(2 years and 1 month after Reincarnation)
[Taki's POV]
"Kyrie, do you need help reading that book?"
"I can read it myself!" I replied to mom, with a cheerful voice.
"I see.... if you have any words that you don't understand, just ask mommy okay?"
"Mkay!"
I lied on the couch in the living room. The best part about being a girl is that there's no dick to get in the way when lying on my stomach... but enough about that. Right now, I am reading a book called 'Battle of Creimland'....
After about half an hour of reading, I got the general gist of the book's content. It's about the history of this world actually, and it's rather interesting.
About 50 years ago, a war of attrition against the the demonic race, also known as the Bostnians began. Although they were called Demons, the demonic race is actually more diverse than just demons and it includes undeads, beast folk and even insect men. The generic european demons is just one race within the Demon Continent.
This world operates in the Armored Titan's calendar, and it was created in order to celebrate the end of the demonic war. This means that the war would've ended 20 years ago, not that far off from the present, but far enough for the world to recover. If I was born 30 years earlier I would have lived in a completely different environment very similar to Earth's World War period. Right now it is the 24th Year of AT.
The war lasted about 30 years, and it killed nearly half of the world's population. Humanity allied together to create the 'Allied Force' which fought against the demonic force to a stalemate.
9 Republican countries allied together to form the demonic faction, known as Nine's Republic. Their leaders are 72 archdemons.
Baal is the supreme king of this republic, also one of the king in the nine republic. He was known as the first Magic Pioneer, the strongest Mage in the world. He is a near God-like being, almost invincible to everyone and is virtually indestructible.
He could level villages with a single spell, and shoot his magic across continents, none except the Second Magic Pioneer of his era saw him in person and lived to tell the tale.
Few characteristic of his is that he holds nearly inexhaustible amount of mana and his Magic Eye can gaze right past reality itself... None knows what exactly that Magic Eye is supposed to do, but it was said to be able to see the future.
He's on an entirely different level from normal mages even for the demons, and for decades the Allies could only crumble before his overwhelming power, slowly losing what little land they defended; That is until a magician that could challenge Baal himself joined the war.
The magician is a woman, unusually. She joined the front line as a normal mage accompanying a party of adventurers at first, and she's not diffirent from a normal mage.
However, they would be ambushed by enemy generals was almost wiped out. Out of seven of the members, only two survived including the woman who called herself Lynn.
After that incident, Lynn furthered her pursuit of magic and became the strongest mage in the known history. She alone slained at least 9 archdemons in direct combat without any support. She has became someone on par with Baal himself, a Second Magic Pioneer, and Baal was not happy about it.
Baal challenged Lynn to a duel, and threatened to destroy the entire world if she rejects. Accepting the duel, she would face off with Baal in the decisive battle on Creimland, the capital city of the demons.
With the combined effort of the allies and their new weapon, Golems, Creimland was successfully besieged for the first time in human history. Lynn fought against the Magic Pioneer inside his very own castle, and killed him with her strongest magic. It is a battle of the century, the climax of the Great Demonic War. It was said that even with just the collateral damage, the battle between Lynn and Baal was so great that it destroyed the entire city that was once Creimland.
Their battle was so legendary and so great that songs and tales are still praising this duel... it was like the 'Goliath vs King David' of this world.
She earned the title of 'Magic Pioneer' from defeating Baal himself in a direct confrontation, and she was gifted a family name of royal blood as well.
No longer a mere peasant, she is now known as Lynn Howard. Though more commonly people would just call her by her title, the Magic Pioneer, Lynn. Strongest Human in this world.
"...Huh?!"
Isn't 'Lynn' the white lady's name?! No no, it must be someone else.... Lynn is a common female name, there would be someone else with the same name!
The start of the demonic war was almost 50 years ago, and it ended 30 years ago. If she was alive she would be an old lady by now... it can't be that white lady.
Well, I think that this is enough researching on history for now, let's take a rest.
I took a look at the house and it seems that as I was reading, Ghyse had already left. Which means it is about 3 hours away from dusk huh?
As my mind flies off to another dimension, I watched mom worked on some potions. She put some herbs into a mortar, but she couldn't seem to find the pestle.
"Mama, you need some help?" I asked casually.
"Not really... Actually yes. I seem to have left the pestle in the storage room. Can Kyrie help mama find it? "
"Sure!"
As I said that, went to the storage room and found the pestle on a shelf. I took it and headed back to the living room to give it to mom.
"Here!"
"Thanks, you are very helpful." She said as she pats me on the head.
"Ehehe!"
And then she begins grounding up the herbs. Seeing her work like this is interesting, so I stood at the end of the counter with my eyes barely above the table, and watched her quietly. Mom's gaze slowly moved to me.
"....Are you interested in making potions? "
"Mmm!"
"Very well, let mom teach you how to brew potions then."
With that, assisting mom in brewing potions also became part of my daily life. It seems that those herbs which mom buys from merchants have weird properties in them that can achieve certain effects. There's no way to really tell what effects each ingredient has other than to eat them.
"But mom, can't you just eat the ingredients?"
"It doesn't work like that. You can't digest a piece of rock can you?"
"...?"
"You can't. That's why certain properties of these ingredients has to be extracted into a solution in order for the effect to take place faster and more effectively. Even if it's herbs, you will digest it slowly than just drinking it."
Spoken like a true professional, as expected of my mama alchemist!
"Some monsters could eat the ingredients and get as much effect from it as if drinking a potion since they can digest it.... that's one of the reasons why monsters exists everywhere, they are highly adaptable."
"Mmm..."
Hours passed by as I watched her work. Before I know it, it was dusk already.
'Cha Chak!' The door to the shop opened, and what came inside the shop is the familiar man that I have seen for 2 or so years now.
"Welcome back papa!"
"Oh? Aren't you energetic today Kyrie? Come here, give papa a kiss!"
"Eww, no! You smell like sweat, and your face is so dirty and hairy!"
"Ouch.... "
Thomas looked saddened, maybe I should've pulled my punch a bit... Still, I would hate to kiss someone on a cheek full of hairs!
"Hmm... But it's fine for just this once!"
"Oh really? Papa's glad!"
Of course, the reason I agreed to do is because I have ulterior motives.... I want to make use of my little girl cuteness and convince him to teach me swordsmanship.
"But on one condition! "
"Hmm, negotiating are we? Go on, speak your mind and papa will consider it."
"I'll kiss papa only if papa teaches me how to use a sword!"
"Eh?"
"Huh?" As mom was preparing dinner, she was surprised too.
Is it that weird for me to want to learn swordsmanship? I mean, even back in earth I really liked fighting sports....
Now that there's a chance for me to continue in a cool swordsmanship from another world and actually using european swords at that, of course I would want to try it!
"C-can papa ask why do you wanna learn to use a sword? Did someone bully you and you want to beat them up? Or are you afraid of a dog in the neighborhood?"
"Umm.... Because it looked like papa was enjoying it whenever you practised in the backyard!"
"Oh I see I see! Have you come to realize the beauty of a sword as well? Good... why that's very good! I shall teach my little girl how to use a sword then!"
"Honey?" Mom asked in a soft voice... but she's making a scary face!
"Umm.... Yeah?"
"It's dangerous you know?! What if she accidentally hurts herself? And she's just two years old!"
"But we promised that no matter the gender, we'll teach our kid whatever they liked, no matter it's miracles, magic or martial arts!"
"Yes, but she's still just a child!"
Well now what have I done.... I've gotta stop this somehow...
"Umm... Papa, mama, please don't fight over me."
"Ah..." (2x)
They both looked at my sad face and went 'Ah...', stopping their argument.
"D-don't worry, Kyrie! Papa and mama isn't fighting-"
"It's okay if mama doesn't want me to do this. It is weird for girls to do something so violent after all."
What surprised me was when another voice of a stranger sound in the shop's door.
"Hello? Sorry to trouble you when you are having a lover's quarrel, but I'm here to receive the potions that I ordered."
Before we all notice it, middle aged man was inside the shop, standing in front of the door way.
"Ah, of course..." Mom said that as she pulled out 3 blue colored potions from the counter's drawer.
"Your receipt?"
"Here."
Mom took and checked the paper before she hands the three potions back to him.
"....Look, I don't know what's going on, but my little boy doesn't mind a girl who can fight... Oh but I shouldn't interfere in family matters, haha! I'll take my leave then."
Like that, the customer left after receiving the potions. After a brief silence, mom talked again.
"....Alright, swordsmanship is fine. But if Kyrielle gets hurt or she uses her abilities to hurt people then you'll have to take responsibility, honey."
"Yay!"
"Yes of course, Katherine. I'll make sure to teach Kyrielle properly so that no problems will occur! Sorry that I was loud to you earlier."
"No, I am the one who snapped at you for no reason, I'm sorry."
"Katherine..... This is the reason why I fell for you!" He jumped towards mom and hugged her, grabbing her bums at the same time.
"Ugh! Get away from me you perverted blondie!"
Like that, a random middle aged guy helped our family made up....
_________________
(Later in the night)
.....Huh?
I suddenly found myself in the living room practising my human language?... Somehow, the outside looks very bright for the night... Actually, it's too bright.
Strange... Normally mom would be working at the counter right now.... I climbed the stairs to the second floor and looked at every room but I didn't see Mom, dad, or Ghyse, or anyone. That's unusual.....
But suddenly before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of a street now.
"Huh...?"
This scenery is familiar, yet so distant.... Why? Because this is the street in front of my house, but... The houses and terraces are all on fire, it seems that the entire city is on fire. And on the side walk... are dead bodies. I was shocked when my mind finally realized that those are actual, dead people. This causes my knees to lose strength and drop to the ground.
"Kyaa!"
'Tink!'
But there's a strange sound, like metal hitting the road. That's because I was holding a sword in my hands.... And my hands was extremely bloody.... What the hell is going on?...
'Thomp...!'
What.... That sounded like footsteps, but that's too heavy....
'Thomp!'
I looked to the direction of the sound.... which is just slightly further down the street.
'Thomp!!!' I finally saw that thing... With each step it takes, the ground shakes violently.
Standing almost 5 meters tall with an extremely wide body and holding a giant flaming greatsword. It has a body of made of metal, and fire seeps out from the gaps of it's body. It's safe to assume that whatever this thing is, it's dangerous.
"(Hmm, persistent are we? Even after all that beating, you are still alive and kicking? You really are an unusual one aren't you? Hehehe...)"
With a distorted and extremely deep voice, it spoke and laughed. He spoke in another language... one that I didn't understand.
"(Huhu, paralyzed from fear are you? Well it doesn't matter, you are going to die like all the vermins here regardless.)"
As it said that, it raised it's left hand towards me.
"(My black flame, turn my enemies into dust. Abyssal Fire!)"
A crest formed in front of it's hand, and there gathers a giant fireball, but it gets darker as it grows bigger. That is no doubt magic... something that I've never seen a lot of before.
The fireball hover in place for a brief second and charged up into an even bigger ball.... After charging it, the demon pulled it's arm back and then threw the fireball at me.
'Fwuo-!!!'
"Eek!!!"
Fear paralyzed my body as the giant fireball approached my face and flashed at my eyes... the thought to defend myself has never even crossed my mind.
'Boom!!!'
_____________
"No!... Hah... Hah... huh?..."
I jumped up from a familiar bed and took a large grasp of air... I have woke up lying on my bed.
The surroundings are dark, but this is the very room that I have slept in for 2 years so it is easy to recognize.... In the darkness, I could hear mom and dad talking next room.
"What...." Bring my hands in front of my eyes, I could see that my hands were still shaking from fear....
Adrenaline ran down my body as I remembered the scene of the demon standing on the street in a burning city, with a giant black colored fireball on its hand...
....That was a nightmare, but it felt so detailed and vivid that it feels very real... Well, it's just a little dream. The city is not on fire and everyone is here right now. It was probably because I was too excited with reading about the Great War....
"Hmm...."
I touched my body and felt that my pajamas was soaked with sweat. The nightmare was so intense that I sweated so much... It's time to get changed...
(Chapter end)