"Robin Hood?" The man looked puzzled at Hoshino's strange comment.
"Uh…" Hoshino, still groggy from sleep, realized the words had slipped out before she could stop them.
But you couldn't entirely blame Hoshino. The man's appearance was so similar to Robin Hood that even if he were the real one, Hoshino probably wouldn't have doubted it.
"May I ask who you are?" Feeling embarrassed after saying such nonsense, Hoshino timidly asked.
The man placed his right hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and politely introduced himself, "Hello, Miss Hoshino. My name is Rowick Hawkins, and I am currently Professor Arthur's assistant, working in Egyptian archaeology."
"No wonder… You both have names that start with 'Ro'…" Hoshino yawned, mumbling as she fought to stay awake.
It took her a few seconds to realize, "Wait! Foreigners usually put their last names last, right? So, Hawkins… does that mean this man is related to Arthur?"
Seeing Hoshino's sleepy demeanor, along with the faint shadows under her eyes, A hint of guilt flickered across Rowick's face. "I'm sorry, Miss Hoshino, for disturbing your rest so early in the morning."
Scratching her head, Hoshino probably felt that yawning repeatedly was a bit impolite. "There's no need to be so formal. Just call me Hoshino."
But Rowick's apology was indeed necessary since they had come way too early. It wasn't an exaggeration to say it was just barely dawn, and the street still had a faint fog.
"So, why did Mr. Robin… no, Mr. Rowick and Mr. Arthur come to this rundown toy shop so early?"
"I'll get straight to the point," Rowick's eyes suddenly became serious. "I'm here to find Kashar."
"Kashar? Who?" Hoshino tilted her head, and a little strand of hair on her head curled into a question mark.
Arthur interjected, "I believe her current name is Akasha, isn't it?"
"Akasha…" Hoshino's brows began to furrow. The turmoil from last night had just settled, and she thought the events surrounding this girl had concluded. Now, out of the blue, a man who looked like Robin Hood appeared, searching for Akasha. Of course, the 'looking like Robin Hood' part was just Hoshino's own added observation.
"So, can you let me meet Akasha?" Rowick asked again, this time sounding more anxious than before.
"No!"
"Why?!" Rowick was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected such a firm rejection from Hoshino.
"Because she's still asleep. Kids need their rest to grow up healthy, you know? But that's not the real issue…" Hoshino stared intently at Rowick outside the door, her brows furrowing even tighter. "Even as Mr. Arthur's assistant, I can't just let an adult man go into a young girl's room."
"!!!" Rowick was left utterly speechless, unable to refute the reasoning because it made so much sense.
"Hahaha," Arthur laughed heartily. "I told you, Rowick, you're just too impatient. If you don't properly explain things to Hoshino, there's no way she'd let you see her beloved little sister."
"Sister, huh…" Hoshino blushed slightly. Arthur's words were spot on, instantly reducing her wariness towards him.
"If you can't let us in your room, could we at least come inside the shop to talk? Think of it as an early opening," suggested Arthur.
"I guess that's fine." After all, Arthur was an old friend of Sugoroku, and Hoshino didn't own the toy shop herself, so she had no authority to refuse. "Do you want me to call Grandpa Sugoroku? I heard older people wake up early. He might already be up by now."
"No need to trouble yourself. Today, my purpose isn't to see Sugoroku." Arthur took off his hat and walked into the toy shop. "I'll explain directly. I believe you noticed something odd when I saw Akasha yesterday, right?"
"Hmm? Something odd?" Hoshino recalled the moment Arthur had stared at Akasha and muttered to himself. "Yeah, it was strange. Hard not to notice."
"Heh, I was just too shocked when I saw Akasha. Her hair color, her eyes, her features — they're identical to my late niece."
"Niece?"
Rowick quietly added, "My wife, Leah."
"Wait a minute, Mr. Rowick. You also have Hawkins as your last name, right? I thought you and Mr. Arthur were relatives?" Hoshino asked out of curiosity. If Rowick were related to Arthur, he wouldn't be able to marry his niece, right?
Rowick's face showed a hint of embarrassment, but he quickly regained his composure. "You're right. I wasn't originally a Hawkins. I took on the name when I married into the family."
"Rowick, there's no need to feel ashamed of that," Arthur explained further. "The Hawkins family has a long history in archaeology, but Rowick's talent surpasses anyone else in the lineage."
"Oh, impressive, 'Robin Hood,'" Hoshino quipped. She hadn't expected the 'Robin Hood' of this world to also be a cultural figure.
"After graduating, Rowick became my assistant in Egyptian archaeology. It was during that time he fell in love with my niece, Leah Hawkins. My brother and his wife died early due to an accident during an archaeological expedition, so I've always treated Leah as my daughter."
"An accident during an expedition? So archaeology is dangerous, especially in pharaoh's tombs, right?" Hoshino had only seen these things in movies, but tombs filled with traps seemed like places where one wrong step could get you skewered by arrows.
"Yes, but thanks to the sacrifices of those who came before us, we've achieved what we have today. This includes the Duel Monsters, which has taken the world by storm." Arthur's eyes filled with reverence as he spoke.
"Right! I remember now; Pegasus used to be an archaeologist too."
"Ahem, back to the point. Where was I… Oh yes, after Rowick and Leah fell in love, I agreed to their marriage. Allowing their marriage not only honored their love but also promised to elevate the Hawkins legacy through Rowick's talent."
"A win-win! Mr.Arthur, it's a shame you're not a businessman."
Arthur smiled and continued, "Six months after their wedding, they had a daughter, and her name was Kashar…"
"Wait!!" Hoshino, suddenly connecting the dots, interrupted, "Are you saying this man…"
She pointed at Rowick, then boldly speculated based on the earlier conversation and the story Arthur had been telling, "This man… is Akasha's father?!"
"That's my guess too!" Arthur nodded. "But this is all just speculation for now. When I saw Akasha yesterday, I told Rowick about my theory. He couldn't sit still all night and insisted on coming here first thing in the morning."
"So that's why you showed up so early." Understanding the backstory now, Hoshino could sympathize with Rowick's desperation as a father. After all, everyone's daughter is precious.
However, things weren't likely as straightforward as they seemed. Considering Akasha's affiliation with the Rare Hunters, it seemed hard to reconcile this with the story of Kashar. But Hoshino held back from asking more, knowing that it was inappropriate for an outsider to probe. She had to wait for Arthur to explain further.
"Originally, everything should have fallen into place, and they would have lived happily as a family," Arthur lowered his head, sounding a bit sorrowful.
"Professor, let me explain the rest," Rowick, who had remained silent until now, patted Arthur on the back, then, as if gathering his resolve, turned to Hoshino.
"Hoshino… I'm not just here to confirm Akasha's identity today. I'm also here to confirm something else, something that concerns you."
"Me?!" The little curl on Hoshino's head twisted into two question marks. She couldn't imagine why an archaeologist would have any business with her. Not to boast, but she had only been in this world for about ten days or so.
"Yes." Rowick nodded affirmatively and reached into his jacket pocket. "Please take a look at this card."
"A card?" The sudden mention of cards threw Hoshino for a loop, but she reached out and took the card Rowick handed her.
"This is!!" Hoshino's deep red eyes widened as she stared at the card. The card's name and effect description were written in a language she couldn't understand, but the familiar feeling made her blurt out:
"Ramesseum!"
Arthur was equally shocked that Hoshino had recognized the card so quickly.
"As expected…" However, Rowick wasn't surprised. His expression showed that he had been waiting for this confirmation.
"I've been paying attention to you ever since the Duelist Kingdom, the girl who uses Heroic Spirit cards. But unfortunately, there's very little information available about your duels…"
"So what is this card?" Hoshino was now more
Rowick said, "Ramses II has been the primary focus of my archaeological career. And this card was made from a stone tablet I discovered at the Ramses II ruins, which I then handed over to the Industrial Illusions for production."
"Ramses II… does he exist in this world?" Hoshino found it even more unbelievable after hearing Rowick's explanation.
If what Rowick said was true, Ramses II was different from other Heroic Spirits, whose existence was often loosely based on myths in this world. Ramses II, however, truly existed in this world as a Heroic Spirit, and the card Hoshino held was the best proof of that.
The sudden influx of information was overwhelming, and Hoshino was momentarily speechless.
Seeing Hoshino frozen in place, Rowick continued, "There were three stone tablets unearthed from the Ramses II ruins, and naturally, three cards were made from them. Because this was a significant archaeological discovery, and with the support of the Industrial Illusions, my career progressed smoothly."
Though he was recounting a happy event, Rowick's tone was filled with regret. "It should have been like that, but looking back now, I wish I had never found those three stone tablets…"
"What happened?" Hoshino sensed that the story was about to take a darker turn.
"A mysterious organization known as the Rate Hunter set their sights on the three cards and sent professional rare hunters after them."
"Them again!" Hoshino couldn't help but grit her teeth in anger upon hearing the name.
"In the end, I failed. I lost the Shadow game, and not only did I fail to keep the two remaining cards, but even my two-year-old daughter, Kashar, was taken away by them while I was unconscious!" The fury in Rowick's eyes was even more intense than Hoshino's.
"Kashar… taken by them…" At this point, Hoshino was almost certain that Kashar and Akasha were the same person, unraveling the mystery of Akasha's affiliation with the Rare Hunters.
"At the time, I only had two of the Ramses II cards with me, so they took Kashar as a hostage, demanding I hand over the third card. But when they realized they couldn't use the Ramses II cards themselves, they gave up asking for the third card and, of course, never returned Kashar to me."
"I see… now everything makes sense." Hoshino didn't doubt Rowick's story. Even if the story could be fabricated, the card in her hand couldn't lie. Ramesseum, the card of Ramses II, indeed existed in this world.
"So why did you think I knew anything about the Ramses II card?" This was the last remaining question Hoshino had.
Rawick explained, "The two stolen cards had ancient inscriptions, but we managed to roughly translate their names. One of them was called, [Heroic Spirit – Ozymandias]!"
"Heroic Spirit?!"
"That's right. The Ramses II card that was stolen is the same type of Heroic Spirit card that you use. And as far as I know, you're the only one in the world using such cards."
"I believe you Rowick!" After listening to the full explanation, Hoshino gave a definite response.
"Thank you, Hoshino." Rowick let out a sigh of relief. From ancient stone tablets to the Shadow Game, even he felt these things were rather fantastical. But he didn't expect Hoshino to believe him without any hesitation, saving him a lot of trouble.
"So, can I go see Kashar now?" Rowick asked eagerly once again.
Hoshino waved her hand. "I'm just an outsider. I have no right to stop a father from seeing his daughter."
Rowick was overjoyed.
Hoshino motioned for both of them to follow her as she took out a key and opened the door to the room. Inside the quiet room, only Akasha's soft, even breathing could be heard.
Since breaking free from the Millennium Rod's control yesterday, Akasha had been sleeping peacefully. Her angelic, adorable face made Hoshino unable to resist taking a few extra glances every time.
Rowick tiptoed carefully into the room, afraid of making any noise that might wake Akasha. His awkward, cautious movements revealed his unease as a father reuniting with his daughter.
"It's Kashar! That lovely face, the delicate features just like Leah's… Even after all these years, I could never mistake her!" Rowick, overwhelmed with excitement, was trying so hard not to raise his voice that his face was turning purple.
"Wake up, Akasha-chan~ Wake up!" Squatting beside the bed, Hoshino gently patted Akasha's soft cheeks and leaned close, whispering into her ear.
"Hmm?" Akasha stirred slightly, smacked her lips twice, and beneath her long eyelashes, she barely opened a tiny slit of her eyes.
"What is it, Hoshino-nee?" came the soft, adorable reply.
"Look who's here," Hoshino said, barely containing her laughter, as she pointed to Rowick behind her.
Following Hoshino's finger, Akasha strained to open her eyes another millimeter.
"Don't know him," she muttered with a glance before falling back to sleep.
No matter how much Hoshino poked and prodded her, Akasha showed no signs of waking up again.
The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, and Rowick and Arthur, watching from behind, looked a bit unsure of what to do in such a situation.
"Ah…" Hoshino sighed helplessly, grabbed Akasha's ear, took a deep breath, and then yelled in a booming voice:
"Akasha-chan, wake up!!!"
.
..
...
"I said I don't know him!" Akasha, finally awakened by Hoshino's shouting, sat cross-legged on the bed, puffing her cheeks in anger.
"How could that be? Even if you were only two years old, you should have some memory of it," Rowick, unwilling to give up, pleaded.
"I told you, I'm not Kashar!" Akasha retorted seriously. "Since I can remember, I've always been with Rare Hunters."
Hoshino, observing Akasha's emotions, felt that the girl wasn't just throwing a tantrum from being forcibly woken up; she genuinely seemed to have no memory of it.
"Mr.Rowick, I think I have some idea of what's going on." Hoshino tugged on Rowick's sleeve, signaling for him to step outside.
.
..
...
"The Millennium Rod… erasing memories? Is something like that even possible?"
After leaving the room, Hoshino explained her theory to Rowick and Arthur, recounting the events with Akasha from the previous day.
"No, if something as strange as the Shadow Game can exist, then it's not impossible that the Millennium Rod could control memories." Rowick and Arthur, both seasoned veterans of Egyptian archaeology, had probably heard of similar items before, which made them more accepting of the idea.
"Besides, from what I know, the only one in Rare Hunters capable of participating in the Dark Game is Marik." Hoshino had never met Marik, but based on the fact that he was Ishizu's younger brother, she could guess his age. If Marik had the power to manipulate the Shadow Game and a twisted personality that involved stealing other people's cards from a young age, then he truly was born a villain.
"Rare Hunters… Marik… Marik!" Rowick repeated the name as he had finally learned the identity of his true enemy.
"If Marik is defeated, will Kashar's memories return?" he asked, his voice growing more agitated.
Hoshino shook her head. "I can't be certain. Whether the memories erased by the Millennium Rod can be recovered, no one knows for sure."
Last night, Hoshino had used the Rule Breaker to neutralize Marik's control over Akasha. According to the logic behind Noble Phantasms, any influence left by the Millennium Rod on Akasha should have been eliminated as well.
But in this situation, if Akasha didn't forget on her own, it would mean that the memories erased couldn't be restored in such a way.
"Not certain… means it's possible, right?" Rowick's tone became increasingly excited. After learning of Marik's existence, he seemed to change completely.
"Mr. Rowick, you're not thinking about going after Marik are you?" Seeing his state, Hoshino couldn't help but suspect his intentions.
"Why not? Even though I lost before, it's different now! I've become stronger, and I'm confident I can beat Marik in a Shadow Game!"
"Do you think you're the only one who's gotten stronger?" Hoshino reminded him helplessly.
If her assumption was correct, Marik didn't possess a God Card a few years ago. Now, God Cards provided such a massive boost in power that simple dueling skills wouldn't be enough to bridge the gap.
"Hoshino…" Arthur, who had been silent the whole time, gently patted Hoshino on the shoulder and sighed. "After hearing about what you and Akasha have been through, I can sense that Akasha truly sees you as family."
"Arthur…?"
"But what Rowick carries on his shoulders isn't something that can be explained in a few words. Even my niece, Leah, died of grief after losing her daughter."
Hearing this truth, Hoshino's crimson eyes trembled. No wonder the name Marik could turn such a well-mannered gentleman like Rowick into this. Who could remain calm in the face of a man who had taken both wife and child?
"Mr. Rowick, will you hear me out?"
"Hoshino, please don't stop me. Even if it's you…" Despite his anger, Rowick still regarded Hoshino as his benefactor for rescuing his daughter from Marik, and so he tried to remain polite.
"Then let's settle this with a duel. If you win, I'll believe you're capable of taking on Marik."
"A duel? Right now?"
"On the contrary, if you lose, you'll have to hand over that Ramesseum card to me."
(*****)
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