Preparation (1)

A cup of tea then appeared on the table as though it had always been there. No special effects or anything. Like it was randomly added into a frame of the animation.

I was sitting at the chair opposite from her at the table, and there was also another chair to her right. I wonder who it’s for.

“It’s for my brother,” she said. “But he won’t be coming here today. In fact he hardly visits me here.”

“Do you always read people’s minds when talking to them?” I asked. “It’s annoying.”

“For your information I usually don’t, but I can’t trust someone like you to actually say what they mean so I’m testing it out,” she answered. “Is it really that annoying?”

YES!     YES!     YES!        YES!     YES!   YES!
YES!        YES!        YES!    YES!        YES!   YES!     YES!
YES!          YES!          YES!       YES!     YES!

“Then I’ll try not to use it for him, but don’t be surprised if I respond to your thoughts for now.”

“Who’s him?”

Canvas just sat there with a smile, silently staring at me.

“Seriously?”

“Well I can’t answer all of your questions, we’d just be wasting time.”

“I thought you stopped time.”

“I did for a moment, but as I stated before me stopping time had nothing to do with you,” Canvas said. “It’s just that at the same time I noticed you had been reading something a little problematic, so I pulled your mind and soul here while also resuming time in the real world.”

“So you resumed time and right now my body is just sitting in the library unconscious?”

“Yes.”

“What if someone tries to wake me up or something?”

“Then they’d probably become frightened when they find that your soul is no longer in your body.”

“Then why’d you stop time for me in the first place if you weren’t gonna keep it paused while we chatted?” I asked. “Why make it affect me at all?”

“The only reason you know I stopped time is because of your awakened affinity stat after your reincarnation.”

Wait, “reincarnation”? Doesn’t that mean I-

“-died. Yes, but you seem to not remember that…”

“What do you mean ‘I seem to not remember that’?”

“I mean that it appears you don’t remember the moment you died,” she said. “I thought that might be the case but I was unsure at first, that’s why I prevented you from being able to read the rest of that book.

“Although it appears I realized too late, because you’ve already learned of your sister’s fate in becoming one of the surviving crusaders. It totally spoils all the suspense in the scenes with her…”

“Why the hell do you think I give a shit about spoiled suspense!” I yelled. “What do you mean that I died?! When did that happen!?”

All of a sudden something was lodged in my throat. I coughed it up and spat out a bar of soap onto the table in front of me.

“Watch your language or I’m going to have to give you a more in depth scrubbing,” Canvas said.

What the hell? Damn you…

I then coughed up another bar of soap.

“I can hear your thoughts, you know…”

“What’s your problem?!”

“My problem is I’ve never really been overly fond of you in the first place,” she replied without any change of emotion whatsoever. “Now, what’s the last thing you remember?”

“Like hell I’m telling you anything!”

I then saw her smile turn into a perplexed look.

“That’s odd…” she said.

“What? Aren’t you just gonna read my mind again? Why do you even bother asking?”

“For some reason I’m having trouble accessing that thought of yours,” she said. “Your will to spite me is actually having some effect…”

“Wait, really?”

“Yes, but I overpower you in every respect, so it shouldn’t take long. Plus, cooperation is key here.”

“Funny you should say that, I don’t think you’ve even answered a single question I had.”

“Actually I’ve answered a few. And don’t you want your memories back?”

“It can’t be all that useful,” I replied. “I just died somehow, right? Sure I’d like to know but just knowing how I died won’t be helpful for my current situation.”

“Hmm…”

“What?”

“There seems to be a miscommunication, Oliver,” Canvas said. “You seem to think that you died sometime close to when your memories end. But if I did it correctly, your last memory should be sometime before the Great Decay started. Am I right?”

So I did live through the Great Decay. How much time do I not remember?

“How much time in my memories have I lost?”

“…”

“Are you seriously not going to answer me?”

“I have decided that the best way for you to regain your memories is a slow process, rather than stuffing them all back into you at once. Until I give you your memories back I will personally make sure that you are unable to understand any information that might trigger your memory to start coming back on it’s own. It sucks but that is what I believe is best for you, so that’s what I’ll do. You can hate me for it, but I honestly don’t care what your opinion of me is. Eventually you will regain all of your memories, but you’ll have to be patient, can you do that?”

“I don’t really get a choice, do I?” I said.

“Relax Oliver. In fact, if you promise to be patient I’ll give you some information which will be useful for completing that quest you’ve taken on.”

“Fine,” I sighed. “What information?”

“In your time during the Great Decay, you had to do a lot of fighting, and you became pretty good at it too.”

“How does that help me?”

“You became quite proficient with a certain type of weapon that you’ll be able to find here in Thloria. If you were able to get a hold of this type of weapon, just touching it would cause your body to remember how to use it. Of course you won’t be able to use all the skills you picked up on earth, but if you find this weapon and combine this guiding feeling with the flairs I gave you, you’ll even be dangerous in a world of magic and superpowers.”

“I’ve heard it before, but Thloria is the name of this world, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, and what weapon is it?”

“You don’t want me to hold your hand through your entire adventure, do you?”

“So you’re not gonna tell me?”

“That’d take the mystery out of it,” Canvas said. “Plus, I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you anyway…”

I guess you have a point there.

“I always do.”

“Stop reading my mind.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Maybe I’d trust you more if you weren’t so annoying.”

“No need to be so hurtful,” Canvas said before taking a sip of her tea. “It’s time for you to leave now.”

“Why? Is there some sort of time limit to this, or is someone trying to wake me up?”

“Neither,” she answered. “You’re just starting to annoy me.”

“You’re the last person who should-”

…

“…be saying… that?”

I woke up back in the library. My face had been leaning against the table. She really wasn’t kidding when she said she resumed time after taking my soul to her dimension or whatever.

Damn her.

I looked at the book which was still open in front of me. The characters on the page remained, I couldn’t read it.

I sighed.

So if what Canvas said was true then if I find the type of weapon I used back on earth I should be able to use it here. In fact she said simply touching it would bring some of my skill back.

But how should I go about finding it?

“Oliver?”

“Huh?” I turned my head quickly and saw that princess I have to escort was entering the library. It’s probably in my best interest to try and get along with her. She did help me out, too. “Oh hey, Princess Marion, right? Did you need something?”

“I was just wondering if you were still in the library is all, and you can just call me Marion. No need for fancy titles, right?”

“If you say so pr- uh, Marion…” I said while smiling nervously. She smiled back.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Huh? For what?”

“I hadn’t properly thanked you for saving me from that assassin guy, yet-”

“Oh! You don’t have to do that… I mean, you paid me back when you helped me out with your dad. Thanks a lot for that by the way, he was pretty scary…”

“You’re welcome,” Marion responded. “I just hope I didn’t tackle you too hard…”

“N-n-no!” I said while blushing. I then turned to ‘hide’ the blush before continuing. “I-It was fine… really…”

“Wh-what are you reading?” Marion said, trying to change the topic. Thank goodness. I don’t know how much longer I would’ve been able to keep that up.

“Oh, it’s just a history book,” I said.

“About earth?”

I don’t know why… but something about the way she said that makes me suspicious. I’ll have to pretend I didn’t notice that.

“Yeah, I personally think it’s kinda interesting. I want to read the whole thing but I don’t think I’ll have the time to finish it,” I said while closing the book. “I guess I’ll go put it away for now-”

“I’ll take care of that for you!” Marion said as she snatched the book from my hands. “Plus I think my father was looking for you, so you better hurry along.”

So the king’s looking for me? I definitely shouldn’t keep him waiting.

“Oh, where is he?”

“He’s in the armory.”

The armory? If there was any place I might be able to find a specific type of weapon, I guess it’d be a royal armory. This might be better than I thought.

“And where’s the armory?”

“It’s across the hall, down the stairs, take a left at the third hall from the- Actually, I’ll just show you the way as soon as I’m finished preparing something.”

“Is there anything I could do to help?” I asked. “I really wouldn’t mind lending a hand.”

“I just need to grab a few books and drop them off at my room. Actually, I’ll just take care of it later, let’s go now,” Marion said as she grabbed my forearm and led me out of the library.

Why the sudden change in priorities? And why does she want me out of the library so badly? Plus, she never did put that book back, did she?

Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I think something’s going on.

She eventually let go of my arm and I continued to follow her through the castle. After a while we entered a set of metal lined wooden doors that led into a room that had walls lined with weapons and armor, except the king wasn’t in there.

“Where is he?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Marion said. “He was here when he told me to bring you.”

“Hey!” A voice yelled out. “Over here!”

I turned my head to see an open gate that led into a coliseum style arena with stands and everything. King Pink Head was standing in the middle of it beckoning us over.

I still can’t get over that name. But is his first name Pink and his middle name Head, or is his first name just Pink Head? I honestly can’t tell which one would be worse.

Actually, the second one is undoubtedly the worse one.

“What are you doing out here?” Marion asked as we approached him.

“What? Am I not allowed to be in my own arena?” he replied.

“Father, you’re not planning something, are you?”

He put his hand on her shoulder and flashed her a smile- Before Hurling Her Into The Air Over His Shoulder!!

Oh My Gosh! How High Is She Going?!

That’s at least twenty- no, thirty feet high! And she hasn’t even started losing altitude yet!

As she was flying through the air, Lizz, who was riding on a flying broomstick, caught her.

“I told you not to do that!” he yelled down. “What if I hadn’t been able to catch her?!”

“Relax Lizz!” the king yelled back. “Besides, I need her to be out of the way for this!”

“Out of the way for what?” I asked nervously. Although I already had a terrible feeling I knew where this was going.

“I need to personally gauge your strength for myself, so we’re gonna spar!” Pink Head said while palming his fist.

I then heard the gate shut behind me.

Oh shit.