It’d been a few months since I started working under Master Giden, and he’s already wholeheartedly accepted me as an armorer for the smithy.

He sometimes gives me pointers on how to better apply my strength to the steel, and improve the armor designs. I’ve also showed him some of the things I’d thought up, with designs, and rune placements.

I’ve also learned more about what him and the two senior smiths are trying to do. I can’t understand it very well, since I’m always working with armor, and not swords, but the want to create inscription runes inside the blade, by folding it a few times.

From what I’ve seen, it’s a hard thing to do. They’ve only ever half succeeded, by giving a blade a single enchantment on two separate occasions. The blades were much weaker though.

They kept cursing the fact that Kai had disappeared, since she had been the only one with a good working knowledge about the whole thing.

I still had a little trouble connecting the Kai I knew, and the Kai Giden knows.

Hearing that she was part demon had made me a little wary of her, but then I remembered that she wasn’t a bad person. It looked like her non-demon blood canceled out her demon blood somewhat. I think I would be able to trust her.

I was able to put that to the test only a little while later, as I went to the forge during the afternoon, and ran into Master Giden, Foule, and Rob.

Laughing at a story told by Rob, we walked to the forge.

It seemed that someone was already there, even though it was the end of the week. We walked into the forge, and I grew a little upset when the three other’s stopped all of the sudden, without any words.

They seemed to be watching whoever was working at an anvil, the ringing of a hammer lightly striking steel bouncing around the forge.

I stepped to the side, and froze as well.

A young girl, short and slender, held a newly forged blade that curved slightly along it’s length, and was using a hammer that seemed many times too large for her. 

Smoke was still coming from an oil quench tank, so she must have just tempered the blade, and was now making it as straight as possible, making small changes to a blade that looked like it had no flaws to me.

I couldn’t see her face, since she was turned away from us, but she had silver hair, and I could see two white horns coming from her head.

Immediately, I knew who the girl should be, even though she had always covered her face when I saw her. Giden had described her to me before.

We watched, silent for an hour, as she skillfully sharpened the blade, and made a handle and sheath for it.

Oddly, the blade was left unpolished, and the metal didn’t reflect light. The edge was shiny from her sharpening, though.

She seemed satisfied, and sheathed the new sword.

Giden, Rob, and Foule started clapping, a tradition in this smithy for when a smith finishes a blade that seems beautifully made.

She jumped at the sudden noise. She hadn’t noticed us before that, but now she spun around and faced us, the sword suddenly in her hands, ready to draw.

She relaxed, seeing Giden first.

My eyes went straight to her face, and I realized again why she would’ve worn a mask.

My first thought was ‘cute’, until I noticed her eyes, which seemed to smolder in the low light. There was a clear black line running down their center, in place of the black circle everyone else has. And, when they looked straight at me, they seemed older and fiercer than Kai’s body would suggest.

I felt fear, seeing another clear example of her demon blood. I had thought the horns were the only thing showing that.

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Well, I was going to talk to Hogvir, until I saw fear in his eyes, as they darted between my horns and my eyes.

I had thought that he would be one of those that wouldn’t have cared, but that seems not to be the case.

In a huff, I turned around, finished cleaning my workstation, and walked out with my new sword and my tools. I could hear Giden calling after me, but suddenly, I’m not in the mood to talk with them. Though, I had noticed that Hogvir looked a little ashamed as I left. At least he has the good grace to.

I went straight back to the staff dorms, and changed into the clothes I had picked up on the island.

Before this, I had put on some clothes that I had left in the room before going into that dungeon, since I could afford to dirty them.

I had found out that the robe had an interesting function while on the way back to the academy—It could change its clothing type. Instead of the floor-length robe it had been, it was now a dark grey long-coat, much like the one that had slowly fallen apart while I was on the island. The loose trousers and the tunic had no such function, though they seemed to fit my body perfectly. The trousers were brown, while the tunic was white. I also wore a good pair of boots, the trousers tucked into them.

Since most of the day had already been used to forge the new sword, I decided to just seek out Flavius and Niten, who was likely with him. Since Flavius would be bringing me to dinner with the heroes anyway, I might as well talk with them for a little bit.

And, apparently I needn’t go and find them, since Niten and Flavius were down in the lobby of the building, asking the manager a question. I just caught the end of the conversation, and immediately knew that I was involved.

(Manager) “…Came by about ten-fifteen minutes ago. She should still be here.”

(Flavius) “Ah, no, she’s right there. Thanks anyway.”

(Kai) “You guys were looking for me? Did something happen?”

(Niten) “A letter came, from your aunt.”

We went to Flavius’s office, and Niten handed me a thick envelope with the seven-headed dragon seal on it.

It had already been opened, so it was easy enough to reach into the envelope and pull out the comparatively small letter.

Little ‘Riah,

            I’m hoping that by the time this letter arrives, you will have returned to the academy. If not, then you will like already know some of what is written here.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

In a month’s time, a summit will be held with the leaders of the three continents to discuss some new threats that might have shown up after the sky fell inwards. As all of the continents are now open to the rest of the world, and we have decided that separately, the nations have no chance of fending off any unwanted advances. It is unlikely that you will be called to attend such a summit, but be prepared for the possibility. After all, your brother was once a well-known and respected figure among the demonic nobility, and you hold ties to the elven imperial family.

Speaking of your brother, you’ll be somewhat happy to know that he escaped from the seal during the tremors that preceded the phenomena in the sky. None of the imperial mages can figure out how he got out.

                        —Aspasia

It looks like she doesn’t know about me having a direct part in the world seal being broken, though I was glad the summit was happening.

If it could bring the nations into closer cooperation, than maybe demons wouldn’t be discriminated against as much, and some of the pointless bloodshed would stop.

I mean, I’m all for bloodshed with a point, and within reason, but anything the demons have done to the other races lately was out of a need for protection.

And even if the demons had first done harm to the other races, that doesn’t mean it will happen again. Treating them as if it would just creates more conflict, and makes war inevitable.

I’m also glad that Jasper finally decided to escape the seal. I had given him Ancient’s Ascent for that very reason, but he wanted to get things in order, and wait for a time when his absence wouldn’t be missed for a while. I’d imagine that while everyone was panicking over that earthquake, and watching the seal breaking, he was leaving another type of seal without anyone realizing it.

Knowing him though, he’s probably in a library right now…

I thanked Niten for giving me the letter, and we talked for a while, about little inconsequential things that come up when you want to waste time. I showed them the new sword, Nightfall, and they were impressed with its workmanship. Having learned from my past mistakes, I didn’t reveal to them that it could channel mana.

While they might know that I have knowledge that the continents don’t, I still would prefer to not let them know about that.

Dinnertime came all to soon for me, and while I was looking forward to seeing Selina again, I was wary of the other heroes.

Flavius and I were the first ones to arrive, Niten leaving to go drinking.

As the first ones there, I sat at the seat affording the best view of the room, including all of its entrances and exits. Flavius sat next to me, at the head of the oval shaped table.

We nibbled on some bread and drank some water while waiting for the heroes to arrive. I didn’t ask Flavius for more information about them, afraid that I would be completely discouraged from actually attending the dinner.

In fact, the first to arrive was Selina, who sat on my other side, and began happy chattering away. I think most of it was just her recalling funny things she’s done to enemies though…

The next two people seemed to follow the typical hero template, with one thirty year old man, seeming really fit, and looking like he would be at home in a suit of armor, and a wizened old man using a staff as a walking stick.

(Flavius) “Kai, seeing as you have never met these two yet, this is Arthur Pendragon, and Merlin Ambrosius, two of the heroes.”

My eyes widened involuntarily from surprise. I hadn’t thought the two of them had actually existed, though I suppose there was as slight possibility that they had been pulled from a world other than Earth, and that they had those name through sheer dumb luck.

But no, they were the real things. I soon figured this out after talking to them for a bare second.

As soon as Arthur bitterly mentioned a country called France, I knew they were real.

Some more time past, before the rest of the heroes came in, all at once. They were talking amongst themselves, and there were two that were turned away from me, though I could tell they were both girls.

They both looked a little familiar, though most people do, when you can only see their hair as it occurred their faces.

The other two consisted of a boy around ten or eleven years old, with a somewhat blank stare, and a man with a greasy curtain of hair.

The sat down near Arthur and Merlin, not speaking.

I turned my attention back to my empty plate, while everyone was introduced to me.

(Flavius) “This is Rust, Harving, Sarah and Gabriella, heroes, this is who was originally going to be your teacher, Kai”

Flavius introduced them, pointing them out as the heroes bowed slightly.

However, my attention had shot to the two girls as soon as I had seen there faces, and then, my minor shock increased when Flavius confirmed that indeed, somehow, Sarah and Gaby had been summoned.

My mouth hung agape, I knew, and I could tell that the others were growing puzzled as I stared at Sarah and Gaby, who, for their parts, stared back at me with more than a little confusion.

(Flavius) “Is something wrong, Kai?”

I nodded slightly.

(Kai) “Yeah. I just found more people I know.”

Selina, next to me, gasped.

(Selina) “You mean from your past lives?”

I nodded.

She turned to the two girls.

(Selina) “Sarah, Gaby, do you recognize this man?!”

Gods damn it, she pulled out my corpse again. 

Can you stop doing that!?

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