CHAPTER 13: DECISIONS OF A VAGRANT
“I see…” Myrin rubbed his chin—the information Soren was translating for them was fairly accurate to what they knew about Vinua. Although it wasn’t as complicated of a language compared to the more ancient Yasini and Dulval languages, Vinua was not something simple enough for foreigners to immediately pick up. In the Aellora Kingdom, only 40% of the population knew how to read and write. Although children’s learning programs sponsored by the Brilliant World Church and the Church of Nature were now being offered in even the most rural of villages, it was still too early to harvest the fruits of that labor.
Myrin looked up at Soren and smiled. “It's one thing to record random trivia about our language, and another to actually be able to speak it. Would you like me to remove my hold over you with my Soul Realm to see if your ability worked the way you wanted it to?”
Soren looked over at Tina and Tyrel—their faces were brimming with curiosity, but also impatience. He looked back at Myrin and nodded.
Seeing this, Myrin snapped his fingers. Soren wasn’t able to immediately tell what was happening, but a soft breeze of air brushed past him. Though he could hardly describe it as air—it felt more like a sensation.
“So… Do you understand what I’m saying?” Myrin said excitedly.
Observing his words, Soren noticed the intricacies of the language. He could differentiate the verbs, nouns and adjectives within the Vinuan sentence Myrin had spoken. He answered back, “Y-yes… I understand.”
It actually worked? What the hell… Butterflies filled his stomach—he couldn’t help but smile. Somehow, he had partially learned a language simply by observing the words being spoken with his [Eyes of the Fairy] ability. And what was even more interesting were the implications for the success of this experiment. He finally had solid proof that observing things with [Eyes of the Fairy] did not just impact his ability to [Record] them in his Soul Weapon, but also in himself. The information had been converted into an inherent ability of his—he had somehow learned to speak the language on his own.
“How fascinating…” Myrin leaned back. “Your abilities are truly remarkable. It seems your Soul Weapon really is of the Abstract Class. Abilities like these are usually unique to that class.”
Soren struggled to keep up with his sentences. Although he had managed to grasp Vinua, it was still not at the level of complete fluency. “I see… But what makes a Soul Weapon a part of the Abstract Class in the first place? Does it have to do with my [Eyes of the Fairy] ability?”
Tina shook her head. “That is indeed part of the equation, but it isn’t what makes a Soul Weapon ‘Abstract.’ Yours seems to manifest itself in the form of an ancient tome, and yet, it also grants you an ability that allows for it to morph itself into a form that becomes a part of your body—allowing your eyes to see into The Beyond.”
The Beyond? His eyes widened. Isn’t that what Mr. Unknown mentioned?
“It is that intrinsic ability to transform into different things depending on what skill is being activated that grants it its ‘Abstract’ Class status… At least that’s what it seems like, but you still should take a Soul Dive test just to make sure.”
Myrin continued in her place. “The Beyond, you see… Is a special place. It exists all around us, but it is ‘beyond’ our natural grasp. In the beyond, everything is represented abstractly. From the bowl filled with fried rice Tina was eating earlier, to our very souls—all of it exists in The Beyond as a separate entity. Some Magi even believe it to be the source of all Astral Anima, though that is still an unconfirmed theory at best.
“The point is, your [Eyes of the Fairy] ability—as you like to call it—allows you to perceive the world through The Beyond. There seems to be a mystery regarding that, but from what I can see, it seems that whenever you activate that ability, the objects you envision are being conceptually read by your soul. This is a completely different ability when compared to what your Soul Weapon should look like or be utilized as.”
Tina looked down at her lap and frowned. “Though it is still really unusual. Our mistress also has an Abstract Class Soul Weapon, and she can perceive The Beyond far better than him. But her method of acquiring information is a much different process than his.”
Myrin looked at her and shrugged. “That’s why we call them Abstract Class Soul Weapons. Their soul chain doesn’t require rigid precision when merging with runes. They can essentially take on almost any route they desire when accumulating strength—with some limitations, of course.”
“Indeed…” Tyrel nodded. “I still wonder though… Soren was your name, right? What constellation do you worship? Or better yet, what was your constellation?”
The question made him lean back a bit. Constellation? Does he mean God? He won’t get mad at me if I say the wrong religion, right? I wonder how common zealotry is in this world…
His eyes were drawn to Myrin, who held a devious smirk on his lips. Soren sighed. There’s no point in even trying to hide the truth.
“I am agnostic. I don’t worship any gods.”
“WHAT?!” Tina jumped out of her seat, jolting Soren in the process. He was just about to say “Fuck it,” and sprint back out into the forest when he suddenly heard her say, “Wait, it’s not what you think!”
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“W-what do you mean?” He wanted to blame his lack of fluency for his stuttering.
His eyes trailed to Myrin, whose smirk had been completely replaced by a frown.
“Soren, there is no need for you to worry. Our Star Fate Guild has members from all walks of life. We don’t discriminate against one’s religion or background. The reason why Tina was startled was for a completely different reason—a much more serious one.
“I'll keep it short—how long has it been since you acquired your Soul Weapon?”
Myrin’s earlier words reassured him, but the tone of his voice was extremely serious. He never expected to see the jolly Myrin this concerned over anything.
“I am not exactly sure… My perception of time has been warped since I arrived in Yarian… But I think it’s been around… Half a day?”
Tina, Myrin and Tyrel all looked at each other with shadows over their faces. “What exactly is the issue here?..” Soren interrupted.
“How should I tell you this…” Tina looked over at him and crossed her arms. “The thing is, we believe that you are a Vagrant Phantasm. And judging by how you have been reacting to things, you seem to be completely unaware of the existence of the Mysterious World.”
“Vagrant Phantasm? I heard you say that before…”
Tina nodded. “Yes. Phantasms, you see, are what we call those who are able to manifest Soul Weapons. Becoming a Phantasm means that you are a part of the Mysterious World—that all your actions put you on a realm higher than even the most famed Magi. The world of Phantasms is filled with mysteries and secrets.
“In the Aellora Kingdom, for example, only the higher ups at the Magus Association, the Brilliant World Church, the Church of Nature, and the two royal families are truly in the know about the existence of Phantasms. Though there are plenty of smaller secretive organizations working in the shadows—our Star Fate Guild is one of them.”
Myrin continued, “The difference between Mysteries and Magecraft is like heaven and earth. That is why individuals like us are called phantasms in the Mysterious World—our actions cannot and should not be perceived by others. We can only operate like ghosts whose existence cannot be understood.”
Soren (hiding his excitement), crossed his arms, “Understood, but I still don’t get it. Why is me being a Phantasm so bad? The way you are describing it means I'm fairly extraordinary in this world now, right? And what exactly does the ‘Vagrant’ part in that name even mean?”
Tina bit her lips. “That is where the issue stems… Phantasms, you see, are allocated into three categories, but only two really matter in this situation. The divisions are labeled as Holy and Vagrant. Because you do not worship any constellations or deities, we have to assume that your Soul Weapon was not gifted to you, but forged through natural means.
“I will be blunt with you, Soren—you only have another week or two to live.”
The statement made him reel back a little. He chuckled, “What’s that supposed to mean? Like… I’m going to die? Hah, that’s not funny.”
“She is not joking, Soren.” Myrin’s face said it all.
“......”
“It is exactly as I said it.” She continued, “Unlike Holy Phantasms who were gifted their Soul Weapon through prayer, yours was most likely forged through the merging of your soul with an abstract rune—and a fairly powerful one at that. But the formation of a Soul Chain is almost always unstable. Without the correct study and control, it is fairly easy for it to collapse and for your Soul Weapon to consume you whole and utilize your flesh as a vessel for itself to come alive. That is why Vagrant Phantasms are taboo in most nations, except for maybe The Eclipse Moor, but that place is lawless.
“And your situation is even worse when compared to other Vagrants. Most Vagrants can control this instability for long enough to form their next node in the Soul Chain, but yours is on the brink of collapse from the very beginning.”
Soren looked down at the cyan grass with a blank expression. Only two weeks to live?... That bastard Unknown never mentioned any of this! He thought back on his conversation with him—this wasn’t the first time he had purposefully left information out of their discussion... Unknown had advised him to explore the world for the answers he sought, but with less than a month to live, how could he possibly do that?
Soren had already considered suicide a few times before in his life. However, as dangerous as this world currently was, how could he ever decide to throw away the only opportunity ever granted to him? Even though he did regret tampering with the occult like a complete dumbass, he still knew how insane of a chance this was for him. He could finally seek the answers he desired—the thrills he had always dreamed of…
The more he thought about it, the more his worries were quelled. If death was the only thing awaiting him if he turned back now, why turn back at all? He might as well pursue this crazy adventure till the end. Whether that end was a week from now or a much further point was up to him to decide.
He looked back up at Tina. “There’s probably a solution to this, right? I can delay or fix this outcome?”
Her frown deepened. “I… I am not sure.”
“Our mistress.” Myrin interrupted. “Since she had planned for our meeting, it’s safe to assume she might have a solution.”
“By Her Silver Grace, why did I not think of that?!” Tina’s face lit up.
“Though that isn’t completely a guarantee, either. Don’t just go around giving false hope to people, Myrin.” Tyrel countered sharply while ignoring Tina’s glares.
Myrin ignored their bickering and glanced at Soren with a faint smile. “So, have you decided? We were looking for your help, anyway.”
Soren looked at him for a bit before nodding. “Not like I have a choice… What do you guys need from me?”
“Our guild was commissioned by the Aetolus Royal Family and the Church of Nature to conduct a meeting with Sylia, a Saintess of Dreams in the Yadrian capital. You might not know this, but the relationship between Yadria and Aellora is somewhat… Flimsy. That is why they gave this mission to us—more specifically, me. The talks would go much more smoothly if a Yadrian Elf was in charge of the negotiations.
“At least, that’s what they think, haha.” He shrugged. “Even I cannot see through the illusionary barrier that’s cast upon this forest. Yadria is impossible to enter without the help of at least a 5th Circle Magus who specializes in dealing with Illusions or seeing into The Beyond.”
Soren sighed, “I guess this is where I come in?”
“Correct,” Myrin smirked. “Our mistress is truly something else. I was doubting how we would even complete this mission, but now that I know of your [Eyes of the Fairy] ability, it all makes sense.”