David POV
Two days passed in relative peace. Calvin and I spent the time shopping, resting, and doing little else. The guild had no cases in the area, and Calvin didn't seem particularly eager to look for work. I followed him around as he browsed random stores, bought unnecessary souvenirs, and spoiled Duke with treats like he usually would.
The moment the door swung open, I froze. Walking through, among Calvin's wives, was a face I recognized immediately.
Astrid Silver.
In my previous timeline, I'd met her only once...after Calvin's death. Back then, she was a different person. Stoic, cold, distant. She had the air of someone who had lost everything, and perhaps she had. She was already renowned then, as one of the greatest weaponsmiths on the planet. Her half-dragon heritage only amplified her fame.
She was about Calvin's height, her sleek black hair falling past her shoulders, shimmering faintly like polished obsidian under the light. Her sharp, amber eyes practically glowed with life, and there was an undeniable warmth to her that I'd never seen in her before. In a blur, she rushed forward, filled with enthusiasm, and threw her arms around Calvin.
"Calvin!" She shouted as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"Woah, slow down...Astrid Silver's your WIFE?!"
"Hmm? You know who she is?"
No wonder her hatred against the ghosts was unmatched...and they also shared the same last name...
"Oh, who's this?" she asked, her curious gaze landing on me.
"Free labor. Don't mind him." Calvin answered.
"Hey! Explain yourself!"
"Explain? I don't...did you have a crush on my wife or something?"
"Ah, if that's so, I would have to say that I'm not interested in anyone, sorry." Astrid apologized.
"Uh, who's this?" Another female voice asked.
"Rose. This is David...a bit of a long story. But David, this is my other wife, Rose Silver." Calvin introduced us.
She had blue eyes, wavy red hair cascading down her back, and was a bit shorter than the other 2, she also had a large scar running down from the right side of her face. She was currently crouching and petting Duke, who was happily hugging her.
"Nice to meet you, since I'm here, why don't I fix us all lunch and we can all talk then." she offered.
"Um...just a question, how do you even feel about him having 2 wives?"
"2 wives and a mistress."
"...What?"
"Kidding, but the 3rd one is very busy, you'll meet her on a later date."
"3 wives? You womanizer! I looked up to you!"
"Hey, a lot of people have multiple spouses too!" he retorted.
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The table was laden with a simple but hearty spread: roasted vegetables, freshly baked bread, platters of roasted meats, and fragrant stew that filled the air with warmth. Calvin sat at the head of the table, while Rose and Astrid sat on either side of him. I took the remaining seat, still feeling like an outsider in what was clearly a well-oiled family dynamic. I was then asked to tell them why I was here.
"I see." Rose commented after I finished the story. "It doesn't sound like him at all," Astrid said while tapping her chin, "The Calvin I know wouldn't lay down his life unless..."
"Are you also arriving at the same conclusion?" Rose asked her.
"Yeah, I think so."
I would ask further but it's not in my place. I watched as the two women exchanged a look. It wasn't the kind of exchange you had with just anyone. It was the kind where everything was understood without words.
"Even if we're right, why would he do such a thing?" Astrid asked.
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I don't know much about this Rose person, but...the aura that she's giving off, the mana...it resembles that of a dragon, she's the same as Astrid. A full-blooded dragon's human form can be determined by their teeth, a half-dragon would look the same to humans, while a full-blooded dragon would only have sharp teeth. There are, of course, weirdos who have done surgeries and replaced all their teeth with sharp ones of animals and claim to be dragons in disguise, but an actual dragon would have come after them sooner or later.
The teeth thing is fine, but if you were to call yourself a dragon while not being one, the dragons are obligated to kill you, even if it means starting to war to accomplish such a thing, there have been wars in the past for such actions.
The mana of half-dragons feels more menacing than that of humans...it's much higher than that of an elf. It's fortunate that she can hide and mask it, she's only releasing it at home since Calvin should have some tools from having it leaked out and letting her relax. So it's weird to see that she's just in charge of household chores. But to be fair, it's weirder that elves and dwarves are just considered as sub-species of humans in this world.
As for Astrid, she's the so-called rich wife that Calvin mentioned. But it wasn't just wealth; it was influence. Astrid wasn't just some heiress. She was one of the best weaponsmiths in the world, if not the best. The kind of person people sought out from across the continents, offering fortunes just for a single blade. And from what I remembered in the other timeline, they weren't exaggerating. She was that good. Though I doubt her current fame is as spread out, she should already have high-paying clients contacting her daily.
Calvin then told them about the sword exchange proposal.
"Sure, just open the portal to him, I'll ask him to come." Rose said as she got up and then turned to me, "Because other than Calvin, humans aren't really allowed there, I'll bring my grandfather here."
"Shouldn't I go instead?" Astrid suggested, "It should take a bit for him to come with the blade, so you can just prepare some food for him here."
"Sure. Calvin, portal."
Calvin just snapped his fingers and a circular portal appeared by the table as Rose went to prepare some more food.
"Are they related by chance?"
"Yeah, Rose is technically...Astrid's aunt."
"I'm sorry?"
"But Astrid is older...don't give me that look, the dragons are weird."
"You married into them...by the way, there's another thing that's been bothering for all this time."
"What is it?"
"How are you all so accepting of the fact that I'm an otherworlder?"
"The time-traveling thing sounds harder to believe, to be honest."
"A power that a god gave me to use once and a god that I met due to being an otherworlder."
"Well, that's because...I'm also technically...an otherworlder."
"What?!"
"I know, right? 4 chapters in and we're already having massive revelations."
"What do you mean by technically?"
"I can't tell you yet, we're not that close."
"That stings, but you're right. Sorry for that."
"If we collect all the cursed blades, we'll consider it even."
After a while though, Astrid came back through the portal with a sword in her hand, but she came alone. She explained that her great-grandfather, or Rose's grandfather...this is complicated...was busy and couldn't come. He did give the holy blade since they needed it and apparently Calvin deserved it in the first place. She handed him the sword, and he held it just fine.
"I thought that you couldn't use it."
"In my hands, it'll act just like an ordinary sword." He explained, "This one is Aegis-blade, its ability is barrier reinforcement, I can't activate it no matter how hard I try. I would use it if I didn't already have my cursed blade because these blades never dull due to them being made by the power of the gods, they can't break either, but I chose to have Neil safeguard the sword until someone else shows up."
"Ah...so that's the sword that Astrid gave to Boris."
Boris, the hero in the Spade Empire, was known to have the best defense in the world, and he became stronger due to the Aegis-blade, a sword that he paid quite a lot for, but he himself said he would have offered even more after knowing that he became stronger than predicted. I did inherit his merged holy blade after he died, but the barrier didn't do me any good since Notaron's attack broke past it quite easily.
"Well, if I had died, I would agree with that decision. Anyway, we don't have much time to waste, which sword should we get first?" Calvin asked.
"I'd say the Spade Empire's Royal Academy, Boris is there, and he can use this sword really well...we can give him the chance of being able to access its powers earlier than the previous timeline."
"What rank are you currently?" Astrid asked.
"C-rank. But I would classify my skills as a bit higher."
"Their headmaster isn't going to meet you guys, so cause a commotion, then she'll agree to meet you, and that should give you a chance of making the exchange." she suggested.
"Are you not coming with us?"
"No, I'm resting currently. Besides, Rose is lonely without any of us home."
"I am not." Rose denied.
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The moment we stepped out of the portal, the sharp chill of the Spade Empire's mountain air hit me. The royal academy loomed in the distance, a fortress-like structure of white stone, its spires piercing the cloudy sky. We approached the gates, guarded by two burly men clad in armor that shimmered faintly with enchantments. Their expressions hardened as we drew closer.
"State your business." one of them said in a flat and disinterested tone.
"We'd like to apply as guests and request an audience with the headmaster," Calvin said casually, "We're exorcists."
"Exorcists? And what rank are you?"
"...I'm C-rank and He's D-rank." I said after a moment of hesitation.
That did it. The guards burst into laughter, the kind that grated on your nerves the longer it lasted. One of them wiped a fake tear from his eye.
"D-rank? And you want to meet the headmaster? What a joke. Even we're C-rank, and you don't see us making demands like that." he said between tears.
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"Go on," the other guard said, waving us off like we were flies, "Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. You're wasting our time
I gritted my teeth, my hands balling into fists. This wasn't going anywhere, and just as Calvin was about to say something, a voice cut through the commotion.
"Hah? Calvin Silver? The dropout?!" a voice blurted out from the gate.
The man who said that was a red-haired man with an expensive robe, accompanying him was...one of the Spade Empire's elite 10, I recognize him. Sesia Julian...should be holding a Spade card about now, probably a 2 or 3, all she has to symbolize her status right now is a diamond spade badge, I can't know her true rank till she takes her card out...but Spade Empire's elite 10 are all S-rank minimum.
Accompanying him was a man that I did not recognize, but he was a tall slim man with blond hair and dark purple eyes, about 2m tall, with an expensive white and gold cloak on him, he had a golden spade pin...that must mean that he was a student of one of the elite 10, in this case, probably that of Sesia.
"Geoffrey without the J." Calvin response was clearly not appreciated by the look on the man's face.
"Geoffrey, you know this person?" Sesia asked and pointed at Calvin.
"Yeah, when my father was assigned to work in the Heart Kingdom, I followed him and enrolled at the royal academy there, he was my classmate, and the first expelled student in 40 years." Geoffrey then gave this arrogant smirk, which Calvin didn't react to, "He goes by the name of Calvin Silver."
But an expelled student of the academy...? That's hard to do. The Royal Academy wasn't just any school, it was the school. Each nation has its own version of it, but the process is always the same. To even be considered, you had to be scouted or handpicked by someone influential, and that only made you eligible to apply. Approval was no guarantee. The application process was rigorous, designed to weed out all but the best. And once you made it in, you were practically untouchable.
Expulsion? That was a rare thing. The academy valued its reputation above all else. It would bend over backward to protect its students, no matter how low-ranked or problematic they were. I'd heard stories of students committing crimes, even taking lives, and still walking free because the academy wouldn't allow itself to be associated with failure. To get expelled, you'd have to do something catastrophic—or be someone they couldn't cover for.
And yet...Calvin? He just sighed, while scratching the back of his head.
"I wasn't expelled, I dropped out." he shrugged.
It would explain why he knew so much about my technique in the past, and how he was able to identify all my flaws without me needing to go in-depth, but to think he never told me this, I had a suspicion about this, so I investigated about it after his death, he was one of the school's youngest prospect, he was accepted at 11 years old, the academy would not allow such a person to dropout.
"You dropout after they threaten you with expulsion, you were basically expelled. My reputation and the rest of the class's reputation dropped because of you. Tch." he then clicked his tongue while glaring at Calvin, "What the hell are you doing here?"
"We're currently trying to get an appointment with the headmaster." I jumped in as this person was clearly hostile, even if he was beatable, the person next to him isn't, I rather not cause any commotion with Sesia in it.
"The headmaster, why?" Sesia inquired.
"We have a really-"
"If you want to get in, tell me the truth, if I'm interested, I'll join you, if not, I'll just pretend that this never happened, because you're quite stupid to want to try to talk to a person whose rank is far superior to mine."
"Master, why don't we just go?" Geoffrey requested, "There's nothing good with that expelled commoner."
"Man, I never got why you hated me so much, you and that one other gal who had a really long unpronounceable name. Calvin sighs, "Well, the truth is better anyway...I got myself one of the holy blades, and I'm thinking of exchanging it for something within this Academy's treasury, only the headmaster can grant me the request."
"May I see the sword?" Sesia requested.
"No, you can just kill me on the spot and take away the sword."
"And what were you planning to do if I wasn't here? How would you get an appointment?"
"Beat the guards and their reinforcements till the headmaster comes."
Calvin, didn't we discuss that you won't do shit like this?! Ugh...but it seemed like Sesia respected that response, the plan was to let me do the talking, I have traveled around enough for the past 2 years to gain some favors with the nearby nobles to at least get me to speak with a representative, we only came here to just say we tried to get in the normal way. AHHHHHHH!
"Fine, bring yourselves in, I'll accompany you." Sesia said, "If you're lying, my apprentice here can use some training dummy to dull his blade...is what you're hoping I'd say, but only the latter is appealing to me, go home and save yourself the trouble."
"Alright, David, let's start beating up the guards." Calvin said as he was now doing some warmups.
"Bold move...fine, I'll give you a chance, you fight my pupil, you win, I'll help you get the appointment, the rest is up to you...and if you lose...I want to be the one who you're exchanging the holy blade with, I'll offer a fair price. If you have no such blade and are wasting my time, I'll make you watch as I kill your family."
That's why I didn't want to mess with him!
"Alright then, let's leave." Calvin said as he turned away toward the exit.
"Ah, thank you, you're actually reasonable after all."
"Oi, where the hell are you going?!" Geoffrey demanded.
"The Clubs Republic, why?" Calvin asked.
"You're going to sell it to the enemy?!"
"Enemy? You misunderstand, I'm not from here, and neither is he. We came and we made an offer, or tried to, and since we can't we're going to look for better customers, the republic's economy is on the rise anyway, we'll get more treasure and artifacts for the trade."
"Come on, Calvin, let's just teleport away." I insisted.
As we were walking out and as he was about to open up a portal, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a hand being placed on Calvin's shoulder. This wasn't what I expected today, and none of us did, it's probably hard to get past this without a small duel at the very least...if Sesia and Calvin fight here, it's going to be more than just a commotion.
"Come on, why don't you just let us go, alright? We'll be going to the Clubs Republic and make an offer there, if we're not satisfied, we'll come to you, just give us an address."
"No, the Clubs would give you an offer that no one would refuse." Sesia replied, "So, stay here for the next 2 days, I'll contact my financial adviser, she can contact the royal treasurer to make you an offer."
"Let your hand go please, the item I want is something only the headmaster can give." Calvin said as the tension in the area rose.
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Sesia POV
Something about Calvin Silver gnawed at me. It wasn't his laid-back demeanor or his sharp tongue...that I could handle. It was the way he looked at me, or rather, the way he didn't. No flinching, no hesitation, not even a flicker of doubt when I spoke. The diamond badge on me should instill fear even into the highest-ranked noble. Most people, when they saw me, felt something...fear, respect, maybe just unease.
But this Calvin person...Nothing. He wasn't just unimpressed; it felt like he was silently judging me as if he thought he was better. Stronger.
It ticked me off.
"Once again, I'll give you a chance to let go of your hand." He repeated in a flat tone.
I didn't move. My grip stayed where it was, tightening slightly. His lack of reaction was infuriating. It was like he didn't even register me as a threat. And then he swatted my hand away. It wasn't an aggressive move, it was more dismissive, like brushing off an annoying bug. But the way he did it, so effortlessly, sent a jolt of irritation through me.
Geoffrey clearly shared my sentiment. His voice rang out, sharp with indignation.
"That was disrespectful to my master!" Before anyone could intervene, Geoffrey lunged and had his fist flying toward Calvin.
Calvin's smile widened, sharp and almost predatory.
"You made the first move," he said, his voice calm as his left hand shot up to intercept the punch. With Geoffrey's fist stopped midair, Calvin's right hand wound back, clearly preparing to retaliate. He was waiting for this. I stepped in, my hand shooting forward to intercept the incoming strike. But something unexpected happened.
Calvin's fist flew faster than I anticipated, moving with a speed that surpassed anything I'd seen before. My hand was too slow, it barely grazed his forearm as his punch connected squarely with my face. My guard was down and the impact sent me hurtling backward. My vision blurred as I crashed through the academy's front gate. Pain erupted across my body as I crashed hard on the ground.
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3rd Person POV
Sheen Aquarius adjusted her deep blue robes as she left the grand meeting hall, her sharp features betraying little of the exhaustion she felt from the constant stream of political debates and requests. As the headmaster of the Spade Empire's royal academy, her responsibilities often extended far beyond managing the school as she was also one of the Empire's elite 10. She sighed, mentally preparing herself for the next meeting.
Just as she reached for her office door, a loud BANG echoed through the halls. She went to the window pointing to the direction of where the sound was coming from and saw the broken gate. Without hesitation, Sheen cast her spell and had water to surround her, lifting her gracefully off the ground before she launched herself toward the source of the commotion.
Arriving at the courtyard, Sheen took in the scene. The front gate, a massive structure fortified with magic, lay shattered, its once-pristine wood scattered in jagged pieces, even the metal parts didn't look good, for such a strong gate to be broken...In the center of the chaos lay Sesia, unconscious and sprawled on the ground. Her gaze sharpened. Sesia, the bearer of the 3 of Spades card, one of the elite 10 of the Spade Empire, was no pushover. Even if he was to fight her, she would have to use all her strength, he shouldn't be like this.
Her attention shifted to Geoffrey, who was shouting angrily and pointing toward a man standing nearby. The stranger's presence was unusual: brown skin, striking white hair, and an unremarkable aura. He didn't feel dangerous, yet the fact that Sesia was incapacitated told another story. Sheen's mind worked quickly. This wasn't a random incident. Whoever this man was, he had not only taken down Sesia but had done so in a manner that bypassed the academy's formidable protections. That made him a threat.
Sheen then materialized a card into existence. The 8 of Spades glowed faintly above her.
"You incapacitated one of the Empire's elite 10 and broke through the academy gates. As headmaster, I have no choice but to treat you as a threat. Identify yourself, now!" She demanded.
"Ah, headmaster, finally...so I was trying to set up an appointment and these 2 were stopping me, this guy then laid his hand on me." He said as he pointed at Geoffrey, "I was defending myself but that guy over there jumped in and took the hot for no reason."
"Intruders don't dictate terms. I'll deal with you myself."
"Hey, you were the one that asked, why do you all have to be so unreasonable."
Without warning, Sheen darted forward, her water barrier splitting into countless tendrils that lashed out toward Calvin. He reacted immediately, his body moving quickly and dodging the strike, he sidestepped the first strike, his hand slicing through the air to deflect another tendril.
"Fine," he muttered under his breath, "If this is how you want to handle it."
Sheen launched herself forward, her water surging ahead like a tidal wave. Calvin's hand rose, his mana pulsing coldly, and in an instant, the rushing water froze solid, jagged ice crystals branching outward in the blink of an eye. Her brow furrowed, and without missing a beat, she switched tactics. She fortunately had a second element. The water around her dissolved into vapor, only to ignite into an explosion of flames. She swept her arm forward, sending a torrent of fire roaring toward Calvin.
He didn't flinch. His ice-coated fists punched forward, the impact creating a burst of frost that clashed with the flames. The resulting explosion sent a shockwave across the courtyard, scattering embers and shards of ice in all directions.
"Yo, can we stop, you got students nea-" Calvin's words were then interrupted by Sheen.
Using the momentum, she leaped through the chaos, her fist aiming straight for his chest. Calvin raised an arm to block, the force of her strike sliding him back but failing to break his defense. He retaliated immediately, his fist striking toward her ribs. She twisted mid-air, his attack grazing her side as she brought her leg up for a swift kick. Calvin's arm came up just in time, intercepting her kick.
Sheen spun away, her body low as she swept her leg toward his feet, aiming to knock him off balance. Calvin hopped effortlessly over the sweep, countering with a downward punch that forced Sheen to roll aside to avoid the icy impact. Her frustration grew. The flames she had summoned earlier still crackled in the air, but something was wrong. The ice Calvin conjured hadn't melted, it clung stubbornly to the ground, sapping the heat from her surroundings.
With a burst of speed, she charged him again. Her fists lashed out in a flurry of punches, each one met with Calvin's swift blocks. His counters were equally relentless, forcing her to weave and dodge to avoid being overwhelmed. A kick aimed at his side was caught mid-air, but she twisted, using the leverage to spin and deliver another strike to his shoulder. Calvin took the hit but followed up with a powerful palm strike, the ice coating his hand radiating outward in a sharp burst.
After getting some distance, she tried shooting spears of flames and water at Calvin, but the water spear froze into ice and was intercepted by his equally strong ice spears, her flame spears didn't work either. Her fists ignited in flames as she abandoned long-ranged magic entirely, focusing on close combat. Calvin matched her blow for blow, his ice-coated limbs neutralizing the heat of her strikes.
They exchanged kicks, each one intercepted or deflected. Sheen's agility allowed her to maneuver around Calvin's precise movements, but his unyielding defense left no opening for her to exploit.
The ground beneath them cracked and shattered from the force of their blows, the ice spreading further with each of Calvin's strikes. Sheen's flames flared brighter in response, creating an intense contrast of heat and cold that left the air shimmering with steam. Their fists collided once more, sending another shockwave rippling outward. Both fighters skidded back, their breathing steady despite the intensity of the fight. Neither had the upper hand, yet neither showed any sign of retreat.
"You...who are you?" Sheen asked.
"I was about to say that, I'm Calvin Silver, and I came to exchange a holy blade for the cursed blade your school have." He replied casually but his stance was still on guard.
"And you did that by fighting my junior?"
"He attacked me first, if it were anyone else, his grip would have broken their shoulder."
Sheen darted forward, her flames coated her body like a second skin. Calvin's eyes narrowed as he slammed a palm to the ground, jagged shards of ice erupting upward and forming massive serpentine shapes. The ice serpents coiled and launched at her with terrifying speed. Sheen didn't hesitate. Her fists ignited as she charged straight into the serpents' path. One by one, her fiery punches shattered the ice constructs into a blinding spray of shards and mist. Calvin used the cover to close the distance, slipping through the white smoke with barely a sound.
A sharp blow landed on Sheen's side, right at her liver. She stumbled briefly but retaliated instantly with a spinning kick. Calvin leaned back to evade, countering with a swift uppercut, which Sheen blocked with a fiery arm. Sheen leaped back, her eyes narrowing as she raised her hand. Flames gathered at her palm before exploding outward in a shockwave that cleared the mist.
With a sweep of her arm, her bracelet transformed and became a staff, a sleek, polished rod with a large glowing purple orb that shimmered faintly. She raised it, aiming it directly at him from a safe distance. Calvin responded in kind. From the mist at his feet, he drew his sword and pointed it at her.
"Are you sure that it was a misunderstanding?!" She shouted, "If it was, lower your weapon first!"
Calvin hesitated, but after a moment, he lowered his sword. The tension in the air began to dissipate as the frosty aura around him subsided. Seeing his gesture, Sheen exhaled and lowered her staff, though her stance remained guarded.