Part 1.
On the other side of the portal, the two found themselves in a warm comfortable room, surrounded by lavish furnishings, and large open windows where they could see a large planet dominating a large portion of the night sky. It had been the first time they had been able to get a sense of the time it was. For all that they knew they could have been down in the tombs for days. Now that they were able to see the sky and get a sense of the time, they were both relieved and exhausted.
“Sir, will you be able to do anything for Furuya?” Hina asked the high priest.
“The boy that didn’t make it?” He waited just long enough for a clarifying nod, “Sadly, no. He is lost to the world. Resurrection magic, due to the results of prior attempts, is strictly forbidden. Any who use it will be hunted by the church. All those who are lost, are returned to us through her majesty, Yggdrasil. She is the mother of the world, the gift from the gods. That means taking from her is a sin against the gods.” Seeing her reaction to his words, he felt compelled to add, “But don’t feel bad. He will join the cycle, and one day will be reincarnated to live amongst the living again.
“I see… thanks for that.” She said weakly.
“What about his remains?” questioned Maru.
“They will be collected- Ah! Here they are.” As he spoke a group of armed knights walked into the room, there were eight of them. They wore heavy plate male, over which they wore a surcoat embroidered with what they could only assume was the church’s emblem. They carried a sword on their left hip, a morning start on their right, and on their back was a large kite shield.
Between the two sections of four knights was the holy father himself. He wore a long deep blue gown that trailed behind him. His long hair was loose and flowing behind him. In his right hand, he carried a long staff with the same emblem affixed atop it, in his left hand, tucked neatly near his breast was a large book. He and the nights all moved in a practiced unison as they glided into the room.
There was absolute silence in the room as they moved until the moment sat down in an extravagant chair at the head of their seating arrangement. He gave a simple, swift, elegant motion toward the portal, and four of the knights entered together.
“Congratulations on surviving your trial.” He said softly.
“I understand that you are someone important in this world, so please excuse my next statement.” Said Maru right before taking a deep breath. “How the fuck is that supposed to be a training ground for new recruits? Do you have any idea as to what was on the other side? What kind of priests are you training to be able to fight that thing as a kind of introduction to the priesthood? You do realize that one of us died, and the both of us almost met the same end? I want some god-damned answers!”
He went on a tirade, focused solely on the Pope. It was enough to make everyone else in the room feel extremely uncomfortable, and the knights, from the moment he had stood up, had their hands on their swords. Had made even the slightest of movements toward the Pope, he likely would have been cut down before anyone could stop them. But the Pope simply sat there, his eyes fixed on the young man, a half-smile across his face, not one that came off as arrogant but as calming and focused.
Once Tachibana was finished with his questions, the Pope raised a hand, relaxing the armed attendants behind him. Then he motioned to Maru to have a seat. The manner in which he moved was so relaxed and refined that Maru found himself compelled to do so without question, surprisingly he was even beginning to find himself feeling guilty for the way he had just spoken toward the holy man. The Pope then raised himself up and gave a deep bow toward the two young people sitting down. Everyone in the room made a different kind of surprised motion, save the knights, who if they had been surprised, were so well disciplined they showed no notion of it.
“Firstly, I wish to apologize to the both of you. I knew well what was inside that dungeon, for I personally aided in its creation. I had not intended for any of you summoned heroes to face such a gruesome fate. However, I needed to test you, I needed you to bring out your power as fast as possible, no… The world needed you to bring out your power. While it is undesirable, the young boy’s sacrifice has done just that. It has allowed you to summon forth great power. I know this, because the people you are when you entered, are not the same that are sitting here before me.”
“But..” the Pope raised a hand, interrupting Hina from saying anything.
“Ms. Satō, I understand your worries, but sadly this was necessary. Your adversary has been here longer than you and has already proven his power. He has already murdered a great noble in the nearby country, and in the process eradicated a large portion of the army, even demolishing half of the castle in the process. He then left without so much of a word.
I understand that my methods may seem extreme, but I swear to you, there were reasons for it. So no, the boy did not die in vain if it means that you two have unlocked your potential. In fact, I’d say his sacrifice was well worth it. On the other hand, I also understand that what you went through was likely unlike anything you have ever had to endure before, so I do not fault you for any rage you feel toward me and my methods. Again, I state that I simply did what I believe was necessary.”
His was cool and relaxed, almost hypnotic. As much as they wanted to be angry with him, they were finding it more and more difficult to manage to justify such emotion.
“Secondly, I feel it is my duty to inform you of your next destination. There is little time, so you will be moving out tomorrow to go to your new home.”
“We aren’t staying here?” shot Tachibana.
“As much as I would love your company, no. You were summoned at the request of the Empire. It is our belief that the reason the demon lord was summoned was to destroy the Empire. The Principality and the Empire have a long history of strife, and up until recently, we have always attempted to act as an intermediary between the two. Our alliance with the Faustian Principality has always been to dissuade the more powerful Andorian Empire from wiping out its smaller neighbor. But now, with the summoning of a demon lord, we can’t justify the alliance, nor the existence of a society that would stoop to such evil for their own greed. Thus, at the request of the Empire, we have summoned heroes from another world to aid their armies in vanquishing the evil Principality.”
There was no way that either of them could verify any of these statements, and the fact that they were summoned for the sole purpose of becoming weapons for a country they had no relationship with was disturbing. All that they knew was that, if they wanted to get back home, they had to complete their task, they had to do as they were told.
“Now, as for the young boy’s body. Due to his sacrifice, he will receive heroic honors and will be interned in the papal crypts. This is the highest honor we can afford him.”
The special consideration from the Pope, to be given a place among some of the most important people in the world, was a reassuring consultation to the integrity of the holy father. The both of them couldn’t help themselves but stand and give a deep bow of gratitude to the father.
“Now. How about you two get cleaned up, eat something, and get some much-needed sleep? We already have apartments ready for the both of you.” Said the Eigel in a gentle tone. It was obvious he was wanting to lighten the mood in the room, if only slightly, and maybe, if lucky, help them focus on something else for a little while.
“I apologize for my outbursts earlier. Thank you for your consideration, Holy Father.” Said Tachibana, bowing to the man one last time.
“Please think nothing of it. I understand where you were coming from, and do not fault you at all. Please rest, you have a big day tomorrow.
Once the three had left the room, so only the Pope and his knights were present, the Pope relaxed his body and sunk into the chair. His face which was normally the image of perfection displayed stress lines and crow’s feet, but even more prevalent was the ugly look of disgust.
“How dare that shit stain so much as talk to me. To think he would have the balls to yell at me. If he wasn’t already spoken for, I would enjoy breaking him. The thought of the way he would sound as he howled in pain… Hmm… gives me shivers. I wonder how long a hero would last against me.”
The Pope was now wrapping his arms around himself, hugging himself while enjoying whatever twisted mental image he was concocting.
“Holy Father, your orders?” asked one of the knights. This was one from the group that had entered the portal. In his mental absence, he had not even noticed them return from the other side. They were carrying a large wooden box, one at each corner, and inside could only be assumed the corpse of the young Furuya.
“With the others. Have the doctor create a duplicate for interment. The little brats need to believe that his body is being laid to rest within the Pape crypt.” He said with a dismissive wave.
The knights didn’t say a word, simply bowed when given their orders, and went about their assigned duty.
The pope returned to his relaxed position, now staring up at the ceiling dreamily.
“This really is so boring. I wonder when it will all be over. Hmm… I wonder where Mertini’s army is.” A lackadaisical smile spread across his face. “How will you deal with this, old man?”
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Part 2.
After leaving the Pope, the three of them walked down the hallway in silence. While the meeting had proven somewhat helpful in calming their nerves, it wasn’t as if something as simple as that could completely restore their confidence in themselves, especially for someone like Hina.
She had read her father’s novels, he had been a fan of fantasy, and he had once told her, “Sometimes being able to escape from the reality that we live in can be useful. Just never forget that reality is real and end up losing yourself in the fantasy of other worlds.” After his disappearance four years ago, she had buried herself in all of his books, whether that was to escape from reality or to be closer to him was something that she never bothered to consider. It had been her mother that was the thing constantly bringing her back to reality. At first, she hated it, but over the years she began to understand why, and her father’s warning rang true.
But this was not like the books she had read; the stories could have never prepared her for the gritty reality of this fantasy. When she first got here, she looked at everything as nothing more than the pages of a novel, she would be the heroine, save the world and return home. But, when she remembered how helpless she was when she watched her ally get ripped into pieces, or how she could do nothing but rely on her other ally to win the fight, a man whose character she greatly questioned, it really brought home the reality of the kind of world she was in, and how far from reality the fantasies of her world were.
Suddenly Eigel stopped in front of them, had it not been for Maru holding out an arm and stopping her, Hina may have smashed into the back of the high priest. Eigel looked at Maru and motioned to the door next to him. “Young man, this is the bath for you. It is well-stocked, and the warm water has already been drawn. Please relax and cleanse your body.” He then turned his attention to the young girl. “Yours is just down the hall, please come with me.” His voice was very gentle and polite, inviting no suspicion.
“All right, Hina… It isn’t your fault.” That was all Maru said before he entered the door that Eigel had designated for him.
“What does he mean ‘It isn’t my fault?’ If that is what he was going to say, he should have just kept his opinions to himself. Of course, it wasn’t my fault, how could any of this be my fault!?” Her face showed an obvious annoyance.
“This way my lady.” Said the gentle voice again.
“Oh… yes, thank you.” She hurried along after him.
They came to another door which Eigel motioned to her to enter. She gave him a bow of gratitude and entered. On the other side was a large room with cubbies fixed to the wall, benches in the center, and a simple sliding door that led to the washroom. For a fantasy world, it was a comfort from home. It made her think back to the trip she and her mother had once taken to a bathhouse on the outskirts of town, it had been nothing fancy, but it had been a girls’ night out and a much-needed distraction for them after the disappearance of her father. She began to undress when she heard the sound of some clearing their throat behind her. She whipped around to see Eigel standing there in the room.
“Apologies, but before you undress, there is something dire I need to speak with you about.”
“How can I help you.” She said cautiously.
“No reason to be guarded… well, I guess I can understand your discomfort with my presence when you are ready to undress. I will do my best to make this quick.”
She sat down on the bench, a good way away from the edge that was closest to the priest. His response was to relax his body as well, he had apparently also been tensed due to the situation.
“I’ll be frank. I don’t trust the Holy Father, and I don’t believe you should either.”
Her face betrayed her surprise, as she looked around the room, attempting to avoid direct eye contact as she thought through how she should respond to the priest’s statement. She had no real reason to trust anyone, maybe Maru considering that he was from the same world, but even then, there were things about him that made her uncomfortable. While the priest had been the kindest person here, he had lied about the tomb, probably unknowingly based on the face he had made when the Pope had discussed it, and he was a complete stranger. Yet, she turned to him and scanned him from top to bottom, searching for any hint of his body language that said that he may be trying to set her up. When she was satisfied with his innocence, she replied.
“Why are you talking to me about this and not to Tachibana?”
“I don’t trust him either. There was an odd feeling when I read his status earlier. A twisted feeling.” He paused while looking down at his feet, kicking some kind of invisible stone, then returned to the conversation. “You are the more level-headed one, and call it a hunch, but I feel I can trust you.”
She clenched her teeth as she thought. “Well, he does have a twisted personality, or at least that is what I felt when I caught him staring. It wasn’t a simple attraction; it was something grotesque. But I don’t think that is what he is talking about.”
“You want to talk to me in here because you think we won’t be heard?”
“Precisely. There is an enchantment that I set on this room, so nothing we said will escape. And I understand how that sounds, but I promise that I have no foul intentions. Once we are done, I will leave and the next time you see me will be at the dinner table. Roast pheasant, by the way, it will be delicious.”
“Why don’t you trust the Pope? Isn’t he the head of your order?” she asked begrudgingly.
“For one, he lied about the tomb, well partially. Normally we do use the tomb for training new priests. I hadn’t realized that there had been changes that were secretly made. There have also been whispers regarding disturbing content he has taken part in. Most concerningly is the talk about the summoning of the demon lord by the Principality. The demon lords of the past were never summoned, they were pawns of the dark god sent to destroy all peoples that do not worship him. So, to have a nation of humes summon the creature of their demise, bares suspicion.
“On top of that matter, summoning you to send you to the Empire, you wouldn’t know this, but there are concerning rumors coming from the Empire, the emperor appears to be a rather volatile individual. These are all concerns that I can’t bring up publicly of course, regarding public opinion of the Pope’s character, he is loved by the masses due to his reforming of the church to an institution that helps the needy.”
“That is a lot to take in,” said Hina nervously. “What do you think I can do about it?”
“For now nothing, but being oblivious to the subtleties around you is dangerous. You will be going into what is arguably a far more dangerous place than that dungeon could ever be. In reality, the church is small, while we have missions, churches, and cathedrals all around the continent, yet they are mostly autonomous. However, you, my dear, will be heading into the heart of the Empire, the heart of politics, and no other realm could be more dangerous, due to its visage of absolute stability. Trust your gut and not your senses when you are there, you will be told and shown many untruths all in order to garner your favor. You are a hero after all, if your power can be used, they will try to use it. To make it even more dangerous, you are a woman, and men of power will want you. Having a hero as part of their bloodline will be a boon, and since you are a woman, they will be able to keep their name in the process. To fight against this, I would recommend staying near that young man, as much as it may unsettle you. Feigning that you come as a pair will play as a shield for you against their politics.”
He paused for a second, turning his ear to the door behind him.
“I have been here long; it is best I leave now. Please consider what I have said, I know you have a lot on your mind, but there will be no other opportunity to tell you this.”
With those words and without waiting for a reply, he turned and left the room. Hina sat there till his footsteps had long since vanished. If the day she had returned home to find her father gone, and being told he will not be coming back, had been the worst day of her life, this came in as a photo-finish second place. It took all the strength she had left to take off her clothes and drag herself into the large bath.
Even though it was considered a cardinal sin in her culture, she entered the warm water without rinsing her body, she simply didn’t have the energy to accomplish such a task, and instead crawled into the water, allowing the warmth to relax her aching muscles. The thoughts of everything that had been discussed within the last hour, within the time from when they had crossed through the portal until now, were rushing through her mind.
“This is too much. This isn’t fair. Why was I brought here? What about my mom? She already lost dad, and now me?”
She shoved her head underwater and screamed. Even if the room had been enchanted so no one could hear from the outside, she still didn’t want to risk it. She may have been mature for her age, a side effect of having to grow up at a young age, which in turn was a side effect of having lost a parent at such a young age. But, even for all that maturity, she was still a young girl, still sixteen. She should be enjoying life with friends and family, not risking her life defeating monsters and demon lords for a world she knew nothing about.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Dad… if you had never left, what would things have been like.” She whispered into her knees tucked up against her.
Dinner was quite the banquet. Maybe it was due to it also being a send-off for the young heroes, but it was far more lavish an event than anything either of them had been to before. The food itself was abundant and delicious, with the roast pheasant, in particular, was delicious, there was only a slight taste of the gaminess and a hint of rosemary. Some hor’dourves included shucked oysters, cooked bread topped with dried tomatoes and fish, sharp cheese formed into small bite-sized balls, and thin slices of meat rolled into slender sticks, all accompanied by a slightly sweet but overall dry alcoholic beverage. Along with the pheasant was a light green salad and a small helping of short, fat pasta, garnished with a healthy dose of grated cheese. After this came a round of desserts consisting of small bite-sized cream pastries and cakes which had been infused with alcohol. With a coffee-like bitter beverage to accompany it.
Overall, it turned into quite the party. There were many people of high-class society around, many of whom spent their night amongst themselves, staring at and discussing the two out-of-place youngsters. After their baths, outfits had been prepared for them. For Tachibana, it was a finely fitted suit, dark black with a satin sheen. After some deliberation, he was allowed to forgo the tie that was prepared, leaving his top button unbuttoned.
Hina was given a flowing gown to wear. As if in contrast to Maru’s suit, hers was a pristine white gown of silk with black satin trimmings along the bottom and along the cuffs of the arms. When they entered the room together, all eyes fell on the two. Hina couldn’t help but think that maybe this was Eigel’s doing and he was trying to set up the belief that they were actually a couple. Frankly, she was uncomfortable, it had been the first time in a long time since she had worn a dress, usually opting for the tomboy approach to attire, and it was the first time she had worn something so exquisite; not to mention being the center of such attention, feeling the hungry eyes of the men in the room on her skin, a setting that would make even the most seasoned socialite feel uncomfortable.
The room was a grand ballroom that was comprised of three levels, each of which had a short but grandiose staircase leading to it. The lowest level, which was also the largest, was a dance floor, while the second terrace was where all the refreshments and hor’dourves were found, and the final and highest level was a place to intermingle with other attendees, or to sit once you were tired from dancing and eating. Dinner itself would later be held in an adjoining dining room through a set of doors on the second level, a long table that was big enough for the forty or so people in attendance.
Hina and Maru stepped out onto the open balcony on the third floor, there was a cool breeze that was coming off the ocean below them, adding a slight taste of salt to the air. It had been a busy night for them, they had been introduced to quite a few people by both the Pope and the High Priest, not that remembering any of these names and faces was important, it was their last night in this city, and they would be going off to the Imperial Capital tomorrow, but that didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking.
“We really are in another world.”
“Huh, you are just now realizing that?”
“No, you idiot. It is just… looking out over this ocean, thinking about all the people we met. This is a far way away from Tokyo. It… it makes me miss my mom; I worry about her you know? She had no one left.”
“I am sure she is fine. If she is anything like you, she is a strong lady.” The boy said, placing his on hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Moms are tough. Right? Just like you.”
“Yeah, I guess your right. It was so weird though when dad left, she was so calm, so focused. It felt wrong. I had always thought that she was just doing her best to put on a strong front like she didn’t want me to worry about things, but when I think about it now. She enrolled me in martial arts, we spent time out camping, ended up doing a lot of things in a really short amount of time, it was almost like she knew this was going to happen and was trying to prepare me. Weird, right?”
“Yeah, it almost sounds like your mom was psychic. Crazy.”
“Hey, Maru. Be careful. You’re the only person I have in this world, the only piece of our old world, I can’t lose you too.”
Something clicked inside Maru at that moment, a feeling he hadn’t ever considered before. “When did we get close enough for first names? She looks really pretty in that dress, and with the light out tonight. She smells really nice too. Why does this feel so different?”
As the thoughts came and went, he gently squeezed her hand one more time. “I promise I won’t go anywhere.”
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Part 3.
The next morning came quickly, and the pair appeared before the Pope inside the same room they had first been summoned into. The armor that they had previously worn had been cleaned up and returned to them. In addition, Hina had been given Toshiyuki’s Ring of Premonition, and Maru, the ice dagger. Hina had been to one to recommend them, joking that Maru should have it to cool down his personality. It had been a bad joke, but he laughed at it anyway, gladly accepting the recommendation.
Now, they were in the center of the great domed room, just the four of them. It was a final secret send-off to the summoned heroes. The reason for its secrecy was because of the use of lost magic to help them on their journey. This time in particular it would be the use of teleportation magic, which had been lost nearly a millennia ago, with the demise of the Dark God, before the rise of the Demon Lords. Now, if the magic was to be used, it required the aid of special relay stations that had been kept secret from the world. Only four of them existed in the world, two on the current continent, one on the north continent of Idiras, and one on the Beastmen continent, in the northern Sandsea.
Truth was, there was only supposed to be one per-continent, but at some point, after the fall of the last Demon Lord, the church had gone to the Dark Continent north of the Sandsea, and stole it from the Dark Elves, claiming that their access to it was too dangerous given their ties to the Demon Lords. Since then, it has made its home underneath the cathedral’s domed room.
“I doubt that this will be the last we see of each other, but if it is, I wish you the best of luck and the protection of the gods.” Said the Pope while crossing his arms over his chest.
“Aye, may your journey come to a swift, yet fruitful ending and that you may achieve your desires in the process.” Added the High Priest.
“Thank you both. I honestly wish we had never met, but I could think of a few worse possible beginnings.” Responded Hina.
“Ever the realist.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll watch over her. I’ll make sure we fulfill our end of the deal.”
“Thank you, young Tachibana.” Added the older priest.
“Now, come with us, it is time we saw you two off.” Motioned the Pope as he entered a hidden door that opened below the statue of Hyppodimo, at the beckoning of his staff. On the other side was a spiraling staircase that went on for what would be many floors. At the bottom was the dim light of a pair of torches, that stood guard outside a large stone door.
Again, at the behest of the Pope’s staff, the ruins along the entryway ignited and the door split open. On the other side, a large circular room was revealed to them. Even Eigel, the High Priest, was amazed by the room, regardless of his position, he had never had a reason to come down here, making this his first-time laying eyes on the room.
“Father Eigel, with me. The children please stand in the center. Ah, and Eigel, please place your hands on this device.”
The two children went and stood in the center of the circular room. On the outside of the ring, the two holy men stood with their hands on spherical devices. When they poured their mana into it, the spheres ignited into a bright blue light, and in return lines all around the pair lit up, creating a large grid-like pattern, that engulfed them.
“Have a safe trip!” was the last words they heard before they found themselves in a dilapidated building made of large stone slabs. It reminded them of the images that they had seen of old Greek or Roman temples from antiquity.
“Welcome.” Came a loud voice from behind them.
They turned around to see a large tanned-skin man wearing heavy armor. He had a thick dark beard and an even thicker neck. He was accompanied by a small group of armed guards. He lifted an arm and gave a friendly wave as he slowly made his way to the two teens.
“Welcome to the Empire. We have been expecting you.”
Neither Hina nor Maru said anything. The looks on their faces were full of confusion as they glanced at the armed men behind the leader.
“Don’t worry, we are your escort. I am Rufus Tiberia, General Commander of the Imperial Army. We still have a short trip till we make it to the capital, so Emperor Caligia bade me come and greet you.” He said with a friendly smile across his face.
“Thank you general. I am Tachibana Maru… oh, Maru is actually my first name.”
“Don’t worry!” He said playfully. “You are not the first Hero in the Empire’s history.” He then turned to Hina. “And you, Ms. Satō. I also welcome you to the Empire.”
Both of them were shocked to know that he already knew their names, but individually they thought that maybe it wasn’t so surprising. The men, soldiers, had obviously known that they were coming, so knowing the names of the arrivals didn’t seem so surprising.
“I actually have a daughter around your age. She is the Empress now! Maybe the two of you can become friends. You will be staying with us for a while after all.”
“Um… thanks. Maybe.” She responded hesitantly.
“Well, for now, we should get a move on. Thankfully it is still very early, so if we make good time, we should be able to reach the capital before dark.” He said turning his back to the two young people.
Maru and Hina side-eyed each other. They didn’t sense any kind of hostility, in fact, the man seemed sincere, if not a bit boisterous. With a head nod, they walked forward following the large mountain of a human. Only then did the other soldiers ahead of them also turn toward the exit.
On the outside of the doorway was a wide-open grassland. The building was situated on a hill overlooking the surroundings, and in the distance, they could make out two cities. There was one to the northeast and one to the southwest. The one to the southwest was much further away, and looked smaller, while the one to the northeast, looked more like a metropolis rather than a single city. They could even make out what looked like a large tower soaring into the clouds above the city.
“That is huge!” cried Maru unintentionally. It wasn’t big compared to some of the buildings in Tokyo, but for a world like this, it seemed to be monumental.
“That is home, and specifically, that is the magic tower. At its base is the Magic Academy. Now come, it is farther than it looks.”
Everyone in attendance mounted a horse, due to their lack of experience, because of a lack of horses within the city limits of Tokyo, both of the heroes were assisted in mounting and given a quick lesson on how to ride before they started their travel.
Back in the chamber after the kids had been teleported, the Pope and High Priest were alone. They removed their hands from the orbs and made their way toward the exit.
“I am disappointed in your father.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You don’t trust me. The one ordained by the gods. I am hurt.”
“Wh... what are you talking about?” Eigel attempted to play off his surprise.
“Worry not. I have no intention of lashing out at you, your trust is free to give and take.”
He didn’t show it, but on the inside, Eigel felt a wave of relief wash over him.
“Oh, one more thing. We finally got some information regarding the identity of the m… Demon Lord that the Faustians summoned. He is quite powerful, but that was obvious from the reports, but more importantly, we have a name that he goes by.”
“Oh. That will be important information to share. Now the people will know whom to curse for all the wrong in the world!” Eigel said, playing the role of the enthusiastic priest.
“Yes. They will, but for now, I intend to keep it a secret. As it may cause problems for our young heroes. Especially for the young girl.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, because the Demon Lord’s name is, Satō, Alex Satō.” The Pope said with a smile before exiting the transfer chamber.
Eigel was left stunned. He was trying to think of the chances that this was just some cruel coincidence, maybe Satō was just a really common name in the other world, but even if it was, for her to have the same last name would destroy her ability to play the role of a hero if the people thought she was related to the Demon Lord. Eigel understood that this was a threat and that he would need to play the role of the good puppet if he wanted to protect Hina’s reputation. But even worse, if Hina and Alex were related, it was a threat to the Demon Lord, that if Alex got too out of hand, the Pope could harm someone he cared about.
Eigel walked quietly up the stairs lost in the thought of what would happen to Hina if this ever got out. They had just sent her into the biggest den of wolves, with a pound of raw meat unknowingly tied to her back.
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Part 4.
The sound of pain echoed through the lonely cave. A yelp and a holler were followed by the sounds of heavy fast hits. Following that, the sounds of shuffling along the dirt floor as the victim attempted to flee, but to no avail due to the impenetrable barriers that had been erected around the pair.
“Keep your hands up. Elbows in.” Yelled Alex from the other side.
“Yes sir!” replied Lili with a forceful response.
The two of them had spent the last two weeks training. For Lili, it had been physical conditioning and live combat training. Her sparring partner had been selected by Alex. No other than Clavis Braun Sith, the one-thousand-year-old vampire. At first, he had been rather adamant about not joining in, but after some forceful persuasion by Alex, he agreed to “assist” Lili with her training.
Alex on the other hand had been given a swathe of new skills, courtesy of Evona’s stockpile of scrolls. The new abilities included, [Illusion], [Silence], and finally [Message]. They were nothing immensely powerful but could prove useful situationally. On top of that, he had been experimenting with the concept of how mana worked. If all he needed to do to get stronger, was to end the mana cycle of one being and then take it in himself, what would happen if he surged his mana into another creature, [Manipulate] it to match their own, and then kill them? Would that net him a greater return? So far, any experiments had proved inconclusive, and most of the time, if the creature wasn’t significantly strong enough, to begin with, the influx of his own mana into them usually ended their life.
Otherwise, the two’s daily routine consisted of them waking up, and taking a cold shower, before doing a morning jog around the tiny hamlet.
“Is the cold shower meant to be a ritualistic cleansing to begin the day?” Lili asked him on the third morning.
“What? No. It just wakes you up really fast. You have no idea how much a pain you are in the morning.” For some reason, the rest of that day, Lili’s aim with her spells was off, all of them nearly hitting Alex.
After their morning jog, they would come back and have a light meal. Evona’s cooking had gotten better, not that it was really bad, to begin with, much to Alex’s joy having avoided an overdone trope. But, thanks to constant practice and tutelage under Aururia, her skills at making common dishes had skyrocketed.
After breakfast, they would then hike through the woods to the east, to the cave that had served as the den of the deadly True Vampire, Clavis. As Evona had previously stated, he had managed to make his return thanks to the crystal not being shattered, albeit in a slightly weakened condition. It had been a blessing in disguise though, he now served as an opponent for Lili, who had been tasked with learning how to fight in close-quarters combat. After Alex spent a few days showing her how to properly perform certain movements on Clavis, behind the protection of a barrier, she was allowed to give it a go.
The first couple of days when it was just her against Clavis, her use of mana being banned, while Clavis, sensing his demise forthcoming, fought like it was a real battle. The results then were fairly close, Alex even having to intervene a few times with the use of barriers to separate the two, to give Lili time to catch her breath or in one case, flee.
Overall, Alex proved to be a rather Spartan-like trainer, giving nearly impossible demands and expecting results that, had this been his world, would have been impossible for anyone other than a martial arts genius to achieve. But all the effort proved fruitful, now on the last day of their training, Lili was completely dominating her opponent, who had physical stats that far exceeded that of his opponent.
Standing, with his back to the natural stone wall, he watched the two engage. From the moment that Lili had stepped beyond the barrier, she had the upper hand, and Clavis was stuck on the defensive. Her combos of punches followed by a flurry of fast kicks, while not finding purchase on their intended targets, was proving to wear the Vampire ragged. All she needed was one solid hit to make it through is crumbling defense.
She feinted left, switched right, then a hell forward, planting her foot down and aimed at his now open head.
“STOP!”
Instantly, before the hit could land, her foot stopped, floating a mere centimeter from Clavis’s temple. Obviously, for a vampire, this wouldn’t be a killing move, but that was precisely why he had wanted to use Clavis in the first place. On a living creature, on a Hume, that would a minimum knock them on their rear, at worst, and with the power behind Lili’s kick, kill them. To make it worse, Lili had obtained higher control of her shift changing, allowing her to hide her ears and tail, but also to bring out more animalistic aspects of her species, like claws. Currently, the claw in her left big toe was closest to Clavis’s temple, showing just how lethal her skills had become.
“That is enough. Our time is up. Lili, finish him.”
“Wait! What!? All of that and…”
Before he could finish, he was wrapped in a shade of purple, and his body held firmly in place. Bones in his body could be heard cracking as parts of him convulsed. Eventually out from within his chest popped a small crystal. It floated gently into Lili’s palm, and then she crushed it. The response from Clavis’s body was to turn into ash before their eyes, blending in with the dirt floor below.
“That was kind of brutal, even for you.” She stated.
“Having a monster that close to the house is dangerous. While I don’t doubt, she could take care of him, I would rather play it safe since we will be leaving tomorrow.” He replied before dismantling the barriers within the cave. “Plus, with the root down below here, I am planning on extending the barrier out this far. It may prove useful for them to have access to this cave.”
“Who would have thought that a Root of Yggdrasil would have extended all the way out here? No wonder Clavis made his home here, if you go down below, the mana is so pure.”
After a training session a few days ago the two of them decided to do some additional exploration in parts of the cave that they had missed the first time through. What they had found was another cave system that ran down below all the way to a tunnel of pure mana. They had to make sure to keep a healthy distance from it, as that much pure, uncontrolled mana would extinguish the life of any mortal. On the side of caution, Alex sealed the access to it with a thin layer of hardened earth. This allowed a controlled healthy dose of it to still escape while keeping any unfortunate mishaps from happening. On their way back up, he further restructured the route to make it easier to go down below. It was then he concluded to get rid of Clavis entirely.
“Are we going to head back now? Isn’t it still early?” she pouted.
As time progressed and drew closer to the end of their month-long agreement, she had become more and more clingy. Like a kid on their way to an amusement park, the closer you got the more the excitement built, or that was how he thought of it at least. He hadn’t necessarily taken to the idea completely, he had resigned himself to accepting what was his current reality and didn’t fight back against her selfish requests like spending extra time together by walking back from the cave instead of jogging, occasionally letting her wash his back and in return, hers, or cuddling on the sofa after dinner. What surprised him most was Evona’s acceptance of it, while the two still slept together at night, some nights having less sleeping than others, most of the day was spent with just him and Lili together.
One night when they were lying in bed, cuddle up with one another.
“I am surprised with how relaxed you are with another woman so clingy to me.”
“I told you; Lili is special. I expect this… I want this for you two. As long as you remember and love me too, I’m okay.”
“So does that…”
“That means that if you do anything silly with any little girl other than Lili, I will be very upset with you.” She responded coldly.
The warning was crystal clear, and if the voice hadn’t been enough, the dramatic shift from a soft embrace to a firm hold made it all the more obvious.
Now though, two of the four weeks had passed, and the plan was to head out the next morning for the North. His quest still involved him making for both the Elvish and Dwarven nations. The first four access to Yggdrasil herself and her bark which could be forged into a metal harder than any other, if used with a dragon’s flame. After Yggdrasil, on a blessed Elvish boat, he would be able to travel west to the Dagon’s Island and capture the flame for crafting. Once he had both of those, he could then take it to the master craftsmen in the Dwarven Nation’s Capital, Dwaldwell, and create the Hero’s Sword for slaying the Demon Lord.
While he wasn’t too concerned about the Demon Lord perse, the existence of more of the sins was on his mind. He considered the idea that they were probably spread out over the world, keeping an eye on, or even influencing the events going on around the world. He had spent too long here in Faustus already, and the quest served as the perfect excuse for him to get out and search for the real enemies.
The two enjoyed another casual stroll through the forest on their way back to their home. With the cave’s location being slightly further north than the village itself, on slow days like this they would walk to the northern entrance of the barrier. It was something else that Alex had installed on the barrier in his free time. Designated entryways. They were programmed to read the mana of the individuals living within its protection, allowing only those that were saved into a memory bank of sorts, to be able to enter the barrier while allowing anyone on the inside free access to leave. Gone were the days have having to break or dismantle barrier to enter or exit their home.
To their surprise, when they came to the northern entrance, they were greeted by the sight of a group of Elves standing there, banging on the invisible wall before them.
“Whui tur- ú- mín minn-?“
“Im tur- ú- ped-.”
“Lúth na- baw iuithi-, na- hi more rod plural rodyn?”
“He na- more polodren?”
Alex listened unnoticed from a good distance away. The three elves were having a discussion amongst themselves regarding their inability to break the barrier before them. They concluded that Evona’s power had greatly increased over the years and that was why their efforts were thwarted.
“Im baur hen an hîn.”
“Eldar ordered hen rinn-.”
“He na- na n- nin bereth.”
After these last comments, Alex’s right eyebrow involuntarily shot up. His face was a mix between hysterical and rage. Even Lili was beginning to feel uncomfortable next to him. After a few additional lines, he whispered to himself, oblivious to Lili’s presence.
“He wants to do what with her?”
Alex then stepped out of his hiding spot, making his presence clearly known to all.
“Oh look! Some Elves!?” he cried aloud.
“What are you doing here Hume?” barked one of the Elves.
There were three in total. They all wore armor that was well-contoured to their forms. The breastplate looked as if it was made of two large metallic leaves that were fastened together on the sides. A delicate script could be seen running up along the sides. They had matching bracers and little to no actual armor below the belt, simply opting for light travel trousers and brown leather boots, all concealed underneath green traveler’s robes with a leaf-shaped pin at the neck keeping it fastened.
What truly set them apart was the hair, two of them were blond, and one was a redhead. Judging from their demeanor and their reaction to his startling presence, he surmised that two of them were subordinates and that the blond elf with the long hair, flowing down past his buttocks rather than his shoulder blades, was the man in charge. He also happened to be the target of Alex’s current excessive amount of ire.
“Oh me. Yeah, I’m just trying to get home.” He shot back at the redhead.
“You are a long way away from home.” Said the short-haired blond.
“Closer than ya think.”
“Perchance, how do you mean?” said the leader with a questioning glance.
“Exactly what I said,” Alex responded while stepping through the otherwise impervious barrier.
“How did you get in there?” cried the leader.
“Told you, it’s my home. Now, what was this about you wanting to make babies with my wife?”