Part 3 - Faust

"So, why did you call me?" asked Sivrit

She and Blodeshein were walking down a street, lit by the morning sun. The stores were yet to open and the people were just beginning to wake from their slumber.

"I wanted to show you something"

They were on their way - though Sivrit did not know where - and passed by many familiar faces. Coincidentally, Cynder and her friends were back as well, and it was as if they had forgotten the whole ordeal.

"The barrier... It's amazing isn't it?"

"You mean Poda-Bruss's special domain?"

"...Do you know what domains are?"

"Aren't they just mana constructs?"

"Well, it's a bit difficult to explain, so I'll start at the beginning. You know how mana works right?"

"Yeah, they're invisible particles that you can control with your mind"

"I suppose that's one way to put it. To be more accurate, mana is controlled by your soul and the way you utilize the mana around you reflects your soul"

"Interesting, and where did you learn this?"

"The Goddess"

"You spoke to the Goddess?!"

"Well not exactly, but the knowledge does originate from her"

Sivrit was quickly noting this down in her notes when she realized that the two were walking toward the church.

"So are we going to the church?"

"Yes. I believe that there may be valuable information here"

"Does that mean you have some kind of lead on who resurrected the heroes and demon lords?"

"No, but I do have a hunch"

The two entered the building and realized that the service was still on going. They stood at the back and listened to the priest talk. The atmosphere was still as the echoes filled the church.

"Gods and people... They have such a complicated relationship" said Blodeshein

"Are you a devout believer?"

"I suppose I am, are you?"

"No, not really. I used to go to church often when I was young, but I don't come here that much anymore"

"Heh, I used to come here when I was young as well, and I still do"

"You said that you grew up poor right?"

"Back where I'm from, everyone was poor. It was the era after the destruction of the human kingdom after all"

"Do you mean there was a kingdom before Avangarden?"

"Yes. My home country had a slightly different culture, language and currency, though its still very similar to what we have now"

"...Do you miss your home?"

"No... Though I do miss my friends and family"

Sivrit realized that even these powerful heroes, who could move mountains and destroy entire kingdoms were still people. She thought about what Reginn said when she asked him if Attila could join. Sivrit obviously didn't believe that he did it on a whim, but perhaps he was lonely and needed a friend. Whenever she saw him, he was never as friendly with others as he was with her. But why was that? There were too many unanswered questions regarding Reginn...

"But don't worry about me, I have many new friends after all," said Blodelshein as she smiled

The service ended and as everyone began to slowly trickle out of the church, the two made their way to the front of the chancel. The large statue made of marble depicting a theoretical rendition of the Goddess faced them as if staring at their soul. Blodelshein put her hand at the base of the statue and closed her eyes. She spoke in a strange language, most likely from her era. Sivrit couldn't understand, but she had a feeling that it was a prayer. When she finally finished, she faced Sivrit with a slight smile on her face.

"...I think the Goddess heard me," said Blodelshein

"Ehh?!"

"Well, I suppose not the Goddess herself, but this is all part of her grand plan after all"

"So... What did she say?"

"Not much, but she did drop a name. 'Har-Meggido'"

"'Har-Meggido'... I feel like I've seen that somewhere"

"It's a World Beast, similar to Reginn"

She wondered why the Goddess would point toward a World Beast, then she remembered that World Beasts protected relics, objects and subjects claimed by a god.

"...Maybe the World Beast is hiding an important clue? It does guard precious objects"

"You're right. We should probably ask Reginn about this"

"Huh? Why Reginn?"

"Well, first of all, he's a World Beast and he's also the strongest out of us. You should never underestimate a World Beast"

"Before that, we should do a little research on Hat-Meggido. I borrowed a book last time regarding World Beats, it should be at my house. Let's go!"

Sivrit hurriedly led Blodelshein through the streets. She then spotted a tram and hopped on. Blodelshein almost fell in the process but made a recovery with the help of Sivrit.

"Amazing, is this powered by magic?"

"Nope, it's powered by electricity"

"You mean this metal cart is powered by lightning?!"

"I'm not exactly sure about the science, but I guess so? It's difficult to run this 24/7 with mana since that requires manual labour, but when you use electricity, it can just run by itself!"

"Wow... This truly is the future. Sivrit, I would love to learn more about this era's technology, if you could"

"Of course, are you interested in the sciences?"

"I'm not sure... We didn't have the luxury to promote science back in my era, but I was always interested in technology that helped people"

"Then I've got plenty of books about that. My mom loves collecting books you see, there should be a ton about electricity, trams, telephones and what not in the library"

The two friends chatted away as the tram brought them to their destination. It was almost noon when they arrived. At the front, Sivrit noticed that Attila's bike was parked there. They made their way through the entrance as Sivrit's servants greeted them. They informed her that her parents were dining outside for tonight. In the hall, Sivrit spotted Attila reading a book. Sivrit almost forgot that she invited Attila over to her house on Saturday, she hoped that she didn't make her wait too long.

"Attila! How long have you been here?"

"Oh, I just arrived a few minutes ago"

"I'm so sorry, I forgot that you were supposed to come here today. Let me make it up to you"

"It's fine, it was kind of an informal schedule anyways, we didn't even have a time planned"

"Come, did you have your lunch yet?"

"No, not yet"

"Then let's have some together. Oh and this is Blodelshein by the way"

Attila spotted the young lady standing behind Sivrit. She had a frail build and was shorter than both of them. It was clear from her clothing that she was not from around here, her cloak was tidy but showed signs of age, and the rest of her outfit was moderate as well.

"Happy to make your acquaintance, Blodelshein"

While Attila's family was not particularly wealthy, considering that her family dealt in foreign relations and not much else, her family still believed that acting like a true noble was important to keep up their favourable status, especially since the elven kingdom Championnat was beginning to bridge friendly relations with the kingdom.

"Nice to meet you as well, and you can just call me Blodel"

The group entered the dining room where a large table lay ready with a warm meal prepared in advance by the chefs of the establishment. Today's meal was a turkey sandwich with mushroom soup. The sandwich glistened, reflecting the rays of the sun off its croissant-like bun as the meat stayed tidily within its confines. The cheese was slightly melted on the meet, and the tomato was wedged in the middle, completing the meal. The three sat down and began to enjoy the lunch.

"So, how did you meet Sivrit?"

"Well... I met her through Reginn and we also go to the same school"

"Wow, really?"

Attila was slightly taken aback by the fact that Blodelshein looked like a commoner, but then again, the academy did put the potential of the students above everything else, meaning that even those from an impoverished background such as Brun could enter.

"Did you join any clubs yet?"

"Clubs? What are those?"

"Well, they're like afterschool activities that you join. They're usually pretty specific to something, like baseball or science. I didn't join any since I have training after school and Sivrit's in the council"

"I think science sounds interesting... Oh, and what's the council?"

"They're run by the school and made up of a bunch of excelling students, like Siv here. To be honest, I'm not really sure what they do... Can you tell us Sivrit"

"Sorry, but it's a top secret I'm afraid" chuckled Sivrit

"Thanks for the info," said Blodelshein "and this training, do you mean the training with Reginn?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Yeah... I guess you already know, but he's really brutal with his students. But his strength is truly no joking manner. I'm hoping that enough training can help me achieve even a fraction of that power"

"I'm sure you can, but could I just ask you why you desire power?"

"Hmm? Why?"

"I'm just thinking that the 100100th hero must be alive right now right? That means you could be a hero too"

"Hehe, you really think so? I guess it would be great if I could become the hero, I'll become part of history forever and glory and all that" replied Attila "The reason for power... I guess I don't really have a specific goal I'm going for, but I want to become strong and reliable. I want to make myself and my parents proud and live a happy and fulfilling life"

"That's a good goal"

When the group had finished their meal, Attila pulled out some disk cases from her bag.

"What are those?" asked Blodelshein

"They're movies! Have you ever seen them before?"

"No..."

"Well, they're great. I brought some over so we could watch them together since Siv has a home theatre, isn't that crazy?"

"Not sure what that is, but I suppose it is"

"Come on, it's not that crazy" added Sivrit

"It is! Man, I wish I could just live here... Then I could watch movies on the big screen all day!"

"You are a noble too aren't you?"

"Yeah, but our families are different! Since my family is foreign in origin, it's also the farthest from the royals and gets the least support. I don't even live in a mansion!"

"I guess we should both be more grateful for our fortunate upbringings. Also, I think it's a bit rude to Blodelshein to complain about our luxury"

"Ah! I'm sorry if I offended you Blodel!"

"It's completely fine. There is no need for an apology. I'm just glad that people get to enjoy themselves"

"Well then, let's go to the theatre!"

The trio walked down the stairs to the large theatre area. This was not actually built from scratch, rather Sivrit's father owned a theatre back in the day, but when the business closed down, he moved some of the equipments down to the basement. However, it was no different from a true theatre, even having its own guardrails and a lit-up exit sign.

They all held in their hands popcorn and drinks. This was an alien place for Blodelshein, who never even imagined that light could be used in such ways to create a visual story. The dark bubbling drink as well as the mutilated corns were strange as well, but she decided to give them a try. Although she could've never prepared for how the drink tasted.

"Ow! My nose!"

Blodelshein held her nose with both hands while she felt a peculiar burning impression in her nose.

"Ha ha ha! I guess it does take a bit of getting used to, but you should realize it's charm soon enough" said Attila as she laughed

"So what movie did you bring?" asked Sivrit

"Well, we could watch 'Ticket to Ride', an adventure film, 'Heroes of the Future Past', and action movie, or 'If Love Could Kill', a romance film"

"Hmm... I'm personally swayed to 'Ticket to Ride', how about you, Blodelshein?"

"I would like to watch all of them if that's possible"

"Yeah, of course! We've got a whole day to ourselves!"

"Then let's start with 'Ticket to Ride'" said Sivrit

When they inserted the shiny disk into a small machine, the metal box began to flash images across the large wall. This illusion felt lifelike and Blodelshein couldn't help but feel amazed at what technology could achieve thousands of years later after her times. Back then, even learning to create paper from smuggled information from the demon kingdom was impressive as it helped store knowledge within the pages, but now, whole lives could be recorded into these small disks the size of one's hand.

"So what do you think?" whispered Attila to Blodelshein

"It's amazing. It's difficult to think how someone came up with such an idea. To shine coloured lights against a wall to create moving pictures? It's brilliant"

"I meant the movie... But that works too"

The movie 'Ticket to Ride' was about a young man who loved trains, Gare. He was a talented engineer and set his future career as a conductor. However, a crisis arose when the entire kingdom is endangered by a strange natural disaster, spreading through the nation like a disease. His crew is designated to bring every single resident along its path to safety, but when the conductor deserts the crew, our protagonist is forced to take up the mantle. Would Gare be able to get to his destination in time before the entire nation crumbles? Would he be able to sort out the various problems he would face along the path, or would he succumb to fear like the previous conductor? How would he, a rookie leader even be able to keep the crew together?! These plot points, as well as the mystery surrounding the disaster and the fantastical scenery captured by the film across the kingdom, made it a critically acclaimed film.

Blodelshein was amazed by the story and wondered if it truly was real. This natural disaster and this young man, everything just seemed too improbable. In the movie, the capital was also destroyed, but in reality, it was just fine and she never even heard of such a disaster before.

"Sivrit... Is this movie telling a true story?"

"Huh? Of course not, it's all just made up"

"You mean this disaster on a national scale... They just faked it?"

"Yeah, they use advanced computers to make digital sceneries and they can pretty much show anything they want. Though I suppose they are incredibly rare..."

"Computers...? Digital...?"

"Oh I'll just explain it to you after the movie ends"

The film, of course, ended with the hero being able to save as many people as he could. In the final scene, he met up with the other conductors and rescuers in front of a large bunker facility. As the sun set, Gare could see the disaster in it's dusty, foggy form crawling toward them. In the end, they still didn't know exactly what it was, but it was probably from a demon lord. As the gigantic metal door slammed shut, the movie ended in a melancholic, but ultimately hopeful note. As the credits rolled, Blodelshein was still amazed by the quality of the production as well as the acting, writing and the fake sceneries as well. Knowing that this was fiction only made her appreciate the movie more and she couldn't wait to watch the next movies.

"That movie was really good!" praised Attila

"Yeah, it was. I almost cried when Gare's father died" said Sivrit

They continued watching the films and when the roller coaster of emotions subsided, they decided to take a break at the library.

"Whew, that was really fun," said Attila

"We should do this more often" offered Sivrit

"Yeah! I've got a ton of disks at home, most of them are classics but I got some new ones too. We should watch them all together"

"How about you Blodel, which one was your favourite today?"

"Hmm... If I had to choose, it would be 'Heroes of the Future Past'. It was wildly inaccurate and exaggerated at times, but it was still a fun movie"

"I guess all action movies are like that, aren't they?"

"Then next time, I'll bring some more action movies! I heard that 'Heroes of the Future Past' had a sequel last year, I could probably rent that"

The girls continued to chatter when a maid informed them that it was time for dinner already. Sivrit's father was already at the table waiting for his daughter, but her mother was still at work.

"It looks like she'll be staying there for the night today too... The gladiator business is a difficult one. Anyways, wow! I didn't know you had so many friends Siv!"

"Yeah... This is Blodelshein, she goes to the same school"

"Nice to meet you Blodelshein! But I must say... Your clothes seem a bit outdated"

"Dad!"

"Oh no no, I didn't mean it as an insult. I just wanted to offer this young lady some new clothes since it looks like she needs them more than us!"

"We can do that later, it's too late to go shopping anyways"

"No! It's never too late to go shopping! There's a reason the mall is open until 10 at night, let us go there right after this delicious katsudon!"

The dinner for the day was a crispy katsudon, a deep-fried pork meal that was one of Sivrit's father's favourites. Well, he loved any meat-based food but he especially loved fried food. Of course, the chefs balanced the meals with enough minerals, vitamins and other nutrients so he didn't die of a heart attack.

They quickly finished their meal and got ready to go outside. Sivrit's father put on his coat as well as is bowler hat and Blodelshein borrowed a jacket as it was a bit chilly outside at night.

"I suppose in my hurry, I've yet to introduce myself properly. I'm sure you already know me as Sivrit's father, but my true identity is actually Gram and I hope to evolve into a Gram-pa one day"

"Dad! Come on!"

"I apologize, but embarrassing my daughter in front of her friends is one of my duties as a father. Also, make sure to never walk out alone at night girls, tonight's just an exception"

"Ok Mr. Gram!" enthusiastically replied Attila

"Lovely to meet you, Mr. Gram" replied Blodelshein

"Say, where are you from Blodelshein? I identify as a true fashionista, but I do not recognize your clothing"

"I'm... from somewhere far away, though I'm not sure where. I actually lost my memories when I washed up ashore"

Sivrit immediately realized that this fake story was actually from 'If Love Could Kill'. This background was a bit outlandish and she was sure even her dumb father wouldn't fall for it.

"Ahh! What a tragic backstory! I'm sorry for bringing up this painful memory"

She was quickly proven wrong.

They saw the mall lighting up the surrounding streets. It was strange to Blodelshein that they could no longer see the stars and wondered where they could've gone. Hopefully, she would be able to make more sense of this confusing world from Sivrit's books. Brun went straight for his favourite clothing store, a brand shop run by his friend.

"Good morning, Balmug, I require immediate assistance in getting my daughter's friends some real clothes"

"Of course, my brother, anything for you. Come, right this way"

Balmug loved calling Gram his brother, though they were not even related. Sivrit wondered how 2 people could become so close even though her dad was just a customer and Balmug an employee. They didn't even ever meet outside the establishment, but she guessed that her dad was just naturally good at making connections with just about anybody.

However, while walking down the aisles heading for the girls' section, Gram felt an ominous aura emanating from behind the group, making him summon his rapier.

"En garde, ye demon!" said Gram as he turned around

However, behind him, he saw a small girl with a nasty expression on her face, a large gentleman, a dignified lady, a teen boy another woman and... the hero?!

"Oh my Goddess, I am deeply sorry for holding my weapon against you, hero" Gram tearfully apologized while kneeling on one knee

"Uh... No, it's fine. You're Mr. Gram, right? The owner of the Gladiatorial business down town?"

"I am honoured to learn that the hero knows my name"

"Of course I do. I remember you for your prowess in the field as well and I see that your reactions are as spectacular as ever"

"Yes, but it seems that I've made a mistake this time. I swear I sensed some evil aura behind me..."

Sivrit realized that the evil aura was probably just Kaizer. She was surprised to see that the heroes were here as well, but couldn't ask directly since she didn't want her father to know about her secret.

"Blodelshein, can you tell me why they're here?" whispered Sivrit

"They're here to get some clothes for the other heroes. Perhaps the improbabilities in the movies were not far from reality..."

"Then where's Reginn?"

"Oh, I've told him about Har-Meggido before we watched the movies. I figured that would save us some time"

"But what about the research?"

"We can still do that after we get back. I'm sure Reginn would be fine without the small details"

The two groups parted ways after exchanging pleasantries and Balmug continued his navigation.

"Mr. Gram, what did the hero mean by your 'prowess in the field'?" asked Attila

"Oh, it's a long story. He actually used to be my captain when I was briefly in the army. I participated in a few expeditions and such. I do still train with my rapier sometimes to make sure my blade never grows dull. After that, I became a gladiator because I wanted to meet stronger foes, where I was faced with the greatest challenge, LOVE!"

"Yeah yeah, I've heard this story a million times already" groaned Sivrit

"That's because it's worth retelling a million times. Anyways, I met Sivrit's mother there, became a noble, Romeo and Julio, et cetera, et cetera. That's how I ended up here, handsome, rich, strong and humble. Your good servant Gram"

"Wow! What can you do with your rapier?" asked Attila excitedly

"Oho? Are you interested? Then promise me that you and I will never cross blades, it'd be foolish for me to reveal my strengths to a rival..."

"I suppose you're right... I promise!"

"Alright then, I shall tell you of my secret technique... ⌈The Zapier⌋!"

"Zap...pier?"

"That's right! I envelop my rapier in lightning, making it 'Zap'. It's strikes become deadly as when the blade touches you, a great thunder is called from the clouds to anchor the sky to earth, destroying you in the process"

"Amazing! Hopefully, someday I can have a unique technique like that"

"Hopefully with a better name" added Sivrit

"I must ask you, girl, do you have a talent?"

"No..."

"Well so don't I! And the hero too! I don't believe that talents automatically make you strong, hard work is what really matters"

"Yes sir!"

While they were all talking, Blodelshein had already picked some new clothes and now it was Attila's turn to choose hers. Her outfit consisted of a comfy orange sweater, a long skirt that covered her knees as well as a jacket to complete it. Now she was truly ready for autumn.

"They look great, Blodel!" said Sivrit

"Thank you. I hope I am not bothering you too much with this spending. These clothes seem very expensive"

"What's money if you don't spend it? I'm glad to help to my precious daughter's friends. I can see that you are a good soul, so think of it as you earning these clothes"

Attila had already come back with her clothing as well, comprised of a singular coat.

"Are you sure you're fine with just that?" asked Gram

"Yeah, I've already got lots of clothes at home. Though this coat is really nice."

"Well, what about you dear Siv?"

"Come on dad, it's super late already and you always buy me too many clothes!"

"What sane man would buy any less for their precious daughter? Anyhow, I do suppose it's time to go home"

The group headed back to the mansion with the payments taken care of by Gram. On the way back home, Blodelshein saw some faint glow of the stars after the sky became even darker. The girls returned to the library while Gram decided to tuck in early for the night.

"Today was great," said Attila while laying on the carpet

"Yeah but I totally forgot to do my research," said Sivrit

"Hmm? What research?"

"Uhh... It's just personal research on World Beasts. I just wanted to learn more about heroes and this one World Beast named 'Har-Meggido'"

"Let me help you with that"

Attila began pulling out books from the shelves of this large library and laying them on the table. She turned on the lamp and began reading.

"We still got the whole night!"

Sivrit smiled and took some of the books and began reading herself. Blodelshein followed suit and looked for important titles among the bookshelves. Hours passed as the study began and both Sivrit and Attila fell asleep at the rocking chair and the desk respectively. Bloselshein was still up, however, and carried her friends to the bedroom. It was an exceedingly difficult task for her, but she still managed to move them one by one. She tucked them in, which reminded her of how she would always take care of her younger siblings and tucked them in at night. She had no mother growing up, losing her to the demons before she could know her. It was sad, but she kept on and stayed resilient, which was rewarded with her strength and authority as the hero.

These girls were the future of the nation, and Blodelshein had a feeling that everything would be fine at this rate. She ended the day tired and collapsed onto her bad, knocked out by the accumulated fatigue. She had a dream for the first time since her resurrection, about the stars in the sky and the future.