I 8

“Have you heard? Teacher Claude got expelled.” “Sheesh, that's old news. You must have not heard of him killing some of the kingdom’s military men.” “Really?!” “Yeah. Not just that, but he’s rumored to be the perpetrator of other incidents too.” “Are you talking about the headless corpse of a man found in the morning in the main street that leads to the Eastern gate?” “Hey, that too! But what I’m talking about is a kidnap case of three children.” “Why do people know it’s him?” “Because he’s suspicious.” “Come on, that’s a lame reason.” “I mean, so many incidents have happened recently after his expulsion from the Basic school. Other than him do you even think there’s anybody that could still commit incidents right after the curfew?” “Oh, right. He’s the only one who is still let loose and wandering all across the kingdom. But why though?” “Who knows? He has always been a creep if you ask me.” “A creep? Have you studied with him?” “Some classes. Not a lot, but it seems to me that he has some latent creepy vibe. After all, he has to teach at Basic school, his specialization seems to be some niche subject few people would bother with. Seems like a failure of life.” “He must be. Nobody found him yet?” “Nope.”

Regina told me she had to go to the class earlier, so I’m going alone this morning. I'm not sure if she explained why, or my ears just missed it while I was still buried under the blanket. Actually, yesterday she told me she was going to report to the school about some guy… yeah, his name was Rick. I don’t remember her words being remotely related to that incident though. The guards at the gate of the capital check the pair of students ahead of me. There seem to be more guards today than yesterday or even before. Even for my very first time coming to the capital with my parents, I definitely didn’t see a single guard… but actually wait a minute, I was just born into that world for some years then, I don’t think I could have known who should look like a guard.

When I enter the class, Paul notices me, then huffs and looks away. Whatever I can make from this, I just go toward my seat. Ackie isn’t here yet. When I want to talk to him to kill time he isn’t available, and when I have no such need he’s nowhere to be seen. Although this isn’t talking about right now since my mind is still occupied by the Eastern language textbook. Ah… he’s here, right when the first period starts.

“Which class is it?” he whispers, even though the teacher hasn’t come to the class yet. “Eastern language.” “We study that today?!” “Well, it’s an elective course after all.” “Is today Friday?” “Yep.” “Oh geez I thought today was mandatory.” He turns his back but before he could go, I tell him, “Except it is indeed mandatory. The first lecture is meant to introduce the subject and the general overview of it. You are not graduating without attending every single mandatory introductory subject.” Hearing that, he returns to his seat. “So, no need for a textbook?” He seems to be trying to affirm what he already knew. I nod, and leaf through the pages. For some reasons I’m not sure of myself, I kind of like the content of this standard textbook, even though the terminology seems abstract and the chapters seem dense. “Good morning everybody,” the teacher enters the class, “let me introduce myself…”

The introductory class is fun, even though other people find that as I do or not is another matter.

“[Pleasu stando awez from mee.]”

“That’s not how it’s supposed to be pronounced. I’m not really speaking about imprecise enunciation, but more how you put stress on the words – which is what I’m guiding you through right now.”

“Teacher, isn’t this just an introductory class? Maybe leave the practice to later classes for elective students?”

“No, no, my student,” he lets out a breath, “to truly get introduced to the language is to know the voice of it. That’s why I’m getting you to learn some of how to create some voices of the Eastern language. Say, do you have any embarrassing secret you do not want to tell anybody at all?”

“Teacher, this is so personal I’m not sure if I can even answer it,” the guy who has to answer him seems to be sweating profusely.

“No, no, no, you can. Answer me, have there been any embarrassing secrets you have yet to tell people in this class at all?”

“Y-yes, I- I-, I haven’t told everybody that I at home I actually tried cross-dressing-“ “The Eastern language has a peculiarity, that each word pronounced does sound like you have something you have to hide about it. Even though that is not necessarily the case for the speaker, you still have to put out words that seem to sound like you have nothing to hide even when you are confessing your own secrets. Perhaps this says something about the cosmological worldview which the people, or entities as we love to call them, of the kingdom of Mist, have themselves. Speaking by the way, I have been teaching this subject for 20 years,” he giggles, “and the peculiarity has never failed to fascinate me, even when I am trying to teach about it.”

Lunch break. Ackie blinks, blinks, narrows eyes, then blinks his eyes again. “I like him.” Hearing that prompts Ackie to look at me, and blinks again.

“I’m going to the cafeteria now.” Ackie nods, leans his back on his chair like some lazy squirrel. I bumped into a girl’s chest however, even though this time surely I’m not in a rush. I look at the person before me. “Hey,” she says. “Erm do you need something?” She silently hands over something. A button. Oh right, a while ago Regina did tell me my uniform blazer missed a button… Although by then Regina has also fixed it with some replacement so well… “Thank you,” I’m not sure what to make of this, but I guess it’s the thought that counts. As I proceed to move toward the cafeteria, the girl tugs my sleeve. “What is it?” “Are you occupied?” Well, technically Regina always has lunch with me, up until now, so unless she isn’t there, or she told me beforehand that she’s not gonna go – I think I’m pretty much occupied. But does this classmate of mine have any business with me though? “No.” I responded. “Can we go somewhere?” she asks, the tone doesn’t sound cold, but it feels like it contains very little apparent emotion. “Sure.” The faint smile I swear I must have seen in a moment does suggest that she is an easygoing girl.

We sat on a bench. The wind makes her hair lightly flutter, not that she does seem to care, more than the bread she’s having right now. “Erm… what’s your name by the way?”

“Roselyn.”

“Roselyn huh? Mine is Ryle.”

“Ryle.”

“Yeah, that’s right. So, what do you need me here for?”

“…you want to cut to the chase?”

Not sure how to respond to her, “Well… we can’t exactly just sit here doing nothing.”

“Hm… Alright…”

She then stands up, and faces me.

“Ryle, I like you, do you want to date?”

“…”

What she said was quite shocking, although the hard part is to know what to even respond at all.

“That was pretty straight-forward of you.”

“Some girl on the first day of school told me that I should be honest to myself and do things that wouldn’t leave me with regrets. So I decided that I may well confess to you, as I think you look nice and handsome yourself.”

…that’s a simple way of going with life. Although, at least she confessed after knowing my name.

“I look handsome?”

“Facial features wise, you do have a nice nose, a clean face, nice brows… Although I just paid attention to them just now. The impression I got when I first saw you was more like how the combination of all those parts gave rise to that, combined with your behavior and manners.”

“…oh.”

“You said ‘Sorry’ yesterday.”

“Yeah.”

I don’t really know much of what to say, unless I say ‘I can see what you are saying’.

No matter how the cultures make it out, in this world or in the past world, affection for anybody has always been an ephemeral affair, in terms of how you have any control over it.

I saw couples left and right, I saw families here and there. Some contented, some going the natural way of life, some ecstatic. What of their appearance that constituted their path of life is something I frankly failed to gauge.

“Before any of that, how about we get to know each other first. We just knew each other’s names just now.”

“Haha you are right. Perhaps it’s just silly to put confession on the top of the priority.”

That’s a way to apply the dictum you heard.

“Ahem, somebody seems to be having a lot of fun here.” A familiar coughing noise.

…all this talk with Roselyn makes me forget about Regina. “Sorry, I was just…”

“There’s no need to say sorry. And by the way, isn’t this Roselyn? Nice to meet you.”

“Oh hey, it’s Regina.” Roselyn’s eyes brighten up. “You know Regina?” which is the very question I wanted to ask Roselyn, but she asked it first before I could do it.

“Yeah…” “We live together.” Regina chimes in. “You may even consider us a family, if you want to.”

That’s certainly not wrong, although, the way she puts it could easily be misunderstood. I wanted to add ‘Inofficially’, but saying that is just lackluster and could lead to further problematic assumptions if not questions that would take more energy to answer, so I just leave it.

“Interesting.”

“We are having lunch now,” I look at Regina who has been wearing a formal face, then Roselyn, “you wanna join us?”

“I’m fine.” She raises her half-finished bread.

We have about half of the lunch time now. On the way to the cafeteria, Regina has been quiet. Then she stops short, and turns to me.

“Huh?”

She leans toward me, hands moving to my neck to fix my collar.

“There you go. Wouldn’t want to ruin your appearance huh?” She makes a faint smile.

“Not that people care.”

“Except they do. We are not children anymore. The first impression is always important. At this age, people no longer look at you in a purely innocent light anymore.” Her lips slightly parted. “You wouldn’t want a chance like with Roselyn slipped away from your hand.”

I meant to say ‘Not that it’s something that would concern me’.

“So… are you going to see her every lunch from now on?”

“Huh? I don’t even know myself. Although, what about lunch with you?”

“…it’s not like we had a promise anyway.”

“Yeah. But why not? If you have nobody to have lunch with.”

“…I d- Yeah.” Regina hesitantly responds.

Speaking of which, what are we gonna do if there was some sudden change of plan? Or maybe something interrupted us just like today with Roselyn? You never know if the short issue is gonna prolong itself.

“Oh, it’s Ryle. Welcome!” Alina shines me a bright smile as I come into the library in the afternoon. “You are not having a class this afternoon?”

“I decided to ditch it.”

“Not a really obedient student, are you?”

“Isn’t the same can be said about you, Alina? It’s not usual to have no class at this time.”

“Haha. As your upperclassman I have to admit I have gotten so lazy to the point I did not feel like registering for some elective classes.” Her face then changes into a tiresome expression, “Even though… that’s gonna make it very exhausting by the time graduation is near. And I definitely do not want to graduate late.”

“I know that feeling,” although it’s hard to say something like it was because I went to something called university myself.

“Which class did you ditch by the way?”

“’Formulation of Magical power source’.”

“Hey, that’s a very essential class for me. I cannot imagine myself skipping any Magic class at all.”

“By now I find Magic something truly hopeless. Even though, perhaps being a Swordsman or Academician don’t necessarily require them.”

“I can see the path of Swordsman doesn’t really need it, also some magic would still come in handy. As an Academician you would miss out on a lot. Then again an Academician can also do a lot of stuff.”

“Yeah. I really shouldn’t have skipped this class. But it just feels unbearable to study Magic when your grasp of the basics hasn’t gotten really far.”

“Hmm.” Aline taps her cheek, then turns to the room behind her and enters it. A moment later, she brings out a pot of a plant. I don’t know which plant this is called (nor do I know any at all). A plant with some gray branches and green leaves. “Have you learned any rejuvenating spells?”

“Other than the basic healing spell, not really…” Speaking of which, I fail at that too. Not for no reason that Regina always has to heal me. Although that sort of spell has always been some of the hardest (for a lack of better words) that those who can use it all get held in high regards. “…but actually, I may have.” Last time tried it may have been six years ago. I’m not really sure. I hover my palm above it and focus… Well, at least I felt something there, but nothing came out.

“Imagine that this plant has yet to grow into its full size yet. It’s still young, and needs your rearing, what kind of direction would you want to raise it into?”

I hover my palm on it again. How would that lead to me producing any magic at all though? …but I look at the plant, then think to myself… Well, not exactly a plant that still needs rearing, as it seems to me. It could live well on its own. But Alina told me it still needs rearing… I try to see what it may lack, if not on the outside, then from the inside. One can only guess, so perhaps…

Then, I felt something emitted from my own hand.

“Nothing seems to have happened though.”

“There is, if you look closely enough.”

I do as she says, try to stare up and down across the plant. Nothing… nothing… nothing… Although, “Perhaps I didn’t pay enough attention to its form before I cast the magic”. Really should have.

But then, I notice some very small, tiny budding green in between the few branches this plant has.

“There you go!!” Alina smiles proudly, as if on my own behalf. “This is why it has always perplexed me to see nobody ever bothers to take care of a plant during their Magician training. Feels surreal as if I’m one of the few who actually uses a plant for my Magic training, even though it should never be the case at all!” her tone sounds like she has finally managed to let out something nobody ever bothered to listen to at all.

As if… to get good at something, you have to care enough about it in the first place.

The image of my past world’s dormmate crosses my mind, “Isn’t it a pity that you can’t make lots of money just by playing soccer? In foreign countries, lots of people have made fortunes recently just by passing the ball with their foot. To the point some of them even intend to play it as a job all their lives, you know?” “How do you know?” “Some soccer magazines do report foreign news.” “There’s a soccer magazine?” “Yup. Sounds like you are out of the loop. You may not even know how many prints those things have received.” “Can’t know something you are not a fan or insider of.” Then, my dormmate’s voice changes into a slightly more melancholic tone, “I’m really jealous of young people these days. Just some decades ago, people still regard it as a waste of time. My dad got so angry she even stripped me naked for not studying but played soccer instead.”

Sounds like my parents were more lax than him, in some regards at least. The only ball I ever had, I don’t even know how I got it, got smashed into pieces by a train which ran over it. I didn’t feel any further need for it since then. Not that I was playing any soccer anyway. I couldn’t even figure what to do with the ball.

For all the practice I had done with the network circuits at home, under my dad’s observation, I had never gotten good at it to the point of being able to major in electrical engineering.

I just kept doing it, all because that was the only thing he talked about at home. Not the TV I watched before him. Not the books I read before him. But when I tinker around with the circuits, he began talking.

Back then… I just didn’t have a lot of alternatives at all. I didn’t think it was possible.

But perhaps, once you realize that there’s a better way to do something, you just come to wonder if there’s also a better way to do all other things as well.

That’s the way it is, most of the time. But sometimes, it could be different, in a positive way.

Then, my mind returns to nobody but me myself.

Actually, not really me, but Ryle.

I don’t remember the content of the novel I read before reincarnation. But technically, he should be the main character of it, right?

If the young man I saw in the library… told me to relive his life… if that’s what he meant to ask… then it suggests… Ryle had no alternative.

But for me, do I have any alternative now?

Although this is just a meaningless question… Given that, I have yet to figure out the purpose of why I am here, if there’s any at all.

What is my mission, if it exists at all?

“Honestly speaking, none of the famous Magicians throughout history have ever just studied magic just by coming to school. They all had interests before attending, or outside interests that led them to discover things that hit them suddenly, things that would take the passive learners many years to realize. Although, as you may have known about the history of the origin of this world of what led to magic being passed down through generations from the ancestors after the origin war-” she stops short, hand covers mouth, ”Oh my, I just keep going on and on, am I not? This must be a boring subject for you to hear.”

“Nah, I find all this interesting.”

“I must have bothered you more than I should have.” Alina scratches her cheek. “Anyway, since you are here to… erm… ditch the class. Do you want to read any book?”

“Well, I suppose, that’s what I’m here for after all.” I turn and move to the shelves. “…well, you have anything new here?”

This is kind of asking a lot, but she still obliges, “Yeah, I have some personal recommendations, if you don’t mind… erm… if you don’t mind…” Her repetition of the last phrase tickles my curiosity.

Alina then places on the table a small stack of books, each of which looks just as small.

“Well,” she scratches her chin again, “I can’t guarantee they would make a good reading. But I hope…” As I reach my hand toward the books, she pulls it back, “…that you won’t find my choice of books… laughable.”

“Okay okay… just let me check them out.”

She relents her hands. I proceed to pick up a book, whose name is as bland as those belonging to general bookstores. I begin to read the story.

Once upon a time, there was a Knight who fell in love with a Princess, and begged the King to marry her to him. The King accepts, on one condition, that the Knight shall have to slay the dragons for him. After going through all the painstaking battles to the point of almost losing his life, the Knight returned victorious in the arms of the Princess, who now appreciates how much his love for her is.

“…and so the Knight asks the Princess, ‘Are you hurt, o dear Princess?’. The Princess shakes her head, ‘No, but more important than that, your wounds are bleeding.’ The Knight smiles gently, ‘It’s all okay, dear Princess,’ he cups her cheeks in his hands, ‘If it’s for you, I am willing to sacrifice every single fiber of my being.’ …the Princess starts crying, she couldn’t believe there would be such a huge idiot who was so willing to sacrifice everything for her. The Knight’s eyelids start drooping, his head lies on the Princess’s lap. She caresses his hair. And thus, this is how the journey has come to an end…”

Then they married and had children. And they lived happily ever after.

I turn my head to Alina who has been tip-toeing behind my back.

“Oh I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I was just… interested in how you would think about the book. Judging by your expression… it wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“It’s a good story. Although, this doesn’t seem to be a new story, is it?”

“Ehehe… the story is reputed to have existed ever since the formation of the kingdom. It has lasted that long. There’s nothing new about the story, but how it’s told in this rendition, is endearing to me.”

I can see that. Writing styles don’t seem to be typical of something that old, after all.

“It’s the kind of story that makes me fantasize… one day, if by any chance, I would meet such a Knight.” She lets out an embarrassing, silly laugh. “I mean, that used to be my fantasy when I was young and had nothing to do. Not sure if it’s because the idea of a Knight who would come and get me while I do nothing but sleep all day is appealing.” She makes a sheepish face and narrows her eyes.

“Well, I can’t exactly rule out the possibility something like that could happen in real life.”

Although, in real life it may not be that rosy, or romantic.

“Perhaps, and if anything…” she glances sideways at me “…maybe that has happened already.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing!” She gets flustered.

School hasn’t even ended when I leave the library. What do I do now? I don’t really want to upset Regina anymore, and wandering around the kingdom could very well lead to the two incidents I had previously. Western region is a no-go. The capital itself? It’s mostly safe as long as I stay in crowded public areas.

I leave the school, get to the main street. Then I notice a familiar guy from afar. It’s Claude. He goes into some narrow alley.

My heart beats hard.

I keep thinking of Regina’s face. It’s been a while since I had such an intense feeling of anxiety. Something that should have been exclusive to me in the past world, up until this very moment. This is the very moment when I feel like my body is going on its own rather than taking heed of my own directives. I hastily got into a weapon store. “Give me a sword.” “Are you still a student? There’s a law against unauthorized sword wielding and I’m not sure a young kid like you had such a permission.” I place a lot of currency onto the table and immediately take the sword and flee. “Hey! Oh well…” The amount I gave must have surpassed the actual value of this sword, but I don’t care.

I follow after him. As Claude moves, he eventually reaches the wall to the East, the guards standing by the gate don’t seem to notice him. He smirks, swiftly climbs and jumps over the wall. I grit my teeth, it doesn't seem like it matters whether the guards are stationed or not. If only they knew how dangerous or skillful he was. I go toward the gate. “Let us see you first,” the guards stand before me, then take some looks and let me go, “okay, be careful, there has been a killer let loose recently.” I let out a sigh of relief, but not sure if I should really appreciate how loose the inspection seems to be.

Unlike Western region, the Eastern region doesn’t seem to have a lot of troops moving around, stationing camps or their occupation of some houses and spots. Perhaps they are at the border, which is way too far away from here to see. Despite that, few houses seem to be inhabiting this region, and the houses all lack the elegance you may see in the Southern or even Western region (let alone that of the capital). I frantically look around for Claude, where is he though? I make my way through the thin forest, the further you go the more bizarre it gets, which isn’t really the matter at stake right now. I then notice a figure coming to a small house (vibe suggests it’s abandoned). But as I get nearer and nearer, that doesn’t seem to be Claude, but a strange figure whose entire body armor and helm are painted in the color of crimson. Unless that figure happens to be Claude himself. He goes into the house.

“It took a long while until you managed to visit this place. By what name shall I call you?” That’s Claude’s voice.

I move by the door and hide behind the wooden wall.

“If you have to, just call me the Crimson Hero.”

“That’s a fancy name for an Artifact hunter who didn’t save anybody but even killed and kidnapped their family members. If the incidents that have been occurring are all due to you. If not, then I apologize.”

“Well, you can’t just be a hero all the time and find enjoyment from doing good, no? You are mostly right, except for the incident in the Western region, whatever it’s called that involved some dead troops, wasn’t my doing.”

“Oh, that was mine.”

“And here I thought I still had some detective game to play. Until you are lying to me, or this is some sort of red-herring itself.”

“I don’t know why or anybody would want to do it. Though, isn’t your business here to get this one?”

“The amulet of Evasion. If it’s the only one.”

“I know you are talking about the bad naming sense people in this world love to give Artifacts. Although, I’m not sure this amulet was truly that good, given that the soldier who tried to fight against me was wearing it. It may make it harder for the attacker to land a hit against the wearer, but it doesn’t immunize whatever damage for the wearer who plunges themselves to the blade.”

“Nonchalant of you to say of its weakness right to me.”

“I’m not the type who would typically fight with an Artifact. Although, I just don’t happen to like it when you manage to get it, so I’m still wearing it then.”

“Oh, so our battle is inevitable?”

“You could say so. Even though I personally do not see why people have to hunt for the Artifacts at all. What’s the point of fighting if Artifacts can easily nullify your enemies, assuming they were truly that great.”

“Maybe you are right, and I don’t really need those Artifacts myself. Some of their combinations could yield very interesting combat effects, however, and I would love to know them. Another interesting thing about them is not so much their blessing. But their potential curses as well.”

“A thrill seeker, are you?”

“You will be as well, if you have to do something over and over, again and again.”

“Sounds like you have a bad life. Although this sort of eccentricity is truly prevalent among you aliens, or outsiders, or whatever the word I could use to call you all.”

There come three sounds of clanging, and the fourth shrieking noise.

“This is mine.”

Before I could react, the crimson armor got outside quickly, and noticed me.

“Who would have expected there’s another pest? Well… I guess that’s how the mechanics go…”

I pulled the sword out of the scabbard before I could know, and deflected him twice. He’s too fast, it’s not even possible to try to apply the 3-move rule which aims to be tactical. Worse than that, his attacks all seem so optimal, and right now I have no better fighting instinct than letting my body do it for me.

His swing-up move throws my sword to a faraway distance. This is horrifying.

“Well, I guess…” he makes a proper stance this time and holds his sword pointing up, prepared to deal a slash, perhaps through my neck.

Then… he suddenly shivers.

“Tsk. I guess it’s time. But well, it doesn’t really hurt to have one or two witnesses anyway.”

The crimson armor leaves quickly, not so much thanks to his inherent speed, but how optimal the moves… if you can even get what I’m seeing.

I try to calm myself, pick up the sword and move inside the house. A bleeding shape of ‘X’ can be seen on Claude’s chest.

“…look at what we have here… another alien… I guess I have seen enough horrifying things in my life…”

“Teacher Claude.”

“You have to be here… to see how… passionate and artful… his attacks were. You aliens… are truly… anomalies, even more so… than the… Artifacts… More fitting to… the ideals… of this kingdom… than people here are-ghhh.”

His body goes limp now.