I can't believe it's been a full year since I was brought to this place. You'd think I'd be excited to come to a place that trains summoned heroes. I'm no hero...

My coming here was a fluke of the highest order and I've been reminded of that every second of every day. It's also the reason I'm living in the lowest district in this run-down shop front.

My only skill is how adaptable I am to shitty situations. I have to make it work because laying down and dying isn't an option.

I guess it's about time I stop feeling sorry for myself...

I sigh getting out of bed and grabbing my coat while Titan gets up stretching. "Morning buddy, I'll make breakfast in a little bit we have to drop off today's orders at Lady Auras place."

He barks walking over to the table and I set a long wooden box on his back strapping it down. He wags his tail happily and I give him a treat before stepping out into the dark damp ally. "Of course, it's raining today of all days."

I head next door to her heavy iron door knocking 4 times. The metal slit slides open slowly and I see piercing red eyes looking at me. I smile holding up a bag of tea leaves. "Morning, I have your tea."

She glances around. "Is the dog with you?"

I pull Titan's head into view. "Yep right here-"

The heavy door swings open quickly and she steps back. "Come on."

I walk in setting the tea on the table and before I get a chance to unhook Titan's package she lifts it with one hand setting it down so she can grab him. She cuddles him like a puppy but he's huge. Her strength is insane I guess that's from being a blacksmith for 5000 years.

I start to open the box and she puts her foot on it. "I don't need you to show me the quality of the swords. I know your work is superb."

I smile. "Thank you, I know I'm not as good as you but I'm finally making swords I'm proud of."

She sets down Titan. "Your swords are so popular I can't keep them on the shelves. I gave you that shop why don't you set up the front of the store and make it your own instead of selling your swords under an alias?"

I scratch my cheek. "Well because people won't want to buy them when they find out I can't even use magic... I prefer this method."

She comes over rubbing my head gently. "I understand but your sword quality makes up for any lack of magic. I've never seen a gem so polished and the magic threads are so tightly woven that it's just one solid magic circuit as if it was always so."

I sigh looking down. "I guess I could give it a try."

She kisses my forehead. "Good boy, now make that tea I'll grab the cakes."

Lady Aura has a sweet tooth and loves dogs. She's a very sweet person but her strength and determination are like something I've never seen before. I've been studying under her for this whole year and I've learned so much just in this short time.

While making the tea I hear a knock on the front door of her shop. "Greyson dear can you grab that for me?"

I head towards the front with Titan. "Sure, were you expecting someone?"

She chuckles. "Our guest isn't here for me, she's an admirer of your work."

I open the door seeing Miku standing in the rain. "Good morning, I apologize for coming before opening hours but I just couldn't wait any longer."

Lady Aura smiles waving her inside. "Come in out of the rain dear, I was expecting you."

She comes in and I hold my hand out to her. "I'll take your coat for you."

She kindly hands it to me. "Thank you, are you a customer of Lady Auras too?"

Lady Aura chuckles. "No, he's my apprentice."

I extend my hand to Miku. "We've never formally met my name is Grey and that is my pet Titan."

Titan wags his tail and she takes my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet Lady Aura's apprentice. Wait..."

She stares at my hand. "Why can't I feel a magic signature-"

I pull my hand away and Lady Aura appears beside us pointing a knife at her neck. "Miku dear, I'm gonna need you to forget about that."

She stumbles back landing on her ass. "I-I wasn't going to say anything about it! I was just curious is all! I'm sorry!"

Lady Aura looks at me. "What would you like to do? I had you over so I will take responsibility for whatever you decide."

I look down at Miku and get a weird pulse in my chest. "S-She telling the truth, she was just excited about coming here to pick up her weapon."

I'm shocked that I knew exactly how she felt what was that? It was almost like an instinct... She quickly stands up. "That's right! I just came for the sword I won't tell anyone what happened."

Lady Aura lowers the knife. "If that's what you wish then we will act like that never happened."

After that intense encounter, we all sit down and I pull out the sword she ordered. "Incredible! Incredible! I've never felt a sword this powerful before!"

I sit down at the table looking at her and she blushes slightly. "W-What do I have something on my face?"

I shake my head a bit confused. "Why does one of the 12 rounds need a forged weapon? Aren't you all incredibly overpowered in more than one regard?"

She clutches the blade looking down. "Since I learned something personal about you I'll tell you something about myself."

She sets the sword on the table. "I'm the weakest out of the 5 of us. We're quintuplets with a specific element that we are incredibly adept in. My element is water, I can rival the strongest of cosmic fire beings but... It's nothing compared to my sister's strength. Everyone tells me it's okay we all contribute and it's not a competition."

I take a sip of my tea. "You don't see it that way. You feel like all of you are improving but you'll always be in the shadow of your sister's so to offset that you got a sword that's limiter has been removed so you can turn mana from the air into raw magic power without expensing any of your own?"

Her eyes go wide. "How did you-"

Lady Aura points at the hilt of the sword where a gold lotus is imprinted. "Because he's the one who Forged that sword so it's only natural he knows its function better than anyone else."

She seems stunned as she stares at the weapon. "A person without a magic signature created such a strong weapon?"

I sigh. "I know, I know I might not have magic but I can forge it."

She snaps out of it looking at me. "N-No I didn't mean any offense by it! I think it's incredible that someone who can't sense magic could intricately weave magic strands so elegantly. Thank you I will cherish it."

A pulse hits my heart again.

She means it...

Lady Aura gets up hugging me. "Huh?"

I look down seeing tears falling. "Why am I?"

Lady Aura rubs my head. "It's nice to feel acknowledged by others, isn't it? I know you've had a rough year so you don't trust those who use magic but your weapons make others truly happy. It's okay to enjoy that."

I nod slightly and wipe my face apologizing to Miku for crying and she shakes her head. "No, it's totally fine."

Her eyes light up. "Oh, today is the 1st anniversary of the new student's arrival. They're gonna have a mirrors trial do you wanna come with me to see it?"

Lady Aura answers quickly. "Thank you for the offer but-"

I touch her hand. "It's fine, I would love to go."

She looks at me shocked. "Seriously? The last time we walked near the world elevator you had a panic attack! I know you took a big step today but this might be a little too much."

Miku leans over. "You don't like the world elevator? Are you afraid of heights?"

I shake my head. "I wish that was the case, I just have bad memories with that thing so I do my best to avoid it."

She stands up. "Well, it's a good thing I can teleport between floors."

I look at her bracelet. "Woah, so that's how the 12 rounds respond to the crisis so quickly. Is that a king's artifact?"

She nods touching it and showing the schematics of the 12 layers. "This shows the levels in real-time so we can locate everyone see this is... Us?"

She looks at me. "Wow, not even the king's artifact can locate you."

She tells me a little more about it and then pays 17 platinum coins for the sword and I get 10. For someone who's incredibly rich, I don't see it at all. I have food and the shop beyond that I don't need anything else so I just have a large mass of platinum coins. I've thought about melting them down and playing armor with them or using them as accents on a sword.

Lady Aura is going to watch Titan while I'm away. "Thank you again, lady Aura I will bring him back safely."

Lady Aura smiles. "Oh, I know, if I have to come looking for him even that sword wouldn't protect you."

I can feel the intense aura and Miku grabs me quickly. "I-I understand!"

We vanish appearing in the VIP section of the hero's hall. A large black mirror is down in the center of the stage. It gives no reflection and looks like it eats the light around it. I would not wanna touch that thing it shows your past and how you ended up here. It recaps your experience into digestible clips like a movie. It's the strongest of the king's artifacts and it's used during trials to see someone's innocence or guilt.

I glance around at all the well-dressed upperclassmen. "Uhhh I'm kinda underdressed for this occasion."

She giggles. "I have you covered."

She snaps and water rushes around me changing my clothes into something more formal my hair is pulled back in a neat bun and I can feel the dirt under my nails being removed. "How..."

She holds a hand up creating a mirror out of water. "Magic."

I can't help but laugh. "Right, why didn't I think of that."

She walks over to 5 empty seats. "Here take a seat."

I moved to the other chairs. "Aren't your sisters supposed to sit here?"

She grabs my hand sitting down. "They'll create one if they need to let's just enjoy ourselves."

She's holding onto my arm casually... Is this a date? Is that what this looks like? I mean I'm a random guy who's sitting with one of the founding members of the 12 rounds. I should've thought this through of course she would've been seated in a VIP section for all to see.

I glance over at her I wonder if she's okay with being seen with me.

A pulse hits my heart and I can sense that she's incredibly happy and content right now... I smile letting my doubts fade as I wait for things to start. "How long have you been at this school Grey?"

I smile. "Oh, it's been a year today."

Her jaw hits the floor. "You're that missing first-year student?! Everyone thought you died! What happened to you? The rounds did a very thorough search for you at the academic level."

I sigh looking down at the crowd below. "I trusted your administration office. They gave me a key card and the location of my apartment."

She touches my hand. "Grey, freshman don't have-."

I nod. "I'm aware. I got on the world elevator and the key card sent me to the lowest floor and crumbled apart so I couldn't exit the pod. I was stuck in there for 3 days until lady aura found me. She went to the administration office but they played dumb. I didn't bother coming back up because it's obvious my lack of magic would only cause more problems."

She apologized profusely. "Would you please participate in this event? It will show the entire school what's happened to you and we can seek justice against those who wronged you."

I glance over at her. "You'd do that for me?"

She nods smiling. "of course, I would like to consider myself a friend of yours if that's okay?"

I agree and she shows me what I need to do and where to sign in at. She explains to the administration that I'll be escorted by her through the trial. I'm not sure what I'm signing up for but I feel like I can trust Miku.