That was easier than I thought it’d be, Tyler thought as he stepped silently up the stairs in the back of the tavern. He had been expecting a grand search to find the entrance to Gehenna, but apparently it was located out in the open at the outskirts of the city. His decision to join the expedition was a good one though--if he had just tried to enter on his own, he likely would have been blocked by the guards that constantly stood near the entrance.
As Tyler followed Eliana, he continued to wonder which race she could possibly be. She’s obviously not human, because of her dark aura. Her black hair makes it almost impossible for her to be a pixie, and she’s also missing the pointed ears. I guess she could be some kind of beastkin or dragonkin, but her aura doesn’t match. Most beastkin that I’ve seen have a light green, tan, or maybe pink aura. Black doesn’t match with those. Of course, I’ve only seen a couple of beastkin, so you never know. Dragonkin are the same way. Like other nonhuman races, they have the ability to hide their horns and other physical differences, but their auras are normally red or orange. I haven’t seen a single black aura, except for Eliana. And partially mine, I guess. Could she be another dragon? I somehow doubt that. I think I would have known if she was, somehow. Eliana suddenly stopped, and Tyler almost bumped into her, interrupting his thoughts.
“Here we are,” Eliana grinned. Tyler looked around skeptically at what looked like a dingy, windowless attic. The room was filled to the brim with furniture—in particular, two identical bunk beds were placed next to each other, close enough that there was no floor space in between them. The only other space to stand was right next to the staircase, where a candle sat on a rusty iron candelabra that was bolted to the wall. After introducing herself, Elaina had told Tyler that she had a spot for him to stay for the night, so he didn’t need to find an inn for a single night. Tyler almost declined—it’s not like he was short on money, after all. However, he figured that he may as well save a bit of money while also staying hidden from James. Win-win!
Now, though, he wasn’t so sure. Yeah, this room had beds, but it looked kind of… sketchy. What else were these beds used for? Also, would they even hold Tyler’s weight?
“I’m sorry, but I’m a little… underwhelmed,” Tyler muttered wryly.
“Yeah, it’s not much, but it’ll last you through the night,” Eliana agreed wholeheartedly. “Anyways, you should visit the smithy tomorrow. Unless you want to fight the magical beasts with only your magic,” she added, as though it was an afterthought.
“That’s the plan,” Tyler replied through a wide yawn.
“Hmm, it looks like it’s past your bedtime,” Eliana chuckled. Tyler only shot her a glare. He felt so tired for some reason. I haven’t done that much today… What's going on? he thought. But then he simply shrugged, retracted the shoes of his battlesuit, and went to sleep in one of the bunks. He was too tired to do anything else.
***
Eliana Harbinger watched in silence as the strange boy collapsed on one of the lower bunks. He must’ve been tired, she thought, before frowning slightly. I saw him retract his shoes… right? That’s something that only one of the Professor’s battlesuits can do. Does that mean that this kid is one of his? she pondered while returning to her voluntary job as a barmaid. She narrowed her eyes at the thought.
If the Professor gave him a battlesuit, that must mean he’s a beastkin. Only a humanoid that can transform would need a battlesuit. But then, how was he able to use magic? And at such a young age? Beastkin can hardly use magic at all. Their blessing only allows for internal mana arts that strengthen their movements. But was what I saw really magic? It looked like he just… canceled the fire spell.
Wait, fire! He could be a Dragonkin, because any Dragonkin would have more reign over fire than a human mage would. Did he chant ‘cancel’ only to make it appear that the spell did something completely different? Dragonkin also tend to have a lot of latent magical talent from their dragon heritage. Or, he could possibly—
At that moment, Eliana’s racing thoughts were abruptly cut off. She had just felt a vastly powerful presence step into the bar where she was working. Not only was this presence powerful almost beyond comprehension, but it was intimately familiar, in the same way that death was familiar to an experienced warrior.
The Angel of Death, she thought with a shiver. The utterly beautiful man wore a white cloak trimmed in gold, and his hair shone with the same pure white as his skin. He crossed through the tavern unseen by all occupants except for Eliana herself. And even then, Eliana only saw him because he wanted her to see him. That bastard, she thought with gritted teeth. Ever since he discovered I’ve been staying here, he can’t leave me alone, can he?
“Ah, Eliana! What a pleasant surprise!” the man cooed. Since light was his domain, his words were able to be heard by all the occupants, not just Eliana. Sadly, the surrounding tavern was loud enough that it didn’t matter.
“Hello, Lance. I’m sorry to say that the feeling isn’t mutual,” Eliana responded with a look of mild hostility.
“Oh my, aren’t you in a foul mood this evening. What happened today for you to be this snappy?” Lance asked, the easy smile never leaving his face. Eliana sighed and casually started walking to the back room of the bar, fully expecting Lance to follow. He did, hopping gracefully over the bar in the process. Since nobody could see him, none of the occupants or guards could even see him, nobody in the room reacted.
“I met an interesting young boy today,” Eliana said absently, walking leisurely through the back room’s doorway. “He could tell I wasn’t human, somehow.” Lance’s footsteps paused for a moment, before resuming.
“Did you kill him?” Lance asked casually, as though asking about the weather. This time it was Eliana’s turn to pause her footsteps.
“Yes,” she lied. I basically have, by allowing him to enter Gehenna. Even with us, he will be in extreme danger. Also, she saw no reason to get that kid caught up in something that was this over his head by telling Lance about him. An unknown emotion flickered across the Angel’s face. Mirth? Disappointment? Eliana couldn’t tell. It was gone before she could identify his thoughts.
“A shame, I would have liked to meet the young whelp,” he murmured with a small smile. “I will need to tell his father of his passing,” he added, like it was an afterthought. His father? Eliana thought, surprised. Does he know who the boy is?
Eliana sat on a sofa in the back room of the tavern. This certain room was solely meant for chance meetings like this, when Eliana happened to run into someone that needed to talk in a private place. In this case, she was the one that was cautious of being overheard. Lance—and apparently a certain young boy—was the only one currently aware of her nonhuman status. As she sat, a pair of horns faded into existence on her head, their perfectly black surfaces seeming to warp the air around them. Instead of glowing, like you would expect from magical horns, they seemed to consume the light around them. If Tyler had been in the room, he would have noted them to be almost identical to his own horns.
“Why, pray tell, are you here, Seraphim Prince?” Eliana asked, her voice hard and resonating, filled with otherworldly power. This room was separated from the rest of the world, something that was only possible due to her skill with the Blessing of Darkness. She could be as loud as she wanted, and nobody outside of the room would hear.
“The same reason you are, Princess of Daemons. The human world is just so much more interesting than that old castle in the sky.” Why would I ever hang around up there if I can stay here, unobserved and uninhibited? And, of course, I get to see you, dear princess.” Eliana shuddered a little, and increased the intensity of her glare. Lance’s smile never faltered, but his gaze became slightly predatory. “You feel the same way, do you not? Living near the center of the world must be fairly dull. There’s no sun, no birds to wake you up in the morning--it’s depressing! Is that not why you’re here, princess?”
“...Are you finished? I have an expedition tomorrow which I must prepare for,” Eliana drawled, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
“Of course not, dear Eliana, but this is the first I’m hearing of an expedition. I dare say I must join you! We can’t have the dear Daemon princess getting hurt in the big bad Gehenna labyrinth,” Lance said cheerily, his grin widening. No, he can’t come. He’ll see the kid! Also, I don’t want him there, Eliana groaned inwardly.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
“Of course you can’t go,” Eliana replied with a forced smile, her teeth gritted in annoyance.
“Oh? But you can’t stop me. Not unless you want another war between Seraph and Daemon!” Lance laughed, clapping his hands in excitement.
This is why I hate this man, Eliana thought. He will always get his way because of this very threat, even though both of us know he would never go through with it. It’s infuriating.
Outwardly, Eliana merely sighed. “Do what you wish, Lance. Just don’t get in my way.”
“Of course, of course! I wouldn’t dream of it. Just think of me as a passive observer. And, of course, if you find yourself in trouble, I will step in and save you like a damsel in distress.”
“…right,” Eliana said, almost punching the man then and there. This is going to be a long few days, she sighed inwardly.
***
Tyler woke to the sound of birds chirping. Under the covers, he stretched his draconic body like a cat, feeling his joints popping with satisfaction. Ah, this is quite nice. If only every morning were like this, Tyler thought. Then he woke up the rest of the way, and popped his head up. Crap. I’m back in dragon form again, aren’t I? He thought with amusement. He also noticed that his battlesuit had returned to the form of a chain. I guess it switches back and forth automatically as well. That’s fairly useful, he thought absently while transforming back into his humanoid form. This humanoid form is starting to feel more and more unnatural, but it can’t be helped. People can’t know that I’m actually a dragon, he chuckled. Once his cloak was well situated around his wings, he stepped into the narrow stairwell.
With little more than a thought, he extended his senses into the rest of the tavern. It’s practically empty, he noted. Good. He stepped into the main room of the tavern and silently stepped towards the doors. As he reached the front, one of the bouncers leaned over to whisper in his ear.
“Guild master Eliana said to tell you something. Come back here at a quarter candle past noon. We’ll be getting ready then.”
“Thank you, I will be sure to,” Tyler responded, noticing that the bouncer didn’t even react to the sound of his high pitched voice. She must have told them. With a nod, the bouncer opened the door for Tyler and ushered him out of the room. Tyler didn’t even give the tavern a second glance before he stepped into the busy street. She said that the best place to find a weapon would be at the blacksmith shop across the street. I’m guessing that’s it? Tyler thought, looking in the direction of a small store with an even smaller sign marking the doorway.
The sign read ‘Kayson’s Smith Shop’ in a foreign language that Tyler only took a second to figure out. I haven’t really thought about it, but how am I able to so easily speak and read the Common Tongue? Tyler thought absently while crossing the street to enter the shop. Even as a former language expert and a dragon, I feel like I shouldn’t be able to speak this language so easily, let alone read it. Speaking is one thing. If you listen to a language enough, your mind almost automatically stores the words and phrases that you hear. Literacy is different though. To be literate in a language, a person needs to study and practice it thoroughly. It’s almost like I just skipped that step.
A bell rang as Tyler opened the wood door at the front of the smithy shop. The interior of the shop was small but neat, with hundreds of weapons displayed on three of the walls. The back wall, instead, had a front desk with a bored looking clerk that was playing with a kunai knife. When the clerk heard the bell ring, he straightened up and tried to make himself look busy. With a small smile, Tyler walked up to the embarrassed clerk.
“Hey, kid,” Tyler said confidently. The boy working as the desk clerk was probably about 16, which was even older than Tyler was on Earth. Tyler was tired of being called a kid, though, so he did it first. That feels pretty good, Tyler thought smugly.
“Kid? You’re the kid here,” the clerk shot back. Well, that backfired. Whatever. I just need to get a sword.
“You sure? Well, it’s not important. Anyways, is that any way to treat your customer?” Tyler responded with an easy grin. He wasn’t wearing his hood, so the clerk could see his entire face.
“A customer? Aren’t you a little young to buy a weapon on your own?” The guy asked skeptically. This has got to be a joke. When the hell is my body going to grow again? Oh, right. It probably won’t until I consume more mana.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Tyler said instead, his expression unchanged. I think I’m having déjà vu, he thought. “I need to buy a sword, so I’m going to look around. I need a dueling length blade, or maybe a bastard sword.” Then he thought back to his old kendo dojo, and the two katanas that were always on display on the walls. “Or perhaps a sword with a single edge, with a slight curve. Either way, it needs to be durable, sharp, and mana conductive.” Tyler may be new to this world, and he even acted a bit childish due to being unused to his body. But if any of his enemies were to underestimate his intelligence, they would be the one with a knife in their back. He had decided that he needed a sword all the way back when he had burned the human corpses in the forest. At that time, he had felt that his flames, at least in their raw form, consumed the mana stored in his heart fairly quickly. That was one of the reasons why he needed to acquire a different fighting style than just spewing flames. Of course, he had never actually used his flames in a battle, but the point was the same. He couldn’t simply rely on his strong body and his flames against superior opponents. And so, he would need to use his previous experience with a sword to his advantage.
The second reason he couldn’t just use his flames was because he was currently hiding the fact that he was a dragon. Until he was strong enough to be influential, he needed to protect himself with secrecy and lies.
The boy in front of him had sat still for a long moment, wondering if Tyler was serious. When Tyler didn’t refute his request, the boy simply shrugged and pulled a cord under his desk. From somewhere that sounded far away, Tyler could hear the ding of a bell. Moments later, a short, grumpy looking old man stepped out of a doorway located behind the desk.
“Did ya call?” he grunted, a bit of spittle flying out of his wide mouth.
“Yes, master. A kid here is looking to buy a sword. I called you here to tell him to buzz off,” the kid said smugly. He really respects that old man. Is it some kind of apprenticeship? Tyler wondered.
“A kid, eh? Let me take a look at him,” the man said. He stepped carefully around the desk, his movements somewhat stiff. At his height, he didn’t need to lean over much to look Tyler in the eye, but somehow he still managed to look condescending while he did it.
“Kid, what kind of sword did you want to buy?” He asked with a toothy smile. His teeth looked almost metallic, as if he had replaced them all with steel pebbles.
“I don’t really know the names of blades, but I want a single edged dueling blade with a slight curve. It needs to be durable, very sharp, and mana conductive.” The old man had leaned back, scratching his balding head.
“Hmm. Do you want a rapier? Or a katana?” Tyler blinked in surprise. The names are in English? What does that mean?
“The katana. But they tend to be pretty fragile, and I’m no expert with the blade. Is there one with the same thickness, but a stronger, or maybe a denser material? The weight doesn’t matter, as long as it can cut, conduct mana, and is durable, it should be fine.”
This time it was the old man’s turn to blink in surprise. “Haha, kid! You let me believe you didn’t know what you’re talking about! Yes, of course. What’s your deadline?”
“If you have something already made it would probably be better. This is short notice, but I’m planning on joining the Gehenna expedition this afternoon.”
The old man burst into more boisterous laughter. “Kid,” he finally said, tears practically streaming down his face, “you just keep on surprising me. But no worries! I’ll have your swords made by then. I’m a dwarf forger, not some human smith. Stick around for a quarter candle, and I’ll finish your order in no time! By the way, would you like two blades? It’s quite common for warriors who wield katanas to purchase two identical swords, even if they only use one. That way, if they break one, they’ve got a spare!” the smith said cheerily.
“If you have time, that would be great. Thank you,” Tyler responded.
***
It was close to sunset when the large group of mercenaries finally stood in a circle around the entrance to the Gehenna Labyrinth. Tyler stood with them, his left palm resting on the black tsuka of a beautiful new katana. I sure hope I don’t break these swords, Tyler thought ruefully. Of course, he had every expectation to break them both. He had only paid five gold for both swords, which was probably a rip off, but it really wasn’t his money anyways. At the very least, they would fulfill the purpose he had bought them for—to help him practice the sword once again, and to hide the rest of his talents.
“The past few years, magical beasts have been populating immensely in this area of the Gehenna labyrinth. And, as we all know, if the population of the beasts overflows, they head towards the nearest exit and attack nearby villages for food,” Eliana was saying. Tyler felt a pair of eyes passing over him suddenly, and he tended up slightly. He could feel something—off about the space next to Eliana. Like there was a presence there, but he couldn’t see it with his eyes. Even with his dragon vision, the only thing he saw was small spots of light. It was eerie, and he didn’t like it. As long as it didn’t interfere with him, though, there would be no problems.
“…Are we all ready?” Eliana finished her rallying speech, and the crowd of mercenaries cheered, raising weapons into the air. Tyler didn’t know how dangerous the Gehenna labyrinth was, but judging by the strength of the people around him and the rumors of the tunnels, many of these people would not make it out alive. Hopefully I’m not one of them, Tyler thought darkly.
“Then here we go. Make sure to stay with one of the captains! They each carry a guide stone that will direct you back to this entrance. So don’t go off on your own!” Tyler swore he could feel her eyes on him when she said that part. Sorry Eliana. I’m not going to follow that rule, Tyler grinned as he entered the depths below.