1173 (Part 1)
"Come on! Do you really not want to hear another story? It's a really good one too! It's about the myth about the Sacred Tree."
This uncle had been bothering me for days now. I only acted eager to learn about history because I knew that sister felt shy about being the only one listening.
"Listen, Uncle Gabe." I started.
"You're a really two-faced kid Regan. Tsk. You only act innocent when your sister's around but look at you with that dangerous glint in your eyes." That's because you're starting to sound annoying.
I sighed and ignored him. He continued to ramble on and on about me being two-faced but I continued surveying the slums as always.
"Stop." His serious voice reached me and we stopped moving.
There was a very faint sound of muffled and sniffing noises ahead where a wagon was exiting through an open portion of the Living Forest.
"Let's go." We raced on the empty streets and reached the wagon. I knocked at it. No one answered but the noises became erratic.
Uncle placed his hand on the wooden door. His fingers turned wood-like and connected itself to the door before absorbing the wood altogether.
We caught sight of a small cage with children probably younger than me. "Bro-brother! Please.. sniff. Help us." A small boy implored.
"I'm not here to help you." I told them nonchalantly and removed the robe I was wearing. "Take this back. Uncle. This teal cloak was a gift from sister, you better take care of it properly lest I'll actually burn down your tiny school." Uncle Gabe rolled his eyes at that and patted down my cloak.
"You evil boy. I know already so get a move on."
My fingers trailed on my dyed black hair, not a rose-gold strand was made sure to be seen. "I'm here to catch the bad guys so stay quiet."
The kids went quiet at that time, some forcing to gulp down their cries.
"You can return the door." I ordered Uncle and he did as told.
"Good luck. Don't die, nephew." He ran back the slum area.
It didn't take long for me to sense another person in the street and I started my scheme. My usually annoying small hands looked exciting to see as it pounded on the wooden door, tears streamed down my face as if on cue. "Wait! I ca-can't open the door! I'll get help! I'll get help for sure so please wa-wait for me!" The hoarseness of my unmanly voice echoed the streets.
But no good person came.
As I turn around to 'ask for help', a bearded man grabbed me. "N-No! Who– hmphh!"
"Shut up kid! Pax! There's a smooth boy banging at the back! Pax!! Haven't you heard, fool?!"
"Shit! You shittin' me? I haven't heard no nothing from here!"
"Idiot! Just get the keys! We got a looker! He has a pretty face too." The man leered at me and I want to drive mana daggers on those eyes but it wasn't yet time for that.
I have to endure. Sister had been on places far worse than this when she was younger than my fourteen-year old self.
They finally opened the door to the carriage and the man holding me punched my nape. My body limped at that moment.
"Ouch! This fucker got a strong head." He cursed and threw my body inside before closing the door.
It was a good thing I refined mana around my body before impact lest it would have hurt. I sat properly on the wooden floor as the kids checked me out for injuries or something.
"Why did you do that?" My eye caught sight of another boy, probably my age, at the very front of the carriage. He was staring down on the floor, his dirty blond hair was covering his eyes "You could have easily showcased your strength."
The boy talked like a noble but his voice was cold and monotonous. I didn't need to bother answering but since it will be a long trip I did. "I have a mission. What about you then? You seem like an aristocrat despite the dirty appearance".
I saw him grin, "Ha! Yeah. I guess I do look dirty."
The moment I saw his eyes I felt something within me shake. 'Golden eyes'.
There were history details that Uncle Gabe had once mentioned. Family households that were given an unmoving nature against the empire but also a curse thus, they were named as 'Cursed Bloodline'.
The families who had the cursed bloodline were the Cromwell Family, Rosario Family, and the bearer of the 'golden eyes' Kalil Family.
"How…?"
The boy tilted his head as his expression came back to a drowsy look. "It seems you're good with history." He read my thoughts. "I knew that already though, Regan Obiel."
I heard the kids whisper to each other.
"I wonder how you know that." It was unnecessary to take care of this matter lightly. He knows me. Someone of the Kalil blood who was persecuted because of their ancestor's treasonous acts and the last Kalil who was missing after Lilith Aurelia had also committed the worst sin in the Soledad Empire's history
"Would it be easy for you if I tell you the truth?"
"Then I won't hold back," I placed my hand near my boots and the hilt of the hidden dagger felt cold "What is the truth that you're talking about?"
The boy gazed back unfazed, "Let's continue the conversation later. It seems we've arrived." His eyes turned brown at that and he lowered his head. As if he didn't move an inch from before.
I didn't have time to retort because the wagon stopped and I have to act like a kidnapped child once again.
"Sniff.. Ugh! Sniff.. Sister…" A soft voice came out of me.
The door opened, people who wore cloaks have then entered my view and I was dragged out forcefully. "Merchant! You've outdone yourselves once again Hahahaha!" they laughed.
We were in the middle of the Living Forest but somehow it was hidden from the upper view. The trees had curved to hide it well, as if telling the people who found this place that no one will know what they'll do here.
I continued to cry just like the other children.
There were five cloaked magicians, three swordsman who I presume to be mercenaries hired by the merchant, and then the two people who had delivered us here.
My caution naturally fell to the magicians as our customs have deemed them to be powerful but, I couldn't. Two male and one female.
The swordsmen emitted a strange sense of power that was rarely found in the Empire.
Aura, which can only be used by powerful swordsman were more common in the Loyola Dynasty that had occupied the Mountain Range of Wicked Weathers.
Truth be told, they were people who resided at the foot of the mountains. A decade after the founding ruler Soledad had died was the time it had made a name for itself.
"Hahahaha! We do good business for you, Lord Jin! You have become a great patron as well!" The bearded man had laughed and showered the 'Lord Jin' of praises.
A strong mage called Lord Jin was sitting at a stubbed tree grinning from ear to ear at the compliments. He looks like a fool.
"You've given me quite the treat as well. How about that young boy with blond hair, Merchant? It's quite rare to see that in the northern territories."
"Oh this boy? Err well, he is Pax's son," the bearded man, which was the merchant, had said while awkwardly stealing glances at his driver.
The driver, Pax, smiled at the lord. "If the Lord is willing to pay, how can a mere peasant refuse?"
'Scum'. I turned back to the mysterious child but he continued to look unfazed, slightly bored, while hiding his eyes from the adult's view.
The other scum stood up and patted the man's shoulders looking pleased "You chose brilliantly".
The guy named Pax lowered his body before speaking again, "If you may can I offer a requiem then?"
"Hohoho! It's not like I'll kill your kid, I'll just use him very well" I felt my spine shiver at that. What crazy bastard. I looked at the boy's expression again but it didn't change.
"I still think a requiem is needed," Pax smiled at the Lord and the man nodded at that.
Weirdly so, they gave a space for the father and son to part and a requiem was put into words, "Years have passed since the time of your arrival in this world, my son. Our family had been waiting and since you've finally awoken, the day of the grand design will soon commence."
The requiem was weird, the others faces seemed confused at the father's words but they stayed quiet. The three swordsmen was expressionless as before.
"It had also been a year since we have started this operation and now the souls have finally gathered their strength that was once lost. We too shall begin the stopped time once again.."
I was more confused than the others. What the hell is this man talking about? Of course it may be just his requiem for his son who's about to be turned into a bedroom slave but the words used were just too weird to be left unnoticed.
The mages and merchant began to become tense.
"Then we should start the mission too, Sebastian." The blond boy casually said.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!" At that moment the trees that covered the clearing had rushed and destroyed the carriage and wagon that the other party had used.
The mage holding me finally let go and moved over to where the lord was. But a sword was embedded into his neck by the female swordsman, and the two other ones had surrounded Lord Jin.
"What the… heck?" I was flustered, obviously.
It was like a scene from a novel. I had never seen nature and humans fight together, although it was one-sided.
The three other mages tried to attack the swordsman but the other mercenary, Pax who used a magic sword , and the boy himself had fended and binded them.
"Phew. That was easier than I thought." The man named Pax sighed and tore off his face looking like a different and younger person. It was true.
"What.. is this sorcery?" Due to my surprise, I was stuck in a daze like an idiot.
It was then that the blond boy walked over to where I fell on the ground and offered a hand, "I hope you'll visit us when we call for you, Regan Obiel, and I shall explain to you the events regarding this matter."
I refused to take his hand but he forced me up with magic anyway, what kind of magic can be used to levitate people? Even with gravity manipulation it was hard to use it on someone else.
"You need not be so wary of us. As a testament, I will invite you properly in my father's name." The person who used to be called Pax had a silver hair instead of the blond one from earlier, but his turquoise eyes remained the same.
If anything was different, the aura and deepness of his eyes had a smart and calculative aspect to it.
"I am the first-born son of Lord Estimo Ragnadi of the Northern Kingdom of the Loyola Dynasty, Sebastian Ragnadi. Of course I would like to apologize for doing illegal transactions and unauthorized activities regarding your land but…" His eyes moved over to the young blond boy who welcomed his golden eyes again. "These are circumstances that needed to be done."
I could understand to some extent but this was still an insult to the duchy families who had worked hard for the betterment and peace of the Soledad Empire.
"As you have introduced yourself I shall also be speaking as a noble and representative of our empire. I, Regan Obiel, want you to explain what you're doing here and stop it."
"You have crossed the boundaries of diplomatic respect."
"I can't do that."
"And who do you think you are?!" Anger had washed some of my restraint. I'm afraid a portion of it was because it was supposed to be my mission to apprehend these illegal doers but I couldn't even do my work.
"I can't tell you now but I will tell you in the future. You can just call me Gin, it's not my real name and I just took it from that man but it's whatever." He shrugged.
"We will send you a proper invite and an envoy. Of course, we hope that you will keep silent about this to others."
"And what if I don't? I'm a young boy who likes to make friends after all." I smirked at them. In my normal condition, I wouldn't do this but I'm actually feeling crazy right now.
They weren't people with bad intentions that's for sure. It seems that they really want to give and get help properly. If they wanted these matters to be unnoticed by others, they would have tried to kill me by now.
As much as I'd like to give myself enough credit, I can't handle three swordsman, one magic swordsman, and a strong mage as what I've seen.
Sir Sebastian gazed at the boy named Gin as well. "Sigh. Does it help you calm down if I tell you that we're the invisible hands and feet of your sister?" Gin nonchalantly said, slightly frustrated.
"My sister's hands and feet?"
"You've finally managed to budge" he rolled his eyes, "While Lady Tabitha is currently away for the mission we will conduct the second part of the mission".
"Then did my sister said anything for me? Did she want my help?"
It had been a week and a few days since she left. My dear sister had once again been taken away from comfort for a mission she probably didn't want to do again.
"If it involves disputes then I can do it for her".
Gin shook his head, "No. The mission she is doing right now is just mending things here and there. In general the process to reach the mission area is plenty dangerous as it had only been done with very few and powerful people before. But it seems that she made it safely."
"My sister is a genius mage. Don't look down on her."
"He-he's not saying that Lady Tabitha is weak Lord Regan," This time Sir Sebastian intervened. "It is undeniable that Lady Tabitha is a very powerful mage at such a young age especially if we base it off of her records, but what the young master meant was that the people who had received this mission as well were someone with a much higher background than her. It is not unnecessary to worry about the procedure but since she managed to pass the hardest hurdle, then it is no longer such a stress-inducing thought."
It was my turn to sigh this time. My mood was definitely better than before but the uneasiness still lingered. "And so? What did you want to discuss with me? Why me, in the first place?" I crossed my arms at them.
"Actually Lord Regan, it is not only you." Rustling leaves and heavy steps had managed to go unnoticed before they spoke.
Deep crimson hair caught my eye as the stranger removed her cloak.
It didn't make sense. The connections I am seeing right now bothers me down to my nerves.
Not only was there a Kalil, now someone from a former cursed family had arrived.
Cromwell.