(---)
"Strange. I don't feel the source of that pride anymore. But it still lingers. Perfect."
"Hey, Julian-"
"Ah, Eudora! You're here again."
"Cut the bullshit, Pride."
Julian stood up, his expression changing to one quite grim. "Tch. Who are you?"
"Not important. Julian was supposed to be my vessel, you dumbass. I felt that essence in him. He didn't have a speck of pride."
"This boy... has more pride than the average human. It isn't present right now in its full capacity, but it lingers."
"I'll beat you so hard, you'll have no pride left."
"Not worth it. My 3 days are up. So, I'll be gone."
"Wait!-"
[Pride's Cast: Perfect Flashstep]
Julian jumped from tree to tree, using his cast.
— That... Sten person. It's best that I go back to Fershingan since he'll be able to detect me easily. I don't know who that woman was... but I think only she and Sten are the people who will know who I am.
In a short time, Julian already reached the shoreline of Anore.
— Crossing the entire ocean? That's a bit much... even for me.
[Pride's Cast: Perfect Flashstep]
— Just kidding!
In about 3 seconds, the entire distance was cleared. About 4,000 kilometers, cleared in 3 seconds.
— That was a bit slow. This body is not strong enough to go as fast as I want. But, I guess this body is still so young.
There was one problem. Julian had no idea where Dr. Vaen was. There was no such memory of the location.
"Shit. I guess I should go back and wait for them to pick me up."
Julian bent down, ready to take another dash. But he fell to his feet, his face falling onto the soft dirt.
"Why the hell is this body so weak!?" he exclaimed in anger.
(Tou)
This was all quite strange to me. But I had to adjust to my new settings. A calendar was at my right, with multiple pages ripped off. October 4th, 1401.
For some reason, I woke up in a heavy sweat. My bed (composed of straws) was drenched. It felt like it was pulling me in. I didn't want to leave at all.
"Tou. We have to get up and head to the village."
It was the same girl from before that woke me up. I wonder what her name was.
"Excuse me?" I asked.
"Hm?"
"I've... lost my memory."
"Stop joking around, Tou."
I sat up on my bed. "But it's the truth."
Her expression changed. "That's... why you were smiling?"
I stayed silent. How was I supposed to respond to that?
. . .
. .
.
"Tou's lost his memory, huh?" a boy asked. He was about my age, but a bit taller. Blonde hair that fell to his chin, and green eyes. If you were to look at him not knowing anything, you'd think he was a delinquent.
I kept looking around. To keep note of my surroundings, that's it. A grassy field, with a shed right next to the three of us.
"I'm telling you, I really don't know."
The blonde-haired boy paced back and forth, curiously. He observed me up and down like I was a newly found specimen. But I wasn't.
"Well, whatever. I'm Marcus. She's Ailsa. I did suspect it, though. You're smiling, after all."
"Do I not usually smile?" I dropped my smile, going back to a straight face.
"No, no. You should keep it on. It looks a lot better!" Ailsa smiled. After hearing that, I decided to keep the smile.
"If you forgot everything, I'm sure you forgot the fight you had with Marco, right?"
"Marco?" I asked.
"Yeah, Marco. You disrespected his dead father."
"Why... did I do that?"
"For some reason, you enjoy aggravating people with a straight face. It's quite weird," Marcus noted. I sighed, facepalming.
I couldn't have gotten into the body of someone different. Why did I have to get into the body with this jerk?
Like an infant starting off in hell. I'm not meant for something like this.
"You alright?" Marcus said, snapping his finger in front of my face. I snapped back into thought.
"Yeah. I was just thinking about something."
"You're thinking about how hard you're gonna get your ass beat, huh?" Marcus snickered. Ailsa glared at Marcus.
"Don't be mean, Marcus. Tou isn't the same person he was before anymore."
"You do have a point."
"So, is there any other reason that I've been brought here?" I questioned, looking around again. Just in case the terrain changed. But, something like that was not likely to happen.
"Of course. We have to test your skills. Tou is a really strong person."
A wooden sword was thrown in my way. I caught it, confused. Why were they giving me this thing?-
[Cast: Grass Blade]
It was quick, cutting through the air. A sword made up of what appeared to be leaves and grass. By instinct, my hand raised to parry it. Was it muscle memory?
"I guess your body is still as sharp as ever. But for some reason, you aren't using any of your casts?"
"I don't think I can use my cast."
Marcus sighed, rubbing his eyes. "If you can't use any casts, it might be impossible to beat him. But, if it's you, I think you'll be able to do it."
How strong is this "Tou" boy? From the sound of it, he might be a god.
"Well, what am I supposed to-"
Another strike was coming from the right. It was like I could sense it. I blocked it with ease.
"Close both of your eyes."
Without hesitating, I closed both of my eyes. Immediately, I was struck in the back. "Keuk!-"
"I'll sharpen your senses till you're good enough."
I patted the dust off my butt and picked up my sword, tightening my grip. This was going to be a lot harder than I thought.