I awoke to a bright sunny day, in my bed, still dressed in yesterday's clothes. At first, I was confused, but then I remembered what had happened, both in the cursed items room and at the place Lissana had taken me to. I sat up and for the first time since I'd arrived on this world, I felt absolutely drained, both physically and emotionally.

I undressed and laid back down, covering my head with my blanket. I heard the bell ring for breakfast, but I didn't get out of bed, I didn't feel particularly hungry, even though my stomach growled. I'd felt this before, and unlike the curse that had left me bedridden, I knew this wasn't a product of magic. It was best described as a hole in your gut, like some yawning pit that threatened to swallow you whole. Feeling it meant there wasn't going to be much done today.

I heard a knock at the door and I didn't answer. I heard it open and heard footsteps approach. "Rex." Cier had learned very quickly that being gruff was not the way to wake me up, he gently shook me and said, "It is time to wake up."

"I'm awake." I said.

"Then why are you still in bed?" He asked.

"I'm sick."

"My Lady is skilled in healing magic." He pointed out. "She can cure what ails you."

"Not this." I replied.

"A curse, then?"

"No."

"Are you so certain?"

"It's too familiar to be a curse." I replied.

"You are missing breakfast."

"I know. I'm not hungry." My stomach growled. "I don't feel hungry."

"You slept through dinner." He noted.

"Eh." I wrapped myself up in the blanket. "I'm too busy being a sad burrito, please come back later."

The bed shifted slightly as he sat down. "And what is making you sad?" He asked.

"I want to go home." I replied. "I miss my Mom, and without me nothing'll get done because everyone else is either too lazy or too busy to help."

"You manage the cleaning of your home?" He asked.

"I hate it." I replied. "But I'm the only one who is both available and who cares enough to actually do anything. They're useless without me."

He gently patted my side and rest his hand on me. "It sounds as though you have made yourself your family's keeper." He noted. "Why allow yourself to become stressed over it?"

"Because that's always how it's been. If something needed cleaned, it was me who got up and did it, and then by the end of the day it would be like I did nothing at all. Could you imagine how bad things have gotten in my absence?"

"Is your family so inept that your disappearance would leave them incapable of taking care of themselves?" He asked.

"Sometimes I wonder." I muttered.

The blanket was suddenly yanked from me, it seemed to float in the air above me for a few moments before Cier skillfully folded it up.

"Alas, I will be needing to clean the bedcovers." He said.

With effort, I sat up and for a while, I stared at the opposite wall. I eventually was able to stand and I got dressed. Eventually, I made my way to the dining hall, semi-literally dragging my feet the entire way. A plate had been set for me, but at this point, the food had gotten mostly cold. Wordlessly, I ate.

"Are you feeling well?" Lissana asked me.

"Eh." I didn't really taste the food, nor was I much in the mood for talking. I only ate enough to make my stomach stop growling, and I left the room after eating half of the plate. I went to the only other relatively dark room I could think of where I could have some privacy.

The Focus Crystal shone with its dim light as I lay down in a far corner. I didn't really think of much, I just stared into the darkness. Eventually, I heard the door open, and felt a gentle hand on my arm.

"I knew I would find you here." Lissana stated.

"How?" I asked.

"An illness, you would have simply asked that I heal you. A curse, you could heal yourself. No, if it was either, you would have never left your bed, not even Nash was able to rouse you when you were cursed. This is something different."

"I just want to be left alone." I said.

"I am here." She replied.

"You'll get sick." I pointed out.

"Is it not worth discomfort to help those who need it?" She asked. "It is true, even with magical protection, I will eventually feel ill, but if I balked at the prospect of discomfort, I would never be able to heal others." She was silent for a while. "I have grown to appreciate you, Rex."

"Why?" I asked.

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"You have never once intended to be disrespectful, and though you do not pledge service nor fealty, you act within the best interests of others, and I feel as though you do not take care of yourself as much as you need to." She paused again. "For the first time, I saw Cier give Mira a proper assessment of her talents, praising her where she has done well, and instead of admonishing her failures, showing her how to do better, rather than expecting better. I suspect you have had a hand in this change."

"I have."

"It has been more than three weeks since you arrived on this world, you have gained the trust of my most trusted, as well as my own, you have never backed down from helping others, you have always offered to help when you felt it right and necessary to, you've trained diligently with both Nash and Cier and have grown stronger for it. Yet..."

I looked at her, she looked down at me with a smile. "When you need help, you act as though you are undeserving, you act as though you are a burden, and that you must separate yourself from others so that you are not bothering them. That when you need help, that you have failed others, and I believe this is unfair to you, as you deserve to be helped, and you deserve to be loved." She looked up at the Focus Crystal. "And so I will be by your side until I cannot be any longer, because you do not deserve to be alone."

"Thank you." I said.

She remained by my side, and even though I had wanted to be alone, her presence was a soothing one. When it did eventually come time for her to leave, I took a deep breath and stood up. I didn't really know why, or how I could dredge up the energy to do it, but I did it anyway. She looked at me, and in the dim light, I could see her smile.

We left the room, and she said to me, "Rex, I will not pretend to understand what affects you, nor will I act as though I can heal everything for you. I do want you to know that even if it is nothing more than my duty, I will work hard to see you well and capable of living your life to its fullest extent."

I hugged her, and I realized that I could siphon off the Mana that had accumulated within her. I allowed it to flow through me and into the ground. When I let go, she looked surprised.

"How are you able to do that?" She asked. "It should be impossible to remove Mana from a body."

"I just acted as a ground for the excess energy." I said. "I'm guessing it's because I directly handle raw Mana in smaller bits than in the large amounts needed for spellcasting."

"You are a strange one, Rex." She said. "Will you be able to go about your day as normal?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I said. "I want to see what I can do with my abilities and talents, I figure if I can learn to convert a spell into raw energy and hold it without experiencing Mana Sickness-"

"Perhaps you should rest." She said. "Your ability to grant Mana upon someone to restore their spells does take its toll, and if you are not careful, you could cripple your ability to use magic." She put her right hand to her chin and closed her eyes. "It may be wise to learn more about magic, but unfortunately, the Emperor has increased the tax, and I need to figure out how to apply this increase appropriately, and thus cannot teach you."

"What does this tax go to, if you don't mind my asking?"

She looked at me. "The Emperor has every settlement within the Empire pay a tax so that he can effectively oversee the maintenance of roads and trade, as well as allowing him to sustain himself while he governs the land."

"So, it's just one flat tax as opposed to multiple ones?" I asked. She nodded. "Does he have a council or something of that nature to help him know where to apply tax money most effectively?"

"Yes." She said. "My father is the Lord of Forestry, he ensures that the forestry business is adequately maintained, and thus advises the Emperor regarding this. There are others, of course, but that is the position I am most familiar with."

I nodded. "Forgive me if this is a rude assumption. On my world, Aelfan are associated with nature, particularly understanding the delicate balance that is sometimes required. I haven't seen much that would apply to this, but would you say this is accurate or inaccurate?"

"To a degree, yes." She said. "But nature is not delicate, at least, not in terms of the greater aspects of it. We must care for it, certainly, but nature can and typically will recover even in the face of great calamity. It has, after all, happened before."

"Really?" I asked.

She nodded and gestured for me to follow her. "I can speak of it as we walk, though when we reach my personal study, I will not be able to speak further as my work takes precedent."

"I understand." I said.

Every fantasy world, it seemed, had a tragic backstory, an ancient civilization that had grown to great heights, only to fall at its zenith. Usually, it was seen as a result of pride.

"There was a vast kingdom known as Thercor, it is said they knew how to weave magic to such an extent that they could twist the very forces of nature to their whims." Lissana stated. "Such was their power that artifacts from Thercor are coveted greatly and studied intently. Though little is known about these artifacts, their power is undeniable. We know little about this kingdom, only that it faced a great calamity that threatened all life on this world. For their hubris, the Gods struck them down, and allowed the world to heal naturally."

"Question, did this calamity eradicate all life, and the Gods restore the Races back to life, or did it merely come close?" I asked.

"Even the Gods cannot restore what is lost." She said. "If life had truly ended, I would dare say you would not be here, as there would be nobody to call you to this world." She looked at me as we passed by two servants walking past us with bed covers. "Expeditions into the ruins of Thercor are heavily regulated, as one can contract serious Mana Sickness just by standing close, and dangerous monsters roam within, making it all but suicidal to even go. The few artifacts were gathered by Magebreakers, most of whom lost their lives fleeing from it."

We reached the door to her study. "If you would like, I could try to secure tomes regarding it. As a Lady, I would at least be given some consideration for it."

"I’d appreciate it." I said.

She went into her study, and with little else to do, I sort of wandered around the manor. I found myself outside in the front yard, which had to be at least five times the size of my own front yard. I walked around for a bit before I found a curious stone circle in the ground. There weren't any markings on it, nothing that suggested a specific use. I walked around it, trying to figure out what the hell it was for.

The answer came almost immediately as a large portal appeared above it, out from it stepped an ornately dressed Aelfan. I was caught off guard and fell backward. He looked at me, and for a moment, I wasn't entirely certain how he'd react to me. Another Aelfan, less ornately dressed, stepped out behind him, this one cast a cold glare at me, and the first one approached me and held his hand out.

"My Lord, is it so wise to extend your hand to a Human?" The other one asked with an obvious air of contempt.

I hesitated before reaching my hand out. The first Aelfan clasped his hand around my wrist and helped me up.

"The burden of a Lord is to assist those in need." He stated. "No matter if they be common or of Noble blood, or if they are Human or Aelfan or Bahrati."

"That he does not immediately prostrate himself before you is a grave insult, my Lord."

Oh, right. I gave the Aelfan a bow and said, "Please forgive me, I was caught off guard."

"You are the Human whom my daughter hosts, the one who likewise bears noble blood?" The Aelfan asked.

"My name is Rex Rotenkaiser." I said. "And Lady Wyrashe has indeed graciously hosted me within her home."

The Aelfan laughed. "This Human at least understands how to speak respectfully, Eldros." He extended his hand and stated, "I am Fenrik Wyrashe, Lord of Forestry within this Empire of Bahrati. Would you perhaps know where my daughter is?"

I nodded. "Lady Wyrashe is presently in her private study." I said.

"I see." Fenrik said. "Would you please lead me to her study?"

"I'm sorry." I said. "As a guest of Lady Wyrashe, I do not have such authority, nor would I blindly lead someone whom I cannot personally verify their identity straight to her."

"Insolence!" Eldros snapped, drawing his sword. Time froze, and I cast Lesser Sanctuary. He moved to attack me, and his eyes widened as he couldn't attack me.

"Eldros!" Fenrik snapped. "Sheathe your blade else I sheathe it within your chest, you impertinent fool!"

Eldros, being unable to attack me, sheathed his sword. Fenrik looked at me. "You are quick to react, and able to use divine magic without speaking a prayer. This spell is strong enough to prevent combat for so long, and would otherwise be impractical. But in reaction..."

"Lord Wyrashe, the very least I could do is bring you to someone who could take you to a sitting room where you could await Lady Wyrashe, where someone who directly serves her could inform her of your arrival." I stated. "A guest I may be, I am willing to fight if necessary to protect the person who has been so gracious and kind to me."

"A man of honor, I can respect that." He said. "Though were I truly willing to fight, I am certain I would be able to kill you before long. Is that not enough proof?"

I shook my head.

"Good. Then please, lead me to someone who can entertain us while we wait."

I led them to the main doors and caught the attention of Mira. She looked at Fenrik with an expression of shock and immediately led him inside, apologizing that nobody had been present to see to him immediately.

"Young Rotenkaiser." Fenrik said to me. "I've found you to be rather fascinating. Would you be willing to entertain us while we wait?"

I nodded and followed them into a sitting room.

"Your name caused quite a stir in the Capital." He stated. "A master of Appraisals confirming a hitherto unknown Human of Noble blood, who has preferred to remain mostly unknown. Might I ask why?"

"To cause as little trouble to Lady Wyrashe as possible." I said. "I am a guest within her home, as far as anyone is concerned, I am just some hapless traveler who is having a curse being studied and treated by her."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but Lissana entered. She looked at him and asked, "Father, what brings you here?"

Fenrik looked at her, and his expression grew grave.

"My daughter... Lodran is dead." He said. He paused, then added. "But it seems you know this already."

She nodded. "I do." She said. "And it was Bahamut, through my guest, who let me know..."