《Vestige | Sunrise》


 Chapter 1 - A New Day

    [06.11.AC0119]


    [A hundred miles away from the Earthland Border]


    The road was fairly silent save for the low noises made by a group of runaways on a stolen Military Truck to ensure a means of escape from Earthland and start a new life elsewhere far from the War between Earthland and Urdheimr.


    At the Steering wheel was the young 17-year-old Gilbert Throne leading this group of defectors who chose to go with him on this borderline suicidal mission for a better life for all of them. The fresh wind blew through his reddish brown hair as he kept his brown eyes on the horizon. As they were driving through the Titania Valley and into the lands beyond. But he had one problem in mind.


    They were running out of gas.


    ¡°Think we''ll make it through the valley?¡± One of the fellow Defectors asked him as she peered out of the window of the truck.


    ¡°Not even sure if we''ll make it through this mile.¡± Gilbert said as he checked the fuel gauge of the Truck and turned to everyone who overheard their conversation. ¡°Get ready everyone, we''ll probably have to take the rest on foot so pack up.¡±


    They nodded, reluctantly, and decided to start packing up bringing only their essentials. While they had fuel, they were saving it to keep warm from the Vestigian cold.


    Eventually true to what Gilbert had predicted, the truck finally ran out of fuel. He sighed as he nodded to his seatmate who in turn nodded to everyone at the back as they all grabbed their bags and started their long walk.


    The small group began making their way through what appears to be a massive flower field of what appears to be blue flowers. Gilbert hesitated as it would be a shame to walk through such beautiful scenery but he had no other choice.


    As he stepped through the flowerfield, he felt a presence gazing over him, something he developed after spending five years fighting Mages during the Earthland-Urdheimr War. He turned to find what appears to be a pigeon watching over him but he paid it no mind as he continued to walk through the flower field alongside his companions.


    They continued to walk through the flower field until all of them tensed up. They were all hardened soldiers during the war so naturally they have what they joke is a sixth sense as they turned to find themselves facing Earth Golems rising up and looming over them all the while a handful of young men and women ran towards them holding Halberds and spears, they all look relatively with white hair and red eyes with the only thing different are the variations of their hair, height and other bodily functions.


    They all raised their weapons, Gilbert himself readied his battle rifle but they knew it was deep down it was gonna be a losing battle as their main weapons are nothing to more than a 7.62 MM Rifle and M1911s, it sure they can take down the Homunculi but can they stand a chance with the Golems and Skeletons without the Armor Piercing Rounds?


    ¡°Well well, looks like we have some rats in the Garden.¡± They all turned to the pigeon that was perched atop of one of the golem and transformed into a young woman.


    She was 17 years old just like Gilbert, a beautiful young woman with deep purple hair and purple eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses which itself is hidden behind a veil as she gave them a rather mocking look as though she was pleased with herself in trapping them.


    From her sleeve she pulled out a wand, everyone tensed up. Wielders of a wand or staff meant she was a Mage, and while the quality of her wand does not determine her quality in skill they are still a threat regardless.


    Immediately Gilbert raised one hand and dropped his rifle to the ground. Even if he tried to fight her and her security it would only cause so much death.


    ¡°You know I''ve been following you since you entered the valley,¡± She said, waving her wand proudly. "So who are you people and what brings you into my domain."


    ¡°We mean you no harm," Gilbert said, raising his hands towards her in surrender all the while gesturing at the rest of his group to disengage and to lower their weapons as well. "We are no longer aligned with Earthland and we are just passing through the area."


    The girl was silent for a moment, as though she was pondering what to do next.


    "How can you prove your innocence? You say that you are no longer affiliated with the Earthlanders but you wear their clothes and use their weapons." She said, aiming her wand at him.


    "That''s because we Defected," Gilbert explained to her.


    "Like deserters?" The Girl concluded her general disposition changed from distrustful to pity.


    "That''s correct, we ran away from our duties cause we have grown tired from fighting your people." Gilbert explained to her. "Ever heard of the Siege of Krieg?"


    "Who hasn''t," The Girl said in a low voice, the Siege of Krieg was perhaps the bloodiest battle within the history of the battle between Earthland and Urdheimr. A five year long siege where they turned the vibrant and lush lands of Krieg into a polluted hellscape where only the dead walk the land.


    "We spent five years in that hellhole and those five years gave us the realization to leave Earthland." Gilbert explained to her as they all collectively nodded. It was true, they thought once the Siege of Krieg was over they could all go home as Citizens of Earthland with access to live within the inner parts of the walls of Earthland.


    Instead they were told to pack up and make their way towards the next warzone which was just as bad if not worse than the last battle. So instead of mounting up and driving to that particular warzone. Gilbert and his defectors rebelled and chose to head elsewhere.


    "I know your people and my people have been at war for nearly ten years now," Gilbert said, approaching the girl only to be halted by her Homunculi Guards. "All we ask is to seek shelter for the time being and then we''ll be leaving at first light."


    The Girl was silent for a moment, she looked at the horizon and then sighed as she glanced at Gilbert.


    "We have a barn nearby, you can rest for the night but I want you gone at first light." She said as she turned around summoned a brook and flew away before Gilbert could utter a thank you to her as they too were ushered by the Golems and Homunculi to the barn where they would be staying.


    <h2 style="text-align: center">[Vestige: Sunrise]</h2>


    Gilbert couldn''t sleep that night, he was restless especially considering this was the first time he was able to sleep with a roof over his head. His companions however had different opinions of the matter as they were sleeping soundly despite everything that had happened that day.


    With a smile, Gilbert stood up and made his way out of the Barn all the while he was being followed by a Smaller Golem which was part of the agreement of the Girl to Gilbert. They can stay and move around but only when they are kept under surveillance. He reluctantly agreed but considering they needed shelter to keep them safe from the Prana Beasts, monsters that feed off on Prana which resides in all living things, this was a sacrifice worth doing.


    As he continued making his way up the hill that overlooked the entire Estate of the Girl, he noticed up a hill the Girl staring at something and with a happy smile on her face. Gilbert hesitated, he wanted to check out what she was doing but at the same time he didn''t want to intrude on what it was. However it was too late as the girl saw him and scowled, she pulled out her wand and aimed it at him causing a red sphere to manifest at the tip of her wand.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The small red sphere struck him in the chest, sending him rolling down the hill and knocking him unconscious. As soon as Gilbert regained consciousness the girl gripped him by the collar of his shirt and aimed her wand at him.


    "What did you see?" She told him with a serious look.


    "Nothing, I didn''t see anything." He said realizing that the best thing he can do is pretend that he didn''t see anything. For all he knew she might be practicing some shady magic spells but he decided to not press it since he''s just here for the night.


    His answer appeared to be enough to satisfy the Girl as she pulled her wand away and aimed at him once more.


    "Good, now another question." She said as she was charging another spell. "Why are you out here?"


    "I''m just going for a walk, can''t you see that I''m unarmed?" Gilbert answered, raising his hands up in surrender. She was silent for a few moments and then holstered her wand once more and then looked at Gilbert.


    "Fine, but only if you are within my line of sight." She said coldly, and so the two of them stood around wondering what to do next until finally Gilbert spoke up.


    "So what brought you to this side of nowhere?" Gilbert said as he thought maybe he can get her to open up at the very least.


    "I have a mission and you have yours, I suggest we both stick to it." The Girl replied.


    "Not even your name?" Gilbert asked.


    "You are a visitor, there is no need for us to become close." The Girl responded, but then an explosion shook the ground causing them to turn towards the direction of the Barn.


    "What was that?!" They both asked each other but they both quickly rushed to the Barn and to their surprise a handful of Earthlandian Stormtroopers forcibly rounded up Gilbert''s group and were throwing them into the Mobile Vanguard Carrier-13 known essentially as MVC-13 Zeus.


    "You brought them here!" The Girl shouted at Gilbert aiming her wand at him.


    "Look you can blame me for all you want but I''m going to--"


    The ground erupted before him as the Stormtroopers fired their explosive rounds at them, behind him an Earth Golem protected the Girl from the incoming volley of explosive rounds.


    Gilbert quickly recovered from the explosion and then tackled the nearby Stormtrooper, grabbed his rifle and began to fire back at the Stormtroopers that were present.


    Fortunately the Stormtroopers were nothing more than Grunts that were sent to round them up until Gilbert managed to take them all out with ease, one of the skills he had developed during his time in Krieg all the while the girl cast various spells to kill as many Stormtroopers as possible. Despite their valiant efforts in trying to stop the Stormtroopers from Gilbert''s people, they were then taken away by the Stormtroopers.


    And then they heard the metal groaning and Gilbert went pale as he knew it was a familiar sound all the while the girl gripped her wand tightly as she summoned as many Earth Golems as possible.


    It was the groaning sound of a Terminator Walker, a 12-meter tall walking tank with a 120 mm Rifle for one arm and a three-fingered claw.


    "This is just overkill!" Gilbert shouted as he opened fire at the Terminator who started to move back. One of the Golems appeared and dragged Gilbert away as they sprinted to the top of the hill where he saw the Girl around an Ash tree that was hidden with illusion magic. But what was more interesting was that there was a sword embedded on the tree as though it was asking it to be pulled.


    "We need to protect this tree!" The Girl said as she hopped off the Golem and started approaching the tree causing her to let out a sigh of relief. But before Gilbert can ask what that tree is and its importance, the Terminator Walker arrives and looked at the two of them.


    Gilbert turned around and started to fire the remaining ammunition he had with 7.62 MM Rifle but the Terminator Walker simply shrugged it off and punched Gilbert sending him flying towards the Tree causing the sword to dislodge itself and land on top of his lap.


    The Sword had a silver blade with intricate runes that were likely Urdheimr in origin, it''s cross guard was pure gold while the handle was dark blue. He looked at the sword with confusion all the while the Girl and her Golems charged at the Terminator.


    But because the Golems aren''t made of the same material as the ones used for War, the Terminator easily ripped through them with ease and then the girl unleashed thorn vines and begin to envelop themselves around to the Terminator as though it was trying to crush the machine but once more the Terminator Walker did not move.


    ''Screw this, living is overrated anyway.'' Gilbert thought as he grabbed the sword and ran towards the Terminator and with a shout, swung the sword which caused a massive wave of energy sending the Terminator Walker flying through the air and crashing into the ground the impact killed the pilot in the process.


    Gilbert, on the other hand, was sent flying back into the tree by the blast caused by the Sword, knocking him unconscious once more. The last thing he saw was the sight of the sword vanishing in golden mist.


    <h2 style="text-align: center">[Vestige: Sunrise]</h2>


    Gilbert woke up with a start, panting heavily as he remembered the sounds of fighting that were happening earlier. And yet he found himself on a soft bed in a splendid room much to his confusion, his thoughts linger not to the luxurious things and comfort the room provided but to his companions who came with him to make it this far.


    The doors to the room opened to reveal the girl alongside a Homunculus Maid and several other guards.


    "Glad you''re awake," She said with a stern look on her face. It was clear that she didn''t come to check on him out of concern but because they still had a job to do. It was the same kind of look his higher-ups from back in his days as a Stormtrooper would give him when waking him up.


    "I assume you''re here to want the sword back?" Gilbert said, looking for the sword that he had managed to acquire during the chaos of the fight but for some reason the sword was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°What sword?¡± She gave him a confused look as though he had head trauma. He was about to explain the situation but then he remembered his people were still captured and he needed to save them.


    The last thing his people need is to be labelled as spies and sympathizers from Urdheimr, and the government of Earthland has the ¡®The Truth can be whatever I want¡¯ mentality when it comes to propaganda, but then again that is the point of propaganda.


    ¡°Nothing, but thanks for your hospitality but I have to save my people,¡± Gilbert said standing up as he felt something tighten around his neck as he gripped his neck and felt nothing, yet something was tightening around his neck like a noose.


    ¡°You really think I would let you go scot free after the mess you caused on my property?¡± She said with an angry tone in her voice as Gilbert dropped to the ground as he was struggling to breathe.


    The Girl took the tray and placed it on the table nearby and took a sip of the tea and then crushed the cup on her hands.


    ¡°You have no idea how hard it is to make sure this home of mine is safe, unsullied from the War between those fools in Urdheimr and Earthland.¡± She continued as Gilbert was starting to lose consciousness, eventually she raised her finger causing the magical noose around him to loosen causing Gilbert to cough and struggled to looked at her with confusion.


    ¡°I didn''t mean¡­to¡­bring them¡­here¡­¡± Gilbert said with a hoarse voice and slowly started taking deep breaths. But he started to float and was thrown to the wall all the while the Homunculi wordlessly just stood there with blank stares.


    Gilbert curled into a fetal position as his body ached from the pain of being slammed against the wall.


    ¡°Please¡­I didn''t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Give me one good reason why I shouldn¡¯t turn you into fertilizer right now?¡± She said gesturing him to come towards her general direction.


    ¡°Cause they¡¯re all I have left!¡± Gilbert shouted towards her. ¡°I made a promise to them that I would take them to somewhere far from the war, I¡¯ll gladly do whatever you want just please let me save them.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want huh?¡± The Girl pondered on those words as the two locked eyes for a moment, his brown eyes meeting her purple eyes. He wasn¡¯t lying and she could tell, his eyes showed not deception but of genuine honesty and then there was the thing from last night.


    ¡°Be thankful that those Earthlandian Soldiers broke into my home and stole my research during the chaos,¡± The Girl lied, believing that if he was able to do such a thing as before then it would be best to keep him at arms length just in case.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you recover your companions but on the condition that you become by servant indefinite.¡± She said pulling out her wand and aiming it at him, causing a collar to appear around his neck.


    ¡°That¡¯s an arcane collar, under normal circumstances that would kill you if you so much as to step outside my Territory.¡± The Girl said with a stern look on her face. ¡°And you can only leave if I say so or with my supervision.¡±


    She walked towards him and grabbed him by the Arcane Collar and pulled him close to her face, she was a few inches shorter than him. ¡°This means you belong to me know do you understand.¡±


    ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll gladly offer my services to you if it meant saving my people.¡± Gilbert said with a nod causing her to let go of him, ¡°A small price to pay for keeping them safe.¡±


    ¡°Good, now then.¡± She then turned around and crossed her arms. ¡°Tell me your name.¡±


    ¡°Gilbert,¡± Gilbert then proceeded to kneel before her and offered his hand. ¡°GIlbert Throne.


    ¡°Bael,¡± The girl said shaking his hand. ¡°Bael Ashford.¡±


    And thus their Master-Servant Relationship began.


    <h2 style="text-align: center">[Vestige: Sunrise]</h2>


    Author¡¯s Note: So begins a new story, I¡¯ll look forward to see how this goes and for the time being I¡¯ll try to post a follow-up on this story.

 Chapter 2 - Tonight we break in

    [06.12.AC0119]


    [Ashford Homestead]


    After that incident in the Homestead, Gilbert and the rest of the Homunculi spent no time in trying to salvage and grab as much equipment as possible. Though truth all of this salvaged equipment was acquired from the corpses of the Stormtroopers that raided them and are to be used by Gilbert since the Homunculi don¡¯t know how to use them and Bael only sees them as nothing more than primitive tools who believe that Mage like her is not suited for it.


    As for the Terminator Walker, it was mostly usable but the problem was digging it out of the ditch it landed in and he didn¡¯t have the time to dig it out.


    ¡°What are these small things,¡± Bael said walking towards him as Homunculi proceeded to gather ammunition in boxes.


    ¡°Bullets use a certain mixture to fire small metal balls into a particular direction,¡± Gilbert answered as he started putting on the Stormtrooper armor that fit his size. He then showed her the 7.62 mm battle rifles that he sorted out into crates. ¡°We use these to aim and fire said bullets.¡±


    ¡°Such crude and barbaric,¡± She commented in a low voice causing Gilbert to chuckle in a low voice.


    ¡°Probably, but make no mistake we managed to do a great deal of damage to our enemies,¡± Gilbert explained to her. ¡°To rescue my people, we¡¯re going to need help from your Golems, Skeletons and a few Homunculi, don¡¯t expect them to come back in one piece.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Bael said, giving him a cheeky smile as she crossed her arms while picking up a pistol and then curiously pointed it to herself, Gilbert saw that and grabbed the gun away from her. ¡°If you¡¯re going to save them, you¡¯re gonna have to do it yourself. I spent a good fortune on saving up on Golem Nuclei, Dragon Fangs and Homunculi Embryos.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just add that to my life sentence?¡± Gilbert asked Bael, she was silent for a moment, as though pondering the possibility of adding more debt into his sentence. Truth be told they already maxed out considering he agreed to serve her.


    But then she remembered the sword he used that night and then she sighed in defeat. ¡®This Servant is becoming more and more expensive to manage.¡¯


    ¡°How many do you need?¡±


    The two spent an hour negotiating how many Golems, Skeletons, and Homunculi would need in order to rescue his people while simultaneously trying to discuss the value of Earthlandian and Urdheimic Currency.


    ¡°I swear once this is over I''m gonna make you work your back off for this,¡± Bael said glaring at Gilbert who was walking alongside her all the while five Golems, Five Dragons and Five Homunculi marched their way to Fort Hopeville which was the nearest Earthlandian Military Base and his best bet on where his people might be kept in in captivity.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, lecture me all you want Master so long as I''m able to help my people.¡± Gilbert said while Bael blinked.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Master. I mean I am your Servant until you say I''m not right?¡± Gilbert told her with a confused look. ¡°Could it be that you never had a slave before?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, always found hiring Servants and using Arcane Collars all too barbaric,¡± She said shaking her head, she had seen many cases of Masters abusing their servants to the point where they''re basically stripped of dignity at best and humanity at worst when they are essentially born equal.


    ¡°Okay Abe, why do you have this then?¡± Gilbert asked as he tugged on his Collar.


    ¡°It was a gift from a Friend, she told me that I gotta try having one for experience,¡± She said, shuddering as she remembered the last conversation with her. ¡°Does Earthland have those?¡±


    ¡°Before the Cataclysm yeah,¡± Gilbert said recalling the things they taught him in Camps. ¡°But people wanted the servant class to get equal rights and a war even started because of it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds progressive of them,¡± Bael said growing curious as to what life in Earthland is like before and after the Cataclysm.


    ¡°Nowadays we rely on machines to help us, they do certain jobs while we learn how to keep them running,¡± Gilbert said but then he saw a flash in the distance and then tackled Bael to the ground causing the head of the Homunculi behind them to explode in a red mist.


    ¡°What kind of archery was that?¡± Bael said, raising her wand as they were enveloped in a bubble as Bullets continued to bounce off them.


    ¡°Remember the bullets I showed you,¡± Gilbert said, recalling their conversation earlier. ¡°They use those but are way stronger and have greater range.¡±


    ¡°That''s terrifying,¡± Bael said as she casted a protection spell onto the remaining troops they have at the moment as they were nearing the military base and were already preparing their weapons at them.


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan?!¡± She asked as she ducked behind one of the Golems. Gilbert climbed into one of them and shouted.


    ¡°Throw us at them!¡± He shouted as a 7.62 mm Round ricochet nearly grazed him.


    ¡°Are you¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes! Now don''t make me ask twice!¡± He said as he readied his own 7.62mm Rifle and started firing at guards. Fortunately Hopeville wasn''t that fortified so there was a chance that they could potentially rescue his people.


    Without hesitation, Bael raised her wand, lifted Gilbert and the Earth Golem and threw them into the fence causing a hole into it sending everyone into a panic.


    Gilbert got up and started to hurry his way to the nearest building hoping that''s where they were keeping the Prisoners.


    Thanks to his salvaged armor, survival skills and the constant bombardment of what he assumes is Bael giving fire support, he went through building after building looking for his people.


    Until finally.


    ¡°Gilbert!¡± One of the people from his Caravan was in the holding cell alongside several others who were labeled as Traitors, Spies and Defectors.


    ¡°Where are the others!?¡± He asked him as he opened the Key and the others started spilling out. All the while handing them each a 7.62mm Rifle to defend themselves, they can serve as a good distraction while he and his people escape.


    ¡°They''re in other Cells, it was hell.¡± His friend said as she loaded her rifle. ¡°Let''s go find them.¡±


    And so amidst the chaos, Gilbert and his friend went through Cell after cell freeing the captives hoping they could cause enough of a distraction while at the same time collecting members of his original caravan.


    Eventually Gilbert and his original Caravan alongside several others who joined them ran through gunfire and magic bombardment to find Bael hurling fire and explosion spells into the Base to get their attention.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡®Hurry! I''m running out of spells!¡¯ He heard the voice of Bael call out to him, causing him to sprint faster alongside members of his Caravan and the Prisoners while the others raided other parts of the base.


    ¡°I need you to trust me when I say I made an agreement with the Mage we''re about to meet, a Truce of sorts!¡± Gilbert shouted as they finally arrived to find Bael on the hill hiding behind a massive tree that wasn''t there before.


    ¡°Start running!¡± Gilbert said as he ran towards her and instinctively picked her up believing that she was wounded or something. She wanted to protest but she was more distracted at the chaos.


    <h2 style="text-align: center">[Vestige:Sunrise]</h2>


    ¡°I cannot believe you,¡± Bael said in annoyance as she looked at the group that have arrived, it was twice as large as the original group that he set off with. This was because amidst the chaos they believed that joining with Gilbert was a better choice compared to staying behind and being executed or tortured into admission.


    "Things happened," Gilbert said sheepishly as a bit of guilt surged through him as this meant that there are more mouths to feed in regards to survival.


    "Well you got what you wanted, a deal is a deal," Bael said, crossing her arms as she looked at Gilbert with annoyance. "Now send them off, the last thing I need is to paint a bigger target on my estate."


    The Closest thing Gilbert had for a second in command approached him.


    "What agreement?" She asked him with a hint of confusion in her voice.


    "In order for her to assist me in rescuing you guys, I had to agree to be her servant," Gilbert said with a sad smile on his face, this caused the other members of his group to whisper amongst themselves. "So I''m afraid that this is as far as I can go for this journey."


    "There has to be another way out of this," She told him with a look of hesitation on her face.


    "I''ve already abused her generosity, I have to pay for my end of the agreement." Gilbert shook his head, his companion gave him a hard look as though she was contemplating on punching him but instead she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close to kiss him in the lips. It was a deep long kiss that lasted for a minute or so and then she pulled away, looking like she was on the verge of crying.


    "I''ll do what you say, I''ll lead them out of this valley and into somewhere where the eyes of Earthland won''t find us." She said swallowing hard. "But we''ll remember your sacrifice for this."


    "I don''t care what happens to me to be honest, all I care is for everyone to start over." Gilbert said with a sad smile. And with that the New Leader of the Group started walking away out of the homestead, their fates left unknown into the wind.


    Gilbert stood there looking at the horizon and watching their long march out of the Homestead until they were no longer seen from the naked eye. He then turned to Bael who was looking at him with a serious look on her face while holding a piece of parchment.


    "Do these chores, once you''re done only then you can come inside." She said and with that she walked away.


    ''This is fine, it was a necessary sacrifice,'' He thought to himself with a sad smile and touching his lips remembering the soft sensation of her lips. ''Melissa, I wish you told me sooner.''


    [06.15.AC0119]


    [Ashford Homestead]


    The scent of floral bath salts lingered within the bathroom as Bael enjoyed her hot bath, it had been a long and tiring day and she was covered in dirt and sweat all because of a Servant that had strong potential. Overall she lost a good chunk of her fortune for the repairs due to that mishap but she was definitely convinced that it was a good trade for that servant.


    ''That sword, I feel like I have seen that sword before,'' She pondered as her thoughts lingered on the sword that manifested before Gilbert and how he was able to unleash a blast of Prana that managed to send a Terminator Walker flying.


    She heard a knock on the door, it was likely Gilbert as the Homunculi are free to enter the bath as much as they''d like.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked to finish up the bath and started walking towards the door in her clothes. She opened the door to reveal Gilbert covered in dirt from cleaning her Estate with the aid of the Homunculi.


    ¡°I finished the Tasks you gave me and a Messenger Bird arrived to give you this letter,¡± He said, handing a letter to her.


    ¡°You didn''t open it I hope,¡± She said taking the letter from his hands gave him a distrustful look.


    ¡°And what would I gain from that?¡± He asked in confusion.


    ¡°Nothing, just¡­take a bath or something you smell,¡± she said, covering her nose after sniffing the air around them and he had a sour smell forming.


    ¡°Where''s the servant''s bath then?¡± He asked as she started walking away.


    ¡°Just use my bath, it saves water that way.¡± She said loudly as she retreated to her quarters while a handful of Homunculi started preparing work clothes for Gilbert to wear in, as soon as she was alone she opened the letter to read its contents.


    ¡®Dear Bae-Bae¡¯


    ¡®I''ll be visiting you in a few hours. Prepare yourself.¡¯


    ¡®Love Aeri<3¡¯


    ¡®Ugh, that woman is coming.¡¯ Bael thought to herself as she shuddered at the idea. ¡®Wait a few hours?¡¯


    She sensed something shattering like glass causing her to sprint out of her mansion and into the southern part of the Estate to reveal a young woman floating atop a white broom.


    She was an olive skinned young woman who had reddish brown hair done in a low ponytail and light blue eyes.


    ¡°Hello,¡± She said with a wide smile. ¡°Dear Cousin.¡±


    <h2 style="text-align: center">[Vestige:Sunrise]</h2>


    Aerial Wilhelm and Bael Ashford had known each other as long as they remembered, they were step-cousins, friends, and rivals all rolled into one. This was because her uncle and niece once took in the young Bael Ashford after her parents died in the Earthland-Urdheimr war.


    At first they were just Step-Cousins in name and barely interacted with Bael spending her time in the greenhouse practicing magic while Aerial focused more exploring the world around them.


    Eventually the two developed a rivalry as they branched off from basic schools of Magic to specialized magic.


    The two of them even made a childish oath that whoever becomes an Archmage first would no doubt be considered the greater of the two mages.


    ¡°I heard you got attacked by marauders from Earthland so I came here as soon as I could.¡± Aerial said sitting across the living room.


    ¡°Well as you can see I''m still alive aren''t I?¡± Bael said as Gilbert entered the room carrying a tray of tea and biscuits and placed them on the table. It was at that moment, Aerial and Gilbert locked eyes and then looked at the collar that he was wearing causing her to smile at Bael.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I''m glad you finally got around to finally getting your first Servant!¡± She said tackling Bael in a hug all the while Gilbert tugged on his collar in mild confusion causing the plates and foodstuffs to spill much to his chagrin.


    ¡®They seem to get along well.¡¯ Gilbert thought as he pulled out a broom and started cleaning.


    ¡°Personal Space!¡± Bael said, placing her hand on Aerial¡¯s face and pushed her away.


    ¡°Yeah but this is a good day, like you who always preferred the company of Skeletons, Homunculi and Golems.¡± Aerial said as the two girls got up. ¡°So what''s so special about him?¡±


    ¡®Excuse me?¡¯ Gilbert thought as he looked at Aerial while she kept a fixated look on Bael.


    ¡°Nothing, just a Squa¨CInformal Settler that happened to stumble upon my property,¡± Bael said trying her best to sound polite about it but she was very much this close to say that he was a Squatter.


    Which while true, is technically offensive.


    Hmm that''s a shame, I hoped he had something good going on with him.¡± Aerial said with a hint of disappointment in her tone. But then a realization struck her, causing her to give Bael a teasing look.


    "Oh I get it, you have a crush on him right?"


    "No," Bael and Gilbert said at the same time.


    "You two are even in sync, that''s cute." She said giggling at their answer.


    "Our relationship is pure business," Bael said as Gilbert finished cleaning and then excused himself leaving the two mages alone in the living room. As he did so, Bael explained the situation, how he stumbled into her yard with a group of defectors and for safe passage he offered to stay as her servant.


    She did however leave out the part where her Enchanted Ash Tree gave him a sword, she has yet to study what anomaly was that.


    "Right Business," Aerial said, giving her a skeptical look.


    "Say what you want, that man is now under my care as my Servant." She said, crossing her arms. But to her surprise, Aerial placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her an ''I understand'' nod in a patronizing way.


    "Knock it off!"

 Chapter 3 - A Trip of Revelations

    [06.15.AC0119]


    [Ashford Homestead]


    Gilbert was in the barn with a set of tools, he had just finished running errands for Bael and so he decided to opt to go for his newly developed pastime, trying to fix the Earthland Radio.


    A handful of radios were salvaged from the Stormtrooper Attack from a while ago and so Gilbert decided to try and repair one so he can eavesdrop on the conversation of Earthland so that he can track their movements and check if Melissa and her group managed to evade Earthland as a whole.


    Truth be told, Gilbert wasn''t any special trooper as he was just a grunt. Many from his group were just nobodies within Earthland with no chance of climbing the ranks. Why? Cause all of the more glamorous positions and ranks were taken by the Elites of Earthland, those born with higher education, deep pockets and more importantly connections. And those who stand against them are often sent to die, he and his friends were a testament to that considering they were sent to the Meat Grinder.


    Taking a break from the tinkering of the radio, Gilbert stepped outside to breathe the fresh air as he looked at the Ash Tree on the horizon.


    According to Bael, she had been carefully tending that tree as part of her studies; whatever it was she never told him. And yet for some reason he found himself drawn towards the tree as the next thing later he found himself standing in front of the tree again.


    "This is bad," Gilbert said as he shook his head and walked away. "If the Master saw me here she''d be livid."


    And yet he cast one last lingering look on the tree and for a moment he saw the same sword from that night embedded onto the tree, he took a deep breath and shook his head. He was probably just hallucinating that''s all, and then opted to walk back to the mansion''s grounds where he found both Bael and Aerial discussing something.


    "Ah there you are Gilbert, I have a job for you." Bael said, crossing her arms. "You are to accompany me to the Merchant District of Versa and be my baggage carrier."


    "Fair enough, never been to that place though, will I be fine?" Gilbert raised a concern.


    "It''s fine, we have non-magic people go there as well, not everyone in Urdheimr has a Magic lineage after all." She said and then reached into her bag and pulled out a set of papers. "Also fill this up, I need to register you as my actual Servant."


    "You need paperwork for those?" Gilbert asked in confusion.


    "Of course, Servitude to a Mage is a newly developed way for us to gain more citizens in Urdheim." Aerial said pulling out a large ledger containing various certificates of various Servants with the words [CITIZENSHIP APPROVED!] stamped over each one. "Work hard and if you earned the approval of your Master you''re going to be approved as an official citizen."


    "Sounds like an easy way to trick people into slavery." Gilbert said, which was true. The main flaw of this system was that this has no requirements other than the approval of the Master. So they can easily keep the servants under the pretense that they don''t approve their citizenship.


    "Well who am I to judge, I agreed for this after all." Gilbert said as he started filling up the paperwork most of it was already filled by Bael who gave him the name ''Gilgamesh Thronos'' as his Legal name within Urdheimr likely to mask the fact that he is a defector from Earthland.


    "Right now that''s sorted out," Aerial said, summoning a horse drawn carriage. "Onwards to Versa!¡±


    Versa was a coastal City located off the Urdheimr border far from the battle of the war as it was protected by massive Aquatic Prana Beasts that aided Urdheimr''s navy against Earthland''s own navy. As a result, there are many people that flock to Versa not only for sanctuary but to start over as it was home to a variety of shops causing a nice source of income.


    According to Bael, aside from the fact they have to file in the paperwork legalizing his servitude they also have to attend an auction of a Dead Mage and they were hoping to score a handful of items from said Mage.


    But there was one small detail that Gilbert anticipated.


    Servants were not allowed to be in the Auction.


    And so after storing the things they bought into the carriage, Gilbert decided to wander around town and look around to see what he could buy. But what caught his eye was a little boy in his early teens, 12 years old thought it was hard to tell considering he looked malnourished, with messy blue hair and steel blue eyes that had this feral look on them as he was being beaten up by a group of merchants who were likely angry that the boy stole from them.


    "I shouldn''t get involved," Gilbert said to himself as he decided to get involved.


    The action hall was filled with all sorts of Mages all of which were eager to get a slice of whatever this mage had left behind.


    "Whoa we got some celebrities amidst all of this Bae-Bae," Aerial said looking around as she spotted a handful of other famous Mages. "And all of that to get Solomon the Grand Caster''s belongings."


    "That''s because Solomon the Grand Caster is the most powerful mage to ever live, Aeri," Bael said as they both took a seat and watched. ''I wouldn''t be surprised if members of the High Council were here.¡¯


    Eventually everyone present went silent as the auctioneers arrived and started the selling process.


    Being daughters of the Ashfords and Wilhelms, Bal and Aerial managed to easily buy a handful of items that were once owned by Solomon. However they were easily outbid by more wealthier Mages that were present and the best thing that they were able to acquire from Solomon was his dueling wands, both are 15 inches, one made ashwood with the core of a phoenix feather the other blackwood with the core of a thunderbird feather.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Eventually everyone present went silent as the auctioneers arrived and started the selling process.


    Being daughters of the Ashfords and Wilhelms, Bal and Aerial managed to easily buy a handful of items that were once owned by Solomon. However they were easily outbid by more wealthier Mages that were present and the best thing that they were able to acquire from Solomon was his dueling wands, both are 15 inches, one made ash wood with the core of a phoenix feather the other blackwood with the core of a thunderbird feather.


    "I can''t believe we got outbid," Bael said as she was holding the 15-inch, Ashwood Phoenix Feather Wand in her hands. The wand was pale white with flame like engravings onto it, the handle had the likeness of a Phoenix. "I was aiming for a book or two."


    "Are you kidding me? The fact we scored these two dueling wands is worth the fortune we spent for this." She said waving her 15-inch, Blackwood Thunderbird Feather Wand. The Wand was pitch black with lightning engravings unto it while the handle had the likeness of a Thunderbird.


    "Well yes that is true but the thing is that I need it for my research," She said, tempting to explain to her what she had learned about the tree that she was growing as well as studying for a certain sword from legends of old.


    "That reminds me," Aerial looked around with a concerned look on her face. "Where''s your boy toy."


    "He''s not my¨C" She paused and looked around and went pale. If they found out that he is an Earthlandian then this may complicate things.


    "We need to find him."


    <h2>[Vestige:Sunrise]</h2>


    In a nearby restaurant, Gilbert was rubbing the bruise he got on his face as the boy was eating a large amount of food. But then the Kid stopped as he suddenly choked on his food causing Gilbert to give him a worried look.


    ¡°Take it easy kid, nobody''s gonna take your food.¡± Gilbert said handing him a glass of water, fortunately he was given a large sum of money to buy whatever he wanted, likely clothes and other essentials, but he didn''t mind spending a large sum just to help a hungry kid.


    ¡®Remember Gil, true strength comes from kindness. Be strong enough to be gentle.¡¯ Those were the words of his adoptive older sister before she disappeared, being sent off to an unknown mission to never come back.


    ¡°What''s your name,¡± Gilbert asked, giving the Boy a kind smile, wanting to know more about the kid and hoping he can be friends with him.


    ¡°Mika,¡± He said, taking a bite from the "People call me Mika."


    ¡°Mika?¡± He asked in confusion, to which the boy nodded as he continued to eat. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Aerial and Bael arrived with a worried look on their faces.


    "Oh hey, wanna grab something to eat?" Gilbert offered as Mika had a guarded look on his face as he was silently reaching for a dagger on his belt.


    "Mages." He said in a low voice that showed clear disdain which he managed to hear causing him to speculate what the poor boy went through that led him into such a sorry state.


    Bael was about to say something but then the boy erupted into a blast of black smoke enveloping the restaurant, the smoke wasn''t harmful and all it did was obscure the vision of everyone present. As soon as the smoke cleared the food was gone and so was Mikaleaving everyone confused.


    "Impressive, the kid knows basic illusion magic," Aerial said with an impressed look on her face.


    "Don''t praise the street urchin, check your pockets." Bael ordered as she checked that her wallet was still present, the same goes for Gilbert and Aerial who to their relief their pockets were still intact.


    "Now that''s out of the way," Bael said, aiming her new wand at Gilbert, causing him to flinch and the tip of the wand began to glow bright.


    ¡°Where on Vestige were you?¡± She said with an angry look on her face.


    ¡°Got bored, wandered off and helped a kid.¡± Gilbert said in a panicked voice.


    ¡°Now Bae-Bae, he was only being nice.¡± Aerial said, placing a hand on Bael who was still glaring at Gilbert all the while the other patrons of the establishment were looking at them.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°Looks like a servant is getting scolded.¡±


    ¡°Poor guy, looks like he''s helping the kid earlier.¡±


    "I''ll spare you the scolding for another time, in the meantime we need to go home. Gilbert nodded and sighed, all the while looking around hoping that Mika hasn''t fully left the area.


    ''I hope we meet again,'' Gilbert thought to himself.


    Later that day, Gilbert was lazing around the room that Bael provided him as his thoughts still linger to the 12-year-old Mika that he met earlier. A part of him wanted to plead with Bael to take him in as well so he can have a better life but he knew that she''d say no to him and that he doesn''t have the right to make such requests.


    ''Meet me by the tree, now.'' He heard her through the Arcane Collar she had given him.


    ''On my way.'' Gilbert replied back as he got off the bed and started making his way to the grounds where both Aerial and Bael were discussing something, it was heavy with Magical jargon so he wasn''t able to follow most of their conversation.


    "You can''t expect to some Earthlandian to wield supreme power just ''cause some Artificial Tree threw a sword at him!"


    "I''m telling you Aeri, this will become my Thesis, my shot at becoming an Archmage. Bael said excitedly.


    "Listen Bae-Bae. Strange Artificial Trees distributing swords is no basis for an Archmagedom." Aerial said, crossing her arms skeptically as Gilbert jogged towards the two of them, once again he can see the sword jutting out of the Tree much to his curiosity.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Good there you are," Bael said, handing him a book. Gilbert then proceeded to open the book and read it''s contents, this lasted for a few moments until finally Gilbert spoke.


    "Yeah I can''t read."  Gilbert said, causing Bael and Aerial to place a hand on their faces in mild frustration. "I''m just a grunt, we''re only trained to point and shoot, not study Urdheimic."


    "This book is about the Legend of a Powerful Sword known as Sunrise," Bael said, taking the sword from his hands and reading a passage from the book.


    "By the base of the World-Tree lies a great sword, an Unbreakable Sword meant to usher in the start of a new age. This sword will cause the Sun to shine on the World once more." Bael said, closing the book loudly. "The Sword Sunrise."


    "It''s just a fairy tale, a kids story," Aerial said sceptically once more.


    "Show her the Sword," Bael said crossing her arms, Gilbert looked at the Sword that was still embedded into the tree, he walked towards them and then grabbed the sword. He felt the hilt and then pulled the Sword as it fully materialized causing a bright light to erupt from the hole from which the sword.


    "What the hell?" Aerial said in awe as the light of the sword subsided the sword was now in Gilbert¡¯s hands, Bael was about to explain further the situation but the Sword floated up in the air as it pointed towards him and the next thing he remembered was the sound of Bael calling out his name as he blacked out.

 Chapter 4 - Sunrise

    Gilbert found himself lying on the trenches of Krieg once more dressed in his military uniform, the once pure sky was gone and in its place were the dark smoke that on occasion would rain acid upon them forcing everyone to wear protective gear to withstand the rain all the while the sounds of the Cannons fired from the OMT-8 Sleipnir Tanks can be heard in the distance and every few minutes an MVC-13 Zeus would go over the trenches above them and ride off into the next warzone.


    A Stormtrooper approached him, it was hard to tell whether or not they were a boy or a girl due to the baggy and bulky clothes but what caught his eye was the sword that hung on his waist. Regardless, the Stormtrooper walked towards Gilbert and offered their hand towards him.


    ¡°Hey you, you¡¯re finally awake.¡± The Stormtrooper said offering their hand towards him, even their voice sounded androgynous to be honest. "We had to drag you all the way back here to make sure that you made it in one piece."


    "What''s going on?" Gilbert said wondering what is happening, a part of him wondered if the defection and the arrival at Bael''s estate was all a dream and that he was still at the siege.


    ¡°Don''t worry this is all an illusion,¡± The Stormtrooper said as they pulled out the sword from their waist and offered it to him. ¡°I came here to offer this sword to you.¡±


    Gilbert wanted to reach out but he had a feeling that there''s a catch behind it.


    ¡°What''s the catch,¡± Gilbert decided to ask, this caused the Stormtrooper to chuckle.


    ¡°I knew you''d ask that,¡± The Stormtrooper sheathed the sword. Eventually the scenery changed, they were in a white desert at night all the while they stared at a blue sphere with a halo from the distance.


    ¡°What exactly are we looking at?¡± Gilbert said as they were staring at the sphere from the distance, in all honesty the blue sphere looked beautiful, like he couldn''t help being drawn towards it to the point where he''d reach out and try to grab it.


    ¡°Beautiful isn''t it?¡± The Stormtrooper said, looking at Gilbert. ¡°That''s Vestige, our home.¡±


    ¡°Why show me this?¡± Gilbert asked the Stormtrooper. "Is this some kind of windup to some grand quest--"


    "--Yes--"


    "--cause there''s no way in hell I''m doing it." Gilbert said, waving his hands.


    "I don''t think you understand the benefits of being my chosen wielder," The Stormtrooper said as he crossed their arms.


    "And I don''t think you understand that I''m just a nobody trying to make my way through this already messed up world." Gilbert replied back. "Besides, what makes me so special that you had chosen me?"


    "You already answered your question though," The Stormtrooper said as the rock behind them formed a small stool for him to sit on. "You defied orders and even offered servitude just so that you can give your companions a chance at living a better life."


    "Anyone could do that!" Gilbert said in annoyance.


    "Greed and Selfishness is what makes a human Human," The Stormtrooper said as he raised his finger and immediately a stone chair appeared behind him as well as the two Seat.


    "For many years Humanity has been nothing but selfish and greedy, it''s part of human nature you see, the Earthlandians want what the Urdheimrian have and vice versa, and the ones that predate the two nations want what the other have and vice versa." The Stormtrooper said as they now found themselves in the middle of a still ocean still sitting down on two chairs and upon the horizon the sun was rising. "It''s like this ocean below us, it flows in one continuous direction."


    The Stormtrooper then pulled out a large rock and dropped it into the ocean and upon doing so it caused ripples across the water. "But every so often a someone or maybe even a group of people would be able to cause a ripple effect that will reverberate throughout the years causing a lasting legacy."


    "So you''re saying that what I have done has set in motion many things that will forever change the world?" Gilbert said in confusion. "Look I get that you want me to take whatever quest you have in store but I''m just a grunt that ran away from my duties."


    "Doubtful huh, well I guess I can''t force you into taking the job I have for you." The Stormtrooper said as they stood up. "However if you ever need the sword at it''s fullest potential, just call out my name and I shall be at your aid, but know that once you do so then you have accepted my task."


    "Then I hope that time never comes," Gilbert said in a low voice. "What is your name?"


    "Oh my name?" The Stormtrooper said, turning towards Gilbert. "My name is¨C"


    [06.16.AC0119]


    [Ashford Homestead]


    Gilbert woke up to find himself on the bed with a heavy feeling on his chest, he turned to the side and found Bael peeling an apple using magic. She noticed him and gave him a stern look as she aimed her wand at him.


    "Good you''re awake, now tell me everything you saw in that dream." She said to him as he felt the collar around his neck begin to tighten much to his annoyance considering it was clear that she spent a good time waiting for him to wake up.


    "The sword needed some kind of host, and I declined the offer cause it wanted me to do something for it!" Gilbert said in a hurry as he felt the collar tighten.


    "Why did you said no?" She asked in annoyance.


    "I have a feeling it was something annoying to deal with like slay a Prana Beast or create a group of people." Gilbert explained to her as she lowered her wand to which she sighed and gave him a disapproving look.


    ¡°Well you''re right about that, Sunrise is basically the one who will choose who will change the world.¡± Bael said, setting aside her wand.


    "So it''s a lot bigger than I had expected," Gilbert said in a low voice.


    THUNK!


    The two of them turned around to find a messenger bird crashing into the window much to their surprise.


    "Must be yours," Bael said with a low voice as Gilbert got off the bed and made his way towards the messenger bird that was patiently waiting for him. "From those friends of yours I assume."


    "You guys don''t use messenger birds?" Gilbert asked.


    "We use a specific breed of birds for the job, and that is not that breed." Bael answered, crossing her arms as he pulled out the letter from the leg and read its contents.


    ''Dear Gilbert''


    ''How are things going? We were able to establish a small camp a few short miles away from the Valley and into a Forest known as Gilbertown. Why did we choose that name you may ask? Well we named it after you, to honor your leadership and sacrifice to make sure that we are able to make it this far. I know that you''re now a servant to the mage but I was hoping that you two could visit us for the time being and see what we''ve accomplished.''Stolen story; please report.


    ''Love, Melissa''


    The news made Gilbert smile and he turned to Bael who was looking over his shoulder with a curious look on her face as to what Melissa sent to him.


    "So are you going to visit them?" Bael asked.


    "I''d love to." Gilbert answered with a smile on his face, to which Bael gave him a cheeky smile and sighed. "Fine, can''t be helped, and since you''re a good servant I''ll let you go but only if I accompany you."


    The two rode their way towards the small settlement of Gilbertown which was located into a forest area known as Wyrmwood.


    About Wyrmwood, it was a deep dark forest that is generally home to a Clan of Druids who were mostly neutral towards the entire war between Urdheimr and Earthland. And while it doesn¡¯t mention whether or not they have made contact with the Druids but if they were able to cooperate with the druids then their survival is ensured.


    The two were riding on their respective horses, excited to see this new Settlement that they had been able to visit during the visit.


    ¡°You¡¯re excited to see her aren¡¯t you.¡± Bael said with a teasing smile on her face as the two rode through the forest.


    ¡°How can I not,¡± Gilbert said excitedly with a flustered smile on his face. ¡°I want to give her a proper answer and maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t mind if you get into a relationship,¡± Bael said reassuringly as she shook her head as she as amused at the flustered look that Gilbert was exhibiting. ¡°Just make sure to make me the Godmother, who knows maybe your child will have a high affinity for Magic or something.¡±


    Gilbert then proceeded to let out a loud laugh. ¡°Too soon Master. Too soon.¡±


    But their happy moment was replaced with that of a look of worry as they both saw black smoke on the horizon, the two exchanged looks and then hurried their pace towards the place with Gilbert having one thought in his mind.


    ¡®Please be safe everyone.¡¯


    [Gilbertown]


    [Wyrmwood Forest]


    They arrived at the town amidst chaos, tents were on fire and several of his people were lying on the ground either bleeding out or dead from the fighting. Gilbert pulled out his rifle and started joining in the fighting, not caring who they were up against save for the fact that his people were in danger.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be seen in this fight Gilbert!¡± Bael said using her magic to shapeshift into a rabbit and hide, Gilbert clicked his tongue and continued to fight on while he saw a handful of the Settlement defenders were fighting what appears to be mages wearing plague doctor masks.


    One of the Mages spotted Gilbert and then fired an orb of fireball towards him, to which he dodged and opened fire at the Mage only to block it with a Protection spell. One of the defenders handed him a rotary Grenade Launcher and started firing it at the nearest Mage who would be killed by the explosion caused by it.


    But as he was about to continue to fight onwards, he felt his body go numb and stiffen as he fell to the ground he tried his best to move his head and he spotted the caster as she walked towards him. For a moment he noticed the blue eyes were familiar, but unlike the warm eyes that showed happiness, they were instead cold and lifless.


    ¡°Take this one, I don¡¯t care about the rest.¡± She said through a mask that hid most of her features. This caused two mages to approach Gilbert, one was wielding a bat and then everything went black.


    <h2 style="text-align: center">[Vestige:Sunrise]</h2>


    Bael ran through the woods with a worried look on her face, she needed to flee the forest for the time being considering she just witnessed the Harbingers which were Urdheimr¡¯s Elite Mages tasked in taking out any threats within the peace of Urdheimr known for their iconic Crow-like masks.


    Or at the very least anything they perceive as a threat to Urdheimr.


    She dodged the spells that were sent towards her, she pulled out her wand and deflected most of the spells that were sent towards her all the while using an illusion spell to hide her true appearance. As soon as they were finally out of sight, Bael turned into a bird and flew away from Wyrmwood.


    Her flight from Wyrmwood eventually led her to the Merchant City of Versa and she collapsed to the floor and then let out a sigh. But as she let out a sigh and hid in the nearby alley and hid but she felt the sharp blade of a knife at her back.


    ¡°You¡¯re a long way from your home,¡± The Muffled voice of Mika said, causing her to turn around with her wand drawn to find Mika wearing a scarf to hide his facial features all the while holding a rope dagger with a wavy blade.


    ¡°You¡¯re a friend of Gilbert,¡± Bael said though that did little to drop her guard, Mika then responded by throwing his Rope Dagger at her only for her to deflect it with her dueling wand. ¡°Wait, hear me out!¡±


    ¡°What do you want, Mage?¡± Mika said with a glare, it was a gamble but she needed help if she were to rescue Gilbert. While she is capable in certain fields, Illusion magic is not one of them and thus she needed one to allow her to sneak inside the nearest Harbinger before they decide to skin him alive and use his virgin skin as a catalyst.


    While she is not good with Illusions, there¡¯s a high chance a Street Urchin like Mika who managed to cast an advanced Illusion Spell to escape them might.


    ¡°Gilbert has been captured and I need your help.¡± She said raising a bag of Money hoping she can at the very least bribe him into helping.


    "Why should I help you?" Mika asked her as he raised his dagger again.


    ''Cause you''re expendable,'' "Cause your illusion magic is good, and I''m no good with Illusion magic." Bael said trying her best to not sound condescending towards him. Truth be told she just needed someone to help her sneak in and she can take care of the rest. But she wasn''t lying that his illusion magic is good, it was clear that Mika had been using it for stealing whatsoever and while there is room for improvement, his talents towards it is promising.


    "What''s in it for me?" Mika asked gripping his dagger tightly.


    "Well what do you want?" Bael asked him as he paused for a moment, as though he was trying to assess the risks brought upon it. Truth be told this is a massive gamble on Bael''s part as well as she barely knew the child and now she was putting her faith in rescuing her Servant into him. But surely this child believed in the concept of Honor among Thieves right? As payment for Gilbert''s kindness he should at the very least be thankful for Gilbert saving him from being beaten to death.


    "We''ll discuss the terms once we survive this ordeal, I''ll help you but expect something expensive in return." Mika said, sheathing his dagger as the two of them left.


    Growing up, Valach Sallow learned that the world is harsh and cruel. How only the strongest dominate the world. He learned that the hard way after his parents sold him to be experimented on by Mages, eventually he learned to harness his abilities, he would eventually escape and begin again as Mika.


    Valach died the day he was sold and in his place was Mika.


    "Alright Mage, what do you have in mind?" Mika asked as they approached the walls of Castle Valdread, which is one of the many Castles owned by the Harbingers.


    "I want you to distract the guards while I sneak inside, once I''m in I''ll conjure these and have them wreak havoc," The Mage, later introducing herself as Bael Ashford, said showing him a handful of Golem Nuclei, Dragon Teeth and Homunculi Embryos.


    They were the standard Fodder for Mages from what Mika studied. Golems are tough but slow, Skeletons are Fast but Fragile, Homunculi can perform low level magics but only for a limited time. All three make up the bulk of a Mage''s personal army.


    ''For her to use that much, that Gilbert person must be valuable to her.'' Mika said as he took up a sprinting position. "I can try to distract them but you have to be fast."


    "Alright I''m ready as soon as you are." Bael said with a nod and upon cue, Mika rushed towards the gate where two Guard were staring at him. At first they gave him confused looks as to why he was sprinting towards them but then he activated his ability and they immediately went on guard.


    He can''t fault them for being on guard upon seeing him, as the spell allows him to slip into the realm between the Material and Immaterial realm, he calls it the Borderland. Technically speaking he could have suggested sending Bael through the Borderland and spit her out once they''re inside but he wanted her to struggle as well but he didn''t want her to know of his trump card.


    Walking through the Borderland was like walking through a veiled hallway, he could easily peek through anywhere but only for a brief moment as being in the Borderland made him sick and nauseous. The longest was five straight minutes before vomiting.


    Eventually he returned to the material realm and landed a drop kick on the first guard, threw his rope dagger at the second before he can react causing the dagger to lodge itself in her neck causing her to fall to the ground choking on her blood.


    As soon as the guards were dealt with, Bael finally caught up and took the keys from the guards and snuck inside.


    ¡°Find Gilbert while I try to do whatever I can to wreak havoc,¡± Mika said as Bael began to summon as many Golems, Skeletons, and Homunculi and started killing all the guards that arrived in the area.


    Eventually the two split up, Mika climbed atop of one of the Golems and started smashing things all the while occasionally slipping in and out of the Borderland to take out as many Guards as possible. It was fortunate that they only brought regular Guardsmen, had it been a Guard assigned to a Harbinger then things would have been far more difficult for Mika.


    As he was dodging and taking out as many Guards as possible, he was struck with a petrification spell paralyzing him in the process.


    The Harbinger that was tasked in protecting this and at the same time the one holding Gilbert hostage arrived. She held her 15 inch, Blackwood Thunderbird Wand and aimed at Mika.


    She said the last words that Mika would hear.


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡±

 Chapter 5 - The Miracle at Dawngard

    Earlier that day, Gilbert woke up strapped to an operating table with various unrecognizable tools found nearby. He let out a pained groan as he overheard the conversation between Aerial and the doctor.


    ¡°Are you sure the sword is inside him?¡± The Doctor said, crossing his arms and looked very skeptical at the idea. Gilbert immediately pieced together that they were referring to the Sword at the Tree. He looked to the side and found the Stormtrooper looking at him with an amused look on his face.


    ¡®Help come to those who ask, what do you say?¡¯ He asked him with a concerned tone on his face.


    ¡®I¡¯m Good.¡¯ Gilbert said trying to struggle against the bindings that held him down but unfortunately they were magic so it was unlikely that he''ll be able to brute force his way out of this. Eventually Aerial walked towards him, taking off her mask revealing a look of guilt in her eyes.


    ¡°Can you give us a moment?¡± She told the doctor who nodded and walked away, she let out a sigh and placed her wand on the table and looked at Gilbert.


    ¡°Just so you know I don''t like taking things from Bael, I love her and she''s like a sister I never had.¡± Aerial said, scratching her wrists as she looked at him. ¡°But I need to become an Arch-Mage before her.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Gilbert said in a low voice. ¡°You envy her for what she has achieved?¡±


    ¡°More or less yes,¡± She let out a sigh as she looked at the wand that the two of them bought together. ¡°I loved her like she was a sister and yet I can¡¯t help but envy her for all of what she achieved.¡±


    ¡°So you decided to play dirty and steal me away from her?¡± He asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play smart with me Servant,¡± She said, grabbing him by the collar and glared at him. ¡°Do you think I enjoy doing this?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Gilbert chuckled in a low voice, truth be told he found her pretty pathetic as she would have to resort to such underhanded methods in order to get the upper hand but he didn''t want to say it in front of her face knowing full well she can kill him on the spot.


    She let go of his collar and glared at him. ¡°Don''t mess with me Servant, I have a very short temper right now in light of recent events.¡±


    ¡°Look, is it really worth it for you to resort to these methods? Just hear me out? You really think she''ll forgive you?¡± Gilbert said appealing to her familial love for Bael, if she does care for her as much as she says she does then maybe just maybe she can walk away from this.


    ¡°And before we proceed any further, where''s the people that lived in Wyrmwood? You guys took some of them.¡± Gilbert added.


    ¡°In the dungeon where I plan to skin them the virgins alive and use them for Catalysts.¡± She said casually that it sort of threw him off. ¡°That was the original plan until I¨Cwait why am I even telling you this!¡±


    She slammed her palm on the operating table and looked at Gilbert. ¡°I told you before, don''t mess with me with your Earthlandian Mind Games.¡±


    ¡°I''m genuinely not, I was literally just asking stuff.¡± Gilbert said as but then there was a commotion happening outside causing Aerial to peek out of the door with her wand and Mask on.


    ¡°You stay there.¡± She said and she left the room.


    ¡°Like I can move from my position.¡± Gilbert muttered.


    ¡°Mika!¡± Bael shouted as she saw the Aerial looming over Mika. She paused for a moment and saw that she was holding a 15-inch Blackwood Thunderbird Wand and without hesitation immediately cast a disarming spell but the Harbinger blocked it with a protection spell.


    ¡°I don''t know what you''re planning Aerial but Gilbert is mine.¡± Bael said with a determined look on her face and then cast yet another disarming spell but Aerial countered it with her own disarming spell causing the two wands to backfire causing both of their wands to come flying.


    In the world of Urdheimr, there is an unwritten caste system for Mages based on their level of ability: There''s the Untitled Mages, the lowest of the caste but their skills can also vary. The Titled Mages, Mages that have developed a title due to the nature of their research which was bestowed upon them by an Arch Mage. The Arch Mages, Mages that hold dominion over certain lands making them essentially the equivalent of a Noble. And finally, The High Mage, the strongest Mage and the closest thing Urdheimr has for a leader.


    In a way the government system of Urdheimr is more like a Stratocracy where the strongest Mage rules them all.


    And for the case of Aerial and Bael, the two of them were untitled and yet the two of them were skilled enough to earn their titles.


    "For many years we always had these kinds of fights, but looking back we constantly held each other back due to our own personal feelings." Bael said looking at Mika who was petrified from a possible petrification spell from earlier.


    "That''s right, I was constantly holding back cause I was afraid of hurting you," Aerial said, taking off her mask and Harbinger coat which was part of her uniform as a Harbinger.


    The two stared at each other for what seemed like and until finally the two of them charged at each other both of them reinforcing their fists with Prana as they both punched each other sending them both back, they used this opportunity to grab their wands.


    Bael''s first move was to cast a De-Petrification Spell unto Mika who quickly got up and vanished. Leaving Bael to deal with Aerial instead. but she didn''t mind, it felt like old times truth be told.


    Though it was clear that they weren''t fighting for sport.


    After Mika''s disappearance and the reacquisition of the wands, Aerial summoned a Thunderbird which she can do once a day thanks to her 15-Inch Blackwood Thunderbird Wand. The Thunderbird had a golden plumage as bright as Lightning itself and with every flap of its wings a blast of wind would be released alongside the sound of a thunderclap.


    Not knowing what other spells that she can use to counter a Summoned Thunderbird, Bael was forced to summon a Phoenix, it had orange and red plumage which was as bright as morning sun. And like Aerial and her Thunderbird, the Firebird that Bael summoned can be done once a day through the use of her 15-inch Ashwood Phoenix Wand.


    The two birds stared at each other for a moment but then the Firebird tackled the Thunderbird causing the room to be enveloped by a combination of Fire and Lightning. The explosion ripped through the fortress leaving a gaping hole as a result.


    <h2 style="text-align: center">[Vestige:Sunrise]</h2>


    Gilbert woke up to the sound of explosions happening above him, by then the explosion caused the bindings on his body to come loose allowing him to escape and run to find a way out of the room. As he was escaping he stumbled upon the uniforms of the Guards that were holding him captive and were working with Aerial to capture him and his people.


    Using his disguise, he snuck his way down to the dungeon where the others are being held. As soon as he arrived at the dungeons he found his people who were bruised and beaten but some were unfortunate enough to have been killed.


    ¡°Everyone!¡± Gilbert said taking the helmet off to reveal himself from the already confused and honestly tired people that were captured. ¡°I¡¯m here to get you out of here.¡±


    ¡°Gilbert!¡± Melissa stood up and hugged him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it seems she was after me and I ended up dragging everyone along with it.¡± Gilbert tried to explained to them. An explosion was heard from above causing everyone to look weary. He picked up a black Konda sword and looked at everyone present. ¡°Now go, I¡¯ll distract them.¡±


    Melissa took a step back and then picked up a weapon dropped by a Guard that fled during the chaos of the fighting from above. And without hesitation led the remaining prisoners out of the Dungeon and as soon as they were gone Gilbert sprinted upwards to find Bael and hopefully help her in stopping Aerial.


    But as soon as he got to the room where the two were fighting in earlier was heavily destroyed, the two were locked in what he can best describe as a duel between Mages as both of them were discharging beams of light from their wands.


    ¡°What on earth is¨C?¡±


    ¡°Stryken: Basic Offensive Spell.¡± Mika said materializing before Gilbert who was sitting on top of the rubble. ¡°A spell that only registered mages can perform.¡±


    ¡°Then we have to stop them or else they might get killed,¡± Gilbert said as he pulled out the Konda and tried to intervene but Mika grabbed him by the arm.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°You can¡¯t you might get killed,¡± Mika said warning him.


    ¡°Alright I¡¯ll stay out of my way,¡± Gilbert said as he lowered the sword but then started sprinting towards the two girls. ¡°Is what I¡¯d say but I¡¯m a moron!¡±


    One trait that Gilbert was told to be capable of was that he was always impulsive, a trait that an ordinary trooper like him would get killed. However he would usually survive any life threatening situation thanks to sheer luck, and so that is what he was betting on when he decided to get in between the two girls and the beam of war that they were having.


    As soon as got close, he used the Konda Sword that he took to block the blast of Prana but the sword shattered and he was struck from behind as he was blasted both in the front and back by the two Mages.


    Getting struck by a beam of Prana felt absolutely painful as he felt his body being burned from the inside out as he fell to the ground and passed out from the pain with the last thing he heard was the two girls calling out his name.


    Gilbert woke up to find himself into the Moon once more with the Stormtrooper who was casually leaning on the sword as though it was a some kind of walking stick or a cane.


    ¡°Boy oh boy,¡± The Stormtrooper said standing up as he aimed the sword at him. ¡°You sure are a reckless one.¡±


    ¡°Why am I here? I don¡¯t remember accepting your deal.¡± Gilbert said as the Stormtrooper once more rested the sword on his lap.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, you haven¡¯t but thanks to your recklessness we may have no other choice but to have you take my offer.¡± He said taking off his helmet revealed a man in his 20s with pure black hair and bright blue eyes that was clearly peering into his soul.


    Gilbert was about to question further but he felt the same burning sensation in his body returned but this time it intensified as he felt his body was slowly starting to burn away like dry paper being set aflame.


    ¡°What''s happening to me?¡± Gilbert asked as he curled into a ball in agony.


    ¡°You''re dying, the result of being blasted by a Strycken Spell.¡± The Stormtrooper knelt before him as Gilbert''s breathing became labored. ¡°I can save and heal you but this means you have to take my offer.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡± Gilbert said as a hole began to manifest on his chest and his skin was starting to turn ash gray from the disintegration. ¡°Help me¡­¡±


    The Stormtrooper felt pain in his chest, he knew that by lending Gilbert his power then he would no doubt accept the pact. But he wasn''t heartless as to leave him to die like this, especially knowing he had such a great life ahead of him.


    ¡°I will, and I assure you,¡± The Stormtrooper pulled out the sword and laid him flat on the ground as he continued to disintegrate from the effects of the spell. ¡°You will not be burdened by what I want you to achieve. Consider this a Favor from me to you.¡±


    And then he plunged the sword into his chest, but instead of wounding him the sword was instead slowly faded as though his body, no, his soul was absorbing the sword.


    ¡°We need to heal him!¡± Bael shouted at everyone present who were watching it all unfold as Gilbert, who was heavily burned and was slowly disintegrating from the effects. But that''s the thing with Stryken, once a killing blow is landed to a target their body will disintegrate into a pile of ashes. That is how powerful of a spell it is, that is why only licensed Mages can perform such a spell.


    Aerial looked down in shame knowing she had just murdered someone valuable to Bael''s research.


    Mika clicked his tongue as he muttered ¡®Mages¡¯ and then left via the Borderlands all the while fighting off the urge to cry.


    Melissa, who stayed alongside several other members of her group to help Gilbert, fell to her knees as she watched Gilbert die.


    But then a golden orange light began to fill his chest, slowly knitting back the wounds that he had gained the two girls watched as his body was slowly recovering from the wounds even before the fighting from earlier all the while the Servant collar that he was wearing slipped down from his neck indicating that he was free from servitude regardless Bael consented or not.


    Eventually Gilbert woke up and coughed out a cloud of dust that was stuck in his throat.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Aerial said as Bael immediately went to hug Gilbert to his confusion. ¡°You were just a dead man earlier.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too but the sword gave me a second chance.¡± Gilbert said as Bael sheepishly pulled away. He stood up and extended his hand as though trying to prepare for something, and then he slowly instinctively reached for his chest and pulled out the sword.


    It was the same sword as before, a silver blade with a golden crossguard with a Blue handle, but weathered down and rusted indicating that it wasn''t well maintained for the last few years. But regardless the sword shone brightly like the break of dawn.


    Everyone, Prisoners, Guards, Mages, even Aerial and Bael, knelt before Gilbert who had conflicting feelings on the whole matter.


    He was now a foot closer into the hole where the Sword had plotted, now it is up to him to choose if he was to fully accept the powers that he was meant to inherit or not.


    And he had a feeling he would have to accept this sooner or later.


    <h2 style="text-align: center">[Vestige:Sunrise]</h2>


    [Gilbertown]


    [Wyrmwood Forest]


    The event was later known as the Miracle at Dawngard, word spread of a young man who survived getting blasted by a Strycken Spell and was revived through the power of a mysterious sword. But at the time none of the people involved would be aware of such a thing.


    Days have passed since the skirmish at Dawngard things have gotten fairly interesting for Gilbert.


    ¡°I still feel like I should have been punished severely for this,¡± Aerial said as she  alongside several other Guards and Mages under her command were helping Bael and Gilbert in repairing the fences towards the town of Gilbertown all the while they were being watched by the townsfolk.


    "You mean to tell me the Manual Labor without the use of magic doesn''t count?" Bael asked as she carried a bag of tools for her to move around with.


    "I mean I literally killed some of their people and enslaved the rest," Aerial pointed out, because it was their magic that more or less caused the destruction of the settlement they agreed to refrain from using magic until they finished repairing the town as atonement.


    "It was Gilbert''s suggestion that you pay through hard work, be thankful he didn''t ask for anything else Mage." Melissa said leaning on a nearby pole while gripping her 7.62mm Rifle as though she was looking for a reason to shoot them with it. "Besides, had it been our way, we would have gladly have you shot through the firing line."


    It was true, while Aerial and her continent of Harbingers surrendered to them as atonement for what they have done. Many of the townsfolk of Gilbertown were eager to shoot them on sight, whether it was old prejudices or the way they were treated because of their brief capture in the hands of Aerial and her Harbingers.


    Things would have gotten out of hand had it not for Gilbert''s intervention.


    "Really loving the air of camaraderie you guys are showing," Gilbert said walking towards them, his shirt drenched with sweat causing Melissa to stare for a brief moment, Bael slightly glanced as well.


    "Is having them work for us, even for a brief moment, necessary?" Melissa said with a disgusted look at the Mages that were working who were also glaring at Melissa.


    "We left Earthland because of the War, by showing the same discrimination Earthland showed to Mages then we are no different from them." Gilbert said as he took a bottle of water and took a sip on it.


    "Besides, we can be reasonable people right?" He added walking towards Bael who eagerly took it due to the heat of the midday sun.


    "Fine but if they try anything that''s on you." Melissa said in a low voice and walked away to check on other things. As soon as she was out of earshot, Gilbert sighed and turned to Aerial and Bael who were hard at work in reinforcing the fence.


    "Sorry about Melissa, she''s a little bit grief stricken after losing her parents to Mages." Gilbert apologized to them.


    "This war has always found a way to leave scars on everyone," Bael said to them as she hopped off the fence and looked at Gilbert. "Have you lost someone during the war?"


    "Bae-Bae." Aerial scolded her.


    "No it''s fine, come to think of it, we''ve known each other for a few days now and yet we barely got to know each other." Gilbert said, crossing his arms and looking around hoping no one can overhear him. "To answer your question, I lost everyone I knew when I entered the war."


    "What do you mean?" Bael asked, Gilbert was about to speak up once more but then he heard someone call out to him asking for his help, this made him jog towards the general direction of the people towards them.


    "Oh yeah," Aerial said, taking a sip of water, who then handed it to Bael. "He''s hiding something."


    [Vigilus]


    [Border between Earthland and Urdheimr]


    Within Vestige, there are numerous warzones where both Earthland and Urdheimr are desperately trying to gain dominance. Whether it is because of resources, strategic importance or simply because they don''t want the other side to gain access to it. This often leads to grueling attrition warfare between the two Nations which demonstrates the sad reality that both sides are desperate to maintain dominance over it. Several locations, dubbed as Warzones by both sides, have become famous for being meat grinders for many recruits to earn their respective ranks regardless of their allegiance. Locations such as Krieg, Stalheim, Okano, and Vigilus have been the most infamous ones due to their high casualty rates.


    A group of deserters drove through the canyon on their Military Truck as they rode through the Vigilus Warzone, it was dangerously quiet considering they spent the entire week being chased by Soldiers of Earthland who were all too eager to execute them for desertion.


    They expected that a handful of Soldiers would appear any moment but that moment didn''t come.


    But as they were about to cross the border of Vigilus and into a different border they stumbled upon a lone soldier walking towards them. What made it stand out was the sight of a two handed mace that he is easily carrying with one hand without so much as to break a sweat.


    The Derserters paled, they recognised that lone soldier, he was known as the Attack Dog of Earthland. His name was long lost as he now goes by one name.


    Barbatos the Red Wolf.


    They sped up hoping they could try to stop him using their truck, as surely the reports about him were nothing more than rumors right?


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out an auto injector and stabbed it into his neck causing him to let out a howl of pain and then gripped his mace and upon waiting for the Truck to close in, slammed his mace onto the hood sending the truck flying causing it to tumble into the cliffside the crash causing it to erupt into an explosion killing everyone on board.


    Barbatos took off helmet to reveal a 17-year-old young man with slicked back black hair and pale blue eyes as he reached into his pocket to pull out a communicator and contacted someone.


    ¡°Barbatos to Handler, Targets have been eliminated.¡± Barbatos said as he glanced down to see one of the survivors desperately crawl out despite being on fire.


    ¡°Your next objective is to head for Wyrmwood Forest, hunt down and kill the deserters that have resided there.¡± The Handler said Barbatos listened as he walked towards the Survivor and crushed their head with his mace.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Barbatos said, ending the call.