In the dead of the night, at exactly midnight when the moon is at its brightest and the earth was at its quietest, a dark figure crept into a room with much secrecy and silence, careful not to arouse the consciousness of the members of the household.
Seeing the shape of two bodies on the twin queen-sized beds, the dark figure undressed, shedding off his hooded cloak and his dark blue jacket which were invisible in the pitch-black night.
One of the bodies stirred, muttering some words in its slumber. The voice was that of a young boy, calling out the name of the figure in his sleep.
"Toshirou-nii..."
The dark figure, Toshirou, sighed. The kid must've been up late, waiting for him to return.
After removing his clothes, leaving on only a white sleeveless vest and his pants, he hopped into bed and grabbed the pillow with his remaining strength.
'Dae Chun-ja, huh.' Was his last thought, before sinking into a deep slumber filled with dreams about his own world.
...
Morning came earnestly. Rays of sunlight illuminated the room and sparked up life in the entire village. Men had woken up and began to prepare to go to their farms, women had already begun to stir their children up from their sleep. Life had already begun in the Min-ji village.
The blue-haired teen stirred in his slumber, feeling too lazy to wake up or even begin the day. He turned sideways on the pillow, trying his possible best not to fully awaken.
A sweet scent made contact with his nostrils. A scent that was devastatingly familiar to him.
Toshirou immediately sat upright with tousled hair and all and looked down his right. Huijin- no, Raynell lay beside him sleeping soundly. Her long dark pink hair splayed over her neck and back, and her chest made rising and falling motions in a slow, steady fashion.
Very innocent, though Toshirou, though there was one small problem - she was without her nightdress!
Quickly, with no time to waste, he jumped out of bed. Taking a nearby blanket, he spread it out on her and covered her up from the neck down to the rest of her body.
'What a save! How the hell did she get on my bed?!'
He definitely could not go back to sleep, not with all the adventures of the past minutes.
He walked over to a desk and picked up his wristwatch. Having looked at the time, he sighed and went back to sit on a bed, which he realized was empty.
'That kid really is an early riser.'
Lying on the bed, he thought about his conversation with the Feudal lord of Min-ae. It seemed to him from her story that there was more to what meets the eye in Min-ji. Why did they leave specific pieces of information out on purpose? What benefit would it be if they didn't relay out everything they knew to their helper? And what kind of deal did they strike with Enel?
All these thoughts lay heavy on Toshirou's mind. Something was amiss, and he would surely get to the bottom of it. But first things first, he would have to ensure Raynell's safety in all this. She was the basis of the agreement between himself and Dae Chun-ja.
'With that being said, I supposed I'll have a little chat with Yeong-ji-san. I have a feeling that he's not aware of some of these things. The elders, on the other hand, I'll get to them later.'
The sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. They approached closer by the passing second and Toshirou waited to see who it was.
The footsteps suddenly came to a halt. Soft but firm knocks were heard on the door of his room.
"Yes, who is it?" Toshirou asked.
"Pardon me, did I awake you, Aosaki-kun?'
"It's alright, Sung-nim, you can enter. I was already awake for a while now." Toshirou replied.
The door gently swung open and Sung-nim entered the room, dressed in a plain white nightgown. Her brown hair was neatly placed by her neck and her pale blue eyes shone with that fresh morning look. She smiled softly as she saw him.
"Good morning to you, Toshirou-san."
"Morning to you too, Sung-nim."
Taking a glance at Raynell, she had a relaxed smile as she walked towards the girl and pet her hair softly.
"I take it that you care about Raynell?" Toshirou asked.
"Oh my, you're already on a first-name basis," Sung-nim replied. "But yes, I do care about the girl. I can't imagine what she went through in the hands of my people."
"You can't imagine what she went through at the hands of your people? Did you really just spew that crap? How could you not know what she went through?! Aren't you the damn wife of the Feudal lord?!"
Sung-nim didn't get angry at his outburst. If anything, she understood she deserved it. Making that statement as the wife of the king of the people who tortured the poor girl was something unacceptable.
"I understand your anger, Toshirou-san, but believe me when I tell you that my husband had nothing to do with the capture of the girl. I... made it a habit to visit the girl in her confinement. She did not talk much but I could tell she was grateful for the company. If I had my way, I would've set the girl free a long time ago." Sung-nim said, calmly.
Toshirou looked at her for a minute before averting his gaze to the ceiling.
"Sorry about the outburst. But I want to ask, what kind of power do the elders hold over Min-ji?"
"What kind of power you say, hmm... I would say that the elders can remove my husband from being the Feudal lord. Is that enough of an answer?"
'Ahhh, I see. So that's what it is. Things just got really interesting.'
"I suppose I could bear with that," Toshirou replied.
With a deep breath, he lifted himself off the bed and picked up his jacket and a black t-shirt from a nearby chair.
"Where's Joel?" He asked.
"He's outside but I think you can find him in the kitchen. The boy has been helping the maids and manservants in their labour. They've become quite fond of him." Sung-nim replied with a smile.
"Is that right? Well, the kid always had a talent for being useful. Better than me in fact."
"I'm afraid that last bit is wrong," Sung-nim said.
"Hmm... I wonder."
Moving to the door, he held it by the handle and opened it. Looking at the sleeping Raynell and Sung-nim from behind his shoulders, he said, "I'm going to freshen up, and get breakfast. Would you like anything, Sung-nim?"
Surprised at the question, she giggled lightly and responded with a small smile. "Being asked to breakfast by my own guest, are you trying to flirt with me?"
Humouring her, Toshirou replied in the same teasing manner. "Do you want me to flirt with you?"
"I would have to say no. I'm pretty much married to a lovely husband after all."
"Ahhh, such a shame! I thought a lovely damsel such as yourself would be available for a sinful man like me."
"Off you go now, and do not let my husband catch you sneaking a peek at me." She said, lightly.
"Will do, madam," Toshirou said and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
As he left, Sung-nim burst into small giggles at their little performance. Her impression of Toshirou had drastically changed from the time she met him till now. He certainly was an unusual adventurer. Challenging the ones who hired his service, taking full custody of a slave girl, and tagging along with a ruddy boy of seemingly little worth in the eyes of others, were certainly not normal actions an adventurer would take. He even tried to flirt with the wife of a Feudal lord! It brought another smile to her face as she thought of it.
But then again, a lot of rumours have been going around in the palace. Talks of the elders trying to uproot Yeong-ji from power has certainly been one of the most commonly heard. A secret conspiracy has been going on lately, and Sung-nim feared for the life of her husband, even more than her own. Her husband was not weak by any sense of the imagination. He ruled fairly and justly, exactly as his fathers had done. So why exactly do the elders want to get rid of him?
Sung-nim sighed sadly, the edges of her lips tilted downwards as these unpleasant thoughts filled her mind. She took a glance at the young maiden lying asleep on the bed. Brushing her hair with her fingers once more, Sung-nim prayed more than ever, that the life of the girl would be preserved.
'Aosaki Toshirou-kun, please do your best to protect Raynell.'
...
The study room was filled with shelves. Massive clusters of them, all filled with books of different kinds. A brown desk with curved edges lay at the centre of the brightly lit room. The walls were a light brown hue which cast a melancholic glow inside the room.
"I'm surprised you read books, Aosaki-kun."
Toshirou looked up from the book he was reading. He put the book back on the shelf labelled 'H' and faced the owner of the voice.
"I am much more learned than my behaviour suggests, Yeong-ji-san," Toshirou replied.
"I can see that. Someone who could shut the mouth of my elders with words alone must certainly be a knowledgeable man." Yeong-ji said with a small smile.
Walking past Toshirou, the Feudal lord went to the centre of the room and sat down on the chair behind the desk.
"So, what do you seek to know, Aosaki-kun?' Yeong-ji asked.
"What I seek to know? Hmm... How would I put this..." Toshirou sat on the desk that stood beside the mighty shelf. "I want to know more about the Thessalonica, if you may."
"The Thessalonica, huh. What would you like to know about it?"
"What kind of power it entails. Just how strong is this object?"
"As I've said before, the Thessalonica is one of the three artefacts given to mankind by the Hosts. Falling into the wrong hands could cause worldwide destruction and yet falling into good hands can protect the world. That's how strong the Thessalonica truly is."
"What about the other two artefacts, where are they?" Toshirou asked.
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that question, Aosaki-kun," Yeong-ji replied.
Looking at the Feudal lord one last time, Toshirou shifted his gaze from him and focused on the book in his hands.
"Why exactly do you and Min-ae hate each other?" Toshirou asked, not looking up from the book he was reading.
Yeong-ji sighed sadly. The question obviously lay heavy on his heart.
"I believe it is because of the strife between our ancestors." He replied sadly.
Toshirou closed the book.
"Why, what happened that made your ancestors harbour such hatred for the village?"
Seeing the forlorn expression on Yeong-ji's face, He realized he might have crossed an unseen boundary.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Toshirou said apologetically.
"It's alright, Aosaki-kun. I believe I've come a long way from feeling pain over the deaths of my parents, though it still haunts me at times." Yeong-ji replied.
'Death of his parents?'
Seeing the inquisitive gaze Toshirou gave him, he continued. "Many years ago, before the Great Annihilation, the two villages were like brothers to each other, helping one another in times of need and trials. But then, one of the Hosts gave the Thessalonica to the Min-ae village. The people of Min-ae became greedy and overbearing, lording over us to gain control over our land and fields, constantly scheming against us to get full custody of our attributes, until one day, we waged war against them."
"So the Thessalonica isn't yours? Yesterday, you made it sound like it belonged to you." Toshirou asked.
"Indeed, it is not. I remember, sometime during my childhood, my father talked about the Feudal lord of Min-ae in such high regard. It's such a shame that he fell by the sword of the very same man whom he once called a friend."
'Did Min-ae really do all that? That's not the way Dae put it. Damn it, what exactly is the truth?!'
"So what happened during the war?" Toshirou asked.
"Well, we revolted and we won. We took the Thessalonica away from them and spoils of war. After then, decades passed, and they gradually gained back their former power and glory till they could once again attack Min-ji, and this time armed with the abilities that come with possessing divine energy."
"And that's why you want me to destroy them?"
"Indeed, but if you do find a way that does not require bloodshed, then, by all means, go for it."
"Mm." Toshirou nodded his head in support.
"But by spoils of war, do you mean Raynell Huijin?" Toshirou asked again, with a dark tone to his voice.
Sensing the change in tone but no hostility, Yeong-ji replied with a sad smile.
"I'm afraid that was out of my jurisdiction."
"Out of your jurisdiction? Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"No, I do not. I might be the Feudal lord but that does not mean that I have veto power in Min-ji. The elders possess far greater power than I, it is they who determine the fate of our village."
'Those creepy old geezers. There's something else going on. Let me try this.'
"Do you know of a man called Enel?" Toshirou asked.
The Feudal lord put his hand on his chin, deep in thought about the question laid before him.
"Is there any that I was supposed to be aware of?"
'I see, those old bastards! Yeong-ji-san is innocent!'
"No, never mind. It was merely an abstract question." Toshirou replied, dismissively.
He closed the book in his hands and walked to the entrance or exit rather than the study room.
"I'll be leaving now."
"To where if I may ask?"
Looking at Yeong-ji over his shoulder with an evil grin, his eyes glinting with mischief and mishap, he replied crookedly.
"To chat with our elders."