Vektor arrives in the big and busy Etykiran City. It only takes him a few minutes of walking to get completely lost. Which makes sense, he's a teenager alone in the middle of the big city. If that thing with Maken hadn't happened, Kder would be guiding him right now and things would be much easier...
"Okay, my goal is to find 4 specific people in the middle of this crowd... Alright, now that I think about it, that seems pretty impossible. Well, that being the case, firstly..."
At this moment, Vektor's stomach begins to growl.
"Oh, that's right, I got so distracted by all that before that I forgot to eat... By the way, how long has it been since I arrived on this island? My backpack has some food, but I think it's better to save it for an emergency... Well, I have money, I can spend it on something to eat. I just hope the food here is good..."
In the end, the food on the island isn't much different from what he eats for his daily meals, which isn't a bad thing, he usually likes what his mother cooks. He spends his money eating at a restaurant. Now he's in perfect condition to continue his journey, wherever he has to go next.
As Vektor walks disoriented along the sidewalks, a girl smiles as she sees him from afar:
"...Found him, heh."
The girl takes advantage of Vektor's distraction and approaches him from behind, while assuring herself that he is who she thinks he is, seeing the sword hidden behind his back. After getting close enough, she tries to sound as naive as possible while saying:
"Oh...! That sword... Is it the Burning Silver?!"
Vektor gets startled and instantly turns around to see who is behind him saying this, and finds an enthusiastic gray-haired girl wearing stylish clothes, who continues to talk:
"How did you remove this from the altar? Are you a friend of Kder?"
"N- Not exactly..."
"If that's the case, you must have a reason for having this on your back..."
"T- That's right... It's because I am-"
"The apprentice Drenn... am I right?"
"Yeah... Wait, do you know me?!"
"Nope, first time seeing ya. But it's not like anyone else would be out here walking around with a legendary sword on their back like some kind of hero from a RPG."
"H- Hey, I'm not that kind of person! I just hold this on my back because, I don't know... convenience?"
"Anyway, I kind of already knew you'd be passing through this city, so I kept watch. Kder warned me about your arrival a few days ago."
"(Thanks for the help, Kder! You're a lifesaver!)
So, you already know the reason that I came here, right?"
"I don't know the exact details, but you came looking for the Etykiran apprentices, right?"
"That's a nice summary, even though there are some missing details."
"If that's the case, congratulations, you've just found one of the Etykiran apprentices. My name is Mitsuko Kageki. I'm the heir to the Arsenal of Shadow, and the current apprentice from the Kageki family."
"That was easier than I expected..."
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"Well, it would take a lot more effort to find me if I wasn't waiting for your arrival."
"Good point... Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Vektor Drenn, nice to meet you. Uh... Mitsuko, right? Well then, I need some help finding the other apprentices."
"Look, I don't know every corner of Netern Island, but I can at least take you to the castle. I know that another one of the apprentices lives there."
"Castle?"
"Well, you're from the Drenn family, so you may not know, but for a few generations, Netern Island has been subject to the reign of the Sorang family."
"Sorang? That's another of the Etykiran families, right?"
"Yes. They won a war against the Drenn, who were the most important and powerful Etykiran family on the island, expelled them from Netern Island, and since then they have ruled the island while living in their symbol of supremacy: the Drettonus Castle."
"Yeah, I actually didn't know about this war stuff. This island seems more troubled than I expected..."
"Well, at least now we can say this is just things from the past, so there's no reason for you to think about it now."
"So that means the apprentice Sorang is in this castle?"
"That's right. She's the princess of this island, so it's obvious that she lives in the castle. Her name is Reiko Sorang, but she's known around here as Princess Reiko. Personally, I don't like getting close to her, and she makes it clear that the feeling is mutual. Just be careful, because she'll probably hate you even more. As far as I know, the Sorang have a deep natural dislike for the Drenn."
"Are you saying that she hates me even though she never met me?!"
"Exactly."
"I knew this was just too easy to be real..."
"Want me to take you to castle right now?"
"Yes, please."
"That being said..."
Mitsuko places her hand on Vektor's shoulder, and at the same moment, the two of them are swallowed by their own shadows, disappearing from the middle of the city and reappearing in front of the castle's front gate. Vektor gets speechless in confusion for a few seconds, and looks around without understanding anything:
"Eh...? Where... Where are we? What happened...?"
"I teleported us to the castle. That's my Etykiran ability."
"Your ability...?
(That has the same effect as the Shadow Crystal?! What do you mean?!)"
"You really don't know about the other Etykiran families, do you?"
"Nothing besides what I've read.
(That is, only the surnames.)"
"If that's the case, I think it's better if you visit me when you've finished your business at the castle. I'll have to teach you at least the basics."
"Wait, won't you come with me?"
"And then see the princess? Nah, thanks. I'll just go this far, the rest is up to you. There's no mistake, just go straight to the princess's room, you shouldn't need my help for that. It's possible that she was also warned by Kder."
"I see... Thanks for the help."
"That was nothing really. Well, see ya, Vektor. I'll wait for you at the Arsenal of Shadow."
"See you later."
Mitsuko teleports back to the Arsenal of Shadow while Vektor enters the garden of Drettonus Castle, where he is stopped by the royal guards during his first steps inside. He instantly raises his arms, unsure of what to do next. He has only two options: escape and then run aimlessly, or run inside the castle while escaping the guards... or he can simply explain the situation:
"Ehm... I am..."
"We don't want to know, kid! This is not the place for you to be walking around! Go home!"
Vektor is then saved by the appearance of a man in a suit, with black hair and blue eyes, who says:
"Stop right now!"
All guards respond:
"Of course, Your Majesty!"
The man in suit walks up to Vektor, who starts to sweat with nervousness:
"(They just said Majesty?! So that means...)"
"It is nice to meet you, Vektor Drenn. I am the Etykiran master from the Sorang family, and king of Netern Island."
"(I knew it!)
A- Ah... It's also nice to meet you, Mr. King."
"I heard about your arrival through the security cameras. It's not common to see a Drenn entering this castle so naturally... You came to see Reiko, am I right?"
"Y- Yes... Sorry for just showing up out of nowhere, but I need her help with something...
(I think I just said something in a way I shouldn't.)"
"I understand... Please, follow me. I'm going to take you the princess's room."
"(Wait, what?)"
The king of the island walks to his daughter's room, while Vektor silently follows him and hears him say:
"A lot of things may have happened in the past, but today the Drenn are welcome in this castle. You don't need to worry too much about formalities with us. However, to avoid future trouble, we must ensure your submission to the members of the Sorang royal family. Therefore, in exchange for my daughter's cooperation, you must grant her two wishes. I hope to have your cooperation. As we speak, the internal cameras pick up our voices, and Reiko can hear them from her room..."
"...
(Wishes... Ensure my submission... I have a feeling that what comes next won't be that pleasant... Better stay quiet, I'm being completely monitored around here, after all...)"
"...At last, we're here."