I'm now nervous. Now that I’ve finished the [Hidden Quest], I can rest easy. But on the other hand, I haven't seen Yur1 or Wind anywhere here. They know about my brother, but they haven't said anything about him. Still, I can't be impatient after I finished my [Sign Creation Ceremony]. So all I can do is follow the sages to see their leader: The [Awakened Sage]. Man, I wonder what they look like. I'm excited just knowing another part of this world's lore just by finishing a [Hidden Quest]! That and an awesome [Mastery] that's only available to me (and hopefully, Yur1 soon).
[You've been quiet lately, Kazu,] Sentio says to me. [You don't have to keep it all to yourself. You have questions about us and the [Sign Creation] in general, right?]
Huh? How did she know about what I'm trying to ask later?
"Uh... Yeah. Is it rude for me to ask about them right now?" I ask.
[If we do, we would have to punish you for that question. Not to worry, young [Insignis]. We are a curious kind after we were granted the right to live in this world we now called home. So feel free to ask whatever is on your mind.]
Is that so? Well, if she says so. Besides, I can't keep it in for much longer!
"Okay. You know about someone named
[Why yes. We know who she is. How do you know about the
I sheepishly chuckle. "I don't know if it's part of the ceremony. But I saw a memory of her from the [Rune Tablets] when she made the first [Signs]."
Before I can finish, Sentio suddenly grabs my shoulders and says, [Wait… Her memories?! You saw the Progenitor's memories through the [Rune Tablets]?!]
"U-Uh... Yeah?" I stammer. "That's not part of the ceremony at all, is it?"
[That series of memories were never shown in the ceremonies, especially during private ones. It's Origia and the first generation of sages' request to keep it private for reasons we cannot divulge right now. However, she told our forefathers that if her memories were revealed to any one of the participants, that means she has personally delivered to whoever she saw as a turning point in this world.]
Huh? So that girl from before... Was that really Origia in person?!
"I met her between her memories and after!" I say. "Are you telling me that she chose me as that person who will change the world?!"
[I'm sure she would. She has an excellent judge of character and regardless of their talents, she knows who has the power to destroy the world or change it for the better. And it's up to you whether to take the chance or stay in your normal life. We can't force anyone unless...]
"I'll do it."
As soon as I say this, everyone including Sentio stops walking and turns to stare at me with their eyes widened. Okay, maybe I'm a bit hasty in my reply.
[I appreciate your quick response, young Kazu. But you must know that following your destiny is no mere task than what you usually do before the ceremony,] Sentio said. [Not everyone who will see your wonders has good intentions for
She's right. Hayate said the same thing after he saved me from my bullies the second time. I tried to find the reason why they bullied me in the first place. I thought I might have made them angry by accident and I planned to apologize afterward. But when I told him about it, Hayate said this:
"Do you think an apology is enough to make your bullies stop attacking you? I know you, Kazuki. And I know you're not the type to not apologize after you make an accident. You've been apologizing to them many times now and it seems like they didn't stop at all. When it comes to those people, they have no good reason to bully you in the first place. The only way to stop is to ignore them at all."
Thinking about it, it sounded harsh to process that fact. While our parents agreed about it, they agreed on the last two sentences. The bullies don't need a reason to bully me. I know some of them have. But the more I think about it, the more I understand what they were trying to warn me about. In the end, I decided to stand up against them at the end of elementary school. I did have some help thanks to Hayate, but I managed to cut them off for good before I moved on to middle school. I wish I could do something to let them stop being bullies, but all I can do is stop thinking about my past and start thinking about what I want to do in life.
"I know I should try to think more about it. But if I keep hesitating, then I won't be able to move forward as an adventurer and mage. I already made up my mind the moment I took this ceremony seriously. Besides, I'm not alone in my adventures. I have Wind and all of our friends helping us. As long as they are by our side, there is no way we can lose against those jerks who will try to destroy my dream to travel and discover some new mysteries of
[That's exactly what I want to hear from Origia's chosen!]
I turn around to see where that voice has come from. I see a large figure wearing a white robe with gold ornaments and frills on its collar and the ends of it and a hood attached to it that covers the person's face. Underneath his robe was a bluish-gray suit of sorts and some jewelry that I can barely tell because they hid their hands behind it.
[Oh! [Awakened Sage]! We didn't expect you to be here!] Sentio says.
[That's alright, Sentio. It's my fault since I'm too curious to meet with the latest [Insignis] magician who has come of age,] the Sage says to Sentio in a strange robotic voice of sorts. [Besides, who wouldn't want to meet a young man who managed to take down a [Tempest Fridgete] and met the Progenitor herself?]
I can't help but chuckle at their compliment. I guess my antics made me the talk of all Sages around here, I think. But something seems off about them. First off, I haven't seen any crystals above their head and when I turned to see the other Sages, I notice that their blue crystals are gone. Was this part of the game? Either way, I can't break my immersion over this small detail.
[We will be checking on the other participants right now. Is there anything we can do for you before we will leave you alone, sir?]
The [Awakened Sage] shakes his head. [That won't be necessary. I will guide young Kazu to my chambers by myself. Feel free to return to your duties.]
All of the Sages bow their heads before Sentio turns to her superior. [Try not to make him feel nervous, sir.]
Huh? What does that mean? Not like I can find out as I watch Sentio and the others leave while I'm escorted to wherever the [Awakened Sage] wants me to go.
----------------------------------------
Once I arrive, I gasp as soon as I enter his chamber. It's a room with concrete walls, a wooden desk and a chair with two blue banners behind them, a white sofa and a coffee table on the opposite side, a bookshelf on the right side of the room, and a table with a pitcher of water that has strange red and blue crystals attached to it and glass cups. Looking at all of the decor here, it reminds me of Dad's home office at home. Even the messy pile of books near the door reminds me of his files and folders whenever we enter it without keeping them in one piece, except this one is, luckily.
[Make yourself at home, Kazu. I know you have a lot of questions about the ceremony and your heritage,] the Sage says as he approaches the table and gingerly taps the red gem on the pitcher that made it glow for some reason. [But it would be wise to relax for a while after that grueling test you had.]
He's right that I need a rest. From fighting a boss monster to witnessing a story of a girl changing the world to me creating a special spell that is meant for me, I’ve had a long day. But that doesn't mean I'm ready to shove my questions away right now. Heck, I don't know how to get back to Arthur and Razul or what happened to Wind while Yur1 and I were gone. He also disappeared in that strange portal with us, so there's no way he would have faced some monsters back at the
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"Actually, [Awakened Sage], sir. I want to know what happened to my older brother..."
Just as I finish my question, the Sage suddenly comes back with two mugs that weren't on the table before and placed the one with a brown drink that smelled very familiar in front of me. I tap on the mug out of curiosity to see what it is.
> [Hot Marshmallow Chocolate]
>
> [A warm hot drink made by melting chocolate and mixing it with milk before topping it off with puffy marshmallows. Perfect for rainy and snowy weather!
>
> Effect: Temporarily increases [Heat Resistance] by 20%
>
> Quality: 11]
Hot Choco?! And with marshmallows, too?! Whoa, if this is my reward for this [Hidden Quest], then I'm all for it!
[Don't worry about him, Kazu. I'm sure that whatever Hayate has been going through, I'm sure he will be fine on his own. Now, drink it in time before it gets cold. I hope it's perfect for your taste. I want to make sure the marshmallows are enough to sweeten the bitterness of your drink.]
I'm glad he managed to do that for me. The ones Dad has made are too bitter thanks to him adding those chocolate tablets from that Philippines street fair at a street nearby every year.
Now that I think about it, how does he know my preference when it comes to hot choco? I hadn't even asked for one, yet he manages to make one that is perfect the way I wanted. Not only that, I never mentioned Wind's name, but he said his real-life name instead. How can an NPC know that?!
I quickly draw my staff (while trying not to drop the mug, still don't know if it's drugged or not) and stand up as I glare at the Sage. "Okay, I want to go along with this game's role-play without breaking it. But I will not stand for anyone who dared to know my brother's real name!"
God, if this is the work of the hackers, I can't imagine what will happen to me next. I'm not as well-versed as Zac and Hayate when it comes to this stuff, but if that NPC tries to corrupt my character...
[Easy, easy! It's alright! Kazuki, it's me! Gosh, I never expected you to have your brother's over-cautiousness, too.] Before I can ask, the Sage taps something on his necklace and removes his hood. It was only when I saw his face that I drop not only my staff but also my jaw. "Now that I think about it, maybe meeting you as my character might not be the smartest way to see my youngest son in the game."
Youngest son...
The Sage has bluish-white hair and light skin like mine, except he has sharp green eyes like Wind's and some wrinkles below them. And his voice is deep with a sense of familiarity around it. Along with his last statement, it didn't take long for me to realize who he really is.
"...Dad?!"
Yeah... My shock is a bit understatement if I describe it in words. I can't even say anything else thanks to the fact I'm still processing that my Dad is not only in the game but as the [Awakened Sage] himself!
"Sorry about that, Kaz. I didn't know how to tell you the news since this event was a bit unexpected for everyone in the game development team including the AI department. I wanted to tell you beforehand, but you know how the companies keep their secrets before the release."
Oh... That makes sense. It's no different with my Dad's company. Whenever they work on something super important, they have to do some behind-the-scenes stuff to make it secret to the public. That means they won't tell much of anything until the due date and my Dad had to keep it secret from me, Hayate, and Mom. For example, I only found out he was involved in [Isekai Online's] game development after it made a long livestream video that told us from the gameplay, lore, and who would work on the first VRMMO of [VeilCon's] world and NPC's brains. He gave me a call afterward and we planned how we would surprise the others. The rest was history.
"Yeah. You called it "NDA", right?" I said. "I get the secrecy, but why are you acting as an [Awakened Sage] here? Isn't controlling an [NPC] in this game not considered one anymore?"
"Well... Yes and no."
Yes and no? I'm completely confused by his answer.
"You know what? Normally, they are not allowed to know everything that I'm about to show you. But since you've earned the right to know, I can trust you and Hayate you won't leak this out."
Dad waves his left hand and a UI window pops in front of me. It looks like a stats window. You normally need to ask permission to share them even if you're with a party. But I never expect him to share his character's stats from the get-go.
> [Earth Dux]
>
> [The Awakened Sage]
>
> [Role-Player]
>
> [Race: Insignis]
"[Role...Player]?" I read out from the window. "As in "roleplaying"?"
"Yes. It actually exists during the game's alpha release. A few players were invited to play the story that was set a few years before the public release and to do so, they granted them pre-determined roles through the [Role-Player] system while not losing the tutorials and gameplay that you see today. In other words, it's sort of like your AI beta player roles you and Hayate have."
"Okay?" At least Dad gave me an explanation my short brain can understand.
"Long story short, me and some of my colleagues were part of it and I got the role of the [The Awakened Sage]. We gave every participating player NDAs to ensure the roles won't get leaked into the internet. If we do, well... They have their ways to keep it a secret."
"Like calling the police on them?"
Dad's eyes widen as he says, "What?! No! What are we, Sage of the Beach?! What I mean is not only did we send out cease-and-desist letters to all hackers and leakers who dared to ruin the game for others, but we also put some secret events to not only throw off whoever came close to the upcoming secret events but to invite those who might be interested in them. As long as they meet the requirements, of course. Why do you think you and your friend have the [Book of Presence] now?"
It only took me a few seconds to realize what he was talking about. "You mean that book that strange guy gave me back at the library?!" I ask. "You mean that was planned from the start?!"
"With a little help from our AI technology, of course. I really don't want to play the nepotism game, but the devs were so impressed with your ingenuity along with Wind adapting to the combat system that they want to test you further with this event. Although it took a while for them to repair the damages you've made from your little incident."
Of course, he had to mention it...
"Don't worry. The damages are minor and the devs are making sure the [Hidden Quest] is difficult enough for everyone to clear including you. You may be my son, but that's how the game works. Not to mention unlocking Origia's story was all on your own. We had nothing to do with choosing that event for you. The cutscenes are 100% RNG, I swear!"
Okay, so that [Tempest Fridgate] victory wasn't a fluke along with that flashback scene. At least there is no reason to doubt my skills. But wait, I’ve realized something from Dad's wording.
"Hang on, you said "us" and Yur1 and I are not the only ones who were transported from the
"Oh... Him? Well..." I can see him scratching the back of his head. That means he did something stupid that would make Mom angry. "Promise you won't get mad?"
"No," I bluntly answer. "And I will tell Mom if you make a big mistake in this game or worse..."
And I have a good reason why I answered that.
Dad then sighs and summons a large crystal above the desk. I look at the crystal very closely. And thank God I hadn't picked up my hot choco because I see not only Wind seemingly looking injured in some sort of a dark room while surrounded in a tornado, but I also saw a copy of him approaching him with yellow eyes and a grin that reminds me a lot of those horror movies my parents and Hayate refused to let me see that was enough to scare out of my wits.
"Wind!" I screamed. "Dad, what did you do?!"
But Dad chuckles awkwardly in response. "Uh... I kinda convinced the Sages to give him a series of trials called the [Test of Courage] and I kinda went overboard with the final boss's AI. So um... Sorry?"
I think I’ve heard enough. I'm not much of the type to get angry. But I quickly draw my staff and start to chant a spell...
"Wait, Kazu! Put your [Crystal Staff] down! There's no violence in the [Sage's Chambers]! I'm sorry!"
Oh, there will be if Wind won't survive in that fight and loses more than his stats. I hope you're safe, big bro.
For now, I'm...trying my best not to release [Lightning Bolt] out of anger by accident...
----------------------------------------
> Current Quest: Meet the [Awakened Sage] *
>
> Type: [Hidden]
>
> Status: In Progress
>
> Party Member[s]:
>
> [Kazu]
----------------------------------------
Kazu's Masteries
[Arcana] Level 21
[Thunder] Level 18
[Wind] Level 15
[Alchemy] Level 18
[Magecrafting] Level 17
[Magical Affinity] Level 20
[Scribe] Level 23
[Earth] Level 10
[Sign Creation] Level 1