Chapter 23 : Kopis

Chapter 23: Kopis

Conrad was sitting on the bed opposite to Anira who was still sleeping deeply.

Alone in a room at night with a beautiful girl sleeping defenselessly—It is quite nerve-wracking to say the least. But I have a girlfriend, so I better not do anything.

Conrad took a peek at his companion, his eyes gazed upon some exposed skin through the fold of her midnight-styled corset dress.

I never had a girlfriend in my previous life. Is it because of that, or because I’ve inherited Conrad's original memories, that I've become a little perverted? I have no idea. Wait, what am I thinking at times like this? I should focus on what’s important right now.

Turning his attention to the strange artifact in his hands, Conrad flipped it over, inspecting it from all angles.

“So this thing is an artifact created by Alexander. It sure sounds like a big deal, but it doesn’t look like it,” he murmured, unimpressed by its extremely rusty junk like appearance.

It’s strange how this was just sitting in a regular museum without much security. That probably means nobody has identified it as an artifact yet. If they had, it would’ve caused a huge commotion.

Conrad paused for a moment and thought to himself the relevant information relied by Anira to him.

If I remember correctly Anira told me that it is some kind of locked artifact that must be a reason why nobody was able to discover its true nature.

Conrad had a hypothesis but he was not sure “from the description of Alexander from Anira, I think he might have—” Conrad took a glance at the sleeping girl in front of him.

Reality can be cruel, can’t it, Alexander? I don’t know you, but I feel some kind of sympathy. Still, I’ll always be grateful for the care you showed Anira.

Conrad let out a small chuckle “funny how you and I are separated by thousands of years but I still feel like I know you…”

Conrad looked back at the strange piece of junk in his hands mulling over the password and murmured to himself.

“A locked artifact…huh.. password…password”

If Alexander expected someone to find this in the future, he would have chosen something only he and someone dear to him would know.

Conrad's blue eyes sharpened with realization. Holding the artifact firmly, he spoke without any doubts in his mind.

“Anira Veil”

…..

…..

…..

…..

Nothing—

As Conrad was about to think of something else, a strange light illuminated Conrad. It was a small warm light circling around the artifact for a few seconds.

It actually worked..wow.. I can not believe I got it on the first try…

Conrad's eyes widened when he noticed the old junk had been transformed into a golden firearm—a revolver. On the bottom there was something written on it in elegant handwriting. It was written in Polyphant but as a history student he had some idea how to read it.

Kopis 5505.

“Ko..pis..” Conrad read it slowly. The firearm felt heavy. It was a long barrel revolver with polish finish and crimson touch at the end. The cylinder was slightly golden and it had a wooden grip with very beautiful craftsmanship. It was a piece of beauty.

“5505…if i remember Alexander died at 5506 L.C, so it was made one year before his death.” Conrad affirmed the beautiful gun as his fingers traced the expertly inscribed letters in Polyphant.

“Kopis…I like this name. You will be my weapon.” Conrad felt a sense of achievement holding the gun but despite his amusement a question came to his mind.

“This world doesn't have efficient bullets to fire. It takes not only time to shoot but misfires more often than not. So why did Alexander make this to begin with?”

Conrad frowned in puzzlement as he started to do some testing on his own. As the night deepend with his curiosity on his newly acquired weapon.

Anira woke up suddenly. When she opened her eyes she saw her master playing with an artifact she was very familiar with as she had seen this in a certain man’s hand.

“Lord, you are able to unlock the artifact so quickly. You truly are a great mind..”

“Ohh Anira, you are up” Conrad replied when he noticed Anira sitting on the bed now.

“Before we depart. I want to test this artifact but this place is too dangerous to test this kind of thing. We don't know what will happen.”

“Yes my lord. Let's use Arcane Veil for the test”

Conrad nodded slightly in agreement.

“By mine lord’s will,

A world that none should ken,

A world cloaked in nameless mist,

A world governed by The Eye,

A world yclept Arcane Veil”

Dense mist surrounded the duo. It engulfed them in an instant. Their sight changed, in front of them was a space which was eternally quiet and calm and infinitely wide. Only residence of the place was a living sentient mist.

This place always gives me such creeps. It felt like somewhere we should not be.

“Anira i think I can essentially put some Brahman into the Cylinder and if I am right, it should fire a projectile with unbelievable speed and precision, at least that's what my instinct is telling me”

“Whenever an Essentia obtains an artifact, It generally gives a hint how to use itself but it's not direct. Your instincts might be the result of artifact’s guidance”

“Are artifacts alive ?” Conrad asked with intrigued.

“To some extent yes my lord, Artifacts usually are fusion of living Brahman property with non-living things. Current scientific theories don't have any concrete explanation why artifacts get created as they are very rare and usually handled with utmost care in the world. So it is very hard to do much of research”

Artifacts are also a mystery like everything in this world. This is very interesting nonetheless.

“Anira stay back, let me give it a try” Conrad pulled his arms forward in a shooting position which he had seen in countless mainstream media in his previous life. His mind tensed up due to the unfamiliar feeling of the weapon in his hand. He took a firmed stance, his feet anchored to the dense living mist below him. His deep blue eyes sharpen, with a sharp inhale his finger curled around the trigger Conrad pushed his Brahman into the Cylinder of the Kopis as it moved slightly before instantly firing a projectile of condensed Brahman energy into the infinity inside Arcane Veil.

Bang.

The recoil jolted through Conrad's arms as a sharp pain courses through his entire body. He screamed out.

“Ahhhhhhh…”

“My Lord!” hearing her master's audible scream, Anira ran towards Conrad, her face full of wariness.

“Are…you alright…let me see…” she sat down to look at Conrad arms as she pulled his arms gently into her hands for careful inspection.

Seeing Anira's face full of wariness Conrad chucked and tapped her head with his finger.

“Stupid” Conrad said softly “Your lord is not so weak. Don't worry, I am fine. I expected it as I am not a trained shooter. I need some practice”

Anira looked at her master's deep blue eyes with her crimson eyes. A moment of silence fell between them in the eternally lonely space where infinity and eternity lost its meaning.

Conrad felt a little awkward staring at Anira. “Ani-” as he was about to say something. Anira pulled out a sword of air.

Ability: Mist sword Yoru

First Conrad felt confused but when he noticed the blood red eyes of Anira was serious he tensed up.

“Anira?”

Conrad felt a surge of fear, blood in his vein froze for a moment as he saw a sword made of mist condensed into a solid object in Anira's slender hands as she stood up staring down at Conrad as if she was the master of him, not the other way around. In her deep crimson eyes Conrad saw nothingness as if they were void of emotions ready to cut down any enemy at the moment.

“Wai-” before Conrad even utter a single word the Sword’s sharp edges cut through Conrad’s arms.

Did she finally decide to get rid of me ? I never thought such situations would arrive so soon.

Panic took hold of Conrad’s heart as he screamed visibly while closing his eyes.

“Noooooooo—”

“....”

“....”

After a brief silence Anira looked at her master who was screaming, closing his eyes and asked “My lord, does it hurt now?”

“Huh?”

When Conrad opened his eyes he noticed his arms were intact. The blade went through his flesh but didn't inflict any injuries on him but the pain from before was gone as if it was never there to begin with.

“Anira….what did you do?” Conrad asked with a surprised face.

“My lord, my sword can steal information. So I stole your pain through the cut.”

“Is that so…” Conrad felt again at awe seeing the otherworldly ability of his partner. Suddenly a question surfaced into his mind.

After reading the book about Brahman Conrad’s grasp on the fundamentals of Brahman was getting better slowly. He just couldn't accept anything as it is.

“Anira, If I am correct, Brahman obeys the conservation law. Right ?”

“Yes…My lord” Anira nodded slightly.

“So it can not be possible for information to be lost forever. Where does that information go that you stole it” Conrad looked at Anira with a curious gaze.

“...”

Seeing Anira's silence Conrad stood up and said

“Anira, you and I are immoral. That means for better or for worse we will be together for a long time. Even though I never trusted anyone in my entire life, due to this strange fate I decided to trust you. I wanted you to also trust-”

“I trust you more than myself, my lord. “ Anira said before Conrad finished.

“Then tell me the truth,” Conrad insisted.

Anira lowered her head slightly.

“Hmm…whatever my sword stole must be returned to its original source within a fixed time limit. The limit varies depending upon what i stole” She whispered in a low voice.

“What if you are unable to return it?” Conrad asked.

“It will returned to myself as pure Brahman but usually all Brahman shares a different characteristics so it will increase the entropy and caused me some backlash”

Conrad was stunned to see Anira’s action.

Why is she like that? This stupid girl.

Sigh

After a deep exhale he said “Listen Anira, I don't want to see you getting hurt, I know you are strong but still it doesn't feel right to me. So please return the pain to me. It is not much. I can bare with it”

Anira lifted her head to look at her master seeing Conrad's blue eyes she replied

“No….”

Conrad felt he was rejected by a girl after he proposed. His mouth twitched slightly.

Stubborn.

“Okay, you are a really stubborn girl, let's do this your way. As your lord I order you to return my pain to me” Conrad said in an authoritative voice.

I don't know if she will listen or not. I can at least try.

“As you wish my lord….” Anira’s face had visible disappointment.

As she again cut through the arms of Conrad. The pain instantly returned.

Ahhhh…sudden pain after experiencing relief is the worst kind of pain.

“Good and sorry to make you do something you didn't want” his voice softened again.

“You are the great lord, so it is my-”

“No, as I said before I see you as a partner. So i am sorry”

After Conrad apologies an awkward silence fell in the entire space. After a brief pause he scratched the back of his head and started walking in the opposite direction of Anira. Suddenly Conrad realised something.

“Anira…you could have told me about this ability before suddenly using it, so why didn't you say something before scaring me like that?” Conrad asked while giving Anira side eyes.

Anira turned her head slightly from Conrad's direction and replied “That was for calling me stupid from before, my lord”

“Huh?” Conrad felt confused at first but after recalling the early conversation, he burst out in laughter.

“My lord? What's so funny?” Anira tilted her head slightly.

“Nothing, you are the best partner ever Anira, let’s have some dinner before returning” Conrad said while laughing.

“Yes my Lord” Anira replied with a warm smile.