Chapter 5:Two years ago

This was a summer day like any other. The heat was suffocating, the cicadas kept chirping, and he was sweating. A lucid dream that he can’t shake off nor wake up from, and once all’s said and done, he won’t remember.

No, he can’t. He will never be able to remember that day.

Fresh grass brushes his fingers as he lays here, down on the ground. The trees around him were dancing like giants mocking him. The wind stopped as if ignoring him.

All that’s left is his rage. Powerlessness, a disgusting feeling he is too familiar with.

This was an unfortunate encounter.

His beginning.

And his end.

Luka opened his eyes, his sheets drenched in sweat, a hazy fog filling his mind while his skin was scorching hot from the room temperature. Last night, he didn’t even take the time to change into his pajamas and was still wearing his white t-shirt, his vest sitting on a chair next to the bed. His breath was ragged, searching to fill his lungs with air as much as possible, his mind went blank and his skin pale from the sheer amount of oxygen he inhaled. There was no reason for him to be this panicked, and yet he couldn’t stop, his heart beating like a ping-pong ball.

“Hey, are you okay?” a familiar voice called out from above.

Luka looked up at the ceiling, spotting a familiar ninja hanging from some kind of concealed trapdoor. Her serene attitude and presence instantly made him feel better.

“Kanami…” he said weakly, his throat hoarse and dry.

They locked eyes for a while, just enough for Luka to get his thoughts together.

His eyes widened and he almost jumped off the bed. “Kana— Wait, w-w-w-what?”

“Speak clearly so I can understand you, sleepyhead,” she sighed.

“What are you doing in my room? You even have your dagger with you!” Luka pointed out, shaking slightly.

“It’s just my usual attire,” Kanami sighed again. “I always have my dagger with me… And as for what I’m doing in your room…”

“Did Morgann finally decide to dispose of me?”

Kanami’s expression turned horrified. “What? No! Why would you think that?”

“It’s just… I saw my life flash before my eyes yesterday. So I feel like I’m a little bit justified in being worried.”

Luka crossed his arms, feeling his heart rate slow down. Why did he wake up in such a panic? He had no idea, but somehow the scent of rose was stuck in his mind. Kanami jumped down near him and examined his face closely.

“You’re very pale. You must’ve had a bad nightmare.”

“Yeah, perhaps. I don’t know much either,” he turned to face her and gave her a reassuring smile. “So, what was that all about? A trapdoor?”

Kanami looked away, a bit embarrassed. “Yeah, you shouldn’t know this but there is a series of tunnels in the ceiling where you can navigate through. It helps me to spy on people and report any useful information to Her Majesty.”

“So… You were spying on me?”

Kanami scoffed. “Oh yeah, as if we would let you run free like that. We have a lot of problems but no, we won’t spy on the guy that came out of nowhere and is potentially a threat.”

“Oh man… I’m not a bad guy, I promise.”

“Personally, I would love to trust you,” she said, sighing. “But during the meeting yesterday, their mistrust was evident. Sir Edgar, in particular, was vehement about putting you into a cage,” Kanami nearly chuckled at that last word.

But Luka stared at her with a deadpan face.

“I know, I know it would be bad,” Kanami said, trying to defuse the situation, but he didn’t relent. “I’m just saying the nobles are wary of you.” Her eyes then turned serious. “That’s why you shouldn’t do weird stuff while you’re here, like yesterday, right?”

“What do you mean by yesterday?”

“Those holes in the trees didn’t make themselves. Viktor told me.”

Damn that bastard! Not only is he useless but he’s also a snitch!

“Ahem, I can explai—”

“No need,” Kanami dismissed with a wave of her hand. “I understand you feel threatened and that you need something to protect yourself, that’s a given. Just, if you want to train with that thing, tell me beforehand, so that I can cover you.”

“Wait, so… You know what that pistol is?”

“Kind of. Don’t tell anyone that you have it though, or else you will be in big trouble.”

“Can you tell me more about it then?” Luka asked, searching through the pockets of his brown vest.

“Not really. I wasn’t there when the King of Mages incident happened.”

“The what now?”

But Kanami approached the window and opened it. “Don’t worry about that, that’s none of your business,” she then turned around to face him one more time. “Get ready for your training, I will wait for you at the clearing.” And jumped right out of the window, like a bird taking flight.

All that was left for Luka now were questions with no answers.

“Not my business, not my business, it’s not like this whole mess is my fault…” he grumbled.

Looking in the mirror above the bed, he realized that his dark hair was ruffled and spiky and that some bags were visible under his eyes.

“Still… I wonder why Kanami covers for me…” he mumbled.

She had no reason to since he was mostly a bother to her. And with everything he heard about her, the rumors around town, he couldn’t wrap his head around what she was thinking. Still, he was glad that she helped him get in shape and learn more about self-defense. That’s why after a cold bath and a light breakfast, he joined her in the clearing for his sparring session of the day.

This sparring session felt the same as yesterday. Even with all of his might and effort, he couldn’t land a single blow on her while she dodged with absurd ease every move he tried. Sometimes, he even felt that he spent more time on the ground than on his two feet.

“Try to move more, you’re stuck on the ground like a plant,” Kanami ordered him by kicking playfully his legs.

“O-Okay!”

“Focus! You’re getting too amped up and lose track of what I’m doing!”

“I know!”

“No, you don’t. And that’s why you can’t hit me.”

Luka noticed a difference in Kanami today. She was gloomier, harsher. During their training, her usual smile was absent, and her hits and kicks felt more forceful, more painful. An hour later, Luka lay on the grass, panting heavily. Kanami stood still, staring at the horizon. The more he looked at her, the less he understood why people had such animosity toward her. She was undeniably beautiful, and her demeanor was far from what he imagined a ‘despicable creature’ to be. He even thought with irony that they wanted to keep her in a cage and how it was similar to him, in a way. Watching her long dark hair glittering in the sunlight, Luka couldn’t help but feel sadness wash over him. No, he felt that way ever since he met her.

After catching his breath, he opened his mouth. “Hey K—”

“I will leave tonight,” she stated, a tinged of bitterness in her voice. “I come back after a few weeks, so…”

She trailed off, perhaps unsure why she spoke up in the first place, perhaps having nothing more to say to him.

“I’ve been tasked to retrieve the sacred water since the Blue Falcons refused,” she explained.

When Luka arrived last night, during dinner, he told one of the maids the result of his demand to Darian, while of course omitting to talk about the dumb succubus, and asked that she relayed the information to Morgann. The next morning, Kanami was summoned urgently and tasked to leave in the evening to retrieve the sacred water from the land of Ryuuji.

“This is my homeland, I probably didn’t tell you. That’s why they asked me to do it.”

He listened attentively. There was no fear or urgency in her voice, but he could feel some nostalgia and sadness.

“Just don’t go slacking off because I leave, okay?”

That wasn’t the issue.

“Aren’t you happy to go home?” he asked, looking at the sky.

But his question was met with heavy silence. She had no answer, even for herself. She had asked herself the same question but felt nothing—just a void, devoid of any feeling. The wind started blowing, she took it as a sign to stop the conversation.

“Anyway, I will prepare for my journey,” she turned around, smiling and brushing her hair back with her hand. “Have a nice day, Luka.”

She waved goodbye and walked back to her small house in the woods. Watching her go, Luka stood up while brushing the grass off of his jean pants, feeling a tinge of regret for not asking her what was wrong.

“I hope everything goes well for her,” he muttered, scratching his head, trying to find what ticked her.

But he barely knew her, and he barely knew anyone here. He persuaded himself to not care since it was none of his business. With a final sigh, he walked back to the castle, as two maids were washing the laundry, he waved to them with a slight smile before feeling a gust of wind take off a few clothes that were hanging on a string.

“Oh, crap!”

With good reflexes, he jumped and caught them in flight, holding on to them tightly.

“Thank you, Mister,” the maids bowed while Luka gave back the clothes.

“It’s nothing, really…” He looked a bit closer and recognized one of them. “Hey, you’re the one from the meeting!”

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Coincidentally, she was wearing glasses which made her stand apart from all the others.

“Oh, it’s you! Thank you again for yesterday!” she said, smiling brightly.

“Like I said, it’s fine. It was insightful to attend the meeting.”

The maid suddenly remembered something and jumped in place. “By the way, I think Sir Uther was looking for you this morning. Could you see him?”

“Again with him? What does he want?”

“I don’t know but he seemed a bit grumpy. So, be kind!”

“Okay, thanks for the information!”

Luka waved at her and started running. The maid shouted at him.

“He is waiting in the inner garden, you won’t miss him!”

“Okay!”

Rushing at full speed, Luka arrived shortly at the inner garden. Surrounded by the four aisles of the castle, this place was home to many different flowers and climbing plants that were protected with care. A bath of light coming down from the sky illuminated the place since there was no roof. The smell of greenery filled the place mixed with rose and lavender. In the middle of it all was Uther, sitting on a bench while carefully flipping through the pages of his book, nodding occasionally as he read its content.

“Sir Uther! You were looking for me?”

The man looked up from his book and gave out a reassuring smile. “Ah, Luka. I was looking for you,” though he looked a bit tired, with bags under his eyes. “I may have found a clue, or rather, I’ve resolved myself to ask for help,” he sighed.

“A clue?” Luka asked, a bit confused.

Abruptly, Uther stood up with surprising speed. “A clue to help us get you back home, of course!”

“Really?” Luka couldn’t contain his excitement and jumped in place.

But Uther quickly deflated and sat back on the bench. “Well, technically yes,” he sighed again, massaging his temples. “You see, I know someone who can potentially help you, but…”

“But?”

“She is… Quite the individual, you see?” he said, his voice full of exasperation. “I wish we didn’t have to rely on her, but I don’t think I’m capable of resolving this problem alone.”

Luka steeled himself, thinking who could possibly make him this tired just thinking about them.

“She is known as the goddess of the mountain in Ryuuji, an absurdly powerful mage living secluded atop the highest mountain in the world…” He inhaled sharply before continuing. “Since Kanami will be going to Ryuuji tonight, I suggest that you follow her and meet this person to ask for her help.”

“I don’t want to sound rude but… Why not ask Kanami directly?”

“There are many reasons, but the primary one is because of this fox’s personality. You see, this ‘goddess’,” he said, making air quotes, “is very annoying. She likes to challenge people to prove their worth. On top of that, there is a high chance that she won’t accept an audience with Kanami, me, or anyone else other than you.”

Luka was a bit taken aback and asked, unconvinced. “And… Why is that? I mean, I’m not special or anything.”

“Au contraire!” Uther chuckled. “You are from another world, Luka. That will likely pique her interest.”

“Okay so, just to see if I’m getting all of this right… I’m going on a journey with Kanami to Ryuuji and ask for an audience with the ‘goddess’,“ Luka mimicked Uther’s air quotes, ”All of that so she can help me.”

“That’s right!”

“There’s no other way is there? Like teleportation or something? I mean, you’re a super strong mage right?”

“I’m strong yes,” Uther laughed humbly. “But I am nowhere near capable of accomplishing such an incredible feat as sightless teleportation!”

Luka breathed deeply to persuade himself. “Okay then, I’ll prepare some bags…”

There was no way around it. Luka didn’t want to stay here forever, and if this was a chance to go home, he had to take it.

“Besides, it won’t be so bad. I’ll see more of this world and I’m escorted by someone who can protect me,” he muttered.

Uther nodded while stroking his chin. “True, but don’t rely too much on Kanami. Take with you the book I gave you the other day and continue your magic training.”

“Yes, professor,” Luka bowed deeply.

Uther patted him on the shoulder. “Also, one more warning,” his expression turned serious. “You are still being targeted and ‘they’ will likely follow you during your journey.”

“I know, thanks for the warning.”

“You know, Luka, the more I talk to you, the more I like you. I genuinely hope you do not turn out like Desmond and that you go back to your home.”

“I still don’t know who that Desmond guy is, but thank you.”

The professor chuckled softly again and stood up. “You shouldn’t know, that’s for the best, trust me,” and after bowing slightly, took his leave.

Luka watched him as he left, thinking to himself.

He didn’t seem hostile to Kanami…

It was getting weirder and weirder as time went on. But for now, he decided to focus on the journey at hand. Not wasting a single second, Luka climbed up to the second floor to go back to his room. Up there, near his room, there was a familiar rounded face waiting for him, as well as his son.

“My, Luka!” Safaran greeted warmly, stroking his mustache as usual. “I wanted to ask you something!”

Archibald stood beside him, arms crossed, his piercing blue eyes scrutinizing Luka carefully. Luka couldn’t help but notice he was also fiddling with what looked like a wand, as if ready to strike.

“Sir Safaran,” Luka bowed slightly. Beneath the warm welcome he usually gave him, Luka couldn’t help but feel wary around him, especially because of his son. “What gives me the pleasure?”

“Glad you’re asking! You see, I wondered if you could help Kanami in retrieving the sacred water in Ryuuji.”

Luka blinked, taken aback. “What?”

Archibald, sensing Luka’s confusion, stepped forward and revealed his wand, a subtle but clear display of his readiness. Luka instinctively took a step back, trying to compose himself.

“May I ask why?” Luka inquired cautiously.

Safaran’s face grew solemn, his wrinkles deepening with concern. “I wouldn’t want Kanami to fail. My brother, the king, is in grave danger, and I fear that if Kanami goes alone, she might not succeed...” His voice trailed off, filled with worry.

“But why me?”

It didn’t make any sense. If what the maid said was right, this man had someone on the same skill level as Kanami, or close to it. He could send him along with her if he was that worried.

“My handyman, Julius, is currently occupied and I don’t have the manpower to send anyone,” he sighed. “And I’ve heard you were from Desmond’s world, which means you’re capable of handling this, aren’t you?”

Luka frowned. “I’m still learning. I’m not sure how much help I’d be.”

Safaran placed a reassuring hand on Luka’s shoulder. “You’re more resourceful than you think. Kanami will benefit from your presence, and you might learn something valuable on this journey. It’s our best option right now.”

Archibald’s intense gaze didn’t waver. Luka felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him. “It was already decided that I would go,” he explained. “Uther asked me to do something in Ryuuji as well.”

Safaran took a step back, clapping his hands together. “Really now? Oh, thank you, Luka, this means a lot to me.”

Luka nodded, a slight smile drawn on his face. Archibald stored away his wand inside his blue coat and unlocked his gaze from him.

“You know, you didn’t need to threaten me,” Luka said, warily.

Safaran looked at Luka, a bit confused. “Threaten? But I—”

“It’s alright, father. Let’s go,” Archibald took Safaran by the arm and dragged him away.

“Why not go yourself if you’re that worried…” Luka grumbled under his breath, gazing menacingly at the back of Archibald.

Angrily, he opened the door to his room and began preparing his affairs. He packed away some clothes, stored some money and all sorts of objects in his infinite pockets, and then resumed his magical training for the day. He still had time until he left tonight and wanted to get the most out of it. Taking the book out, he flipped through the pages and started reading. Of course, most of the spells there were nearly impossible for him to cast, so he decided to keep with the basic stuff.

This is how he spent most of the day and once the sun was starting to set, he closed the book, sighing heavily and rubbing his eyes that were hurting from the strain of reading so much. His hands were slightly burnt due to his experimentations with the Esfelto spell. During his last ambush, he tried to modify the spell in a way that could create a bright light, akin to a flashbang grenade by pouring his mana differently, but it had failed thus far.

Leaning back on his chair, he looked through the window. From there he had a view of the woods where Kanami lived, as well as the backyard of the castle. It was peaceful, far more peaceful than the bustling and rustling of the city back in his world. The birds were chirping, the leaves were moving, a moment he decided to take in fully.

Until he noticed the graves he discovered on the first day. Standing in front of them was Morgann, her white robe fluttering in the wind as she was holding a bouquet.

His breath stopped and some kind of nausea started acting up.

He sighed and took his bag as well as his book. It was already almost time for him to leave and he had to join Kanami anyway. Throttling at full speed, he descended the stairs and arrived in the backyard, Morgann was still there.

His nausea was still present, but he put it aside for now and approached her, his curiosity stronger.

“Good evening, your Majesty,” he feigned a smile.

Startled, Morgann jumped back in surprise. “W-What? Who—” she then recognized and sighed deeply, clutching her chest. “Oh, it’s you, Luka. Don’t scare me like that.”

“Ahah, sorry,” Luka scratched his head apologetically. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I was just… Taking care of them,” she said, glancing back at the tombs where fresh flowers had been placed.

Luka followed Morgann’s gaze to the graves, noting the fresh flowers. A somber air surrounded the place, regret and sorrow seeping from the ground like water. He hesitated to speak again, unsure if he was intruding too much on this private moment.

“I don’t want to sound impolite but… Were they close to you?” he asked softly.

Morgann nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Yes. It’s always hard to come here…” she stopped, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

Luka felt a bit embarrassed but sympathetic. He even asked himself why he decided to come here at this moment and was regretting it slowly.

“Sorry for interrupting, I should get going—”

But as he turned around, Morgann's composure broke, and tears began rolling down her cheeks. “I’m so tired…” she said between gasps of air.

He turned back, and a sudden ache had taken over his heart. He sighed and hesitated for a moment, then took a step closer. “It’s okay,” he said gently. “It’s normal to cry.”

At times like this, he never knew what to do. All he could do was be present.

Morgann wiped her tears with the back of her hand and sniffed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Luka helped her compose herself by handing out a tissue he had stored in his pocket.

“Thank you,” Morgann took the tissue and wiped her face while keeping her noble manners. It was kind of funny to Luka to see her still maintaining her stature at a moment like this. After completely wiping her tears away, she breathed deeply and gave out a weak smile. “It’s just… No one actually talks much about it, so…”

Luka nodded, smiling back. “It’s hard when you can’t talk about it to anyone?”

“Exactly.”

“Then, I am all ears.” Luka sat down on the ground cross-legged.

“Huh?”

“You need to get it out of your system, right? The least I could do is listen.”

Morgann looked at him, dumbfounded. “You really don’t mind? But you’re—”

“Not at all! I know I don’t know much, but I know how to listen.” He dropped his head a little. “But I understand if you don’t trust me. It’s hard to share something with a stranger.”

Morgann stared at him for a moment, her emotions warring with her rationality. Everything he said made sense, but she was still suspicious. But until now, even with her close ones, she didn’t share her feelings towards what happened. She was the princess of the kingdom, she needed to be strong, that, she knew.

But… If it was a total stranger that had no connection to anyone, someone completely unrelated to this world, perhaps…

His smile, his damned smile… It was naive, and innocent as if he was just waiting for her to play with him, with his eyes full of expectations. What was wrong with him? She thought. One day he is all shy and anxious just by being near you, and the second he is assured and you could almost depend on him.

“I don’t get it… I don’t get it but alright,” she sat in front of him, hugging her knees tightly, “It all happened two years ago, but we could rewind the clock more than that…”

So, she started telling her story, as well as those two heroes buried here.

When Morgann was little, she was sheltered by her father. She had no friends of her own age and no one she could play with. Studying manners and writing, learning how to behave like a proper princess, was her everyday life. Up until now, she didn’t mind this lifestyle. Her father was strict but loving, never giving her everything she wanted since he always thought that life was all about making with what we already have.

But one day, a kid two years older arrived at the castle. One of the king’s friends, a mysterious warrior from the land of Ryuuji, had a son. Dark hair, brown eyes, and a constant frown on his face. His voice was like a whisper in the night, never gathering attention towards him. And he was right to do so since everyone hated him.

“Disgusting.”

“Abhorrent."

“He should’ve never been born.”

From the passers-by to the maids, even the king thought like that. And yet, he was allowed to live here, in a small wooden house built near the castle in the woods.

“What’s your name?”

One day, as he was doing his usual training, a young girl approached him, wearing a white dress adjusted to her size. The young boy looked at her defiantly, but his gaze soon turned neutral. Unlike every other person, she didn’t bore any ill will towards him. Perhaps it was her young age that allowed her to not know what hatred was, but even he didn’t think that was the case. No kids wanted to play with him. No adults wanted to see him. Even his master(father) treated him harshly.

“Wrimbo,” he stated his name, still swinging his wooden sword, his eyes focused on his objective.

The young Morgann was amazed, admirative of him, always working hard. Just like her.

This was twelve years ago. He was eight, she was six, and at that moment, they were their only friends. She had to teach him how to play, making tea parties with him as well as playing catch.

“But he never truly smiled,” Morgann sighed.

“...”

Luka stayed silent, listening attentively to the story. He already had noted a few things that were interesting before she moved on.

“After a while, when he came of age, he became a knight of Sora. I’m the one who personally knighted him at the cathedral.”

He was eighteen. The new blue uniform he was given suited him well and Morgann was personally involved in his newly acquired status. Everyone hated him, but she would make sure he lived happily. For about three years, he had already met all the knights and was getting along somewhat with them.

Darian Galterr the shield of Sora, thought of him as a little brother.

Yonn the fire mage, was annoyed by him.

Anna the logistician, didn’t think much of him.

Jason Borone the chief of the knights, considered him like his own son.

Wrimbo was somewhat content with his situation here and was looking forward to becoming a respectable knight of renown, adored by everyone.

“And that’s when a new knight arrived,” Morgann continued, glancing at the second tombstone. “Ilys Edensveel, probably the strongest mage history has ever seen.”

Luka’s ears perked up and he shifted his position in excitement.

A young girl with long golden hair and green eyes, an exemplary mage that no one ever thought of seeing. Specialized in restorative magic, the most complex and difficult magic to learn, she was able to restore lost limbs and heal even the most deadly curses and sicknesses.

And she didn’t bore any ill will towards Wrimbo.

Soon, they became friends. The best duo in all of Sora, an unstoppable force that bandits and evil mages could only bow down to.

“But…” Her voice became thick with emotions. “Two years ago, something happened.”

The scent of burning flesh, a land of corpses covering a hill…

It was the incident that started everything.

Anna died, torn to pieces by them. Yonn died, fighting his long-lost father. Wrimbo’s master(father) died, a bullet piercing his skull as he smiled for the last time.

“The only family Wrimbo had was killed by Desmond,” she added, gazing at Luka. His clothes made her think about him. “He was a bit like you, but older. Always lighting a cigarette and happy-go-lucky.” She chuckled darkly, her nails digging into the flesh of her hands. “We only found out way later on that Desmond was the one responsible for his death.”

So that what Archibald meant by having the knights being disbanded…

“At first, everyone thought it was the king of mages that had killed him. Since his cult was the one that attacked the knights and killed both Yonn and Anna,” Morgann continued.

“The king of mages?”

“Zaran Edensveel, a mage that was sealed during the great demon war long ago,” Morgann bit her lips. “He was an abhorrent man, going to any length possible just to achieve his goals and his thirst for immortality.”

Afterward, Wrimbo went into a blind rage, killing anyone connected with Zaran.

“Wrimbo… Was not a good person.” Morgann added, tears starting to well up inside her eyes once more.

“What do you mean?”

But she couldn’t say it, her throat unable to make a single sound. Instead, she trailed off to something else.

“He saved me numerous times. But he also did bad things.”

“I see…”

“In the end, he managed to kill the king of mages, but at the cost of his own life, as well as Ilys, killed by Desmond as well.”

Luka bit his lips slightly. Now he understood why they were that suspicious of him. A man, coming from the same world as the one who caused all of these deaths…

He smiled slightly at her and let out a small chuckle. “You liked him, didn’t you?”

She nodded, smiling faintly. “Yes. He was important to me, that’s why—”

That’s why she had to stay strong, just like him.

“Please, Luka,” she bowed her head slightly. “Help Kanami to save my father, I beg of you.”

However, she was stuck here, unable to do anything on her own, she had to rely on others. Hearing him sigh, her heart skipped a beat until he flashed a bright smile and his thumb up.

“Don’t worry, I’ll do whatever it takes to get that water back, Morgann.”

For the first time, he called her by her name. After all, he was always willing to respect hierarchy, but in truth, he couldn’t care less. Everyone was human, everyone was the same—a bundle of experiences and pain that built us.

The princess smiled back, relief washing over her. She had no reason to trust him, but seeing someone this confident gave her at least a light in the darkness that was her current situation.

“Thank you, Luka. Now go, Kanami isn’t going to wait for you.”

“Wait, you haven’t told her?”

Morgann blinked. “No… Didn’t you?”

His eyes widened in realization and he stopped almost immediately. “Kanami! Wait for meeee!” Rushing towards the stables, as if his life depended on it.