-Chapter Thirty-
Goddess Will
“Are you ready?” Saki asked. Her timidness having vanished, her glowing pink eyes sharply cut straight to Aelius’ soul through his brown irises.
“Yes,” he answered in an equally serious, low tone.
“Then I will begin. Oh, and… don’t blink.”
As soon as the words fell from her lips, Aelius’ eyes shot wide open from the ground suddenly caving away beneath him.
—-----------------------
Beginning sequence: Awakening; Liberation.
Caution is recommended.
The light quickly faded, leaving only a dark pit, and an overwhelming hum rang in Aelius’ ears as he fell with his chair into the nothingness.
The deep, overpowering vibrations biting into his mind was familiar - it felt like the day he had regressed.
Bewildered, his eyes darted around him but he could see nothing, until a small dot of white shone far ahead of him.
His gaze quickly locked onto it and it shot forward at him.
At supersonic speeds, he felt his body and mind, or perhaps soul, melt into a billion fragments, piercing into the light.
The hum turned to a sharp ringing and his eyes were blinded.
It was like a flashbang - wait, a flashbang? How did he know what a flashbang was again?
A sharp pain suddenly flared in his brain and he cringed in agony as the ringing slowly faded and his blurry vision returned.
The sound gradually grew clearer, into something he could make out.
A musical beeping, a tone, high-tech and modern.
Something was beside him shaking, or rather, vibrating.
His vision came into focus and he found himself staring up at a beige ceiling, completely bare save for a single, old rusty ceiling fan slowly spinning.
Beside him, he turned his head around on his pillow to find his touchscreen mobile ringing beside him.
In a daze, a dreamlike haze, he reached up to it and slid the bottom bar to the side of the screen, picking up the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, are you awake yet, $@!&*%?” Aelius flinched at the last word from the voice on the other side.
A woman’s voice, somewhat old by the sounds. Her voice cut out into ear-piercing static at the end of her sentence.
“Yeah, you just woke me up,” he answered, rubbing his sore brow.
“Your dad and I are on our way over now to pick you up. Make sure you’re dressed. You haven’t forgotten what day it is today, right?” the voice asked.
“No, mum. Of course not,” Aelius answered, his eyes wandering out to the window where the sun shone in.
“Of course. We’re just five away, be quick.”
The phone beeped as she hung up, and he tossed it onto his mattress, swinging his legs off the end of his bed and stumbling to the window.
As he drew closer to it, the sound of honking, the chatter of the city, the beeping of traffic lights and the roaring hum of airplanes overhead all came into earshot.
He threw aside the fluttering curtain, gasping as he looked out over the city decorated with skyscrapers and thousands of people going about their day on the streets outside.
Hanging on his wall was a picture of a small family of four; a man far older than Aelius in both stature and fashion, but the face was blurred by some form of static and; a woman taller than Aelius, him only being a young child at the time of the picture, her face also censored.
Aelius stood closer to the camera than they did, the older man resting a warm, comforting hand on his shoulder as he gleefully grinned into the camera.
And finally, beside him, an equally vibrant, happy child smiled into the camera, the splitting image of him, but slighter younger. Her hair was longer and her physique was slimmer, but otherwise, they looked alike.
Aelius happened to notice the picture as he turned away from the window.
He stared at it blankly, unable to recall its significance. And then suddenly, he noticed something drip on the ground beside his foot.
His head quickly shot down in surprise, and he noticed wet spots on the timber beneath him.
“Oh…” he reached up to feel his wet cheeks, his eyes giving way to a river-like stream, like a dam overrun. “It’s that time of the year again.”
Outside, the honking of a car came in through the window and he quickly threw on a jacket, running down the stairs to the front door.
Slamming it shut behind him, he quickly jogged to the red family car as the passenger window came winding down.
The same woman, her face still censored, hissed at him to hurry up and he quickly joined her in the back seat.
“We’re running late,” she said over her shoulder as beside her, the faceless man quickly took off driving, speeding them down the road.
—-----------------------
It felt bizarre. Empty, meaningless, as they parked their car at a cemetery parking lot and entered the main atrium.
As soon as the small family of three stepped in, Aelius saw there were already numerous people there.
Many of them approached his mother and father, a few came up and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.
He couldn’t see any of their faces, but he could tell they looked at him with a sense of pitifulness.
Aelius dodged them all, silently crossing the large gathering hall and finding an open door at the end, leading out to the main cemetery.
His mind was absent but his instincts seemed to be leading him as he stepped out into the maze of tombstones.
Like tracing footsteps in the snow, he navigated the grass.
The cemetery spanned long.
He failed to notice behind him, the crowd of people in the room following along. They chattered as they walked but he could not hear them, his mind was drawn away by his task-at-hand.
Finally, he came to a tombstone and his body came to a forced stop.
Looking up, it read,
“In loving memory of…” The rest of the words were missing, blocked off by that same static.
Aelius looked down and noticed flowers had appeared in his hands at some point, and reaching down, he put the flowers at the pedestal before the headstone.
“Hey. It’s been a year again. I hope you’re well up there. I’ve been doing okay. I had the craziest dream, it was a roller coaster,” Aelius began to say. The words just came out on their own.
“Sometimes, I don’t know who I am anymore. I feel like I’ve forgotten so many parts of myself that… I’m a stranger to myself. I really hope you’re having a better time than me.”
He fell silent for a long while.
“I’m sorry for everything I fought with you over in the past. We were children, I didn’t know any better. But if I had known this was going to happen, I would’ve let you have that ice cream that day, and I would’ve let you ride in the front instead of the back. I would’ve gone and looked for your goggles for you, so you could take that swim in the beach that you wanted to so badly when we went on holiday. I’m sorry, I should’ve been better.”
He said no more, standing back up again and backing a few steps away.
One by one, each of the people around him also placed some flowers before the tombstone.
Time passed by like the wind, Aelius only absently stared at the tombstone when a voice spoke up and caught his attention.
He looked up and noticed a man dressed in a robe was standing up at the front. A cross hung at his neck, his robe was white and purple.
“Ahem,” he cleared his throat, before speaking loud and clear for all to hear. “Today, we gather in loving memory of $#@!&^. She was a passionate, lovable child. Noble, outgoing, endearing. She was very spirited, a lover of sports. She brought light, comfort and warmth to the lives of all those around her.”
Aelius noticed a drop of water drip down from overhead, followed by a few more, and looked up to notice the grey clouds slowly spitting rain down.
“Leukaemia takes many lives of children each year. It was a terrible tragedy, and God will have shed tears for her kind soul. God sees all and he provides to all. For as much as she suffered, infinitely more does she prosper, now, at eternal rest in the loving, warm embrace of His Lordship. As we pray for her joy, she smiles down at us from the Heavens above…”
Aelius zoned out as the priest continued, ignoring the rest, looking bitterly at the tombstone.
After she died, it was like his family lost its centrepiece. She was the light and now there was only darkness.
Losing her turned his life upside down since. It was like a stigma he could not escape.
The once colourful days were now colourless.
He never noticed the joy until all that was left was the grey. It was shocking how losing one member of their family could bring the rest of them all down.
—-----------------------
The rain was pounding down hard now.
In his lonesome, Aelius wandered the streets.
The rest had gone for a big dinner. He felt this wasn’t the day to be doing such things.
He wore no hood nor held an umbrella, instead letting his brown hair soak in the relentless downpour.
He aimlessly wandered the streets, unsure of what he ought to be thinking.
In her final moments, his lovable younger sister suffered unimaginably.
For a free-spirited girl like her who ran and flew like the wind, spending her final three months confined to a bed with bouts of unendurable pain, she shed countless tears.
And then weakly, frail, miserably, she passed on.
Just like that.
A weak flame to a candle, gone out with the gentlest breeze.
It was all so bizarre, empty, and meaningless.
Aelius could feel his eyes glazing over. It was like the will to live was quite literally being syphoned from his being.
He soullessly wandered onto the road, unsure of his destination.
The rain was so severe now, he could barely see ahead of him. From his side, two glaring headlights came through the downpour but he did not see the light.
And then he heard the loud honking of horn and screeching of tires from frightening close to him.
He looked up just in time to see the silhouette of a car come drifting through the rain straight into him.
There was a loud crunch as he was sent rolling and his vision began to spin.
He felt pain flare all over his body and numerous impacts as he went sprawling across the road, and as he finally came skidding to a stop, he could feel his body bleeding out.
I’m gonna die, he realised as his vision began to black.
The last thing he could see were his arms laying powerlessly by his side, a random building in view next to him, and a pair of legs running up to him.
The sound of sobbing and hysteria flooded his ears and his vision went black.
God my ass… If there is one, fuck him. If this is fate, this is all a cruel joke…
Aelius felt his body get flipped over.
His vision came in and out like flashes of brevity. He was loaded up onto a stretcher, and pushed towards an ambulance.
“We’re losing the pulse!” a voice urgently shouted beside him.
“Get the AED!” another answered.
Aelius’ eyes were half-open, looking up at the grey sky.
It’s okay. Just let me go… he thought when he suddenly saw the clouds part.
Golden rays descended down from the sky and he could swear he saw the silhouette of a woman reaching down to him.
“Pitiful child…” her voice filled his ears.
Benevolent, kind, loving, it was everything someone would want in the vision of an angel.
…What the hell is this? he thought as light wrapped around him and lifted him into the air.
A cradle of golden rays formed around him and in an instant, the sky was closer than the ground.
A tunnel of light awaited him above, and the last thing he remembered was being tossed into the swirling currents.
—-----------------------
Wasn’t I just thinking about something important? Aelius wondered, yet his mind was completely blank.
He could have sworn it was something important. His chest ached with grief, yet whatever he had just recalled, left him as suddenly as it graced him.
That memory eluded him yet again.
He suddenly blinked as his mind came back into clarity.
Before him, a long staircase descended into Farrien Capital.
He looked down it to see a familiar head of platinum blonde descending into the city.
“Alea…” her name gently fell from his lips.
She happened to glance over her shoulder, gave him a bright smile, a small wave and then turned away again before he could wave back.
Right.
Today was the day he had met Alea, an amazing and inspirational woman.
It left him feeling so deficient he wish he could change right there and then.
A feeling of inferiority and self-loathing suddenly overwhelmed him.
Why the hell do I have to be so weak? he asked himself in frustration.
Alea and her colleague, Quarren, were out of sight now.
He spun around, the helplessness quickly being replaced by determination.
I’ll do whatever it takes to get stronger, and be worthy of standing by your side.
—-----------------------
Day one after Alea left.
Aelius had officially begun operation ‘Get stronger’, Phase One.
The operation was simple; there were three phases.
Phase One: Figure out why he was so weak.
Phase Two: Figure out how to fix it, or figure out a way around it.
Phase Three: Carry out the fix. Simple enough.
To do so, the first thing Aelius did was bury his head in the deepest parts of the library. After only a few hours, he took a deep breath.
Calm down. Be patient.
It had only been one day since Alea had left, and he couldn’t suppress his urgency.
It’s not gonna take one day, or two days. It’ll take years, if at all, he told himself firmly and continued to read.
The main defining factor between fighters was how many Mana Rings they had successfully formed around their Mana Core.
To form Mana Rings, all a mage had to do was condense enough Mana in a ring shape around their Core.
It’s not difficult, it’s only a matter of time.
Things like intense battles and constant use of the Mana Core can shorten the period of time a mage needs to form their next Ring.
With each Ring, the amount of Mana required is doubled.
Most people die of old age before they can reach the Ninth Ring, simply because of how long it takes.
It takes talent, genius and lastly, fortune to get anywhere above the Sixth Ring.
Now, what was Aelius’ problem? Naturally, to condense Mana in a ring, the mage has to move and gather Mana.
The source of Mana is the atmosphere from around the mage. Through focusing on that abundant energy, the mage will refine that energy, all through their Mana Core.
But when Aelius tried to refine any Mana, he would be struck by insufferable pain from his Mana Core.
So the reason Aelius was weak was because… he thought as he flipped through a medical book.
The reason was because he couldn’t move Mana, and people who can’t move Mana, though rare, do exist.
He found a page with the anatomy of a human body drawn on it.
Titled at the top of the page, the words read, ‘Impasse disease’.
A rare constitutional condition that prevented the person from being capable of interacting with Mana internally, due to some sort of insufficiency in their Mana Core.
Disappointed, Aelius flipped the book shut.
The words at the bottom had read, ‘These people cannot become mages’.
If that was the case, what the hell was he doing at the most prestigious Magic Academy in the south of the Sacred Continent?
What had he spent the whole last year working on?
Well, Spiritualism. But, no Spirit would sign a contract with him either.
If he could sign a contract with a Spirit, he was certain he could stand on par with conventional mages.
Yet, was he really this cursed? He wondered dejectly with a sigh.
Looking out the window, he noticed it had fallen dark already.
“Dang it…” he sighed, rising to his feet and leaving the library.
Day one of Phase One of Get Stronger, Aelius had already figured out the problem of why he was weak.
—-----------------------
Day two of operation ‘Get Stronger’, two days after Alea left. Aelius had found a newspaper article saying the Holy Knights had already embarked on a mission north of Farrien.
He prayed to the Goddess Stecia that Alea would stay safe through it, before turning back to focus on his own matters.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Phase Two of Get Stronger was now in its prime.
If he has Impasse disease, then his only choice to get stronger was becoming a Spiritualist.
So now, the question has become, why won’t Spirits sign a contract with him?
He has to find it out somehow.
Unfortunately, spending a whole day in the library didn’t work.
Spiritualism was such an unconventional Art that there were close to no written works explaining anything in detail concerning it.
There was no information that could help Aelius, he had realised, by the time it had fallen dark again.
Dejectedly, he returned back to the dorm.
—-----------------------
Day three of operation ‘Get Stronger’ had arrived.
It was now three days since Aelius met Alea.
Her impression was still strong on his mind.
Was this what a teenage crush felt like? He felt embarrassment, obsession, and yearning all at once.
Shaking his head and snapping himself out of it, Aelius checked the newspaper for any articles for the Holy Knights.
There was nothing. Disappointed, he went about his day.
The first step was Director Polia’s office.
He hadn’t gone back since Alea had come, now returning to the familiar wooden corridor and nervously trudging down it.
Upon knocking, her voice called him to come in and he entered to see the headmaster looking as well as always behind her desk.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Aelius?” she warmly asked, gesturing to a seat.
“I was hoping for some help on something difficult,” Aelius quietly asked her as he sat down, his eyes pointed to the ground.
“Well, I’m all ears,” she assured him.
“I want to know why Spirits refuse to contract with me- no, refuse to even interact with me. I have such a high affinity with summoning almost any element, yet they all refuse me. It’s like I’m not meant to be a Spiritualist…” he depressingly remarked.
Polia remained silent opposite him.
“So I went looking in the library for any information but…”
“Oh, yes,” Polia chuckled. “Our library only has three books on Spiritualism and I have no idea about the credibility of them.”
Aelius nodded.
“So I was wondering if you knew where I could find some more. Is there a backroom to the library or somewhere I could find more information?” he asked and Polia shook her head.
“I’m afraid not. Those books are all we have.”
Aelius’ hopeful gaze fell to the ground dejectedly and for a moment, silence rang out between them as Polia looked at him sympathetically.
“You know, Aelius, before we had books on certain topics, no one knew anything about them. For example, Arcane magic,” Polia summoned a ball in her hand. “There was a time when Arcane magic was just as obscure as Spiritualism is right this very moment. But do you know what we did, as humans? As such an incredible species?” she asked with a beaming smile.
“Someone went and figured Arcane magic out, and then wrote a book on it. Someone very talented in Arcane magic. As for Spiritualism, no one has gone and figured it out just yet. That’s all it is,” she explained.
“Oh, I see. Then I wonder when someone talented will come along and figure it out. The sooner the better, I hope. I’d really like to figure this problem out,” he pursed his lips.
“Well, I believe I’m looking at that someone right now,” Polia answered and Aelius looked up with surprise.
“M-me? No way. I have no idea what I’m doing as is. I can’t write a good book, either.”
“But you are the most talented Spiritualist, potentially in all of the South. Do you know one significant difference between Arcane magic and Spiritualism?” Polia asked, her eyes lighting up.
Aelius shook his head, unable to answer.
“It’s the fact that you can talk to Spirits, of course!” she exclaimed. “Arcane magic is like mathematics. It is nothing more than an equation, without a will of its own. It can only be understood through trial and error, clinical testing. But you? You can summon almost any Spirit due to your high affinity and talent in summoning. So why not try to converse with the Spirits?” Polia suggested with a gesture.
“But…” Aelius looked back at her doubtfully. “I’ve tried. None of them want to talk to me. Some even try to fly off straight away,” he shrugged.
“Don’t you see, young Aelius? Some fly off straight away, but some, even if they dislike you, at least wait until the Spirit Gate closes, correct? This means that the reaction differs depending on the Spirit. Maybe, if you summon enough Spirits, you’ll eventually find one who’s willing to converse with you.”
Polia quickly whipped out a piece of paper and began writing on it.
“This is a pass that will allow you access to all the Alchemic materials you want. I hope you make good use of it.”
“…Okay,” Aelius looked at the paper with his mouth in a stern line.
“Thank you, Ms Polia. I’ll give it a go.”
He took it, dipped his head, and left the room, sighing at the piece of paper in his hand. “Will this really work?” he wondered.
—-----------------------
Day thirty after Alea left, Aelius had never tested his limits like this before.
It really did turn out he was destined for Spiritualism, as even with an abundance of Alchemical materials, the summoner still needs to provide their Spiritual energy.
Over the course of the last month, Aelius has summoned a ridiculously high number of Spirits - more than any other Spiritualist could ever imagine.
The only reason is that he has an incredibly large amount of Spiritual energy, perhaps a hundred times more than the average person.
But he was growing tired, not in Spirit nor body, but in mind.
Even though it was only thirty days, it was thirty days of repetition, and his dream of growing stronger did not seem to be getting closer.
Alea’s figure was only disappearing ever further away.
Since two weeks ago, there had been no news on the Holy Knights’ movements.
He was left to his own devices, but he was slowly falling more and more dejected.
With every Spirit he has summoned so far, he has made no progress.
Was he reaching for something that was simply out of reach? Was he destined for being ordinary?
—-----------------------
Day sixty after Alea left, still no progress.
Aelius felt like he was a zombie.
Every day, he repeated the same thing. His mind wandered to countless thoughts, but he kept himself grounded, simply soullessly slaving away at his task.
There was still no news on the Holy Knights.
—-----------------------
Day ninety after Alea left, Aelius’ passion was reignited. Like the high that came after the lowest of lows, he felt invigorated again.
He will get stronger. He has to.
The newspapers had one new article of the Holy Knights.
It reported they had suffered a casualty, and for a moment, his heart skipped a beat while reading.
Thankfully, it wasn’t Alea, he found by the time he read to the bottom.
Maybe if he gets strong enough, he can help Alea?
He did not know at that time, but these few months was his genius in the making.
—-----------------------
Day one-hundred and twenty, the Holy Knights returned to the Capital of Farrien.
Aelius tried to go see them while they returned, but due to being delayed by his classes, he arrived too late.
As he came running up to the City Gates, trying to duck through the crowd, he got to the front of all the other fans just in time to see Alea’s figure from behind disappearing behind the corner.
He only saw for a moment her bright smile.
Though he was disappointed that all he got were some crumbs, he told himself it was enough.
And it was better this way.
Even if she had seen him, he had nothing to offer her anyways. He was still just as weak as the day they first met.
What had he been reading all those news articles, and obsessing over her for, all this time?
When nothing had changed?
With his head hung low, he returned to the Academy alone.
It’s time he focused up, and stopped worrying about something that was so far into the future.
He will dedicate his entire being to the task before him.
With newfound determination, the first thing he did was conduct another summoning ritual that night.
And the most miraculous thing happened.
Perhaps it was due to the moonlight, or perhaps it was due to his eerily stable frame of mind, but he immediately felt the ritual to be different as soon as it started.
The amount of Spiritual energy it took from him was unimaginably more than any other ritual so far, and as soon as the Gate opened, he felt the space bend and warp from the Spirit’s presence.
Lastly, the Spirit that descended was strangely human.
He immediately saw the humanoid shadow descend to the ground before him, the dust on the ground slowly settling as the wind disappeared.
Reminiscent of when he and Alea called down Gaia, he slowly took a step forward, gulping nervously.
Though this Spirit was similar to Gaia, he could feel through the air, even her raw power lost out to this Spirit’s.
“What in the world is this?” a man’s voice cut through the air and the dust hit the ground, revealing a man floating just above the ground.
His hair tied in a ponytail, a scar over his right eye, he wore traditional battle armour with a katana by his side.
Unlike Gaia who was but a mere humanoid silhouette, Aelius found himself gazing in awe at someone who looked exactly like a human.
“Did I get summoned? Me, of all?” he looked around until his eyes landed on Aelius and the young boy saw the man’s eyes widen.
“Oh, great. It’s you,” he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “And I was so excited, too. First time I’ve been summoned in a thousand years and it had to be you,” the man groaned, immediately losing interest.
“Wait! Please, wait!” Aelius called out, stumbling forward and tripping over, falling onto his knees.
“Hold on just a second. Please, just talk to me. Please,” he asked, his hands clasped together on top of his head, begging the Spirit.
His eyes were closed shut, waiting for the Spirit to answer, but none ever came, and he opened one eye to sneak a peek to notice the Spirit looking down at him with a pitiful gaze.
“I-I just want a bit of help. I just want to talk. We don’t have to contract, but please, I’m begging you. At least let me ask you some questions.”
After a moment of silence, the man finally sighed heavily.
“Alright. Who could’ve imagined the kid belonging to that woman was such a pitiful kid like this?” he looked to the wall with annoyance. “What do you want to know?” he asked.
“Why do all the Spirits hate me?”
“You really don’t know?” the man asked in surprise.
“How could I!?” Aelius answered. “None of you ever told me what I did! You’re the first to talk to me without leaving straight away.”
“Oh… wow…” the man put a head on his forehead. “You’ve been summoning us like crazy this early into your life? Something’s amiss here.”
Aelius didn’t know what the man meant.
“What?” he asked.
“Listen, in the Spirit World, you already have a reputation. But it looks like…” the Spirit raised an eyebrow at Aelius. “It looks like it was all the actions of your future self.”
“WHAT!?” Aelius exclaimed. “So you’re saying everyone hates me for something I haven’t done yet?”
“To us, you’ve already done it. I never realised before today, but it seems there’s some sort of time disjunction between the Real Realm and the Spirit World.”
For a long time, Aelius was silent, but then he noticed the Spirit Gate was close to expiring.
Casting all his other doubts aside, he put his hand on his chest.
“I want to get stronger! I promise, whatever it is I did to make the Spirits hate me, I’ll refrain from it. You may not know this, but I actually love Spirits. Spiritualism is a passion of mine. I don’t know what happened in the future, but I’ll do whatever I can to change it! So please! Give me some advice on how to get stronger!” Aelius begged the Spirit, who looked down at him with a frown.
“If you were able to summon me, you should be quite strong already, even without a Spiritual contract,” the man asked.
“I don’t even know who you are, but what makes you say that? How can I be strong? I have Impasse disease - I mean, my body can’t move any Mana. How can someone who can’t use Mana be strong?” Aelius asked.
“Oh.” The man quickly examined Aelius’ body. “It’s true, you can’t use Mana. Ah, I’m the Heavenly Sword Saint, by the way. I’m a Deity.” Aelius tilted his head at the sword saint’s reponse.
“A Deity? I’ve not heard of that before. Where does that rank compared to Spirit Kings and Spirit Queens?” he asked.
“…Oh my…” the man facepalmed. “You really know nothing at all. I actually feel so bad for you. That woman has harmed you more than she has helped you, out of her infatuation for you. It was the same in my life. Just what did you and I do, to attract the love of such crazy women?” he asked with a sigh, kneeling down in front of Aelius. “Let me ask you, kid. Is it impressive to summon a Royal Spirit?” he asked.
“Yes, very,” Aelius nodded in response.
“Well, Deities like myself are one step above them. And we’re infinitely harder to summon.”
Aelius’ jaw dropped in shock.
“What? You’re a Grade beyond Royal-Grade Spirits?” he stammered in awe.
“Yes. And to summon us, you need-” the man poked a finger onto Aelius’ chest, where his heart was sitting. “Practically one-hundred percent affinity with our element. You said you want to get stronger, right? If the answer still isn’t obvious enough for you to see, I’ll just say it outright.”
The man rose to his feet again.
“I’m the Sword Saint. My sword technique is called the Space Sword. My slash can shatter dimensions. It’s a technique that uses Dimensional energy rather than Mana.”
Aelius’ eyes began to light up as the man continued.
“There’s a weapon that you can use that doesn’t require Mana, and you also have probably the highest affinity for it, out of everyone in this world.”
The man unsheathed his katana, showing it off for Aelius to see.
“This is all I can say to help you, kid. From today onwards, learn the sword. And, though we might not meet again, I’ll be keeping my eye on you from the other side. If you learn the blade, I guarantee you can get stronger. At a fast rate, too.”
The Gate began to shrink, and the sword saint’s body began to dissipate.
“With the concept of the Space Sword in mind, develop your own technique. If you were able to summon me, you should be a genius, smart enough to do it. I’ll enjoy watching you progress,” the man gave him an earnest grin as his body completely faded.
Pushing himself to his feet, Aelius watched as the man disappeared.
“Thank you!!!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.
The sucked up wind disappeared in a single instant like it was never there at all and Aelius was left all alone again.
But his mind was racing in excitement.
“Why didn’t I ever think of this!?” he exclaimed. “If I can’t use a staff, wand, or artefacts, I should just use a sword! And… he said I have a stupidly high affinity for the sword right?”
—-----------------------
Day one-hundred and twenty-one after Alea left.
Though she was still in the Capital, Aelius didn’t look for her.
He had made a promise to only think about her when he was ready.
He wanted to live with no regrets.
Instead of aimlessly dreaming about what could be without ever going about making it happen, he was going to dedicate his entire being to his Art.
For the first time in his life, he picked up a blade.
As soon as he touched the handle, an electrical pulse, like a tingle, ran up his arm.
It was like euphoria as he clumsily swung it.
So this was a blade.
Having borrowed some books on swordsmanship from the library, he began to imitate what he saw for his starting point.
How funny. A student at Sky Magic Academy, learning the sword.
But if he can take advantage of this so-called Dimensional energy, he can find a way around the problem with his Mana.
—-----------------------
Day one-hundred and sixty, Aelius was going about his day when an announcement was made asking him to come to Director Polia’s office.
When he arrived, his sword by his side, he found Polia waiting for him alone in the room as usual, gesturing for him to take a seat.
After they exchanged their greetings, they got into the main topic of the discussion.
“So, Aelius. It’s been a few months since we last spoke and I’ve noticed you stopped taking Alchemic materials out of the storage.”
She frowned at the sword by his side.
“Did you find a breakthrough?”
At her question, Aelius suddenly recalled he had forgotten to clue Polia in.
“I’m so sorry, Ms Polia! I was so excited that I forgot to come and report to you…” he sheepishly answered and she gave him a light-hearted chuckle.
“That’s okay. I’m far happier to hear that, than to hear that you had given up. Tell me. You’ve decided to learn the sword? Perhaps I can be of assistance. For example, I could recommend a teacher to you,” she suggested and Aelius’ eyes lit up.
“Ms Polia, I followed your advice and summoned Spirits like crazy. You were right. Eventually, I found one who was willing to talk to me. And guess what!” As he talked, Polia nodded along with a warm smile on her face. “It turns out Royal-Grade Spirits aren’t the highest Grade of Spirits!”
He saw her expression change.
“Really? Did you make a shocking discovery?” she asked.
“Maybe through chance, or maybe it was destined, I summoned a Spirit of higher Grade than Royal-Grade,” he responded excitedly. “He said he was a Deity, one step above Royal Spirits, and he told me if I want to get stronger, I should train the sword. Because he was the ‘Sword Saint’ he said, and I was only able to summon him because I have an affinity with the sword.”
Polia looked down at her desk in deep thought.
“The fact that there are Deities among Spirits is shocking.”
She leaned back into her chair with a deep breath.
“What to do, what to do…” she wondered aloud. “No one in history has ever recorded the existence of Deity-Grade Spirits. Perhaps you’re the only one ever in history. Aelius, I will keep quiet about that discovery. So should you. I think it will only bring you trouble if you reveal your identity as the discoverer of such a breakthrough. You’re too young, and I can’t protect you. The world is a large place.”
Aelius nodded firmly.
“I know. I don’t care about that fame either. I just want to learn the sword!” he answered excitedly.
“Good. And you should be able to stand on equal footing with mages if you master the sword. I know very little, but it’s my understanding that at a certain point of mastery onward, you begin to sense a type of sword energy called ‘Aura’. Since you’ve said you will learn the sword, I will find a suitable teacher for you.”
Little did Ms Polia know, those were famous last words.
—-----------------------
The first teacher gave up teaching Aelius after only two weeks, saying only a better teacher can teach Aelius.
So Ms Polia found an even more renowned swordsman to be his second teacher.
But this time, after only a month, the teacher said Ms Polia should find a swordsman even better to teach Aelius.
Finally, she found for his third teacher, a Sixth Tier swordsman, the captain of the Royal Guards.
However, he also only taught Aelius for three months before saying he had nothing left to teach Aelius.
The captain of the Royal Guard told Ms Polia very directly, he was a genius without a need for a teacher.
With that, the man left, saying all Aelius has to do is follow his instincts.
And by the time Aelius’ second year at the Academy came to an end, he had gone from the Second Ring to the Fifth Ring.
Training the sword had tempered his body, and in turn, strengthened his Mana core.
Through that alone, he was able to condense Rings around his core.
Swordsmen had Rings as well. The only difference was they did not move Mana.
They still reaped the benefits of a stronger body due to a strengthened Mana Core.
The more Rings a person has, the higher their strength, agility, stamina and various other stats.
To refine three Rings over the course of nine months, Aelius had quickly gone on to become one of the youngest, highest ranking students in the Academy.
However, he always kept his head down.
To the very last day, everyone still thought of him as trash at the Second Ring.
He never revealed his strength.
Finally, Ms Polia recommended he become a Mercenary to break through to the Sixth Ring.
Like that, before he began his third year at the Academy, he disappeared without anyone ever noticing; save for, unbeknownst to him, a girl his age with light blue hair and golden eyes.
—-----------------------
He considered going to find Alea, now that he was at the Fifth Ring.
But he still felt it wasn’t enough.
Each Holy Knight was at the Seventh Ring after becoming eighteen years old.
He still couldn’t compare as he was, though he was three years younger than them.
He decided to take up Ms Polia’s suggestion to become a Mercenary and at least break through the Sixth Ring.
Maybe after that, he’ll go find her.
First, he’ll return to the Kanarian Archduchy and succeed the Archdukeship.
After that, his status will allow him to approach her.
In order to do that, he has to at least be at the Sixth Ring.
It’s only a matter of time now.
Just before he left Farrien Capital, he went to the Holy Knights headquarters one final time.
He steeled himself for a final goodbye.
It had been a year of hustle, and who knows how long the Mercenary work will occupy him for.
Twelve months have passed by, and the day he met and spoke with Alea was like a fervent dream.
Slowly, time dissolved his memories of that day.
All that remained was how he felt that day. He could recall it vividly.
The heart-fluttering sensation, his breath being caught in his throat.
His inferiority. Her blinding dazzlingness.
He’s come a long way in the last twelve months.
Perhaps, if he had never met her, he would still be that same, weak old Aelius.
It was thanks to her coming into his life that he began this journey of chasing after her shadow.
For that, he was eternally grateful to her.
He could still recall her face. He wonders how she’s changed after a whole year?
As he stood outside the Holy Knight’s building, gazing at it in the crisp night air, he caught a glimpse of white, golden hair brushing past one of the curtains.
Yeah, he smiled to himself. Soon. Just give me a bit more time, and I’ll be there. I’ll make it big, like you believed me to.
He turned away, kicking a pebble and left the headquarters, inhaling sharply.
I wish I could’ve at least seen her face one last time, he thought with melancholy, feeling bittersweet.
Just as he was out of sight, he looked over his shoulder one last time, his eyes widening at a silhouette watching him from one of the windows.
He could clearly see the familiar shape.
The well-defined waist and bust, as well as her elven ears pointing out from the sides of her head.
Under the candlelight, her shadow flickered and he came to a stop, looking up from down the road, his heartbeat stopping in his chest.
He saw a hand reach up and wave to him, and felt his cheeks flush.
With a small smile forming at the corner of his lips, he waved back and then turned away again, putting his hands in his pockets and vacating the road.
Until we meet again.
—-----------------------
Two years after leaving the Academy and gaining experience as a Mercenary, Aelius, at the age of Eighteen, had reached the Seventh Ring.
His growth as a swordsman was unparalleled and he was on the verge of grasping the threads to understanding Dimensional energy.
He was already a master of Aura and was travelling on his own.
Perchance, he was passing by a small town a ways away from the Capital, when he heard the Goddess’ song.
Sadness in her voice, he followed her singing out of the borders and into the forest, all the way deep into the jungle until he arrived at a cave at the base of a mountain.
Awaiting him at the bottom was yet another life-changing moment.
Perhaps, just as she had led him to the cave, all along, he had been strung along according to the Goddess’ will?
From the very beginning, was all of this simply his fate?