I followed Rald out of the room. He glanced at me tentatively, as though waiting for something.
"Oh, Pardon my manners," I paused, nettled. He might be the Prince of this household; his dressing really mirror that.
I didn't know if a plain handshake would suffice as respect. Rain's earlier title left me even more conflicted.
'No need to fret. Even if I err, I'd simply be corrected, and not punished.' I thought.
Totally unrelated, but Rald seemed weaker than his sisters too.
"I just realized I haven't introduced myself…I'm Askin…I think" I added after a timely afterthought.
Rald hadn't even notice my slip. I wasn't not supposed to remember anything at all. "Rain addressed me as that when I woke up."
Rald waved away my excuse. "I know that already." he replied with a smile.
His voice was meek and calm, with an undertone bossy tenor. However, he kept it to a minimum to sound friendly.
This was my chance! "I don't remember a thing, not even my other names," I slipped a regretful tone into my voice, drooping my head.
"Don't worry, you're with us now. We are family, and we watch out for each other." He patted me on the shoulder, striding away.
I nearly dropped my façade at his docile words. Instead, I smiled gratefully muttering 'embarassed' thanks.
His hand slipped down to my back, the other placed behind above his waist.
Even I, who came from a regular family, knew how misleading his statement could be, so shouldn't he, from a noble House, know better?
Noble families are locked in an eternal internal conflicts, right from birth to death. Royals are only worse.
Perhaps, he was just trying to reassure a naïve me (his thoughts). But then, he sounded like he truly believed it too.
A docile lamb in the midst of wolves. I couldn't tell how long he'd been surviving but he needs to either buckle up or die. And I'm not going to be the one to help him do that.
I didn't know how dangerous Nobility could be here, and I'm not about to jut my head into it without proper appraisal.
Hell, I didn't come here to act as salvation for anyone, or aid someone's character development. I had a specific purpose, and I'm not derailing from it anytime soon.
'I don't have a savior complex. Isn't that how they say it?' I thought, flashing a pitiful smile at the prince in front of me.
I shuffled forward till I fell in equal pacing with him. We walked through a series of congruent corridors, all adjacent to each other in a labyrinthine pattern.
"So you did notice that?" Rald extolled with a smile when I asked him about it. My modest smile didn't waver, and then he explained rather quickly.
"Almost all the buildings of the Great Monarch Houses are built in the same way. Just to confuse spies and invaders in the event of any circumstances. Great reasoning, isn't it?"
I nodded, with a side glance at him. His features were pretty much above average. However, I'm not the type to appreciate any form of masculine physique. I saw that as an act of gayism.
Forget about the word used.
He had light blond hair, sleek with a few tendrils sticking out. A few slivers longer than the rest, was tied with a fine string, a sunflower attached to the bun.
A thin scar ran across his left cheek, accentuated by several little black spots spread evenly.
'Puberty really did you a good one,' I forced a polite smile to avoid actually laughing. Well, Alan Greenbun suffered something similar too.
His light blue eyes, same as his sisters twinkles vibrantly, mirroring his bubbly personality. But I also saw the dark clouds in them – that look of a person carrying a burden alone.
I made a mental note to myself on this. Somehow, this observation disturbed me slightly.
He had a pretty decent physique, slightly muscular but lean at the same time, just like mine.
'I should go check out my features in a mirror sometime,' I examined my hands, noting the numerous calluses and little scars all over them. They're more on my chest and back too.
I ran a hand through my hair and my hands, feeling my muscles squirm at my will.
Here I was, the mythical dark-haired introverted character in the flesh.
Let's see whether I'd need Aurora's blessing to attract the ladies or not.
…
Now, I've read a bit of the novel, and I must say, things have been going out of script.
From the moment I woke up on a bed instead of a battlefield, I realized it.
I had a pretty vague idea on how the World building is. The author failed utterly in that aspect, so Kamirn would have had to smarten the rough edges based on the original outline.
Here's what I remember;
This is a world of Mages, Warlocks and Regulars. There are monsters (spelled Monstras) and Beasts, and each are slightly different.
However, this isn't a Post-apocalyptic World.
All Mages need a weapon to channel their energy and use powers more efficiently.
Topping the list, are the Sword Mages, which constitute about ninety six per cent of the entire mage population, then the spear and lance mages, with three per cent and arrow mages which are almost phenomenal.
The lower branch of Mage classification are mostly long and short range mages.
Naturally, a few differ.
Seventeen was the age of awakening here. The age at which most of the lucky 'empowered' population got their weapons.
How it happened, I didn't know.
As always, prodigies always existed. Rald looked older than seventeen, so it'd be safe to assume he had a sword too.
I turned to him, "This might look sus, but why don't you have your sword with you?"
Rald's brow furrowed in confusion. "Sus?"
"Sorry, I meant suspicious," I waved my hand almost frantically. Again, Rald didn't notice anything.
'Phew…I suppose some words are unfamiliar here. Almost sold myself out with that one.' I sighed in relief. 'This guy has to be a total dud.'
For that reason, I had to be careful. Most people who played oblivious were often the most dangerous.
Especially if they had a jovial attitude too. That combination's lethal.
"This is the Medical Center…weapons aren't allowed here," Rald replied after a while.
"So you've gotten your sword already. Congratulations." I said, faking a smile.
Rald sharply turned to me. I caught a glint of pain in his eyes, before it hardened. "You know, for someone who's supposed to have lost all his memory, you sure recall a lot."
It took all of my practiced instincts not to react immediately. I met his gaze coolly, and waited till it softened.
"I don't quite remember sayingthat I lost all my memories," I replied calmly, walking past him.
Rald watched my back for a while, his eyes narrowed. After a moment, he caught up to me and cleared his throat.
"You're presuming that there's a War going on? That's the only condition for me to have my sword on me at all times," Rald explained, looking ahead.
"From the fragments I can recall, as at the time I collapsed, there were people fighting around me. Why or against who, I have no idea," I explained, my voice steady,
according to script.
It wasn't time to sound emotional yet.
Rald nodded. "I have no idea of that then. It was Grandfather, who brought you home, and he didn't explain anything to anyone, even Uncle."
I didn't know who these were, but they had to be influential people, not just in the family circle, but far beyond.
'I need to meet this Grandpa to know how far I've deviated from the original plot,' I thought, my head low in thought.
Unknown to myself, I'd fallen back while been immersed in thought. My unseeing gaze told Rald that I needed some time undisturbed and he reduced pace too.
...
I never got past the chapter 10 of 'Navigating through fantasy worlds.' At that time, the MC was on the run from assassins, after being alerted by the Princess.
He was a secret guard assigned to her, a shut in who'd been barred from having any friends by her parents.
All in the name of safety, since she was the only surviving pureblood royal.
Expectedly, she began to have romantic feelings for him. He never reciprocated them, because he knew that any romantic inclinations between them would cost him his head, and her nothing. A heart break maybe.
Funny enough, she won't be able to save him since he'd be executed by his own family and not the Royals.
She'd given him a bracelet as a farewell gift. Shortly after that, they were caught. Of course, the princess was spared.
That point was chapter 10 ended.
I felt around my neck, but found nothing.
So what was the case here?
Had Kamirn begun my own story from an entirely strange incident, one that didn't even exist in the story at all, or had the preceding events I could recall being skipped to a point at, maybe chapter 16 or so?
'There's only one way to find out; that old man has to tell me where he picked me from,' I concluded, nodding slowly. I hurried toward Rald.
The foot of two majestic pillars fell into my line of vision. Surprised, I looked up.
I hadn't even asked where we were headed to all this while.
It was a gate, wide enough for a car to pass through, and about 10 feet high. The pillars gleamed with ivory, and the golden gate glittered in the sunlight.
We'd left the lined terraced buildings. I hadn't noticed that either.
"You looked so worried, I didn't want to interfere," Rald explained when he saw me glancing around. "Wonder what got you this serious."
"Waking up in a strange land with no memories at all serves that purpose right, doesn't it?" I almost snapped back, shaking my head in disbelief.
Rald took a surprised glance at me. He then shook his head resignedly, which left me confused. "Well, that sounds about right…"
He stretched a hand towards the gate, and a bluish vapor seeped out of his palm.
I watched enthralled. This was it.
Arxra.
One of the slight consolation prize I had self-imposed for my cursed Fate, was that I would get to use powers.
From the synopsis, I knew the MC's future path. Even though a bit tragic, he'd acquire enough power to battle even the gods.
'I just hope Kamirn wouldn't twist that part as well. Once I get really strong, even he will become powerless before me!'
A small, evil smile lifted my lips. Luckily no one noticed. Rald might actually be sensible enough to get suspicious. And that could be a huge setback along the line.
That's if he stayed alive long enough along the line.
Slowly, the gates creaked open, parting open to reveal a pathway. A phalanx of about ten soldiers stood at either sides, all stiffening in a salute.
Another stood separately, cradling a hilted sword in his hands.
"Young Lord, the dueling ground is now ready. Is he the other challenger?"
"Yes, send word to the guards to be on their way" Rald directed, walking forward.
I hadn't even moved from where I first sighted the gate.
'A duel?'
'Wait, I'm the other challenger?!'