"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.
---