Glenn leaned back in his seat with a small smirk, his arms crossed as Giselle slowly stood up from her leather armchair and turned her back to him. They spent a few minutes in silence as Giselle considered how she was going to approach this new war.

"...Ya know, sonny, I was fixin’ to do this anyhow," she finally said, crossing her arms with a knowing look. "Them fools think they can stir up a pot o’ monsters right by my doorstep? Well, I reckon it's high time I remind 'em who the Black Heirs are. We've been sittin’ quiet too long, mmhmm," she muttered coldly, her fists clenching tight. Glenn felt his heart skip as a wave of fear crept over him. Whatever Giselle was planning, it felt downright terrifying.

"I can ask for something else if you want, but that's my main and only goal right now. Unless you know things on the Moon Rift?" He demanded slowly, wondering if Giselle would have any information about the strange event that probably brought him into this world. The powerful lady turned back, sighing loudly.

"Whaddya wanna know?" She asked. Glenn rubbed his knuckles, and the image of the scarlet moon opening in two seared into his mind. That wasn’t something he was going to forget any time soon.

"Everything that you know about it. From the basic information to the theories you might have on the subject," asked Glenn with a serious expression. Giselle turned back and glanced at the ruined desk with a dejected expression before leaning in her seat. She rubbed the white mark on her forehead, the "Inheritance Sigil" as Sahro had named it.

"Well, child, I ain’t no expert, that’s fer sure. Ain’t nobody is. I’ve only lived through three o’ them things my whole life," she said, and Glenn was about to ask her how long that was before remembering the golden rule: never ask a lady her age. "The first time, I was but a youngin’, hid in a tent, tucked away by my family. Didn't see much 'cept that Big One in the sky turnin’ redder than a bloodied hog. I was just a slip of a girl then," her eyes grew distant.

"The second time, I was fightin’ with the soldiers, takin’ on all them horrible creatures that showed up that night," her hands clasped tight as she spoke. "Lordy, it was somethin’ awful, like the sky itself was comin’ down on us. Things fallin' from the Big One, crashin' all over. Never seen nothin' like it in all my years."

"The monsters was different, too. Oh, they were smart and mean, crafty as a fox, they were. We had to team up just to take one down! Back in the day, one of us could handle a whole pack o’ them beasts, no problem." She froze for a second, then pulled something from the chest. Standing back up slowly, she brought the item to Glenn, who stared wide-eyed at what she was holding.

"We were lucky enough to find this little doohickey that fell near us. Ground was covered in some kinda red slime where it landed, nasty as can be, and there it was, just waitin’."

She held it out to him, but Glenn hesitated, unable to believe what he was seeing. Slowly, he reached for it, surprised at its weight.

"No one knows what it is, and we're still waitin' for someone to tell us what purpose that might have,” Giselle shrugged with uncertainty.

Glenn felt his heart beat loudly in his chest. Made in a sleek, metallic frame, in a compact form made to fit a human hand, it was heavy in his hand. Its body was divided into two distinctive sections - a ten-centimeter-long barrel protruding from one end and a handle grip at the other. On the side of the cannon was engraved in small letters: "Smith and Wesson". A few centimeters from it was the number ".38". He turned the gun in his hand, discovering that it was missing any serial numbers. On its frame was written "Springfield, Massachusetts, 1899." For some reason, the trigger wasn't there, making the weapon as good as a piece of junk.

This was an actual item from Earth. A fucking revolver! This...This changed everything! Glenn carefully opened the cylinder while pointing the gun downward, discovering in utter shock that six lead bullets rested there in perfect condition. He turned toward Giselle, who looked at him with a shocked pair of eyes. He awkwardly put the cylinder back, handing the gun back to the lady. He never used a gun before, but this one was pretty straightforward to handle.

"Uh, it just opened by itself."

Giselle took it back, mimicking his actions and managing to open the cylinder herself. She gazed at the gun in awe, clicking the cylinder back in place with a fascinated look on her face.

"Well, bless my soul... I’ve had that thing fer forty years and never knew it could do that!" she said, her voice tinged with wonder. "Tried everythin' on it—poured Mana, Aura, even a bit o’ Divinity, but nothin’ ever worked. Always felt like somethin’ was missin’."

Glenn shrugged, trying to look as innocent as possible. They would have probably understood the use of this thing if the trigger was still there. Maybe it was for the better. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be the one to bring hot weapons into this medieval world. Giselle shook her head, turned back, and stored away the beautiful Smith & Wesson. Glenn fell back in thoughts as he stared at her closing the chest. Even if the weapon was centuries old, it was still coming from Earth. Which meant that the chances of him having fallen from the Moon Rift were higher than he thought they were before.

'Incredible. Imagine how lucky you are to find an item of your world like that!' Diamanes exclaimed, shocked, 'The probabilities of such things happening are probably ridiculously abysmal!'

Glenn nodded slowly. Indeed, that had been quite a nice surprise. Giselle sat back on her chair, still surprised. She crossed her legs together, before continuing her tale.

"Now, where was I? Oh yes, the third time was just a few months back. You was there, right?" she asked with a knowing smile. Glenn nodded, remembering that night all too well.

"No wonder yer curious 'bout it. The first Blood Moon always shakes folks up somethin' fierce. We were lucky here—didn't have too many monsters to deal with..." Her face darkened suddenly. "Though there were some poor souls who lost their minds. Started killin' folks left and right. Awful business. Let's not speak on it."

Glenn silently nodded in agreement, not wanting to make the old woman relive such grim memories. He had already learned plenty and was more than satisfied. Giselle stood up, clapping her hands.

"Well, that's all I knew. I'll try to get my kids to fin’ out more, but right now that's all I have."

Glenn shook his head, standing up in turn, "That's more than enough already. Thank you very much."

The lady placed her hands on her waist, looking at him weirdly. Finally, she shrugged.

"Well, about those thorny bastards, it won't start today, nor tomorrow, maybe not even this week. But it'll happen, I can tell ya that." She stated, making her knuckles and neck crack loudly.

Glenn bowed slightly, taking his leave. The woman watched him leave, lost in her thoughts. There was a lot that she was going to need to prepare for this upcoming conflict. A war wasn’t so easily started, nor was it easily won.

Glenn stepped out of the yurt, sighing and relaxing slightly. That meeting with Giselle had been mentally exhausting, and he was glad it was over. The deal had finally been struck; she’d take care of the cultists of the Thorn’s Church, and he’d venture into King’s Rise and fetch back her grandson Callum. Having a powerful backer like her was certainly helping to make him feel at ease. All this time he moved without a safety net, but now he finally had a shadow to hide under. And he didn’t have to sell his soul for it! Unbelievable, isn’t it?

'Good job! If you succeed in finding her grandson, she'll be indebted to you!' Congratulated Diamanes, before scoffing, 'Having a positive relationship with powerful leaders is always good! Until they betray you, that is.'

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Glenn ignored the last part of his left hand's phrase. He hadn't thought that far, but it was indeed true. She was going to fight the Thorns Church without him asking anyway, so he was practically going to save her grandson for free. Well, no, he did get a positive relationship with the Black Heirs. It would certainly turn out positively for him in the future.

'Oh, you didn't plan anything. Of course. Why does it surprise me?' Diamanes grumbled, disappointed. Glenn’s eyelids twitched as he forced himself to ignore the entity’s snarky comments. He glanced at his surroundings and found Redab to be sitting next to a campfire, discussing with a few other Black Heirs.

Glenn winced and rubbed the back of his neck, “...Why do I feel a sting in…” He turned around and grinned widely, catching Sahro glaring at him. Glenn waved at him with a wide smile. The move seemed to surprise the Black Heir, who flipped him off in return. That made Glenn strangely happy.

Redan’s gaze welcomed Glenn at the campfire as he threw a small chunk of wood into the fire. As soon as he sat down, the Black Heirs who were talking with the elder left swiftly, treating him like he brought the plague with him. Glenn watched him leave and scoffed, before shaking his head.

“Of all the things, I certainly didn’t expect to be the victim of racism in this world…” He muttered dejectedly. Redan chuckled as he used a sharp stick to draw something in the dirt.

"Ya see, those guys lived in the Ink Dunes. The old lady must have explained it to ya, right?"

Glenn nodded as he peered into the flames. He thought back to that dream again, the one where he was standing in the desert of black sand and Diamanes fell from the sky. What could be the connection between these two things?

Redan, unaware of Glenn’s thoughts, continued his explanations, "Well, in this desert, cooperation was a necessity to survive. So, after centuries of surviving like this, they lost something over time." He paused, before erasing with his foot the drawing he just made.

“The ability to betray someone else.”

Glenn paused and glanced up at Redan doubtfully, who laughed at his reaction, "Every Black Heir is linked to the other, forming an intricate, indestructible web. Living in such a way made it so impossible to betray another person that it just never happened."

Glenn wondered how such a thing could be possible. He didn't have any distrust in humanity, well maybe a little toward the Thorns Church side, but he knew that it's human nature to want something that others don't want to share. And that most people are ready to betray their loved ones to get what they want.

So imagining a community free of such issues seemed quite...

"Utopian, right?" Redan smiled when he saw Glenn's face. The latter coughed in his fist, averting his eyes.

Redan grinned knowingly. "I thought the same until I immersed myself in their culture and got a bit... close to the other granny. But it's real. Their trust in each other is integral to their survival."

"So I know. The reason they don't trust ya? Ya, yeah, ya look like a noble little shit, the same noble shit that promised them safe shelter and gave them these Sewers, the same noble kind who kidnapped their kid, the same noble trash that spit on them each time they see one Black Heir."

Regaining his breath, he looked at Glenn straight in the eyes, "And mostly, ya have the dam' face of a noble. And I think that's enough for the explanation, ain't that right?"

'Didn't Giselle say the same thing about your face?' commented Diamanes maliciously.

Glenn groaned with annoyance, “But I’m not a noble! I wish I was, but I’m not. That’s…that’s just discrimination based on appearance!”

Redan nodded, “It is.”

Glenn looked at the old man before sighing heavily, a habit he had started taking upon coming into this world, “Perhaps saving their boss’ grandson will help change their minds.”

Redan's gaze shook for a second, but he quickly went back to his nonchalant self. Glenn noticed the awkward reaction and cleared his throat, changing the subject.

"Can I ask you to teach me magic?"

Redan looked at him, his gaze fixated on his left, bandaged hand.

"Don't ya have a circle already?"

Glenn coughed, and explained his situation, revealing that he had only obtained his Convergence moments before his imprisonment.

Redan scratched his chin in thought."So there ain't no one who taught ya...That means ya're pretty much a blank slate, ready to absorb knowledge..."

Glenn nodded hesitantly, wondering what Redan would come up with. The latter shrugged and gestured at Glenn to come closer, who obliged without complaint.

"Well, there ain't nothing complicated,” The old man poked his finger in Glenn’s chest, on his heart’s side, “I’ll send some Mana in your circuits, so I can figure out what are your affinities, and also to show ya how it feels to use some good ol’ magic.”

Before Glenn could ask if there weren’t some precautions to take, or if it wasn’t going a little too fast, a feeling akin to a worm making its way through his body surged from Redan’s finger. The sensation was unsettling, appearing as if a foreign object was trying to invade him. Glenn grimaced and closed his eyes, trying to get a better feel of it.

“Ya feel that? It’s Mana, the essence of spellcasting.”

The voice of the old man was strangely ethereal as if he was…

“Yeah, I’m talking through the Mana link right now, because ya wouldn’t be able to hear me if I wasn’t.”

Wow. This is so weird.

"Ya don't tell me. It's been a while since I've done this."

So reassuring.

“What I’m doing right now is putting you into a simulated Meditation. A state one attains when he is in synchronization with his mana Mana flow, to feel it. It’s dam’ useful to check if there’s somethin’ wrong with your body, or to recuperate your expended Mana quicker,” Redan explained as Glenn’s mind settled and got used to that strange flowing state. It was as if his consciousness was floating inside his body? It was really weird.

The darkness soon took form, and Glenn found himself observing his own body from a surreal perspective. He saw his veins pulsing with blood and muscles contracting with each breath and heartbeat. His heart was pulsing with a dark, blue mystical hue, calling to him.

"Your perception of your own body is remarkably realistic," Redan remarked. It was a very interesting scene, and Glenn could probably have watched it for hours if Redan hadn't pulled him out, or more like pulled him in, his point of view approaching slowly the pulsing heart.

"Don't worry, I'm the one driving, next time ya'll be free to do whatever ya want. But right now, since it's your first ride, let me guide ya,” Redan reassured him. Glenn let go of his apprehension and let himself be led by the experienced old man. He felt like he was in a movie and couldn't help but marvel at this strange feeling, this out-of-body, no, in-body experience.

What could he even call that? Introspection? Whatever. Redan said it was Meditation, so Meditation it was.

Glenn entered his heart, discovering a new space plunged into darkness. In that darkness, like a lighthouse illuminating the way, was a beautiful, massive ring made of gray light, revolving around a small gaseous ball giving off every color of the spectrum in mystical hues.

On closer inspection, he discovered that the ring was made of strange runes, and trying to decipher them gave him a headache. It might be wise to take a closer look at that later on.

"This...this is impossible..."The ethereal voice of the old man seemed to shake a little. Glenn flinched as he felt whatever Redan was doing stop, and was abruptly pulled back into reality. He gasped, his heart racing as he clenched at his chest. He had a wide grin on his face, opening and closing his hand with a look of amazement.

“So that’s magic. Palpable, visible magic…” He closed his eyes for an instant, before laughing out loud with pure happiness, “Hahahaha!”

He felt like a child whose dreams had been fulfilled. Magic…what made the impossible, possible. And now he held it. It was real.

“I can’t believe it…” Glenn muttered.

'AYO!? Where did you go? It's been fifteen minutes that I've been trying to talk to you, are you ignoring me?' Diamanes's voice pulled him out of his exhilarated state. Glenn flinched and glared at his left hand, before sighing.

‘I...I'm sorry. I went into some kind of...space? Redan called it Meditation, I felt like I was inside my mind it was...woah.' Glenn lacked the words to explain what happened to Diamanes. The entity groaned in understanding, before chuckling slightly.

'So that was your first Meditation. Damn, you guys were gone for ages, I swear,' complained the being in his hand. Glenn smirked and looked up, wondering what went wrong that surprised Redan so much. The old man was staring into the void, an expression of deep shock etched on his face. Glenn frowned and waved his hand in front of Redan’s eyes, but he didn’t react.

"Mr. Redan, are you okay?" Glenn asked hesitantly. He shook the old man gently, but his eyes were wide, unblinking, and unmoving. Glenn’s heart missed a beat and he reached out to feel Redan’s pulse.

He didn’t find one.

'HOLY SHIT, I KILLED REDAN!?!'