"What?"
"You can read it?" The ex-paladins exclaimed. Nier simply nodded shrugging his shoulder.
'Who is he?' Len thought but put it away. Such questions were meaningless.
"I see... that's great. I will ask Belle about it's origin. Is there any other language you can understand?"
"I don't know"
"I see." Renley said as he looked at the book again. It had a plain old dusty cover without any writings, ruby in colour that had now dulled and shrivelled. The pages were yellowish and shrivelled as though they were dried after getting soaked. They had a rough texture.
"Hmm?"
The words that were written on the book suddenly began vanishing causing the paladin to widen his eyes.
"This...?" Len confusedly looked at the book that was beginning to become empty.
"An enchantment?" Renley thought out loud and poured his mana in the book. No change appeared and the words continued to vanish.
Nier quickly turned to a page with words and read-
'The past, present and the future. Each and all exist for and due to the other. History results in the present, from the present rise the destined and destiny creates history. A timeless ci-'
The words vanished leaving the book empty.
"Did you find anything?" Len asked, his question directed towards both the people present.
"There was some enchantment on it. A high grade one. I am not sure what will happen if it's broken or if it is even possible to do so" Renley said calmly.
Nier recalled the words he read and told the paladin duo.
"The future creates the past? Is that what it means?" Renley asked rhetorically.
"Tch. Is this some philosophical book? It feels like a diary though" Len grumbled.
"The enchantment...I am not really proficient in those but it likely works to protect the book and to hide the contents. There could be more functions but I don't know" Renley said looking deeply at the strange book. Throwing it in the air, he condensed a ball of wind and casually threw it at the book. The book was sent flying as Len used mental energy telekinesis to bring it back.
"It's unharmed" Nier's eyes turned circular when he saw it's undamaged state.
"The enchantment didn't even seem like activating but maybe it's always active?"
"It goes against whatever I've learnt or experienced...is this some highly advanced form of enchantments?"
Nier listened the paladin's discussion and thought about the keyword- enchantments.
Diana had taught him about enchantments. They were graded same as the sorcerer's grade- from Zeroeth Order to Six Order. Enchantments were supposedly complicated to understand as had Diana simplified it for him.
{"So to put it simply, there are people who can engrave symbols and whatnot into objects. When you put mana or in some cases, mental energy in those symbols. Some magical effect happens. The effects depend on the symbols and their configuration. For example- A person can make a 'fire ball' enchantment where if you pour mana into the symbols engraved by that person, a fireball is shot from the symbols."
"Wow...can I do that? And what are those symbols?"
"I'll answer the latter question first. I told you how the natural languages contain magical power didn't I? I also told you that only some languages can cause a magical effect simply by speaking those languages. Then how is it that I say that all natural languages are magical?" Diana's question proved to be rhetorical as she continued.
"Because of enchantments! The symbols used in enchantments are simply the alphabets and numerics of natural languages"
"So we can just write something like 'shoot fireball' in Zalnese and it will do so?" Nier asked raising his brow.
"It's more complicated. Rather than that, it's more like taking the symbols of a natural language and using them as if it's a completely new language"
[A/N: It's like using English alphabets to write a Python code. The tokens are english but the language is different. In that sense, you can relate a module or some function to enchantments]
"I see"
"That's not all, you have to also understand other things like spacing, orientation, depth in engraving, amount of mana applied and distributed, configuration etcetera. It takes people years and years to learn the art of enchantments. They are like spells but used on objects"
"I see" Nier replied downhearted.
"Well. You can just pay someone else to enchant whatever you want. Oh right- when an enchantment is really big. It's called a formation. The most famous Sixth Order enchantments or rather formations are none other than the teleportation formations"}
Nier snapped himself out of daze and focused on the ex-paladins
"Why would those words vanish only now? If the condition for the content to vanish is someone reading it. Didn't Nier read it before?" Renley asked leaning back in thought
"Maybe that's exactly it?" Len suddenly replied after a moment of silence.
"Hm?"
"Maybe it presents itself against people who could actually read it? The moment we- who could not understand it took a glance, the words vanished"
"That's possible..."
Renley and Nier nodded.
"Anyways. It shouldn't be harmful since you didn't feel any danger. Though I'll give it for check up just in case. I will bring some books to see if you can read other languages. I am not sure but you must have worked hard for some reason if you know so these languages. Oh right- make sure to be cautious when reading strange text the most can't understand because they can be extremely dangerous sometimes"
Renley said smiling.
"Hmm...come with us tomorrow. We'll be going on an adventure"
...
Next morning, Nier woke up quite early on his own and walked out in the garden. He met several workers nearby and waved at them. They mostly replied with equal enthusiasm but some weren't in the best mood due to the burden of everyday life.
The sun had yet to rise which gave a certain ambience to the environment. Nier knew that the major cities of Decericorn weren't as clean as the mountains they stayed on so he took a deep breath enjoying the fresh air- because they would be visiting the nearest city today. Valt city
"Isn't it pleasant?" A voice came from behind as Nier turned around. Kyber was facing him wearing a tight black shirt and red shorts.
"Mn" Nier simply nodded with a smile.
"Are you excited?" Kyber asked.
"...Yes" Nier answered looking at the sky.
"You too?" Nier asked in return.
"Probably not? I always wake up early to train." Kyber answered honestly while scratching his hair. Nier looked at him for a moment before asking.
"Why? Why do you train" Nier himself usually slept long.
"Hmm..." Kyber took some time to gather his thoughts. It was a question that was tandem asked to him. When he first met the paladins, they didn't question his wish for power.
"My mother was a Leomartian. She placed a great importance to strength as all Leomartians do. That might be partially responsible..." Kyber paused. Nier took the time to note that Kyber did have darker skin compared to the Mayans or most people he'd seen proving his Leomartian heritage.
"-but I think it just happened. Everyone told me that I had talent and I enjoyed fighting. What more was needed? That was how it started. Though...If I had to say why I am doing it now. I suppose it's not to be taken advantage of. I guess it's become a habit to train?"
It was surprisingly simple in Nier's opinion. That being said-
"What happened to your mother?" He asked.
"Ah...She died"
"..."
"..."
"What?"
"She fought someone and was killed" Kyber said drily
"Eh...Sorry for-" Nier was flabbergasted a little not due to the topic but Kyber's reaction but still apologised for basic etiquette.
"Don't worry about it. That's just how it goes in Leomarch. It's a county of barbarians" Kyber said with a smile.
'Leomarch is like that?' Nier thought bewildered.
"Still... aren't you angry?" Nier asked. He himself didn't know such feelings because he didn't know his original family but months after living with everyone. He would be sad if anyone of them were to be harmed much less killed. Death...they would never comeback. Even the child knew what death entailed.
"I don't know...I am more angry at mother to be honest. She didn't have to seek a fight but whatever...on the sun is out" Kyber replied stoicly and changed the topic. Nier didn't notice it and followed his gaze. In an instant, the dark sky brightened as an orange tint covered the environment.
-------
Nier finally wore the clothes prepared for the trip and checked himself in the mirror.
Taller than average, chubby cheeks, dead white hair and silver eyes. He was considered cute by everyone in the orphanage except Llenar. Wearing a white shirt with shoulder straps and a skin coloured short trouser. His skin was ghostly pale so it seemed to be in contrast despite being light coloured.
On the way out of the orphanage building. He met the people supposed to go on the trip. Kyber, Traicion, Xiu, Layla, Diana, Arvem Murphy and Marie Julian who were employed at the orphanage, Len and Renley. Nier wasn't supposed to participate in the preparation being a child but Renley had him do it so that he could learn how to prepare for trips.
Nier had after all, told him that he wished to travel the world so it was deemed as an important experience. Leaving the orphanage, Nier and others walked down the mountain stone road which eventually ended transiting into a dirt road.
Following their path, they saw a city in the distance covered by a wall
"What you see is the Valt City. It's famous for a building called Valt Tower. It's a place where sorcerers can battle each other. An arena of sorts"
"Haa. Even Decericorn? I thought battle addiction was a Leomartian thing" Kyber sighed.
"What are you talking about? Although more people tend to do jobs and other. Thirty-forty out of hundred are battle focused sorcerers you know! Though this era has been relatively peaceful. In the past, you had to be constantly vary of magical beasts attacking your environment or some evil sorcerer massacring your village which became a reason for everyone to hone their strength. Most people nowadays do it for adventuring and earning money from that-" Marie suddenly began rambling passionately
"Okay that's enough Miss Julian" Arvem chimmed in sighing.
"Leomarch is truly a country that especially focuses on strength but that doesn't mean that other nations don't consider it important" Len said as Kyber nodded.
"Battles act as stress reliever you know. Like Miss Julian said, the day and age we live in has less combat sorcerers than ever. Most do jobs that do not require fighting so it brings some relief to let your emotions out." Renley said smiling.
"Oh right...wear this Nier" Renley gave Nier a black sunglass.
"?"
"Silver eyes are quite attention grabbing. Just wear them"
"..."
"You look fabulous wearing them"
"Ok"
---
Fees wasn't required when traveling through cities but if one were to enter from the back of a city or rather from the mountains, they had to pay the entry cost. The orphanage at the mountain plain however had access to free entry despite being located at an uncivilized place.
Entering the city without paying the entry fee, Nier looked around in wonder.