The dawn's first light filtered softly through the heavy curtains of Cynthia's chambers. She had barely slept, her mind restless with thoughts of the upcoming Wand Ceremony and a strange dream that had jolted her awake in the night.
Opal and Jennifer stood by the door, waiting for Cynthia to rise. Opal would soon depart for the Liangwei Chambers to restock supplies for Cynthia's lab.
A soft knock broke the stillness.
"Come in," Cynthia called, her voice steady despite the turmoil beneath. Tabitha entered and informed her that the Marquess had requested her presence for breakfast. Cynthia rose from her bed, prompting Opal to assist her while Jennifer moved to select her garments for the day. After a quick bath, Cynthia dressed and made her way to breakfast, her maids following closely behind.
Upon entering the dining room, Cynthia greeted the attendants with a polite "Good morning" and exchanged pleasantries with her father as she sat. They plated their breakfast and began eating. As they did, Cynthia mentioned a strange dream and asked to discuss it with him afterward. The Marquess agreed, suggesting they talk in the study.
After exchanging a few more words, they made their way to the study. Once seated, a knock echoed through the room. Jake entered with his usual efficient grace, his expression serious.
"We've identified the man from last night," he began without preamble. "He's from Hitoriyama, as suspected, but there's more. He may not be just a wandering swordsman…"
Cynthia sat up, her full attention locked onto Jake's words, her hands folded neatly in her lap.
The Marquess leaned forward slightly. "Tell us everything."
Jake continued, "First, he is a shogun." Both the Marquess and Cynthia exchanged glances before turning back to Jake. "My lord, forgive me, you and the young miss are quite surprised by this unexpected news, aren`t you? ," Jake inquired.
"Of course we are," Cynthia replied. "Who doesn't know that the leaders of Hitoriyama don't leave the country unless"
"Unless something important is happening," the Marquess finished her sentence, then looked at Jake and urged him to continue.
"Yes, my lord. He is Shogun Katsuhiro Raizen of the Miyashiro Province."
The Marquess exhaled slowly. "Well, this just became significantly more dangerous."
Cynthia, curious, spoke up. "While I have only limited knowledge of Hitoriyama, I don't believe it's that dangerous for you to be so concerned, Father."
The Marquess leaned back and explained, "Little is known about Hitoriyama, especially regarding its leaders and how they rule. However, a few figures from that country have gained quite a reputation. The Shogun of Miyashiro Province is a prime example. Many believed Hitoriyama focused solely on nurturing martial mystics, but that theory was disproven when sea raiders attempted to colonize their islands. The entire invading fleet was destroyed, not just by martial warriors but by maguses as well."
Intrigued, Cynthia asked, "It seems you and Jake have a fair bit of knowledge about this particular shogun. Is that right?"
The Marquess nodded. "Shogun Raizen is known to be a Lightning Magus. He made his reputation during the Battle of Kurotsume Bay, where a group of lightning maguses utterly obliterated the invading fleet."
"Father," Cynthia began, puzzled, "it's impressive that you know all of this, but how did you come by such information, especially considering how little is known about Hitoriyama, given its isolation?"
The Marquess smiled. "When those events unfolded, Hitoriyama wasn't as isolated as it is now. Their self-imposed seclusion came after that incident."
"Oh, I see," Cynthia nodded thoughtfully.
"In any case, this makes things more complicated," the Marquess said, rubbing his eyes.
"How so, Father?" Cynthia asked.
"Well, as I mentioned, Hitoriyama wasn't always this isolated. It was only after the Battle of Kurotsume Bay, which took place nearly one hundred and eighty years ago, it was then that they fully decided to limit contact with the outside world."
Cynthia furrowed her brow. "While I understand that a foreign invasion is a grave threat, it seems a bit extreme to isolate oneself entirely unless there were other underlying factors, and that invasion was merely the final straw."
"You're right. The battle wasn't the sole reason for their isolation. While I don't know all the details, I believe I know one key factor," the Marquess said.
"And what might that be?" Cynthia asked.
"The cursed series," the Marquess replied.
Cynthia looked puzzled. "I don't quite follow."
"I'll explain. The very first cursed weapon a katana, not unlike the Harbinger was crafted in Hitoriyama," the Marquess explained. Cynthia nodded, listening intently. "The weapon was born out of a father's thirst for revenge. I'm sure most of you here, aside from my daughter, have heard of the Blood Demon of Kurokawa?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jake added, "Yes, my lord. I've heard of that incident. After the massacre, it's said the individual was never seen again."
"Who was never seen again?" Cynthia inquired.
Opal spoke up. "The story goes that a prominent blacksmithing family was ruined by the political scheming of a merchant family, envious of the blacksmiths' craftsmanship. One by one, the blacksmiths were killed, leaving only the head of the family and his second-born son. One day, the head of the family disappeared, and shortly after, the second son showed up at the merchant family's estate and slaughtered everyone inside not even the animals were spared. What made the news more shocking was that the second son was widely known to be in the Warlord realm in terms of power."
Cynthia's eyes widened. "That's two realms below Saint level, isn't it?"
Jake nodded. "It is. By all known accounts, a cursed weapon should have killed him for being unworthy to wield it, or taken control of him entirely."
Opal continued, "This was the first and only instance where a cursed weapon did exactly what its wielder wanted, despite the wielder being unworthy."
"I understand that part," Cynthia began, "but I still don't see how that explains why Hitoriyama isolated themselves from the rest of the world."
"It was revealed that the merchant family had close ties to the Zhou Imperial family," the Marquess replied, "and they were trying to steal the blacksmithing techniques to send them to Zhou for military expansion."
Opal chimed in, "Recognizing the threat to national security, the Hitoriyama Imperial family decided to isolate themselves. It didn't help that the sea raiders who attempted to colonize them were also from Zhou."
Cynthia slowly turned to Opal, her expression incredulous. "The next thing you're going to tell me is that it was all part of a grand plot to overthrow the Hitoriyama Imperial family, causing chaos so Zhou could step in and annex the country."
Jennifer, trying to contain herself, hesitated before speaking. "Young miss, you're not going to believe this, but"
"Jennifer, don't you dare say what I think you're about to say," Cynthia snapped.
Jennifer sighed and said, "Everything you just said is exactly what was revealed."
Cynthia leaned back in her seat, groaning as she pressed her palm to her face in exasperation.
After a moment, Cynthia collected her thoughts and spoke again. "Well, in any case, what is Shogun Raizen's impact... Hold on a minute Shogun Raizen was at that battle, which took place one hundred and eighty years ago?!" she asked in amazement.
"Yes, he was," Jake answered.
Cynthia turned to Jennifer, her brow furrowed. "Jennifer, when you saw the Shogun at the auction, did he appear to be that old?"
"He didn't, young miss. However, I believe the reason for that is because he has reached the level of an Arch-Magus," Jennifer replied.
"Indeed, that's precisely why," the Marquess added. "The higher one ascends in the realms of mana, martial mysticism, or warlock abilities, the slower they age. It becomes incredibly difficult to guess someone's true age unless you know them personally."
"It's similar to the Empress," Jennifer commented. "It's easy to forget that Her Majesty is literally one hundred and ninety-three years old." Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
"Opal," Cynthia called out.
"Yes, young miss," Opal responded promptly.
"I believe it would be best if you started your journey to the Chambers of Commerce. And Jake, please inform me the moment those items arrive from the Chambers," Cynthia instructed her tone firm yet calm. Both Opal and Jake bowed slightly in acknowledgment. Without further delay, Opal departed, making her way to the Liangwei Chambers of Commerce.
Turning to Jake, the Marquess spoke with a note of gratitude. "Good work, Jake, for gathering all that information so quickly by morning. I assume you barely had any sleep, am I correct?"
Jake, ever composed, replied, "I will manage, my lord. Please don't worry."
The Marquess nodded before shifting his attention to Cynthia. "Now, my dear Cynthia," he said, softening his expression. "What was it you wanted to speak with me about?" His smile was warm, a gesture meant to put her at ease.
Cynthia hesitated briefly before beginning. "Father, I had the strangest dream last night… I saw this giant calling to me." At her words, the Marquess's smile faltered, concern creeping into his eyes.
"A giant? What do you mean? Explain it to me," he said, his tone shifting to one of curiosity, though he masked his apprehension.
Cynthia continued, her voice soft yet filled with confusion. "He was enormous, with dark skin and golden eyes like ours, but that's where the similarities ended. His hair was silver, and behind him was this glowing, halo-like clockwork golden, with intricate gears turning. It cast an ethereal light. There was also someone else, smaller, but with the same kind of halo."
As she described the figures, the Marquess's expression grew more solemn, the lightheartedness from moments ago completely gone. "What did he say to you, Cynthia?" he asked, moving closer to sit beside her, his concern now evident.
"He said he's been waiting for me for a long time... and that he can't wait to finally meet me. He told me to hurry to him," Cynthia explained, her voice dropping slightly as the memory of the dream unsettled her.
The Marquess was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. "Do you know where this is supposed to take place? Did you recognize anything around you?"
Cynthia shook her head. "No, it was just... empty, like a blank room. There was nothing but him and the other figure."
The Marquess's frown deepened. "And were you given anything? A message? A token, perhaps?"
"No, nothing that I'm aware of," Cynthia replied, thinking back to the dream. "After he spoke, I was knocked unconscious, and then I woke up."
The Marquess exhaled slowly. "I don't know who or what this figure could be, but I don't think it's something you'll encounter soon, if at all," he said, though his tone betrayed a flicker of doubt.
Cynthia thanked her father for listening, grateful for his reassuring presence. The Marquess, sensing her unease, pulled her into a warm embrace. "No matter what happens," he whispered, "nothing will ever happen to my little girl. I promise."
After Cynthia thanked her father again, she rose gracefully from her seat and offered the Marquess a small curtsey. He returned her gesture with a warm smile as she quietly left the study.
Once outside, Cynthia quickened her pace, her mind still heavy with the strange dream she had recounted. The grand halls of the estate seemed to stretch endlessly before her as she walked briskly through them, the polished floors reflecting her hurried steps. Ornate paintings and sculptures blurred in her peripheral vision, unnoticed.
Her destination was clear—her lab, a sanctuary hidden within the estate's eastern garden. It was the one place where she could think, research, and work undisturbed.
As Cynthia made her way through the corridor, she noticed Jennifer following not far behind. She paused and turned to inform Jennifer of her destination. Jennifer immediately understood and stopped, knowing this was where she had to remain.
Just before they parted ways, Matthew approached, informing the young miss that the items had arrived. Upon hearing this, Cynthia instructed him to lead the way. They made their way to the grand hall, where two gentlemen wearing emerald green cloaks embroidered with intricate patterns awaited. One held a small box, while the other carried a protective clothing bag.
As soon as they saw Cynthia, the two men bowed and greeted her respectfully. They handed the items to Matthew and Jennifer. Cynthia was presented with a paper to sign, acknowledging receipt of the items. After signing, the gentlemen wished everyone a good day and departed.
Cynthia took the clothing bag from Matthew and turned to Jennifer with a soft smile. "The contents of the small box are for your own use," she said. "Make sure to use them well."
Jennifer nodded in understanding. With that, Cynthia left, walking briskly toward her secluded lab once more, her mind already shifting to the work that awaited her inside its quiet, hidden walls.
As she exited the main building and stepped into the estate's sprawling garden, the crisp morning air greeted her. The lush greenery was alive with the calming sound of the fountain at the garden's center and the soft rustling of leaves. She followed the stone path through the manicured hedges and flowerbeds until the two-story stone structure of her research lab came into view. Secluded in the far corner of the garden, it was a building that few knew much about, and even fewer dared approach. Only she had full access.
As she approached, Cynthia waved her hand in a subtle motion, releasing the enchantments she had set. The door creaked open, and she stepped inside, closing it behind her with a satisfying thud. The air inside was cool and still, a sharp contrast to the warm garden outside. The room smelled of herbs, burnt incense, and the faint metallic tang of alchemical ingredients.
The lab was cluttered with shelves full of magical artifacts, rare books, and jars filled with strange substances. In the center stood a large table covered with scrolls, old tomes, and a few magical instruments. The second floor, accessible by a winding staircase, housed her more advanced research materials and experimental tools.
She placed the item on the table in the center of the room and began contemplating which of her research projects to continue.