by TurtleMe
No words left my mouth after what Rinia said, only focusing on the ever so slight tremble of my fingers.
“The reason I bring this up isn’t to elicit pity or sorrow from you. I tell you this so that you’ll realize the gravity of what I’m about to inform you of next.” There was a stern conviction in her voice that made me look back up.
Elder Rinia paused, as if readying her heart before she spoke. “I used my powers to intentionally look into your future, Arthur.”
After all she just told me, what she just said weighed on me all the more. “What? Why-why?” was all I could stammer out before Sylvie sleepily walked towards me and hopped onto my lap, falling asleep again, leaving the both of us with a brow raised.
“Seems like your bond is immune to the herbs I gave her,” she chuckled.
“Yeah, she probably just fell asleep naturally,” I replied with a half grin.
“Well, continuing on, even before the day I first met you when you were a child, I had been getting glimpses of your future; never enough to make sense of it, but it was odd to have so many visions of a specific person. It has never happened before.” Rinia shifted in her seat.
“As you may already be aware, Arthur, things are changing on this continent. Dicathen is going through a new era. We’ve already experienced the beginning of it with the unity of the three Kingdoms and the unveiling of the Six Lances, but that’s just the beginning. Through all of these changes that are going to happen, you always seem to be in the center of them somehow, Arthur.” The elderly Diviner locked eyes with mine.
“Then moving to this remote hideout…” I started to say.
She just gave me a slight nod. “With the knowledge I gained from looking into the future… your future, it seems like I’ve made some enemies.”
“What exactly is it that you learned from looking into my future?” I asked.
“Here’s the tricky part. Telling you too much of what I saw can affect even the outcomes you want. On the other hand, telling you too little defeats the point of me looking into the future in order to find a better outcome,” she sighed.
“How do you feel though, Rinia? You just gave up some of your life in order to see my future… are you okay?” I couldn’t help but frown.
“I’ll be fine. I’ve lived long enough, anyway. I might as well use some of it to help the future.” Rinia waved her hand dismissively.
“I hate sounding like some old fortune teller warning the hero to be careful and other sorts of generic advice that he can pick up from anyone, but it pains me to say that I can only do that much.” I could tell she was trying to make light of the situation to ease my guilt.
“Arthur…” Rinia’s tone became serious, almost foreboding, “You will face many hardships. Whichever future you decide, that will remain constant. You will have enemies and you will have obstructions in your path, but through all of that, what I can leave you with that you need to have an anchor, an end goal. What is it you want to accomplish in your life? That will be what determines your path.”
This sounded more like a motivational speech than a prophecy, but as if she had read my mind, Rinia continued.
“Be grounded, Arthur and I’ll leave you with these two things. One, people do bad things for good reasons, so don’t just take them for what they do on the surface and keep your mind sharp. Two, oftentimes, the scariest enemy isn’t the one on the throne, leading the forces, but the abandoned soldier that has nothing to lose; for that, stay wary and don’t be overconfident.” Rinia’s voice became a soft whisper as she warned me, leaving an uncomfortable silence in the room.
“I’m sorry I can’t say anything more, but all I can say is to follow and trust your instincts. You are a particularly sharp fellow and I know you’ll make the right choices, but sometimes, the right choice isn’t always the best choice.”
________________________________________
The talk with Rinia ended, leaving me with a rather bad taste in my mouth, like one would get after taking a spoonful of a bitter tonic. Helpful and necessary, but bitter nonetheless.
Rinia woke everyone up soon after, with me pretending to have been asleep with them as well. Rinia made some excuse that she accidentally mixed in some herbs for relaxation that was a lot stronger than she anticipated. No one seemed to mind and we continued on with a light lunch that Rinia prepared out of edible plants and mushrooms. It tasted good despite the lack of meat, but by Sylvie’s reaction, I’m sure she would disagree.
It was pretty late in the afternoon by the time we finished eating and had to get on our way. A bigger surprise than the fact that Rinia’s home was in the center of a mountainside cliff, was the fact that, through a secret door and passage, she had her own teleportation gate.
Since teleportation gates were made in ancient times, supposedly with the help of the deities, or Asuras, as I now know, it wasn’t possible to make any more. Virion wasn’t as surprised as everyone else, including me, but knowing Rinia’s powers, I could only shrug and realize that this was something within her abilities.
After saying our goodbyes, Tess and I, along with Sylvie, went through the gate. Along with the dizzy feeling I was left with after crossing, we were welcomed back to the edge of Xyrus City by guards that had their spears pointed at us.
After realizing that the unknown crossers were teens and had the Xyrus Academy uniform on, they quickly lowered their weapons.
“We apologize, the portal you were coming from was read as an unknown gate, so we didn’t know who or what would pop out from the other side. It’s rare, but there have been times when mana beasts accidentally stumble through a teleportation gate somewhere deep in the Beast Glades,” one of the guards, that seemed to be the leader, said, although his eyes still watched us with a studying gaze.
“It’s fine. We came from one of the other cities of Elenoir and the guard did mention that he was having troubles with the gate from time to time,” I shrugged.
With an understanding nod, the guards let us go and since there were no carriage waiting for us, the three of us walked to the nearest stop and found a carriage to take us. The sun was already setting and I could see the color distortion in the sky as the Aurora Constellate was soon coming to its peak. It was a lot easier to see it from the floating city than through the dense trees in Elenoir.
“Wow, the Aurora Constellate really is beautiful every time you see it,” Tess said in awe.
“Kyu~” ‘The sky is colorful!’ Sylvie also sat at the edge of the carriage, her small head gazed up in appreciation.
When we made it back to the Helstea Manor, Sylvie scurried up the stairs leading to the door and scratched at it. As Tess and I followed her up, the door opened, revealing a person that I didn’t expect to see.
“Jasmine?!” I stopped where I stood and gasped.
“Long time no see,” my mentor from my adventurer days replied, with the only visible sign on her expressionless face that she was happy to see me, the slight grin she had.
Before I had the chance to say anything more, the rest of the Twin Horns came, one by one, each with a big grin on their faces as they saw me with a girl they’d never seen before.
“You’ve grown,” Durden said with a warm smile on his wide, tanned face.
“Look who we have here! Mr. Hotshot bringing home a lady,” Adam Krensh, the wild-looking vagabond spear user cooed, leaning on the edge of the doorframe.
“Wow, look who’s become more of a man.” Helen Shard, the archer, still as charismatic as before, winked at me.
While they all stayed at the top of the stairs, waiting for us to come up, Angela hopped down the stairs herself and picked me up in a bear hug.
“Look how cute you’ve gotten!!” She squealed as she waved me around, my legs dragging helplessly on the cement stairs since she was too short to completely pick me up off the ground.
“Mmmfph mmmh!” Any hopes to articulate words failed as the abyss of her well-endowed bosom absorbed my face.
; “I-I think you should let go…” I heard Tess stammer out as she tugged on the side of my uniform.
“Look who we have here! Aren’t you the cutest little elf!” Angela Rose put me down like discarded waste and picked up Tess, who let out a squeal in surprise.
My family soon came out and greeted us with open arms, with my sister, Eleanor, already having Sylvie in her arms.
I was eager to catch up with the Twin Horns over dinner since I haven’t seen them in over a year, but I could tell Tess was kind of uncomfortable with all of this. She already felt a bit out of place being in my home, but with the unexpected guests that she’d never seen before, she was feeling all the more tense and awkward.
My mother and sister tried to make her feel more comfortable, but since she was being awkward with me as well for some reason, she couldn’t take it.
“Are you really going back to the academy?” I asked.
Tess had just told everyone after apologizing that she had to go back to school first for some Student Council work that she was sorely behind on.
“I’ve missed too much school and work has probably piled up by now. Thank you guys for your hospitality and I’m sorry I couldn’t stay longer.” Tess made a curt bow and followed after the driver that came to get her.
I went outside with her, uncertain if I should go with her or not.
“Don’t worry about me! I’ll admit it was a bit uncomfortable for me in there, but that’s not the main reason I’m going back. I really am behind on Student Council work and I feel bad since even Lilia is still at school. It wouldn’t be right of me to be in her home relaxing while she’s working, right?” Tess gave me a reassuring smile.
“You’re right, but I’m just worried since Gramps said that you still had to rest. Your mana core still is a bit unstable, even with the seal that Rinia gave you before we left. I just feel more comfortable if I was near you in case something happened.” I scratched my head, a rather doubtful feeling itching up on me.
“I have no reason to use magic at the academy for the time being anyways. Besides, you’re coming back to school tomorrow. I think I’ll be able to survive until then,” she gave me a playful wink, distilling the previous awkwardness she had.
“Alright, but be careful.” I lightly bonked her head, getting a light punch on the stomach in reply.
TESSIA ERALITH’S POV:
“Whew.” It was getting harder and harder to keep a straight face in front of Arthur. If I stayed and talked to him any longer, I felt like my face was going to burn like a candle.
My body felt out of sync because of my mana core; It affected my body, as if somebody tilted the world just slightly enough to throw me off balance, but I didn’t tell Arthur this since he’d just get overly worry.
After closing my eyes for what seemed like a couple of seconds, I was already close to the school gate.
“Thank you!” I said to the driver.
He gave me a friendly nod in reply, tipping his hat, before driving back toward Lilia’s house.
Right after stepping through the barrier and entering the gate, the atmosphere seemed to have changed drastically. My body tensed immediately, as if signaling my brain that there was danger nearby.
“Hoho! You’re here...ALONE? Pfft! This is going to be easier than I thought! Yes it is!”
The throaty voice surprised me. I immediately whipped my head toward the source of the voice.
“Lucas? Lucas Wykes?” I gaped.
It surely was Lucas, but something was off… well a lot of him was off. His skin was gray, first off, and the way his body spasmed randomly made him look more like a rabid monster than a student.
I wanted to move, but I couldn’t. The pressure and bloodlust he was giving off didn’t allow me too. All my body could do in response was shiver.
“Hehe… I can’t believe you’re here alone, no I can’t! It’s nice seeing you again, Princess! As beautiful as ever, yes you are!” Lucas approached me with jagged steps.
This wasn’t Lucas anymore… The feeling I got from him was more of a deranged mana beast than from his usual egotistical self.
Seeing the expression on my face, his face tilted as he revealed a toothy grin. “Why don’t you play with me until Arthur gets here?”
Chapter 91: Collapse of Xyrus
ARTHUR LEYWIN’S POV:
Tess leaving for school left me with a rather uneasy feeling, but, needless to say, we still enjoyed the night. The Helstea Manor was in a festive mood, with barrels of liquor brought up from the cellar by Vincent himself. Lilia’s father was getting the most enjoyment out of this, along with my father, who were both in an inebriated state before I even got home. It turns out that the Twin Horns made a detour on their series of expeditions in the Beast Glades to visit us during the Aurora Constellate. It meant a lot to my parents just being able to see their old comrades again and share a drink or two as a toast to old times and embarrassing memories.
After my father and Vincent, Adam Krensh was the next to become intoxicated, his flushed cheeks almost matching his fiery red hair. It was rather fascinating witnessing everyone’s alcohol-induced habits since my mother and Tabitha wouldn’t allow me to drink alongside them. Adam was your typical loud and rowdy drunk, seeming to lose enough coordination for an infant to be able to wrestle him to the ground and win.
Angela Rose seemed to lose all sense of personal space as she began conversing with me with her cheeks stuck to mine. It didn’t help that every spoken word was accompanied by two or three hiccups, making it almost impossible to decipher what she was trying to say. Tabitha ended up having to peel her off of me and ‘kindly’ escort the coquettish mage up the stairs by the back of her collar.
I had a hard time containing my laughter while Durden Walker soon became drunk as well. What surprised me the most was when he opened his eyes. The usual narrow shape that looked more like a slit became a stern mono-lidded dictator’s surprised expression. It didn’t help that his eyebrows that were normally slanted down were furrowed into an upward tilt, making his overall expression a mixture of intense focus and uncontainable surprise. He would take on this gruff commanding tone when speaking, and for the past hour or so before passing out, he was spouting out training drills to one of the empty barrels of beer while participating in the exercises himself.
I couldn’t tell whether my former guardian, Jasmine Flamesworth, was drunk or not until she came up, eyes glossy and unfocused, and started repeating to me how much she thought of me and how worried she was as to whether or not I was adjusting to school well. Eventually, everyone retired to their respective rooms. Mother towed my father, who was cradling a bottle of what smelled like whiskey as if it were a newborn, back into their room. Tabitha doing the same for her husband as well. My sister went to sleep with Sylvie quite a while ago in her room, leaving only the leader of the Twin Horns, Helen Shard, and me in the war zone that was once a dining room.
“Quite the party, isn’t it? I’m sure this wasn’t exactly how you pictured your reunion with us to go,” Helen let out a contained giggle.
I laughed in response. “With everything that’s been going on these days, it was nice seeing everyone let loose.”
“Your parents told us briefly about everything that has happened to you since we were gone. You seem to be doing a fairly good job of taking on your father’s role in worrying your mother.” The faint smirk that curled on Helen’s lips told me she was reminiscing of the past.
“It seems to be the one skill that I seem to be getting better at without even trying.”
“If only it were like that for me with mana manipulation,” Helen sighed, making us both laugh.
We moved to the living room after the maids started showing up and cleaning the dining room. There, we sat with only a coffee table separating us as we continued talking and catching each other up on what had happened in our respective lives.
It was the first time I’d talked to Helen for this long, but it was comfortable, and she t
alked to me in a demeanor as if she were talking to an adult, not someone who had barely hit his or her teens. She had an eloquent way of talking that wasn’t usual for an Adventurer; she seemed more suited to leading strategic meetings, not being on the front lines, fighting.
“If you don’t mind me asking, Arthur, what level is your mana core? I can’t seem to even sense your level anymore.” Helen lifted her feet from the coffee table and leaned forward as she asked this.
“Solid Yellow,” I answered simply. I didn’t want to sugarcoat or try to downplay my level.
“I see. Congratulations, sincerely.” Helen had a mixed expression on her face, one where she was trying to hide her disappointment, but failed. She wasn’t disappointed in me, but herself because even though she more than double my age, I had surpassed her by quite a bit.
“It seems like you are made for bigger and greater things, Arthur. With the discovery of a new Continent and all, I suspect that this small Academy will only be able to hold you down for so long. We should get some rest.” She gave me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and left after giving me a firm pat on the shoulders.
Collapsing on my bed without the energy or will to even wash, I laid there, thinking about everything that had happened in my life. Was it just a coincidence that I was sent, or actually born into this world as it was going through this so much change?
Was I really some cliché protagonist from a bedtime fairy tale that they always read to us at the orphanage? I couldn’t help but scoff at the thought of being some bored god’s source of entertainment as he toyed with my life in the name of me being ‘The Chosen One’.
Was I in the hands of some god as a chess piece to make the run world as he saw fit? I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that would help me get rid of these thoughts. The thought of my fate being under someone else’s control didn’t sit right with me. Turning to my side, I chose to dust these fears away… life was already so unexpected, why make it more complicated?
