Forgetting to ask Ruri for more details about the Rosengards, Logan exited the living quarters after bidding farewell to the young girl, who seemed to need more rest. With the help of a well-dressed butler, who guided him outside, Logan noticed the sleek carriage awaiting his arrival.
Its polished wood reflected the strong afternoon sunlight, but what caught Logan's eye was the carriage's strange design. It was carefully carved to resemble the head of a dragon, a stark contrast to the carts he had seen the previous days. Another striking feature was the four-legged lizards, resembling bulls, that pulled the carriage. With green, scaly skin, two great horns, and a chained snout filled with sharp fangs, they looked fearsome yet remained calm, standing in wait.
The coachman tipped his hat as Logan approached. "Welcome, hero. I thank you for accepting my master's invitation. The Earl and young lady await your arrival with great anticipation."
Thinking a nod would be sufficient, Logan boarded the strange carriage, hoping other students were not paying him any attention. As he sat down, he noticed the interior was different from its exterior. It was classy, with ebony wood, dark maroon-colored curtains, and fine leather seats made from the skin of some dark red animal. The seats were surprisingly springy, an attribute he would later appreciate as the road turned bumpy.
As the ride began, he noticed that yesterday's floating carriage was indeed meant for royalty. This carriage shook after leaving the castle, at times making Logan feel a little sick. He turned his attention outside, trying to figure out the path in case he needed to come back using other methods.
After half an hour, he noticed that the scenery changed. The carriage seemed to enter a more woodland-like area, yet he could tell it was someone's property as a black metal fence lined the borders. At times the carriage passed by dense trees but as time passed well maintained gardens and the occasional statue came into view, adding an air of grandeur to the simple forest. Soon, they approached a tall ornate gate adorned with the Rosengard family crest, signaling their arrival at the Earl's estate.
As the carriage came to a stop, Logan waited for its door to open with anticipation. He didn't know how he was supposed to act in front of nobility. Should he bow, or did they expect him to carry himself in a certain way as a hero?
As he stepped out of the cart, Logan noticed that there was no large fanfare this time. Only Rubina stood in front of the grand mansion to greet him. The mansion itself was an imposing building, with tall, arched windows that glinted in the afternoon sunlight and ivy creeping up its stone walls. Its entrance was held firmly by four large imposing columns while further inside a large wooden door stood, intricately carved with scenes of legendary battles and mythical creatures. The mansion was both awe-inspiring and intimidating, a testament to the wealth and power of the Rosengard family.
Not knowing how he should move, Logan stood for a few seconds admiring not only the building but also its huge yard. The size of the estate could only be compared to the size of his school.
Rubina, who noticed Logan's hesitation, walked up to the carriage and extended her hand in greeting. Her long scarlet hair swayed slightly by a passing breeze, shining brilliantly. She wore a simple yet elegant green frilled dress while a silver necklace with a pendant of a rare gemstone rested on her collarbone, adding a touch of sophistication to her ensemble.
As she got closer, Logan could feel sweat pouring from his palms. He struggled to keep his eyes away from the girl's stunning figure. Her perfect legs, partially revealed as the dress moved in the wind, and her well-defined bosom, not wholly covered by the frills, made it difficult for him to keep his teenage eyes from wandering.
"Thank you for coming, Sir Logan. I appreciate that you took the time to visit my family's estate. You must forgive my father for not being present; he had an urgent errand to attend to and will be arriving soon." Rubina spoke with a lovely voice, and as she drew closer, Logan caught the delicate scent of flowers mixed in with other delicious aromas.
"Uhm, yes, it's fine, Ms. Rubina," Logan stammered, feeling pressure from her presence and the fragrance that accompanied it.
Rubina smiled gently while squinting her eyes then let out a cute giggle. "It seems todays Logan is not the same as yesterday?"
Logan suddenly straightened his back, curious as to what he had done to give her that impression.
"Don't worry too much, Ghostbrew is pretty strong. I doubt I would fare any better. Just to clear things up, I only walked you to Mr. Alric after we spoke yesterday. There's no need to be on guard. I mean no harm, and I was sincere when I presented my proposal. Anyway, let's go inside; we should drink tea while we wait for my father to arrive."
Not knowing what to say, Logan decided to follow the young woman inside. The interior was as exquisite as one would expect, with tasteful decor. She led him to a room where the sunlight shone brightly through large windows. There, a maid had prepared a few cups along with a variety of sweets, neatly arranged on a polished silver tray.
Both youths sat on a sofa, Logan wanted to switch seats, but he didn't want to offend the girl who comfortably settled herself next to him.
"Now then, hero, if I remember correctly, you said that this world is very different from your own. I think I should begin by giving you a brief explanation to any of your questions. Where do you want to start?"
Seeing that the girl genuinely wanted to help him, Logan thought about the knowledge he needed at the moment. One important thing he needed to understand was how magic worked.
"Yes, what is magic and cores, and why do all of us have a different class?" Logan mumbled while raising a cup that seemed to contain some red tea.
"About that, well, I guess that's easy enough to explain. Mana is like water; everyone can ingest it with the help of the Great Spirits. They let us refine mana so that we can store it in our body in a core. With enough mana, we can call forth special powers. Now, a class… it is a special job that we are all suited for. The Great Spirits can see through our minds and find our talents. For instance, I am great at fire magic and also have strong telekinetic powers, so I was given Arch Mage as a class."
Taking a sip from a nearby cup filled with green liquid, Rubina cleansed her lips with a towel and selected a cookie from a nearby plate before continuing.
"My abilities come from both the Great Spirit of Fire, who has blessed me enough that I can radiate its flames at any given time, and my second ability was gifted to me by the Great Spirit of Darkness, which allows me to do this…"
Within seconds, the young lady before him manifested short horns, a tail, and small wings. Logan stood up in shock but sensed that the girl was equally as afraid of him as he was of her.
"Are you possibly…" Logan tried to say but was quickly answered by Rubina.
"A demon? Yes. I am half-demon. You see, my mother was a full demon, and my father is human. I will say this, though—I have never met any other demons... and my mother is gone. I have been without her since I was a child," Rubina explained, sadness reflected in her ruby-like eyes.
"So why did you tell me, a hero, this?" Logan asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Because I wanted you to trust me, I really feel something familiar when speaking with you... " Rubina replied. "By sharing this secret, we can help each other even further before you are tainted by the ideology of this world. Also, my father is obsessed with monsters, so he was the one that sought you out the most when the oracle announced your class."
Logan looked around, seeing that no maids had entered. He returned his gaze to Rubina, who remained seated, wary of what Logan would do next. But the boy settled his beating heart, sat back down, and began to admire her new appearance. She did not seem dangerous, at least for now.
Seeing that the boy didn't seem to want to run away or scream for help, Rubina hid her demon appearance. She herself didn't understand why she revealed her true form to the hero, but she somehow felt that the boy would accept it, as he somehow did. The way he acted, steering out of the view of others, was like seeing herself—someone who didn't fit with the current world, a half-demon.
"Well then, I hope we can enjoy our tea and sweets before my father arrives," Rubina said with a warm smile. "You see, he really wanted to meet you, Logan."
As Logan picked up a small cake, his eyes wandered towards the girl sitting beside him. The radiant smile she was giving off made him feel as though she had strangely gotten closer to him for some reason.
Suddenly, a commotion rattled the mansion. The door to the room was pushed aside with force as a tall, lean middle-aged man burst through in a hurry, carefully cradling an egg in his arms.