

    I squinted my eyes a bit and finally caught the figure of Krey nii-chan but... the scene I am seeing made my heart palpate with worry. Krey nii-chan is frowning and sweat covered his entire body. Even the clothes that big sis Kira lent to him are drenched in his sweat. I decided to watch first and don''t disturb Krey nii-chan because he might be doing something important.

    I sat down cross-legged, ignoring the dirt that got on to my black dress and silently watched Krey nii-chan. After a while, Krey nii-chan suddenly opened his eyes and began panting heavily. And then he keeled over then began vomiting. I was surprised and immediately stood up and once again laid my hands on the barrier, hoping that close proximity towards the barrier would help me see Krey nii-chan better.

    I can''t really hear anything inside which further adds to my worries. Should I find big sis Kira? No, Krey nii-chan will be alone if that happens and I can''t just leave him here while he is like that.

    I looked at Krey nii-chan''s eyes and they were no longer the bright blue eyes that resembles the vast skies which gives me a calm and relaxed feeling. Nor is it the prismatic eyes that give me, a dragon, a surge of pure emotions. Fear and awe, yet servility and tranquility are also present whenever I gaze into those prismatic eyes. This time Krey nii-chan''s eyes... they are gray, blurry and covered with a purplish tint.

    Krey nii-chan shook his head and once again sat cross-legged to meditate once more. I don''t understand what''s going on but I just prepared myself to act at a moment''s notice. Then Krey nii-chan started to breathe heavily before his body received a sudden jolt and blood seeped out from the seven orifices of his head.

    Seeing this, my head went blank and my heart turned cold. It was like I was dragged in an abyss... fear, anger, worry and anxiety swirled in me before I snapped out of it and focused on the task that I have to do. What I and Krey nii-chan needs me to do.

    By instinct, Dragonic Mana seeped out from me and I felt my body structure changing. My body grew larger and larger while black, glistening scales appeared on the surface of my skin. My arms and legs grew sharp talons and I felt my wings sprout out from my back. After a short time, I finally returned to my Original Form. I flew upwards with a flap of my wings and stared at the barrier that Krey nii-chan is inside of.

    Kuuu- I don''t know what''s happening with Krey nii-chan but I need to go to him. And these Sigil Formations are in the way! Completely disregarding that it was Krey nii-chan was the one who made these things, I willed Dragonic Mana to further empower myself.

    With bloodshot eyes, I charged into the Sigil Formations that Krey nii-chan set up with Dragonic Mana supporting and strengthening me. With a big metallic sound like that of a gong, I and the barrier collided fiercely. The force of our collision caused dust to fly everywhere and made massive cracks and holes on the ground. More debris are piled in a corner of the area and some trees were uprooted even though they were far away.

    I flew up again and saw that there wasn''t any signs of the barrier breaking. Even though I attacked it with full force it didn''t even do anything... No! It must have a breaking point! I let out a fierce growl and I charged at the barrier again. Dust flew everywhere while I continued my assault against the barrier.

    Again and again and again.

    The clearing has now been reduced to a huge crater from my continuous barrage against the barrier. By now, my anger and anxiety have reached its peak and I gave out an roar filled with wrath.

    "GGYYYAAAUUUR" (Lisana)

    The sound produced waves and waves of force that went in every direction. Trees were blown to one side while the monsters who hear my roar quivered in fear. The barrier is still there, unperturbed by my fit of rage. I placed all of my emotions in that single roar and my heart slowly started to calm down.

    Even during the battle with those people earlier, I never roared. When we dragons roar, it means we approve of somebody or treat them as equals. It also signifies that we will be serious. Our roar is a sign of respect and honor. But it can also mean... that we are enraged.

    Right now I am the latter. I stared coldly at the barrier while worried at the same time for Krey nii-chan who is inside there. He coughed out blood earlier so something must have happened. I want to help but this thing is getting in the way... who knows what''s going on with Krey nii-chan over there.

    Truthfully, not only am I feeling angry and worried, I also feel helpless about this barrier. Why did Krey nii-chan set up such impregnable Sigil Formations such as these? Was it a precaution? For what? *sigh* Whatever the reason, this thing is getting in the way and it has to be destroyed.

    Dragonic Mana surged like a tide and immediately spread to my left and right. They began forming hazy outlines of magic circles in the air. Soon, they became clearer and six dark golden magic circles formed in mid-air. Shapes, symbols, letters displayed in the dragon tongue moved in clear, systematic paths before assuming their original positions in the magic circle.

    These magic circles spun in place as I continued to look at the barrier. Although blurry, Krey nii-chan''s meditating figure can be seen only this time, he is trembling. The intensity of his trembling can be seen even through the translucent barrier. I felt worse and worse every second I watch Krey nii-chan like this. I have to go to him! To be by his side!

    "Domination of the dragon. Unmatched, unrivaled, unstoppable and unpredictable. Mountains crumble into tiny stones before the steps of the serpentine kings. Seas surge into massive tides only to calm themselves before their almighty presence. The heavens give judgement from above but cannot be compared to the sovereigns of the skies. Will of the ancestral dragons, remind the earth once more where their loyalty should lie. [Monarchic Wrath]" (Lisana)

    As I finished chanting, three of the magic circles moved and surrounded the barrier that Krey nii-chan is in and started to glow resplendently. An unseen pressure was being emitted by the magic circles as they slowly formed a vague shape on top of the barrier.  The ground vibrated from the pressure and slowly sank in.

    Two magic circles moved upwards and stopped high in the air, directly on top of the barrier. It also started to glow brightly, enveloping the sky in golden light. Soon the sky itself seemed to turn from blue to golden as the two magic circles spun in place, as if gathering energy from the surroundings.

    The last magic circle moved towards me and then shattered before transforming into countless symbols that were glowing in a golden color. They moved to every part of my body. My wings, tail, forearms, forelegs, torso and other parts while I felt that I was brimming with pure, unbridled power.

    High up in the skies, the magic circles also shattered but formed tendrils and forks of lightning. Black lightning. As if a terrifying contrast towards the golden atmosphere, like an evil spawn of horror, the black lightning began expanding and forked it way through the air.

    On the ground, the three magic circles also shattered before reforming into countless dimly glowing symbols that surrounded the vague shape that was forming earlier. Soon the shape turned into a silhouette and the silhouette turned into a figure. The figure gradually became clearer and what was seen was a giant man draped in dark kingly robes. The figure exuded a regal and frightful air that seemed to make the atmosphere feel like a trial before execution.

    The giant man''s face was blurry but it did not diminish the domineering air that was coming from him. Nay, it only made it stronger. Mystery bundled with power always forms an astonishing image.

    The figure looked up to see the expanding tendrils of dark lightning and then looked to me. I was still in mid-air. The unbridled power that filled me to the brim suddenly compressed and began to emanate a silent pressure of a drawn sword. My eyes shined and I flew towards the forest of lightning high up in the sky.

    Then as if finding prey, the tendrils of lightning approached like ferocious beasts intending to devour their prey. It seemed that it wants to obliterate me. But the black lightning did nothing of the sort and instead attached itself to my body. Electricity darkly wriggled before staying in place around me.

    I stared at the giant figure at the ground and the figure stared as well. The figure then raised his hand and I gave another loud roar. Power once again filled me and I took a deep breath. Dragonic mana and the energy from the golden skies, the giant figure and the black lightning gathered in my mouth and compressed itself into a terrifying weapon.

    Soon after the figure disappeared into mist and I stared at the Sigil Formations that are forming a barrier around Krey nii-chan. Vaguely, I can see Krey nii-chan''s figure keeling over and vomiting blood again. My mind became blank and I aimed the compressed energy inside my mouth and launched it at the barrier.

    ...

    ...

    (AN: R.I.P)

    <hr />

    Author Note: I''ll try to write again and hopefully the next chapter will be posted 2 days later. If I don''t feel well, probably 4 days. Hope you enjoyed it~!

 Chapter 26: Incarceration

    Author Note: I am sorry guys but I do not have measles but just a slight discoloration of skin due to some chemicals I touched. Unfortunately, I had a high fever probably because of the chemicals but it died down for a bit so I was able to finish this chapter. But, it would probably come back again. Please bear with the later releases since I am feeling like a heavy piece of lead. And I am not sure when my fever will die down permanently.

    <hr />

    (Third Person P.O.V.)

    In the maelstrom of blank menace a pitiful sight can be seen. Here lies the body of a broken male child. The child was small in stature and seemed to be only ten years of age, not even reaching puberty. Malign forces surround the child as the child unconsciously tried to fight back.

    But no matter how hard he tries the malign and dangerous force only seems to grow stronger and bolder as it seeks to devour the child... in body and soul. It seemed that the child''s days are already numbered but then... a faint light shone at his chest... and the malicious force seemed to weaken... but only for a bit.

    Then the child started to hear a voice... a soft yet willful voice of a girl. Her voice was like a beautiful forest''s melody as its trees sway with the caress of the gentle winds. It makes one feel like they are at the center of a still calm lake. As if their hearts are one with the lake, they would feel calm and serene.

    "Young one... it seems that the fallen deity has you within his clutches. It seems that the strings of destiny wish upon you many tribulations... did my mistress knew this when she chose you? Or did she simply feel that you are the one...?"

    The voice asked the child slowly and the malign force seemed to weaken even further. The child stirred from his forced slumber and managed to utter a few words.

    "Who... are you...?"

    "Hush, young one... do not speak for you are ill-stricken. Who I am does not matter... only know that I stand with you... in service to my mistress."

    The child slowly stood up, albeit with great difficulty and managed to stand upright with trembling legs. The light in his chest grew stronger until one can faintly see the object that is shining with a bright light. It was only a silhouette  because of the child''s thick black clothes but one can still make out the shape... it seems to be a pendant hung around the child''s neck.

    "Your will touched me, allowing me to awaken... but not for much longer. I helped you once before... it was only supposed to be once until you become a [King]... but since you were able to wake me... I will help you once more..."

    The light grew stronger and with a sudden push, the light struck against the malign force engaging in a vicious struggle for dominance. The boy slowly regained vitality but not enough to move quickly.

    "You will not remember me or this meeting... until you become a [King]... by then, I hope that my mistress''s request are to be fulfilled... Now, young one. Use your instincts as a Legacy Protector and defend the hope and happiness of my mistress... and someday, I hope you''ll make her smile again..."

    The boy slowly opened his eyes... and an iridescent glow can be seen.

    <hr />

    (Lisana P.O.V.)

    "Krey nii-chan! Krey nii-chan!! Can you hear me??! Krey nii-chan!!!" (Lisana)

    In my human form, I desperately try to call Krey nii-chan from outside the Sigil Formation while continuously hitting the barrier with my small hands. I am already out of mana, and it would take a while for it to replenish in my system.

    Unlike big sis Kira and Krey nii-chan who can absorb mana from the surroundings, we dragons cannot and only rely on ourselves to produce Dragonic Mana from our bodies. We certainly can generate mana fast so there''s no other drawbacks.

    With the last strip of mana I have, I willed myself to change into my human form. This way it would be easier to replenish mana since unlike my other forms, my human form seems to generate mana the fastest.

    "Krey nii-chan!! Are you alright?! Please wake up!!" (Lisana)

    I call out to him again but there''s no reaction. After coughing up blood earlier and panting heavily, he suddenly collapsed and his face keeps twisting into a pained expression. Beads of sweat came out and already soaked his clothes wet. A desolate and menacing aura can be seen lingering around him and comtinues to grow denser.

    Since I am a dragon, my eyesight has some special quirks so I was able to see the aura, where it usually can only be felt. It''s a good thing that the Sigil Formation''s barrier was a bit transparent otherwise I wouldn''t be able to see what''s happening to him.

    That''s when I was still bombarding the Sigil Formation''s barrier with the arsenal I have from my genetic memories. Right now, I focused on just calling out to him since it is clear that I am not gonna break this barrier.

    I''ve tried everything already but this Sigil Formation''s barrier simply wouldn''t break! I''ve cast seventeen Mid-Class Spells, and five High-Class Spells yet they only dealt small damage. Only small cracks were dealt in the barrier and not even close to really breaking it.

    This Sigil Formation is still standing firm as if mocking my earlier efforts. Around me are the remnants of the mountains and the other forest on this vicinity... which is essentially a dusty wasteland littered with craters and boulders. I got spooked from seeing Krey nii-chan hurt so I immediately set out on destroying the thing that is hindering me, completely forgetting about the consequences but it is not important right now.

    Kyuuuu... why did Krey nii-chan have to set up this damnable Sigil Formation!? Its done nothing but cause trouble! Now he is experiencing something terrible inside there and I can''t help him!

    Vexingly, I continue to hit the glass-like barrier, eliciting small shock-waves of energy to course through my body. It seems that the Sigil Formation was set up this way to deter outside intervention but since I am a dragon, even when I am in my human form, I can still exert strength that I have in my original form so I can shrug off such backlashes coming from the barrier.

    After a few minutes of uselessly hitting the barrier, I stopped and instead watched Krey nii-chan through the transparent barrier of his Sigil Formation. Although the tiny light fairies and the ghostly figures are a bit of a nuisance, I can still relatively see inside despite them blocking my view.

    The aura around Krey nii-chan continues to grow bigger and denser, while Krey nii-chan''s already smooth white skin gradually become as white as chalk, almost deathly, and his expression keeps on turning for the worse. I gripped my skirt with my right hand and placed my left hand on my chest, becoming even more worried. Whatever that thing is, its hurting Krey nii-chan and I have to get rid of it but first...

    I stared at the barrier with hatred in my eyes and decided that I will use a Top-Class Spell to destroy this Sigil Formation after my mana has fully recovered. It won''t be long now, I just hope Krey nii-chan would be able to hold on during that period. But just after I made that decision, the aura surrounding Krey nii-chan suddenly expanded greatly, covering the entirety of the Sigil Formation. Then to my great surprise, many cracks started to appear on the surface of the barrier and are growing in size and number.

    Before I can even register what''s going on, another aura seeped out of Krey nii-chan and also filled the space inside of the Sigil Formation. This aura is different from the earlier aura. I cannot read anything from it at all. It is unlike the earlier aura which is characterized by malice, malice so great that one would not need to be near to sense it but one would simply know when one looks at it. This aura... nothing can be sensed from this new aura. Even with my special ability, I cannot really discern the nature of it. Its like a puppet without its owner.

    But one thing is certain... this unexpressed energy and that menacing aura cannot co-exist. From outside the Sigil Formation I can see the two entities fight one another, each trying to suppress the other to achieve dominance. Fortunately and unfortunately, I am not inside of the Sigil Formation therefore I cannot feel the shocking waves of power coming from inside but... Krey nii-chan is. He is receiving the full brunt of it while he is injured.

    Consumed by anxiety, I was about to redo my efforts in breaking the Sigil Formation''s barrier but I was beaten to the punch. The Sigil Formation broke, the foundations and the barrier all but shattered under the stress of the two clashing energies. With the release of these two frightening phantasmal presences, the air seethed and rumbled as a fierce wind formed in the area.

    Then the air seemed to explode as the wind wall launched itself in every direction, carrying a sliver of the two entities with it and blowing me far away. Because of my relatively small frame, the force was making me spin like some kind of toy as it takes me a large distance away.

    I wasn''t able to react quickly due to the suddenness of the force but I was able to study the two entities more closely since the wind has traces of it from earlier.

    ''Kuh... what power! And the malice seething from the violet aura is... unearthly. This is bad... no, this inexpressive power!? It can''t be!!'' (Lisana)

    "Krey nii-chan!!!" (Lisana)

    Disregarding everything else, I turned back into my original form and fought back against the fierce wind and flew towards the area where Krey nii-chan is supposed to be. The war between these two entities is so frightening! The clashing energies would be enough to obliterate everything in a four-kilometer radius. And Krey nii-chan is in the center of it! Although his body is naturally strong due to being a god''s champion as well as the bodily sanctification through the Everchanging Lifeflow Stances but... he is in the middle of a maelstrom of energies.

    It wouldn''t be surprising if he is already bloodied up by now. In fact, even my scales are beginning to have some scratches as I push forwards, forcefully traversing the walls of clashing energies. My sight has been blocked by dark purple and white flashes but I know where Krey nii-chan is because of our link.

    Unfortunately, the epic struggle here is preventing my from moving fast, making me worry and worry as every second passed knowing that Krey nii-chan is injured. Then suddenly, the two entities, awe-inspiring and frightening entities... disappeared. Mist began to appear and the air seethed... as if delightful that the two invading elements has gone away.

    I felt surprised at first but I snapped out of it at the next second and began searching for Krey nii-chan in the air. He is somewhere in the area but the mist is so thick that it prevents even me to see clearly. I flapped my wings and decided to hover upwards to have a better view, but then I saw a faint figure up ahead.

    "Is that him?! I hope it is..." (Lisana)

    I turned back into my human form and landed on the ground with a thud. I stared at the blurry figure, worry palpitating in my heart. The figure slowly turned towards me. It was...

    <hr />

    I have always wondered what it would be like to make the <Heaven and Earth Seal> into a realm type of seal. Now I see that it still needs some work. Otherwise it wouldn''t need the energy from the Four Elements Sigil Formation created from Divine Mana.

    My consciousness is currently in a white space. It gave of a feeling of being boundless yet cramped at the same time. Its strange but not really discomforting for me. I created this space and I''m not about to run away from it. That would be stupid. And a new companion would be staying in this space and this space would also be my new entertainment area.

    In the middle of the space resides four pillars. Each pillar looked illusory, almost like a hologram and have different colors. One is red. One is blue. One is white. One is brown. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth. Different runes with different elemental alignments riddled the entire framework and surface of the pillars. The pillars are positioned on four points, and each pillars are equidistant to each other. They are basically positioned as the four points of a square.

    The runes of the pillar are changing their positions in a sometimes slow, sometimes fast manner. Kind of like the fish in an aquarium. Faint yet overbearing ripples of power emanated from the pillars. What''s more is that on top of each pillar were globes of terrifying energy. Something that causes me to have a headache on how to deal with it. On the bottom of each pillar resides four different Sigil Formation all rotating, and are interconnected with one another. The space at the center of these pillars was a stage.

    The stage was plain in design. Circular and seemed to be made out of white marble. Illusory chains floated in the area of the stage, concealing whatever it is that was placed on the stage. On top of the stage was a floating Seal. It was a peculiar Seal for the chains on the stage seemed to be connected to it yet at the same time retaining its independent existence.

    The Seal was circular in shape like the stage and crackles of energy can be heard coming from it. It vaguely contains the colors of white, black and bronze. It design is based on a certain symbol in Taoism that I''ve seen countless times. It wasn''t really  needed to be like that but I was inspired to make the Seal look like that. After all, when you think about sealing, what usually comes to mind are the legends of the Japanese and Chinese.

    Since the Seal that I created is called the <Heaven and Earth Seal>, giving it an appearance that''s similar to the Taiji symbol should be appropriate. Now in the center of the stage, bound by the illusory chains of the Seal, was my new toy *cough* companion. I still didn''t get his name but the iris-less eyes that obviously glowed with malice, hatred, indignation and arrogance along with the expressionless face show that I would have a fun time finding out.

    "Well, well. It looks like your plan backfired, mister. Who did you say you were gonna enslave again? It was me right? But why is it you who is in chains instead of me? Hahaha..." (Krey)

    I say teasingly with a hint of contempt towards this impostor. I call him impostor because he is using my image when I was still a 17-year old guy, and he didn''t even get my nose right. Also my face is not that ferocious. I remember that I look like an amiable fellow, harmless even but the image he made is not really to my liking. Maybe I should just call him other stupid names? Meh, whatever.

    I am miffed about my luck recently. First I get attacked by people stronger than me. Then I was almost blown to bits by a god''s temper tantrum. And then I get attacked again by a senile old man. And now I have another god trying to enslave my soul. Really, my luck didn''t get better at all even in another world. Did the karma of always getting fired after every two month part-time job period follow me here? Maybe it did, or somebody is just messing with me.

    "Hmph. A slight miscalculation on my part. Frelinia has indeed expended great efforts to protect the vessel of her sibling''s divinities. But that Divine Armament..." (????)

    He said with a sneer along with great arrogance as he replied to me. That''s a little annoying. Even so, I won''t stop you know? If I did not great take risks to trap your soul fragment inside me, I would have been enslaved and made a puppet. Unfortunately, even if I want to do the same to you, that would be tasteless. And it would be difficult because I don''t know how. Only a little knowledge about the soul was given to me by Frelinia and most of it are related to the path of magic... I kinda want to become a warrior too but I guess that ship has sailed.

    But to think that I''d be called a vessel... that kinda hurts. I am not sure if I can believe this guy but he seems to be sure of it and lying doesn''t really fit with his character. Well this is not the first time I''ve been used as a tool and since Frelinia already explained it to me, the revelation I received from this self-proclaimed god is well... disappointing. I was hoping for something juicy to come out but it looks like I need to probe further.

    "Divine Armament? Do you mean Frelinia''s Band? Yeah. that really saved me there~. I didn''t know what do with it because it only activated once before staying silent again, so its really a surprise that it acted up earlier." (Krey)

    "Lies. You think I didn''t see what you did. You underestimate me child. My soul may have been severed and separated into tens of thousands of fragments and this particular vessel is just a mere fragment but... I am still a god. Who told you the way to truly wield a Divine Armament? That individual has very well breached an agreement made by us gods." (????)

    "Well then. How should I answer this..." (Krey)

    Although I''m putting on a troubles expression on the outside, inwardly I am thinking that this guy is unpleasant. I cannot believe that the prisoner is the one interrogating the inspector. He took on an accusing tone despite him being the one who tried to enslave me. I am amazed to meet a guy as shameless and arrogant as him. I know I am shameless from all the lies that came out of my mouth in my life but I am certainly not arrogant.

    But what did he mean agreement? I am not sure about the way to truly wield a Divine Armament but I only discovered it by chance y''know? I guess I need to ask more questions.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "I don''t know. Putting that aside, you are my prisoner so shouldn''t I be the one asking questions? For example, who are you? Which god are you? Or maybe you''re just a delusional divine beast?" (Krey)

    "I have no obligation to answer your inquiries, puny mortal." (????)

    The self-proclaimed god replied arrogantly, which caused a vein to appear on my forehead. Hey, hey, hey, I caught you fair and square! You cheated first but I retaliated fairly you fucking asshole! And what do you mean "no obligation"? That is not up for debate. I captured you, and you should do what I say!!! Guunuu...

    I was about flip out when I suddenly remembered that I still need answers, like how he was able to affect Kira. What''s more what does he want from me? I kinda have an answer for that but I still have to make sure. *sigh* All of this problems really makes me want to just turn on the punishment setting of the <Heaven and Earth Seal> and comfortably watch the unfolding spectacle.

    Wait, wait. Let''s take a step back for a while. Breathe in... breath out... Now then Krey, fix that breaking business smile on your face and just nicely ask questions. A gentlemen should be wise, courteous and calm... I think.

    "Now, now~. If you don''t want to answer that question, we could still talk about other things can''t we?" (Krey)

    I put on a smile that is unlike my favorite lax and carefree one, the business smile I usually put on when dealing with customers and continued the one-sided conversation with the self-proclaimed god. I asked many questions but all I got was the same condescending replies like earlier. I even worded my questions in a way that is considered respectful and misleading so that I can get even some hints but I still got nothing.

    After each question, I felt the number of veins in my forehead increasing and I find it hard not to will the <Heaven and Earth Seal> to take care of this guy. But after one final question, I finally blew a fuse.

    "Okay, then. One last question, Mister Self-Proclaimed God. I will just ask one final question and I''ll leave you to your own devices. What do you mean by your soul breaking down into a thousand fragments? Did the other gods do that? Or is it the mysterious enemy that Frelinia told me about?" (Krey)

    "Hmph. Mortals should not interfere with the business of gods. Go then, leave. I hope that you know what you are doing child. My other fragments will find you and soon you''ll encounter swarm after swarm of powerful individuals that even Frelinia''s Divine Armament can''t protect you from." (????)

    "Really? Pray tell, oh Mister Self-Proclaimed God." (Krey)

    "Kukuku, continue throwing out your degrading insults towards me, mortal. Soon your soul will be my little slave as well as the souls of that high elf and that failure of a dragon. I will make sure that you and your little group will enjoy my treatment, Kukuku." (????)

    Hearing that blatant threat towards those girls, I felt something inside me break and my head was flooded with one primal emotion. A basic yet powerful emotion that I have not really felt for a long time. Wrath. Deep, boisterous and fiery wrath. My usual idiotic irritation towards the mundane world cannot be compared to the feeling I have now.

    Even when we were almost killed by that god in the Magic Mountain Range, I did not feel this way. I only had this feeling a handful of times and I can''t say that those things ended well at all. I kept myself from bursting out into a tirade of savagery and put on a cold indifferent expression. Okay, that''s it. I''ve reached the limits of my patience. Be glad that you are a god''s soul fragment, otherwise I would not hesitate to fully crush your soul even if I don''t know how to.

    "Hahaha. That is quite amazing, Mister Self-Proclaimed God. But that is impossible. You say that your fragments can find me but then why didn''t they come at me throughout the years, hmm? A fragment of your soul was somehow embedded into Kira''s possessions through Will Bestowal and you found me through her. Isn''t that a little weird? But I am not so stupid as to be unprepared for such contingencies." (Krey)

    I lightly chuckled while shedding the false pretense of respect that I was using. I willed my consciousness to drift towards the Fire Elemental Pillar and softly touched it. After a while, the pillar began to glow resplendently, blindingly so. I looked up and pointed my hand towards that globe of energy, Divine Mana and slowly clenched my hand into a fist. Instantly, the chains floating on the stage shot towards the globe of Divine Mana and embedded themselves towards it.

    The illusory chains began to vibrate and the self-proclaimed god frowned. With an emotionless face, I continued my monologue as I willed my consciousness to drift towards the Water Elemental Pillar.

    "I admit that I may be a careless idiot most of the time but it doesn''t mean that I am completely unable to see the clues laid out for me. Your so-called connection between fragments is merely a connection. Only this fragment knows what I am, where I am and what I am capable of. The other fragments do not am I right?"

    As I continued my monologue, I lightly brushed my hand at the Water Elemental Pillar and it glowed brightly, As with the Fire Elemental Pillar, I pointed at the globe of Divine Mana on top of the Water Elemental Pillar and the illusory chains threw themselves towards the globe and embedded themselves firmly.

    I looked at the self-proclaimed god and I saw that through his iris-less eyes, a hint of worry started to appear but he still kept that indifferent yet arrogant expression on. I lightly chuckled seeing his reaction but the rage within me has not lessened in the slightest. Nay, it has grown stronger instead.

    "Furthermore, the matter about your soul shattering. From what I know, once a soul is split into two pieces, two different entities would be born. Although they come from the same source, they would still be entirely different from each other... you know what, its pretty obvious already isn''t it? Anyway the point is, you''re not the only one who can bluff, sir." (Krey)

    I decided to end my long and probably boring monologue and willed my consciousness to go to the Earth Elemental Pillar. I did the same thing to it and the illusory chains are positioned on the sphere on top. I really should fix the configuration of this Seal.

    I suspect that this thing is already maxed out from all the pure energy that the globe of Divine Mana is supplying it. Fuuu... come to think of it, I got the Divine Mana from Frelinia''s band again, didn''t I? Maybe I shouldn''t have used a will strand to reach out to Frelinia''s band? Then again, if it weren''t for that desperate act, I would become a puppet to this self-proclaimed god/impostor.

    But I don''t really remember anything after that... just me sealing this god inside me was all I can remember. I wonder... no, its best not to think much of it. Concentrate on appeasing your wrath.

    And now to the Wind Elemental Pillar. Probably puzzled and annoyed by my sudden silence, the self-proclaimed god spoke of his own volition while I was activating the Wind Elemental Pillar.

    "... Bluff you say? What nonsense are you talking about mortal? I am a god you little-" (????)

    "Shut up." (Krey)

    Instantly, a cluster of elusive chains swiftly sprang into action and began wrapping up the self-proclaimed god in a cocoon of chains. The self-proclaimed god opened his eyes wide, obviously surprised. I still keep on my cold and indifferent expression. It seems that I will not get any answers from him the safe yet hard way and since he pissed me off... its time to test out the punishment setting. And time to gamble again.

    "Bluff, yes bluff. You know you said it yourself. You are just a mere fragment. A soul fragment of a god is indeed powerful, so powerful that an Elder Magus like me was easily subdued but it is still a fragment. Without Divine Mana, gods are not as powerful as they are supposed to be. Isn''t that right? Lord Helputt, God of Chaotic Fate." (Krey)

    Seeing the slight disturbance in the self-proclaimed god''s eyes, it looks like I hit the jackpot. Trying to use me as an anchor... how unpleasant. I guess I''ll have to thank Kira for those unnecessary history lessons about gods she taught to me while I was washing my clothes all those years ago... and yes, I wash my own clothes. No way am I gonna let others mess with my stuff.

    The self-proclaimed god tries to speak but the elusive chains that are binding him also cover his mouth, making it impossible for him to speak. Come to think of it, he is a soul fragment while I am using my spiritual manifestation to talk to him. We are both supposed to be intangible yet here I am using chains to bind him. Another world logic is strange after all.

    "Well let''s talk another time, Lord Helputt. In the meantime, enjoy the fruits of my hard work. I present to you the <Heaven and Earth Seal>, meticulously made by me. The Profound Truth of Resistance and the Profound Mystery of Resonance of the two elements, light and darkness bundled into one package. Due to its sinister and erratic nature, the <Four Elements Sigil Formation> augmented by Divine Mana would be keeping it together for now." (Krey)

    As I said that, the chains around him continue to tighten until he looks like a mummy but his eyes are still allowed to see because of the slits of the chains. I smile a small smile and snapped my fingers. The Taiji Symbol above begun to spin and the energies surged around us. Soon a miniature cyclone appeared at the center of the stage, and sparks began moving around like wild beasts.

    "There are twelve levels of torment in my <Heaven and Earth Seal>. Enjoy the first level, Chains of Heaven and Earth. I''ll be adding some other stuff later so we''ll have a nice chat by then okay? Ah, by the way, you are the first test subject of this realm seal, so I don''t what particular effects it might have on a god''s soul fragment so..." (Krey)

    The sparks grew stronger until enormous tendrils of lightning began to form in the center of the stage. With another snap of my fingers, the globes of Divine Mana shined slightly and a burst of energy erupted from them and settled on the chains on the stage. As if possessed the other chains shot forth aiming to stab and pierce through Helputt. The body wrapped in a cocoon of chains trembled as the impact jolted him.

    "AAAARRGGGHHH!!!!" (Helputt)

    Unnaturally, a horrid scream of pain escaped his lips and the chains slowly and painfully moved further, aiming to firmly embed themselves over his incorporeal body. Interestingly, the chains around his mouth was loosened as he screamed. Did I do it or did he do it? It must be me. Maybe I unconsciously loosened the chains since I like to hear the screams of people I torture? Who knows.

    Usually, a soul cannot be harmed through normal means and must use a Mutated spell or skill or use willpower to harm the soul but... since I am using a Realm Seal, the second most powerful type of seal among the seven types... well, let''s just say that logic can go out the door.

    "... please tell me the results later okay? After all, its my first time trying to torture a soul, and a god''s soul fragment at that! It would definitely be interesting to see what would happen next." (Krey)

    "You brat!! You will pay for disgracing me!! Soon you''ll face utter destruction by my han-?!" (Helputt)

    "Yeah, yeah. Like they''ll come after me so quickly. A connection is merely a connection and I don''t think that you''ll be able to communicate with your other fragments. Even if you manage to contact your other fragments, by then I''ll be ready to face them. After all, a god without an ounce of Divine Mana is weakened to a terrible degree. Anyway, goodbye."

    With a thought the chains tightened even more and the piercing chains continued to explore every incorporeal part of his body. Hearing the muffled screams from behind me, the anger inside me lessened by a bit and I willed my consciousness to dissipate from the space.

    Feeling my connection towards my consciousness disappear, I did not immediately went out of my meditative state and observed my mana core. A new mark appeared on my mana core. A Taiji symbol... that is the Realm Seal <Heaven and Earth Seal>. It doesn''t seem to have that many fluctuations... so I guess it is alright.

    With a thought, I went out of my meditative state and soon my eyes opened. Within my field of vision, the beautiful scenery of the mountain and forests can be seen... not. Everything is in a state of disrepair... as if an earthquake, tornado and a forest fire appeared at the same time and wreak havoc upon everything. Stones, boulders and cracks littered the area and dust flew about, mixing with the thick mist.

    I felt my right eye twitch seeing the horrible state of the surroundings. I can accept my two combined Sigil Formations breaking due to the pressure of the Divine Mana but it can''t have destroyed an entire mountain can it?! That''s just preposterous. And what''s more, the damage extends to the other mountains! Who did this!? Who destroyed my treasure trove?! There''s many stuff that I could have sold here!!

    "Krey nii-chan!!" (Lisana)

    Before I can lament the fact that my money making area has been obliterated, a sudden impact in my stomach made me fall down on my back and my hands landed upon the silky, black hair of a little girl.

    "I''m glad that *sniffle* you are alright *sniffle*." (Lisana)

    "L-liz? What''s wrong?" (Krey)

    Liz, who I proclaimed as my little sister, is looking at me with tears in her eyes. I can see the fear and worry in them... and I felt warm inside. And at the same time, I felt angry that I made such a cute creature sad...

    "Uuuwu... Krey nii-chan... I thought you were done for *sniffle*. That menacing aura surrounded you... *sniffle* you were almost devoured... uuuwaahhh!" (Lisana)

    With that, Lisana began crying in my chest. I let her let out the worried in her heart while I calmly stroked her beautiful black hair. It seems that she saw what happened... Tch. I should have just made the barriers enclosed so that she wouldn''t have to see that event.

    "You saw?" (Krey)

    "... *sniffle* Yes..." (Lisana)

    "Well, don''t worry. As you can see, I am fine now!" (Krey)

    I reassured Liz by patting my self strongly on the chest. I felt something bulky inside my shirt, probably Frelinia''s band... though it didn''t seem that bulky before though? I''ll check it later. Liz seemed to calm down from my words and she stopped crying. I patted her head, eliciting a small purr of pleasure from Liz and then we slowly stood up. I dusted my clothes off any dirt that was attached. I stretched my limbs and sighed deeply. I still feel depressed about what happened earlier.

    "*sigh* To think that the entire mountain was destroyed... I wanted to harvest some profit of it before. I know it wasn''t me who did it but who else would destroy such a huge treasure trove? *sigh*" (Krey)

    Liz visibly flinched when she heard me and slowly turned towards me, taking the posture of a child that is about to get scolded. I did not miss her movements and I asked Liz is there is something wrong.

    "What''s the matter Liz?" (Krey)

    "Ehh-? Uhm... um, Krey nii-chan. I can explain." (Lisana)

    And so began the confession of Liz.

    <hr />

    (Third Person P.O.V.)

    "It looks like he succeeded... he passed this tribulation. Now it is my turn... to understand him... for he will become my wielder... though it is hard to understand this individual. He always exudes a childish air upon him yet he is in fact mature."

    "He acts like an idiotic and careless individual... when he should be an intelligent and prepared in everything. Is it a ploy... or just who he is?"

    "Nevertheless... it seems that I am the second Divine Armament to awaken... the first is only half-awake... but she will be fully awake soon. The other one... he is in deep slumber... no matter. It will happen later on."

    "I hope the mistress''s chosen would become stronger... to face the next tribulations... and for him to make the lonely mistress become happy again."

    <hr />

    Another Author Note: Sick, so very sick. By the way guys thanks for the comments at the earlier chapter. It looks like I pissed you off at that point... well the only thing I can say is... I am sorry and thank you. I am merely a beginner at this and I am writing for fun as well as practice.

    But it makes me happy that you guys actually care enough to get angry at my mistakes. For that, I thank you. Well, enough of that... This is the 26th chapter. Hope you enjoyed it.

 I am cured!

    Sorry to disappoint you but this is not a chapter. Though I am sure most of you dropped this series already but that is fine. I just want to see how my first story ends anyway.

    To those who still waited tirelessly for the next chapter, I sincerely apologize for the long absence. I had chickenpox... believe it or not. I did not know how I got it but apparently, the chemicals that spilled on me were not the reason for the discoloration of my skin.

    It was not a happy month for me. Three weeks of severe itching and occassional fevers were horrible. I missed the first day of school (yes my summer vacation ended already, blame the rules of my school) and I had to put in some effort to cope... sucks right?

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Now that I am finally released from the pain of being sick and schoolwork, I can finally focus on my half-finished draft. What? Too slow? I ain''t a professional writer, I am just 15, I do things for fun and writing is one of them.

    Well expect a chapter or so later tonight or tomorrow. To those who still stuck with this mediocre series, thanks for your time and I hope that you can still guide me in the future.

    One more thing, do you like late long chapters (5000-8000 words) or early short chapters (2000-4000)?

 Chapter 27: Some Progress

    (Lisana P.O.V.)

    I can''t believe this... for Krey nii-chan to be so cunning. Although this is enjoyable for me, my pride as a dragon simply won''t allow it! But uuwu... this is too nice... did Krey nii-chan know this when he set this as my punishment...?

    We are currently flying leisurely through the clouds, treading the boundless sky while heading towards big sis Kira. I am currently in my so-called playful form, a miniature form just like when I was a hatchling... and I am currently being held like a stuffed toy by Krey nii-chan. I learned from big sis Kira that stuffed toys are cute things held by children but... aren''t I being treated like this now? Its been quite a while already...

    I am being held in his arms as he uses that strange ability of  to control the mana in the surroundings to surround and cover the general area in dense amounts and manipulated it to make himself be carried by that dense cluster of invisible energy, essentially levitating and soaring through the air... I think the flying divine art that big sis Kira uses would be useless to Krey nii-chan.

    Truthfully, what I am currently experiencing is very nice and comfortable. For the past five years, Krey nii-chan has been so driven and determined to get stronger that he barely has time to play with me except during the open hours when he is eating, sleeping or doing his chores.

    During that time, I mostly played and talked to big sis Kira so I haven''t really spent quality time with him... well, he did fulfil his promise of not letting me be alone... but its not enough, darn it!

    So being held and spoiled like this is very pleasant. Its different from being held by big sis Kira since big sis Kira''s arns are soft and she holds me in a gentle manner. Krey nii-chan''s arms are smaller but very well built. It gave off a feeling of strength and reliability that I have not felt from the arms of big sis Kira... I must sneak into his bed tonight to feel it again...

    ...

    Wait that''s not what I should be doing! Haaa... the relaxing sensation from being held like this must''ve done something to me.... but it still hurts my pride.

    I am enjoying my time being hugged but also, it does not conform with my pride! I could accept Krey nii-chan embracing me while I am in my human form since I would feel that we are equal but this... I am being held like a plush toy! An insignificant plush toy!

    This is humiliating! I could tell that Krey nii-chan is deliberately doing this to make me feel bad. Since he removed his mask for some reason, I can see his face again. With the smirk on his face and the smug glances that he took at me as well as the way as he is holding me, almost squeezing me, this is the conclusion that I have come to! Kyuuu... but it really is nice.

    Krey nii-chan said that as punishment for destroying the last remnants of the Magic Mountain Range, I must endure being hugged like this for four hours... which I suspect came from his misunderstandings that I hate being confined... which is stupid. I think he is doing this to make fun of me! That silly grin has not yet come off from his face and now I am beginning to find his smile annoying.

    "Kyuui kyu kyuuuu kyuuui? Kyuaa kyuu?"

    ''Hey, Krey nii-chan I said I know my wrongs didn''t I? Please let me go now.'' (Lisana)

    "If you know your wrongs yet still want to avoid punishment, then you''re not repenting. As your brother, I need to teach you proper moral values so that you can live normally." (Krey)

    "Kyuuua kyuuui kyuu kyu kyua! Kyua kyuuu!"

    |But I was doing that to help you Krey nii-chan! You were in danger!| (Lisana)

    "Yes and I am very thankful for your efforts Liz. It makes me happy that you care so much for me." (Krey)

    Saying that, Krey nii-chan smiled warmly at me then gave my head a pleasant pat before rubbing it fondly. It felt good for awhile but he suddenly stopped and said-

    "Still, it doesn''t change the fact that you destroyed the remnants of that mountain range in an unbridled fashion. You are powerful Liz, but that is also your weakness. With great power comes great responsibility... I kinda sound like Uncle Ben." (Krey)

    Krey nii-chan admonished me in a strong and clear manner which left me feel puzzled and a bit shocked... I ignored the last incomprehensible mumbling at the end since I felt that it isnot important. Since when did Krey nii-chan acted very concerned with one of my mistakes? Usually he would even support me even if I do something wrong or cheer me up whenever I messed up in cleaning or gardening but now he''s acting different. He would sometimes act silly and be childish while training. Sometimes I marvel at how he tries to handle multi-tasking that way. But this time...He has a melancholic look in his face. The ever-present smile gone. Almost like big sis Kira when she talks about her fallen clan... did something sad happen to him before?

    "Kyuuuui kyu kyua..."

    |I know that Krey nii-chan but...| (Lisana)

    I feel a little embarrassed but also indignant about this. What is wrong with destroying a couple of useless protruding rocks and flimsy plants? I would not hesitate to destroy even a continent to help Krey nii-chan! But there might be something that is bothering him so I shouldn''t lash out so irresponsibly....

    ....

    This is really hard. What must I choose, Krey nii-chan''s safety or Krey nii-chan''s feelings? Krey nii-chan''s safety or Krey nii-chan''s feelings? Safety or feelings? Safety. Feelings....What must I really choose?!?

    Kyuuuu-!!!

    As if noticing that I am having a silent dilemma, Krey nii-chan smiled faintly and stopped moving forward. We stopped in mid-air but I can now see the caravan that big sis Kira is riding. There are five magic carriages that are surrounded by ten guards who are riding mounts.

    The four magic carriages look robust and strong with the bulky frame and metal rivets so I suspect that they are more of a military attachment rather than a public vehicle.

    Magic carriages are carriages that are run on mana and don''t need the help of a monster or animal to make it move. It instead relies on the complicated rune enchantments embedded on the wheels as well as the power source, or the driver who is mana manipulator to make it move.

    The four military carriages are surrounding a beautiful carriage that is being pulled by delicious-looking horses. Big sis Kira said that it is a tradition for nobles to have some sort of magnificent mount to pull their carriages as a form of social status so the Old Beardy and big sis Kira must be residing there.

    "*whistle* It looks like this world is much more advanced than I thought. The carriages I saw at Arles City can''t be compared to those... they almost seem like over sized cars..." (Krey)

    Krey nii-chan''s eyes suddenly seemed distant and then he murmured something incomprehensible again. Sometimes he says strange things like ''anime'' , ''manga''  ''part-time job'' and ''flags'' that I don''t really get but is somehow interesting to me. Yet another strange word came out of his mouth, ''car'' is it? Ah! Maybe I could use this to get out of this little situation...

    "Kyuui kyuu? Kyua kyu?"

    |What are you talking about, Krey nii-chan? What''s a car?| (Lisana)

    I mentally asked, making my mental voice completely cute and innocent  to make Krey nii-chan forget about my mistake. Fufu. Big sis Kira said that a girl''s looks and attitude can sway the opinions of other people so this is what I am planning to do! But I am not sure why it is only a girl but not a boy... I just hope that Krey nii-chan would take the bait...

    "Nothing. Don''t change the subject, Liz." (Krey)

    Ah... It failed. I guess I am not eloquent enough? It was supposed to be a good subject-changer yet how did I fail...?

    Krey nii-chan suddenly snapped back to that sad, far-away look. I find him very mysterious right now... but also insidious. I don''t like this sort of Krey nii-chan. If he is sad all the time, that is no longer the Krey nii-chan that I know, no longer the always-smiling Krey nii-chan... and nothing is more scarier than not knowing what he really is. Krey nii-chan then looked at me for a moment and then he sighed again. He began rubbing my head which I so gratefully enjoyed.

    "I sometimes forget that even though you''re so smart, you are still a child at heart. A little bit like me but not really. I know that I don''t even have half the intelligence that you have. Liz, you are intelligent and rational, and I know you will make the correct choices, unlike me who is impulsive and naive... I think." (Krey)

    "... Kyua..."

    |... Really...| (Lisana)

    ... I have no words to describe the anger I am feeling! I am really mad that Krey nii-chan describes himself that way. He is much better than that, I just know it! Although I want to furiously reject his opinion, I doubt he would retract it so easily so I will just forget about it.

    And what choices? If I could ensure Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira''s happiness and safety, I won''t care about choices. My life is already better than most dragons who usually experience eternal solitude, if my genetic memories are true. They gave me happiness, happiness that most dragons would never ever experience... so I will do anything to ensure theirs!

    "It looks like you are still unsure. Well then, let me give you a much more direct interpretation. Onii-chan will teach you something good~" (Krey)

    "Kyua...?"

    |Onii-chan...?| (Lisana)

    "Another term for big brother." (Krey)

    While saying that, Krey nii-chan released me from his arms and I felt relieved and unsatisfied at the same time as I flapped my wings beside Krey nii-chan. Krey nii-chan suddenly pointed at a group of hills in the distance below. There are a quite a number of trees here and there but most of it are plains and hills. Krey nii-chan pointed at an unremarkable spot in the distance. Its a hill located a quarter of a kilometer away from us and it truly looks plain.

    "[Granite Totems] x10" (Krey)

    Instantly, ten 30-meter tall earthen pillars rise from the ground. They are set up randomly on top of the hill and looks suspicious in the background. Krey nii-chan then looked at me and gestured towards the pillars. I follow his hands and I noticed one pillar that is different from the rest...

    ... Meat? The top part of one pillars has an image of... well something like a steak or is it a meat skewer? I do not know but it makes me sad somehow. I guess I miss eating meat? The first meal I ever had before ingesting mana is a meat skewer... it was really delicious... but unfortunately, I have been away from it for so long that I''ve grown to like the vegetables more...

    I gave a quizzical look towards Krey nii-chan, who simply shrugged and said to me-

    "Why are you looking at me like that? You like meat right? Come to think of it we haven''t had meat for a long time." (Krey)

    "Kyuuui kyuuu. Kyuaa kyuuuuaa kyu kyu kyui kyuuu?"

    |Yes, I like meat. But what does it have to do with your interpretation?| (Lisana)

    "Hmmm... then think of it as this. Imagine that weird image over there as something important to you. Something precious and has incredible value to you." (Krey)

    "Kyua."

    |Okay.| (Lisana)

    Agreeing to the strange request of Krey nii-chan, I try to visualize that meat pillar over there as something of great importance to me.

    Important... important... I closed my eyes and imagined the two people I love. Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira. Krey and Kiralne. The times we spent together and all the fun I had with them.

    The first time I met them. The promise that Krey nii-chan made when I was born. The way big sis Kira sought to protect us from the bad people. The time that we were trapped and severely injured. Our daily peaceful lives in the cavern... all of it are really, really important.

    "Uh... yeah Liz, that''s enough imagining. Try to move that image into the totem. Just imagine it. Kind of like how Kira taught you to visualize stuff... I guess." (Krey)

    I must''ve dove into my memories for too long... I did as Krey nii-chan asked and transposed the image of Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira into that pillar... or I guess totem? For a moment, it seemed that the totem really is like the two of them, almost as if their essence has been embedded into it. I guess this is the power of imagination?... I have become attached to the totem before I knew it.

    "Kyuui kyu"

    |I am done.| (Lisana)

    I told Krey nii-chan that I was finished and Krey nii-chan nodded before doing something that I did not expect at all.

    "Really? Good. [Blazing Hail]" (Krey)

    Krey nii-chan waved his hand and instantly, countless red magic circles appeared above the totem cluster before dissolving into fiery spears. Without warning, the flaming points descended like rain and began bombarding the area around the totems. Small but strong explosions assaulted the area which measured about thirty meters in diameter. Craters formed before disappearing in a blazing cloud of flames. The totems were engulfed by the inferno, seemingly disappearing as everything in the area is slowly turned to red hot ashes.

    "Kyuu... kyuii kyua?!"

    |Wha-... why Krey nii-chan?!| (Lisana)

    Unable to comprehend the reason for this, I looked towards Krey nii-chan and demanded an explanation. Krey nii-chan looked at me, no trace of the carefree smile on his face. He also did not say anything. Then I realized that he wanted me to calm down. I took a deep breath and slowly suppress the turmoil in my heart.

    To say that I was not affected by this was not true at all. It may have been superficial but I did liken that particular totem to my two precious people... a sense of loss permeated me but it soon disappeared and I finally returned to my former state. I shot a puzzled look towards Krey nii-chan.

    I am not that angry that he did that but I was pretty surprised. He looked towards the still burning hill in the distance, seemingly in deep thought before turning his gaze back to me.

    "You want to know why I did that Liz?" (Krey)

    I bobbed my head a little to signify a nod and Krey nii-chan soon returned his line of sight towards the burning hill. The hill has been thoroughly engulfed in flames, smoke towering several tens of meters high, effectively blocking any visual recognition of the area of the hill.

    "Before that, tell me Liz what did you feel when you saw what I did?" (Krey)

    Krey nii-chan asked me in a voice devoid of emotion.

    Then he turned his gaze again but this time there is a small smile on his face... a small but malevolent smile. It looked like the smile of a person who lost everything, someone who does not see life as important anymore. As if the inside is only an empty shell. Somebody who has no spirit left. Even his eyes looked dead. I looked blankly for a while before replying.

    "Kyuua... kyuui kyuu..."

    |I felt... sad and angry...| (Lisana)

    Hearing my answer, Krey nii-chan smiled widely, which only served to heighten the intensity of the eerie air around him. I had to stop myself from curling into a ball when I saw him become like that. Its just not right. This is not the Krey nii-chan that I always see. Ah... maybe this is a side that he has never ever shown before?

    A hidden side? But why is it this... scary? Sad even. Krey nii-chan continued to look at me which only made me feel uncomfortable. Then he opened his mouth and he once again spoke in that uncharacteristic emotionless voice.

    "Good. What I just showed you will be the result if you behave like before. Everything that is precious to you will always be fragile and powerless. Even if they are protected or can defend themselves, it will always be a target of your enemies. Imagine... any one of the people you hate being in the possession of the most valuable thing to you... and you have no way to save it?" (Krey)

    From his word, unpleasant memories began to surge from my mind. The time that Krey nii-chan ran with me and big sis Kira in tow yet still getting injured by a bad lady. Then the bad people inflicted a poison that big sis Kira has suffered under for half a decade.

    Both of them at the time are powerless. Even I am powerless at that time. It was one of the worst memories that I ever kept and one I wish to forget. But as I listened to what Krey nii-chan said, i slowly realized that I must commit these memories to heart so that I can prevent it from happening again.

    "Your power is great Liz but it can also hurt the thing that you care about the most. And as you grow older, you will encounter many things that you will wish to protect. Being in control of your power, your emotions, and most of all... yourself will serve you better in the long run." (Krey)

    After saying that, his eyes finally changed into a lively glint and his face soon sprouted his usual carefree smile. No more creepy atmosphere. No more eerie smiles. I stopped myself from sighing in relief, it might be rude to him. I need to commit his words to mind.

    Hearing that I will meet more people like big sis Kira and Krey nii-chan, I felt my heart fill with glee. I never realized that I can meet people like them in the future and I started to look forward to the future. But most of all... Krey nii-chan taught me an important lesson.

    I agree with everything that Krey nii-chan says. I need to change my way of thinking a little. Otherwise it will end badly not only for me but for the two of them. But there is one thing that I worry about...

    "Kyuui kyuu kyua. Kyuuuu kyuaa kyuuu... kyuu kyuaa? Kyuui kyuuuuuu kyuuuua kyua kyua kyuua kyu kyua kyu kyuui kyuuu?"

    |Krey nii-chan you are right. I need to change a lot. But Krey nii-chan... what about you? You said that I must not be reckless or arrogant but what about the things that you were doing before?| (Lisana)

    I did not want to say it but Krey nii-chan... is even more childish than me! He gets angry like a kid, gets revenge like a kid and is always whimsical! He is weird and unpredictable, and most of all, there is always a barrier in his mind that I can''t penetrate! This only happens when I met crazy people like the bad lady that hurt Krey nii-chan and Krey nii-chan himself!

    "Hmph! You don''t have to mind me. I can take care of myself, thank you very much. If you don''t believe me then look..." (Krey)

    Krey nii-chan crossed his arms and looked away like a kid before gesturing towards the burning hill. He smiled lightly before waving his hand exaggeratedly, then a gust of mana appeared and propelled itself towards the scorched area. Mana manipulators can manipulate mana as they will. For warriors it can be strengthening their bodies or attacks while mages simply throw bolts or blades of compressed refined mana towards their enemies.

    This is usually useful if they don''t want to waste time preparing the elements in their bodies to use so it is a very good way of fighting if you want to fight a prolonged battle. This is actually the first time that I''ve seen Krey nii-chan use mana in such a way since he usually uses elemental-aligned spells instead of mana-aligned spells. I think its because he has the mindset of doing things quickly and efficiently, at least that''s what me and big sis Kira thinks.

    The gust of mana acted like a moving wall that blew away the smoke away from the hill. Although there is still a lot of flames, the hill can now be seen vaguely. But as I continued my observation, I almost gasped in surprise. The face of the hill has been burnt black and it no longer looked like the grassy hill it once was but that''s not what caught my attention. In the middle of the hill... resides a... totem

    There is still a totem there! But he used a Mid-Class spell earlier, how can one still exist?! And most importantly, its the totem with the image of the meat in it! It has no damage at all!! It might have been blackened by the smoke and ash but no sign of it being incinerated can be seen!!

    I looked towards Krey nii-chan and I saw him smirk at me, and I felt my face grow hot. If I was in human form, I am certain that my face would become red. Krey nii-chan seemed to be laughing inside before shrugging and then he lightly waved his hand before casting a low-class spell.

    "[Drizzle]" (Krey)

    Soon, miniature storm clouds appeared out of nowhere and set themselves atop the hill.  Then, a light barrage of water fell from the clouds and landed on the hill, effectively putting out the other flames left from the spell.

    "I may be childish and immature but... I still have more control than you." (Krey)

    Krey nii-chan declared this in a light but irritating tone.

    <hr />

    ********************************************************************************

    <hr />

    (Kiralne P.O.V.)

    ''Ah, he made a mess again.'' (Kiralne)

    I shook my head as I peered out from the window of the magic carriage, observing the destruction that came from Krey''s spell while placating Filly who finally finished complaining of the desk jobs given to her by Turlan. I still remember the words that came out of her mouth when she saw me... well it was a bit awkward since I did not know that she was so affected by my disappearance.

    A/N: Yup, just a conversation. Expect this kind of format to happen during some flashbacks... which will only be a few I guess.

    <hr />

    "Uwah- K-kira you are alive! Uwaaah-!! Uweeeeh *sniffle* *sob sob* I thought you were gone forever... wuwuuu" (Filly)

    "Ahaha. You are simply exaggerating Filly-!" (Kiralne)

    "Neeh- Don''t leave for so long again okay? *sniffle* I''d really be sad if something happened to you. *sniffle* I''d be buried in paperwork again." (Filly)

    "Haha. I am sorry but I''ll constantly be busy so-!" (Kiralne)

    "Uwahh-ueeee *sob* *sob* T-they forced me to manage all the paperwork y''know?! *sniffle* *sob* Those lazy old men pushed all the paperwork to me uwwuuu *sniffle* Don''t leave again, Kira!! I''d rather laze around the inn with you rather than be worked liked a pack mule *sob*" (Filly)

    "Aha-ahaha..." (Kiralne)

    <hr />

    ... And so that kind of situation happened. A bit pitiful, true, but I guess the lazy girl from before needed to grow up. Geez, even though she should be already in her 40''s, the age where beastmen are considered as full-fledged adults, she is still a carefree brat.

    I sighed again before stroking the hair of Filly, who is the interim secretary of Mr. Turlan. She may not look like it, but she too, is of noble birth, the same as Mr. Turlan. Usually nobles have great pedigree when it comes to festering talent in mana manipulation. The ancient selective breeding in the old days were really effective, so its not really surprising for a 40-year old girl like Filly to reach Elder Fighter level.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    At the age of 15, people are allowed to work but only at the age of 30 can once be considered as an adult. Well, at least that''s how it is for most races like humans, dwarves, beastmen and others. For long-lived races like elves and demons, we have to be at the age of 60 to be considered as adults.

    *sigh*Even so... such a pitiful child. Even I would complain if I have to sort through every paperwork that the Head of Economic Affairs receives. What''s worse is that the paperwork increased, mostly reports about the losses of the merchant vessels due to the attacks that Lumen Isles Union implemented to cripple the country''s economy... to think that the enemy would also be able to affect Tolkium Kingdom''s commerce and therefore its countrymen in such a cruel way... I guess that they would resort to it since these two big countries have too much bad blood between them. At least that''s what I have heard from Mr. Turlan.

    "*sniffle* Uwah... Kira stay..." (Filly)

    I felt quite awkward whenever she interrupts my train of thought but since I am used to comforting all the stressed out employees/spies of the Bunny Point Inn, I acted unconcerned at the drooling bunny girl sleeping in my lap.

    Mr. Turlan himself simply ignored her murmurings and listened to me earlier while brewing more tea... Really. Somehow I think that Filly suffered a lot under this easygoing Archduke. Then again, since he is one of the only three Arch-level Mana Manipulators of Tolkium Kingdom, a primary Colonnade, being lazy is a privilege that is well-deserved.

    Ah, now that I think about it, I am also an Arch-level Mana Manipulator. Ahaha... to think that seven years ago I resorted to using forbidden means of breaking through the Arch Knight level and almost losing my life in the process. I was lucky that I was able to realize the error of my ways and stopped my incorrect pursuit of power. I was prepared to live a life of being forever stranded in the Grand Soldier level, never again to bring honor to my clan... but I still ended up breaking through stably and also managed to fulfill one of the true missions of my clan... life is strange indeed.

    I sighed lightly while thinking about my life from before the five-year treatment. I guess I was indeed... despondent back then, although I was on the brink of breaking down with most of my thoughts were about gaining strength and keeping the clan legacy alive...

    "*cough* ... You are saying that... that person I fought earlier... was merely a boy ten years of age? And is a champion of a god? And has a master that could be an expert that far exceeds the Emperor-level? Possibly a paragon of the three higher levels?" (Mr. Turlan)

    ... I really don''t like it when someone interrupts my train of thought. *sigh* I guess I''ve been used to the tranquility of the cavern. Krey always meditates and practice the stances that I taught him while Liz will play for a little while before sleeping again... such enjoyable quiet days... well, I guess I finally have to return to the noisy reality.

    Mr. Turlan was very unsettled, overwhelmed from the information I gave him. I don''t think that he noticed the ruckus made by Krey outside. Well that''s a given since I am also blocking his Aura Sense with my own Aura Sense to avoid explaining something bothersome. Anyway, I''ve decided to reveal bits of truth to make the negotiation better. From what I can deduce from Krey''s attitude, I think that the method he would use in negotiating is, well... inappropriate. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry when I remember some of our long conversations.

    <hr />

    "So how does the flow of your inner refined mana feel in your body? Isn''t this martial art great?" (Kiralne)

    "I don''t know, why are you even asking me? Why are your eyes shining like a cat? Can''t you see that I am practicing the stances that you taught me? Go back to tending to the plants." (Krey)

    "I am bored and Liz is sleeping. Talking with you is the only option to relieve my boredom." (Kiralne)

    "What are you, a kid? Even if you are currently recuperating from the viper poison, I would still hit you in the head if you keep bothering me." (Krey)

    "H-hey wait a m-minute. I am only a weak fragile girl!! Will you really have the heart to hurt someone as fragile as me?" (Kiralne)

    "That''s rich coming from someone who knocked me unconscious, drugged me, kidnapped me and constantly molests me everyday. Now go away and wash the bathhouse or something, otherwise I''ll test one of my new utility Basic spells on you." (Krey)

    "W-wait!!! I am just really, really bored! Can''t you entertain this elder sister over here?!" (Kiralne)

    "No. And who said that you are my elder sister? I only accept Liz as my little sister since she is cute and innocent, I do not want an 200 year-old perverted hag to call herself my elder sister. At most, I''ll call you Aunty since you do most of the chores anyway." (Krey)

    "Kuh-! T-that''s mean. I am still 135 years old, I am still considered young in elf years... its almost been 3 years already yet you''re still mean. I just want to make some small talk and yet you want to drive me away... fufu, fufufu...well that is fine but... What if I tell to Liz that her big brother is being mean to me? I wonder what will happen~?" (Kiralne)

    "... Fine. Ask just ten questions and then go away. If you still won''t go away, I will simply run away since hurting you excessively is not an option... *sigh*Liz just made the best alternative go out the window... (you just wait, I''ll cure you then beat you up excessively)" (Krey)

    A/N: If I add a ( ) then it means inner thoughts since its too tiring for me to add additional things like '' '' all the time when they''re thinking. As long as this ( ) stays within this " ", then it is inner thoughts. Or if you want, I can change ( ) -> '' ''.

    "Okay~... Then, why do you look at me like that? I can''t help but notice that cold look in your eyes when you stare at me." (Kiralne)

    "... Its not really you. It is other people in general. I always look at people this way. Though I am surprised that you can see it, I usually hide it pretty well. There are quite a few people that directly observe the eyes of a person." (Krey)

    "Heeeeeh, is that so? I almost can''t believe that an 8-year old like you would always look at people icily. Didn''t you say that you were an orphan and that your master took care of you? Was life that bad in his care?" (Kiralne)

    "... Its not him that is the reason (internet is a messiah). This is just a built-in habit I have but it has kept me clear headed for a long time. By the way, that''s three questions already." (Krey)

    "... Tch. So what is the reason for you always having that habit? I was not sure before but I am now. You also had that look when I first met you but you hid it almost immediately when you are near Liz. Why?" (Kiralne)

    "Heh. So you were that observant huh? The reason is because of... the people themselves. I''ve long since realized that the greatest threat to me are other people. They are the most dangerous existences and the entities that I am most wary of. Liz is still a child and I should not be rough on her. Now you only have five questions left." (Krey)

    "... What spurred you to think of such things? Also please add three more opportunities for questioning, otherwise I will tell Liz that you are being mean." (Kiralne)

    "Hoh? And I thought that you would lecture me and tell me that my way of thinking is wrong. You are quite strange, then again it might be the reason why Liz likes you so much... as for your request... I guess it will be alright. (I am definitely gonna beat you to a bloody pulp! I just need to knock out Liz for a while... what poisons should I use?" (Krey)

    "Fufu thanks~. As a way to clear up the confusion regarding that, its just that there are many different kinds of people in the world, why would I be bothered by the opinion of one individual? Besides I was the one who kept asking you these questions, it is only proper that I listen without interjecting." (Kiralne)

    "Hmm. Then, I will continue. People are unpredictable and hypocritical. You don''t know what they are thinking and what they are planning. You don''t always know if they are good or bad, if they tell the truth or not, if they like or dislike you. This is one thing I understand but the thing that I have realized and always believed in is... that people live only for themselves. The flowery things such as loyalty, generosity, kindness, selflessness, patriotism, and whatnot are merely superficial desires covered in laughable ideals and concepts of love." (Krey)

    "... Do you really think that?" (Kiralne)

    "It''s what I''ve always believed in. Behind the kind smiles of people are hidden intents that are much more despicable than what you''d expect. People hide their true natures behind such paltry personas, its so stupid that I almost want to laugh to death. Then I had an epiphany... you cannot understand people, but you can predict and use them like puppets~." (Krey)

    "... How?" (Kiralne)

    "Fear, anger, sadness, despair and other negative emotions. You''d be surprised to know that the only time that an individual is easy to read is when he is overwhelmed with negative emotions. But of course, every individual is different and its sometimes hard to use these things to manipulate them. Nevertheless, I enjoy the ups and downs of manipulating people." (Krey)

    "... Hey, where did a child learn such things? And when did you... do those things?" (Kiralne)

    "I supposed you can say that I have learned a lot from my master. After all, he is really wise and all-knowing (internet is really good). But I guess it stemmed from my personality. As for when I did that... well it was fairly a long long time ago and I am not sure if I have the finesse and patience to attempt it again, but those times were enjoyable." (Krey)

    "...(so you were being taught evil things ever since you were only an infant...? What a dark history... )" (Kiralne)

    "Oh? Are you done? If you are then please vacate the vicinity. If I made any mistakes then just tell me when I stop practicing. I prefer to be alone." (Krey)

    "... No. I still have three questions left don''t I? Judging by that look on your face, you even included the rhetorical ones in your list, those don''t count okay?" (Kiralne)

    "Tch..." (Krey)

    "*sigh*... So do you still... not trust me? What about Liz, why do you look at her differently?" (Kiralne)

    "... Hard to say. I can ascertain if a person is good or bad, sincere or insincere, relaxed or unsettled just from looking at their eyes. But that is just an initial assessment, not thorough. Don''t ask how I was able to do it, I just simply can (you can''t believe how much time and effort it took before I can achieve this). Truthfully, I do not really know what to think of you. You seem sincere enough, very duty-bound to me and you like me and Liz a lot but... I still can''t accept you as is. As for Liz... she is a child. Albeit a scarily intelligent child. Children are often the most pure and innocent creatures in the world. I have no reason to distrust Liz because of that and also because... I made her a promise. An impulsive one, coming from my idiotic excitement from adventuring, yes, but still a promise (I will not admit that my chuunibyou acted up in those times. Definitely not.). I''ve only made a few promises that I may never complete in my life, I wish to fulfill at least one of them. (Krey)

    "...*sigh* How can a child talk as if he is somebody with real life experience?" (Kiralne)

    "Who knows? Maybe I am just so naturally mature that I exude an air of an experienced individual (Hmph. If you are thrown into the underworld and cyberspace when you were still a child, you can grow up quickly.)" (Krey)

    "Haha... What a weird kid. I am going back now, Liz is probably awake already. Thank you for your time." (Kiralne)

    "Sure! Don''t come back~!" (Krey)

    <hr />

    I think the description that would fit into this is that his way of thinking is meant for the underworld. Such a dark nature yet lively temperament... he would be a perfect member of the underworld. At least he would enjoy his life there and not break down... when I think of this, I get the shivers. I think Krey can kill, steal, torture with a big smile on his face.

    ... I just hope that Liz''s method would work. If we just remove his malicious tendencies, he would be a perfect example of a cute and lively boy. Well I will just go back to my conversation with Mr. Turlan.

    "It is so. What I am really curious about is what secret does the Tolkium Kingdom hold that even a peerless ''young master'' figure like him would be interested in? Hmm?" (Kiralne)

    I smiled lightly while releasing a bit of my aura in the air. He is much stronger than me, being in the Middle Stage of the Archmagus rank but since he knows that I am with Krey, and his illustrious background that I told him about (though I did hide some of the information and I think Krey is hiding some of them too) being my support, this little bit of pressure can be of help towards the negotiation. And besides, who says that a lower refinement rank can''t beat a higher refinement rank? Krey and that demon girl from before are living proofs... though I do not know what happened to her since that... accident. I don''t know why but I can''t really remember what happened before falling in the cavern... well, its probably not important.

    But as expected of an Archduke, he is unsettled but the pride in his noble blood kept him calm and was able to face me with a straight face. Finally he sighed before saying-

    "With my pride as the head of House Reynald, and as an Archmagus, I can assure you that we have no secrets that can be kept from the prying eyes of the powers in the Central Continent. Anything valuable would have already been inspected and sealed to prevent the other powers from challenging the might of the Central Continent." (Mr. Turlan)

    "Hmph. If North, West, South and East come together, even those dolts from the Central Continent will have no choice as they''re lands are plundered." (Kiralne)

    "It might be so in ancient times, but recently the East has been very chaotic and I fear that the other powers, not only those from the Central Continent, even the North and South are thinking of invading." (Mr. Turlan)

    *sigh* So many problems. I was wondering how Lumen Isles Union was able to employ such risky tactics to cripple the military force of Tolkium Kingdom, it was probably help from the shadows... possibly from the Central Continent or the North. My clan hailed from the South and I am sure that those people have no interest in the matters of the other realms, except theirs. Not sure about the former two though.

    "Sir Turlan has indeed a wide view of the matters in the East but for now, let us deal with the internal problems of this country." (Kiralne)

    "... Miss Kiralne, are you sure that... Sir Krey will be able to help us? The schools, sects, business firms, protectorate houses, and noble clans have been fractured into three sides. The schools, sects, one protectorate house and some firms are in the neutral side while most firms and most of the noble clans as well as three protectorate houses are in the Princess faction. Only the Arles and Reynald protectorate houses as well as a few noble families are in the Prince faction." (Mr. Turlan)

    Schools are organizations that train mages while sects nurture warriors. These two are also formidable organizations that are almost comparable to the Adventurer''s Guild. If only the schools and sects were not divided into categories, styles, and forms of teachings. Business firms also have a certain amount of power in their hands. They can hire or train their own mana manipulators with the money they have to protect their businesses.

    Protectorate Houses are the founding aristocratic clans of Tolkium Kingdom, under the Royal Family. They are not that different from noble families except that they are much more powerful, more influential and have deep roots in the country. Most of all, they are loyal to the ideals and goals of the Tolkium Kingdom... but not necessarily the Royal Family themselves.

    I very much just want to leave this people to their own devices. If the Tolkium Kingdom has more internal conflicts such as these, then I really wander if the kingdom known to Salratia as "The Haven of All Races" will become nothing more than a dilapidated page in history.

    "What about the Royal Palace? What are they doing? Just sitting there watching?" (Kiralne)

    "... Yes. The Prince and the Princess have demanded that the officials and ministers must stay in the palace as a means of keeping them safe and in top working condition to serve the new ruler. Even the Royal Guards and Imperial Knights are detained." (Mr. Turlan)

    "..." (Kiralne)

    I kinda had the gist of it five years ago of the situation but to think that it got worse... *sigh* and I kinda suspect that maybe some spies from the Lumen Isles Union, or maybe the powers in the Central Continent are messing with the internal workings of the country.... there are many, many speculations that I have thought of but I need to be sure, for Krey''s safety... though I say that, we are probably equal in strength. Possibly, Krey can dominate me easily if he was serious.... just a mere Aura Essence pushed me back into a corner... if I didn''t know Krey, I would definitely be flabbergasted and enraged.

    Well, Krey said that there is one simple solution to any problem: overwhelming power. He said that he has a plan to make connections here even without my help... and I think that his plan is actually brilliant... and scary. If he actually pulled it off before, I doubt that the situation would be as worse as it is now.

    "*sigh* Such a pain. Well it is fine. You can rest assured Sir Turlan, Krey will be able to help you. To prepare against the onslaught of Lumen Isles Union, we need a ruler that can unify the entire kingdom in defense. And to that, we need to even out the playing field." (Kiralne)

    While declaring that, I lightly sipped my tea while stroking Filly''s hair. With my Aura Sense in full effect, I watched Krey and Liz''s mischief outside and I squinted my eyes happily. Thinking of the times we spent on that cavern, I faintly smiled while thinking fondly of the future.

    <hr />

    *******************************************************************************

    <hr />

    ''You are definitely bullying this child!'' (????)

    ''I say, can you please be quiet? I am thankful for your assistance earlier but being annoying will still stave off any gratitude that I felt for you before." (Krey)

    I sighed in my mind before continuing this tirade with my other new companion. I thank any celestial being out there for making me create the True Divine Art [Parallel Thought], otherwise talking with two people with only one mind can be taxing. I was finally becoming a true, reliable onii-chan yet this light brown-haired loli keeps on interfering.

    Inside my head... my sea of consciousness, yes this thing suddenly appeared out of nowhere which should only appear when I am at the Archmagus level, a flaxen-haired amber-eyed little girl is floating while puffing her cheeks.

    ... Liz is already a loli and I don''t really need another little sister... was my first thought when I first heard and saw her when I suddenly felt a severe migraine. Luckily, only one mind experienced it so the other three are still okay but it is painful nonetheless. I knew it was her doing so I declared here in my psyche as an enemy.

    ''... How rude. Are otherworldlers this crude? According to your memories, you are a hedonistic, free-spirited and psychopathic maniac that should have been put in an asylum but instead lived a more or less normal life... filled with the darkness of the underworld. *sigh* Mistress was definitely fooled by you, yet I cannot fathom what state she was in to mistake an aberration as you to become a Legacy Protector.'' (????)

    ''...'' (Krey)

    ... I have never ever known someone that could accurately judge me correctly in just two sentences. And what did she mean by Mistress? Could it be Frelinia? Wait... why does this voice sound familiar...?

    ''*sigh* It looks like we got off on the wrong foot and although bickering with you is amusing, Liz and Kira are waiting for me down there. So what is your name?" (Krey)

    ... I still need to figure out how to apologize to Kira without losing face. I must not lose my dominant position in our relationship. Let''s just calm this girl down before I reassess the facts. For now, she is not a threat but she is still a liability.

    "Very well. Considering the situation Salratia is in, I guess cooperating with a madman is better than not doing anything." (????)

    Saying so, the flaxen-haired girl suddenly emitted an archaic and strange pressure inside of my sea of consciousness. Her eyes glowed with a warm amber light while a light green aura started to permeate my entire being.

    "I am Freyja, the sole Divine Armament of Lady Frelinia, the Exalted Goddess of Life. I hope we get along... Krey Ericson, the 3rd Champion of the Goddess of Life and my new wielder." (Freyja)

    And so was my meeting with the Divine Armament, Freyja.

    <hr />

    ****************************************************************************

    <hr />

    Another A/N: Too short? Well sorry, I kinda got lost (writer''s block) in the flow of the story since this is actually my first time writing and also I realized that I planned too poorly. If the details and info dumps are annoying, then sorry but the story will progress a little... <-(excuses of an amateur writer)

    If there is any mistakes please tell me. <- (too lazy to check by himself, also no editor)

 Chapter 28: Back to Arles City

    A/N: Hey guys. No reason to read this if your not interested. I just want to put this in since it looks much better if I put something like a memo on top. Please continue.

    <hr />

    (Krey''s 2nd Mind P.O.V.)

    Freyja''s surreal image continued to grow in power and presence. I felt like a small leaf being swept away by a massive river, completely unable to resist the flow. And soon the archaic and powerful aura surged throughout my relatively small spiritual sea, I felt my spiritual projection here flicker unstably, obviously my spiritual projection is not able to take on such an ancient energy... well, whatever. Its about to end soon anyway.

    And as expected, her show of force finally ended and Freyja soon returned to normal... well as normal as a little girl standing in the surface of a sea could be... which is really weird, even for me.

    "I see. Nice to meet you, Freyja. Now if you excuse me, I have other matters to attend to and I would very much like it for you to vacate my spiritual sea." (Krey)

    Its not like I am ungrateful of course. I vaguely remember her presence back then when I was in trouble and since she did confirm that she was the one who helped me seal that stupid god of chaotic fate, I have to thank her for saving my skin.

    I think that it would be better if she left that place. Although it is my spiritual sea, there is a bit of an unfamiliarity with it and the knowledge pertaining to the soul from All-Magic Awakening is not complete. The way to use of soul threads came from that knowledge but I am not sure if I can tackle it with my current knowledge and limited refinement rank.

    So she should vacate that place at least until I understand my spiritual sea in great detail. She said she was my benefactor so I wouldn''t want some uncertainties to happen while she is in there.

    "No. Your spiritual should have only appeared when you reach the Arch refinement rank. But due to the circumstances... I forcibly accelerated the growth rate of your chimeric soul so that a premature spiritual sea can be developed..." (Freyja)

    Chimeric soul? Probably a term used in ranking the strength of souls. Or maybe it is a way to describe souls? Mine actually sounds a bit disgusting. Does it represent my personality...? Nah. Let''s run away from that thought. In fact, I''ll definitely erase that thought.

    "... and the sea of consciousness is generally the home of any soul-bounded and blood-bounded magic items, including the Divine Armament. As a Dual Legacy Protector and as a Champion, you must remember this well." (Freyja)

    "So what you are saying is...?" (Krey)

    "This is my territory. You have no rights to this place until you yourself become an Archmagus. Do you understand now?" (Freyja)

    ...

    Am I being kicked out...? Out of my own head?

    This little girl... yeah, truthfully I am not mad... yet. She did help me after all. The least I could do is to be tolerant. Its true that although I understand the uses of the spiritual sea, magical and spiritual stress will build up if I use it prematurely now. Especially since I have quite a low refinement rank. Well, I have not much understanding regarding the soul anyway so it best not to delve into the matter of my sea of consciousness.

    And from what I know, my brain and spiritual sea are not that closely linked. Sure they might have some relations with each other but Mages rely on logic and facts to conjure their spells or manipulate mana (the sense of logic in this world is wrecked) , with a little bit of help from willpower, talent, imagination, and luck which is opposed to the Warriors who rely on their instincts, intuition and their absurd willpower, at least according to Kira.

    I am not saying that warriors are dumb but they just have a closer and more tight connection to the world, unlike the mages who pursue the path of absolute control. I''ll let this girl occupy my spiritual sea for now, I can still use my soul threads even if she occupies it so no lost there.

    Besides, who can get mad at such a cute girl? Wearing a plain white dress, has sharp amber eyes and smooth flaxen hair. White porcelain skin with a healthy shade and incredible bearing and posture despite looking like a five-year old... this is definitely the makings of a bishoujo! Still I wonder why her voice is similar to Frelinia''s? But much younger and more... sharp-tongued.

    Don''t get me wrong, I don''t hate people who spout out such venomous words... unless of course those words were directed at me. I am a very petty person. Usually a specially-modified laxative in their drink would be my punishment to them but of course... accidents can happen. Fufu.

    "... Why is someone like you even a champion of my mistress?! You can''t just wantonly take lives as you please like a fiend! You are not a champion of the goddess of death, not a champion of the goddess of war and neither are you a champion of the god of destruction! You are the champion, the only envoy of the goddess of life!" (Freyja)

    These words left me tongue-tied for a while, unable to process what she was saying. Killing like a fiend? Did I ever do that? How absurd! Every assassination was a business transaction, carefully planned for and facilitated by professionals such as myself and my other colleagues as well as the clients. I never kill unless I get payed.

    Wait... how did she know I was thinking about the times where I was still active in the assassination business (I was still active even when I was 17 but not as much as when I was 10)? Is she an esper? No wait, she is a Divine Armament. An armament of a god... what could be the possible abilities of such godly artifacts?

    "... You can read my mind?" (Krey)

    "Hmph. Of course you fool. Any magic item, whether it is in the Equipment level or Divine Armament level, can be able to read the minds of their user as long as it already has or grown a self-awareness, it has been blood-bounded, as well as soul-bounded." (Freyja)

    "... I see." (Krey)

    ... Well that sucks. So I can''t think out loud anymore? This would be a problem for me... not. I just need to clear my mind... still as a pond, serene as the moon... yeah fuck it. I was never good at keeping my mind blank anyway. Even if I do manage to do it, I have a feeling that it is not going to work... right?

    But still, she really is sharp-tongued. If it was any normal guy, they would be crying already since being scolded by a little girl is just well... pathetic? Pitiful? Whatever. Should I clear my mind again?

    "Of course it won''t. Are you an idiot? Anything and everything pertaining about your existence... I know about all of them. Your mind is like an open book to your Divine Armament so don''t expect to hide anything from me, my dear wielder." (Freyja)

    Freyja looked at me like I was a rare species of an animal and continued mocking me. It was subtle but it definitely has hints of her scolding me. As the responsible and mature person I am, I only thought of one thing in this situation...

    ...

    This bitch is gonna get it! You think you can mess with this guy and get away with it?! Fuck you, you bitch! I was already so tolerant but you kept pushing me! What is wrong with you?! I won''t stand for such repeated provocations!... is what I am inwardly thinking but apparently, she thinks nothing of it and even smiled coldly at me. I guess she might have caught that slight burst of rage in my mind.

    ... Yep it definitely sucks. I do not like this feeling of being thoroughly unraveled. Of course it is not comparable to the shock I felt when I mistakenly thought I was... violated by Kira... yeah my habit of making far-fetched assumptions is still on full throttle. Whatever, I need to do something to get rid of this unpleasant feeling.

    ... Ah! I know! Fufufu. I guess I should show this girl that messing with me won''t be that easy. My spiritual projection smiled a an eerie smile towards Freyja and I began to imagine all of the perverted things I''ve seen in my life. Soon after, Freyja''s little face started to become red and she looked on with flabbergast, completely unable to speak due to the things she saw in my mind.

    Fufufu. Looks like it is not enough... what? Underhanded? I am not completely without desires y''know? A healthy boy needs to have a release once in a while y''know? That being said, I still did not do the deed before so I am still pure. But enough about me, time to pay her back--ACCK!!

    "Ahh!... gunuuu..." (Krey)

    I felt my head becoming heavy for a moment but then waves of unbearable pain began to assault all three of my minds. Pain flowed like water, completely unimpeded and tranquil but of course this slow and gradual onslaught only made the pain worse. Soon everything seemed to be unreal and unstable but I can still see Freyja clearly... well at least her feet anyway.

    My spiritual projection (which was being controlled by the second mind) was able to raise it head shakily and what appeared in my vision was a red-faced Freyja who was pointing and shouting at my spiritual projection. I can''t hear anything due to the pain and before my spiritual projection was able to smirk, all three of minds, including me, blanked out.

    <hr />

    (Krey P.O.V.)

    I am pissed. Very very pissed.

    Before I can brag to Liz about what I was teaching to her, I felt a sharp pain in my head and I knew that either my connection to my three minds was cut off or they were somehow incapacitated or was exterminated. I was confused at first but I soon realized that Freyja... that pesky little brat did something to me...

    I can''t sense my second, third and fourth minds. Either they were incapacitated or the connection between us have been cut off. I think it was the former. Since I was the one who created the True Divine Art: Parallel Thought, I know the intricate details of this Divine Art even if my refinement rank is still unable to support the refined mana consumption of it. Even if the connection between my auxiliary minds were cut off, I would not feel such sudden pangs of pain in my head.

    Only if one auxiliary mind or my original mind was incapacitated would my head feel pain. In fact...

    ''Why the hell did you do that you little brat?!'' (Krey)

    I loudly exclaimed in my mind then an image of Freyja, completely different from her usual dignified appearance appeared in my mind... what the heck? Her face is red, almost like a tomato and her lips are trembling. Her hair is also slightly disheveled and her eyes are tearing ever so slightly. If I was a normal guy, I would feel pity for such a small girl in her state... unfortunately, I don''t care.

    ''Hmph. It was because of your indecency you deviant!'' (Freyja)

    ''Huh?! What nonsense are you blabbering about?!'' (Krey)

    I vaguely remember my second mind planning to punish this brat for continuously insulting me (or maybe us?) without any tact. I know and understand morals and although I know that sometimes my motives and actions are against them, I still do my best to abide by them... at least I think I do.

    And most importantly, I did not start it! She was the one who first provoked me and I have been patient for a while until I couldn''t take it anymore. What? I have a short fuse? I''m sorry but I just don''t like being abused in any manner. And if a small girl was the one that was bullying me, won''t I lose my dignity?

    ''Don''t act like you do not know anything!! You showed me something completely disgusting! That girl... she was... on her chest...'' (Freyja)

    Then Freyja hugged herself and began shivering. Her face no longer red but completely white, as if she saw a ghost... wait. Can an artifact from a god become scared? Well that''s a first for me. Anyway, what did my second mind show this brat anyway? Hmmm... memories from my second mind is coming back to me... oh there it is! Let''s see it was... oh my word.

    Was my second mind that consumed with rage when he used this? Well, I guess he was since he took the brunt of the insults. And this punishment... even I would not dare witness this scene for a second time... it is one of the things that only sickos could really enjoy. I may enjoy dismembering and examining live humans back on Earth but I am definitely not that demented. Yes, I did those things for science! *nod* *nod*. It was completely not because I was a sadist, definitely not.

    Anyway, I guess I should at least end this argument? Showing a memory of a hardcore BDSM bestial guro video might be too much for her. I first took a deep breath, calming my mind for a moment and motioned for Liz to wait for a moment since she might become unsettled because I stopped talking for a while.

    Liz tilted her little dragon head to one side curiously before closing her eyes, apparently content with waiting for a while. Yeah, she is really cute. Like a plush toy. I smiled at her before I readied myself to apologize to Freyja.

    I closed my eyes and exclaimed loudly in my head two words.

    ''I''m sorry.'' (Krey)

    In those words, I displayed a concise yet deep show of repentance. It might seem short but I really did put in my feelings in this two words. It showcases my genuine desire to ask for forgiveness. I think this is the best apology I ever uttered so far... right?

    ...

    ''...'' (Freyja)

    Silence reigned in my mind for a significant amount of time. And by significant, I meant a long time. This silence even seemed to spread to the outside. Liz who was peacefully waiting with closed eyes began to feel sleepy. I could tell because she seemed to be unsteady while flying. I grabbed Liz gently and held her close while trying to sort out the problem that I am currently facing.

    I don''t know why Freyja is quiet but I completely know the reason why I am also silent. It is because...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ... No wait...? Why did I apologize?

    ...

    ...

    ... I''ve never apologize with utmost sincerity before!! I am completely unable to understand my thought process earlier! Why did I apologize anyway?! She started it right?! Right?! I remember it clearly! She provoked me first and I retaliated like so right?! The one that apologize was definitely not me! Not me! It was definitely not according to my style... no, wait. What if she did something to me that caused me to be like this...?

    ...

    I see! It was definitely it! She might have done something to me that caused me to act unlike my true self! Of course, the true me will never apologize with that sincerity and even if I do, I''ll apologize in monotone! That is me! What?! Immature?! I don''t care! If people will insult me, telling me that I am not a man for making a girl scared, I''ll just ignore them.

    As I was about to take back my apology, Freyja suddenly coughed lightly before saying-

    ''All right. I will accept your apology. It is good that you know that you are in the wrong.'' (Freyja)

    Freyja puffed out her chest while crossing her arms. She raised her chin while closing her eyes and uttered a ''humph'' like a certain anime character with twin tails. Her body completely exudes out an aura of satisfaction, childish victory and arrogance. There''s also a healthy blush on her face and her lips are curled into a smile.

    ... I guess I''ll just shut up? Luckily, she was too preoccupied with catching my train of thought earlier. I don''t how she was able to read my (our?) thoughts earlier but I should just let it slide. *nod* Yes. It was definitely because I was benevolent and just. Not because I was affected by her cuteness earlier. *nod* *nod* Yep, definitely not.

    ''Idiot. I told you I know everything about you. Whatever you think about, whatever you want to do, I can easily know. Don''t worry, I won''t incapacitate you for now since you did feel sorry for what you have done. Be thankful, boy. Ufufufu.'' (Freyja)

    ...

    God fuck it. If I have this annoying brat inside my head, I would definitely become-aack!

    "Arrgh..." (Krey)

    My head suddenly felt heavy and then a gigantic wave of pain assaulted my head. I almost couldn''t continue to stay in the air because of that sudden pain but it only lasted for a moment. Soon, I regained my bearing, albeit my forehead already has beads of sweat appearing. It really was painful even if it was short.

    ''Be careful of making snide comments. Otherwise you always becoming unconscious will be the least of your worries.'' (Freyja)

    Freyja warned me in a light amused tone before disappearing from my mind. If I go deeper, I could find her in my spiritual sea but I don''t want to anymore. In fact, its better if I ignore her. Yes. As they say, let sleeping dogs lie. You won''t die if you don''t seek death.

    I wiped the sweat from my forehead before nudging Liz to wake up. Liz opened her eyes and then yawned cutely. Liz seems disinclined to fly away from my grasp so I''ll just hold her like so. Liz stared at me then asked me something.

    ''Are you done thinking, Krey nii-chan?'' (Lisana)

    ''Un. I''m finished. Let''s go to where Kira is okay?'' (Krey)

    ''Okay. But you better apologize to big sis Kira, Krey nii-chan! She is still sad you know? Girls are fragile creatures you know? Apologize like a man!'' (Lisana)

    ...

    ''Liz, who taught you that?'' (Krey)

    ''Hmm? It was big sis Kira.'' (Lisana)

    ...

    Should I praise Kira or hit her for teaching that logic to Liz? No. Let''s just forget about it. It is good that Liz is already getting an awareness of genders at this time. It would be good for her in the long run.

    Anyway the real issue is... how should I apologize? Normally? Bowing? Dogeza? Slapping myself and kowtowing? No, no. Let''s not overthink this. Damn it, why is the thing called guilt such a pain in the ass? I can''t even think straight...

    Even as I was contemplating in my mind, I was already levitating towards the magic carriage. I already wore my mask this time. Better to act mysterious and hard to reach. I need to keep them on their toes. After all, the scariest thing is not knowing what is coming to you.

    The plains are quite wide but we already reached a road despite how massive the plains are. Although the carriage moves fast, I can easily catch up to it. I can see the wheels turning and kicking up a dust trail while advancing forth. The mounts are also pulling the carriage... actually they''re efforts are useless. Magic carriages run on mana and they don''t need to be pulled to move. *sigh* I really don''t know what the guys that did this are thinking.

    The other magic carriages are also there, acting as escort of some sort. On the bright side, I was not seen yet is strange that they did not notice me, but then again they might have been warned already that I was coming.

    And they did see me fight against that old man. Really they came prepared. The old man could have become a long-ranged tactical nuke if I didn''t seize the weakness of that Godrealm Sigil Formation. Still, the old man was pretty good to not panic in that situation. I guess its as expected of the old generation? By the way, I am still pissed at that guy.

    As I was about to land on the roof. I heard Kira''s voice inside my head.

    ''Oh? You''re here already? Come on in. Use the door instead of breaking through the roof okay?'' (Kiralne)

    As she said that, the door of the carriage opened (surprisingly it was a sliding door) while the carriage is moving at high speed. Hey, in my world you''ll get arrested if you did something like that y''know?

    And as for breaking through the roof...

    ...

    I actually did not think of that but I guess it would be fun. I''ll try to keep it in mind. With Liz held against my chest, I floated towards the entrance and landed in the interior of the carriage. The door also closed by itself in the meantime. Oh, the place looks quite nice. Its much more spacious than I imagined. Its about five meters in length, width and height. Quite spacious indeed.

    The carriage walls are padded with a special kind of foam as well as some cloth that fit snugly in the corners. There are also small lights, forming a little chandelier of some sort on the ceiling, making the interior seem cozy. There are also some really comfy-looking sofas situated at the corners and a small table in the center. There is also a steel box in one spot.

    Also there are three people inside here. Kira, the old man, and the... huh? Isn''t this the bunny onee-san back on that really cheap inn? Why is she here? And she also has an Elder refinement rank? That is really strange... to think that waitress in that inn was such a strong individual...

    Kira and the old man are drinking some tea, completely relaxed while the bunny girl... is being given a lap pillow by Kira? I guess they might have some friendship since Kira allows her to use her lap as a pillow. And the bunny girl seems to be asleep.

    "Krey, you''re here. Come, sit next to me." (Kiralne)

    Kira smiled at me then patted the sofa beside her. I felt my eyebrow twitch since I just remembered that I still have to apologize to her... oh why can''t just I get struck by lightning and forget about this blunder? No, it might be too painful. Even though I am confident I can take lightning on.

    "Krey, why don''t you take off your mask? You look really silly." (Kiralne)

    When she said that, I froze and almost face-palmed. I thought we agreed that I would keep my true identity hidden and just act in the shadows. That way, even if Tolkium Kingdom faces a grave crisis that would be hard to stop, we could always cut our losses and move to another country. Establishing a foothold in a big country is desirable but even if it is somewhere remote, I can always put some Seals and Sigil Formations around the area to make any base we build be impenetrable.

    And besides, I know that dealing with national politics can be tricky. I am relatively unknown here and if I support some other faction that Kira recommends, I would have to deal with politics sooner or later. *sigh* Blackmailing and threatening people back on Earth is far more enjoyable than this.

    I need to keep myself mysterious and unpredictable, become a wild card in the game that Tolkium Kingdom is embroiled in. If I see the chance, I might be able to come up on top and see the true situation here. Come to think of it, it seems like I am gambling. Ugh, I hate gambling... too much risks and even lesser returns...

    ''... You''re plans are quite detailed but unfortunately, it is not going to work... at least not in this place.'' (Freyja)

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    Freyja''s voice resounded in my mind and she seemed opposed to my plans... screw it. She is definitely against it. But at least she is not spouting out some hurtful words like earlier. It would be a while before my other three minds will revitalize so I would not like a time bomb like her to suddenly explode on me.

    ''What do you mean?'' (Krey)

    ''What I mean is, although machinations and conspiracies are commonplace between nobles and influential people in every country at the Mortal Realm of Salratia... honor, dignity and most importantly, trust still holds sway in politics.'' (Freyja)

    ''And...?'' (Krey)

    ''You''re method is quite interesting. Causing hidden unrest in the political circle, then waiting like a slippery yet venomous snake to seize the chance for victory. Although it is only one of the little tricks in the book, I must say... although your former world has no mana, the people''s way of thinking is much more vicious than most of the races in Salratia.'' (Freyja)

    ''And your point is?'' (Krey)

    To tell the truth, I am quite impatient already. To the outside, I must''ve stopped moving for five seconds just to talk with Freyja. Five seconds may not seem like much, but I know how important even a second is, in fighting and killing. The old man might become tense and that would either put a dent in my plans or improve it but I don''t want to try it out.

    ''In other words, if you are direct and candid in your intentions, the other party would also respond in kind. This is the usual way that the true ancient noble families would interact. And by the looks of things, I think that this scion of the House of Reynald will still follow tradition. But judging by your attitude and beliefs, it is clear that you won''t believe what I say. No matter. The sweet child has already done her part splendidly.'' (Freyja)

    ''Oi oi, what do you mean?'' (Krey)

    I for one, think that what she said is a little far-fetched... fine, I''ll be honest and crude. It is complete and utter bullshit. Honesty has never been the strong point of humans and I find it hard to believe that a large family like that would include honesty in their top-ten-things-to-follow-when-you-grow-up. Their bloodline would have already been ended if their descendants would be that naive.

    But when she said that last part, I already felt that something was wrong and I had a bad feeling crawling up my back. Then I looked at Kira who was still smiling like a normal teenage girl. My lips twitched but I forced the bad feeling back and looked towards the old man.

    He had a solemn and wary glint in his eyes but his face shows an amiable expression. I calmed down a bit since his reactions are within my expectations. I then glanced at Kira and sent an Aura Transmission at Kira.

    ''What do you think are you doing? I need to keep my identity hidden so as to have more cards in play. Your suggestion would make my efforts earlier for naught.'' (Krey)

    I did not send it angrily nor was there any animosity. Since the stupid thing called guilt is still weighing me down, I can''t just get angry at Kira. Furthermore, its not like my plans are ruined yet. If my guess is right, they might just have been leisurely chatting. And since there is a complex-looking tea set on the table, I guess they might have taken some time to fully enjoy the scent and taste of tea.

    And besides, this mask has an effect of making my currently childish voice a tone deeper so it would be hard to identify me through my voice.

    ''Ah, about that. I already told Mr. Turlan about your identity as a Champion of Frelinia and about your mysterious master in the Divine Realm. I also told him about your age but I just can''t describe your face. I can''t only just say that you are cute after all, even though its is true, so can you take off your mask? A face-to-face meeting is really a formidable show of respect and trust after all.'' (Frelinia)

    ...

    ... Ai, my guess was wrong.

    Before she was even done speaking, my mind was already in complete shambles, trying to piece together what she just said. She told him my age? Me being a champion? That''s already throwing out a third of my cards! Before my body began trembling from frustration and as I was about to spout out some profanities, Freyja''s voice resounded in my head again.

    ''Do as she says. If you don''t, I will incapacitate you.''(Freyja)

    "..." (Krey)

    ...

    I have run all the simulations on my head and I''ve therefore concluded that any resistance is useless. If I get angry, Freyja will make me lose consciousness and judging from Kira''s intent, she''d still take off my mask. And then I lose my trump cards in the political circle. If I try to justify myself, I will still lose consciousness and the cycle continues. Therefore I will cooperate for now.

    Having that decision in mind, I sat myself next to Kira and put Liz on my lap. Liz yawned cutely and settled herself firmly in my lap, almost like a puppy would and she began sleeping, but not before reminding me to apologize to Kira. With Liz asleep, I finally took off my mask.

    The old man took in a cold sharp breath while the bunny onee-san who was also sleeping earlier, woke up at the moment that my mask was fully off and she also widened her eyes. I hold the urge to raise my brow in annoyance since it has been a long time since I''ve seen people react like this. *sigh* I really want to have my five-year old face back.

    What appeared in their eyes was a very pale boy. His skin was too white, almost as if he was near death. The boy had dark black hair, that seemed to be messy yet still look fascinating. Light blue eyes that just draw you in but seemed to contain a chilly coldness about them, almost as if the sky itself was looking down on them.

    His facial features weren''t that childish though, settling on the line between a young man and a boy. But one could not help but notice the feminine features of his face. If he wore a dress, no one would doubt that he would be a girl. The boy looked on with indifferent calmness, as if he was brooding about something--- is what they are probably thinking. At least that''s what I could tell from their reactions and the changes in their eyes.

    I then glanced at Kira and told her in a low voice.

    "I don''t know what you are planning but you better make this work. If this is one of your games, then trust me I am not in the mood to play." (Krey)

    Usually I am carefree and unrestrained but I still have some of my priorities straight. For some reason, I can''t even talk in my normal laid-back voice now. All that''s coming from my mouth was a voice filled with an icy calmness and disinterest. Was I angry? Yes I was. Even if I had used my mood swings to mess with Liz before, this time it is different.

    Now, I am really angry. But I can''t show open opposition since I am at a disadvantage against Freyja. So I will just have to endure and press Kira to somehow salvage the situation. Kira looked a bit shocked and she bit her lip for a moment before going back to her pleasant smiling face.

    ''I know. I have it all figured out so... please don''t stare at me so angrily.'' (Kiralne)

    Kira sent me an Aura Transmission and her voice was tinged with helplessness. I am unperturbed by that and only remained silent, while holding Liz close to me. Throughout the entire carriage ride, I could say that Freyja annoyed me to no end. Only an unexpected information as well as a good pillow was able to placate me.

    <hr />

    (Kiralne P.O.V.)

    Uuu... just what is wrong with him today? Did Liz and I push him too hard and he became like this? Was Liz treatment not effective on him? Wasn''t he supposed to experience a normal life, facilitated by me and Liz so that his emotions and state of mind would stabilized? Wasn''t he supposed to be easy to understand now? Yet why... why is he being so quiet?! Why is he just sitting there like a statue?! This does not conform with my understanding of his personality.

    ''Hey! Come on talk to me and at least participate in the conversation between the Archduke! This is related to the mission that goddess Frelinia gave to you so please cooperate!'' (Kiralne)

    ''...'' (Krey)

    Krey merely stayed silent, immobile and unreadable. But the presence he exudes seemed like a wild ferocious beast that is crouching, waiting for the opportune moment to kill its prey. And apparently, I think that we are the prey here. Even Filly is not being sleepy nor is she being clingy.

    She is sitting straight, though it is a bit stiff but fear can be seen in her eyes. The aura that someone of Krey''s power level emits can be very terrifying. I and Mr. Turlan are able to resist but it doesn''t mean that we are in a pleasant situation. We had to use our own Aura Essences to protect the other carriages outside just because of the Aura Essence that is naturally leaking from Krey.

    Mr. Turlan was uncomfortable as he brewed tea. Earlier, he offered some tea to Krey and Krey took it without words. Krey drank it all without any expression and placed it on the table again. He poured more tea on Krey''s cup and Krey again drank it without any reaction. This created an awkward situation in the carriage that was not cleared for quite a while

    ''...Miss Kiralne Vitavare. I take it that this young master is in a bad mood. Have we done anything that might have incurred his displeasure?'' (Mr. Turlan)

    ''I can''t say. He is not usually like this. In fact I can say that we are very close, almost to the point of being siblings but this is the first time I''ve seen him this... quiet. Too quiet in fact. He does not even smile like usual anymore.'' (Kiralne)

    I revealed too much personal information but I can''t help it. This is the first time I''ve seen him like this. When he gets angry, he usually curses at me and tries to make my life miserable but I can tell that this anger is on another level. A calm anger. That is even more scary. I am not afraid that he''ll hurt me but I am more afraid that our relationship would be damaged.

    That would be pathetic wouldn''t it? I would be lonely again and I''d have failed my mission to my clan. Mr. Turlan coughed and began speaking of the earlier issue.

    "*cough* Back to our topic earlier. These three houses are the backbones of the faction that is supporting her highness, Princess Lazuli''s faction. The House of Diceon, The House of Harald, and The House of Katricce." (Mr. Turlan)

    "Ah, is that so? To think that you have two of the most troublesome aristocratic families as your adversaries, my condolences to you, Archduke." (Kiralne)

    "Not all is lost. The House of Diceon seemed inclined to negotiate for a ceasefire between our factions but the other two houses are less... cooperative. Now they are asking for incentives so that the issue of the throne can be discussed. What fools..." (Mr. Turlan)

    Mr. Turlan attempted to end the awkwardness by continuing our discussion earlier. It lightened up the atmosphere a bit but Krey is not responding at all. In fact, the pressure he is exerting is growing. Although we can also raise the pressure, Filly would be affected and its not a good thing for a daughter of one of our allies to be killed while we are here. That would look bad and worsen the situation for us. And so the only thing we can do is try to suppress Krey but not harm Filly... which is not going so well.

    "Hic... gunuu... ah..." (Filly)

    Filly is sweating all over. Her hands are clenched into fists and her face and body is entirely red. She is already trembling and her eyes are closed tightly. I don''t know how much longer she will last before she faints but I hope that it will be soon. It would not be good for her to suffer because of Krey''s antics.

    Although we tried to continue the discussion, with Krey and Filly becoming like this, even someone as composed as Mr. Turlan find it hard to talk about serious matters. We once again sunk into an uncomfortable silence. Mr. Turlan once more poured more tea for Krey and he drank it without any reactions whatsoever.

    Oh this is really not going well. Why did he have to act like this at a delicate time? Can''t he resume his antics when we are finished with this issue? *sigh* And Liz, why are sleeping at this time? Control your big brother will you! As I was complaining like so, a very familiar yet unfamiliar voice resounded in my mind.

    "Hit him in the head." (????)

    That immaculate and pure voice asked, no more like ordered me to do so. But hit? Hit who? And why should I? Before I was able to think about it more clearly, my right hand moved as if it was compelled by some ancient force. Without warning, my hand was raised and then clenched into a fist. As if by the will of the gods, my fist descended mercilessly and painfully landed... on Krey''s head.

    Time seemed to stand still as I slowly removed my hand from Krey''s head. Krey did not react but Filly and Mr. Turlan were quite shocked. Well only Filly is though. Mr. Turlan raised an eyebrow before turning back to normal but not without having some sweat form in his forehead. Filly is less calm though. She looked in with a disbelieving expression and then she pointed at me with trembling hands.

    Ah... she must be really afraid of Krey. Well, the things I spoke of earlier has some truth in them (some I just made up) and her being a devout believer of the Church of Salratia makes her think that Krey is a messiah of some sort. But most of all, the light scuffle that Krey had with Mr. Turlan, although short must be quite a terrific event for these Elder-level Mana Manipulators. The figures of these two might have been firmly engraved on their minds.

    And for Krey to be sitting here with her... it may be too much. The fear from earlier hasn''t been calmed and throughout the trip with Krey in tow, she was very uncomfortable, at least that''s what I could tell.

    Perspiration fell down like a waterfall as her mouth flapped about, unable to utter any coherent words. I myself think what I did was a little strange... No it was definitely weird. I don''t have the habit of hitting people nor do I wish to. But I think I am a bit too calm for my own good.

    "Hey, Kira. Did a brat''s voice told you to hit me?" (Krey)

    Krey asked me in a very chilly tone. This is a really strange side to Krey. He is usually just calm and laid-back and his tone when speaking is usually tinged with the tone of a carefree child. Well, careless in his case. But now all I can sense is just insurmountable coldness. Even the air about him is unusually cold.

    As for his inquiry... the voice earlier did seem to sound young. Unfortunately, due to suddenness of it, I wasn''t able to commit it to memory. But there is something familiar about that voice...

    "I don''t know if it was a child''s voice or not but it did tell me to hit you in the head." (Kiralne)

    "Hmm. I see." (Krey)

    Krey nodded and responded with a cold voice. He sipped the tea that was given to him and looked at Mr. Turlan. Unlike before, his eyes once again turned into a bright iridescent color and the cold atmosphere disappeared. Instead it was replaced by an aura of magnificence and dominance. His eyes flashed with majesty as the entire carriage seemed to shake in response to the illustrious presence.

    All the people in the carriage, including me, closed our mouths and swallowed our saliva. The aura that Krey is exhibiting is different from the Aura Essence pressure that he was using earlier. Now it seemed more... diverse and chaotic. But also unified and complete. The strange nature of the aura that Krey is exhibiting makes one unable to breathe properly.

    The matter of the voice was completely forgotten by me.

    Krey looked on with an eerie calmness and finally spoke.

    "Let me tell you something first. You don''t need to explain yourself, nor do you need to speak. You just have to answer my questions and you shall do so concisely and quietly. Give a nod to signify a "yes" and shake your head sideways to signify a "no". Do you understand?" (Krey)

    Krey''s voice seemed to be infused with power as he spoke each words clearly. The magnetic words although it contained insulting words, did not seem to be too insulting anymore. In fact, it even felt pleasant to the ears. Me, Mr. Turlan and Filly know that if we just clear our minds a bit, then we can be rid of this feeling we are in.

    But Krey''s countenance and words are like an addicting drug. The thought of discarding such feelings never came to mind. Even Mr. Turlan did not show any reaction to the very disrespectful words uttered by Krey earlier. Mr. Turlan slowly nodded to express his understanding and Krey gave a nod as well.

    "Now then, first question. Have the troops of Lumen Isles Union arrived in the mainland?" (Krey)

    Mr. Turlan gave a slow nod. It was as expected. This fact has been already told to me earlier and Krey seemed to already know it as well. He just wanted to confirm it. Krey did not react to the nod of affirmation and continues on asking questions.

    "Second question. Have they occupied any areas? Did they declare any city, town, or village as the territory of Lumen Isles Union?" (Krey)

    This time, Mr. Turlan shook his head. Krey raised an eyebrow and continued asking questions. It was quite a surreal scene. A little boy interrogating an old man while the old man nods or shakes his head to answer. It bared a resemblance to a parent interrogating their child after scolding them. But this time the one that looks like the child is Mr. Turlan and Krey is the parent.

    ("Are the First Prince and the Second Princess the only ones who wish to claim the throne in place of their dying father?" (Krey)

    After so many questions and so many "yes" and "no"s, we finally arrived at the vicinity of Arles City. It hasn''t changed much since the last time I saw it. The walls of the city are very imposing as always and the buildings that I can see from inside the gates are as picturesque as ever. For a fortress city to have this kind of beauty is very rare indeed. There are still many carriages and travellers going to the gates to enter the city, while the number leaving are also not few.

    Everyone has smiles on their faces... okay some are frowning but the majority are happy. There are also many adventurers riding their mounts or carriages to go into the forests and glades. Some of them I can see are hunting the weaker monsters in the plains while some looked heavily armed as they head in the direction of the mountains. *sigh* I just hope they don''t go the the Magic Mountain Range... or what''s left of it anyway.

    Thinking of the state of the Magic Mountain Range when I last saw it, I can''t help but make a wry smile and wonder how it is gonna restore itself.

    "Are the two knucklehead related by blood?" (Krey)

    Krey no longer addresses the two ruler candidates respectfully and began calling them names. Mr. Turlan shook his head, looking quite tired. Usually as the head of one of the founding aristocratic houses of Tolkium Kingdom, he would rebuke Krey for such insolence against the members of the royal family. But it looks like Mr. Turlan is still affected by his aura and it also seems that he s tired of answering Krey''s questions.

    Each questions that Krey asks only serves to rub salt on opened wounds and it seemed that the guilt, regret, anger and sadness that Mr. Turlan was keeping in was released in the form of weariness. But Krey is relentless, and completely doesn''t care or maybe does not notice the situation of Mr. Turlan.

    As a bystander, I can only pray that Krey would show some mercy. As Krey received Mr. Turlan''s negative response, Krey''s expressionless face finally broke out into a smile. He even chuckled for a short amount of time and I can''t help but have a bad feeling. There is something different about it somehow. That laugh... it sounded mischievous, devious even!

    Krey looked towards Mr. Turlan and then his eyes finally turned back into a natural light blue. The majestic pressure also disappeared as if it was never there. Filly, the one who is most affect breathed a sigh of relief. Krey leaned on the sofa but frowned for some reason. He looked at me and shrugged before leaning his head on my shoulder.

    As he did that, I felt relief. Its as if a huge burden was removed from shoulders. He is finally acting like he normally does. It took me four years before I was able to instill this habit in him but it was worth it! Now every time he wishes to relax, he would always sit next to me and lean on me. Sometimes he uses my lap as a pillow as well (most of the time its Liz though)!

    Haha. All my hard work paid off! I gave myself a thumbs-up in my mind but my face is calm and serene, not a single change in my expression as Krey sets his head on my shoulders. Krey then moved his glance towards Mr. Turlan and asked his final question.

    "Last question~. Do you know a twenty-two year old girl named Sally?" (Krey)

    This time he didn''t used an icy voice nor did he used an illustrious voice. He spoke normally this time. A voice of a normal child filled with innocence and carelessness filled the carriage. Filly and Mr. Turlan are once again flabbergasted. I wonder when they are going to stop getting surprised. Krey''s mood swings are really really unpredictable but I don''t get shocked anymore.

    Mr. Turlan slowly gave a nod and Krey smiled in satisfaction. He placed Liz on my lap and settled himself at my side. I raised my arm and let his head lie on my chest. Krey closed his eyes and no longer moved. Did he want to take a nap? As I wondered that to myself, Krey''s last question caught my interest and I can''t help but ask Krey in an Aura Transmission.

    ''Krey, who is that girl you asked the Archduke about? That Sally girl?'' (Kiralne)

    I felt a little embarrassed to ask Krey about this but I am really curious. Krey stirred and he opened his right eye to look at me. He then said something that left me in a situation wherein I can''t help but be surprised.

    ''She is my junior-apprentice sister.'' (Krey)

    Then Krey gave out a yawn and buried his head in my chest, leaving me speechless as he continued his nap. At this time, we had already arrived at a private gate in the Southwest corner of the city walls. We are finally back at Arles City.

    <hr />

    A/N: If you want me to change something then just comment away. As a side thought, Midterms are coming up and I need to suffer again. Seriously, my naming sense is not commendable and your opinions are very welcomed (if its something negative, please word it in a way that a fragile teenager''s heart won''t break)

 Chapter 29: Assault and Deal

    I worked hard for this chapter! <-(Meaning he had trouble making this chapter)

    And finally a somewhat short introduction to spells.

    <hr>

    This texture and softness is just so exquisite. Not too warm nor too cool. Just the right temperature. It issuch an amazing thing. My back or neck don¡¯t feel stiff when I lean on it. It is so comfortable. Ah, yes.

    It¡¯s hard to admit but... Kira''s breasts really are the most comfortable pillows that I''ve ever used. Her lap and shoulder are a close second. My eyes are tightly closed right now and I am doing my best to take a nap but so far¡­ my nap is not going well. Well, leaning on Kira''s chest is a great form of relaxation in itself so I can rest my tired mind a bit. That brat Freyja has been quiet for awhile now but she''ll probably come to annoy me again.

    Ah, but I am not thinking of perverted thoughts okay? Although Kira is a peerless beauty and her figure is very explosive, I don''t see her as a possible love interest for some reason. In fact, my image of her is a perverted elder sister figure. And it''s quite strong. Un. She is like an older sibling to me. Though my treatment of her is considerably unpleasant, it was able to quell my stress so I think it is fine. Messing with a powerless girl after a long day of meditating and training is quite a nice form of entertainment.

    What''s more, watching Liz and Kira sleep with each other in bed is also a form of a reward. What? Why am I watching them while they sleep? It''s my business. Think about it. A dark-haired, golden-eyed little girl and a mature woman with blonde hair and emerald eyes sleeping and hugging each other in the night. Isn''t it a good match? Like a beautiful mother and daughter. Or two beautiful sisters.

    I may have a bit of a screw loose and probably a hypocrite, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I am still an otaku at heart. One would be stupid if they don''t take advantage of such opportunities, especially for someone like me. Besides, I have full rights towards this situations. After all, I. am. just. a. kid. Kids do stupid things. Nothing is wrong with my actions. Liz is young and will not understand these kinds of things (... or maybe she does?) and Kira won''t care. Since she did swore to do whatever I ask of her and to execute actions that will benefit me.

    ¡®... How unsightly. Taking advantage of them like that¡­¡¯ (Freyja)

    Ah. The annoying brat is back. Leave me alone you little brat!-is what I want to say but I don¡¯t want her to become crazy again. I dislike pain, and she is fully capable of inflicting that on me.

    Now, then where was I? Ah yes, Kira.

    As for Kira, well, I still have a bit of dislike towards her since she molested me in our first meeting and has been doing so for the past few years. But I slowly grew fond of her through the efforts of Liz and also my curiosity towards my long-term companion. Don''t get me wrong, I still don''t like her on the level of Liz but I am can say that we have a close (?) relationship. But my current problem is that my image of her as a pedophile has been weakened... drastically at that.

    ... And I suck at interpersonal relationships. For Liz, I could just act like a senior and guide her to the best of my abilities. But for Kira? Memories of getting fired by my superiors every month surface in my line of thought. Yeah. Not that good at dealing with people at the top. Probably because I don''t like the feeling of being under someone.

    My first impressions came from the assumption that I was violated by her but since she confirmed that she did not do anything of the sort and Liz also supported her, no matter how much of an asshole I am, I came to believe her. And this destroyed the superior-subordinate relationship platform that I made my mind built, and now I am in a predicament.

    Well, most of it is because of her crying so beautifully back on the cavern. I am in my nature, a sadist and such a beautiful expression of sorrow sent shivers down my spine. And something inside me just seems to want to forgive her... and keep her as a pet.

    ''The way you treat your companions is not up to standard! Very unsatisfying and inadequate. You should act like a gentleman and pamper those girls. It doesn''t matter if it¡¯s too excessive! Treat Lisana and Kiralne like princesses! That is what you should do!'' (Freyja)

    Don''t you know that I want to take a nap? You''re ruining my relaxation here.

    I felt my expression go bad and I probably look like I am having a bad dream to the people outside. Well, having a time bomb inside you can make you feel this way. In fact, the rate she is going, I might end up as a vegetable.

    ''Why should I? And treat them like princesses? Are you sure? Don''t you know that I hate upper-class people the most? Behind those upright and noble facades, exists a disgusting and hypocritical form of life. Excessive greed, pride, gluttony, lust, envy in a bundled up package. If I treat them like princesses, I''d make them suffer a fate worse than death.'' (Krey)

    My hatred may be one-sided and irrational¡­ maybe even a bit stupid but it¡¯s the definite truth¡­ I think. I have never liked the so-called ¡®elite¡¯ of the society. Nothing more than money mongers. I also have a lot of attachment to money but it doesn¡¯t mean I take it without effort.

    Now Freyja wants me to treat them like that? No way. I won¡¯t treat those two like that. It¡¯s betterto treat them normally. I don¡¯t want them to even resemble a bit like those ¡®elite¡¯.

    It seemed like there is little chance of me escaping from her clutches but she seemed disinclined to look at my other darker thoughts. No, more like disgusted and afraid of it.

    As long as I keep thinking about dark thoughts (particularly the R-18 ones) I can keep her from talking to me almost all the time. At first, her continuous ramblings in the carriage annoyed me to the point that my mood switched. My mood switches always depend on my emotions.

    That is why back on Earth, people thought I had schizophrenia or something and kept avoiding me. I hope that I wasn''t too overbearing (might affect future transactions if I gave a poor first impression).

    But now, everything is fine! The non-stop, agonizing flurry of fussy words that Freyja has finally been reduced to about one sentences every ten minutes! At most 2-5 sentences! Fufufu. And now she has a harder time to discern my inner thoughts.

    I berated this annoying brat like so and once more stayed silent... while replaying the hardcore BDSM bestial guro scene in my memories. I will say the truth. I am not fond of this memory and I''ve tried so hard to forget this memory but I was unable to. Who would have thought that this memory would be useful as a ¡®ward¡¯ against Freyja?

    Now if I simply think about that video, she will either shut up or not bother me for a long while... yeah, I''ll give a more detailed explanation later. That would give me some ample time and privacy to relax and think of countermeasures against Freyja.

    This so called holyward (xxx video) is just a way to annoy Freyja and keep her occupied away for some time. She is not completely overbearing. If she was, I would have never lowered my head and complied with anything she says, even if she messes with my very soul. At least with her personality, such a thing will not come yet. That¡¯s the conclusion I came up with according to my observations, deductions, and intuition.

    And the method to completely suppress her is definitely underway. What? She will discover what I am thinking? Fufu. That is true but I found a loophole in her ability. It is hard to exploit but so far, she hasn¡¯t noticed anything strange.

    I will not stay docile forever. The plans are slowly being implemented. I repeated this twice so as to reassure myself¡­ people make mistakes okay? Don¡¯t mind me.

    The plan is risky and it will indeed be detrimental to my health... well, if I do some shady businesses like before, I can easily recuperate from any injuries but that would look bad to Kira and Liz so I need to be quiet about doing this.

    ''I am unclear as to what you are planning, which is a surprise even for me. I don¡¯t know what method you used to block me but keep in mind that you will not act frivolously while I am here.'' (Freyja)

    Freyja''s serious voice resounded clearly in my mind¡­ and as always it contained a hint of superiority and a little dash of mockery in it. This made my expression distort into that of annoyance. Ignore the brat. Ignore her. Think of the video. Use the holy ward to drive away the evil spirit.

    As I comforted myself like so, I used my other mind to scan the area outside using Aura Sense. Right now the fourth mind has been revitalized and functioning normally. The third mind is almost revitalized while the second mind... needs a week or so. Maybe four days if I hasten its recovery? Nah, too bothersome. Let''s just let the second mind heal up normally. The fifth mind is¡­ well¡­ complicated.

    As I sealed the fate of the second mind, I observed the surroundings outside the moving magic carriage. Since napping is currently an impossible task because of the holy ward and the evil spirit, I''ll spend my time observing the surroundings. Hoh? Looks like we are quite near to the inn already. I recognize this alley as well as that shop. Maybe a few minutes till we arrive at the inn?

    Nah. Wait. We are going to a new route. I don''t recognize that building. Nor that street. There''s even a lot more carriages here than at the other streets. Where are we going? I thought we were going back to the inn? That really, really, really cheap inn. I want to sleep there. I also want to get rid of Freyja. I wanna eat. Wow, I surprisingly have a lot of ''wants''.

    Before I opened my eyes, I received an Aura Transmission from Kira.

    ''Neeh. Krey, we''re making a detour to Lord Arles''s manor. Lord Turlan is going to chat and return the 3rd Mobile Regiment back to Lord Arles. It would take a while but I''ll stay here with you and Liz? Will that be fine?'' (Kiralne)

    Kira lightly told me using Aura Transmission while stroking my hair. I gave a little nod to signify my agreement and continue lying on her chest. Ah yes. Such a nice pillow. So that''s why the carriage was quiet.

    Using Aura Transmission to communicate huh? That''s weird. Well, it¡¯s much more efficient anyhow. Better not judge the little things. I came to that decision as I let Kira stroke my hair.

    ... Somehow I feel like I am being treated like a child. But it¡¯s not annoying this time. Huh. Strange indeed. Maybe I should wake up now? Taking a ten-minute nap is already enough rest for an Elder Magus like me and it¡¯s not like I am sick or anything. I opened my eyes and what came to my sight was Kira''s face. I blinked once and sat up. I stared regretfully at the marvelous pillow and painfully averted my gaze and looked at the opposite side. The old man is gone. The bunny onee-san is also gone. Liz is... eating some sort of pastry.

    ...

    Why is a dragon eating pastries? It was just a temporary thing when I said that Liz should eat what we eat but she took me way too seriously. Liz can survive with only the surrounding mana as sustenance but she likes to eat along with us (not that we need food that much these days). As a fairly competent professional in strange studies (otaku) back on Earth, I am fairly sure that dragons need, no, have to eat meat. They are not supposed to eat anything other than meat. Maybe crystals and minerals too but meat is supposed to be the staple food of dragons... right?

    I turned my sight towards Kira and then gave her a questioning look. She shrugged and gave a small smile. A smile that she always makes when she is feeling awkward¡­ just like the times when I fail to follow her movements back at the cavern... right.

    *dokun* <-(AN:... Yeah I don''t know the onomatopoeia for pain)

    I then felt a sharp pain in my chest. Tch, not this again. It is not fatal but I have been having this pangs of pain in my chest for a while. Strange. Very strange. Why is guilt such a strange thing?

    How am I supposed to do this now? How should I talk to her without making her remember the blunder I committed? Scenes of a crying Kira appeared in my head again. My chest tightened hard and I find it hard to breathe. Fuck you, guilt! You are making my day suck.

    ''... Your predicament will end if you just apologize politely. Can''t you see that? I know that you have sick values and corrupted principles but isn''t apologizing for a mistake normal?'' (Freyja)

    For the first time, Freyja talked to me in a way that did not make me annoyed at her. Of course, we established a line of privacy in my head somehow. I learned that all my thoughts can be easily discovered by Freyja, even if I try to make my mind blank.

    *sigh* This stupid brat, just wait till I execute my plans. Let¡¯s see if you can still spout out such disrespectful words. Ufufu¡­ still, the snide comments that she makes are too annoying.

    Even now, she made another one¡­ which is kinda true.

    I know that I have to apologize to Kira. I know that this is the right thing to do. I know that what I have done to Kira was wrong and that I should repent but... it just doesn''t feel right. I have a strange feeling that if I apologize now, I would lose something important. It''s entirely intuitive but I trust it. I don''t know what it is but this feeling makes me anxious.

    After a long period of contemplation, I finally decided that I would put this matter on hold for a while. I''ve highly relied on my intuition back on Earth to work odd-jobs, earn money and find opportunities to survive in the modern world. The inheritance money could only support me for so long after all. I didn''t like to apply for adoption and relying on others to survive just seemed wrong, even as a child, I thought that it was wrong. So I must trust my intuition. It has not failed me before. It won''t fail me now.

    ''... I am amazed that a mere half-minute would already be considered long to you. Couldn''t you at least put more thought into reconciling? She will be with you for a long time, an eternity even, as your attendant. Whether you like it or not, you two are already soul-bound. The moment Kira made that vow, and the seals on your forehead appeared, the two of your destinies are already one.'' (Freyja)

    Freyja revealed a very surprising fact. Usually, a normal person''s reaction would be that of surprise, shock, disbelief, and awe. But I thought nothing of it. Eternity? What of it?

    My experience from the All-Magic Awakening has made me prepared already. The knowledge from All-Magic Awakening contained countless information about magic. Alchemy, enchantments, artificing, and the like are all there. Methods and processes that would take a decade, some even a hundred years just to complete.

    Raw materials that need to be matured for a few centuries or even millennia and continuously modified to be used in the fields mentioned above. Refining methods, enchantments, and formations are plentiful although I find the latter two a bit lacking since I have Divine Arts to cover for them.

    My mind was already prepared for living a long, almost eternal life ever since I experienced All-Magic Awakening. Of course, my chuunibyo syndrome (... Don¡¯t laugh. I know a lot of adults who still have that sickness ) took a hold of me first before I made the right choices. Not like I regretted it, though.

    Acting silly can be fun at times. Living an entire century or even a millennium is certainly amazing. The matter about Kira being with me all the time left me a bit bewildered but I immediately calmed down and instantly became happy.

    Eternity¡­ that means that I don''t have to immediately apologize! And maybe I can wait for her to totally forget about that matter~! Fufufu. It might take long but who cares~? Avoiding responsibility is so fun.

    I must have had a silly smile on my face since Kira stopped stroking Liz and looked at me curiously. We had a short staring contest before she gave me a mischievous smile. She then asked me an unexpected question in a coy fashion.

    "Hey, hey~ What is it are you thinking about? Are you excited to see your junior apprentice sister or something? Fufufu. How cute. But you also have me you know? This elder sister is always free." (Kiralne)

    Kira said so with a playful smile. But all I have is an oncoming headache. As you have guessed, I have chosen to keep the ''mysterious master'' background story. Ad-libbing was never my strong point and making up a believable background story is simply too hard. Although I have Kira as an almanac/encyclopedia, I just don''t feel that it is the right time to tell her the truth. That and I have more important matters to attend to.

    ''... You just want to play, don''t you? I really thought you were a great catch until I learned that you were a childish psychopath. If only your personality aligned with your marvelous gifts...'' (Freyja)

    And she began rattling off some stuff that I don¡¯t really care about. ¡°Exceptionally High Talent¡± and ¡°Multi-Split Chimeric Soul¡±... and so on and so forth. Terms that are familiar and unfamiliar resounded in my mind. Again, I don¡¯t really care. I am just going to ignore the seemingly nonsensical words of this brat. Better not to ask. I must''ve slacked off in invoking the holy ward. I willed the holy ward to play in my mind and just like before, Freyja''s young and beautiful voice disappeared from my mind. Peace and quiet.

    "No, I just remembered something interesting. What about you? You seem absolutely cheery today? Has finally getting back to civilization put you in such a great mood?" (Krey)

    "Yes and no. Ufufu. My cards are increasing really well..." (Kiralne)

    Kiralne smiled a playful smile. Although that smile caused my head to hurt. My intuition is telling me that her smile means danger but the feeling of danger just seems so faint. I judge that this feeling can be ignored¡­ for now. Since there are other pressing matters to attend to.

    Ever since I¡¯ve entered the carriage and arrived at Arles City, I¡¯ve always kept my Aura Sense at its maximum range which is about four kilometers. I can extend it to about ten or forty kilometers with help from {Mana Force Manipulation} but I judged it as unnecessary.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    When the edge of my Aura Sense reached the center of Arles City, I¡¯ve already sensed the powerful mana signatures in there. At first, I ignored it, thinking that they were part of the forces stationed in the city but they¡¯re behaviors have been getting really suspicious.

    ¡°Kira, I think it¡¯s time we greet our friends from the Union. They have been spying on us long enough.¡± (Krey)

    That old man probably didn¡¯t notice them at all. I can¡¯t blame him. He might seem fine but I know that his mana core has been damaged and his internals is a little out of shape. This is the result of my battle with him. I wasn¡¯t just casting one powerful spell after another. I was also controlling my refined mana to covertly damage him bit by bit.

    Of course, Kira¡¯s surprise move is also one of the causes of his injuries. I am sure it would take a day or two for him to completely recover from these injuries. The most serious one is his mana core being damaged. The mana core is essential to every mana manipulator.

    His Aura Sense has weakened because of the damages in his mana core. That¡¯s why he wasn¡¯t able to detect them that well. But there is another reason. It seems that one of the mana manipulators, a mage is well versed in concealment spells¡­ maybe a darkness and earth elemental affinity mage. Well, whatever.

    That person has a good grasp of the Profound Truth of Concealment. It would have been difficult for the old man to detect them even if his Aura Sense was not weakened. Much less the other Grand Soldiers in this city.

    ¡°... You noticed as well huh. I was hoping that you won¡¯t be able to find them but it looks like that¡¯s a foolish hope.¡± (Kiralne)

    As she said that, Kira held the teacup close to her face. She lightly whiffed the scent of the tea and took a light sip. I find that action of hers a little annoying right now. I think that she wants to apprehend the intruders by herself which frankly, is not what I had in mind.

    ¡°Facing off against five Grand-level Mana Manipulators alone... even for an Arch Knight like you, it would be dangerous. You know that right?¡± (Krey)

    ¡°Of course I do. Even if it¡¯s dangerous, I have the confidence to defeat them.¡± (Kiralne)

    ¡°...¡± (Krey)

    Should I beat her up again? Maybe she is becoming conceited¡­ No, no. I am not that confident to completely dominate her like before. Not with her already proficient in using the poison essence/concentration ¡­ I think I¡¯ll come up with a plan first.

    I sensed five people with very strong mana signatures around the vicinity of the city lord¡¯s manor. The manor itself takes up a lot of space, approximately eight acres (wasteful use of land space if you ask me) and these people are positioned in important escape routes and vantage points outside the manor.

    Smart. The detection-type Sigil Formations are using both wind and earth elemental runes so it means double the sensitivity and effectiveness. It would probably sound the alarms if they were to get closer than that. The Sigil Formations are a bit crude in my opinion but they serve their purpose well enough.

    All of them are wearing mantles commonly used bytravelersin Arles City. How nice. It kinda resembles a certain anime from somewhere. Though I forgot the name of that anime.

    Three Early-Staged Grand Soldiers, a Mid-Staged Grand Magus, and a Late-Staged Grand Soldier. The three Early-Staged Grand Soldiers are scattered and are hiding in alleys and the small streets, changing positions every ten minutes or so. The Mid-Staged Grand Magus is staying at a room in an extravagant inn. Based on the figure, the mage is probably a female. Come to think of it, two of those Early-Staged Grand Soldiers are female too.

    Strange. Well, let¡¯s move on to the real problem.

    ¡°I thought we agreed that I would be the one who is in charge. Besides, it is still not the right time for you to act. The Requiem Period is still a few weeks away.¡± (Krey)

    Requiem Period. Kiralne told me before that the Vitavare Clan had an ancient oath that the act of taking a life can only take place once a day every two months when the moon turns red because of the increased density of fire, thunder, destruction and light elements in a region of Salratia. That is the Requiem Period.

    Of course, the exact time when the Requiem Period starts differs in every region in Salratia. Right now, it¡¯s the last day of the month of the Luminous Sovereign. The Requiem Period here in the Tolkium Kingdom starts on the twentieth day of the month of the Sagely Sovereign, which comes after the month of the Luminous Sovereign.

    ¡°Yes but I don¡¯t have any plans to kill them. I have a good chance of capturing them by myself since I have become an Arch Knight. And now with this¡­¡± (Kiralne)

    She moved her left hand in my general direction and then slowly, wisps of yellow fumes quietly appeared and coagulated into five small pellets of yellow gas that slowly revolved on each of her fingers.

    The gaseous pellets then began to change their forms, elongating and becoming thinner. As I observed them, their indistinct outlines were being refined bit by bit into a sharp form. Soon their shapes resembled that of swords, each rotating on a different axis.

    I took a sharp breath and narrowed my eyes, a little astonished at this. I don¡¯t exactly know what happened to the Mana-Binding Viper Poison in her body but I what I do know is that when I altered it to a pure entity, a long period of time is needed for it to be ready to be manipulated like how we manipulate refined mana.

    Kira being able to manipulate it to such extent is already above my expectations. I know exactly how much mana my body has and with the assistance of {Mana Force Manipulation}, it is possible for me to have a nearly infinite amount of refined mana at my disposal. Still, that poison essence of hers¡­ it is dangerous. I might have to unleash the power of all nine elements and fully make use of {Mana Force Manipulation} to bring her down in case she goes rogue.

    ¡°... I am starting to regret altering the Mana-Binding Viper Poison in your body. I should just have sealed and exterminated it¡­¡± (Krey)

    ¡°Fufufu. Thanks for the compliment. Essences are very rare and I was surprised that you had the ability to artificially create one. Mages don¡¯t really have great compatibility with Essences so it really was a surprise for me.¡± (Kiralne)

    Eh? The thing that I was fiddling with was actually valuable? The information that I got from All-Magic Awakening contained some details about enhancing and altering raw materials and elements by clustering and making them purer, similar to what I did to Kira.

    But is is that important? If I remember it is not that important and could be considered a very low-tier part of alchemy and artificing. It¡¯s that simple.

    ¡®... Lord Azeroth¡¯s temperament is as domineering as always. Essences are extremely concentrated elemental entities that are naturally formed in places that have dense elemental properties. They are very powerful and valuable to any mana manipulator if they are able to merge it with their mana cores. Unfortunately, it is not that effective for mages.

    Lord Azeroth and the Nine Elemental Gods have a blood feud that has been going on since ancient times. Lord Azeroth absolutely detests Essences, which are very close in aura to that of the Nine Elemental Gods. Lord Azeroth¡¯s power is immeasurable and creating Essences is not hard for him. But considering his hatred of the Nine Elemental Gods, he would absolutely consider the matter of Essences as something insignificant.

    And for the mages, the followers of Lord Azeroth¡­ they would definitely have small chances of controlling, much less merging with Essences. Essences have a will of their own and they usually follow the Elemental God that they were born from.

    The ¡°All-Magic Awakening¡± phenomenon is an expurgated version of Lord Azeroth¡¯s memories. The belief that making Essences is insignificant is still firmly rooted in his memories.¡¯ (Freyja)

    Freyja surprisingly did not make an unpleasant comment and instead divulged very important and interesting information. A blood feud eh? It seems like trouble but as they say ¡°Leave tomorrow¡¯s problems, for tomorrow.¡± Let¡¯s put that thought at the back of my head. Besides, I am not a hooligan that would pick a fight with anyone.

    ¡°Fine. We¡¯re still splitting the prey. I¡¯ll go for the Grand Magus and the other Grand Soldier since they¡¯re relatively close to each other. You can go handle the other three Grand Soldiers.¡± (Krey)

    I can feel my Aura Sense coming in contact with Kira¡¯s Aura Sense. Her Aura Sense¡¯s range is larger than mine but mine is more refined and sensitive. I don¡¯t know what method she used to detect the Union¡¯s mana manipulators but it''s better to leave that for later.

    ¡°Fine by me. Do you wanna bet who will be the first to capture their prey? Fufufu.¡± (Kiralne)

    ¡°... Warriors are faster and agiler than mages. The unnamed martial art you taught improved my bodily constitution and vitality but it can¡¯t make me faster. I can only use the Low and Mid-rank spells to avoid damaging the buildings. While you can just control the strength of your blows. I am definitely at a disadvantage.¡± (Krey)

    ¡°Hmm? But I need to fight three of them, though? And they are quite far from each other.¡± (Kiralne)

    I think a little competition would be fun but I think I am gonna lose this one. She can probably instantly incapacitate the two Early-Staged Grand Soldiers and take a few minutes for the Late-Staged Grand Soldier. As for me¡­ dealing with that Mid-Staged Grand Magus will be very hard¡­ since I have to be careful of the civilians and buildings. *sigh* If only I could bombard that inn with a High-class spell, my job would definitely be finished early.

    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s do this quickly.¡± (Krey)

    ¡°What about Liz?¡± (Kiralne)

    ¡°Let her sleep for now. It won¡¯t take too much time to capture all of them.¡± (Krey)

    As I said that, I stood up from the comfy couch and stretched my limbs. Kira put down her tea cup and also stood up. She patted Liz¡¯s head and then took out her sword from her storage ring. A sheen of emerald flashed around the small space of the carriage. I looked at Liz for a moment before turning my gaze towards the general direction of the Union¡¯s mana manipulators.

    I willed Geheimnis Kaiser to appear in my hand before lightly twirling the glaive for a few seconds. I let it settle on my back after playing with it a little bit. An azure streak flashed in the room in a similar fashion as I observed the blade. I leaned on it a little before taking out the black mask from my storage ring and putting it on my face. I then willed my eyes to change to a prismatic color.

    ¡°May the best man win.¡± (Krey)

    As I said that, I cast [Robe of the Eruption], [Robe of the Gale], [Armament of Thunder], [Vestments of Twilight] and [Armaments of the Land] on myself. Five colors of vaporous elemental mana appeared around me and then solidified into a semi-corporeal set of outer garments.

    The wind-type elemental mana and fire-type elemental mana coalesced and formed into a white-red robe that fit snugly on me. Earth-type elemental mana and thunder-type elemental mana wrapped around my joints, shoulders, back, chest, thighs, and legs. They congealed into a set of lightweight leatherlike purple-amber armor that seems ornamental in appearance instead of looking like instruments of protection.

    Darkness-type elemental mana covered every part of my body and began to form into a shadowy dark cloak.But if someone looked at it closely, one can see few dots of light that are spread out thinly at the surface of the cloak. It was not too big nor too small for me. I was filled with the feeling of invincibility and insurmountable power. My body became very light and I felt my senses become sharper. I opened the door of the carriage and set my gaze towards Kira.

    She still had that light smile on her face as she brandished her sword. She turned into a yellow-green blur that charged towards the streets of Arles City. As she approached her targets, I set my sights at the gaudy inn where my targets are and dashed towards it in high speed.

    The pedestrians and carriages on the road were a blur as I avoided each of them along the way. I jumped up towards the roof of a shop that has a good clear path towards the inn. With my Aura Sense, I can see the mage act alert and she started chanting a very quick incantation. Destruction element huh. It¡¯s a bit unpleasant to see someone with that element but I can say that she is good. She still became aware of me even though I was using my Aura Sense to blot out her Aura Sense.

    Unfortunately, I have no intention of letting any of your spells hit me. As I madly dashed and leaped towards the innthe Early-staged Grand Soldier, who was on a street near the vicinity, finally reacted and charged at me. The distance between us was not small, but it took just a moment for me and him to be in close proximity to each other.

    With a wave of his hand, a dark gray mace appeared in his fingertips which he gripped tightly. He swung his mace towards me. As a mage, the best thing to do is probably dodge the mace and cast a quick spell to get away. Of course, that would waste all of the spells I cast beforehand right?

    My hand moved and Geheimnis Kaiser became a flash of azure blue as it met the dark gray mace. Time slowed down as the tip of the blade met the mace head. I felt a massive force travel from my arm to every part of my body. Suddenly that force disappeared as it was absorbed by the spells I cast earlier.

    Sparks flew as our weapons collided and we each took a step back. We looked at each other for a moment before charging again, killing intent filling both our eyes. With my Aura Sense, I can see that the mage has finished chanting and then I heard her exclaim the name of the spell.

    ¡°... ravage the foolish heretics and let their souls descend into true emptiness! [Deluge of Mass Desolation]!¡± (Female Mage)

    In the air above us, destruction-type elemental mana appeared and congealed into ten dark-colored magic circles that pulsated with power. The magic circles arranged themselves in a circular fashion and began gathering destruction-type elemental mana in the blink of an eye.

    The Early-staged Grand Soldier leaped back a good distance and his mace glowed with yellow light. He swung his mace towards the rooftop and the area around us also became shrouded with yellow light. His eyes gleamed with a harsh light as he uttered the name of the skill.

    ¡°... [Luminent Shackles].¡± (Early-Staged Grand Soldier)

    With a flash of blinding light, four lumps of congealed light-type elemental mana appeared around me. They are positioned in all four directions as they transformed into ornate spikes that shot towards me. I felt the spikes trying to restrain me rather than pierce me as my spells do their best to block the spikes.

    It¡¯s not that I am completely immobile. I can move my head and arms just fine but as for the rest of my body, they seemed to be locked down by a strong force. I am guessing that this is the effect of the skill.

    Motes of dazzling light appeared at the sides of each spike which then transformed into glasslike chains that connected all four spikes together. Countless bright yellow runes appeared in the vicinity, making the world around me a blinding golden shade¡­

    ¡­ This is kinda familiar¡­

    I am a little displeased by this familiar scene. Before I had the chance to think about it more clearly, the spell of the mage was finally completed. Mm. Fast. Every bit of destruction-type elemental mana finally congealed into innumerable dark purple spears. Each spear emanated powerful pressure that bore down on me, making me shudder a bit.

    Seeing those destruction-type spears ready to descend and skewer me at any moment¡­ makes me want to laugh a bit. We mages really are nothing but glass cannons huh? I laughed inwardly as I faced the countless dark purple spears with a carefree smile.

    ¡°[Mass Assassination Spikes].¡± (Krey

    I lightly uttered the name of my first spell and instantly, countless earthen spikes materialized above me. Their points are all aimed at the already descending dark purple spears. If we look at it this way, [Assassination Spikes] is nothing more than a Basic class spell. Spells and skills have seven levels. Basic, Low, Mid, High, Top, Secret, and Forbidden. [Assassination Spikes] is nothing more than an application of Materialization and Manipulation. At best it can reach the Low class in power but it is still a Basic spell.

    [Mass Assassination Spikes] is already a Low-class spell since casting this spell requires a lot of mana and is fairly powerful due to the quantity of the spikes. But of course, the spell I am facing is a Mid class spell. Spells that use the destruction element are really powerful and even a Basic class spell that uses destruction element can rival a Low-class spell or even a Mid class spell of any other element.

    Truthfully, using a Low-class spell against a Mid class spell of the destruction element can be considered as suicidal and extremely foolish¡­ well, that is if it¡¯sreallyjust a Low-class spell. I mused inwardly to myself as the [Armaments of the Land] armor flashed a mild amber color. Wisps of refined mana and earth-type elemental mana instantly gushed out from the armor and spread around the entire area where the other spikes are hovering.

    Soon each of the spiked started to undergo drastic transformations. The smooth, sharp and thin spikes became bulkier and their shapes started to resemble that of a drill. Furthermore, each spike formed many shining golden runes on their surfaces and immediately commenced rotating at a nigh-immeasurable velocity.

    All of the spikes look like arrows of light ready to erase the darkness in the realm. All of this happened in a blink of an eye and soon, my [Mass Mutated Assassination Spikes] launched and met head on with the dark purple spears.

    Spells and skills also have many types. Materialization, Manipulation, Manifestation, Metamorphosis, Merged, Mutated, Mitigation, Mantic and Masterpiece. Spells such as [Robe of Eruption] and [Armament of the Land] are under the Mantic type. Mantic type spells are spells that don¡¯t fall into any of the six former types and is second only to the Masterpiece type. Only the creator of such spells know the true purpose and how bizarre and unique they are.

    In addition, the refined mana consumption of such spells is really scary. Even though I¡¯ve reached the Early-staged Elder Magus rank, each spell took a fifth of my total mana reserves. If it wasn¡¯t for my high mana regeneration and {Mana Force Manipulation} that gives me nearly limitless refined mana, I would not have dared to cast all five Mantic type spells.

    The five spells I¡¯ve cast have many different attributes that can help me but each spell have three similar attributes. One is to raise my physical strength, speed, senses, and reflexes by fifteen ranks. Each spell raising three ranks each. It is overpowered no matter how you look at it but that¡¯s just how powerful Mantic type spells are. Two is to act as a protective covering. No matter how you look at it even if we mages can cast spells that forms barriers or shields we are still weak physically.

    Third is¡­ to raise the power and quality of my spells by two classes. Right now, each of my spikes has a High-class spell¡¯s firepower. It is more than enough for this Mid class spells dark purple spears. And as expected, the spears and spikes collided and burst violently, making small yet intense explosions in the sky above. The sky was a plethora of color as the small explosions gradually resemble the fireworks back on Earth.

    Seeing my spells do their work, I sighed before turning my gaze to the shining yellow shackles. I gave a cold snort as I used {Force Thrust} on my glaive and {Telekinesis} on my hand as I strike one yellow spike with all the power my spells could muster.

    A small crack appeared in the spike and I gave out a cold smile before rapidly striking, piercing and slicing at the same point with every power that {Force Thrust}, {Telekinesis}, [Robe of the Eruption], [Robe of the Gale], [Armament of Lightning], [Armament of the Land] and [Vestments of Darkness] can dish out.

    Finally with the bright yellow spikes shattered with a quiet sound and the area around me lost its golden shade. Before I can give out a light sigh, my Aura Sense detected the Early-staged Grand Soldier rushing towards me, his dark gray mace raised overhead.

    I felt my smile become lax and carefree again as I sally out to meet his mace with my glaive. I am starting to like this guy. The mage over there is still has a shocked face but this guy only looks at me with a cold and intense gaze as he swung his mace at me.

    We exchanged blows once more and I once again felt that familiar tremor in my arm. Although I really want to launch a Basic class spell right at his face but¡­ I just can¡¯t. The familiar feeling of encountering an enemy. The familiar emotions as I commit myself to the assassination. The familiar reactions as my poisons took effect. All of this came back to me after eight years of silent idleness.

    ¡®This feeling¡­ this atmosphere¡­ yes. I must kill him¡­ and sever his head¡­Kukuku. His corpse¡­ I wonder how it would be like to examine it? Kukuku.¡¯ (Krey)

    I felt my blood boil and my heart beat fast. My prismatic colored eyes became bloodshot as I attacked with more intensity, aiming at the vital points of the enemy.

    ...

    It was only after this ordeal did I completely analyzed what just happened. I would laugh happily even as Freyja reprimand me harshly at the time. Of course, that would happenin the future.

    <hr>

    (Krey''s 5th Mind P.O.V.)

    In the boundless space of the Heaven and Earth Seal, a circular staged shined with countless colors of light as the screams of a certain insane god reverberated in the surroundings. The rays of light seem to respond with every scream of that god, changing its size, color, and form as the screams changed its texture and volume.

    The four pillars of different colors stand tall like immovable mountains at the floating runes continued to rotate around the pillars, a little like the planets are to the sun. The illusory Taiji image continued to rotate in the air as the countless rays of light covered my vision.

    I leisurely willed my ethereal body to float towards the circular stage until I finally see the figure in the center. Dark purple irises and black-purple hair. With the same stature and bodily form as my 17-year old self and the same face. Helputt, the god who rules over fate and chaos, stands before me¡­ or at least what is left of his shattered soul.

    I stared calmly at the fallen god and he too stared at me, albeit with killing intent and bone-deep arrogance. The flames and turbulent winds around him only served to increase his savagery in my eyes. Even though he is chained, I still feel like he can break through at any moment¡­ if not for the Divine Mana holding him in place.

    ¡°I see that you have been enjoying the Fifth Level of Torment, Lord Helputt. Well? Tell me. How does it feel?¡± (Krey)

    ¡°You lowly weakling! I will make your soul and that Divine Armament pay for thi-?!¡± (Helputt)

    Clusters of elusive chains instantly covered his mouth, saving me from the effort to listening to his third-rate villain declarations.

    ¡°Yeah, I was kinda expecting that reaction. Sheesh. Can¡¯t you at least let my half-formed self take a break? Damn, you really are third-rate. I hope the other gods are not as shitty as you.¡± (Krey)

    I began hurling insults at this self-proclaimed god to relieve my stress which served to increase the efforts of the god to struggle. Of course, it also made the flames, turbulent winds, rays of light and the Taiji symbol to react and inflict even more pain to this insane god.

    I chuckled a little before approaching the insane god. I used my hand to hold his chin up and I smiled a very cold smile.

    ¡°Now then. Why don¡¯t we make a little deal Putt-kun? This loophole can¡¯t be utilized forever and I certainly have little time to maintain this form.¡± (Krey)

    Saying so, I leaned forward and soon I and he pressed foreheads. Each of us was glaring at each other, making the atmosphere silent and deadly. The flames and winds did not serve to impede me as I glared menacingly at his dark purple eyes. After a little while, I gave a savage smile and uttered four words.

    ¡°Have you ever gambled?¡± (Krey)

    <hr>

    AN: Whew~ Well, all done. Time to sleep! Also, I am moving sites now. I will tell the name of the site when it is completed. Hope you enjoyed this really really really late chapter.

 Chapter 30: Dragonewt

    *munch*

    I am irritated. Very irritated.

    *nibble* *nibble*

    ¡®Why did big sis Kira and Krey nii-chan leave me alone in the carriage? I just took a little nap and now they¡¯re off playing, ah, I mean hunting without me. Is it because of what I did earlier?¡¯ (Lisana)

    *nibble* *munch* *nibble*

    I asked that to myself as I took more small bites off this sweet, foamy yellow thing they call cake. It¡¯s so sweet which is really different from meat and vegetables. I really want to eat more. Mm, like big sis Kira said, sweet things needs to be eaten in small quantities for maximum enjoyment. Ah! But I need to be alert and prepare my spells just in case Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira need my assistance. I also have to wait for the old uncle and the delicious-looking*cough* big sister and stop them from interfering with the hunt. That¡¯s what big sis Kira told me.

    *nibble*

    I took another bite while observing Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira¡¯s fight in the distance. Hmm. The way they fight is so complicated. Krey nii-chan told me that I should not use my power excessively and must be careful in using it, especially around people.

    In my opinion, it is best to use everything you have when hunting even the smallest prey. Do not hold back at all. But¡­ I stopped eating and recalled what Krey nii-chan told me before¡­ when he was not himself at all.

    ¡®I will lose what is important to me huh¡­?¡¯ (Lisana)

    If it was the same-old Krey nii-chan, I would not have taken it seriously and maybe even forget about it but¡­ him at that time¡­ it was not normal. Eerie and deathly. Empty and inanimate. These words are what come to mind when I saw his expression earlier. It scared me¡­ and it also made me very apprehensive.

    For years, I have been trying and trying to read Krey nii-chan¡¯s mind. But so far, an invisible and intangible force always seemed to blocked me. I don¡¯t know if it is because I am weak or there is something special about Krey nii-chan¡¯s soul. After all, the soul and mind are two closely linked yet separate entities.

    Krey nii-chan is very strange after all. Sometimes he is like a different person. There were some similar cases of Krey nii-chan acting very strange in the cavrn but one thing that wouldn¡¯t change about him is that he always had a smile on his face. A smile filled with youthful vitality. A smile of life. Although there were many variations of it where it would be sometimes frivolous, other times calm, sometimes, troubled and most of the time carefree, one thing that wouldn¡¯t change is that his smile was a smile filled with life.

    That is the kind of smile that he always wore in the cavern. But that smile earlier was different. Cold and unfeeling. As if it has undergone countless passages of time. Old age and death. A smile filled with death. That made me apprehensive of Krey nii-chan. This made me think of countless possibilities, most of them crazy.

    It made even made me doubt the variations of Krey nii-chan¡¯s smile! A calm smile. A frivolous smile. A troubled smile. A carefree smile. They might be normal but if one looked closely, it would be difficult for one person to successfully make different smiles at one time.

    A smile signifies the emotion of happiness. There are many types of happiness in the world and happiness would differ for every people. Therefore, the smile they make would also be different. It made me think that Krey nii-chan is not ¡®just¡¯ Krey nii-chan! It¡¯s as if there are many people inside Krey nii-chan! But of course, that sort of notion disappeared in my mind. Since I can¡¯t prove it, I won¡¯t linger on it.

    Ah! But it doesn¡¯t mean that I hate Krey nii-chan at all!

    Nope! Not at all! I just want to know what¡¯s wrong with him after all!! All of this is just my imagination and wild assumptions. The wisdom of the dragon race has reminded me that claims must be backed up by facts. That is true. And thus my desire to read Krey nii-chan¡¯s mind grew stronger.

    Some races of Salratia consider mind-reading as a very ominous and dangerous ability. Since mind-reading cannot be done even by the gods. Of course, this is untrue. One just needs to have outstanding control over your soul and mind, which we of the dragon race has been born with, and let your soul and the soul of another being come in contact and will be able to start using various techniques to be able to read their minds.

    I don¡¯t consider reading minds as something evil. It helps me understand and get closer to people after all. It worked with big sis Kira and through the years, I have seen almost all her memories. The painful ones. The happy ones.

    All of it. In fact, I think the closest person to me is not Krey nii-chan, but big sis Kira. But still, Krey nii-chan is just a bit behind big sis Kira. If I could just learn about him more¡­

    Maa~ big sis Kira is really amazing though~ She has been to the South, East and the Central Continent~. The wisdom and knowledge of countless generations of dragons can be found within our bloodline memories. Our bloodline memories are also the accumulation of my dragon ancestors¡¯ experiences and skills when they were alive¡­ Unfortunately, we dragons like to live in our lairs and not go out much. Sleeping and eating are our most sought out pleasures.

    Anyway, thanks to big sis Kira I was able to see a lot of places and also supplemented some knowledge that even my ancestors still didn¡¯t know. Fufufu. This is why we dragons are the most powerful race in Salratia. Our knowledge and power is at the top of Salratia. Second only to the gods (since we care very little about other lands other than our territories). Still, despite all the accumulated knowledge of my ancestors and some tidbits of information of big sis Kira¡­ I still don¡¯t know about the ¡®thing¡¯ inside Krey nii-chan.

    I set my sight towards Krey nii-chan who is still wildly attacking the enemy, never giving them a chance to fight back. His movements look more like a warrior than a mage right now¡­ big sis Kira probably influenced him too much. I thought to myself as I try to sense that vile presence within Krey nii-chan.

    Un¡­ there it is. Within Krey nii-chan¡¯s unfathomably dense mana core, I see a small but eye-catching sealing mark. My Dragonic Perception can barely penetrate inside this sealing mark. My bloodline memories contains a lot of information about seals, particularly about the top-tier seals created by the Sealing Grandmasters of Salratia. They are one of the few experts that we of the peerlessly glorious dragon race should be wary off.

    The sealing mark inside of Krey nii-chan¡¯s mana core possesses unimaginable power that can easily suppress anything that stands against it. A savage will of domination that can overturn the skies and shatter the earth has been manifested into a supreme power of suppression. What¡¯s more is that, within the seal, I can feel that there exists a small yet steadfast emptiness¡­. An independent realm that does not belong at all to Salratia.

    This tiny realm would not yield to the realm of Salratia. Nay, it would only yield to the one who made it. This seal belonged solely to its creator. That is what makes us of the dragon race wary of Sealing Grandmasters. Sealing Grandmasters are one branch of retainers of one of the most powerful gods in Salratia, Azeroth.

    His excellency, Lord Azeroth is a very powerful god. He, the God of Magic and Change, one who has absolute control over most types mana, almost the entire essence and energy of Salratia. He, one of the two Exalted Progenitors of Essence Sovereignty, or what we of the Divine, Mortal and Nether Realms of Salratia call ¡®mana manipulation¡¯. He, the one and only facilitator and decider of ¡®change¡¯ in Salratia.

    One could imagine what power the followers of Lord Azeroth would hold. Sealing Grandmasters most distinguished power is their ability to create and control seals. Seals were made for only one thing. Suppression. Of course, there are many types of ¡®suppression¡¯ and there would also be variations among these types.

    Of all the seals that I have seen in my genetic memories, Krey nii-chan¡¯s seal could easily rank at the top. Not only because of his skill in making it, but the type of mana used to create the seal. I could tell that this mana, is stronger than my Dragonic Mana. I believe that my Dragonic Mana, cannot match the power hidden inside the mana that I can see in that seal mark¡­ at least not yet.

    As I continued to probe with my Dragonic Perception with experienced observations, I finally managed to find a chink in this seemingly impregnable seal and I was able to lay my eyes on something I truly despise. It escaped my vision far, far too many times. It had hurt the two people that I love without me knowing.

    This thing¡­ I truly hate it. My wish for its extermination has long since seeped into my very being. We dragons are prideful and will never let the matter of an insult go so easily without retribution. This dark and menacing aura... a condensed form malice and insanity. It has crossed the line.

    My Dragonic Perception only allowed me to perceive this vile dark purple aura, and nothing else but this is enough. Fuuuh... how I desire to rip off that disgusting and hated thing out and incinerate it with my spells till nothing''s left of it.

    I forced myself to calm my rage and retracted my formless Dragonic Perception from Krey nii-chan¡¯s mana core and continued to observe Krey nii-chan hunt. That ¡®thing¡¯ that Krey nii-chan sealed inside himself does not exist in my bloodline memories. I have no knowledge of it at all.

    I do not know what it is or where it come from¡­ but I was not that disheartened. The contents of my bloodline memories have been separated into stages that I can only access as I grow stronger. The only thing I was able to access with my strength was information about the Mortal Realms and the outskirts of the Nether Realm. With each and every breakthrough, the unrevealed memories in my bloodline would slowly come to me. The bloodline memories of our dragon race is one of our trump cards after all.

    I refuse to believe that I would not find any information about that ¡®thing¡¯ in the future. For now, Krey nii-chan has it sealed inside his body. He does not seem to be troubled too much by that vile thing¡¯s existence within him, so he probably has things under control.

    If things are alright on Krey nii-chan¡¯s end, then I just need to focus on my troubles so that I can help Krey nii-chan faster. First, I must get stronger and find information about the malicious existence sealed within Krey nii-chan. Second, I need to be able to somehow breach the invisible and intangible force that is blocking me from reading Krey nii-chan¡¯s mind. Third, I must keep Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira safe from external threats!

    I nodded inwardly to myself. This is the most important thing that I must do. I should not fail in it. I swore that to myself as I proceed to enjoy the wonderful texture and taste of the spongy food in the table. As I gleefully take sumptuous bites of the food on the table, my Dragonic Perception finally sensed someone nearing the carriage.

    Since the person coming towards the carriage seemed familiar, I ignored that person and continued eating. Mmm~ this is really dangerous. If there is one thing wrong about the bloodline memories, it is that meat is the only delicious food in the world. Now that I¡¯ve encountered big sis Kira¡¯s vegetables dishes and this spongy cake, I would really like to refute the claims stated in the bloodline memories.

    *nibble* *nibble* *munch*

    As I ate cake, my sight naturally landed at the entrance of the carriage. The carriage doors were already closed by me earlier. Big sis Kira and Krey nii-chan made a lot of ruckus when they left to annihilat-*cough* intercept the hostile mana manipulators of the Union. Before that time, I finished eating all the cakes in the table and took a little nap which only lasted a few minutes or so as big sis Kira and Krey nii-chan made their move.

    The argument they had before already made me half-awake from my nap. When they both simultaneously dashed towards the enemies, they naturally made some noise that startled me awake. Before I could follow them, big sis Kira sent me an Aura Transmission and told me to stand down and to be on standby in the carriage.

    I could only begrudgingly sigh and transform into my human form and close the carriage doors so that I could have some privacy. I was still hungry that time so I began searching for food inside the carriage. Human hands are much better for these kinds of activities.

    My body also had many changes as I grew stronger. My claws despite being small are sharper than most ordinary weapons. I still haven¡¯t tested it¡¯s sharpness on other weapons but I still remember leaving a tiny scratch on big sis Kira¡¯s sword, Natur Fron. That was four years ago.

    ¡­ Of course, I still didn¡¯t tell her about this. In fact, when she noticed the small incongruity on her sword, she got very angry and complained to Krey nii-chan. The story of how she was brutally pummelled will be told at another time. Her sword is said to be one of the core treasures of her clan and is said to be extremely durable. Only a Saint Magus or War Saint¡¯s attack can damage it, if it was not supported by the wielder¡¯s mana. At the time, only Krey nii-chan (who was already at the peak of the Late-Staged Elite Magus rank) has the capability to damage her sword, at least according to him (since Krey nii-chan has stated that he can unleash spells that are on par with a Saint¡¯s serious attack).

    That is why whenever I am in my miniature form, I always fly and never touch the ground with my claws. I am also careful when I lie down and set my claws away from any object or the ground. That is also why I am currently eating in my human form. Big sis Kira told me to not cause any trouble and since incurring any damage to the carriage could be considered trouble (since we have to pay for it) I chose my most harmless form.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Hmmm, still using only my mouth to eat is much better than also using my hands. A pity that this form does not have that luxury (since humans don¡¯t snouts [A/N: Is it called a snout? Or maybe a jaw?]) so I have to use my hands as well. It¡¯s a good thing that Kira taught me beforehand how to use my hands the human way. Otherwise, eating would be very hard.

    Before long, that familiar person arrived at the entrance of the carriage. The door was opened and that person stepped inside.

    ¡°Eh? Where did Kira and Lord Krey go? And-eh?! W-why is a child in here? Uwa¡­ she¡¯s so cute¡­¡± (Familiar Person)

    As I continued to enjoy the sweet taste of the cake, the person that was accompanying the old man from earlier came inside of the carriage. Smooth and long brown hair and wearing a blue uniform with intricate design that doesn¡¯t hide her well-developed figure. Clear and bright brown eyes that shows that this person has an energetic and upbeat personality.

    The fluffy long ears on top of her head and the small fluffy tail behind her skirt. Mm, indeed she does look like a bunny. A beastman, a rabbitkin to be exact. Hmm~ Rabbits are said to be one of the things that humans and other races alike like to eat. I¡¯ve never understood that before but now I do. This energetic feeling I am getting from her¡­ I wonder how she will taste?

    Dragons are not picky eaters (for meat anyway) and eating other sentient races is not really a taboo for us, but we still avoid it since the idea is unpleasant. Even I think that eating other intelligent races seems wrong but¡­ it¡¯s fine if I just get a taste right? Just a taste really. A little lick or so. Un.

    I won¡¯t eat her but I want to taste her. I know what I am thinking is wrong but I haven¡¯t eaten meat in a long time. Also my curiosity towards the taste of rabbits is quite strong. But I think most of it is due to my craving for meat. I stood up and moved towards her in a speed that mana manipulators at her level can¡¯t follow and positioned myself behind her.

    I jumped up, used her shoulders as a support using my hands and moved my mouth close to her neck. I stuck out my tongue a little and licked her.

    ¡°Hyaaa-?!¡± (Tasty Rabbitkin Girl)

    The rabbitkin girl screamed in a shrill and surprised voice. However, I was too engrossed on the taste that assaulted my tongue. I seemed to enter a state that only sees the girl and nothing else. Mm¡­ it¡¯s delicious. Eating her so quickly would be a waste of such exquisite taste. No wonder a weak creature such as a rabbit has been held in high-esteem by my ancestors. They have a delicate and unique taste.

    Maybe real rabbits would taste better but for now, this rabbitkin girl can stave off my cravings. I began licking her neck at a more deliberate and meticulous pace, fully enjoying this delicate taste that my tongue is receiving.

    ¡°Kyaa! N-no¡­ stop it¡­¡± (Tasty Rabbitkin Girl)

    Her knees buckled and she fell down to a sitting position with her knees together while her feet are in opposite directions. This is partly due to me forcing her down. Even if I am in this form, I can still exert the strength of a dragon, albeit with difficulty since this is not the body structure that I am used to. I will only cling to Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira. There might be other people that will be worthy for me to cling on, but for now it is only those two.

    The other reason is¡­ well I don¡¯t really know. For now, I am just satisfying my craving for meat by licking her. I switched from licking her neck to licking her ears to get a more different taste.

    ¡°Nooo! Please stop¡­ Hyaa! I¡¯m too sensitive!¡± (Tasty Rabbitkin Girl)

    I ignore her pleas and continued licking her earlobe and the outer parts of her ear. I¡¯ve been hearing panting and labored breaths for now but it doesn¡¯t seem that it would be detrimental to her health. So I continued licking, switching to her neck, sometimes the ears and then her cheek.

    ¡°Haa...haa¡­ nn¡­¡± (Tasty Rabbitkin Girl)

    A few minutes or so have passed yet I am still licking her other parts. Her current state is a very large difference from her prim and proper look from before. Disheveled hair, flushed skin and somewhat confused eyes. Her uniform¡¯s outer attire barely hang over her arms and the unbuttoned shirt inside is wet with sweat.

    As for me, I was pressing her down and licking the area a bit below her shoulders just a few inches away from her chest. Although I am licking her sweat, I can¡¯t help but liken it to the oily juices from the meat skewers that Krey nii-chan bought for me so I payed it no mind.

    As I was about to go lower, I felt someone forcibly extricating me from her by raising me up by my armpits and was made to turn around at a full half circle. What landed in my sight was big sis Kira with a cramped yet amused expression. The strangeness of this made me snap out of the strange state and looked embarrassingly at the direction of my victim.

    She is still in a state of disarray but is now slowly gaining awareness of her situation. She looked at me and her face became red¡­ which I am sure is the same thing that is happening to my face, at least according to the reflection that I see in the girl¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect this¡­ for the sweet and adorable Liz to have ¡®that¡¯ kind of attraction to the same gender¡­¡± (Big Sis Kira)

    Hearing this disillusioned muttering from big sis Kira, I felt myself become lightheaded and I try to desperately explain myself to her. But when I saw the sadistic glint in her emerald eyes, I am overcome by despair. She will definitely use this to tease me in the future! This sort of shameful escapade¡­ she will definitely use it against me sooner or later.

    It¡¯s not only big sis Kira and Krey nii-chan that try to demean or embarrass in each other in the cavern. I am also part of the little schemes and machinations that the three of us try to use against each other. Big sis Kira has a strong defense against teasing since she can always make a witty comeback.

    Krey nii-chan is like the wind.

    He does not get embarrassed and is completely shameless. He is not affected at all by my and big sis Kira¡¯s teasing. He either shoots its down or simply ignores it¡­ well for big sis Kira anyway. Krey nii-chan still patiently listens to my playful provocations and respond with some playful words as well.

    Right now, that sadistic glint in her eyes means that she will be able to use this against me for a few days, no maybe even a week. Noo¡­ being teased for a week is bad for my heart. I am not as shameless as Krey nii-chan nor as quick-witted as big sis Kira¡­ this will be a very tiring week.

    ¡°My, my~. My cute and charming Liz is growing up after all. Don¡¯t worry, this big sister will not go against your p-r-i-v-a-t-e affairs, okay~? Ufufufu-hyaaa-?!¡± (Big Sis Kira)

    ¡°That¡¯s enough playtime you two. And you, Kira, don¡¯t take the teasing too far. Did the change to your appearance also affect your mind?¡± (Krey nii-chan)

    Before she was able to humiliate me any further, Krey nii-chan appeared and seized big sis Kira by her ears. Big sis Kira was forced down to her knees by Krey nii-chan and I was freed from her grasp.

    If it was in a normal day, I would definitely feel bad and flustered over Krey nii-chan¡¯s act of grabbing her ears but now I feel only relief and schadenfreude over big sis Kira¡¯s predicament. Her expression is also the same as with the rabbitkin girl earlier.

    [A/N: Please remember that this ¡®ear¡¯ skinship is only for family members or couples to the Elven society¡­ pfft.]

    Remembering that scene, I once again felt my face go red and turned to face the rabbitkin girl. She was hurriedly fixing her clothes and hair, in a state of panic and I also trotted over and gave her my hand.

    ¡°Um¡­ about what happened earlier¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Lisana)

    I was able to muster out an apology as I watched her apprehensively took my offer and helper her stand up. She is still wary of me but her flushed face and somewhat strained breathing fails to bring any pity from me. In fact, it only excited me more. I don¡¯t know why but I still feel sorry.

    Since it was confirmed that they are not enemies and could possible be our new allies, I felt bad that I made this girl go through such an embarrassing ordeal. I am not ignorant regarding the ¡®domestic¡¯ matters of the world, and as a girl myself, I understand that I did something that breached etiquette.

    ¡°Um¡­ of course. Don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡± (Rabbitkin Girl)

    Seeing her accept my apology made me relieved but a certain shriek made by an elf made me turn back to the carriage door. There I see Krey nii-chan, clad in a dark shadowy cloak which made him taller by two meters and a pitch-black mask that shows his sky blue eyes, holding a certain pitiful-looking elf by her ears.

    She seemed like a fragile and innocent maiden being restrained by an envoy of the darkness¡­ if not for the heated breaths that come from her mouth and the glazed eyes that stared at nowhere in particular. Her flushed face and skin only served to enhance the pitiful appearance of hers even further.

    I¡¯ve noticed this before, but I think that big sis Kira might be a masochist¡­ only to Krey nii-chan I suppose. Krey nii-chan is still oblivious to this of course. I can see that his blue eyes are showing irritation and his hand is trembling due to rage.

    ¡°You¡­ just what were you thinking?! You just left those mana manipulators in the street without even binding them! You didn¡¯t even wait for me to bind them before rushing back here, are you stupid?!¡± (Krey nii-chan)

    Krey nii-chan gripped her ears in a stronger manner, eliciting a sensual moan from big sis Kira. Of course, Krey nii-chan still didn¡¯t care. His eyes seem even more irritated and I can hear the quiet sound of Krey nii-chan grinding his teeth together.

    ¡°Hyaaan~! B-but I already knocked them unconscious¡­¡± (Big Sis Kira)

    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t warrant you running off willy-nilly! What if they regained consciousness and used all their power to escape?! Sure we would be able to catch them easily and prevent them from harming the civilians but what about the expenses huh?! If their desperate attempt to escape damaged the surrounding buildings, who will pay for reparations huh?!¡± (Krey nii-chan)

    ¡°Ahhn~! B-but I can just pay for the damages-Hnnn~!¡± (Big Sis Kira)

    ¡°That¡¯s not all, you idiot! You also made me waste my time sealing those mana manipulators and because of that, I missed the erotic scene just now!! It¡¯s my first time seeing a loli be aggressive with a bishoujo yet you prevented me from doing so due to your negligence! Shame on you, Kira! Shame on you!¡± (Krey nii-chan)

    ¡°Nnnn~! Stop gripping my ears-Ahn~!¡± (Big Sis Kira)

    I don¡¯t know what Krey nii-chan meant by those unfamiliar words but it made bad feelings sprout from within me. To dispel this feeling, I walked past Krey nii-chan and big sis Kira and peered outside the carriage. Since there are doors at both sides of the carriage, I naturally went to the other side which was facing the streets.

    The city lord¡¯s manor is surrounded by four meter high stone walls with intricate but reserved designs. Outside are wide streets and walkways with some shops and stalls but clearly the products that they are selling are higher in quality than the ones I¡¯ve seen earlier.

    Since the carriage was parked outside the manor gate, we caught a lot of attention. The other escort carriages and mounts went on another route, probably to the barracks. The streets surrounding the manor are being patrolled by different units of guards, most of them are late-staged Senior-level mana manipulators with one being an early-staged Elite-level mana manipulator. Probably the leaders of these units.

    Even so, the streets are still filled with people passing through, perusing items in stalls, and going in and out of the shops. Right now, most of them are curiously looking towards our direction¡­ well at least looking at these ¡®suspicious¡¯ looking people, being made to kneel down outside of the carriage.

    All five of them are still wearing their mantles, and their heads are bowed looking like the very definition of criminals. But there is something eye-catching for me in them. They are quite strong mana manipulators but that¡¯s not what made me interested.

    Each of them have a shining mark, or maybe it¡¯s more of a blinding crest of compressed runes in their chest area. It¡¯s a bit illusory and incorporeal but the bronze light that is coming from this crest is very strong.

    What¡¯s more is that a chain of interlinking bronze runes wrap around these five people with great organization. The interlinking runes pass over the joints, limbs, torso and head of these five but is still connected to the crest in their chest.

    To others it might be invisible but to the people at my level of strength such a seal is very obvious. In fact, it attracts too much attention. It¡¯s suppression strength may not compare to the sealing mark inside Krey nii-chan but it¡¯s more than enough for these rand-l¡­ Hmm, this is definitely a new seal.

    I remember that Krey nii-chan used a spell of the earth element to restrain big sis Kira when she was possessed back in the cavern earlier, the restrictive strength of the spell was very great. [Overstone Shackles] was it? Un. That was definitely a High-Class spell.

    I can see that the foundation of these seals used only the earth element and the lighting element. Mostly of the earth element. Refined mana was weaved and compressed to form these extraordinary seals. Krey nii-chan is a Sealing Grandmaster after all. Oh well~. I guess it¡¯s as expected of the Champion of Azeroth.

    I scrutinized these five individuals until something caught my eye. Oh? I think that something interesting will happen after all. I walked towards the farthest person from me, the one with the weakest strength among these people. I stopped in front of her and set my gaze on her horns and the small scales on her neck.

    A lizardkin? No, she must be a dragonewt. Dragonewts are a sub-branch of the dragon race. Although they are not really pure dragons, and are generally recognized as beastmen, the dragon race still feel that the dragonewts are part of our race and we serve as their guardians, making sure that the bloodlines of their clans live on.

    When she felt my gaze on her, she trembled and slowly raised her head to face me. When I saw her faint golden pupils, I smiled a bit. *sigh* If only we didn¡¯t meet at these conditions. The dragonewt girl had an astonished expression but I can see that inside her eyes, I can see that within her eyes was deep reverence towards me.

    No, to the dragon race as a whole. When our eyes met, the blood in her veins reacted and she probably realized that I am a dragon. I am not sure if I am a Lesser Dragon, a Higher Dragon or a True Dragon but I definitely will not turn away this girl.

    This can be considered my debut after all.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± (Lisana)

    The dragonewt girl gulped but still managed to utter out a few words.

    ¡°I-I am Rhia Silenus, oh most noble dragon.¡± (Rhia)

    Silenus huh? I searched through my bloodline memories and immediately found information regarding this clan. Hmm~ descendants of the Higher Dragon Silenus and currently residing in the Hurstric Island, one of the small islands in the East.

    ¡°Heeh~. To think that Silenus¡¯s descendants moved so far from where his lair is at. This is very strange.¡± (Lisana)

    Hearing me mumbling things as such, Rhia suddenly became fearful. She probably thinks that I am angry. Well, truthfully I am just curious. Silenus¡¯s lair is in the far South while his descendants are in the center of the East. Pretty far, I must say. Still, its admirable that this girl did not immediately beg for forgiveness. In fact, she seemed determined about something and stayed quiet.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about it. The gods have their own mysterious ways after all. By the way, my name is Lisana.¡± (Lisana)

    Hearing my words that did not seem to bear any ill-will towards her, she heaved a sigh of relief. Seeing this reaction, I have the urge to tease her a little bit.

    ¡°Since we are connected by destiny, I supposed making you the first one to be interrogated be proper, Union spy Rhia.¡± (Lisana)

    She widened her eyes in shock at my words and she finally show a hint of dread on her expression. I smiled seeing this reaction from her. No wonder big sis Kira likes teasing me. This is such a good feeling.

    ¡°Since you are part of the Lumen Isles Union and my brother is the ally of the Prince Faction of Tolkium Kingdom, we would naturally be enemies. But considering that you are a dragonewt, I suppose we can be lenient in the interrogation~!¡± (Lisana)

    I then inched closer to her face and smiled my brightest smile. It¡¯s a shame that what I got was a fearful expression. Such a shame. But it still makes me excited.

    ¡°So please b-e-h-a-v-e okay~?¡± (Lisana)

    ¡°Hiii-!!¡± (Rhia)

    This Rhia girl is really cute~.