Chapter 7 Spoiler Half-day journey by horse, if one went north from Tawarr, surrounded by the hills, there was a small fishing village. The location of the village was a little secluded by land, but it never gave them much of trouble since nearly all the men there were fishermen. When they have a surplus of fish, they would sell it to Tawarr and returned to the village on a ship full of goods. Their only problem that time was during the last decade many of the youths moved out to Tawarr, a flourishing city who promised a better living. The village population quickly decreasing, however, these villagers still continued to live their unchanging daily life. Their peaceful days changed one day when a certain group backed by a powerful noble came. Being in a secluded location yet offer easy access by the sea route, it was a perfect place for illegal trading activities. They used the village as their hideout. To make sure the villagers didn't report them to the kingdom, they used their family members as hostages. It really was a cruel act. Since it was a small village, almost all the villagers were relatives. There were two orphan girls at that time, Farra and Mirra. Their mother died when Mirra was born and then their father died in the sea. Farra, the older sister was just one month away before her fifteenth birthday. An age where one was considered to be an adult in this world. Unfortunately, her beauty attracted the noble and he brought her to his mansion. After that day, Mirra had never seen her older sister again. *creaaak* *bam* She closed the door and sighed. "Huff..." When the girl turned around, she saw some faces she loathed standing behind her, they have shoddy look and crude manner. There was also a familiar old man who had a worried look on his face waiting there. "Good job, Mirra. We caught her so fast." Said the bearded man with a shoddy look. "Lord Sennan will be pleased with this, I've sent the message that we caught the girl." Mirra just walked past him, putting an expressionless face. She walked to the direction of the old man. "Let's go, Village Chief. My job is done here." The old man nodded. He wrapped his hand around Mirra's shoulder, as if trying to protect her from these guys, and together they left the place. "How is she?" The old man asked her. "A little shaken in the head, but she's fine." Mirra said. "I'm sorry that you must go through this, Mirra. They made you do a lot of dirty works, this time is kidnapping someone. What else next time...." There was regret in his voice. "Don't be sorry, Village Chief, I want to do this. Lord Sennan also promised me that he will let me meet Farra if I worked for him." She was only a 12 years old girl but her voice carried strength. Mirra had been going through a lot these past few years, enough to make her mature before her time. "More importantly, Village Chief, did you get the medicine?" "...Yes, I did." He showed Rena a pouch on his hand. The Village Chief looked at the pouch with a sorrowful expression, he worried so much these past few years that all his hair had turned white. "Then let's go back to Annah and the others." Mirra said. The two figures walked outside the storehouse where Rena had been kept. Their silhouettes were long since the moons just appeared. From the distance, the familiar sound of waves crashing on the shore could be heard. Passing through many houses located on the village square, they walked toward the biggest house there. The wooden door made a creaking sound when The Village Chief pushed it. "Chief, Mirra, you came back!" A boy no older than ten years old greeted them. "Is everything okay, Blippe?" Mirra asked the boy. "Yeah, as usual." The boy called Blippe replied with a dejected tone. "Earlier Annah's condition was bad, she started screaming and hurting herself. She exhausted herself so she is sleeping now." The three people stood there with a gloomy expression on their face. "I-it's okay! We got the medicine here, let's give it to her after she is awake. We also have everyone's portion. Right, Chief?" Mirra said. "Yeah, Mirra had been working hard to help everyone. Bippe, can you call the other children? We need their help to give the medicine to other villagers." The village chief asked Blippe. "Sure, Chief." Blippe nodded. "Thank you for your help, Blippe." He patted the boy's head. "This is nothing, Chief. I'll be glad to help in any way I can." Blippe ran toward the entrance, pushed the door, and left Mirra and Village Chief alone. Mirra looked at The Village Chief, "Chief, I want to go to Annah's room to check her condition." "Go ahead, Mirra. I must distribute the medicine first, the children are going to gather here soon." He put the pouch he was holding on the table and sat at the nearest chair. "Thank you, Village Chief." Said Mirra. Mirra went to the room at the back of the house, she opened the door slowly, careful not to make any sound that would wake the person sleeping inside. There was a woman laying on the bed, Mirra looked at her sleeping figure. She was Annah, the person who took care Farra and Mirra after their parents were gone. She was a bright and kind person whom everybody loves, but there wasn't any trace of that left nowadays. She had dark bagged eyes and sunken cheeks, her body was very thin, and even more saddening, her hands were strapped down at the bed. Annah's condition was getting worse day by day, but Mirra couldn't do anything for her except treating her with the substance that, to begin with, made her like this. "Uuh... uhh..." Annah sounded like she was having a nightmare. Mirra touched the woman's forehead gently. It pained her to see Annah's condition, but it wasn't only Annah who became like this. To make sure the villagers couldn't run away, the gang drugged the villagers so they became addicted. They worked for them in exchange for getting their daily dose. But eventually, the amount they needed keep increasing, they started acting weird, some were getting worse than the others. The children and the elderly were left alone since they couldn't offer much resistance. Mirra watched Annah's suffering expression in silent. She quickly wiped the tears flowing down from her eyes. --- After the door closed, the room became dark. Rena needed some time to adjust her vision. The light sources were coming from a small ventilation hole near the ceiling and through the gap between frame and door. Rena looked at the food the mysterious girl gave to her, but she wasn't in the mood to eat one right now. "Stupid, stupid, Rena, you're really stupid!" Rena got angry at herself. "How could you get caught twice!" "Ouch... It hurts..." She felt the bump where she hurt herself earlier. "If you have time to do this, you'd better think of how to escape from this place, Rena." "My current situation is better than when I was caught by those pirates, my hands and legs are free and I'm on land, I should be able to pull some tricks." A moment later, Rena was busy checking her surrounding. The barrels there contained salt and nothing else, also she found a rusty chisel under the stacked wooden boards. She found a ventilation hole in the wall but it was too small for her to enter. "The only way to get out from this place is through the door, eh..." Rena climbed the stairs carefully when she was closed enough to the door, she heard a voice talking from the other side of the door. (There are guards outside...) She approached the door and pushed the side of her face against the door. She could hear them talking. "Tch, that brat is so annoying, did you see how she just ignored us like that? Lucky, Lord Sennan took a liking of her sister, or else I would have taught her a lesson already." "Just what kind of lesson do you mean?" Said Voice B person. "Of course it's obedience training. What else do you think I'd do? Even though she wasn't much of a looker, a young bud has a charm on its own." Voice A said. "Man, you are a real pervert, a flat chest girl wouldn't do for me. I prefer the girl we just caught, but I can't touch her since she will be Lord Sennan's new toy." (What a bunch of scum!) She thought. "Do you think the guy will come here?" Voice B continued speaking. "I think so. Isn't that the use of magical contract? You'd always know where the slave is so they can't run away. Also, without their master's permission, they would have difficulty to move the farther they are from their master." Listening from behind the door, Rena learned a valuable piece of information. "Boss had prepared a welcoming party for him. The moment he stepped into this village, he'll be our toy hehehe." Voice A said. "We can torture him, but can't kill him, that's Lord Sennan's order. He wanted to finish him by himself. Only when the master had died, the contract can be renewed." Rena's face turned pale. (Oh my god, they are planning to kill Frei!) She only met Frei yesterday, but she knew that she'd end up in a bad situation if she let him die here. That Lord Sennan was definitely a bad news. Rena quickly returned to the room, this time, she sat quietly in a lotus position. She closed her eyes, inhaling a deep breath and then exhaling it, she kept doing this for a few minutes. This was part of yoga routine that she learned to calm down the mind. It helped her multiple times to relieve her stress and also nervousness. (That guy said that the farther a slave from their master, they would have difficulty to move. The fact that I don't feel anything like that right now, does that mean Frei around here?) (But I don't know how this magical contract work. What is the limit to be considered too far from the master? 100 meters? 1 km?) (Anyway, I must escape before they caught Frei!) ---
Chapter 8 Spoiler After eating their plain dinner, the villagers in Kappa village would sit and gather together near the fireplace while the children played a little before they went to sleep. This had been their daily routine for a couple of years. Currently, these children lived together in one of the elder's house, except for a few who were already big enough. During the days, the elders took care of the younger kids while the bigger kids were tasked to watch the sick adults. "C'mon, it's time for you to sleep, Ditta." Mirra held the hand of the youngest kid there. The older kids usually put the younger kids to sleep, and Ditta, the youngest one, was always so attached to Mirra. Mirra led Ditta to her room. "Hey, Mirra." Ditta said, pulling Mirra's hand. "Blippe told me the big sister you brought today has purple eyes, is it true?" "Yeah, she really has purple eyes, but that's just eye color, nothing special about it." Mirra didn't understand the hype of having purple eyes, how could that make someone's special. "But, but... Ditta wants to see it..." She looked at Mirra with her big innocent eyes. "You can't. That big sister was guarded by those scary guys and just like my sister, Lord Senna is going to take her away." "Uhh... Ditta doesn't like Lord Senna! He makes papa, mama, and everyone suffers! He is a bad guy, like the Evil Lord who was defeated by the Amethyst Wizard! When will someone defeated him and save us, Mirra?" "....." Mirra couldn't answer the question that came from the four years old Ditta. She clenched her first, having a painful expression on her face. She knew she couldn't rely on a hope that someday a hero will save them. Mirra hugged Ditta's small body tightly. "Mirra?" "Let's go to bed, okay?" Mirra said, pulling her arms that wrapped Ditta's body. "Un." The little girl nodded. Ditta climbed to her bed, she looked so cute when her body snuggled under the blanket, trying to make herself comfortable. "Mirra, can you tell me the story about the Amethyst Wizard again?" "You really like that story, huh..." Mirra rubbed Ditta's head. "Alright then! Which part do you want to listen, Ditta?" "Hmm..." She made a sound when trying to decide. "Where he saved the land from the Evil Lord please!" "Okay, okay. Now, how's the story start... Ah!" Mirra was recalling the story in her head. "Ehm, ehm..." She cleared her throat before starting. "It was the twelfth year of King Rowan from Alesia, one of the seven great kingdoms of men at that time, where darkness loomed over the land. The never-ending war between East and West brought maladies and famine in both continents. The land was painted in red and the water tasted like blood, the vultures rejoicing since dead bodies were mounting." "There were two wizard apprentices named Alphard and Arrakis. Although Alphard came from the west and Arrakis came from the east, their bond was as tight as family. But one day, Alphard, long before he was known for his greatness, received the blessing from the moons. When he opened his eyes, its color had turned purple. People were afraid of him, calling him cursed. During those times, Arrakis always stayed with him." She continued, "Soon, Alphard embarked on a journey together with Arrakis, where he started purifying the land and the water, defeated a dragon, healing the sicks, and brought prosperity to many kings. However, this was where Alphard and Arrakis began to choose their separate paths. Shadow slowly crept into Arrakis' heart, and with the power of Forbidden Spell, Arrakis gained power so great. Unfortunately, he was consumed by that power and losing his human heart. That day, Alesia, one of the seven great kingdoms of men had gone forever from Terrasia." "Losing his homeland, Alphard was saddened, but there wasn't a greater grieve than losing his best friend, Arrakis. Alphard swore to find Arrakis and defeated him. In the three years before they reunited again, with an army of monsters, Arrakis had conquered five of the great kingdoms of men, the great kingdom of dwarves, and the land of the beasts. Ardia, the last kingdom of mankind, was still new at that time. Alphard, with the help of The Wise King Isidor, gathered the brave souls across the land, The Mighty Dwarf Warrior Heindamm, The Valiant Spirit Lesath, and The Lightning Beast Empress Amazonia. Together, they marched through The Hell's Gate Dungeon where Arrakis resided..." Mirra stopped reciting the story because Ditta had fallen asleep. Mirra gently kissed Ditta's head, "Good Night, Ditta. Sleep well." She fixed the blanket covering Ditta and quietly left the room. In the silent of the night, the sound of carriage getting closer could be heard from afar. Its movement suddenly stopped, followed by a painful scream of a man. Mirra wasn't scared or surprised. She knew that was the sign that began a long night in Kappa Village, at least for her, she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. After thinking of what to do, she decided to sneak out. Because deep inside her heart, she had a guilty conscience for kidnapping that purple eyes girl. She wanted to know what had her action led to. Hidden under the shadows, her small figure walked fast, this was also helped by her familiarity with her surroundings. Mirra went to the direction of that noise earlier. When she noticed the figures of people surrounding a carriage, she hid behind one of the nearby houses, it still gave her enough distance to see what's going on. A beautiful blonde haired man was surrounded by those thugs. She thought it was weird that those thugs just standing there. "Can I take your silence as a Yes?" Said the blonde haired man. The thug boss didn't move for a while and then he nodded. And then, he escorted the blonde guy to the house that became his base. "What's going on here?" Mirra was confused. --- A while ago, Frei's carriage finally arrived at Kappa village. Right at the entrance of the village, it was stopped forcefully by a bunch of men who looked like ruffians. They were carrying swords in their hands, circling the carriage. "Kill him." The thug leader commanded. "No, no! Please spare me! I have a family..." The pale coachman begged for his life. Those thugs didn't care and one of them stabbed their sword to that man. "Aaaaaaaaah!" The coachman screamed, blood coming out from his stomach. "Hey, you get out!" The thug leader shouted to the man inside the carriage. He ordered his henchmen to open the door. When the door was opened... "W-what..!" The guy inside the carriage was sitting calmly as if nothing had happened. "Good night, gentlemen. Thank you for the nice welcoming party." He said with an air of confidence surrounding him. He walked out from the carriage calmly. They were surprised, his reaction wasn't the one they expected. A second later, the leader thought this man was just bluffing. "I'll be quick here. I come here to propose a deal, would you be interested to hear it?" He said to the thug leader. "Heh, you are just bluffing! You must be afraid because tonight will be your end." "Poppy Tears." "!!" "W-what are you talking about?!" He denied, but his expression changed to nervous. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." "No, I don't know such a thing! You came here to chase your slave who ran away yesterday!" "Ah, yes. Thanks to her, I can find this place. It was hard to track you guys because of a certain backer. He also put a magical barrier around this place so any uninvited guest can't come in, right?" He showed his smile to the thug leader. "Guh!" (How did he know this much?) "W-who are you?!" The thug leader shouted. "I'm just a merchant from Ardia Kingdom who have interest in your business." He raised both hands near his head, posing a surrender gesture. Then he slowly moved his hand, pulling something out from his pocket, it was a piece of parchment. "You must know what is this, right? "That's..." That slip was a magical check. The piece of parchment wasn't any bigger than a normal banknote, a magic seal carved on that paper and Frei's handwriting. Since carrying gold coins were heavy and risky, this transaction method was developed by Merchant Guild and soon became popular for the riches. "Interested in hearing me now?" The corner of his lip raised. The thug leader gulped. The numbers on that check was not a laughing matter. "Kill Lord Sennan and work for me. I'll give this to you if you agree, but if you killed me now, the contract will be canceled." There was a pause, and then he added, "If he died here as an accident nobody would know." "H-how we could trust you?! You might be lying to us right now!" "You don't. Whether I could be trusted or not is something you guys decide on your own. But money is different." Frei waved the slip. "Maybe it's worth mentioning that I came here risking my life to make a deal with you, shall you guys refused, I won't see the sunrise in the morning tomorrow." The thugs looked at each other and were busy discussing among themselves, when some time had passed, they finally reached consensus. The leader spoke, "That amount is not enough. Lord Sennan is not just any noble, he is the son of a duke and has significant influence in this kingdom. If he were killed, it would be a scandal, and our heads are at risk!" "Then I'll give you 10% of the profit from the sales of that drug." "Huh?! Are you joking with me?! Give us more! At least, uhm..., 70% of the profit!" "20%. I have influential connections where we could sell the drug." "60% then. We have a lot of men here, we also responsible for acquiring the ingredients." "Hmmm...." Frei scratched his cheek lightly, looked like he was thinking of something. "You said you put your head at risk if you were to kill Lord Sennan, but don't you realize you've been betting your heads when you got involved in this business? Sure, it's nice to be backed by a noble, but I doubt he shares his profit with you. He only views you as his lackeys, am I right?" "Ugh..." "I understand you guys deserve more but with my experience and connections, this business will grow bigger and we'll get more money. How about we settle it on 50-50? Isn't that fair for both of us?" They weren't protesting at Frei's offer anymore. "If you take this deal, you guys don't need to be thugs anymore. You will have plenty of golds, women, and everything else you desire." Everyone there was silent, it was clear from their expression that they had eaten the bait. "Can I take your silence as a Yes?" ---
Chapter 9 Spoiler A luxury carriage moved farther away from Tawarr to the northern hills at the foot of Horan Mountains. Normally, people wouldn't be traveling after the sunset, nor they would be allowed to do so. But the gatekeepers couldn't stop it. The guy inside the carriage seemed to have an urgent business and he was the infamous second son of Haffa Kingdom's Duke, Lord Sennan. Even though a second son, he had a title and feared by some other nobles. "Hey, you! Drive faster!" The man inside the carriage shouted at the coachman. "Damn it! That insolent commoner kept messing with me. To think that he would leave at this hour." Half an hour ago, Lord Sennan had been informed that his target had left the city. He hurriedly told his servants to prepare a carriage and left his mansion right away. He didn't expect the guy would make a move at this time of day, which upset him even more. But Lord Sennan just assumed that guy must be afraid to lose his property after he spent a huge amount of money. He still remembered the humiliation he felt yesterday at The Auction House when an unknown man snatched of what supposed to be his new toy right under his nose. He quickly told his servant to ask the guy's identity from The Auction House. The informant said the man was a wealthy merchant from Ardia Kingdom. Lord Sennan was enraged. How rich he was, didn't matter to him, he was still a mere commoner. How dare a commoner messed with him. He swore to get revenge on this guy. Lord Sennan instructed his people to follow that guy. And when he received information that guy had left the inn this morning, leaving the girl and his servant to stroll around the street. He couldn't believe how stupid this guy was. What's even luckier, they managed to capture the girl he wanted. A satisfied smile appeared on his sadistic face, he touched the precious ring on his left hand. If it wasn't because he bought this ring the day before, he would have won the bid and wouldn't feel this humiliation. He couldn't wait to arrive at that tiny village. He had instructed his people not to kill that guy because he would be the one who will slowly inflict the pain of death to him. From the distance, he could see the silhouette of the village. The moons had risen high in the sky by this time. In just a couple of minutes, the carriage had entered the village. "Good night, my lord. We're sorry that we couldn't properly greet you at this late hour." The thug leader and his henchmen kneeled in front of Lord Sennan. "No need for your formality. Where is that guy?" "Yes, my lord, let me guide you there..." Lord Sennan was guided to one of the house there. When the door was opened, he saw an unconscious man tied on the chair, his head hung forward weakly, his wavy blonde hair covering his face. A cruel smile appeared on his frog-like face. He was about to approach that guy when he felt the yellow ring on his left hand gleamed. "Gah!" Someone had slashed his back. "Why you..." Lord Sennan turned around, behind him, a thug holding a sword looked at him with an expression of surprise. His slash was a perfect hit, but there wasn't any wound on his back. The thug leader, one who was called boss by his subordinates, moved his hand across his neck, signaling his subordinates to kill Lord Sennan. "Raaaa!" Some people charging forward, swung their swords toward Lord Sennan. The thug slashed his arm this time, the other one slashed his chest. But no matter how accurate their attack, he didn't get hurt. It seemed he was protected by invisible armor. "You insects, you tried to kill me!" From his right hand, a red light appeared. He thrust his palm forward, directing it to his attackers. "Fireballs! Burn!" Three fireballs launched and hit his attackers. "Aaaargh!!" Those who got hit screamed. "Don't be afraid! He can't keep shooting that! Keep attacking him!" It was a common knowledge that full magicians at a disadvantage when they were put in a close range combat in this world, they couldn't cast spells fast enough to compete with physical attacks. Lord Sennan unsheathed the sword on his waist. This time, the thug leader also charged forward. Their swords met in the air, clashing each other. "You! How dare you betray me!" Lord Sennan couldn't beat the thug leader in term of physical power, but his purpose was to buy him enough time for his next spell. One of the thugs charging forward trying to help his boss, but he couldn't slash Lord Sennan. "Hahahaha idiot! Haven't you learned that your sword can't harm me?!" A red light appeared from his left palm. "Fireball!" It was only a single fireball but it was bigger in size than the previous one. "Arrgghh!" The spell hit the thug leader, burning him. "Hahahaha... Who wants to be burned next?!!" "Guaahh!" The thugs scrambled, trying to save themselves. After seeing their leader was burned to dead, they lost motivation to keep attacking. "You think you can escape, huh? Let me teach you a lesson!" This time he put both of his hands together, concentrating on casting a high level spell. "Come fire serpent!" He shouted. A serpent-like fire coming out from his body, rising toward the sky before turning back to the ground, burning everything in its path. --- "Huff! Finally it's done!" Rena wiped her sweats. "I'll rest for a while to get back my energy." She took the bread that girl brought earlier. The taste here didn't matter as long as it gave her the calories she needed. Rena took a big bite and finished it quickly. After another fifteen minutes, she stood up and said, "Ok, it's time for action!" *crash!* She dropped the stacked wooden boards to make noise. The next second, Rena screamed so loud, "Aaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" "What's going on down there?!" One of the thugs who was guarding Rena said. "She might be pulling up some pranks to escape." Said the other guy. "I'll go check inside." He stood up. He opened the basement door, holding a lantern in one hand, and went inside. The wooden boards scattered on the floor and a figure covered with a sheet was laying down on the floor. Squinting his eyes, he directed the lantern in that direction. "Hey, you'd better not trying stupi-...." *crack!* Before he could finish his sentence, the wooden stair he stepped broke and he fell... "Gaaah!!" Earlier, Rena spent a few hours scrapping one of the wooden stairs with a chisel she found, her plan was to make the middle part thin enough to break when someone stepped on it. She miscalculated a little here, the guy did fell... but his huge body got stuck between the stairs. Lucky for her, he was trapped there. "Hey, are you okay?!" The other guy who was waiting outside shouted. Rena jumped from behind the barrels and running toward the stairs. She climbed up the stairs, stepped hard on that guy. "Guh!!" "You! Btch! You think you can escape, hah?!" When she was close enough to that guy standing at the door, Rena threw salt on his face. "Arghh!" Coming out from the basement, she had advantage of striking at a low angle. Her aim was only one. She charged with all her body force. The guy couldn't even scream as he went unconscious right away, getting hit at THAT spot using a chisel. She successfully quit from the basement. (Yes, escape plan success!) (The real problem is where should I go from here before their friends notice I have escaped.) She kept running further away from the storehouse, from the village. Soon enough, she heard an explosion. Instinctively, she turned her head to the direction of that sound. A huge serpent-like fire rise in the sky. Rena stopped on her track, she knew that wasn't an ordinary fire. The best choice was running as far as possible, that was her instinct telling her to do. She was about to do that when a thought crossed her mind. (What if Frei's there?) "If what they said were true about the magical contract, that guy must have come here..." "They wanted to kill him right? Then that fire, there's a possibility it was related to him." "......" She might regret this decision later but she still turned around, running back to the village. Smoke was rising in the sky as several houses got burned. This was just like the first scene Rena saw when she arrived in this world. The villagers coming out from their houses, trying to save themselves. "Help! Help! My daughter is still inside!" An old woman screamed. "Mama and Papa! Please save Mama and Papa!" A child shouted. Elderly people and children were panicking, some adults who could be seen had a weird expression on their face. Rena stopped running. (Should I help them? What should I do?) While she was hesitating, someone pulled her clothes. A boy who was around ten years old looked at her with his big blue eyes. "Please, help... " "Mirra... I can't find Mirra!" "Please, help me find her! You have seen her before, she was the girl who brought you here! She isn't a bad person, she did that because she wanted to help us! Please, please... Help me find her!" She remembered that brown hair girl she met in the basement. When Rena looked at his eyes, the moment of hesitation she had before vanished. "I see... She must be an important person to you." "What's your name?" She asked. "Blippe..." "Blippe, I'll help you find her. I'll search that way and you search around here. Please be careful, okay?" Blippe nodded, "Thank you, purple sis!" Rena ran in the direction where the source of fire came. There were more houses burning and people screaming, Rena looked left and right, checking if she could find faces she recognized. *cough* *cough* The smoke was getting thicker. It was getting harder to breathe and to see upfront. Suddenly, a huge serpent-like fire appeared. The fire serpent came to her direction. She moved to the side, dodging its attack. "Ahhh!!" Rena screamed, holding her right arm. Even though she didn't get hit, being closed enough with the fire serpent burned her skin. This was because it had higher temperature than normal fire. The serpent was uncontrolled, it didn't appear to have any intelligence nor have someone controlling it. It was targeting any living things nearby. Rena ran away before the fire serpent chased her. And finally, almost hidden among the smoke, she saw a figure she recognized. "Frei!" She was horrified, he was surrounded by fire. Two other people were also there, the girl called Mirra and that sadistic smile old man from the auction house. Looked like that man was wounded, he was saying something but Rena couldn't hear it clearly. However, from this side, she could see the hand behind that man started to glow bright red. In a spur of the moment, Rena dashed off. "Watch out!!" She pushed that girl. *Bang!* A fireball hit her. ---
But after that you are still an author XD I too am an author and I dont know if you share my feelings but there is an unexplainably pleasant, bitter and expectant feeling when you give readers a cliffhanger. Its a thing.
Try writing a story then post it You will be surprised that you can feel this guilty pleasure too. Gahahahahaha
Chapter 10 Spoiler "Hahahaha! Burn everything to the ground, Fire Serpent!" Fire Serpent was a high level magic which needed a precise control from the caster or the result could be disastrous. But, for someone like Lord Sennan who couldn't care less about the life of others, being able to cast it was enough. "Those worthless insects aren't worthy to be my plaything. Don't they realize I could always replace them?" He spit. "To think that they dare to rise their weapons against me. Unbelievable!" He said that while kicking the dead body of the thug leader. Lord Sennan returned his attention inside the house which now burning, the blonde guy still sat motionless. He wanted to torture this guy and then killing him, but he had a change of plan. After what happened tonight, his mood turned worst, he didn't understand why those lowlives suddenly betrayed him. He needed to vent frustration, and this guy... this guy was the root of all his troubles right now, killing him would be too easy. He would drag this guy to his mansion, and then torture him slowly until he wished for death. He walked closer to Frei and said, "Now it's just you and me." "Ah, indeed... it's just you and me now." He stopped walking. The supposedly unconscious guy lifted his head, the rope that bind him dropped on the floor. Lord Senna was surprised at that guy's appearance, this was the first time he saw his face. His appearance was like an angel in the painting, but the way he looked and smiled at him was like a predator catching its prey. "Good evening Lord Senna, the second son of The Great Duke Randall Senna. My name is Frei, a merchant from Ardia. It was an honour to meet you tonight." He did a formal introduction as one would be when they were meeting a noble, except it didn't match with the situation they were at. "You...! Could it be..." Now it's connected, why those guys suddenly dare to challenge him. "You are the one behind it!" He pointed his finger at Frei, his face was red because of anger. He calmly replied, "I must admit I did. And it's not just about those thugs earlier." "Wha... What do you mean?!" Frei swayed his head a little, giving the other person a secretive smile. "I'll tell you if you tell me one thing. Isn't that a good deal?" Lord Sennan was burning in rage, "Don't joke with me! You dare to deceive me! I swore I'll torture you slowly until you want to die but can't!" A bright red light glowed from his hand. "Fireballs!" Three small fireballs appeared and hit Frei. But when the explosions were gone, he didn't get hurt at all, not even a single scratch could be seen. "Wha...?! How, how could this be?!" "Why are you surprise? Just like that ring you wear which give you protection against physical attack, no magic can harm me." Lord Sennan was surprised. There were only a few people who knew about his ring, and two of them were his attendants. "Just who are you?! And how did you know about this ring?!" "I'll tell you if you answer my question~" Frei paused for a while and when he spoke again, his tone had changed to a serious one, "How much do you know about Duke Andorra?" "!!" Lord Sennan's face stiffened, clenching his jaw. He didn't expect to hear his name, especially because the guy's involvement was a top secret. "W-what are you talking about...?" "I see... Thank you." Frei didn't need to hear his answer, Lord Sennan's reaction to that question already told him what he wanted to know. "Well, I guess I can tell you this, I was the one who sold you that ring." "What...?! "And I used your money to buy that purple eyes girl. Isn't that fun?" He said, wearing an innocent expression on his face. "Youuuuuu!!! I'll make you suffer before you die!!!" "Fire Ring!!!" A ring of fire surrounding Frei. "Take that! I don't need to attack you with magic, the fire will eat the air around you, and you'll suffocate to die! Hahahahaha!!" He was too focused on Frei, that he lowered his guard on his surrounding. "Die you bastard!" Mirra threw a knife to Lord Senna's face. She had been hiding all this time, watching the entire thing. He instinctively tried to cover his face, rising his arms. At that moment, Mirra with her small nimble body, grabbed his hand, and snatched his ring. She rolled on the ground and threw a second knife at him. "Arghh!" Lord Sennan screamed. Blood flowing from his shoulder. She wouldn't get this ability if she didn't help him to do a lot of dirty works, like stealing, smuggling, and kidnapping. Now by a twist of fate, Mirra was able to use her ability to her hated enemy. "Damn you, little insect! I'll burn you to death just like your sister!" He shouted. Mirra frozen on that spot. "What... did you say...?" "Huh? Did I not tell you? Your sister is dead a long time ago. I slowly roasted her in the brazen bull, her scream and the smell of her burning meat was amazing!" Her body staggered, she didn't want to believe what she just heard. Her mind went blank. After all these years, she worked so hard so that she could meet Farra again. "No... That's a lie..." She was too shocked to realize Lord Senna's evil grin as he thrust his palm at her direction. "Fireball!" A big fireball aiming at Mirra, she couldn't move. It was too late to dodge it, but she didn't care anymore. "Watch out!!" Someone had pushed Mirra's body. She fell on the ground. Mirra saw a figure of a girl who saved her in the nick of time, for a second, her image overlapping with Farra. (Farra...) But she wasn't Farra, Mirra snapped back to reality. In front of her was a girl with long black hair, although that hair was burned now. Her body was covered with burns as she laid motionless on the ground. "...Purple sis!!" Mirra ran toward her, tears flowing from her eyes. Mirra remembered when she watched the thug leader burned to death by the same spell. "Noooo, please don't die!" She was relieved when she saw Rena still breathing, but her condition was bad. Mirra's heart felt like being squeezed. She wasn't sure if the girl in front of her could survive, but she didn't want to let her die. Anything, she would do anything to save her. When she was busy checking Rena's condition, a shadow come closer. Lord Sennan swung his sword above his head, trying to strike Mirra. "Raaaaaaaa!!" Mirra closed her eyes. If she dodged, the sword would cut the girl behind her. She waited for the pain to come from her body, but there wasn't any pain. She forgot the protection ring was in her possession. Lord Senna who realized this, become even more enraged. "Youuu!! How dare you!! Give me back my precious ring!!" Since he couldn't get Mirra, he was aiming at what Mirra protected, Rena's unconscious body. She wouldn't let him hurt the girl who saved her life. Mirra was going to use her body again to shield the unconscious Rena, seeing Lord Senna charged again. She clenched her hand tightly, not wanting to let go the ring in her palm. But the next moment, someone stood in front of her, blocking the sword Lord Senna's swung. Frei's hands firmly held the blade, blood dripping from his palms. He quickly twisted his body before Lord Sennan could react, and a kick landed on the rotten noble's head. His falling body made a loud thump noise. "Hey, you..." Frei spoke to Mirra. "Bring her outside the village." "Huh?" Mirra didn't understand. "There's a barrier covering this village, my men are waiting outside. Take her there." There wasn't any sweetness like how he normally speaking. The Frei right now had a glowering look on his face. Mirra nodded once, telling him she understand. With her petite body, she carried Rena's body on her back. Frei approached Lord Sennan who was trying to get up, and stepped on that guy's hand, crushing his fingers. "Aaargh!" With his bloody hand, Frei's grabbed Lord Sennan's head and slammed it to the ground... Once, "I was about to go easy on you, but I change my mind." Twice, "You like torturing people to death right?" Thrice..., "How is it now? Is it good?" Finally, he grinded Lord Sennan's head on the ground, some dirt sticking on his bloody head, the blood also gushing from his nose. "Guh!" He kicked Lord Sennan on the stomach. The half-dead guy couldn't do anything else except receiving the blow. "Guaah!!!" He spit out blood from his mouth and fell down to the ground. Frei stepped hard on his other hand, breaking his bone. "Aaarghh!!!" "......W-why..." "Why you ask? Because you make me angry." He said with cold merciless tone, his eyes were like someone who got possessed. Frei dragged Lord Sennan to where the fire serpent was rampaging. "Let go of me!" Lord Sennan struggled, trying his hard to free himself from Frei's grip, but this was a futile attempt. He tried to cast a spell but his magic didn't activate. Panicking, he could only understand one thing, his life was in danger. Then he started begging, speaking with throat full of blood. "No, please, *cough* I would do anything... *cough*" "Shut up. A trash is a trash, your existence has no value to me." "No, p...se, p-lease, *cough*, so...y, I... don't... *cough* die..." The more he tried to speak, the worse the voice coming from his mouth. Lord Sennan was crying, but Frei's grip was strong. The fire serpent sensing the two approaching figures, turned toward them. Frei grabbed Lord Sennan's neck, lifting him up from the ground, although the latter had more weight than him. Lord Sennan was sobbing and pleading, but he didn't budge. "Y-you... g-goin... burn..." He couldn't speak clearly anymore, but Frei understood what he meant. "Did you not listen what I say before? No magic can harm me." He threw Lord Sennan's body in the direction of the serpent. The fire serpent opening its jaw just like a serpent swallowing its prey. "Adios." Frei's angelic face was the last thing he saw before everything turned black. "Aaaaaarghh!!!" A loud scream echoed in the night, but it was just one of the many in Kappa Village tonight. When the wind blew the thick smoke surrounding the area, between the flame of burning houses, there wasn't any trace of the fire serpent left, what could be seen was a black burned body and a flawless figure of a man with golden hair. ---
Chapter 11 Spoiler "Mmh..." Rena slowly opened her eyes. The light hurt her eyes, so she squinted her eyes. Her vision was still blurry, she blinked several times until she could see clearly. A peach color curtain hung above her head, supported by angled arches that come together. Right now, she was laying down on a big canopy bed. (Another unfamiliar place...) "Ugh!" Because she had regained her consciousness, what followed immediately was a painful feeling on her body. (It hurts!) "Ah, you're awake." Rena turned her head in the direction of that voice. A beautiful girl with long silky pink hair tied in a side ponytail and ruby red eyes was sitting near the bed, reading a book which she held with her long beautiful fingers. Her pale skin in contrast with the color of the book cover... wait, that was a man's voice. "How are you feeling?" She... no, he asked, turning his head to Rena. Their gaze met and his ruby eyes widened for a moment. "I..." Rena wasn't sure how to reply. "It hurts..." "Do you feel anything else? Any numbness?" His voice was calm and collected. "No..." "Try to move your hand." He instructed. Rena nodded slowly. She tried to lift her right arm, it was bandaged. "It's good then. I was a bit worried if there is nerve damage, that would be trickier to heal." He closed the book he was reading and stood, "I have prepared Silphium Brew to help you relieve your pain." He walked to the table and brought back a flask. "Here, drink it." Assisting Rena to drink the potion, he lifted Rena's upper body, supporting her back. *cough* *cough* (So strong...) "Do you want water?" "Yeah... Yes, please." He conjured water in front of Rena, it was floating in the shape of an orb. She was staring at the orb with a surprised expression. "Open your mouth." He instructed. "Eh? Ah..." Rena opened her mouth. The water orb went inside Rena's mouth and she drank it. It was like drinking the spring water, cool and fresh, without any impurities. "Ehm... Thank you..." Rena said. "No problem. Just tell me when you start feeling the effect later." "What effect?" She didn't understand. "Your body must be feeling painful right? Tell me when you feel the pain is decreasing." "It already is?" "...Ok." He stopped moving for a second, crossing his arms, seemed like a thought crossed his mind. "May I know who are you? ...And where am I?" Rena looked at him. He raised his hand, signaling her to stop talking. "Wait for a second, before I answer your questions, I need to inform him first. I think it will be easier to explain everything at once." A glowing white orb appeared on his hand this time, it was spiraling upward before flying out of the room. And then the guy sat back on his chair and continued reading the book. "......" Left without nothing to do, with the only other person in the room ignoring her, Rena started looking around. Now she started feeling anxious. A bright room with a beautiful ornamental ceiling, decorated with silver light fixtures, and the furniture in the room made from fine woods. Too big and luxurious for an inn. (Where am I this time...) She sighed. Rena was slowly getting used to it, waking up in a strange place she didn't know. She took a glance at that guy who was so focused on reading. This was her first time meeting with a magician, so she was curious about him. From her angle, she could read the book cover title, The Study of Dimension Magic. It picked her interest. (Dimension magic..., Isn't summoning magic considered a dimension magic?) (Maybe I can find a clue if I ask this guy about it?) Rena was unaware that she kept staring the book. "...Are you interested?" His eyes still fixed on the book. "Yeah." She answered it honestly. "Can you do a summoning magic?" Rena asked. "To a certain extent." "Oh..., then do you know anything about otherworld summoning?" *thwop* He closed his book, he quickly raised his face. "What did you say?" His attention now was completely on Rena. "Eh, um, nothing... Never mind." Sensing something wrong, she didn't want to pursue this matter anymore. "...Otherworld summoning is considered a myth." He perfectly heard what she asked before. "Huh?" Now, it was Rena's turn to surprise. "The idea was first mentioned in an epigraph found in the remains of early civilizations, but till this day, some passionate magicians who keep researching this subject haven't found any spell that could perform otherworld summoning magic." (Then I must be reincarnated here. Did I get amnesia?) "Although there are some rumors that Alphard claimed to have found it." "Eh?" Rena said. "T-then, can you tell me more about this Alphard person please?" If this Alphard person had a clue then Rena wanted to meet him that was Rena's thought, but that guy looked at Rena in disbelief. "Have you never heard about The Amethyst Wizard?" Rena thought for a second, she felt like she heard that name recently, but couldn't recall it. "Umm... Sorry." She shook her head. "Hey, where..." That guy was about to say something. *Bam* The door in the room suddenly opened, and three faces she recognized appeared. "Sereenaaa~~ You are awake!! I have been very worried these past few days!!" Saola ran, almost like charging, trying to hug Rena before she was stopped by the long hair guy. "Please don't do that Lady Saola. This girl here is still sick." "Sa... Saola?" Rena got confused, "Why are you here?" "Why, of course, because this is my residence." "Eh?! Why am I in your residence?" "Hmm, there is this and that, so I take you here!" "Y-yeah?" A bead of sweat appeared on Rena's forehead. ^^; (...Even though she was so passionate explaining every detail about clothes.) "Saola, that explanation won't make her understand." Frei had already stood next to the bed, Sebastian was behind him. "Thanks to Saola as a guarantor, the guards let us enter the city during the night. Your conditions were really bad and it was easier to treat you in a place that's more like home." Their gazes met. "So, how are you?" Frei asked. "Ah, well... Uhm, I guess I'm pretty good..." Rena was somewhat nervous, feeling a little guilty, so she shifted her gaze to the side. And soon she realized, there was one thing she needed to do. "I'm sorry! I was careless and then got kidnapped and hurt. I must have troubled everybody! I'm really really sorry. I... I'll be more careful next time." She bowed her head deeply, apologizing. "No, I should be the one apologizing, Miss Serena. It was my job to protect you, yet I failed to do that. I deeply regret it." Sebastian replied. "That... No, it's my fault, I asked you to walk around the street and then going to the bathhouse... even though it was dangerous. So, please don't apologize, Sebastian." "I could refuse but I didn't. It really was my fault. Miss Serena is still naive, Sebastian should have known better not to put her in a dangerous situation." "No, no... It was my fault..." She clutched the blanket covering her. "Stop. There isn't any point to keep apologizing, claiming who is at fault in this situation." Frei cut in. "If you both feel guilty, then I'll give you punishment." For some reasons, that guy was super sparkling. "Uuwww, I want to join too~~~" Saola said. (Do you?!) Frei sighed, "We'll discuss this when you get better. Right now, just focus on healing yourself." "So, how is her condition, Jean?" He looked at the pink hair guy. "It seems there isn't any abnormality. I was impressed at her healing rate, normally, even with the best healing potions out there, severe degree burns like this would take at least ten days to recover." He continued, "At this rate, she'll be completely recovered in two days." Rena looked at that guy who was giving an explanation about her condition. Frei turned to Rena and spoke, "Rena, this is Jean Jaunice. He is a notable magician from Valia Kingdom. I asked his help when you were in critical condition, thanks to his help that you are saved right now." "Ah, thank you for your help! I am indebted to you!" Rena bowed her head to Jean. Then Frei added, "Even though he is very beautiful and often get mistaken for a girl, I assure you that he is 100% male and a dangerous one too. Please don't get deceived." (Talked about the pot calling the kettle black...) *Splash* A water orb fell on Frei's head. "That's refreshing. Thank you, Jean. And this girl here is Serena. She is my girl." "What?!" Rena shouted spontaneously, she wanted to deny that claim but Jean spoke first. "Nice to meet you, Serena. I am Jean Jaunice, from now on we'll be acquainted, so please call me Jean." He touched his lips with two fingers, then waving it elegantly with his body slightly bowed, before putting his palm on his chest. Getting her attention on Jean, she forgot what she wanted to say earlier. (What kind of gesture is that?) "It's Valian's way of greeting. A man usually do that in front of a lady." Frei explained as if he knew what she is thinking. "Oh..." Rena blushed a little. "The Valian Knights are famous for their act of kneeling, it showed them their devotion toward that person. It would be an honor for a girl to receive one. Many girls tried hard to get one, that's why many men there wanted to be a knight. It was the most successful way to get a girl." "For your information, Jean got a lot." He spoke close to her ear. "I could hear that." Jean glared at him. Frei threw a wide grin at Jean. Rena looked at Jean and Frei. Judging from the way they teased each other, they seemed to have a good relationship. "Umm, how long have I been sleeping?" Rena asked. "Ah, you've been unconscious for two days." Frei answered. "Your condition was really bad, we were worried you wouldn't make it. Luckily, Jean managed to come on time." "Once again, I'm really sorry to have worried you guys... And I'm really thankful for everything." She sincerely said it from the bottom of her heart. "Well, everything is fine now. Just concentrate on getting better, okay?" Frei said. "Yes..." Rena nodded, giving her widest smile. Rena was actually happy and relieved when she saw Frei, Sebastian, and Saola again. This world may not be a safe place for a girl like her, there were a lot of bad people, but there were a lot of good people as well. People like them who would worry over a stranger like her, that was why she wanted to do the same. Then, she remembered about that brown hair girl. (Is she okay?) She thought. --- Note: No action for a while. Sowwy~
Chapter 12 Spoiler "Heey, don't forget about me... I have also contributed taking care of Serena. When I heard the cute little girl I met that day was kidnapped and came back almost dead, I was shocked." Saola was now sitting at the edge of the bed, hugging one of the pillows like it was a stuffed animal. "And there is this huge scandal with Sennan House, all individuals related to that house are being investigated right now. The kingdom tried to cover this news, but some rumors have already spread. Frei, you must know more about this right?" Frei put a slightly troubled expression, shaking his head lightly. "I have no idea what he was doing there. I merely came there because I received a letter that she was kidnapped. When I arrived they already had a dispute, I was dragged into their dispute and the next thing I know, Serena got hurt." "Fortunately, I could escape with Serena, but her condition was critical, so I called you and Jean for help. I really want to know more about what happened there as well." "Uhh... Purely a coincidence huh..." Unable to get any story from him, Saola buried her face in the pillow, expressing her disappointment. And then as if she remembered something, she raised her face in rapid movement, turning her head to Rena. "So Serena, can you tell me what happened to you?" "Uhm, well... I didn't know anything too." Rena shook her head. She explained the event of her kidnapping and how she managed to escape but decided to return when she realized Frei might be there. Hearing that, Saola's expression turned into disbelief. With her eyebrows furrowed, she said, "So you return to the burning village because he might be there. Serena, what's wrong with you?" "Uhm, yeah. I know I was being stupid, but it would leave me a bitter taste if he came here because of me and died." "You are the one who almost died here!" Saola shouted with a concerned look that couldn't be hidden. Certainly, being judged and scolded was unpleasant, but it was done out of concern for her safety, so she apologized. "I'm sorry..." Rena said with downcast eyes. "Do you truly feel sorry?" Jean who had returned to his seat and only watching their conversations so far, suddenly asked her. She was taken aback by his words, and putting some thoughts before answering, "No." Until this moment, she didn't regret returning to that village. Yes, she got hurt but she was still alive. Maybe things will turn differently if she wasn't there, maybe not. "Then don't say you are sorry. Your action was certainly careless and almost cost you your life, but it also took courage to step into danger out of compassion for others. Some may call it foolish while others praise it, but what important is your feeling about it." She lifted her head, looking at him. She found those ruby red eyes held a straightforward gaze. And the next moment, she reacted when her cheek was pinched. "Aw!" Frei had sat at the other side of the bed, beside her. Leaning towards her, he said, "You don't regret your action that time, but don't you feel sorry that you are troubling me? My heart stopped when you were hit by that fire." He lowered his voice, so only Rena could hear it, "I definitely will regret it if you died there. It won't be fun~" A vein popped on her forehead, she clenched her fist wanting to smack him. (Fun? It won't be fun for you? Do you think I'm a toy?! Arghh, my stress level definitely goes higher every time I am around him!) He grinned enjoying her reaction, Rena didn't notice it, but for a slight second his expression softened. "But Rena, I truly sorry about your hair..." His tone changed to a more serious one. "Your hair was burned, so we need to cut it." "Oh? It's fine. It will grow back again." She casually said, wearing indifferent expression. The gaze that was directed at her from Saola and Frei was one of surprise, it wasn't what they expected. Saola moved her body uncomfortably, sneaking a glance at Rena. "Se-Serena, is it really alright? You know, I sell a lot of stuff in my shop. We'll find something for you, and there's a wig..." "No, I'm perfectly fine." Rena quickly cut her words. She remembered about the Majin Buu headdress, Saola made her wore it. She wondered if people in this world find it fancy. Rena slightly held suspicion, perhaps Saola also came from another world, since most of her creations were referenced of certain cultures that didn't exist in this world. Frei who watched Rena lost in thought, sighed, "Well, if you say so..." He patted her head, brushing his fingers on her hair. It was a little ticklish yet comforting at the same time. But she didn't understand their reactions at all, she had watched on TV before there were girls crying because they must cut her hair short or that one of her classmates in high school cried because of a bad haircut, was it really such a big deal? "Is it bad to have a short hair?" The question just flowed out from her. "Well... I guess it's good if you aren't attached to such thing. The beautiful long hair was seen as a symbol of femininity, many women took pride in their hair and many men attracted by it. In high-class society, it could even affect your reputation and marriage." Saola explained. Rena, of course, didn't know about it, but even after she knew about it now, she still didn't care. "Well, I have no reputation to hold anyway." "H-how about marriage then?! You are of marriageable age!" Saola pushed down the pillow she held on the bed, peering at her. "Huh? I don't have any plan to marry." It seemed her words shocked Saola, she turned into a statue. Rena didn't understand why Saola reacted like that. Rena looked around at the guys in the room, only Frei seemed to have an understanding what was happened here. Maybe it was unusual for a girl to think that way in this world. So Rena added, "Uhm, even if that will happen someday, it's too far stretch worrying about it now. Hair grows." "Excluding this hair, I am bound by master-slave contract with Frei. Even if I want too, is it possible to get married?" Throwing a glance at Frei. The guy only replied with a smirk. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Saola said, "I am just surprised by your way of thinking..." A question suddenly popped into her mind. Considering this world standard that people married young, Saola, Frei, and Jean looked like they were in the early to middle of the twenties, wouldn't they have family already? Without knowing what was coming, Rena asked innocently, "Saola, are you married?" She heard something cracked. The frozen Saola crumbled into pieces. Realizing this was a mistake, Rena plead with her eyes for the other guys to help with the situation. Frei scratched his head, looking at another direction. Jean was indifferent. And Sebastian whose presence was somehow forgotten until now was the one who tried to break this awkward situation. *cough* *cough* "Miss Serena is still recovering, it would be better to let her rest and not to disturb her much." "Ah, Yeah. We will disturb her recovery if we stay too long here, I'll return again tomorrow, Rena. Please rest well." He stood up. "Saola, didn't you said earlier, you want to show me your newest collections? Let's go." Frei dragged the blank face Saola out of the room. "See ya, Jean. Please take care of Rena." "Wait, Frei, I need to talk to you." Jean raised from his chair. "Hmm? What's the matter?" He said it playfully, but there was unspeakable understanding conveyed from their eyes. "Sebastian, can you take Saola outside first? I'll be there soon." "Yes, understood." He bowed and left with Saola. "Rena, I'll borrow Jean for a while okay? See you tomorrow." Frei waved at her. "Un." Rena nodded. "See ya." She watched the figures of those two walking out from the door. *bam* The sound of door closing echoed in the big spacey room, and soon with only Rena there, the room became quiet. "I should properly apologize to Saola next time, it was a touchy subject that I shouldn't bring up. I know girls could be sensitive on this matter, haah..." Rena too had a topic that she'd rather not to talk about it before, like about her mother, or about her love life. Before long, she noticed the black color book that was on the table next to the bed. Rena extended her hand to grab the book. The book was slightly heavy, so she quickly held it with both hands. She could see the cover up close now, the letters were written with golden color ink. The Study of Dimension Magic By Jean R. Jaunice She was a little surprise that guy wrote this book, he didn't look like the scholar type. But that's why they said 'don't judge the book by its cover'. "So that guy read his own book..." She opened the thick and heavy book and looked at the table of contents. Table of Contents: 1. What is Dimension Magic? 2. Dimensional Creation Theory 3. Dimensional Manipulation Theory 4. Dimensional Traveling Theory 5. Portal Creation Theory 6. Multiple Dimensions Theory 7. Dimensional Interactions Theory 8. Summoning and Banishment Theory 9. Otherworld Summoning Myth or Fact 10. Possible Applications of Dimension Magic 11. Runes Related to Dimension Magic 12. Constructing Dimension Magic Formula 13. Dimension Magic and Magic Power Consumption 14. Cautions when performing a spell 15. End Words (Nearly half the content are theories, and here I thought it would be a spell book...) "Is there something useful here? Let's see..." She started flipping the pages... --- Meanwhile, behind the other side of the door, Frei and Jean were standing there. Frei leaned his back against the wall, putting his hands in the pocket, wearing a calm expression, facing Jean who was standing in front of him with arms crossed. "What's up with that look, Jean?" "Who is that girl, Frei?" Being looked by that sharp piercing eyes usually made someone uncomfortable, but Frei was unfazed. "Does the sun rise in the west today? To think the day when Jean is interested in the opposite sex had come." Frei made a naughty grin. "Cut the crap, Frei. I thought it was suspicious when you suddenly asked my help to save someone. You won't be bothered if she is nothing." Jean glared at him. "Well, I told you before that you won't regret it if you help me this time, didn't I? Are you interested now?" Frei said. "Just tell me who she is." "She is just a girl I bought from Tawarr's auction house a few days ago. Beside the fact that she is one of the descendants of The Amethyst Wizard, I don't know anything else. And here I was hoping you could tell me who she is." "How am I supposed to know that?!" He knitted his eyebrows. "Then what made you interested in her?" "...You didn't tell me that she is Alphard's bloodline." "Would it make any difference if I told you that?" Frei moved closer to Jean, "I know you were surprised about her healing rate, her affinity with magic is higher than you, a wizard who is known as a genius. Never in history, we heard his bloodlines were gifted by magical power, they seemed to be cursed, avoided by magic at all cost. But is it only that?" "What were you talking before I came?" Frei peered Jean, checking any hint of his expression. When he entered the room, the Jean who was only interested in magic was looking at Rena intently. "Nothing important." Jean looked away. "Oh, I see. Just tell me if you are interested, okay? I could use your help too. I don't mind if Jean wanted to play with her a little, my intuition said it would benefit me." He tapped Jean's shoulder. "Tch. Let's talk again tomorrow." Jean turned around, going back to the room. His lips curved up looking at Jean's figure from behind. (Even she could make me curious, how could not be for Jean?) "I bet he is really itchy right now." --- Rena quickly put the book back on the table when she heard the door was opened, but Jean still saw it. Crossing the room in a couple of strides, he asked her when he was close enough, "Is there anything you found interesting?" "Umm... I was just curious." He sat back on his chair. "Oh, really? Which part made you curious?" "I only flipped the pages, I didn't really understand what's written there... I guess I just want to know how magic works." She confessed. "You don't know how magic works? Can't you do magic?" There was a surprise in his tone. "No, I can't. I have no idea how magic work." Rena shook her head. "Unbelievable, even though you have a high affinity toward magic. Then how come you know about otherworld summoning?" His eyes were examining her. "Eh, that's... I've heard it from someone." Rena lied. How could she tell him that it was one of the tropes that author used for isekai story. "Who?" "I forget... we just met once." She avoided his piercing gaze. "Oh, where did you meet him?" Now, a bead of sweat fell from Rena's forehead, the guy was too persistent, keep chasing her with questions. Why did he want to know so much? "Umm, on the ship when I was caught." (Please, stop asking!) "Hmm... That's regretful you don't remember who he is. Then Serena is it? Mind you tell me a little about yourself?" "Eh?! Wh-wha, whai you want to know about me?" Rena stuttered, she didn't expect that coming. "I still need to take care of you for a few days until you are fully recovered. Isn't it better that we know a little bit about the other? Of course, you can ask me questions too, I'll answer them as long as it's within my knowledge." Rena was cornered. In the room that was bathed in the orange color of sunset, Rena with a tense expression on her face was staring at Jean, not sure of what to do. Jean leaned back in the chair, with arms crossed, observantly watching her. (This is bad! What should I tell him? He wouldn't let go of me easily, if I didn't give him a satisfying answer.) Jean finally spoke, "Is there any reason you couldn't tell me about yourself?" "Ah, that's..." (Yes, yes. It's complicated™) She decided to tell him the truth, but not the whole truth. "Actually, I didn't remember anything about myself. Who I am or where I lived before I was kidnapped... I only remember when I woke up, the village was burning and then I was caught." One of his eyebrows was raised, he was sceptical. From his point of view, she didn't seem like someone who had amnesia, although he wasn't sure about it. "I see... That's unfortunate." He said. "Then I'll get some memory potions and cast some memory spells on you, the process was a bit uncomfortable but hopefully, you could get your memory back again." "Ehh?!" She lifted her face abruptly, with widened eyes looking at him. Just now, she couldn't believe what she heard. Jean stood up from his chair and walk to the door. "I'll go get it now." (This guy really is dangerous!!) (Someone save meee!!) ---
Chapter 13 Spoiler Above the port city of Tawarr, the two purple moons were hiding behind the thin layer of clouds tonight, like it responded to the feeling of a young girl who was sitting on the bed, like a broken doll. Her brown hair covering her face, her gaze was dark and empty, there was no trace of her liveliness from before. A tray of food next to the bed was left untouched. There was another person in the room, but they were like two different entities sharing the same space, they didn't communicate with each other. The guy was standing next to the window, looking outside. His short silver hair was glowing even under the dark of the night. His head moved slightly when he saw a carriage appeared and stopped in front of the inn. When he heard a knock on the door, he walked to the door and open it. The person he had waiting for had arrived. "Good night, Senka. Sorry for being a little late. Is everything alright here?" The guy didn't say anything, only turning his head to the direction of the bed, hinting to the other guy to look at the motionless girl. Following Senka's gaze, Frei looked at the lifeless girl who was sitting still. He walked to the girl direction and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry for your loss." He said. There was no response. That day, after Mirra brought the unconscious Rena to the outskirt of the villa, she met with Senka. Senka had seen the unconscious girl before with his master and Sebastian. He carried the girl to Tawarr with the yellow giant bird who served as a transportation, Mirra was accompanying them, holding Rena not to fall. As soon as they arrived in Tawarr, Frei arrived and Rena had been taken care of, she insisted to go back to her village. It was dangerous to travel during the night, so Frei told Senka to accompany her. When the dawn came, they noticed the kingdom's cavalry soldiers went to the direction of the village. Mirra thought the help finally arrived, but Senka suddenly pulled her from the road, hiding between the tree shades. After the troops had passed, they followed them from behind. She didn't understand why he was doing this. But her question was soon answered, from the hidden spot, she watched they slaughtered all the surviving villagers. Mirra wanted to scream, she wanted to run there but was held by Senka. She fell unconscious and when she woke up, she had returned to Tawarr. She hadn't moved at all since then. "Are you going to stay like this forever? Doing nothing until you die?" "If it were me, I would revenge them." Frei said. Mirra's body twitched. "Oh, are you interested now?" There was a long silence and then a slow hoarse voice could be heard. "What... can I... do..." "You know the substance they were smuggling, right? The strictly regulated drug that had been banned from trading in the seven kingdoms. I was chasing the tail of the guy who funded the activities. If I could catch his tail, there will be a huge scandal in both countries. Haffa Kingdom couldn't deal the matter just like this time, cleaning all the traces to avoid disgracing themselves." "It is your choice. Succumbing to your despair and die like this or help me and get revenge." She didn't respond right away, but when Frei was about to stand up. Her weak body slowly moved, clenching her fists so hard, they crumpled the sheet. Mirra had made a decision. Her eyes staring at Frei did not contain despair anymore, replaced by a cold steel resolved. "That's more like it." He smiled. --- It was dinner time, but Rena didn't feel like wanting to eat at all. The reason was on the table, there were seven different kinds of potions waiting for her. Rena was amazed he could prepare them with just a short amount of time, even if he bought them from somewhere, it was still fast. Three of them were recovery potion, skin regeneration potion, and the Silphium Brew, she drank earlier. The rest were those memory related potions. "What's the matter? You don't like the food?" He asked. "!" Rena startled. "No, no... The food is good! I, I just want to savor it!" She knew that Jean wanted to help her, but she just couldn't feel happy about this. Besides having to drink weird stuff she had no idea of, she was scared of having someone casting a spell on her... No, she didn't like this idea at all. And the person in front of her had emphasized the process would be uncomfortable. There wasn't even a guarantee for her that it would be successful. "Umm, is... is it possible to delay dealing with my memory?" She timidly asked. Jen stopped moving his tablewares, glaring at her. (Eek!) "Don't you want to get your memory back?" Being asked such question made her think. Rena wanted to know about her life before that night, but she was okay without not knowing it too. After all, she had her memory completely intact as "Aoki Rena." "But... There isn't any guarantee that I will get my memory back even if you do this for me. How about we're leaving it to nature and time?" She held her spoon tightly, as if it could slip any moment. "How about if you never get it back?" "I... I just need to start over my life!" "Huh, is it that easy for you to throw everything away? How about your family or friends? Maybe they were looking for you somewhere." Rena glanced down at her plate. Certainly, there was that possibility, it didn't cross her mind before that she had a family in this world, then she remembered about the village when she first woke up in this world. Suddenly, she realized one thing. "It still couldn't be helped." She lifted her face, looking at Jean. "What do you mean?" He blinked, confused by her statement. "Right now, I am just a slave, bound by contract with Frei. Even though he promised me that someday he would release me, I still don't know how long it will take. So, I don't feel any rush to remember about my past. It's more convenient this way." "Hmm..." Jean was quiet, his index finger tapped rhythmically on the knife he held, showing that he was thinking. When he was quiet, he was really beautiful. Rena wondered, how many men had been mistaking him for a woman and fell in love with him. "Alright then, I won't cast any spell on you." Rena sighed, feeling relieved... "But you should at least drink those potions." Not. (Uweee!!) She finally finished her dinner, with some real effort. Now, it was time for her unavoidable fate a.k.a [punishment]. Like a jailer, he was watching her with a serious intimidating expression. "Do you need any help?" He asked. "No, no! I'm fine! I can do it myself!" She shook her head vigorously. Rena grabbed the flask that contained the pain reliever, Silphium Brew. She knew the taste already, so she pulled the cap and drank it fast. *cough!* *cough!* (Still strong as ever, I think he also mixed ginger here.) And then she took the glass bottle next to the Silphium Brew, it was the red recovery potion. The red color was like of wine, giving a mysterious allure to be drunk. (Hopefully, it's good. It looks good though...) She pulled the cap, a fruity aroma leaked from the bottle, and soon she took a sip. "Bleargh!" Rena almost spilled it. "H-horrible..." (Taste like rotten grape mixed with chili!) (Oh, god! There are five more to go! Can my stomach endure this?!) Rena's face was pale even though she felt energy surging through her body. Seeing her expression, Jean spoke again, "Most potions generally don't have a good taste, but they carried a healing property. Please keep drinking it." Rena cried in her heart, but she didn't dare to protest. She took a deep breath and finished the red potion. The potions's effect was immediately, her body was filled with energy. Next, with a sour expression, she picked the transparent liquid that was put in a small perfume-like bottle, the cap was decorated with imitation of pearl. Since it was small, it was easy to finish it in one gulp. She pulled the cap and sniffing the inside, it didn't have any particular smell. And she drank it. (This one is not bad! I could drink more of this.) It tasted like cherry flavored infusion water. "That one is the skin regeneration potion, made of the saliva of fire salamander." Rena dropped, getting her hands on the floor. "'OTL She wanted to throw up now. (T-this... this guy!! Is he purposely torturing me?!) "Uuww...." Her lips quivering. (Four more to go...) She took the bottle with yellow liquid, a streak of green swirling in it. She thought it couldn't be worse than drinking the saliva of fire salamander, so she just drank it. *shiver* For a second, her brain was hurt. She didn't feel anything else after that. Taste a little weird, like drinking a cup of peppermint tea. (Three more to go, you can do it, Rena!) This time it was a colorful rainbow liquid. It was the size of a coke bottle, the biggest one of all those potions. (This one looks pretty, but... oh well.) "!!!" Just like it has seven colors, the rainbow liquid has seven flavors mixed together. She swore she could taste grass was among the flavor. Rena got dizzy, she needed a minute before she emptied the bottle. (My stomach...) Having endured seven flavors in one go, her brain and stomach needed sometime to adjust. She felt a rush of emotions, joy, anger, sadness, fear, disgust, shame, and suddenly all of the emotions were gone, and she didn't feel anything at all. There were two more bottles left, one had a jet black color and the other one had a phosphorus purple color which kept bubbling. Honestly, neither of them looked save to be consumed. She stole a glance at Jean who was sitting on the chair, putting his long fingers on his cheek. His sharp eyes were watching her. (What did that guy gain by doing this?) "Haaah...." She inhaled a deep breath before drinking the jet black liquid. (Here I go!) She forced the jet black liquid down her throat, it didn't have any taste nor feeling of drinking the liquid, it was like swallowing air. "!!!" In the next second, Rena was hit by sudden flashbacks of her memories. The memories kept going further, digging to the deepest part of her memories, three years old, two years old, one year old, and finally to the very beginning when it was dark and warm. Rena almost fainted. (I... I can't take this anymore...) "How is it? Did you recall something?" That beautiful sadist guy asked her with a probing look. "Nnnn... no, not really..." Rena replied while supporting herself on the table, trying not to fall. "Hmm..." He tapped the finger on his cheek, pondering over something. There was only one bottle left, the one that screamed the most dangerous. "What is this purple potion for...?" She didn't want to hear the answer but her curiosity won over her. The jet black liquid was terrible, she couldn't take anymore of that. "Oh, that one is just a digestive potion. It will comfort your stomach." Jean answered her. (It looks like a poison!) Rena mustered her courage, only this one left and she could be free. Seriously, she didn't want to deal with Jean anymore. She pulled the cork, and in one big gulp, drinking the last potion. Her eyes widened and then she kept gulping the potion until its last drop. Miraculously, it tasted like unicorn frappucino. "Ah, that one was made of ur..." "Stop! I don't want to hear it!" Rena closed her ears, shaking her head violently. "I've drunk all the potions, now I'm tired. Please, you get rest as well. Good night!" Nope, she didn't care about being impolite anymore, pushing Jean out of the door and slammed it. (He really is messing with me!) ---