A world has its predetermined scenarios, with the chain of events happening at the exact right time.
A world has a predetermined number of souls it can contain. Souls go through the cycles of reincarnation, but the number remains constant.
A world has a predetermined amount of mana depending on its distance to the Source.
These are the laws of world.
It is a section under the Limitation Triad, stating that a world depends on a three-way balance. A limit on the mana, a limit on the number of existences, and a limit on time, with things happening as they should following a conceived plot.
But what happens when the balance is tilted by an external force or unexpected occurrence?
An intervention was allowed, granting the movement from one storyline to the next. In what form? Only a Guardian knows.
A boy opened his eyes to a familiar surroundings.
The old wooden ceiling is a tad covered with dirt and cobwebs, a part of which has already molded due to leaks during the seldom raining.
He was lying down on a bed that had undergone a number of repairs over the years.
The bed was at the corner of the only room, right beside a wall that has collapsed multiple times when he still couldn't control his strength.
With his right hand, he pressed on the side of his neck, where an area of it was hot and throbbing, seemingly signifying that everything around him is real.
He just woke up, but he has a face that seems fatigue was washing over him. However, with the crowing of the roosters, he knew it was time to move on to his daily routine.
He rose from the bed, and after fixing his appearance, wearing his worn-out uniform with the similarly worn-out leather armor, he went out of his little hut and made his way towards the training area.
He passed through the usual path; in the small home village, he came to the usual bakery to buy a single loaf of bread for breakfast, ate as he ran, and nodded in greeting to the same people along the way.
At the small training area for knight apprentices, there were currently no people besides the entrance guard, who was sleeping, as usual, at this time in the morning. It was expected; the boy was typically the earliest among the ten trainees.
If he went to one of the rooms of the center, he was sure to find the only knight of the village, probably intoxicated, but he opted not to disturb the instructor.
Amidst the chirping of the early birds and the sun's warmth alleviating the cold morning, he started training by himself with the training center's shabby weapons.
Things will go with the flow, according to the expected storyline. But the boy was sure that it would not hurt to make a change for himself.
"Tch."
He swung the wooden sword with an unfamiliar strength, creating a small crack on his usually stoic face.
Mirrors are luxury objects that he couldn't afford, which is why he hasn't seen his own reflection. But by looking at his skinny limbs, he knows there's so much to be done.
When his swinging reached the hundreds, he finally heard the arrival of other people.
Nevertheless, he continued with no one disturbing him and everyone going their own ways.
Except for one.
"Hi, Caleb!"
A cheerful voice called out to him, a boy of similar age.
He stopped his movement, acknowledging his village friend with a nod.
"..."
"What the heck, it's been days since I last heard your voice, but you seem different."
The boy, Caleb, raised his head while brushing his wet fringes off. He gave his friend a questioning look.
"Hah. You seem quieter, and you know, you're giving off a very solemn aura, more than usual. Why so serious? Is this about yesterday's awakening rites?"
"..."
"Caleb, you might not know because you don't care, but you were the talk of the village! And they said the young master burst out of the temple door red in frustration; ah, was that true?"
'Ah, that's why I feel weak.'
"I am really happy for you, but not envious, of course! Of all things, why do you have the knack of attracting enemies? Hahaha!"
The Awakening Ceremony is a temple event that happens four times a year cycle, once for every season and once in every person's lifetime.
Past the tenth name day, everyone was to visit the nearest temple or village church to partake in the rites.
Yesterday was not only his scheduled time but also his exact birth day, and their village has a lot of excessive superstitions regarding the rare chance.
Such beliefs include anticipation of one's achievements, how these rare occurrences may be a foreshadowing his success.
Rarity begets expectations.
Unfortunately, rarity also gives rise to jealousy and other negative emotions.
He was a commoner and, worst of all, an orphan.
Despite his social status, or perhaps because of it, he was an object to others' bad intentions when he got no hands on those chances. Although, of course, that doesn't make him any less grateful.
The village chief's son, Kevin, was one of the ill-intentioned kids who despised him for his own reasons.
It was a thing he couldn't put his finger on; why there exists people who look at other people's cups grudgingly, despite their own running over.
After the ceremony, he was subjected to the frustration of the less talented, and a slight commotion happened that was pacified instantly on the surface.
In the end, being the talk of the town was never in his favor; instead, he gained more enemies, and his every action both now and in the future are being heavily scrutinized.
But he had to keep quiet and not attract any more attention unnecessarily.
Given his current age, he prepared himself to withstand the bullying for the next two years.
As what is supposed to be.
"Are you participating in the hunt?"
It was something he already knew but still asked to divert the attention of his friend, who was laughing amusedly to himself.
Unlike him, who was an orphan, Elric got a family, with his father being a mercenary. They were a hunter family, and once in a while, Elric joins in with the business.
Remembering something, Caleb felt the tightening on his chest — a change that didn't show on his expression.
"Woah, you talked! I feel lucky, hahahaha! I think I can catch a goblin on my own later."
"No. That's dangerous."
Caleb felt a slight chill on his back while listening to his friend and taking a glimpse at his friend's clenched right fist.
"Are you worried? Ah, why don't you come with me then?"
"I —!"
Just then, a loud bang was heard at the door, where three thug-like kids entered. One of the kids in the group, the one leading, was Kevin, who was giving Caleb the dirty look while he walked to the front of the platform.
Kevin was the son of the village chief, and Elric is of status one step below him. Nonetheless, the latter didn't fear offending him because Elric was a proud mercenary son.
Elric and Caleb ignored the group altogether.
"Mm?"
"I..."
Predetermined scenarios happen at their specified times; it was a lesson he learned the hard way.
Unless an intervention happened.
But interventions almost always has consequences; a light change may cause irreversible effects. Additionally, intervention only happens with the permission of a Guardian, whether the one intervening is aware of it or not.
Uncharacteristically, Caleb grabbed Elric's right hand with both of his and then he refused the invitation.
"I, I can't. Maybe next time."
"Eh? S-sure."
There was still no change in Caleb's expression as he suppressed his guilty feelings. Meanwhile, Elric was utterly flustered by Caleb's actions.
"Be careful."
It was all he could say, hiding his real thoughts and just apologizing internally.
'I'm sorry'
Leaving his friend behind, Caleb also walked to the front as their training was about to start.
Marking today's training session was the arrival of the knight instructor, with an appearance that would put every knight's honor to shame, wobbling like the drunkard that he is.
The Holy Empire is in constant war. Even at this very moment, the frontline bastion must be active.
But the Klein Barony, where their home village belongs, is located at the foot of the capital, Solklaire. It was part of the central territories, quite a distance from the boundaries with other realms.
It was fairly peaceful. Unlike in other places, the humans are the hunters instead of the other way around.
That is perhaps why there are those who indulge in their own frivolous ways, like the person in front of them.
"Ahem, ahem."
Their instructor, Melicor, who has been assigned to their village by the baron, was still flushed in the face, but his eyes were steady. This indicates he was sober somehow.
"Congratulations to those who received their blessings yesterday."
He looked at the three kids at the front, his eyes lingering on Caleb, though he didn't say more.
"Let's start. Today we'll have the 3rd form of the Imperial Swordsmanship."
Although he spent his night having fun, Caleb knew that Melicor was good at doing the bare minimum in his job while lacking in other matters. Nevertheless, he was a true knight.
During a strange event when the goblin king finally makes a move, a small-scale monster wave from the foot of the Scarlet Mountain, east of Klein, will cause devastation on the land, including his home village.
The knight, Melicor, was a true knight who would remain protecting his assignment until the last villager was kept safe, sacrificing himself in the process.
Yet, for the meantime, Melicor is just their sloppy knight instructor.
The rare monster wave is an incident two years in the future.
After Melicor demonstrated the Imperial Swordsmanship three times, the apprentices took their stances and began to imitate the movements. He walked around, observing his students and correcting their postures if necessary.
Melicor's eyes then stopped at a certain red-haired boy, astonished at the sight. He wasn't the only one.
Caleb, on the other hand, unaware that everyone around him had already stopped to stare at him, continued to dance the 3rd form of the Imperial Swordsmanship that was so deeply ingrained in him that the flow seemed natural.
The seven forms of Imperial Swordsmanship are a basic sword art that he could exhibit flawlessly even with his eyes closed.
Of course, learning it at the moment was not the first time.
In fact, what is happening at the moment and the moments, days, and even years after were never his first.
When the balance of the world is tilted by an external force or an unexpected occurrence, resulting to the plotted storyline going astray, the caretakers, the Guardians, could eventually intervene.
It could come in different arrangements.
One form of intervention was through a Guardian's descent. But this happens only every thousand god-years and it requires a significant sacrifice depending on the level of the prayer.
'Ah.'
Caleb stopped his movements abruptly. He almost made the mistake of continuing to the next step of the Imperial Swordsmanship because he was in silent contemplation. That was when he noticed those eyes that were on him.
He timidly bowed at his instructor, who was nodding at him in approval, while he ignored Elric, who was openly giving him two thumbs up, and Kevin, who was glaringly at him in resentment.
In a world of tribulation, two figures are designated—the Saint and the Hero.
There was a law following the section of the Limitation Triad.
It was stated that Guardians could only intervene through either the Saint or the Hero.
Caleb, the current Hero of Renaris, regressed to the day after his tenth name day.
It was the grand plan fulfilled with the help of the Saint of Lohiya.
On his neck was the Stigma of Time, a mark in the form of an hourglass. He was a living intervention, an organic countermeasure aiming to attempt another round of keeping the world, Renaris, from its collapse.
However, he was careful not to intrude on the storyline so early.
The typical day ended after their training; the night came, and his routine began again in the morning.
News of accidents encountered with the goblin hunt during the previous day arrived at the training grounds.
One of which involved Elric, who lost his dominant arm after being cut by a mutated goblin. With a heavy heart that was not shown in his face, Caleb only listened, resolving to sever his ties with his only friend.