"My name is Kenma. Three years ago, after my family was killed by a group of skaldars, I continued my life as a nomad, seeking revenge while continuing my family's traditions. Aside from the time I stayed in Zahara during the Aurellio-Gerthania war, I rescued a total of six people like Yuuji on my journey. In fact, the reason I went to Zahara was my desire to learn more about the skaldars' past. This country, where humans, skaldars, and hybrids live together, has a much higher education level compared to other countries. Since the most prestigious academies on the Terranova continent are located in this country, I hoped to learn something, but I found out that the information and resources about the skaldars' past are not publicly available in Zahara. An elderly professor at the academy told me that I could find what I was looking for in Breton. I was planning to slowly make my way to Breton after visiting Aurellio. During the travel, a lot of things happened; I met Yuuji, we saved Aurellio, we have declared as honorary knights and many more, but now I am here in Breton after all."
Kenma entered the dining hall of the mansion. Yuuji was chatting with Yachi, while Selena was writing something in her notebook. Selena greeted Kenma as soon as he entered:
-"Good morning, Kenma."
-"Good morning."
Yachi had already told Selena about the conversation she had with Yuuji last night. Now she also explains to Kenma that she is actually from a noble family and that she has arranged a private meeting with the king:
-"(...) So, after breakfast today, we will go to the palace and have a meeting."
Kenma remains silent for a moment, then calmly says, "I understand," and sits down.
Yuuji, jokingly:
- "What's wrong, Kenma? Are you excited to meet the king?"
Kenma averted his gaze:
- "No, a-actually... I was going to say that I won't be coming. I have something I must do..."
Selena joined the joke:
- "You really must be excited, huh, Kenma?"
Not wanting to make the situation more difficult, Kenma replied:
- "Haha, I guess so. Sorry, you should go ahead without me. I'll stay here."
Yachi:
- "No problem, Kenma-san! We'll go and handle the meeting, and we'll inform you when we get back. The maids will be here, so you won't be alone. If you need to go out, just take one of them with you so you don't get lost."
- "Alright, thank you."
The four of them finished their breakfast. An hour later, Yuuji, Ichika, and Selena were ready to leave, and after saying their goodbyes, they headed out. After they've gone, Kenma approached one of the maids he encountered:
- "I'd like to go to the library. Can you take me there?"
- "Of course, sir."
- "What was your name?"
- "Nilou, sir."
- "Nice to meet you, Nilou-san."
- "I am at your service, sir."
Kenma handed his swords to Nilou, and they set off together. As they walk, Nilou, who is slightly taller than Kenma, thinked to herself:
-"Ichika-sama's friends are just as respectful and kind-hearted as she is. None of them see me as a slave or someone inferior. I'm so lucky to serve the Yachi family. I only wish my brother had ended up with a family like this..."
Nilou, a 19-year-old hybrid with short orange hair, was captured with her brother in the forest 10 years ago, and later brought to Breton. After being held captive for months, Nilou's brother was bought by someone, but because Nilou was ill, she wasn't taken along. Left behind and on the brink of death, Nilou was eventually purchased for a low price by Ichika's father, who took great care of her and made her a maid in his mansion. Although there were many animal maids, none were treated poorly in this mansion. Nilou, who grew up there, has never been able to find any trace of her brother.
They arrived at the library:
- "This is the library, sir. I'll wait here for you."
- "Alright, Nilou-san, thank you."
Kenma entered and found a book about the skaldars, then began reading:
'Centuries ago on this continent, Terranova, only skaldars lived. Compared to humans, these skaldar beings were inferior in size and intelligence, but their ability to use magic was far superior to the humans. The Skaldar King, Zaroth, was incredibly strong, very intelligent, highly skilled, and also kind-hearted. He loved his community, guided them, and protected them. The skaldars loved him in return; they wanted to serve him and protect him, but the king needed no protection. He was stronger than any creature that could stand against him. Still, he did not ignore the wishes of his beloved community. He chose six skaldars among them. Through a special ritual, he made these skaldars larger and stronger, and granted them six weapons containing six of his own abilities. These were called the Holy Weapons:
1- Katana: Represents the king's mana capacity and the ability to absorb mana from enemies he touches. It stores the mana of the target and allows the user to utilize it.
2- Wings: Represents the king's ability to fly and teleport.
3- Ring: Represents the king's ability to break barriers and absorb elemental techniques, also the ability to use them perfectly.
4- Rod: Represents the king's shapeshifting ability. It can alter the form, scent, and even mana flow of the user or anything around them. The only must is that the target must have been alive recently.
5- Armor: Represents the king's mind control ability. It imposes the user's will on others, forcing them to obey.
6- Medallion: Represents the king's physical strength and mana capacity. The user of this pendant experiences a significant increase in physical power and mana capacity.
These 6 skaldars became the king Zaroth's guards. They were known as 'the Skaldar Guards'. Although the king did not need their protection and preferred to travel alone, the guards accompanied him on special days and ceremonies. Then one day, a boat from the ocean arrived at the only coastal region (known as Breton today) of this continent, surrounded by mountains, cliffs, and rainforests . The boat contained some humans which were about to die. The skaldars were afraid, as these unfamiliar creatures might be dangerous even though they were injured. However, King Zaroth welcomed them with hospitality. These humans were the last survivors of a shipwreck in a storm. Zaroth made an agreement with them and allowed them to live there. The humans gradually multiplied and built their civilization on this land. Over time, the skaldars came to love the humans, cared for them, and taught them magic and elemental techniques. However, humans were ungrateful. As human civilization grew and became dominant, they saw the Skaldar King Zaroth as a threat. They tried to devise a plan to kill him. However, it was not possible to kill a powerful creature like Zaroth; so they found a solution by poisoning and weakening him, then sealing and throwing him into the depths of the ocean. They applied hundreds of seals and curses to King Zaroth; the one who embraced the people and shared the lands they lived in. With their most trusted protectors defeated, the skaldars became submissive to humans. Over time, they forgot about King Zaroth since they are simple beings. Some migrated to the mountainous region known as 'Skaldmara', while others continued to live among humans. And the Skaldar Guards were disappeared.'
Kenma looked at the drawings and information about the holy weapons on the next pages:
'Holy weapons have stages. It is known that advancing these stages to the highest level depends on the user's skill and experience. Although there is not much information about the stages of the holy weapons, the drawings of the weapons are available on the next pages.'
While Kenma examining the holy katana and wings, which were used in the slaughter of his family, his eyes catched a weapon on the next page:
-"I've seen this medallion somewhere…"
He remembered the medallion he saw at Yachi's mansion. It was the exact same one. Kenma felt a surge of anxiety, and quickly closed the book, heading swiftly towards the library exit.
-"That medallion... Why is it at Yachi's house? No, this might be better though. I need to return to the mansion immediately. The medallion shouldn't be left alone…"
While Kenma was talking to himself and walking to the exit, a skaldar was watching him in a close distance, and it stayed there as Kenma got away. At the exit of the library, the attendant stopped Kenma:
-"Sir, have you completed the borrowing procedures for the book?"
Kenma paused for a moment, then asked the attendant to wait and handed the book to him. He immediately went to Nilou, handing her a money pouch:
-"Nilou-san, take this money. I've left a book to the attendant; buy it and come directly to the mansion. I need to get back there immediately."
-"Y-Yes, sir. What about your swords?"
-"Give them to me."
Nilou handed the swords to Kenma. He took them and attached them to his belt before running off. Nilou, confused, watched him leave and then went into the library to pay for the book.
-"I must protect the medallion. It might be an important key for our operation. I must protect the medallion... I must have the medallion."
His facial expression changed, as his thoughts did so.
...
Meanwhile, Yuuji, Ichika, and Selena have arrived at the royal palace. Ichika talked to the guards at the grand entrance:
-"Hello, I am Yachi Ichika. We have come for a meeting. I sent a letter yesterday, so you should be aware."
The guard recognizes Ichika and opens the door:
-"Welcome, Yachi-sama. Yes, we are aware, but the king is currently not here. The meeting will be held with the Royal Commander Zhou Liang. He has the highest authority in the king's absence."
-"I understand. Let's proceed without delay then."
-"Of course, madam."
Escorted by the guard, they passed through the magnificent courtyard of the palace and entered the main building. They arrived at the special room designated for the meeting, where the commander is waiting:
-"Welcome, Ichika-kun. And welcome to all of you."
Selena introduced themselves:
-"It is a pleasure to meet you, Zhou-dono. I am Selena Laurent, one of the three commanders of Aurellio. This is Yuuji Kageyama, our honorary knight."
Yuuji nodded and greeted. Zhou Liang (24):
-"It's a pleasure to meet you. If you're ready, let's begin the meeting."
They sat around the table, and Laurent started explaining the situation from start to end:
-"(…) Because of this, we thought it would be more logical to form an alliance before making a decision and came here. Well, Gerthania doesn't look prone to an agreement and alliance yet, so we came here Breton. This is not only about our contry but whole Terranova, and Aurellio is currently in a very weakened state due to both the war losses and the death of the Grandmaster, so we cannot face such a serious situation alone."
Zhou, after thinking and taking some notes:
-"I understand. I didn't realize the seriousness of the situation. Indeed, Gerthania's current relationships with all countries are strange, they don't even obey the "amity of countries" agreement which was signed over 100 ago. I understand your point, we should handle this situation together, however our king is currently on a trip to another continent. So the authority to make and implement decisions rests entirely with me."
Selena nodded, Zhou continued:
-"Here's what we'll do: First, I will send an envoy to inform Gerthania about the situation. The envoy's return will take at least four days. During this time, we will send exploration teams to detect any suspicious skaldar activity around Breton. Since you've traveled a long way and must be tired, we'll handle the first part for you. What you've described matches the characteristics of the skaldar guards precisely. The glowing katana, the wings, and the rod… When they disappeared long years ago, it was thought they had vanished due to the king's being sealed. However, now, if they have reappeared after such a long time, the situation could indeed be very serious. We should also send a team to Skaldmara. Since it is a region that humans do not live in, we have no information about there."
Selena talked:
-"Zhou-dono, since skaldmara is a dangerous place for us humans, we should explore the region by ourselves. This will help us to see the seriousness of the issue by the first hand, without relying on other teams' experiences."
Yuuji nodded his head in agreement, while Ichika stayed silent. Zhou:
-"I see your point, then let's add one more person to the team and head to Skaldmara with five members tomorrow. It's quite close from here, so if we leave in the morning, we will be arrived by evening. What do you think?"
Selena:
-"That sounds excellent, but we don't need to find a fifth person. We already have one more team member who didn't come to this meeting. We will introduce you tomorrow."
Zhou:
-"Alright then, I will start preparing the documents. You should rest, since you came from a long distance."
Selena:
-"I can help with the documents, Zhou-dono. We can exchange ideas and work out a thoroughly reviewed plan, and I also need to write and send a report to Aurellio." She turns to Yuuji and Ichika. "You two can head back. I'll explain the details to everyone this evening."
Yuuji and Ichika thanked her and left the two commanders to focus on their work. As they exit the palace courtyard, Ichika said:
-"Uh, Yuuji-kun... Since we're alone now, w-would you like me to show you around Breton? I mean, just the two of us... uh, I-I mean..."
Yuuji seeing Ichika struggling to talk, accepted her offer to not make things hard for her:
-"Sure! Let's go!"
As they head towards the port, they saw Nilou walking anxiously. Yuuji waved and called out to her:
-"Nilou-san! Hey, over here!"
Nilou stopped immediately upon hearing Yuuji's voice and approached them with a visibly worried expression:
-"Yuuji-sama, Ichika-sama... I'm glad to have found you here!"
Ichika:
-"Nilou-san, is something wrong? You seem anxious."
Nilou took a deep breath and began speaking quickly:
-"We went to the library with Kenma-sama. He went inside, and I waited outside. Then he came out in a hurry, gave me money to buy a book he left inside, and rushed back to the mansion. I didn't quite understand what was going on."
Yuuji knitted his eyebrows, taking the situation seriously:
-"Kenma being flustered is unusual. What's this book about?"
Nilou pulled the book from her bag and handed it to Yuuji. He was surprised:
-"'The History of the Skaldars'? He must have found something important. We need to get back to the mansion immediately."
Ichika nodded. Though she's a bit disappointed at losing the chance to spend time alone with Yuuji, the current situation was more important:
-"Yes, let's go back right away. If Kenma was this flustered, it must be serious."
They quickly returned to the mansion, only to find Kenma has already left. He has packed up his belongings and left a note:
"I'm going to Skaldmara. Read the book I left to Nilou carefully. The medallion is with me and safe. I will return."
Ichika:
-"Hey, what does this mean? What medallion? What does he plan to do alone?"
Yuuji:
-"Calm down, Ichika-san. If Kenma is doing something, he must have a reason. Let's examine this book."
-"Y-you're right..."
They carefully read the book. They were shocked by the information about the Skaldar race, and the medallion in the dining room was actually a holy weapon of skaldars. As Yuuji read the section about the holy weapons, his calm demeanor shifts to concern and anger:
-"That idiot! What does he plan to do alone?"
Ichika looking to him:
-"Yes, I was said the same thing earlier..."
Yuuji's playful and cheerful tone was slightly changed to a serious one:
-"Ichika-san, I'm going after Kenma. You take this book and go tell Selena and Zhou about the situation. Since we were all going to Skaldmara anyway, just think of it as me going ahead with Kenma. If we don't encounter each, I'll come back here, so i will be safe."
Ichika looked worried:
-"But it's very dangerous to be alone there! At least let me send someone with you!"
Yuuji tried to calm her down:
-"Don't worry. I will leave some signs to indicate you what happened. And, by the time I find Kenma, I won't be alone."
-"O-okay. Please be careful, Yuuji-kun."
Yuuji went to his room to pack his belongings, while Nilou prepared a horse for him. Ichika approached when Yuuji was setting the horse:
-"Yuuji-kun, before you go..."
She handed over a small, blue stone from her pocket.
-"One of the magician friends of my dad has applied this magic as a precaution for a potential theft. If you get close to the medallion within a certain distance, you can sense its location by channeling mana into this stone. There's a separate stone for every valuable item in the house."
Yuuji was impressed by this:
-"This is a very useful spell! Thank you, it will be very helpful!"
Ichika was still worried about Yuuji:
-"Have a safe travel, Yuuji-kun."
Yuuji got on his horse and set off towards Skaldmara, the 'Home of the Skaldars.'