[
"Amael?"
The word felt unfamiliar, yet it seemed to be familiar.
[
I was taken aback.
Had I ever mentioned my name to her?
"No, I never said it was my name…" I replied, perplexed.
[
I glanced down at the pendant around my neck, a gift from Edward's mother. On the black coin, there was an inscription in a language I couldn't read. To me, it was merely a stylish decoration.
"You can read that…?" I asked in surprise.
[
"Written as Amael?" I asked.
[
I hadn't been aware of this alternate name, but then again, there were many aspects of Edward's life that I was still discovering.
[What are you going to do now, Amael?]
Jarvis finally asked.
[
Cleenah panicked a bit hearing Jarvis's voice. It was a bit cute.
"Jarvis, my useless system," I replied in a tone of mild annoyance.
[I am not a system.]
[
No response followed, and I couldn't help but smirk. It seemed Jarvis had moments of silence, much to my satisfaction.
[I'm Edward's dietician.]
This bastard...
Cleenah tried to stifle her laughter but I can hear you!
The exchange had shifted my mood. I couldn't deny that this banter, even if mostly one-sided, provided some semblance of relief but why the hell do they have to bring up by weight?!
"When does the academy start?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Twelve days," Jarvis replied.
"You're going to school?" Cleenah asked surprised.
"Yeah, you know what that is?" I asked, equally surprised.
[
"Then you probably skipped school, didn't you?" I asked with a smirk.
[
Damn, she really skipped?
"From the way you're speaking. It's obvious," I replied.
However, I was more interested by her capabilities.
"What are your powers?" I asked without beating around the bush.
I didn't make a Death Pact to have a Goddess pestering in my mind. I have already an useless system doing that.
[
"So you're a useless Goddess?" I shook my head. This is really the worst.
[
The irony wasn't lost on me— a supposed 'useless' system and a 'useless' Goddess. They were turning out to be quite the pair.
'They can't read my thoughts, right?' I mused, mostly to myself.
"W-Well, I have two weeks to train anyway," I changed the subject, focusing on my upcoming days.
[Your family, Edward. They've probably been looking for you since two weeks ago,]
Jarvis reminded me suddenly.
"Oh, yeah…" I hadn't even considered that. I hadn't informed anyone, not even Belle. Guilt pricked at me, even if only for her sake. But as for the others... Edward's father, foster brother, and younger sister.
"They aren't my family, Jarvis. How many times do I have to say that?" I retorted.
[For them, you are.]
I shrugged. "It's not my problem."
[Understood, but your aunt?]
"Belle, huhhh…," I mused aloud, feeling a mix of emotions about seeing her again.
"I will tell her in two weeks. I will train and see her after that, before the entrance ceremony," I decided.
[She'll be angry.]
"I know, but right now, I just want to move forward. I want to turn the page on what happened two weeks ago and get a grip on this world," I said.
[Copy that.]
Stop with that!
"Hey Cleenah, do you think two weeks is enough for you to teach me something?" I asked, hopefully.
[
"I should have expected it from a useless Goddess."
Definitely, she was too easy to provoke.
[
Knew it.
"Good," I replied, enjoying our verbal back-and-forth.
[
"Yeah, you can keep me alive, right? I don't need to eat anything?" I asked again to make sure..
Cleenah hesitated before replying.
[
While her response was not comforting, I shook off the unease. "I will manage it."
I considered my options. Going to a nearby town stealthily was one, but with the news of my departure from the Falkrona House spreading far and wide, I was undoubtedly a highly sought-after figure. The fact that I had disappeared the way I had might have generated a plethora of theories. Given my status as the son of Duke Falkrona, possessing the most powerful army in the kingdom, I could be considered a valuable hostage. Not to mention, those who were hostile to the kingdom might be on the lookout for me as well.
Fortunately, no one seemed to have considered searching this desolate place, a fact for which I was grateful. No sane person would venture here, even the malevolent ones.
As I counted down the twelve days until the entrance ceremony of the Royal Eden Academy, I couldn't help but marvel at the surreal nature of it all. The [First Game] would commence at the entrance ceremony. I was preparing to participate directly in the story, a story I was more familiar with than I cared to admit. But this time, I had no intention of joining Ante-Eden.
I pondered the concept of the Butterfly Effect. It seemed like an apt way to describe the changes I was making to the narrative. Yet, I was determined. I had to be ready for the pain awaiting me with the [Events].
I gazed around the surroundings, a desolate but vast area I had chosen as my training ground.
While I didn't expect to achieve the same level of strength as the main characters within these two weeks, I aimed to be stronger than most of my future classmates. The game depicted Edward's life after being disowned as a series of trials and tribulations, both from mocking nobles and his association with Ante-Eden. This time, I was prepared to facethem, and that required a certain level of strength.
In the end, all I could do was train and prepare. I knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy, but at least I was willing to take it on.
***
In that dark expanse, a flicker of green shimmered. It took on the form of a girl, though her features were blurred, as if shrouded in mist. Despite the obscurity, her beauty was still visible, appearing to be in her late teens or early twenties.
"How long are you planning to hide and act like that, both of you?" Cleenah asked looking around her.
No response followed her words.
"He's a good person, I am vouching for him," she continued. Her voice was affectionate, as if she had known him for a long time. "Well, a little rude against a Goddess…"
She pouted slightly before breaking into a warm smile.
"But he has the talent and mentality. Do you understand what I mean?"
Still, no reply was forthcoming. However, the girl seemed to sense that her words were having an effect.
She turned her attention elsewhere, seeming to gaze into the darkness where she could see what happened outside. She had been watching it. A gray-haired plump boy who had been running tirelessly around the temple for the past two hours.
Amusement danced in her eyes as she watched him complain to his Jarvis who was criticising him.
Cleenah chuckled at the sight of Edward's serious demeanor as he ran, but her amusement faded as she noticed the underlying sadness on his face.
She reached out, her fingers brushing the image of Edward's face as it appeared in her mind.
"Will you, one day, Amael?"