Chapter Three

The Birth of an Envoy– Part Three.

By the end of that day, Aelius felt like everything that happened was a mere dream.

He had summoned Spirit Queen Gaia, a feat which had not been achieved for almost three centuries before this.

He had met Alea, who was beautiful not only outside but in.

As the sun set, so did his heart in his chest. Because, after her goodbye with him to return to her duties as a Holy Knight, together with Leos, he realised that this is it.

This was all he would ever amount to.

She will move forward and continue to be someone amazing. He was fortunate enough that their paths even momentarily coincided at all. From here on out, he has no place by her side, no matter how much he wishes he did.

He watched from a stray window. Alea and Leos descended the steps, their backs facing him. Those backs, in that moment, looked so striking to him.

If only, if only, he kept finding himself thinking. But will he allow himself to wallow in self-pity and never change things, or will he do something about it?

If only I was talented. If only I was stronger. If only I was luckier… But no, how can he put the blame on all these circumstances he has no control over? Suddenly, Aelius felt an overwhelming burst of motivation.

Think. Think. What can he do? How can he grow stronger?

If only… if only he could contract with Spirits too! Even if he can’t summon a Spirit King or Spirit Queen, what if he contracts with a lot of Spirits? He knows how to summon them.

Every Spirit he’s summoned so far refuses to interact with him, but today, Spirit Queen Gaia talked to him. That means that he can communicate with Spirits.

He just needs to figure out what the difference is between Gaia and the others he summons for himself. From there, he can work toward getting his first contract.

With determination, Aelius took off from that window sill, carving a straight path to his Spiritualism lab.

If there’s anything he has, it’s effort.

One way or another, Aelius will find a method to grow stronger. And then, one day, he’ll rightfully reunite with Alea.

*

The world of Sacrescha was called, ‘Ophelia’ and worshipped Stecia, the Goddess of Time and Fate. It was deeply religious, and those that took in Stecia’s will would be blessed in-turn with Sacred Powers.

It was a deeply held belief that the Holy Knights who represented her will only grew so strong because of her favour. On the Continent of Sacrescha where conflict was an everyday happenance, a warrior of the Fifth Star could find fame almost anywhere.

But most warriors needed dozens of years to refine to the Fifth Star, and many who reach that Fifth Star, exhaust all of their potential in doing so, and can never progress beyond.

Compared to those cases, the Holy Knights somehow reach the Fifth Star at the tender age of their early twenties, with some of the stronger Knights even being in the Sixth Star. Many senior Holy Knights are known to peak at the Seventh Star in the mid-stage of their life.

Most students at the Excel Academy are busy working toward the Fourth Star by graduation. It was already impressive to be at the Third Star.

There were multiple, numerous methods of refining to the next Star. Mages would first gather a Core made of Mana and crystalise Rings of Mana around that Core to strengthen their abilities.

Swordsmen would first begin with refining their swordsmanship techniques. After breaking through, their techniques can begin to exhibit supernatural effects. The biggest sign of a swordmaster is their ability to manifest an Aurablade, which is an act of coating Mana around their sword. From there, the Swordsman will focus on refining that coat of Mana, making it sharper, stronger, more destructive, flexible, swift, and so on.

The final category of extraordinary people are the Aberrants, a broad term referring to people who practised Arts alternative to orthodox Magic or Swordsmanship. Such as Aelius’ Spiritualism, Witchcraft, Wizardry, Black Magic, Alchemy, and inherent Genetic abilities such as Beastmen who could go beserk.

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For a Mage, progression was straight forward. First Stars can fire out small fireballs or gushes of water. Second Stars are a step up. Third Stars can use a relatively powerful attack but not repeatedly. Fourth Stars become experts in their chosen techniques and can easily defeat Third Stars. So on and so on.

Ophelia is a world deeply rooted in conflict and combat and these numerous institutions imparting the ways to the younger generation are pivotal to the development of respective Nations.

*

Since the fateful day Aelius met Alea, three years have gone by. In that time, he’s made a name for himself as one of the most prodigal members of his generation.

After igniting his passion to grow stronger, he tirelessly pursued strength. One thing led to another, and he caught up to the Fifth Star as a Swordsman, making his father proud.

A year ago, Headmaster Polia said there was nothing more she could teach him, as she was a Mage and he was a Swordsman. Instead, she wrote him a recommendation letter, sent him to a Mercenary Guild, and had him travel with other seasoned veterans.

By the end of that period, Aelius parted with close friends and mentors as a young man with impressive experience under his belt.

He was ready to return to Farrien after travelling throughout Sacrescha and take his rightful place as the Archduke of Kanaria, his father’s estate.

And once again, another fateful day awaited Aelius.

He was passing through a busy junction-town, a place frequented by adventurers as it was close to an arduous forest with dangerous monsters; large Mana wolves, towering orcs, and swarms of goblins.

Now a seasoned warrior with the combat aura of one such, he commanded respect and awe in all he met. The 18 year old’s body was chiselled beneath his leather armour, and the skin on his hands were rough from numerous hours spent swinging the sword. As Aelius was about to approach the town entrance, he froze.

Aelius, a voice called his name in his mind. It was so incredibly loud, and yet woeful.

Aelius gasped as his head whipped to the direction he instinctively knew it was coming from.

Across the clearing was the forest. Standing at it was a glowing figure. A woman clad in white silk with golden hair, a halo projecting around her.

Aelius, my child. This way. Seeing the figure of her a hundred metres away, her face not even clear, sent shivers down his spine.

He gulped. Normally, he would have regarded this as someone hostile causing a hallucination, and that he was being targeted. Some sort of magic or witchcraft.

But for some reason, right now, he could feel this was… real.

It was genuine. There was just something divine about the woman calling his name out. Dare he believe, it was Stecia herself.

And so he was drawn to her, seeing her figure gesture for him to follow, and disappearing into the ominous shadow of the trees.

She would string him along and along through the forest. Throughout all of it, his hand was tightly gripped on the hilt of his sword, to the point his knuckles were turning white.

Though nothing was yet to happen, his breath was rugged and sweat was dripping down his brow. His instinct was telling him this was dangerous, and yet it also told him he must press onward. He could end up fighting for his life at any given moment.

Eventually, he saw her off in the distance, still gesturing to him to follow, disappearing into a cave.

He hesitated upon his eyes meeting the cave. There was something about it. Some sort of inexplicable aura emanating from it that made him want to vomit his guts.

But Aelius had worked as a mercenary for a year. It wasn’t the first time intense bloodlust threatened his sanity. He got a grip of himself and pressed on.

The cave ended up being a dungeon leading deep beneath the earth. It was a tunnel that descended downard and downward, before finally ending with a drop.

It was arduous for Aelius, who had no Magic. He could only stop his fall by plunging his sword into the adjacent rock wall and using it as a brake. It probably shortened the lifespan of his weapon by two-thirds.

At least it wasn’t pitch black thanks to some natural light coming in from overhead, coupled with glowing mushrooms and trees awaiting him.

There was an entire forest down here, humming with its own rhythm. On another day, it would be a peaceful scenery to enjoy. But from it, Aelius felt certain death instead.

Panic only settled in further after he came across multiple bodies torn apart up against the trees. To those with weak stomachs, this sight would be a vomit inducing one. To Aelius, it was gruesome all the same.

The uniforms were familiar, all too familiar. White linen fabric with golden outlines, the noblest of emblems representing those serving under Royalty, silver armour of a distinct craft belonging to one of the most well known forces of Sacrescha.

They were the servants of the Holy Knights– each Holy Knight had an Army Corp beneath their command.

Whatever happened here, it was a massacre.

From observing the remains, even as briefly as he did, Aelius could discern that it was only one entity that razed them all to the ground. Whatever it was, perhaps not even a Holy Knight could resist it.

“Goddess, please no,” Aelius whispered. Please do not let it be what he thinks.

You’re close now, my child. Come quicker. We have limited time.

Though all of this seemed suspicious and unsettling, Aelius felt his footsteps hurrying. He came to the corner, and preparing himself for an ambush, spun around it with his blade out.

The sight waiting for him almost made him drop his weapon.

Stecia was sadly gazing at something before her, and Aelius felt his shaky breath leave his lips, together with a gasp.

“W-what… n-no. How could this… how could this be? This can’t be…” In front of him, pinned to a boulder by her own lance through her chest, was Alea.