Time and Time Again

“Delivery! Fast as if I had wings!”

The door opened with a wide swing from Gideon’s foot. Roze turned to see him carrying baskets filled with herbs and roots. Her hands paused before her mortar and pestle.

“I think you have something a bit better than wings.”

“Oh right, I am speed!”

Roze eyerolled at his joke. There was probably deeper meaning to them, given who was telling it, but she just chalked it up to his otherworld oddities. Ignoring them was the way to deal with it.

“Be right there. I’m just finishing up an order for old man Gustave. The poor guy busted his back while sailing, so I’m making a numbing ointment to ease the pain. No more trekking to numbered towers in the distance.”

“You know, this is where your magic will come in handy. Can’t you just conjure a spell that makes it in the past, so you’d be done already?”

“Time magic doesn’t work that way! At least, not at the level I’m at yet!”

Gideon laughed. He was obviously teasing Roze about having the knowledge now to solve anything, despite being unable to make the magic happen. It had only been a few months since they had returned to Corleone, settling back at her apothecary after the journey.

Roze had no desire to truly become a legendary mage of Time, even if she was now in possession of her clan’s knowledge. All she wanted to do was continue the life she built for herself, knowing that she could somewhat defend herself a little better now.

Gideon had no qualms with that, moving in as an assistant to take care of the grunt work. He no longer had the luxury of knowing what lay ahead of him beforehand. But that meant he had to make sure to enjoy his moments even more going forward. They would only happen once, most likely.

“Oh right, I ran into the others while I was making my rounds. Seems like they all wanted something from us.”

“Really? But they just got something from me a few days ago. What do they want now?”

“Chieftain Corazon says hi and to come back any time. She’ll welcome you with open arms, particularly if you’re willing to beefen up a bit. Milipitas wants a brew from you to numb her hearing, so she can actually walk around human cities. She’s really taken an interest to the outside world.”

“Keeping your pants in check while you’re there?”

“No danger of that. Not with them knowing my true nature. Though, I guess a few of them actually wouldn’t mind crushing a twink between their thighs. The vibe from those girls I can feel coming like a paddle-wielding fujoshi at an anime convention.”

“Not wasting too much time chasing options are you?”

Gideon pulled up his sleeve, flashing his countdown, which had barely ticked down since she last saw it.

“Straight there and back. At most, just a few innocent tricks. Wouldn’t want to bother you constantly to keep pushing the mark forward in time.”

With his countdown able to be replenished, Gideon no longer worried about time. However, that was up to Roze’s discretion. A trip to gather herbs became an easy excuse for him to travel all the way to check on the dark elf village. They still wouldn’t give up on them, but making regular visits tempered their interests.

Despite her prodding, Roze didn’t mind if he ran off to hang out with the dark elves either. After all, Milipitas would report every detail of his activities in letters. If he ever fell into depravity, she knew who to talk to.

“What about Ferdinand? I just embued another set of weapons. Is he sending more?”

“The last ones were a bit too powerful. Now, we have the kingdom knights inventing a game of sumo with Recel Shields, fighting to bounce each other out of a ring. It’s become quite a popular pasttime for the recruits, enough for them to form a special squadron of wielders. His only ask was to tone down the effects a bit. A few solid hits have resulted in a growing headache for damage control around the castle, as well as their budget.”

“And what of the other type?”

“Ah, that... those haven’t caught on like the Recel Shields have. I mean, I don’t see it happening until Ferdy revises the name. The ‘Retardis Squad’ doesn’t exactly hit the right audience.”

Roze giggled at that. Even if the blacksmith was a master crafter, his sense of naming could use some reshaping. She would have to pre-emptively think of one for any future projects. A shield that warped back to its wielder with Recedo sounded promising.

“And? What does our insistent Ice knight have this time to convince us to join the Guard Mages?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Gideon swing open the door again to reveal Rafaelo standing there. He was back in his armor signifying his role as Captain. After he returned to the capital, there was an initial fuss over his whereabouts after his squad was decimated by Roze and company. However, he had successfully bought enough time for those directly working under him to report to his superiors. The hot-headed actions against a supposed Time mage had been cracked down, and the incident swept under the rug with warnings.

“Come on, do you not have me to thank for keeping your name off the wanted list?”

“Not thankful enough to devote myself under your service. That armor just wouldn’t look good on me. And that’s not mentioning how ill-suited it would be for Gideon!”

“Understandable, Roze. But that does not mean I will stop my efforts. Special rules for special cases. However, that is not the reason for my sudden visit. I have more pressing matters on my mind.”

Gideon took a big whiff of air in an exaggerated manner, causing Roze to cock her head at him.

“Okay, you two. What’s with all the dramatics? You know I’m not the type to like surprises, particularly ones that involve smarty pants schemes to trick people into seeing me as something more than I really am.”

“No real meaning behind it,” Gideon said. “I’m just savoring the last scent of peace and quiet lingering here. I feel that Raffy has opened the door to another adventure before us.”

“How long do I have to prepare and freeze my concoctions this time?”

Rafaelo stepped into the apothecary, proudly pulling out a parchment to read it aloud.

“Roze Campanella, you are hereby recognized as a Magician of Time, by second crown Prince Mecilli. As such, no persons in this kingdom are permitted to declare acts of heresy upon yourself, or those who support you. This is a direct order by the crown, supported by King Cappellini.”

Gideon had crouched down next to Rafaello, waving his fingers spiritedly to produce a dramatic effect. For a moment, Roze looked touched, but then, she tucked her surprise back in.

“What’s the catch? Royalty does not simply declare something without gaining a favor in return.”

“Quick with the wit, as always, Roze.” Rafaello rolled the parchment with a snap. “Of course, the kingdom is willing to recognize your talents. The second prince holds high esteem for the legendary heroes of olde, which is why he is hoping that you will pay him a visit for a small request.”

“A small request?”

“Yes, surely one that will be no problem for the two of you.”

Gideon beckoned her forward. It was clear as day that he had become bored of the slow life already. Peace and quiet could only be appreciated with a measure of change around it. Roze smiled.

“Don’t you think it’s time that you stop simply being my support? If I’m to put myself before the crown, then surely, you have the will to join me?”

“So, what then? Are we forming an official adventuring party? Better rope the others in as well-”

“Recedo!”

Gideon’s body landed with a thump on the floor as he tripped. Roze had brought him back from running excitedly out of the apothecary. She bent down, tapping him on the head with her wand.

“No, how about just the two of us for now?”

Gideon looked up at her for a moment before nodding lightly. He couldn’t say no to her when she asked so earnestly.

“Hmm, what should we do about a party name then? The ‘Roze and Gideon Show’ doesn’t really cut it when it comes to gaining fame. Oh wait, I got it! You wield Time, but so do I, so let’s go by Time and Time.”

“Again? You’re just as bad as Ferdinand when it comes to names. But really, I shouldn’t expect any less from you.”

“Alright, Time and Time Again – back before you know it, gripping the laurels of success, through any damned dungeon, sailing any sea! We’ll fill the pages with titles of our adventures for all the buzzfeed- Owwie!”

That time, he got a well-deserved whack over his head for going overboard. There was only so much cringe she could handle.

Still, that never stopped Gideon. He turned and pointed toward the sky, as if beckoning to someone way beyond the horizon before yelling out.

"Alright! Who's going to step up and join us next?! I've laid down a path, but now, it's unknown territory! Let our journeys collide, fellow isekai seekers!"

"Who the hell are you calling out to?" Roze looked at him, confused.

Gideon smiled, his thoughts of the coming future feeling a bit romantic.

"Only time will tell."

Rafaello laughed as he watched them bicker back and forth. He didn’t know what he would do with the two of them, but if anything, it would be entertaining.

He was sure no amount of time would change that.

Vol. 1 End