by Michael Sisa
A woman wearing a frilled green dress cut till the knees walked towards the commentator. A medium-sized leather pouch was held by her hands, and it made light clanking sounds with her every step. The commentator cleared his throat and said, “I think everyone is aware by now, but for this year’s annual archery competition, only a single bidder has emerged victorious in the stakes! The prodigy himself is the only winner! Both for the archery competition and for the stakes!”
The crowd further cheered. Though some of them lost a couple of Wys coins in the process, the mere fact that they had witnessed the birth of a genius more than made up for it. Moreover, since the prodigy himself was the winner of the stakes, they had no qualms of the result.
The commentator took the pouch from the woman and handed it to Dan. “The total pot this year is 94 Wys coins! Daniek Bhlot! Congratulations!”
Dan politely bowed after he was handed the pouch. His mind was filled with thoughts on how Minerva would react the moment he broke the news to her. The image of his mother smiling, sinking her left dimple in response and with her red glimmering hair partly occluding her left cheek sent his lips into a curl. He could not wait to go back to the inn to deliver the news. With such vast amount of money, they would be able to buy a humble residence within the city.
The aftermath of the tournament was mostly ceremonious words and series of cheers and claps. Dan immediately went outside the very moment the awarding ceremony ended. He was given a medal made of wys, and an elfen bow as commemoration. A dozen arrows came with the bow. Amidst the cheers and applauses, Dan stealthily went out the back door.
“My, my—the champion of this year’s tournament’s absconding? Haha!” a man’s voice said. The voice carried a crisp sound to it that slightly veiled its deep tone. Upon turning around, Dan saw its owner: a man that was around his fifties, hairs with tinges of white, and straight brows that complemented his almost predatory gaze. His lips were curled to the side, forming numerous wrinkles on his crescent eyes. “I suggest that you let me escort you home, child genius. You might end up dead otherwise.”
Dan immediately knew what the man was talking about. Upon hurriedly exiting the tournament area, he felt hostile stares from numerous people. The pouch he carried with him contained a fortune, and those with evil intents would surely not miss such opportunity.
“I know,” Dan simply replied. “Mister, who are you? I think I’ve seen you before. The sponsor of the event? Moreover, I would appreciate it if those three guys that are currently hiding show themselves. I dislike being tailed.”
The man’s eyes widened after Dan’s remark. He did not want admit, but everything the child had said were exact and true. He grinned from ear to ear. His eyes seemed to devour the child before him. He had found the one he had been looking for. With a flick of his fingers, he said, “You heard the child. Show yourselves.”
Immediately, three men cladded in pure black appeared beside the man. Their entry was ghost-like, and they immediately kneeled the moment they appeared. The man wore a smug look at himself after his servants appeared. He tilted his head and said, “Correct. I am the sponsor of this competition. Edward Roshaila, head of the Roshaila Family—the family that hold one of the seven great seats in the Empire.”
Edward Roshaila took out a golden pocket watch from the inside of his suit. He glanced at it for a second and mumbled, “About time....” he turned to one of the three guards that knelt before him “The guys from the black market?”
The guard did not look up and resumed kneeling. “My Lord, they’ve been taken care of. All assassins within the vicinity have been killed.”
Edward turned to Dan. “Dozens of guys from the black market is after your life—previously. Worry not for I’ve silenced all of them. My guards will take care of the rest.” Edward walked towards Dan. His gait was steady and calm. His eyes were predatory, but it was at the same time soothing. “Child. I give you this offer—become part of the Roshaila Family. Everything that you wish for, I’ll grant it to you. Just ask, and it shall be given.”
“I’m flattered, but no,” was Dan’s immediate reply. Edward’s brow knitted together after the remark. The House of Roshaila held one of the greatest powers not just in the city, but in the entire Empire of Kulaima. Just their name alone was enough to make other nobilities tremble in fear.
“You do realize that your life is at stake, correct?” Edward said. “The black market will stop at nothing to acquire the fortune you’ve won from the competition. It’ll be such a shame if a genius sprout like you meets his end before he even grew and bore fruits.”
“I am aware. I know my capabilities, and believe me—I am capable of protecting myself.” Dan had come to grasp the basics of soul spirit. Just a little bit more, and he would be able to utilize a bit of its potential.
Edward went silent after Dan’s confident declaration. He made a grim face that had an obvious hint of disappointment. “Such luck. Definitely a genius, but the child doesn’t know the realities of life. Archery competition is vastly different from real life battlefields. Such a shame… such a shame….”
The man turned around as he repeated the words like mantra. Immediately, the three guards faded and dissipated. Dan stood there for a second as he stared at the silhouette of the man that offered him solace. Dan wanted neither nobility nor fame. He had long gotten the thing he wanted most in life: a family.
***
Dan kept walking through the bustling street of the shopping district. Numerous stalls were line up in arrays, and the sounds of men bargaining with each other filled the air. He felt the scent of freshly baked bread, and the sound of footsteps against the paved ground served as background. The sun lightly hovered to the west as it prepared the stage for the stars. The breeze was chilly, but the robe that embraced his body gave ample warmth against it.
“Ten… no, twelve,” Dan thought as he counted the number of men that was at his tail. The moment Edward Roshaila left, he felt numerous presences appear nearby. All of them carried with them hostility and malice. The aura that filled the air was something Dan was very familiar with.
Dan’s footsteps were calm and unhurried despite knowing that a dozen men were currently pursuing him. He tucked the pouch filled with wys coins inside his pocket. After coming to an intersection, he turned left and entered an alleyway. Immediately after, numerous figures appeared before him.
“Finally~”
“That damn Edward Roshaila killed most of our comrades. For a moment, I thought this kid is under the Roshaila Family’s protection. Luckily, it doesn’t seem to be the case? Heh~”
The men that surrounded him had their faces clad in masks, and all wore crimson robes that covered all of their skins. The sun had finally given way to the stars, and the darkness of the night made the figures blend with the shadows.
“What do you want?” Dan asked though he knew of their purpose.
“What do we want? Oh, the archery genius… afraid? Kukukuku!” one of the masked men chuckled. He leaped down from the top of the roof where he previously crouched at. After dusting off his garb, he motioned for the rest of the figures to follow suit. One by one, they blocked Dan’s path of escape.
“We won’t say anything like ‘give us the pouch, and we’ll let you live’… whatever your decision is won’t matter anyway. We’ll still kill you, kid.” The masked figures began to pull out the swords that hung from their waists. It was an act that actually made Dan breathe a sigh of relief. It appeared that there was no magician within the group.
Without waiting for the masked figures to react, Dan dashed forward; his hand clasped the hilt of his blade. His body was petite, but the speed behind it was absurd. It took everyone by surprise. With swift and fluid motion, he pulled the blade out of its scabbard, and a high-pitched ~shhnngg sound was heard along with it. The sound of the wind lightly echoed in everyone’s ears, and afterwards, the head of one of the masked figures came on the floor rolling.
The body of the he
adless prey had yet to kiss the ground when Dan aimed for his next target. His enemies had belittled him, and he was more than glad to exploit such fact. His left foot stepped firmly on the ground, and he shifted the weight of his entire body from the toe towards the tip of his blade. The sharp point struck the neck of another masked figure from below, and it regurgitated as the life in its eyes instantly vanished.
By now, Dan’s enemies had broken out of their stupor. The thought that the child before them was a monster had finally sunk in their minds. Their previously relaxed stance from before vanished, and it was replaced by vigilant gaits as they approached their prey. The silence of the night was uncanny. It was suffocating.
The clouds above shrouded the moon, and it marked the beginning of the next round of assault. Numerous figures dashed towards Dan in multiple directions. All were aiming to kill. Dan pulled an arrow from his back and gripped its rear. He stomped a foot on the ground, and using the entire force of his body—the entire force originating from his toe till the tip of the arrow, he shot the weapon towards one of the masked figures. The arrow cruised towards it target with the same speed as one fired from a bow, and it perfectly hit its mark. The arrow shattered the mask of its target, and it pierced through the forehead, splattering his head’s innards on the ground.
Dan felt a gust of wind from above, and he side-stepped as he dodged a gash. Using his left foot, he made a half turn and shot the tip of his blade towards the masked figure’s neck. The figure avoided the strike by a whisper, and Dan immediately changed the trajectory of his blade by flicking his wrist. From a pierce, it transformed into a vertical gash, and the figure’s chest was inflicted with a large cut. Blood oozed out, and the masked figure screamed in agony.
Dan ducked as he evaded a wide slash from his left. Using the momentum, he skidded into the man’s left corner, and he kicked his knee cap. The sensation of fragile bones breaking upon impact crept up his young body. The man groaned as his legs wobbled. Without wasting a moment, Dan strikes his blade down on the crouching man’s neck. It separated the head from the body, and a fountain of blood splattered on the ground.
“Are you serious?!” Dan heard a voice say. By now, the remaining masked figures were struck with fear. The movements of Dan depicted someone that had killed numerous lives before, and even though his face and garb was blotted with speckles of blood, the child did not bath an eye as he decapitated his enemies one after another. His stare was cold and indifferent. It was the eyes of a predator patiently luring it prey.
“You guys—you work for Edward Roshaila, correct?” Dan’s question made everyone flinch. The more the clock ticked by, the more the child before them resembled a monster, a demon.
“What are you talking about?” one of the figures remarked.
“Don’t feign ignorance. That masked guy over there,” Dan pointed towards a figure that stood at the very back. Since the start of the assault, it did not move an inch but instead vigilantly watched the fight. “You’re one of the three guards I met this morning. I am sure. There’s no point in hiding it.”
The masked figures glanced towards the direction of their comrade. A deafening silence filled the air, and afterwards the figure walked forward. Its steps were light and calm. After it stood a good distance from Dan, it pulled out its blades from its back.
Dan smiled when he realized that the man before him was also a dual blade wielder. “That Edward guy… so when I rejected his offer, he asked his men to kill me instead. Better get me killed than have other nobles get their hands on me, that’s it?”
“Do forgive me for this. Child, you are not a magician—yet. Still, I’ll fight you with magic. That is me showing my respect,” the masked figure said. Without him uttering a word, the twin blades he held glowed a violent crimson color, and Dan felt the blazing inferno even from a distance. The ground on the man’s feet violently trembled, and it turned to dust a few more seconds after. Dan felt a cold chill run down his spine, and without thinking, he moved his blade before his face. His youthful red eyes widened when he saw the two blades directly in front of his neck. Only the blade driven by his instinct was what separated it from his flesh.
Dan’s face assumed a grim expression when he realized that he would die even from a split second of mistake. The opponent before him was worlds apart from the other masked figures. Even after he successfully blocked the initial attack, his body flew a few meters backward as the impact sent him flying. He felt his bones creak and eventually break as he tried to maintain the sole blade in front of his body. His feet skidded by as he resisted the blow from the assailant.
His instinct screamed at him yet again, and without thinking, Dan ducked. Afterwards, he heard the sound of the walls at his rear splitting into two. He felt a pricking sensation on his cheeks, and he realized that a small portion of his face had been scorched. The blades of the masked figure did not manage to cut him directly, but the blazing inferno that surrounded the metallic weapon still managed to scorch his skin. He silently endured the pain that accompanied the feat.
The masked figure was of few words, and it wasted no time as it again dashed towards Dan. The eyes that peeked behind its masked were filled with murderous intent. It had yet to satiate its desire for carnage.
Just right when the masked figure’s blade was about to cut Dan’ flesh, a voice rung out from the end of the alley. It was a familiar voice, and it held great strength and authority. The masked figure immediately stopped and made two steps backward.
“Stop,” said the voice. Sounds of footsteps were heard, and afterwards, the figure of Edward Roshaila appeared from the abyss-like end of the alley. All of the masked figures immediately knelt the moment they saw the head of the Roshaila Family. The man’s eyes were serious. It glimmered with a scrutinizing glare.
“Child Genius,” Edward said as he walked towards Dan. The child was filled with bruises, and his pale body was panting. Still, he remained calm and composed. He stared back directly into the predatory eyes of Edward. “I was shocked. To think that you knew not only archery, but the sword as well. So that’s where the confidence came from… I see… I see…. As expected. My intuition is correct. There is more to you than what meets the eye. Otherwise, a great man like me would not bother coming to this desolated place.”
Edward took out a pipe from his pocket, and he flicked his finger. A marble-sized orb of fire manifested itself in front of him, and he used it to light his cigar. Immediately after, the orb dissipated, and the alley resumed its abysmal color.
“You understand, right? This is the reality of the city. This is the reality of the word where you live in. People will stop at nothing in order to gain their desires.” Edward stretched out a hand towards him. “Become my son, and I shall grant your every desire. Become my son, and I will ensure your safety—and the safety of your mother, Minerva.”
Dan’s eyes widened when he heard of his mother’s name. They had arrived at the city for only a day, and Edward already knew everything about him. The man’s authority over the city was nothing to joke about.
“What would you gain from this?” was Dan’s question.
Edward blew out a smoke from his pipe and looked towards the night sky shrouded by clouds. His figure seemed solemn as he stared at the heavens. “This is a world where strength dictates hierarchy. As the head of the Roshaila Family, I could never let it go down and have it crumble to dust. Right now, our influence over the Empire is receding. It’s only a matter of time before we lose one of the seven great seats—I can’t let that happen.” He stared directly into Dan’s crimson eyes. “You shall become great, and you shall carry the Roshaila Family’s name with you as you rise to the top. I’ve already made a pact with the Prochson Family. We’ll usurp the throne once we’ve gathered at least four out of the seven Great Seats.”
“I do believe that today’s meeting is no mere coincidence. It is the will of the heavens itself. Child, I shall teach you magic, and you shall become the greatest magician this
world had ever seen. All of it is for the sake of the Roshaila Family—and your family.” The last part was said in a hushed and suggesting voice.
“Sorry to break it to you, mister—I don’t have enough mana to fulfill your ambition.” Dan’s reply made Edward froze in his spot. He found it hard to believe the words of the child before him. The child was a prodigy. The child was a genius capable of both swords and arrows. The child was a monster that did not even bath an eye when he slaughtered his men—and he did not have any mana? How could he, Edward Roshaila, believe such fallacy?
Edward stared at him with a gaze that seemed to seek the answer itself. He wordlessly asked Dan on what he meant by such words.
“I’ve been tested by an Orb of Mana before. The result—my mana pool’s too low to actually make a reaction,” Dan said with a shrug.
“Erica!” Edward shouted. Immediately after, the masked figure that cornered Dan before appeared beside Edward. “The interspatial ring—I need an Orb of Mana.”
The masked figure waived its hand on the air, and immediately after, a small rift was created. It pulled out an Orb of Mana from it and handed it to Edward in a revering manner.
