Chapter 5:The Legend of the Sorcerer King

Volume 1: The Boy Summoned by Mistake
Episode 5: The Legend of the Sorcerer King
The street fell silent.
Kazuki still had one hand over his chest.
"Astra..."
There was no response.
Only that strange heartbeat.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Kael watched Kazuki with a serious expression.
"Who is Astra?"
Kazuki looked up.
"How do you know that name?"
"You said it out loud."
"Oh."
"Great. Now I'm talking in my sleep and when I'm awake."
Lyra approached.
"Did you see him again?"
Kazuki nodded.
"He was behind a door."
Rina frowned.
"A door?"
"Yes."
"And who's behind it?"
Kazuki shook his head.
"I don't know."
Kael sheathed his sword.
"Then we'll have to find out."
Rina looked at the old man.
"You really intend to take him with you?"
"Yes."
"You know what that means."
"I know."
"If the Council discovers that you're protecting him..."
Kael smiled.
"Let them come."
Rina sighed.
"You're still as troublesome as ever."
Kazuki raised his hand.
"Sorry."
Everyone looked at him.
"What?"
"Can we stop talking as if I'm a bomb that's about to explode?"
Kael burst out laughing.
"You're right."
The old man approached.
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"Somewhere we can talk without half the army chasing us."
"Sounds good."
Lyra walked alongside them.
Rina stayed behind.
Kazuki looked at her.
"Is she coming?"
"No," Rina replied.
"Why?"
Rina crossed her arms.
"Because I still don't know whether you're an enemy or an ally."
Kazuki smiled.
"Same here."
Rina raised an eyebrow.
"Same?"
"I don't know if you're good or bad either."
The girl let out a small laugh.
"Maybe we'll meet again."
And she disappeared into the shadows.
Kael led them through a part of the city Kazuki hadn't seen before.
The streets were much narrower.
The houses were old.
Eventually, they arrived in front of a small stone building.
It didn't look special.
Kael opened the door.
"Come in."
Kazuki looked around.
"Here?"
"Yes."
"It looks like an abandoned house."
"It is."
"That doesn't make me feel better."
"That wasn't my intention."
Inside, there was a table, several bookshelves, and a huge number of books.
Lyra lit some magical lamps.
The room brightened.
Kazuki approached the shelves.
"Do all these books talk about magic?"
"Most of them."
"Can I read them?"
Kael looked at him.
"If you know how to read Astravian."
Kazuki froze.
"..."
"I can't read it."
"I figured."
Kael picked up a book.
"Then we'll have to start with the basics."
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Now?"
"Now."
Kazuki dropped into a chair.
"My first day in another world and I already have homework."
Lyra sat across from him.
"It could be worse."
"How?"
"You could have to fight an army."
Kazuki thought for a few seconds.
"That already happened."
Lyra smiled.
"True."
Kael opened the book.
"First, you need to learn the history of Astravia."
Kazuki rested his chin on the table.
"Go ahead."
Kael turned several pages.
"About a thousand years ago, there were seven great kingdoms."
"And?"
"They all had a ruler."
"Normal."
"Except one."
Kael placed an illustration on the table.
Kazuki looked at it.
It was a man dressed in black.
Dark hair.
Violet eyes.
The same person he had seen behind the door.
Kazuki stopped smiling.
"It's him."
Lyra leaned closer.
"You recognize him?"
"Yes."
Kael watched his reaction.
"This man's name was..."
He paused.
"Astra Veyron."
Kazuki felt a chill.
"The Sorcerer King?"
Kael nodded.
"That's right."
Kazuki looked at the illustration.
"What did he do?"
Kael closed the book.
"He conquered three kingdoms."
"That doesn't sound good."
"He destroyed entire armies."
"Worse."
"He defeated five ancient dragons."
"Much worse."
Kael stared at him.
"And he nearly destroyed Astravia."
Kazuki fell silent.
Lyra spoke softly.
"But there's something the stories don't tell."
"What?"
"Astra disappeared before completing his conquest."
Kazuki remembered the door.
"Disappeared?"
"Yes."
Kael continued.
"No one knows how he died."
"Then..."
Kazuki pointed at the illustration.
"How can he be inside me?"
Kael didn't answer.
Lyra did.
"Maybe he isn't inside you."
Kazuki frowned.
"Then?"
"Maybe you're connected to him."
The room fell silent.
Kazuki looked at his hands.
"I don't want to be connected to some guy who nearly destroyed the world."
Kael smiled.
"That's exactly what worries me."
"Why?"
"Because we don't know what you inherited from him."
Kazuki stood up.
"Then let's find out."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Just like that?"
"No."
Kazuki looked at the book.
"But I'm not going to sit around waiting for someone else to decide what I am."
Lyra smiled.
"I like that."
Kael closed the book.
"Then we'll start tomorrow."
"With what?"
"A test."
"What kind of test?"
Kael pointed toward the backyard.
"Combat."
Kazuki went pale.
"Combat?"
"Yes."
"Against who?"
Kael smiled.
"Me."
Kazuki took a few seconds to respond.
"No."
"No?"
"I refuse."
"Why?"
"Because I saw what you did in the forest."
Kael burst out laughing.
"Good answer."
Hours later.
Kazuki was asleep.
This time, without dreams.
Until...
Thump.
He opened his eyes.
The room was dark.
Thump.
He sat up.
"Again..."
The black door appeared in front of him.
But something was different.
The crack had grown.
Kazuki approached.
"Astra."
Silence.
"Are you there?"
Nothing.
Kazuki reached out his hand.
He didn't touch the door.
A voice appeared behind him.
"You shouldn't be here."
Kazuki turned around.
A young woman stood in the darkness.
Long silver hair.
Blue eyes.
She wore a white dress.
"Who are you?"
The girl didn't answer.
She looked at the door.
"If that door opens..."
Her voice trembled.
"Astravia will fall."
Kazuki frowned.
"Then tell me how to stop it."
The young woman looked at him.
"You can't."
"Why?"
She began to disappear.
"Because the key..."
Kazuki took a step forward.
"Wait!"
The girl raised her gaze.
"It's you."
"What?"
"You're the key."
She disappeared.
Kazuki was left alone.
He looked at the door.
The crack had grown.
CRACK.
A violet eye appeared behind it.
Kazuki stepped backward.
And a deep voice whispered:
"Awaken."
Kazuki opened his eyes.
He sat up suddenly.
"Ah!"
The room was illuminated by the morning light.
Lyra was knocking on the door.
"Kazuki!"
"What happened?"
"Kael is waiting for you!"
Kazuki stared at the door.
"For what?"
"Your training."
Silence.
Kazuki remembered their conversation from the night before.
"Oh..."
He collapsed back onto the bed.
"I want to go back to sleep."
Lyra opened the door.
"You can't."
"Why?"
"Because if you're going to survive in Astravia..."
She tossed him a small wooden sword.
Kazuki caught it.
"...you'll have to learn how to fight."
Kael's voice came from the courtyard.
"And hurry up!"
Kazuki sighed.
"This is going to hurt."
Lyra smiled.
"Probably."
Kazuki left the room.
Not knowing that, somewhere in Elaris, someone had already given the order to find him.
And this time...
They didn't want to capture him.
They wanted to kill him.