Right now, Edsel’s number one priority was to save his little sister.

According to the doctor, Shirley was a hopeless and unfixable mess. She was someone whose life had effectively ended the very moment she stepped off that snowcapped mountain all those months back. If he went by this world’s conventional standards, then saving his sister was nothing short of a pipe dream.

Fortunately, Edsel did not plan to play by this world’s rules. As it just so happens, Plume was not the only world that Edsel knew of.

The land of swords and heroes: Regalia.

Regalia was a brutal, yet magical place where monsters were as bountiful as field mice and the Gods casually played with lives as if they were chess pieces on a board. Like with any fantasy-based world, it too possessed magic.

Magic was a mystical art that allowed someone to manipulate the very laws of the known universe. From toppling giant mountains to burning down entire oceans, anything and everything was possible. With magic, not even the sky was the limit. Naturally, healing type spells also existed.

Of course, even if magic existed in one world, that did not mean it also existed in another. Right now, there were two unknown factors that Edsel desperately needed to make clear: was there mana in this world and if so, could he learn how to use it?

In order to properly save his little sister, he must first fulfill both conditions. Failure to do so would most likely result in Shirley’s death.

No! I can’t think like that.

Edsel deftly shook his head. First, let’s move forward with the premise that magic does exist on Plume. If magic does exist, then the problem fundamentally lies with me.

The current him was incapable of using magic. In fact, he could not feel even a single sliver of mana. In Regalia’s terms, Edsel would be comparable to an uninitiated.

Uninitiated were people who lacked the ability to interact with mana. They could neither sense or control the magical substance. In Regalia, an uninitiated’s status was even lower than that of a slave. At least with slaves, even if they lacked freedom, they did not lack ability. For a world that’s constantly on the brink of war, ability was an indispensable trait to possess.

As such, Edsel was forced to lower the hurdle. Rather than do the impossible and save Shirley now, he first needed to regain his lost abilities.

And in order to do so, he must first undergo a process called awakening.

When he first arrived in Regalia all those years back, due to extenuating circumstances, he had skipped his awakening. Rather, he did not have one. This was considered highly unusual, but then again, a hero summoning wasn’t exactly something that happened every other day.

Most individuals were born without the innate ability to sense mana. That privilege was reserved only for irregular geniuses and a few special races. For the rest of the unfortunate regular folk, they must undergo the mandatory process of awakening.

Edsel’s situation was similar.

In order to use magic, he must first sense mana, and in order to sense mana, he must first undergo awakening.

Now, Edsel was not crazy. He did not delude himself with the possibility of one day returning to his peak form. His previous strength was a result of countless fortunate encounters and timely events. Replicating such a thing was downright impossible. Fortunately, he no longer needed such strength.

If he wanted to save his sister, then he simply needed ability. How strong that ability needed to be, Edsel did not know, but for now, all he could do was start from scratch.

But who knows how long it will take for me to regain my powers…?

He breathed out another sigh as he contemplated this new problem. Time was not on his side. More specifically, time was not on Shirley’s side.

Even if he were to ignore the one-year deadline that the doctor had previously set, there was still the matter of cost. Four thousand dollars a day just to keep her alive… meeting those requirements was already an uphill battle.

If he were to fail… while they wouldn’t just leave her out on the street to die, they’d almost certainly move her to a government associated hospital, which was pretty much just as bad.

For now, he could only rely on the money that Addison’s family provided, but who knows how long that will last? Besides, he had already incurred quite a debt with those guys. Now that he was back, he did not plan to worsen it any further.

Edsel was once again forced to change his thinking.

For an immediate goal, I should first find a way to make some money. The bastards that run this place are all greedy. I can’t feel assured without anything in my pockets…

He paused for a moment. Also, I’ll need even more if I want to move Shirley out of this place.

Bailey Medical Center was certainly not a bad place by any standards. In fact, it was one of the most popular hospitals in Bedlam, but… there were better places out there. Just because something was good, does not automatically make it the best and for his sister, he could accept nothing less than the best.

Edsel planned to move Shirley to the best hospital in the city. While he did not have a specific name just yet, it was all just a matter of time. Maybe he’d search for a place somewhere in Theestle or Amity. Those boroughs were pretty posh and affluent. Surely, they’d have plenty of excellent hospitals.

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Also, that shitty doctor’s here…

Edsel made no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction with Shirley’s current physician. It was impossible for him to put his trust in a doctor that so readily gives up on their own patient.

In the end, Edsel established three goals for himself.

Save his sister, regain his abilities, and make some money.

The end goal, the long-term goal, and the immediate goal.

Now that everything was all set up so neatly like this, Edsel felt as if a huge weight was just lifted off his shoulders. With a clearer vision of the coming future, a burning passion ignited within his chest.

He glanced down at his pale-faced little sister. Her withered complexion did little to alleviate his concerns.

Edsel clenched his fists. In the middle of the room, with nobody but a single comatose patient to bear witness, he solemnly vowed to himself, “no matter what, I’ll save you.”

****

After the visit, Addison helped Edsel verify his guardianship over Shirley. On paper, the process was simple. Basically, all he needed to do was prove his identity to the hospital. Usually, something as simple as a driver’s license would do. Unfortunately, Edsel’s situation was anything but usual.

He just got back from another world. Naturally, Edsel had zero identification with him.

In order to get the proper documents ready, the two first needed to return home. Much to his relief, the old shoebox that his mother hid somewhere within her walk-in closet was still there. His mother had a bad habit of putting all of her eggs in one basket. The box contained a variety of documents and identification papers. From his old passport and learner’s permit, all the way to his social security slip, all of it was there, just prime and ready for any random schmuck to steal.

Edsel breathed out a sigh of relief.

For a moment, he was seriously concerned about not finding anything. If that had happened, then he would have been forced to wander this world without any proper form of identification. Such a thing might not seem like that big of a deal in a place like Regalia, but Plume was different. In the digital age, where virtually anything and everything required some form of identification, being a ghost was an impossibly difficult task to accomplish.

At least, if you wanted to live a comfortable life it was.

While he was at home, Edsel took this opportunity to change into some old clothes. Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), apart from a three-inch growth spurt, he did not really grow all that much physically, so most of his old clothes still fit him.

In truth, he would have much rather preferred to take a proper bath, but unfortunately, the water wasn’t running. His first thought was to go next door and shower at Addison’s place. Unfortunately, her family no longer lived there. They had moved homes roughly two months ago.

Even though she did not directly say it herself, Addison’s parents probably sold their old house in order to help pay for Shirley’s hospital fees. A sharp pang of guilt assaulted his heart. At the same time, he wondered why they hadn’t attempted to sell the Emeroy family home, but to his surprise, they did. It was just that nobody had bought it yet.

The trip home and the trip back to the hospital ate up a considerable amount of time. When they made it back, the traffic on the streets had decreased significantly. It was probably somewhere around 9 or 10 pm.

After he returned and verified everything that needed to be verified, he parted ways with Addison.

****

The two stood in front of the hospital driveway. Edsel stared out into the distant sky, while Addison absentmindedly sat on the curb. Occasionally, she would glance up at him with this hazy, hard-to-describe gaze, but Edsel was far too preoccupied to notice. They were currently waiting for her ride to arrive.

As it turns out, Addison was quite busy. While Edsel had been out slaying dragons and saving princesses, his childhood best friend lived a fairly regular life. In the blink of an eye, she was already a full-fledged college student.

Addison majored in medicine. She was aiming to one day become a doctor. This came as somewhat of a surprise to him. In the past, she had been rather adamant about pursuing a career in criminology. Now, two years into college and she was neck-deep in neurology.

What could have possibly changed her mind?

Even if he asked that question, the answer was obvious.

She had an important exam tomorrow. In fact, that was partly the reason why she visited his house in the first place. Addison often used his old bedroom as a place to relax and alleviate her stress. To her, Edsel’s bedroom was a secret abode that only she had access to.

Of course, now that he was back, her secret abode was no longer quite so secret anymore.

Right now, Addison needed to get back to campus and prep for her exam. To his surprise, she lived in a dorm room. While her school did not have an overly strict curfew, being out all night was still pretty bad.

Edsel did not try to stop her. Addy had grown up. She too had dreams and wishes that she wanted to fulfill. Stopping her here would only be detrimental to her growth. Besides, Edsel was not a child that needed to be babysat 24/7. He could take care of himself.

As a yellow taxi drove up to the driveway, Addison rose to her feet. She turned towards him and sternly stated, “Remember, we’re meeting back up tomorrow afternoon, alright?”

Edsel nodded his head for what felt like the nth time in the last ten minutes. He flashed a weary smile. “Alright, alright, already. I’ve already lost track of how many times you’ve said that to me. I don’t think saying it any more will help me remember better. Goodbye, good luck with your test, and just go already.”

“It’s an exam.” She corrected.

“Is there a difference?”

“Test sounds a bit… high-school.”

Edsel rolled his eyes. “Don’t harp on this one detail! Seriously, get going already!”

Despite Edsel’s urging, Addison was still reluctant to leave.

“Make sure you get some sleep, okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’ll sleep.” He responded.

“Also eat something. Use some of the money I gave you.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll eat.”

“Take a shower too. They have bathrooms in the hospital.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll shower.” Even if she hadn’t reminded him, he would have still done so unprompted.

“…”

Addison wanted to say something else, but in the end, she held back. She nodded her head before she meekly stepped into the backseat of the cab.

Edsel breathed out a sigh. Her nagging reminded him of his mother. It brought both a smile to his face and a slight pang to his heart.

He thought that this was the end of it, but to his surprise, the backseat window suddenly rolled down. Half a second later, a familiar face popped out. Addison stared fixedly at him.

“What is it this time?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“If you want… you can also go back home.” She paused for a moment. “Or maybe, to my parent’s house. They, they’re not at home right now, but if it’s you then, it’s probably fine…”

Edsel opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He hesitated for what felt like a long time. Eventually, he shook his head. “I… I want to spend more time with Shirley. Don’t worry, the hospital gave me permission to stay.”

She carefully observed his ambiguous expression. In the end, Addison could only nod her head. “Well, alright then. Don’t stay up too late. Remember what we talked about earlier. We’re meeting up tomorrow. Don’t forget!” she paused again. “Do I need to pick you up?”

“Don’t, no need.” Edsel shook his head. Addison’s university was somewhat well known. As long as he asked the right people, finding it shouldn’t be an issue. “I can manage.”

“If you say so…”

“I do say so! Don’t worry so much. I’m already twenty, you know? I can take care of myself.”

“You don’t act like you’re twenty…” She grumbled underneath her breath.

“Addy!” Edsel exasperatedly shouted.

“Alright, alright! I’m going, jeez... way to treat your childhood friend…”

With that, Addison finally rolled the windows back up. A few seconds later, the cab peeled out of the driveway.

Edsel quietly watched her go before he retreated back into the building.