~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
Weapons of might, items of convenience.
The rightful bearer shall gain the people's reverence.
Visitors from another plane, bearers of knowledge
They bring about wisdom and tactics that give an edge.
~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
The next day, when Grisia saw Kairo's injury, he asked if Kairo would like him to cast a healing spell on his forehead wound.
"NO!"
Surprised by this loud and energetic objection in the morning, Grisia asked, "Why? If you're worried about a scar forming, I heal myself all the time and I can guarantee that it has never left a mark."
This rang true as Kairo had not seen any scars on Grisia's face or hands. Though, those were the only places where his skin showed as Grisia usually wore leather gloves, long-sleeved tunics, and a cloak over all of it.
Nevertheless, Kairo answered, "S-Scars are... cool... yeaaah."
This suspicious behavior received a raised eyebrow from Grisia. The truth was, Kairo wanted to keep the bandage that Esmeralda herself treated him with, as well as get to spend more time with her later by receiving further treatment from her.
"Ah. If that is... your wish. Personally, I think showing off scars as a trophy is shallow."
"I can be shallow!" he huffed.
"V-Very well, it was merely my personal opinion. You need not consider yourself shallow if it truly matters to you that much. I shall let you have your way since you seem to have your... reasons."
"Phew. Many thanks, Grisia."
Grisia walked away momentarily, heading back inside the mansion while scratching his head. Kairo felt relieved that Grisia let him off the hook. He was beginning to run out of barely reasonable excuses.
"Hey, what happened to you? Did you trip and fall like the clumsy moron you are?" from behind him, he heard the voice of the person who he least wanted to see in his current condition.
And so, Aisia arrived with a huge grin on her face. Perhaps she was already aware of his wound, gossip of it must have already circulated throughout the mansion, save for Grisia.
Kairo pursed his lips. He didn't want to admit it, but Aisia's thoughtless question was on point. Seeing his reaction and his lack of a retort—not even outright denying the claim as he usually does—her grin formed into a devious one.
He took notice of this and was already preparing for Aisia's barrage of teasing.
"Hey, hey," she poked him on the back of his head with an impossibly cheeky smirk. "You did, didn't you? You tripped and fell face-first, didn't you?"
"So, what?!" he shouted with a flushed face.
"Nothing," she shrugged merrily. "Actually, it makes me sad," she said, her tone turning somber all of a sudden.
Kairo felt surprised that she didn't take the low-hanging fruit.
He began to think to himself, "Maybe I shouldn't keep underestimating Aisia's maturity—"
But before he could finish his thought, she continued, "Because I didn't get to see you embarrass yourself!" she said, belly laughing at him.
Surprised by this, he growled at her.
"At least you didn't cry, right?"
He flinched.
Aisia gasped.
"You did! You're a crybaby too!" she laughed louder.
She started running as Kairo chased after her. She couldn't tease him for a long time, so she was cherishing this moment by being a full-on brat.
She found Grisia emerging from the mansion door and hid behind his back.
Kairo knew he couldn't touch her once she was behind Grisia. She made a silly face and Kairo squinted at her.
"Let's go," declared Grisia.
These days, Grisia had been instructing them on strength training. Apart from their jogging warm-up to train their speed and stamina, they were working on their muscles to pack a heavier punch.
Alongside this, he wasn't letting up on their weapons training. Every time they adapted to his regimen, he added another thing on top of it. The two would groan, but they would never quit the training.
This time, he added balance training as he heard about how Kairo's head injury was caused by a fall. He made them stand straight on only one foot for a long time. Each time they failed, they were to switch to the other foot. In addition to that, he made them practice one thousand strikes with their weapon every day.
"Plant your feet firmly on the ground."
"HA!" they replied soundly in unison.
"Use your core more."
"HA!"
"That means using the ground to support your swing."
"HA!"
"Swing faster."
"HA!"
"Hold your weapon tightly."
"HA!"
Don't even let them pry it free from your cold, dead hands."
"Ha...?!"
One day, he joined them using his obsidian sword. They rarely got to see him use his sword.
And so, after they finished their training, on their way back home, Kairo asked, "Your sword looks fantastic, Grisia! Its dark blade reminds me of... a moonless night sky with a hint of... blue? No, purple! It's as if it was a fragment that was broken off of that scenery. Is there a story for its exquisite color?"
Grisia unsheathed his sword to observe it, sunlight gleamed on it blindingly.
"My sword is considered an artifact," Grisia told them. He eyed the blade as if his memories were hidden there and was searching for it. "Forged with the silky blood of a sickly one-horned horse, the sap of an evergreen tree, and fairy dust gathered from a... consenting... fairy. It was forged into an obsidian blade by a skilled blacksmith near an erupting volcano."
"A fairy?" Aisia's eyes sparkled.
"A consenting fairy?" Kairo asked.
"That's what interested you? Not the erupting volcano part?" Grisia said with a puzzled look.
"That too is very interesting," Kairo replied. "But I'm moreso confused with the consenting fairy."
"What does consenting mean?" Aisia snuck in a question.
"It means to give your permission for someone to do something to you. To permit or... to allow." Kairo answered, to which Aisia mouthed her understanding.
"Well, it's more convenient to simply ask for their dust rather than to take it by force. As magical as it sounds, they're merely the glowing scales from their wings. They constantly shed those as they fly around."
"O-Oh," the two kids were slightly disappointed by that revelation, but Kairo continued his queries. "Then what about the sickly one-horned horse?"
"Many call it a unicorn. There was one nearby, so we used it because why not? It seemed like a waste not to. It was an experiment after all."
"Oh! A unicorn— one-horned horse. I see."
"Apologies, from where I came from, that's how we usually call it. I forgot that in this land, people call it a unicorn."
"Not from this land..." Kairo thought about that phrase for a while. Grisia still hadn't told Kairo about his origins, but he didn't want to pry about it right now.
"What's an artifact?" Aisia asked.
"They are rare objects that grant immense power when held," Grisia answered. "Their true potential is unleashed when used correctly. But fractions of their power can be forcefully brought out through certain ways such as using a power, tampering with them, or simply wielding them with brute force. Though, if you ever find one, I advise you to exercise caution, as some of these artifacts are forbidden, or worse, cursed."
"What sort of special power does your sword have?" Kairo asked Grisia.
"I only said it is considered an artifact. But in truth, it is far from it. The ingredients I listed weren't anything special. They immediately burned up when they came into contact with the lava. And this obsidian blade," he held it up to show to the two. "While extremely sharp, is also extremely fragile. I'm essentially carrying a glorified glass sword."
"Then... what's the point of it?" Kairo asked.
"Do I look like I really need it?" Grisia replied.
"No... then why bother carrying one?" Kairo asked further.
"Brandishing a weapon has its uses. It can de-escalate brewing fights, intimidate foolish opponents into backing down, and being armed can make you seem tough and secure, preventing most people from trying anything funny around you. A simple bandit would become more menacing if armed with a weapon."
"I suppose that makes sense."
"Since the common folk cannot perceive ki, they began to spread rumors and considered my sword as an artifact to explain my feats. It is convenient for me as well, as I won't need to explain「 Ki 」to ordinary folks. Furthermore, that blacksmith friend of mine knew that this sword was a failure. It was his experiment after all. But since he's mischievous, he wanted to play a prank on people and was the first to accept its title as an artifact," Grisia said, returning his sword to its sheath.
"You have a random, yet impressive band of friends, Grisia," Kairo commented.
"Well, that's what happens when you go around travelling."
The two children both understood that he was talking about his still ongoing pilgrimage.
"Even if the ingredients burned up, did they at least affect your sword?" asked Kairo.
"The unicorn blood didn't do anything," Grisia responded. "Nor did the sap of the evergreen tree and the fairy dust. In fact, evergreen trees are common. There are a lot of them in the woods near the manor and outside the city."
"The more I hear about your sword, the less I think highly of it," Aisia snarkily commented, but Kairo agreed with her.
"As you should," Grisia agreed. "It's a shoddy one. The weapons that I conjure for you and Kairo are much more reliable, even with the time limit."
"Do you have more friends, pops?" asked Aisia. "Or other interesting acquaintances?"
Grisia gave a faint smile. Aisia felt like she was unintentionally indulging him in asking that question because she was showing interest in him, but she let it slide for now because she genuinely was.
"Hmm, let me think... I suppose apart from the blacksmith and dragonknight friends I told you about—and Chadrhaad—I do know some otherworlders."
"Really?!" Aisia exclaimed in childlike wonder, her voice echoing throughout the empty prairie. "R-Really...?" she repeated in a quieter voice.
Feeling like he was not on the same page as the two, Kairo asked, "Otherworlders?"
The two turned to him.
"What in the Drowl is an otherworlder?" he asked, seemingly the only one who was unaware of this thing or group.
Grisia replied, "Speaking of Drowl, this world of ours is named Drowl, yes?"
"Yes, I know at least that! Thankfully," said Kairo as if it was obvious.
The two of them leered at him. How could they have known he would be aware of that fact when he didn't even know about powers or otherworlders previously?
"My mother taught me," Kairo added as if heard their thoughts. "I think?"
"Well, anyway, otherworlders are people who did not come from this continent nor any of the known continents of Drowl."
"What?! Then where did they come from?"
"They hail from a different world, a world quite similar to Drowl, yet with some stark differences. A world brimming with foreign knowledge and ways, even if it is devoid of any powers. Much like your own little world in that faraway village of yours, Kairo."
"So... they're primitive?" asked Aisia.
"... No. No, no. I've been told that they simply lack any sort of power from where they came from. But much of the advanced knowledge we currently possess comes from them. Many of the books in the library are filled with contributions from otherworlders."
"The Theories of Nature!" Kairo realized.
"I see you've been reading some of the writings by otherworlders in the library," said Grisia.
"Yes," Kairo responded. "Before you told us about the aftermath of slaying the red dragon, I was already engrossed in it. I haven't the faintest idea that it was written by a person not from our world. He seemed highly learned and... particular with his words, many of the phrases allude me still."
Apart from Theories of Nature, it turns out that the book about the meanings of names that Kairo and Aisia read was also made by otherworlders. Therefore, the meanings came from another world's history. This revelation blew the two children's minds.
"Have I read any books by otherworlders?" asked Aisia, trying to fit herself into the conversation.
"I doubt it," replied Kairo. "The ones I made you read were those I have already read back in my village so I could teach you unfamiliar words. It was a greatly isolated village. We were a poor village, so I don't believe we possessed expensive books made by otherworlders. When you're more used to reading, I'll recommend some that I believe were written by them!"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Grisia spoke, "It's impressive enough that they were able to learn this world's languages to be able to share their knowledge, and so profoundly."
"Oh right, wouldn't it be hard?" Kairo wondered. "They had to relearn a whole language on top of the one they already know."
Grisia brought his fingers above his upper lip. "Actually..."
In the following days, as they trained, Grisia told them more about these otherworlders and their importance to Drowl.
Apparently, otherworlders are known by many names: beyonders, the reborn, transmigrators, reincarnated, and occasionally, prophecied heroes. Although recently, a new term was being popularized. It was something along the lines of "easy kite" or "easy kai", he was unsure.
But "otherworlder" would be the general moniker for these different types. The different types mainly pertained to how they realized their otherworldly origin.
Many came to this world with vivid memories of their past being, some only coming to later in their life. Often they were somehow blessed with the ability to read, write, or speak a language of Drowl, usually language of the continent where they found themselves in. Others weren't so lucky, starting with no idea how to communicate.
There are also accounts of the memories of an inhabitant of Drowl and an otherworlder merging into one body, but not all examples ended in harmony.
Some others explain that they possessed the body they currently reside in without taking on its memories, having to estrange the unfortunate loved ones of that body's former owner.
Grisia told them more about the different otherworlders he met or knew of. Much of the advancements in technology, philosophy, and language are thanks to these otherworlders. To Kairo, Grisia's tales of the otherworlders made them seem like they were this mighty, superior, and wise group of beings. But Grisia told them that even they had their own matters back in their world.
Even with their imaginative technology, vast culture, and innovative way of thinking, they still had similar problems that they shared with the current denizens of Drowl.
Hunger. Crime. Strife. War. Politics. Poverty. That last one made Kairo shudder. It seemed that humans will be humans, no matter the setting.
Though, they also had problems that people of this place could never imagine.
One of them was mental exhaustion that plagued one's mind constantly, enough for many to turn to the sweet release of death by their own hands. This was regarded to be a sickness of the mind by the inhabitants of Drowl. A curse brought upon by oneself due to excessive weakness and cowardice. Many otherworlders begged to differ.
Among other things, there was this inconceivable focus on the inequality between gender, race, and other groupings, which Aisia somewhat understood, but Kairo did not. She wondered if instead of growing fearful of strangers vastly different from himself in his isolated environment, maybe Kairo grew up with an innocent interest in them, which may explain his lack of scrutiny towards Agata in their first meeting. Humans in this continent aren't too keen on other races that don't look or act like them, such as the elves, or dark elves like Agata.
These "social issues" that the otherworlders called sparked quite the conflict between them and the Drowl natives in the past. The clash over what the natives thought were petty, unimportant troubles was rough at the start when otherworlders were only beginning to appear, but it began to smooth over as communication between the two groups settled through time.
Currently, there are natives who have begun to share the sentiment of the otherworlders towards these social issues, but there also appeared otherworlders saying that they agree with the natives' original stance, that these social issues are all make-believe problems.
Amusingly enough, the otherworlders also told of problems that sounded so silly, a Drowl native would bust his ass off laughing.
Being insulted in "a web" for example. The three wondered exactly what this so-called "web" was and why otherworlders abashedly admitted that they put their life and honor on the line when squabbling in it.
It must not be like the mere spider cobweb that sits with the dust in unkempt corners, the three thought. But the thought of it possibly being something that mundane elevated it to a new level of hilarity.
Though apparently, not all otherworlders know of this "web" place. Likely denizens of the other worlds' past. It seems that there is a mix of otherworlders from different eras existing in Drowl.
"An otherworlder, huh," Kairo mumbled to himself. He looked at Grisia for a moment, turning away before Grisia had a chance to notice him. "That would be wild if Grisia was one."
To Kairo, Grisia was out of this world, but not too much that he believed he was an otherworlder. The fact that Grisia spoke of the otherworlders distantly as if he wasn't one of them and was still learning about them was more than enough proof to him that he was a native from Drowl.
Even Aisia said she doesn't know about Grisia's origins, or much about him at all. In time, he thought, Grisia would reveal more about himself to them. Like that time when he revealed how he saw him and Aisia after fighting the red dragon.
They would just have to wait until he was comfortable or for the right time.
"I wonder if I'll ever meet an otherworlder..." Kairo's eyes reflected the dull, wintery sky above them.