Chapter 2: A New Family

Darkness.

Only the perpetual darkness of the abyss was what greeted him the moment he opened his eyes. And he continued to float there for what seemed like eternity. Suddenly, a string of light passed by him, and though without reason, he grabbed the unending string. He flew through the perpetual black, and his soul passed through multiple universes. It was a spectral sight, yet it seemed pristinely divine.

An orb of light passed through him, and with a single finger, he touched it. Multiple streams of light embraced his body, and the soul’s life flashed through his mind. Pain, happiness, sadness—all kinds of emotion unfolded themselves before him. Tears streamed down his eyes as he realized that it was his own life he was watching.

A large swirling vortex appeared in front of him, and he was sucked by the translucent white.

****

Ortas was a small village located at the outskirts of the Empire of Kulaima. Blessed with peaty soil, it was a village dedicated to farming. Composed of only a handful number of residents, the entire village was one big family. And today, a ‘big’ event was happening inside the household of the village’s blacksmith—his wife was giving birth to their first child. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the new member of their humble village.

“GUUUUUAAAAAHHH!” Cried the woman lying on a mattress. Her legs were spread wide open, all the while an elderly woman have her hands placed in between her thigh.

“Just a little bit more! You can do it Minerva!” The white-haired woman said.

“GUUUUUAAAAAHHH!” The woman named Minerva cried. Her legs were cramped, and the intoxicating amount of nausea made her want to stop.

“Finally!” The midwife exclaimed. She gently held the newborn on her palm. The child was filled with speckles of blood, and the midwife used a smooth satin cloth to wipe it away. She wore a complex expression; jubilance and confusion. The child was not crying, still, she was able to subtly hear its lightly beating heart through her fingers. It was without a doubt alive. She lightly spanked it with her fore finger, but it still refused to cry its first.  Everyone in the room looked at the white-haired woman as she held the body of the newborn child in her wrinkled hands.

“W-what’s wrong?” The blacksmith inquired. He was standing at the corner of the room all along, too mortified to move as he watched his wife scream of pain and agony.

“It’s male,” She uttered. The blacksmith and his wife Minerva squeaked a sound of joy as they heard that it was male. In a farming village, males were highly regarded. “It’s alive, but it’s not crying. At this rate… it might die.”

The couple became dumbfounded as they heard the words uttered by the midwife. Everyone knew that a healthy child would cry the moment it was out of the womb, but the child seemed different.

“I-it’s not crying? Krisse!” Minerva anxiously looked at her husband. Tears immediately streamed down her eyes as she repeated the words over and over inside her head. She covered her eyes with both hands, and she began sobbing.

“That can’t be! I can’t let that happen!”  Krisse declared. He walked towards the elderly woman, and gently took the child in his hands. His eyes widened when he saw the pale body of the child. It was thin, and was definitely dying. It was in desperate need of air, of which only crying could actually amply provide.

Tears flowed down his eyes as he watched his first child succumb to its death. “Don’t die… please… Daniek… Dan.”

The child’s eyes slightly widened as it heard the words uttered by his father. The name given to him was something he was very much familiar with. His tiny lips quivered, and his face distorted into a soft wrinkle. And as if boldly declaring his appearance to the world, he cried with all his might.

“UUUUUUUAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”

****

It had been five years since his birth. The child was sitting on top a hill that overlooked the entirety of the village. The sun was setting, and its light crimson rays that seeped through the clouds gave ample illumination. Beyond the horizon was a gargantuan fortress of a wall that was filled with battlements on top. It spanned four hundred meters in height; it almost touched the clouds. From his position, he could see the endless gold that continued to sway along with the wind. It was the village’s pride and joy: Miraka Wheat.

“Here you are,” Krisse said. He sat beside his only son, and his gaze darted towards the fortress before them. “You really like looking at the Great Wall huh?”

“Nnnn…,” Daniek replied. The short grasses that canopied the ground swayed eastward, along with the wind. It was not actually the Great Wall he was interested in; it was what was beyond it. In his meager life of five years, he found out that he was born in one of the poorest village in the continent of Tal. It was a village that was not even recognized as existing by the Empire.

It took him five years to finally accept the things as they were. Still, his mind was filled with questions, questions about the reason of his existence. He was more than grateful that fate allowed him to carry the name of his brother, but he would have long preferred to have not been reincarnated. He would have preferred to not have retained his memories.

“The Great Wall… the wall that enclosed the entire Empire of Kulaima. My son, only those recognized by the empire can enter through that. Our village is so minute that we are left to fend for ourselves. Even during times of peril, the Empire will just watch as we all succumb to our deaths.” Krisse said. His callused hands were touching the dewy ground. His heart continued to tighten as the thought of their stature resonated inside his mind. Why can’t he give his only child the solace he wanted? Why was he so powerless? His lips quivered as he tried to suppress a wallow.

Daniek knew of the thoughts that were currently resounding through his father’s mind. “It’s fine. I am more than happy enough that I have a family… that I have you and mom with me.”

Krisse warmly smiled and he patted his son’s red-haired head. “Let’s go. Your mother baked us some high quality breads.”

Daniek stood up, and his tiny hands were held by his father’s. The chilly breeze continued to blow, and their tunics cut till their knees fluttered aimlessly. Below the hill were arrays of houses that were several meters apart. The brown-black road was wide, and numerous goats were tethered at a corner. It took them ten minutes to go down the small hill adjacent to the village.

“Oh Krisse! How’s the shovel I’ve asked you to make?” A man with a bald head greeted the two of them. He was carrying a wooden bucket on his right arm.

“It’ll be done soon. Probably tomorrow,” Krisse replied. Behind him was Daniek, and the child wore a polite smile on his snow-colored face.

“Dan’s birthday’s soon huh?” The bald man said. He bent his body and leaned towards the five year old child. “What do you want as present for your birthday young man? Ask away! Ask away!’

The villagers that saw that scenario lightly chuckled. Everyone knew that the bald man was very fond of Daniek. After all, he was the child’s uncle. He was the older brother of Minerva.

“I wish that I won’t grow bald like you when I grow up, uncle Vale,” The child jeered. Everyone burst laughing after the child’s remark.

“Nice birthday wish Dan! We’re definitely not fond of bald men in this village! HAHAHA!”

“Yeah, Vale is more than enough. Oohhh, just the thought of another bald guy inside this village makes me shiver!”

“Preposterous! This bald man that you guys spoke of is the most handsome bachelor in this area!” Vale remarked as he flexed his muscles.

Daniek chided with the villagers and joined in the laughter. Somehow, such scenarios were his simple pleasures in life. It was a far cry from his usual slaughter back when he was still Hades. Back then, everywhere he went through was filled with blood and great agony. But now, it was different. Though the village he was born in was small, the peace that lingered inside filled him with comfort and peace of mind. It was something he cherished with all his heart. It was something that money cannot definitely buy.

After the merry greetings, the two of them turned left after a tailoring shop. Afterwards, they continued walking forward until they stopped by in front of a small shack. The scent of freshly baked bread emanated in the air, and the two grinned at each other. Krisse knocked on the door twice.

“Oh, you’re back!” Minerva cheered. She was wearing a blue frilled apron that covered her dark olive dress. Her face was filled with occasional trickles of sweat.

“We’re back, mom,” Daniek said. He placed his palm on his chest, and lightly bowed his head. During his five years of life, he had learned of the world’s customs, and it was one of it.

“Oh, what an aroma!” Krisse entered inside and kissed the forehead of his fragile wife. His muscular arms twined around her waist, and he hugged her tight.

“I’m sure the two of you are hungry,” Minerva said. She placed her hand on Daniek’s shoulder and added. “Come on, let’s eat.”

The three of them sat before a spherical wooden table. A large bread was placed on top of a wooden plate, right at the table’s center. The bread was cracked open, and its inside was filled with steamed cattle meat. It seemed that the world he was reincarnated in have animals very similar to the previous one, though this time, instead of technology, the world was ran with magic.

“At the hills again I suppose?” Minerva asked her child. She was distributing the large bread to the two.

“Yes, mother,” Daniek said. “The Empire of Kulaima, how large is it?”

Krisse and Minerva looked at each other. They have noticed it before. Intellect wise, their child seemed to be a cut above the rest of the kids in their village. He had learned to speak at the age of one, and he had learned to read and write at the age of two. And now, he was asking something that even most of the villagers haven’t thought of. Somehow, everyone in their village was complacent of the serene life that they have.

“I’ve been inside the Empire once, when I delivered the spears I made for a Marquis.” Krisse replied. He gulped down the tea on his left and continued. “It is large. Absurdly large. You could fit tens of thousands of this village of ours, and there would still be enough space left.”

“And there are three more others like it? Four empires in total. The continent of Tal sure is vast,” Daniek said. He elegantly split his meal in half, and using the trident-like fork, he stuffed his food into his mouth.

“Yes. That’s why the Empire of Kulaima does not bother with the villages at its outskirts. Just the villages located at the fifth district are more than enough of a problem for them. Surely, a tiny village like ours is nothing but a speck of dust for the Great Empire,” Krisse said. The fire inside the rectangular lamp at the wall flickered for a moment, and their shadows danced along with it. “You said a week before that you wanted to see magic, right?”

Daniek paused and tilted his head in surprise. “Yes, but no one in the village knows how to use magic.”

“A convoy from the city of Urek is going to come here to restock on supplies,” Krisse grinned. “I was asked to fix their weapons upon their arrival. And guess what?” His eyes twinkled, “They agreed when I asked for a day of tutorials as payment! A single day of magic lessons from a rank B magician!”

Minerva was silently listening to the conversation of the two. She wiped her lips with a napkin, and refilled Krisse’s tea cup. She uttered, “So that’s why you’ve been so excited these last few days huh? No wonder.”

“But father, is it alright? You won’t get any Yilian as payment for that one,” Dan worriedly replied. Yilian was the name of the currency used in his current world. It was divided into four kinds. Kelt, which is equivalent to copper; Ors, which is equivalent to silver; Wys, which is equivalent to gold, and Leki—equivalent to a diamond. A hundred Kelt is equivalent to an Ors, and so forth.

Krisse waived his hand in the air. “It’s fine. It’s fine. That very same day is your birthday my son! Think of it as a birthday gift!”

“Thank you father,” Daniek said. Somehow, the feeling of a having a family again brought him to tears. The mere fact that his father was more than willing to give up the potential Yilian for his mere wish of seeing magic squeezed at his heart.

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The couple was stunned when they saw the tears that streamed down their child’s eyes. Immediately afterwards, they stood up, went towards Daniek, and gave him a hug.

“It’s natural,” Minerva said. “You don’t have to cry for such things Dan. We are family after all.”

****

One week after, Daniek’s birthday came. The entire village took part in the celebration, and along with it were the members of the convoy. Everyone was gathered in front of the blacksmith’s house; all were inside encirclement. A mage was the center of attention.

“So, onto the magic!” A skinny man with a turban on his head declared. Contrary to his fragile appearance, he was a magician of B rank. He was one of the three magicians that was part of the convoy from Urek.

“Anguis,” The skinny man uttered. Immediately after, the air formed into a translucent snake that spanned twenty meters. It silently hissed its declaration of birth, and afterwards twined itself to its summoner.

“This is one of the three forms of summoning magic,” The man said. The crowd was agape at the divine-like summoned creature of the mage. Alongside them was Daniek, who was the reason for the performance. “One can summon a creature using one of the three methods. First, summoning a creature of your very own creation—this viper here is a perfect example; second, summoning a creature from the ethereal realm, by that I mean the heavenly realm or the underworld. Such feat is the strongest and yet, the most dangerous. There is always the risk of summoning rejection—your summoned creature may turn against you if it deemed you unworthy. Lastly, you can summon a creature from this very world. That method is the simplest form, and the easiest one to perform.”

“How did you create such a creature?” Daniek asked. His eyes were transfixed on the white viper that was still twined on its caster.

“The process is difficult, mostly unending incantations. Personally, I was able to create this one here due to the help of many others.” He stroked the head of the hissing viper. “Just a single creature of such caliber took me three weeks to create, and that was with the help of four other mages from the Ilian Academy.”

“Ilian Academy?” Daniek uttered. It was the first time he heard of it.

“Oh, now that’s a surprise. Ilian is famous as the best school for mages in the entire Empire of Kulaima. Well, it’s the only school for mages… Still, it is long accepted to be the best one there is.” The man diligently replied. Somehow, he found the curious kid entertaining. “They even say that it’s better than the mage schools at the Empires of Elevon, Mortedh, and Helyaga.”

“In short, it’s the best magical school in the entire continent of Tal?” Daniek’s eyes glimmered with interest.

“Hahaha! That’s right kid! Glad that you’re quick to take in the topic,” The turbaned man chuckled. Turning his head to his right, he nodded towards a bulky man cladded in red garb. His face was ridden with numerous scars, and a sour look was plastered on his face. The man walked towards the center, and positioned himself next to the summoner.

“Now, this man may look like a bandit, but he is an elemental mage!” He declared. The bulky man squinted his eyes at the mention of the word ‘bandit’, but the summoner paid it no heed. “An elemental mage is one of the hardest classes to obtain. It basically needs inherent talent and hard work!”

“Ignis” The elemental mage uttered. Immediately after the utterance of the word, an orb of fire formed on his opened palm. It twirled violently, cruised upwards, and exploded. A loud bang reverberated all throughout the village, and everyone murmured in excitement as the transient blaze was reflected upon their eyes.

“Ehem,” The mage coughed. His voice was raspy. “I’m an elemental mage just like the skinny guy said,” He smirked at the summoner. “Elemental mages are basically the strongest ones. At least, that is the generally accepted fact. Still, just like the stupid brat beside me said, it needs inherent talent and hard work, and most of all—large amount of mana pool.”

The bandit-looking guy pulled out a fist-sized marble. Its glimmering sapphire color has a swirling gray inside it.

“This one’s an Orb of Mana. When you go to Ilian or other magical institution to enroll, you’ll be sure to encounter one.” Still holding the fist-sized marble, he uttered, “Quod.”

The twirling gray inside the sapphire gemstone glowed for an instance, and from a gray color, it changed into a yellow one.

“A yellow color means a B rank mana pool,” He uttered. “It is no exaggeration to say that the life of a mage is synonymous to its mana. The greater the amount of mana, the greater are the spells one is able to cast.”

He looked towards Daniek. It was the child’s birthday; everyone knew. “How old are you now?”

“Six, sir,” Daniek replied.

“That’s a good enough age,” The elemental mage said. He handed the orb towards Daniek. “At age of four, an Orb of Mana is able to assess the amount of mana one is able to store inside his body. Utter the words Quod, and the Orb will assess your body’s mana pool.”

Daniek stared at the orb for a moment. A sudden memory resounded inside his mind. ‘This is just like that time huh? That time when I was taken in by the Leopold Family. They also did some sort of assessment test too, and if my memory serves me correct, I got full marks at the test.’

“Quod,” Daniek muttered. The twirling grey inside the orb glowed a dim color, and after a few more moments, everyone was confused of the result. It remained unchanged.

“…” Daniek stared at the orb he was holding, and after a few seconds, he glanced at the elemental mage. Its eyes drooped down as it stared at the confused child.

“…Kid,” The elemental mage glanced at the skinny summoner. After getting a shrug as response, he continued. His voice was low. “You do not have mana. To be exact, you’re mana is too low that the orb is unable to react to it.”

Silence embraced the entire village after those words. Everyone looked towards Daniek’s direction. Everyone knew that the child was very interested in learning magic, and such revelation was like stabbing a stake into the child’s heart.

“Dan… everyone in the village is unable to use magic,” Krisse said in his attempt of comforting his son. He did not want Daniek to have such horrible birthday. Apathetic to the mood, a voice rang out from beyond the crowd.

“No change in color means that the kid’s mana is at the bottom most level.” A tan-skinned man spoke. His furred coat has an insignia of a wing and sword in it.

“Lord Merlot!” The elemental mage spoke. Together with the summoner, the two of them bowed down to their knees.

“M-Merlot? As in the Lord of a Thousand Blades?”

“Heavens! It’s the real thing! One of the fifteen S ranked mages in the Empire of Kulaima is here!”

Numerous murmurs reverberated all throughout the village. Encountering one of the masters of the Empire was as hard as finding a grain of rice in a desert, especially for a poor farming village such as theirs.

“The schedule has changed. We depart in a few minutes. Prepare yourselves,” Merlot said. The two mages saluted in response. He turned towards Daniek and added, “Stay a farmer all your life kid. You have no talent in the art of magic. And if you do have, your mana is too mediocre that whatever you do, you will always remain a bottom feeder.”

“Hey!” Krisse snarled. His fists were clenched as he glared at the S ranked monster. “Watch your mouth! That is my son!”

Everyone in the village gulped down after Krisse raised his voice. They knew that Krisse was a gentle person, and it was the first time they saw the blacksmith become genuinely angry.

“Oh, the blacksmith, correct? I beg your pardon, but what I’ve just stated is the truth—it will never change. There is no sense in sugarcoating things. It’s better if that child comes to accept his reality as early as now,” Merlot maintained his stance. The two mage from before were now beside him, both were ready for the departure. “It’s a pity. But that child will never obtain greater power. He is someone destined to be a mere farmer, a mere villager—all his life.”

Krisse was about to retort at the remark when a gentle and calm voice made the murmurs die out in an instant. The words uttered made everyone’s eyes widened in surprise. It was words that they would have never thought they would hear from a child.

“It’s alright. I do not have to be great. I have no need for that,” Daniek said. He looked towards his father and smiled. “Standing at the top—it’s too lonely. I’d rather be with my family here and enjoy the simple joys everyday life has to offer. That is more than enough of a gift for this meek life of mine.”

Everyone was stunned speechless from such words. Suddenly an unruly chuckle broke the embracing serenity.

“Kukukuku!” Merlot chuckled. His right hand was covering his face as he continued to mockingly laugh at the words uttered by the child. “Standing at the top is lonely? Hah! Child,” His gaze was now transfixed on Daniek, “You speak like you’ve been there. You speak like you’ve experienced what being at the top feels like. A child? Heh! Preposterous!”

“Yes. I’ve been there, and believe me… it’s lonely,” Daniek mumbled. Those words were uttered so low that no one in the village heard it. Still, it seemed that Merlot understood the words uttered by the child just from the movement of its lips alone. His eyes glinted with great interest when he realized that the child was not lying. Merlot had been to thousands of battles before, and he was more than confident of his ability to judge the truthfulness behind a person’s words. And his instinct was screaming at him that the child before him was not lying.

“Child,” Merlot walked towards Daniek. “What is your name?”

“Dan,” He simply replied. At the corner of his eyes, he saw his mother pale in anxiety. Most of the villagers had heard of the S ranked monster Merlot before, and all of the rumors were nasty ones. The Lord of a Thousand Blades was infamous for his sadistic tendencies.

“Dan huh?” Merlot combed his blonde hair towards his back. “Listen kid. I don’t know what kind of experience you’ve gone through, but believe me, this is a world where the strong literally tramples the weak. Inevitably, there will come a time wherein a peace cherishing individual like you will have no choice but fight.”

“…” Dan did not reply from the remark made by Merlot. He knew where the man was coming from. He had been there, and he knew firsthand how terrible the world can be.

“Let’s go,” Merlot said towards the two mages. The three of them walked towards the direction of the Great Wall, and the crowd immediately parted into two to give way to the party. The two mages gave an apologetic glance towards the villagers, and afterwards, they followed suit. At the end of the path, five carriages were in wait. Merlot and the two mages boarded the second carriage.

“Dan huh?” Merlot muttered. The two mages looked towards his direction. “What a peculiar kid. Those eyes….”

The summoner and the elemental mage glanced at each other. Eventually, the summoner asked, “What do you mean my Lord?”

The sound of horses neighing reverberated, and the carriage began moving. Merlot looked at the opened window; his eyes gazed at the still clustered villagers from a distance. With his cheeks slumped on his right hand, he said, “Such eyes—those are the eyes of someone that have killed hundreds of lives before. With my innumerable life-and-death experiences, I have no doubt about it.”

The horses neighed again, and the carriage picked up its pace. The village disappeared from their sight, and the sea of trees greeted their eyes.

Two weeks after the encounter, an event that would later on be described in the history of Tal Continent as ‘The Roar of Krukas’ took place. It was an event that forever changed the history of the Empire of Kulaima. It was an event that sparked the birth of the monster known as Daniek of the Black Blood.