“No no no, Lord Shen, please don’t tease me like that. Spells of mass-murdering? That’s too terrifying. I could never wield such evil spells.” → Maru
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but smile amused, while Maru’s face palled after understanding what he just said.
“I see. So that makes me an evil person then?” → Shen
“N-no, of course not! I wouldn’t dare!” → Maru
“Whenever you dare or not, you already said it.” → Shen
I laughed after seeing Maru all flustered and agitated, then calmed down and continued.
“Listen here, Maru. This evil spell, if wielded by a responsible person with a big heart, it can save thousands of people just from one use. Don’t think that there exists in this world something which is pure evil. Because, for such a thing to exist in the first place there must also appear a pure good, which, for now, nobody found it yet. That’s why, if you ever think that you’re up to the task and wish to become a dark mage for your kingdom, you know where to go and sign for.” → Shen
“…”
Maru listened intently then with a worried expression he nodded lightly without giving any answer. At the same time, a young blonde man in a white and silver armor walked in, looking around for someone.
“Mister Yuri.” → Shen
I walked in front of him and he smiled widely while greeting me politely.
“Ah! Sir Shen! Happy to see you doing well-… Sir? Are those scars from me?” → Yuri
With a worried expression, Yuri examined the scars on my forehead, face, neck, arms and below the shirt. Seeing his worried and guilt-filled face made all my suspicions about him to disappear in smoke. At first, I still thought that he might be after something by asking to be friends with me and Ryu. Now only to think that he might be a friendly idiot who, maybe, thinks he found people that resembles him.
“Please don’t worry about this. It’s just from training. More importantly, sir Yuri, have you prepared what I asked?” → Shen
“Y-yes! Here it is.” → Yuri
Just what kind of training was that? He looks as if he almost died for a few times. → Yuri
With a pale expression, Yuri passed me a little notebook quite absentmindedly, then I started to read through it right then and there. The title was [World’s Structure] and was a little description of Yuri’s point of view upon the magic world that helped his grandfather use magic circles even on Earth.
[The matter is made from molecules, which, at the same time, they’re made from energy, one form of energy or another. And going by this theory I concluded that at its base, the entire world is made of energy. How this energy has been arranged to create this matter? What principal form did it take to take such a variety of other different forms? This is only a personal theory, but is also what helped me to take control over the five elements even on Earth: The world was structured by strings and dashes of energy which, arranged in a respective geometrical form, it will create matter.]At this point, I felt like a light just opened inside my mind. I then continued to read, trying to understand even more of what Yuri wrote down and what belief he used to acquire such powers that made him survive on his own in this world full of danger.
[Good examples which use this theory are the graphical programs on a computer back on Earth which create tridimensional forms that, at first, are made from more lines uniting and tangling with each other in points that keep them united to remain in the respective form. Or another example is how any program for computers are made at first by using the computer-language which is made only from 1 and 0. 1 which, for me, represents the information that goes forward, the power that continues in a respective direction, while 0 representing the start, the end, the dot which emanates power or absorbs it, the point from where 1 starts it’s travel, no matter the domain, and the end of it. Even though 1 and 0 are two basic forms of being, two basic movements of energy, once multiplied in billions of billions of other 1 and 0 the someone or something that created this system was able to build an entire world. The number of structures and creations with can be born from this simple motion of energy, was able to create the world as we know, calculated and controlled by a being much superior which has rationality and power of calculus infinitely bigger than any computer created on Earth.]So basically The World is like a program based on codes similar to one on a normal computer. The only difference would be the dimensions, the structure, and the complexity… This kind of theory is quite amazing. You can indeed call the souls as players who play this world through a “Virtual Reality mask” which is the body, while the “player” himself is the soul. Yes. But, however, unlike normal games, this one was not made only so we could have our fun, but to learn what “playing”, or in our case, what living means and learn about the structure of this “program” through our own visions. It is used to teach by practice with no theory. → Shen
I felt like laughing after finishing reading and Yuri saw that, feeling somewhat dejected.
“Too foolish?” → Yuri
He asked a little bit saddened.
“Nope. Too real. I’m just feeling funny for finally finding someone who shares the same ideas as me but in a different form.” → Shen
His eyes then lit up and we started sharing more information, ideas and started creating spells together which can be based on this theory of the world. While we continued chatting, the sunset and the number of readers inside the library also diminished. At one point Sylvia found us and also entered in conversation with us. At first, she was shocked to read Yuri’s visions upon the world and stared at me at first, asking me weird questions like You’re not going to create a world-destroying spell out of this one, are you? I felt somewhat insulted by her question while Yuri couldn’t help but laugh drily, feeling like such an idea wasn’t that absurd knowing me.
While we continued chatting, a wolf-man with barely any power on him entered the library and walked toward Maru who was sitting at the table in front of the entrance. His requests attracted my attention and made me look at him more intently.
“Hello, Sir Maru.” → Khalid
“Oh! Sir Khalid! How may I help you?” → Maru
“If possible, I’d wish to have any book that refers to enchanting non-organic objects, controlling the metals, about the mineral’s circulation and Blacksmithing.” → Khalid
Maru noted everything on a piece of paper then walked toward different bookshelves and took more books while giving them to him. While searching for his books, Maru asked rather absentminded.
“By the titles of the books you’re searching, it sounds like you’re trying to create something truly incredible.” → Maru
“Yeah. It’s a weapon.” → Khalid
“I see, I see, a weap-… Eh?” → Maru
Maru turned around and stared back with huge eyes. Everyone knew by now Khalid’s hate for weapons. Hearing him suddenly want to build one made Maru forget for a moment about what he was thinking.
Unperturbed by his reaction, Khalid continued forward, already knowing where the crafting-related books were inside the library.
“You heard it right. A little bastard made me understand that if I’m unable to at least save myself, then I shouldn’t cry over the fact that others use me or my creations as they wish. I’ll make him understand that even as a Disciple-Ranked I’m still able to hold my ground against others of even Semi-God like him.” → Khalid
“Well, that sounds interesting. Mind if I listen to the story?” → Shen
“Lord Shen?” → Maru
His serious and unyielding expression made me even more interested after hearing that he was only of Disciple-rank. Then a sudden thought struck me about a young beast-man which was kept as a prisoner inside the kingdom and risked of being executed or brainwashed in a month after learning about him. His name was Khalid and a wolf-man, I understood immediately who I was talking with.
Hearing my voice, Khalid glanced sharply back while Maru saluted surprised. Hearing Maru, Khalid also raised an eyebrow and turned my way while bowing his head lightly.
“I salute Lord Shen.” → Khalid
“Yeah, surely, you do.” → Shen
The natural way he showed enmity to the ones that talked with him made me wonder just what kind of lifestyle he had back on Earth. However, I wasn’t the kind to try and understand when someone was rude, so I answered accordingly with a mocking smile on my face as I stood right in front of him. At my crude comment, Khalid looked up surprised and then I continued talking, not leaving any room for him to try baring his fangs at me.
“Brat. I’m the reason why your bacon got saved by my people and I don’t care if you feel gratified or not, I didn’t save you for that.” → Shen
“…”
Khalid stared sharply at me while waiting for me to finish. Seeing how he was a listener rather than a speaker, I smiled amused then continued sharply.
“Let’s make a good deal. I’ll teach you about what I know about crafting while you’ll teach me about your style. Together with it, I also wish to partake at the creation of the new weapon you want to create.” → Shen
Knowing my hungry self for knowledge, Sylvia said nothing but lightly smiled while Yuri stared at me and Khalid confused, still not knowing what we were talking about. Maru was also dumbfounded while Khalid reprimanded me in irritation.
“You take me for a fool?! How would I know you’re not just searching for my crafting-style so you could just create guns after my models?” → Khalid
“If I wished to create guns, then I would have done so a long time ago.” → Shen
“Huh?” → Khalid
Khalid was surprised by my words then felt like what I said was quite true and possible as he looked around at all the books inside the library. Seeing him still suspicious, I continued while raising my arms around me, showing him the entire great library then pointing at the books in his arms.
“From where do you think we have all those books you’re holding? I’ve read everything while I was living on my own, I know of dozens of forms to create weapons. I only need to learn the properties of the materials and, at least, a gun like Bururiba’s would be done in less than a month. Sure, maybe I’m not as good as you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t improve with time.” → Shen
“… Then why I’m here?” → Khalid
Khalid suddenly felt pressured as he felt that finishing his first prototype was needed more than ever.
“Why? Because I won’t be able to focus on crafting for a while. While you’ll use our materials and live here, you also have the responsibility to create advantageous machines which would help our kingdom evolve faster. You might not accept building weapons yet, but at one point, at least for defense, we’ll need some cannons on the walls against any kind of invaders which might wish to eradicate us off Sario’s surface. And you, together with the ones you will come to love and respect, will end up as their victims as well.” → Shen
With a gloom over his face, Khalid stared at me with heavy glare and asked in a deep voice.
“…Have you already talked about me with King Ryu?” → Khalid
“Eh? No. Why?” → Shen
I asked dumbfounded, thinking that maybe Ryu told him something similar already.
He sounds exactly like the king… Truly, the birds of a feather flock together. → Khalid
Khalid shook his head then accepted for us to come and make an exchange of knowledge. Me, Yuri, Sylvia, and Khalid entered inside the basement of the Central Tower where Tara was waiting for us. She was surprised at first to see so many visitors at the same time then completely baffled when Khalid and I sat down at a table filled with cylindrical objects and other pieces of metal, with serious expressions while discussing the best way to unite the metallic pieces, how to make some pistons react, what enchanting which part needed. Then after a while, Sylvia, who was an expert at enchanting, and Yuri who was great at circulations and magic circles, interfered in the discussion and we started talking about even more intently about a way to craft the weapon Khalid needed to fight against Ashura. Even though unable to assist on the conversation, Tara listened intently while trying to understand as much about the conversation as possible.
“… I think we should use a screwing-form to unite the pieces so we won’t make the armor too heavy.” → Khalid
“That would work only for the cylinders, but what about the metallic plates? How are we going to screw those?” → Shen
“How about we use lightning-based spells for that? We can solder the pieces as we wish. Or with fire.” → Yuri
“No way. It’s too hard to control spells for such meticulous things. Let’s just use the circulation system of the metals. We could make them soft at first and then unite at ends. Afterward, we could also unite the veins of the pieces through which the energy is circulating to completely unite the two pieces into one.” → Sylvia
“Yes. That sounds more preferable…” → Khalid
Khalid, I, Yuri, Sylvia then Khalid once again, we continued to talk until the next day in the morning, resolving almost all the problems Khalid faced while trying to build his strongest weapon: a full armor which properties of an Exoskeleton, fully armored with guns and explosive, enchanted with magic and magic-circles. In the end, Khalid lifted his blueprint and everyone stared at it dumbfounded, his tail wagging left and right from the excitement that wasn’t visible on his face at all. Sylvia looked surprised and said somewhat amused.
“If this toy is finished, even a Semi-God like Dhavala should have a hard time handling it.” → Sylvia
I nodded in amusement and commented.
“Too bad I won’t be able to assist in the creation of this beauty. However, I’m sure that with your skills, you should be able to do so. For the creation of the engine I could ask Tyson to help, he has the same abilities as mine- no. He’s much better than me.” → Shen
After an entire night of heated discussing and planning, Khalid’s heart opened even more and the idea of bringing someone else in his basement didn’t bother him in the slightest.
“Yes, that would help a lot. Most of the pieces are already crafted by me, now they only need to be strengthened and fortified with spells and magic circles. Thank you again, Lord Shen. Miss Sylvia and Mister Yuri as well. Sincerely thank you.” → Khalid
He bowed his head and Sylvia with Yuri answered back, her rather amused while him quite embarrassed.
“Fufu~ no need to thank us. I find it rather amusing when people get in such a heated conversation with Shen. I had my share of fun as well~.” → Sylvia
“Miss Sylvia is right. I also had fun while helping you with this. Besides, I never thought that magic circles could be so useful in crafting, happy that it helped you, Sir Khalid.” → Yuri
Seeing us converse like this, Tara smiled brightly then said with a beaming smile while looking at Khalid.
“Aah~ I never thought I would see Khalid talk so happily about crafting with so many people at the same time. You finally started to open yourself some more. I’m so happy for you, Khalid~.” → Tara
“Ugh… sure…” → Khalid
Seeing her beaming smile, Khalid evaded eye-contact and walked in front of us toward the door while his tail unconsciously waved left and right. Seeing this, I felt quite amused, Yuri smiled brightly while Sylvia quietly giggled just as amused.
After we left Khalid on his own to put the pieces together with the help of Tara, the three of us walked toward the Northern gate where the rest of the heroes and elites waited for us to depart, not before changing from my attire. Sylvia hastily dragged me inside her room where she already had prepared some more presentable clothes for me and quickly made me change. Afterward, she gave me a pouch of a few coins of gold that seemed to contain around 600 of them, then dragged me inside the Armory and made me choose two weapons to always have at me just in case. Absentmindedly I took a heroic-ranked staff and an epic-ranked knife. She then dragged me toward the cafeteria and wished to make me some food for the traveling but I already erupted, dizzy by all the dragging in a place and another.
“Alright! Hold on a second! What are you doing now? Why the hell do you give me all of this useless stuff?!” → Shen
“Are you saying you should be going to meet a queen in domestic pants and a ripped shirt? In Antara it might be normal, seeing how everyone looks quite barbaric, but in a civilized and already grown kingdom like Victoria, such an image would be scandalous.” → Sylvia
Hearing her arguments I mumbled grumply for a moment then changed the focus of the subject to the weapon and gold.
“T-then for what is all this gold?! And the weapons? What, do you see me for a weakling?” → Shen
With a calm and composed expression, Sylvia answered back.
“Shen, your powers are yet to stabilize. You might not be aware of it yet, but your powers are slowly fading because the danger passed. Now seeing how you’re starting to relax, the strong aura you had before is now fading as well.” → Sylvia
“?!”
I then opened my status window and observed that she was right.
[AP: 700 → 2200]
It literally turned back to the oscillating form, but this didn’t really burden me. Rather, it seemed more convenient.
Hmm, now I think I understand how to control the flow of power. With this, I’ll be able to hide my powers or change back to Young-God rank whenever I wish. However, to completely hide I’ll indeed need a weapon. → Shen
I then nodded and approved of Sylvia’s decisions, with the exception of the gold.
“And the money? I don’t need to eat anything, you know?” → Shen
“This is for the inn. You might not get any room inside Victoria’s School, you know? What, you weren’t thinking of sleeping atop a tree, right?” → Sylvia
“But what would be the problem in doing so?” → Shen
Sylvia felt like face-palming while I tilted my head in confusion at her question. Seeing her helpless sigh I hastily came with arguments.
“I-I mean, what is the need to waste money on something that’s just a fad?” → Shen
“Shen… Having a roof above your head is not a fad…” → Sylvia
“T-then I could just make a cave inside a neighboring mountain and-“ → Shen
“For Goodness sake, Shen! Please try to live like a civilized person already! You no longer have any need to hide in caves, or wander around with the ship, or to sleep under the dark sky like a hermit. You can finally have a stable, NORMAL place where you can sleep NORMALLY!” → Sylvia
Already exasperated by my arguments, Sylvia erupted and made me stare at her with wide-open eyes. After she finally calmed down I thought for a while then a sudden idea came to me.
“Alright, understood. A roof above my head and a stable ground would be quite nice.” → Shen
“Yes! Now please be sure to get a room inside an inn and-“ → Sylvia
“Then it would be fine if I just build my own home beside the city, right? I mean, look just how huge the trees are! I could simply make a hole inside a tree and live inside it!” → Shen
“SHEN! You’re a human! Not a squirrel!” → Sylvia
After being reprimanded again and again by Sylvia and explained that someone civilized should not sleep in anything that’s not resembling a house, we finally left toward the Northern gate where we found the other heroes and elites that waited for us all.
I was surprised by how the ones who had their heads bald now had their hair back, maybe even longer than before. I looked confused at them only to glance at Yuri, who was now evading any eye contact.
“…Any explanations to give?” → Shen
“U-uhm, I-I thought that maybe they already suffered enough after being tied by the pole naked in the middle of the kingdom, you know? I-I mean, it would have grown back anyway, why not make it grow faster?” → Yuri
Sweat fell down his forehead while trying to give excuses as I glared at him in annoyance. However, Sylvia got in between us and reprimanded me with quite the mad tone, tilting her finger in front of my face.
“Shen, I heard what you did to these poor people. I understand that you wanted to punish them for their wrong-doings, but cutting their hair? Shen! At least for a woman, her hair is her life! How can you do such a thing?!” → Sylvia
“And what’s with you now?” → Shen
I was baffled by her sudden burst of anger and how she suddenly started scolding me like that.
“Heh. The mighty Devil is actually subdued by a White Rapunzel, haha~.” → Zhin
Zhin laughed while looking amused at Sylvia with her white long hair that reached to the ground, while she reprimanded me who was staring confused with a deadpan expression back at her. The punished heroes truly saw me as a devil while they looked at Sylvia like at an angel of some sort. However, what she said right after made them shed silent tears.
“Shen, while you’ll be away in the Victoria Kingdom try your best to keep a cool head. Don’t start waging wars with the first noble or royalty you’ll find as annoying, alright?” → Sylvia
“Hm? So you’re not coming?” → Shen
I raised an eyebrow after she told me to behave myself in a foreign country. I instantly thought that she actually wouldn’t come by the way she talked.
“What~? You actually wanted for me to come with you?” → Sylvia
Her provocative gaze annoyed me but I simply returned her question with another.
“I just thought you’ll be stuck on me like glue after promising to stay by my side all the time. What, you already forgot?” → Shen
“Oh, but I will come to you as fast as possible after I’m done with some little things Sir Ryu made me do~.” → Sylvia
She winked at me then she looked at the other heroes.
“Please don’t be too afraid of him. You’ll see that once you get to know him he’ll appear to be much friendlier.” → Sylvia
“You take me for a dangerous beast?! You little girl really have guts!” → Shen
Now, wait a second… Why do I even care in the first place? → Shen
I stepped in front of Sylvia with a vein pulsating on my forehead. For some reasons every word and action this little girl made or spoke stirred me greatly, something extremely confusing for me. Why did I care about what she did or said? I was still unaware and neither will I be able to understand any time soon. But while I was thinking on my own, she suddenly poked my chest with her finger and moved it up and down slowly, a naughty expression on her face.
“Wha~t? Am I really just a little girl to you? You might have forgotten but we’re of the same age, you know~?” → Sylvia
“Grr~! Okay, enough!” → Shen
I moved her hand away from me slowly, for some reasons being unable to actually just slap it away, something inside me not letting me do so, and took a step behind.
What the hell? I can’t deal with her! That’s it, I’m out. → Shen
The others stared dazed at this sight. The two old dragoons Alfarr and Agatha grinned amused while even Leorio felt like laughing, seeing how the one who initially showed God-like powers just a week ago, now was being teased by a girl with ridiculously long and white hair.
Perturbed and even embarrassed by her teasing, I took flight on my own toward the Victoria Kingdom without waiting for the others.
“… T-this is amazing… In many ways…” → Yuri
Yuri gazed at me as I was flying away, still baffled by the conversation between me and Sylvia.
“Mister Yuri~.” → Sylvia
“Eh?!” → Yuri
Suddenly, Sylvia’s melodic voice resounded from right beside him, surprising him and making him retreat a step.
“Oh my? I’m sorry. Didn’t meant to scare you.” → Sylvia
She lightly giggled while covering her mouth.
“A-ah! No problem! Yes? Why did Miss Sylvia call for me?” → Yuri
F-for some reasons she seems much more attractive than before… Is this a charm? → Yuri
It seems that after being Hamata’s avatar, Sylvia acquired the charming aura of the Goddess of Love, something that she’s still unable to control all that well and still affecting the ones around her. While trying to surpass her own aura, Sylvia smiled lightly and whispered to Yuri.
“I thank you for saving Shen from his devil, Mister Yuri. Just like this, you saved us all.” → Sylvia
“E-eh? I-I don’t think I did that much, right?” → Yuri
