Chapter IX

The sound of a rough knocking against his front door brought a groggy Scott Reiner back to consciousness, and for a few seconds, he wondered just where the hell he was and why his entire body felt ridiculously sore. Opening his eyes, he glanced around to find that he was laying on the couch in his living room, realizing that he was in pain due to a night sleeping in such an uncomfortable place. Absently rubbing the dreariness from his eyes, he wondered why he was on the couch and not in his bed until his brain became alert enough for the bizarre events of the previous night to return to him.

Ah, that’s right… I gave my bed to Caeli, he recalled, and despite how exhausted he was, the boy couldn’t help smiling at the thought of the three magical beings currently resting on his second floor. God damn, what a night! To think that magic is actually real… Every part of me still wants to say I dreamt it or that it was some sort of hallucination, but I know what I saw and I’d be stupid to try and deny it.

He didn’t have the slightest clue what the coming days were going to be like, and as Ilirianna had constantly reminded him, helping them take down this Mallicent guy would put him in very real danger. He knew he should be scared, but at the end of the day, he truly did see it as a worthy price to pay for learning whatever he could about this multiverse he didn’t even know existed until yesterday. Mallicent Malloway was a threat to the safety of the people of Wilham, so regardless of what Scott chose to do, it was still critical that the three mages succeed in apprehending him and reclaiming what they called a “realm dagger”. If he wasn’t stopped, people could die, so in Scott’s eyes, he had every reason to help them. Not only had Abi and Ilirianna saved his life from Dylan, but he wanted to both learn more about them and protect his home, so if putting himself at risk by housing them was the price he needed to pay then he would be damned if he didn’t pay it.

After they came to this agreement, Ilirianna admitted that Mallicent’s mana wouldn’t return enough that night for them to track him down, so she suggested they get some rest. Naturally, he couldn’t let them sleep in their ripped and dirty formalwear, but he also hadn’t had many clothes on hand for them. The original plan had been to lend Ryokumo some of his old pajamas and go fishing through his mother’s closest for the women, but the issue was that his mom was four foot ten and probably one hundred and thirty pounds soaking wet. Nothing she had would fit Ilirianna or Abi, who he guessed were both at least above five-nine, so in the end, he wound up giving them some of his old clothes as well. With that out of the way, he told Ryokumo he could sleep in his room and gave their spare room over to the girls, deciding he would just take the couch.

That should have been the end of the night, but to his surprise, after taking a shower—which they had taken a second to figure out how to use—Abi had come downstairs to talk to him. He figured she needed to ask him something, but to his surprise, she informed him that she wanted to hold up her end of the deal, so she sat beside him on the couch and told him to ask her whatever he wanted to know about Ijiria, though she confessed she knew very little about the greater multiverse. Ecstatic by the opportunity, he and Abi talked long into the night, Abi explaining to him all about the Ijirian Empire and the Great Cities. She told him of the five magic affinities, as well as of the three rarer and dangerous ones, adding details about what she referred to as “The Masters of Ijiria”, who were apparently the best of the best.

Scott could not recall a conversation as gripping and fascinating as that one, and though it sounded like something straight out of a fantasy novel, he couldn't bring himself to dismiss any of it. Abi even showed him a little bit of magic, asking him to promise not to tell Ilirianna she used any more mana, and created a flower in the palm of her hand. She also filled him in on the events at the city of Hiriech, and what eventually led them to be in Wilham. There was still so much he wished to ask her, but once they realized it was already four in the morning, Abi excused herself so she could go to bed, promising to talk with him more over the next few days.

Scott laughed to himself, realizing that in just the last twelve hours, he had become utterly enamored with Abigail. Even setting aside her beauty, she had a presence that felt unique even among the three mages, and had she not been of a completely different world from him, he would have asked her on a date in a heartbeat. He wanted to get to know her, and he cursed the fact that he would probably be obsessing over her for a long time.

So is this what it means to be lovesick? Damn, I’m pathetic. I guess I owe those cheesy rom-coms Carmen likes an apology. Perhaps they weren’t so unrealistic after all.

Snapping him out of his thoughts and reminding him of what brought him awake in the first place, the knocking at his door returned, this time much harder than before. On top of that, the person visiting called out to him, revealing who his uninvited guest was.

“Reiner, open the hell up! I know you don’t have any other friends, so there’s no way you’re not home!”

Scott rolled his eyes, wondering what could have brought Laura Harrison to his house so early on a Saturday morning. However, since he couldn’t exactly pretend he wasn’t there, Scott dragged himself off of the couch and shuffled over to the front door before unlocking it and greeting his guest, only to realize that Laura wasn’t the only one standing there. Carmen was beside the tall blonde, her eyes going wide as she and her friend stared at him for a few seconds before the former let out an exasperated sigh.

“Scott, did you just wake up?” Carmen demanded.

He cocked an eyebrow. “So what if I did? It’s Saturday, Carmen! Give me a break and let me sleep in!”

“Dude, it’s two in the afternoon,” Laura said with a barely suppressed smirk. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for sleeping in a weekend, but that’s a little excessive, even for me.”

“Two in the…?” At first, he figured she was probably pulling his leg and trying to take advantage of him while his brain was only half awake, but when he noticed that the sun was suspiciously high in the sky, he frantically checked his watch, only to gape at the time of two-fifteen. “Wait, what?! Holy shit, I slept that long?!”

Fucking hell! I know Abi and I were up late, but still! I’ve never slept this late into the day in my entire life!

“Oh, silly Scott,” Laura teased slyly. “Whatever would you do without us, huh? Good thing we dropped by or else you’d have slept your whole weekend away! What do you say to show your appreciation?”

Scott snorted. “I say get to the damn point. What are you guys doing here anyway? Did we have plans that I forgot or…?”

Carmen, also smirking a little too smugly for his liking, shook her head, reaching down into the tote bag over her shoulder before producing what looked to be a textbook. “I realized I never returned your history book yesterday, and since you kinda need it for the weekend’s homework, I thought I’d drop by. Laura and I were going out on a girls day so we figured we’d stop on our way.”

Oh right… In all of last night’s excitement, I completely forgot we had history homework. I shouldn't let them know that, though, or else I won’t hear the end of it until Christmas.

“Ah, thanks,” he muttered, taking the textbook from her as he concocted a quick lie. “I was wondering where I put that. I thought maybe I’d left it at school, so at least I don’t have to make an unnecessary trip back there.”

Carmen smiled with a touch of red in her cheeks as she tugged at her black hair the way she tended to when she was embarrassed. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. It totally slipped my mind.”

“Don’t sweat it,” he assured her. “I do shit like that all the time, too, so who am I to judge? But on that note, enjoy your girls’ day and I’ll see you two on Monday… What?”

He trailed off as both Laura and Carmen’s eyes drifted past him to something over his shoulder, and as their expressions shifted from confused to seemingly shocked, a soft red hue coming over their faces, Scott glanced back to see Ilirianna standing just at the top of the staircase, dressed in his old PE clothes which were quite baggy on her, gazing down with a hint of suspicion in her blue eyes as she regarded him with a look silently asking who they were.

However, Scott’s mind caught up with the situation real quickly, and as it dawned on him how that sight must have looked like out of context, he spun back around, stepped forward, and pulled the door shut behind him, realizing as Laura’s features lit up with a stunned excitement that he was certainly in for an earful.

“Well now, Scotty Reiner,” she began, folding her arms over her chest and grinning mischievously. “Who was that gorgeous girl coming from the direction of your bedroom? And dressed in your clothes, no less. You dirty rat bastard! No wonder you slept in so late! I guess you got a little busy last night, eh?”

“No, hold on a—”

But Laura was not going to give him a chance to talk until she had finished her teasing, so she spoke right over him. “Though she seemed a bit old for you. Is that even legal? And what’s with the green-ass hair, huh? She one of those wild chicks from the city I’ve heard so much about? Hmmmmmmm?”

Leaning forward and putting her mocking face just inches away from his own, Scott did his best to formulate an explanation while simultaneously praying that his cheeks weren’t turning red at her very unsubtle implications.

“You done, Harrison?” he growled, but she just cackled at him.

“Not by a long shot, but please! I gotta hear what you have to say for yourself! And if you lost your virginity to her, then maybe I owe you an apology! I mean she was hot! I don’t even swing her way and I’d happily let her fuck me if she wanted to!”

“Okay, Laura, calm down,” Carmen intervened, and though Scott was about to silently thank her for stepping in and saving him, the expectant look she sent his way told him she had simply shut Laura up so that she could hear his explanation.

Scott sighed, still too tired to deal with their shit, and asked, “Would you believe me if I said she was my cousin?”

“Nope!” Laura chirped. “Cause from what you’ve told me, the only female cousin you have is currently a newborn!”

“Hmm…”

Yeah, fuck me. I had hoped she had forgotten how many cousins I had. Scott’s mind began to run through everything he could say, but the problem was that these two girls were ridiculously smart and observant. Lying to them would not be easy, if even possible. But I can’t tell them about magic! Ilirianna made it painfully clear that her country considers it illegal to expose magic to the magicless. She said she’d hide that I know from the government, but there’s no guarantee she’d protect them, too.

“L-look, Laura,” he began, his features turning serious enough that their smugness began to waver. “It’s a long story and a bit personal, honestly. I can assure you that my virginity is still intact, not that it should matter to you, and for the moment, let’s leave it at that. She’s just…” He paused, knowing that this one would have to be a lie, and he prayed he was able to sell it well. “She’s an old friend who needed a sudden place to stay, and has asked me to keep it quiet. Okay?”

Thankfully, his tone seemed to communicate that he wasn’t joking around, and to his relief, Carmen replied as he had hoped she would. “O-oh… Right… S-sorry for teasing you then.”

She actually seemed to regret it, so Scott swiftly moved to reassure her. “No, you’re totally okay! I know how it looks, so I can’t say I’m surprised you jumped to that conclusion. Just…do me a favor, don’t tell anyone, and if I’m able to, I’ll explain everything eventually. Okay?”

The two girls exchanged glances, and Scott failed to understand whatever was communicated, but to his surprise, Laura looked slightly upset, and he wondered if she was offended by the fact he was hiding this from them. Either way, they both assured him that they wouldn’t tell anybody and headed off a few seconds later, leaving him watching their departing backs with an uncertain feeling in his stomach. He had hoped to hide the Ijirians from everybody he knew, and within the first day, he had already magnificently failed at that.

That being said, it’s not like I knew Ilirianna was just gonna show up, he begrudgingly added as he turned back and reentered the house, only to stop and stare at the sight of not only Ilirianna sitting on his couch, but Abi and Ryokumo as well.

Abigail looked a little nervous and Ilirianna was as unreadable as she had been since they met, but Ryokumo was grinning like he thought what had just happened was the funniest thing he had ever seen, and it slightly irked Scott. He had already been mocked to death by Laura, so the last thing he needed was for Ryokumo to add to it.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“And what do you find so funny, Caeli?” he grunted, to which Ryokumo theatrically shrugged.

“Oh, nothing at all! It’s just that your door is just a little thin, so I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with the two beauties outside.” He rested his head on his chin and regarded Scott with amusement. “I’m honestly surprised you didn’t just go with their original assumption! It would have given your reputation quite the boost, you know?”

Cackling like some sort of goblin, Ryokumo was only silenced by a firm glare from Ilirianna, who then turned an apologetic smile towards Scott. “I’m sorry about that. I’m so used to being able to feel the presence of other people that I keep forgetting the citizens of this town don’t have mana. I’ll be more careful in the future. Thank you for covering for me.”

“Er, nah, it's fine,” Scott stuttered, a little intimidated by her serious demeanor. “I cleared everything up so we’re good. That being said, I think it makes one thing clear…”

They all glanced at him curiously as Scott walked over to his abandoned backpack resting in the corner of his room, trading his textbook out for his wallet.

“We can’t have you three running around town in my damn gym clothes,” he called back. “So go get dressed. We’re going shopping.”

***

Despite wanting to draw as little attention as possible, Ilirianna also couldn’t deny the need to blend in with the Omaruan locals. No matter what, they could not allow magic to be exposed to the magicless population, for the consequences would be utterly grim. Not only did the princess want to avoid damaging the rather peaceful life these people lived, but she also didn’t want those consequences weighing on her conscience. That was why she begrudgingly accepted Scott’s offer to go buy them clothes that were more fitting of Omaruo, grateful that the boy was even willing to pay for it out of his own pocket since they didn’t exactly have any currency on them. In fact, they had very little of anything given how sudden and unexpected this realm crossing had been. The only thing Ilirianna had brought with her was her formal wear, which had been ruined back in the ballroom. Even her swords had been left in her quarters in Aquesen, so she was effectively left with nothing but her magic—something that was also far more finite than she was used to.

Honestly, as much as I hate to admit it, I’m grateful Scott’s been so willing to help us. He wasn’t wrong about the usefulness of having a local on our side. He’s provided us money and a place to stay, even after being told that doing so was dangerous, so on my honor, I will make sure we pay him back, even if all I can do is protect him from both Mallicent and the government.

However, Ilirianna couldn’t help but internally berate herself for her blunder that morning, realizing that she was already doing a rather poor job of taking care of him. She had been trained from a very young age to always be aware of the various mana signatures surrounding her, to the point that it was almost more useful than her physical senses. Being in a magicless realm where the people didn’t give off such signatures was throwing her so hard off her game that it was pathetically embarrassing. She’d been so mentally and physically exhausted after the events at Aeyir’s ball, so when she woke up that morning and didn’t sense anybody nearby aside from her allies, she hadn’t been prepared for Scott to have visitors. He assured her that he took care of it and that she didn’t have to worry, but his assurances did very little to ease her frustration.

I’m out of my element here, but I have to pull myself together. Simply defeating Mallicent isn’t enough. If any of the locals get caught up in this, or if Scott, Abi, or Caeli get themselves hurt or killed, then I cannot consider it a victory. We need to take that traitor down without even a single casualty!

The problem was that, even by the time morning arrived, she still couldn't sense Mallicent’s presence despite the fact that he should have regained some of his power overnight. At the moment, their only running theory was that Mallicent had intentionally been expelling mana to prevent them from being able to locate him. By doing that, they wouldn’t have any clue where he was, but he would always know their location, and while it would mean he was unable to cast magic, he also wouldn’t need magic if they couldn't find him.

And honestly, that’s his best bet. He’s outnumbered, and even if he wasn’t, he’s not powerful enough to take me on alone, so avoiding combat is smart. If he can hide from us long enough to allow the dagger to recharge then he can slip back to Ijiria and leave us stranded here without any guarantee that the Citadel would pick us up.

At the moment, Ilirianna couldn’t be sure that anybody knew they had hopped realms. After all, there had never been a reason to suspect Mallicent had a dagger, and since they had split up with Nigreos before seeing the portal, he would have no idea what became of them.

On top of that, we don’t know what state Uncle Nakoma and Master Rana are in. If they weren’t able to sense the portal’s mana then from their perspective, we all just vanished without a trace. The only way to contact the Citadel would be to cast enough magic that it shows up on the Basim, but even then, they’d have to convince Kloras to permit a trip to investigate, and that might never happen. Without that dagger, we could be stuck here for a long time while Vesh and his traitors continue their massacre.

She clenched her teeth with barely restrained rage, recalling the events in the ballroom for what felt like the millionth time since it happened. Ilirianna prided herself on the fact that she was almost always the most powerful person in the room. She had been certain that should Vesh try anything, she would be able to handle it, but when the time came to act, Ilirianna couldn’t stop them. Rotana Vesh slaughtered dozens upon dozens of people right before her eyes and all she could do was stand powerlessly and watch.

“Your comfortable days are numbered! The Kosah-Rei will cleanse the world and create the utopia the goddess desired! LET THE SIN OF GREED BURN WITH YOU!”

She shivered at the memory of Vesh’s guttural scream, his words tinged with such hatred and disgust. That was his declaration that what happened in Hiriech would not be an isolated incident. The Kosah-Rei would move to wipe out the leadership of all the Great Cities, and for all they know, they might have compromised each one the way they did Hiriech.

Or maybe…they attacked all of them in the same night… We don’t know how big the movement was… Is it possible that all of Ijiria has been—

A gentle touch on her shoulder startled her back to the present, and it was only then that she realized how fast her heart was pounding and how dry her lips had become. Swallowing back her fear, Ilirianna glanced to her right to see Ryokumo smiling warmly at her.

“Breathe, Princess,” he said softly. “Just take deep breaths.”

They were walking down a rather noisy sidewalk along Wilham’s Main Street sometime in late afternoon, Scott leading them towards their destination. The window displays of little shops lined their left, and on their right was the street where the big metal carriages Scott called “cars” were rumbling on by. To stay out of the way of the many pedestrians around them, they had fallen into pairs, with Scott and Abi walking together in the front while Ilirianna and Ryokumo took up the rear. The former two had been chatting excitedly with one another ever since they left the house, but Ilirianna had opted for silence as she continued to ponder their situation, and only realized where they were when Ryokumo pulled her from her thoughts.

Though, as grateful as she was that he was clearly concerned for her, she also couldn’t deny her frustration at being so obvious. Wanting to brush it all aside with a joke, she smiled wryly and said,

“Bold of you to so brazenly touch the princess, Caeli. I don’t recall ever giving you permission to lay a hand on me.”

Ryokumo chuckled, removed his hand, and shrugged. “Well, by all means, hang me from the gallows if you wish. Just promise that you’ll relax a little bit and have faith that we’ll work this all out. The Ijirian Empire isn’t going to fall in one night, you know?”

Jeez, he read me like a damn book…

“I won't deny that getting worked up isn’t going to help, but I think you don’t get worked up enough,” she retorted. “How are you so calm about everything? I mean, for all we know, we’re going to be stuck in Omaruo for months without any way of contacting home, while Vesh and damn cultists raze Hiriech, and god knows where else, to the ground. Do you not feel even a slight bit of anxiety?”

“Not particularly, no,” he answered without hesitation. “Yes, last night was an utter disaster in every sense of the word, but I trust Nigreos and Album, as well as the Masters, to handle things in our stead. Right now, our priority is to capture and interrogate Mallicent, something we will accomplish. He can only elude us for so long. That being said, I do want to make one thing clear…” He continued to smile at her, but she could clearly make out the coldness that creeped into his voice. “Don't take my calmness as meaning I’m not angry. Mallicent helped murder his family, as well as who knows how many others… He is going to pay, that I promise.”

As they continued walking, Ilirianna had an intense feeling of deja vu, and she couldn’t help but think back to their conversation in Aquesen’s healing quarters hours after the red knight almost killed him. The young man had come bursting through her door, half-dead, and Ilirianna had truly believed he was going to die—that she was going to lose one of her royal team members on their very first mission. She’d sat by his side until he came to, terrified, but when he woke up, he joked around and laughed like his near-death wasn’t cause for concern. She couldn’t fathom how he was so composed after such a traumatizing incident, and she respected the fact that it only furthered his drive to investigate the castle.

And even now… After all that happened last night, he’s still smiling and joking. Hell, he was teasing Scott just this morning… It makes me wonder what would break his composure. And not to mention, he always has faith that everything’s going to turn out fine. Some might call him flippant and careless, and perhaps that’s somewhat accurate, but I don’t think he’s stupid. He’s a very intelligent individual who takes things in stride… It’s admirable, honestly. That being said…

She snorted internally, recalling how he had been so willing to slip down to the lab during the ball despite numerous orders not to go near it. He does have a bit of a problem with his impulses. I don’t think he respects the law as much as he should…

However, because she was the future queen and the one that would be in charge of creating those laws, Ilirianna was slightly guilty that she considered that a good quality in him. They didn’t speak again for the rest of the walk, and more than once did she absently reach up and adjust the rather large beanie that Scott had given her to hide her hair. As expected, green wasn’t a natural color in Omaruo either, so for the sake of avoiding any attention, she had tied her hair up in a tight bun and put on the beanie to hide it.

Luckily, after her brief talk with Ryokumo, she was a little more composed by the time Scott led them through the automated glass doors of a large clothing store called “Murphy's”, and Ilirianna was slightly surprised at its resemblance to the few Ijirians shops she had browsed down in the market. There were dozens upon dozens of racks containing different types of clothes, as well as a few plastic models of people dressed in fancy articles that, upon asking, Scott told her were called mannequins. The wallpaper was a pleasant and warm reddish brown, with a tile floor and the scent of coffee lingering in the air, making her wonder if perhaps there was a small cafe somewhere in the building. It was almost a little overwhelming, especially because Ilirianna had never once in her life purchased her own clothes.

I usually stick to formal clothing anyway unless I don’t plan on leaving the royal levels… What am I actually going to buy here?

At the moment, they were all wearing some of Scott’s old clothes, and while they fit Ryokumo well enough, she and Abi certainly looked a little out of place in T-shirts that were a bit too big and pants that were clearly not meant for their figures. That being said, she wasn’t opposed to the style, so she figured she’d just go find something similar and call it a day.

“Alright, so what exactly is the plan here?” Ilirianna inquired of the boy as they lingered awkwardly to the right of the entrance.

Scott shrugged casually. “I mean, just go see what you like and I guess I’ll just buy it. That being said, while I have a moderate amount of savings, I haven’t worked since summer break, so try to keep the prices to a minimum. Maybe just pick out two or so outfits and we’ll just keep washing them.”

“Okay, thanks!” Abi said cheerfully, seeming rather excited to start browsing around, and Ilirianna figured she’d never been in a shop as fancy as this one, despite the fact that it wasn’t even particularly all that fancy. “And we’ll try to pay you back, I promise!”

“Pay me back?” Scott muttered with an amused smile. “In what, magical gold coins? Don’t worry about it, Abi. Just keep answering my questions and I’ll consider it well worth it. And on that note, Caeli, since my clothes already fit you, we can… Er… Where the hell did he go?”

Having turned to look at the spot Ryokumo had been standing just moments ago, Scott was thrown off by the fact that the Sukonese man had already disappeared. Ilirianna sighed with exasperation, pointing to a spot down the aisle from them where Ryokumo was currently admiring a sleek black jacket.

Grimacing, Scott marched over with the two women in tow, calling out, “Hey, Caeli! Don’t run off on me!”

“Apologies, Reiner, but have you seen this coat!” he replied, sticking the black jacket out in front of Scott’s face. “The stitching job on this thing is amazing! I’ve never seen anything quite like it! I must have it!”

However, the Omaruan was already firmly shaking his head. “Absolutely not! As I was saying before I realized you’d run off, my clothes are fitting you just fine, so that’s what we’re sticking with! I’m not rich, so we’re only going to be purchasing things for the girls!”

“But—!”

“And even if you actually needed new clothes, leather jackets are far too expensive for me to afford!” he said, talking over Ryokumo while folding his arms across his chest. “So put it back and help the girls find what they need!”

Making a theatrical show out of begrudgingly putting the coat back on the rack, Ryokumo gave a heavy sigh and frowned. “Ah, the unfairness of the world! And I was so excited to see what Glaus would say when he saw me walk into the Academy wearing such a pristine item!”

“Setting aside the fact that we’re required to wear uniforms most of the time, I don’t think Rennigan would really care,” Abi pointed out. “He’d probably just scoff at you and keep walking.”

“Whatever!” Ryokumo said, clapping his hands together. “Fine, let’s get moving then!”

With that settled, Scott led them over to the women’s section of the store and told Abi and Ilirianna to find whatever they wanted. Since she wasn’t that picky and knew that she wouldn’t be wearing any of these once she got back to Ijiria anyway, Ilirianna found what she needed almost instantly. After being told by Scott where the changing rooms were, she grabbed a few pairs of jeans in different sizes, and once she knew which one fit, she returned to the shelf and grabbed two identical pairs. She used the same process to pick out some simple green blouses, underwear, and some strange type of shoes apparently known as “sneakers”. Abi, on the other hand, was struggling with what to pick, so after Ilirianna informed Scott that she was done, he gave her the pieces of paper Wilham used for its currency and told her to go buy them while they waited for Abi.

This is all so bizarre, she thought absently as she sifted through the Omaruan money with a sigh. Wouldn't have thought I’d be off shopping like some airheaded noblewoman the day after that massacre, but here we are. I feel a bit guilty, especially when I think about what everybody back home might be doing now. We need to move fast.

Stepping into the rather long line in front of the cash register, Ilirianna prepared to wait for what was sure to be a good few minutes when she felt a soft tapping on her shoulder. Curious, she glanced back to ask what they wanted, and instantly froze at the sight of Mallicent Malloway’s cold smile.

“Good afternoon, Princess,” he whispered. “Could you spare a moment to chat?”