Cosplays And Questionable Medical Practice

   Kael watched Varek step out of his room, instantly noticing the dark circles carved beneath his eyes. It didn't take a genius to realize that Varek hadn’t slept a wink all night. Seeing him like this reminded Kael of the quiet pact he had made with his sisters: they needed to protect their older brother in this strange, dangerous world—since there was little they could do for him—and finish whatever job was expected of them as quickly as possible so they could all return home. After all, their brother was the type to just grin and bear it.

   Before long, they gathered once again in Lucian’s laboratory. This time, however, the Princess was present as well, accompanied by an unfamiliar figure—an elderly man with a long white beard, round spectacles perched on his nose, and a crisp white lab coat draped over his shoulders. His long white hair shimmered softly whenever he moved, and his expression was downright scowling.

   “Good, you’re here!” Lucian greeted them warmly.

   “Greetings, heroes.” The Princess offered a graceful curtsy. “I trust you’ve been treated well?”

   “Of course, Princess!” Cecilia replied, beaming. She was visibly thrilled to see her. “What brings you here?”

   “Oh, it’s nothing major. I simply wanted to see the heroes’ training.” The Princess giggled softly, covering her mouth with a delicate hand. “Lucian mentioned that you’ve been living up to your titles as heroes.”

   “Oh... um, of course,” they replied awkwardly, offering hesitant nods while Varek remained silent.

   “Alright, for today we’ll be determining the type of Law each of you possesses,” Lucian announced, breaking the brief awkwardness. “The Duke here, Damian Krest, will be assisting us with identifying them.”

   Duke Damian muttered something unintelligible under his breath, looking very much like a man forced to be there against his will.

   “Now, Duke, if you would?” Lucian gestured toward the group.

   “Tch.” The Duke rolled his eyes, pointing a calloused finger at the siblings. “Come here one by one, you brats.” He pulled out a pipe, struck a flame, and took a slow drag.

   “Duke! Please show proper respect to the heroes!” Lucian pleaded, wringing his hands.

   The Duke merely scoffed again, exhaling a thin cloud of gray smoke.

   He really just does whatever he wants, Varek thought, observing the old man. He’s remarkably fit for his age, too.

   Varek caught Kael’s eye and motioned for him to step forward first. I don't even know why I’m here...

   Nervously, Kael shuffled to the front. “H-hello. I’m Kael, I—”

   “Spare me the introductions.” The Duke blew a harsh plume of smoke directly into Kael's face. Suddenly, his pale eyes ignited with an electric blue light, and a spectral pair of matching eyes manifested in the air behind him.

   Damian paused, a rare glint of genuine surprise crossing his features. He took another drag from his pipe before speaking, his voice completely stripped of emotion.

   “The Law of Kinetics... I'll be damned.”

   His gaze shifted across the rest of the siblings. He pointed his pipe toward Hina. “The Law of... Stasis.” His finger swung over to Cecilia. “And this one has the Law of Singularity.”

   Finally, his glowing eyes locked onto Varek.

   The intensity of the gaze made Varek feel completely exposed, as if the man were stripping away his skin and looking directly at his soul. Instinctively, Varek crossed his arms over his chest.

   The Duke stopped, his glowing eyes fading slightly as he stared off into the distance.

   “...I see,” Damian muttered softly. “So this is the one without Eidon.”

   He turned his head slowly toward Lucian. “Give him to me. I’d like to stu—I mean, help him cultivate one.”

   “Uncle, please do not get any funny ideas!” the Princess cried out, stepping forward.

   Uncle?! The siblings exchanged stunned looks.

   “Duke, don't think I didn’t hear that,” Lucian said sternly, narrowing his eyes. “You just want to experiment on him.”

   The Duke crossed his arms, a smug grin spreading across his face. “Well, do you have anything else planned for him? You can't solve this on your own. I'm just offering to lend a hand, son.”

   “Ugh, I told you not to call me that!” Lucian hissed, rubbing his temples in frustration. “Tch... but it's true. I don't have anything planned for him yet.”

   Son?! The siblings were even more bewildered now. Looking back and forth between them, the two men didn’t look related at all.

   “See? You don't want him just sitting around, do you?” The Duke turned his gaze back toward Varek. “Kid, do you want to study under me?”

   Varek stared at the old man thoughtfully. “Will it help me awaken an Eidon?”

   “I can't guarantee anything, kid,” the Duke said, blowing another cloud of smoke. “But you won't know until you try. Besides, I have a few theories I'd like to test...”

   ...Well, this sounds a lot better than whatever Lucian said, Varek thought.

   “Alright. I'll do it,” Varek agreed, giving the Duke a firm nod.

   “Good.” The Duke smirked, looking thoroughly satisfied.

   “Well, if the hero agrees... I won't stand in the way,” Lucian grumbled, shaking his head. “Just be careful, Hero Varek. My father can be... a bit eccentric.”

   Lucian turned his attention back to the rest of the group. “The three of you possess incredible Laws, but unleashing their true potential depends entirely on how you master them. We’ll begin your training immediately, but before we start, do any of you have questions?”

   Hina raised her hand timidly. “Um... how was the Duke able to tell what our Laws were just by looking at us?”

   “A sharp question, Hero Hina,” Lucian replied with an approving smile. “Much like Count Eldrin, the Duke possesses the Law of Perception—though his application of the concept is vastly different. While the Count’s perception focuses on analyzing and understanding spoken languages, the Duke’s vision allows him to discern the nature, or basically everything, of his targets.”

   Hina nodded solemnly, clearly tracking every word.

   She actually got all that? Cecilia stared at her sister in utter disbelief. God, she really is such a nerd.

   “Anyway,” Lucian said, looking back at the rest of them. “Anyone else have questions?”

   Kael raised his hand, looking a little hesitant. “Um... this might be slightly off-topic, but are there other species in this world besides humans?”

   Lucian’s expression turned serious. “There are. We have Dragons, who carry absurd amounts of Eidon, and then there are the Murras, which are essentially the monsters of this world. But if you look at the broader picture—remember the event known as the Great Change I mentioned earlier? That was when humanity split into those who evolved and those who didn't.”

   He paused, his voice softening slightly. “The ones who evolved faced terrible prejudice and were eventually driven out. Naturally, those who developed similar traits stuck together for survival. Those who fled north grew horns, wings, and tails—they became known as Demons. The ones who adapted to the water became known as Sirens and made their home in the ocean. Because of how severely they were persecuted, both groups severed ties with humanity entirely, settling in the northern continent and the deep seas.”

   Lucian leaned back, a shadowed look crossing his eyes. “There was actually one more race back then... but they vanished completely. Almost overnight, it was as if they turned to dust and disappeared from history altogether. They were called the Zuphians.”

   Varek’s dead-tired posture instantly vanished. His eyes widened, a sudden spark of pure excitement cutting right through the heavy dark circles under his eyes.

   “Wait,” Varek interjected, leaning forward over the desk. “Are you telling me there are dragons here?”

   “Um... yes, but I was under the impression your world lacked Eidon and monsters...?” Lucian blinked, thoroughly confused by the sudden enthusiasm.

   “Well, it’s not that they actually existed back home,” Hina explained, tapping her chin. “They were just considered fiction—like magic. Imaginary concepts created for entertainment.”

   “I see...” Lucian nodded thoughtfully. “It seems the people of your world lived very... leisurely lives.”

   “Anyway, so the demons are seeking revenge for past discrimination or something along those lines?” Cecilia chimed in, crossing her arms.

   “Yes, precisely. That is our primary assumption,” Lucian replied, looking slightly surprised by her quick deduction.

   “Alright. So, all we need to do is stop the demons, right? Then we can go home?” Kael asked, seeking clarification.

   “Yes, that is correct, hero,” the Princess said, stepping forward with a reassuring smile. “Now, as for your training: since Duke Damian has decided to take Sir Varek under his wing, Sir Kael will be training with our Knight Commander, Sir Boran. Lady Hina will be training with Lucian, and Lady Cecilia will be training with me.” She offered Cecilia a bright grin.

   Hina looked startled, while Kael let out a dramatic groan. “I don't wanna... that man is terrifying,” he muttered sarcastically.

   “Now, now, heroes,” Lucian interjected smoothly. “This arrangement was made strictly by taking your respective Laws into account. Since Lady Cecilia possesses the Law of Singularity, Her Highness is best suited to guide her due to her own Law of Convergence. You, Hero Kael, possess the Law of Kinetics, making it ideal for you to train under someone who commands a similar physical concept. As for Lady Hina, she possesses the Law of Stasis—a rarity with no direct master currently in the palace. Thus, I have taken it upon myself to instruct her by referencing historical accounts of past users of that Law or similar Laws.”

   “Alright then, let’s go, kiddo.” The Duke placed an impatient hand on Varek’s shoulder.

   “Wait, Father!” Lucian hastily stopped them. He clapped twice, and four servants appeared—two men and two women. “First, since the heroes possess that... distinct hair color, we need to neutralize it so that people won't be frightened when they meet them. I have chosen to dye their hair blonde.”

   “You have hair dye in this world?!” Cecilia exclaimed, thoroughly surprised.

   Duke Damian grumbled something about an unfilial son and grumpily walked out, puffing on his pipe.

   “Yes, Hero Cecilia,” the Princess replied with a chuckle. She then turned to Lucian. “Why blonde, though? They should dye it brown.”

   “Um, but shouldn’t we get a say in this?” Hina asked timidly.

   “Oh, of course, Hero Hina,” Lucian replied politely.

   The Princess motioned toward the servants. “We have a variety of colors to choose from. Please select one that pleases you.”

   The servants bowed low before guiding each sibling into separate wings of the palace, leading them into individual dressing rooms. They were presented with a palette of vibrant dyes—though notably, there wasn’t a single shade of black.

   Nearly three hours later, the siblings emerged into the hallway and stopped dead in their tracks. After a second of silence, they burst out laughing.

   “Damn, we look absolutely ridiculous,” Kael grinned, running a hand through his newly bright blonde hair.

   “We really do...” Hina giggled, inspecting a lock of her vibrant green hair.

   Cecilia practically collapsed against the wall, wheezing with laughter. Her hair had been dyed a dramatic, fiery red.

   Varek snickered along with them, running a hand over his dark blue hair. “We look like we're heading to an anime cosplay event...”

   “You look absolutely magnificent, heroes,” Lucian praised as he entered the hall, nodding in approval of their transformation. “Now, you blend in completely with the citizens of our world.”

   He then gestured to the attendants. “The servants will escort you to your respective training areas, where your mentors await. Hero Hina, please follow me.” Lucian set off first, with Hina following closely behind.

   “Heroes, please follow us,” the two maids requested in unison.