I was a bit…skeptical. Didn't know how to go about it. Had different ideas, different plans. None of them I want to execute. Mainly because…it felt weird.
Blaming Grandma Kon would be one thing, but what if she already decided against this? What if? I want to go there, head back, ask her more questions—but I already bothered her more than enough today.
Now, I know what happened to the children, the teenagers. They are all dodging Rei like she's some freak. Some parasite. Some infection.
Telling myself that at the very least, all I wanted to do was for Rei to be accepted by her community again. It didn't end that way. One thing led to another, and she burned the face of her abuser—which is something I still don't know how it happened.
I have to keep playing it back in my head a couple times. Bang it in there. When I tell myself these things, I kinda shrug it off subcoinsiously. I'll feel the guilt, but it fades away moments later.
I don't want the guilt to fade away.
I want it to stick onto me. Make me disgusted. But the more I stay here, the more I see these things around me.
The guilt is slowly decomposing. Not working in the way that it used to. Each thing here, each revelation makes me less surprised.
Am I too accustomed?
Maybe.
Two months. Maybe a month and a half now. Time is a concept that I don't keep track of, not when events like these happen from time to time. I wonder what the other four have left in store for me.
But if I'm being honest?
I'm scared to know.
Not because of what would happen to me.
But what I could do…that might just make things worse.
So, for once, and maybe in a while. I wanted to take her fate into my own hands.
I've messed up the first time. I blame myself. But I know I can do this. I know I can change her. Everyone else had already given up on her. Me too, when I leave.
But it's not about leaving, or anything like that. It's about right now. If I do what I can right now, then everything else will be better.
Rei won't have to be like me. No. She'll be her own person. She'll be comfortable in her own skin.
Regardless of the cherry red, or the gashed horn…or the short snow white hair. I'll find a way so she can be accepted unto her own people. Failure isn't an option.
And if I do fail…
…I don't want to think about it.
My eyes shot open, the carriage stopped. Rei was already beady and eager. Her eyes laced with curiosity. This is the first time she's been outside Korioh Landings, I think. I don't know if any other ranchmaster did.
And if they did…I don't think she would be acting like this.
It was a gamble, to be sure. I had to pinch myself a couple times. Bringing a "slave" to an outside world. She could run away or something, start a new life in New Marell.
Flugel only chuckled when I told him what I wanted to do. I initially thought he was going to reject it, but he didn't. Gave me his parting words instead.
"Take all the time you need."
Condescence? No, he's worse than me. His tone dripped as if he knew something I didn't, but surely it had to be a bluff, right? I hate that feeling.
We stepped off the carriage, Rei's beady orange eyes taking in the sight of the town. The burnt poncho and the four-pointed star were still with her. That might've been my mistake to leave it with her.
But I couldn't get myself to actually take it from her. I'm a hypocrite, but maybe she's more attached to it than I am. If so, whatever comes from my mouth would have to break any materialistic view she had on it.
"Wo-woah…" She's stunned, taking in the sight of other people. Granted, she's never seen anything outside of humans, and Oni. So seeing the others, beings in clad armour, elves, and weird human-like creatures with cat ears.
I called them something once, but I think I forgot.
She tugged on the sleeve of my hoodie, "I-it's just like what the book said…!"
My smile brightens, she must be talking about the decade old geography book…that may or may not be outdated. Doubt it even has a town like New Marell in it though.
I look around, Rei doesn't leave my side. I've practically known the place like the back of my hand, despite me being illiterate.
But first things first, and quite frankly, something I should've done a long time ago. A mystery that I left in the back of my hand. The first tool that ever saved my life in this new world.
I look at the palm of my left hand. Trying to remember what the sword felt like. I haven't used it for it's actual purpose, other than the time that I summoned it back in one of those decoy houses in Korioh.
Whenever I did, felt a strange tug on my chest—heart. Like my chest was expanding, almost. Like breathing in instead of breathing out. It was hard to explain.
I don't need to look for the armory, my legs already know the way. Taking each step measured and carefully. Rei leads in with the same footstep as mine. I pretend that maybe it's a coincidence.
But she's done that one times too many.
I open up the double doors, Rei at my side. The armory is just how I seen it, and the same man is there from last time. His face lights up. He remembers me?
"You!" He begins, voice deep and gruffy. Turns out he did remember me.
"I was wondering where you were. Was hoping the area didn't really kill you."
I shrug off his comment, "Something along the lines of that. I wanted you to look at something of mine."
He nods, his eyes linger on mine, and then towards my side. Rei. His genuine smile falls, analyzing.
He sees the four-pointed star, doesn't he?
A certain emotion is plastered on his face, disappointment maybe. Who, Rei or I?
Shit, does he know that she's a slave? Possibly? What if—
"She's with me." I interrupt myself.
"A…uh, disciple. Letting her wear the poncho and four point star." I elaborate. I forgot months ago he saw me come in here with the same poncho.
It relieves him, even a little bit. I can breathe easily now. I don't need to get into any potential trouble.
"Wow. Just not too long ago you were practically a nobody, and now look. Owning the place at Archmage level." He commemorates, but it sounds nothing but gibberish in my ears.
I nod my head to play along, "Yeah…yeah. Archibald level or something. Anyways, look at this."
My left hand stretches out, gripping on something familiar. There's nothing, but the air swifting through my fingers.
I haven't done this in some time. Feels foreign, just like on that first day.
I closed my eyes.
Focus.
All I could see was black.
Focus, again.
Something's there.
And maybe it was still mad at me, or I would assume so.
But it never did leave me.
I had just simply forgot to call on it.
There it came, the sound of crystals and gems being crushed. The white bright light, materializing perfectly within the grip of my left hand.
The blade.
The dirty, rusted blade that saved my life.
Both Rei and the man were shocked to see this. I placed it on his table, exhaling greatly. There went that tug on my chest again. Felt weird. Was this thing trying to yank out my heart or something?
"There you have it. You said Pact Weapons do these type of things last time, can you tell me more about it?"
He takes it by the handle, the sword looked old, felt old, but it wasn't broken. Just rusty. Insanely rusty.
It looks completely smaller in his hands, his eyes jumping between me and the blade.
He asked a question, "Can you…can you desummon it?"
I nod. The blade glows in white, before breaking apart. It's remnants lifting into the air and disappearing as well. I don't know how to explain it. It's just like…the blade knows when I want it gone.
Stretching out my hand again, the sound of crystals clashed. White light, materialized, it appeared in my hand like it was nothing.
He nodded shortly, but his looks weren't approving. Something was wrong.
I kept my expectations low before he continued.
"Well, this is no regular pact weapon. Dare I say it's a pact weapon at all."
I furrow a brow. I wasn't expecting that now.
"Wh-what…? You told me these were the type of things pact weapons do. Now that I wield it, you're telling me it isn't? How?"
He sighs.
"Pact Weapons are different. They aren't rusty, and also radiate their own…oomph, you get what I mean?"
I deadpan at the man.
Wow, my blade isn't appealing because it's rusty. Who would've known?
"And…and not to mention that your blade has this…weird sound when it's being summoned. Pact Weapons don't do that. Whatever your blade is…it's either some magic trick you might've developed unknowingly…" His words trail.
"...or something different. Something greater than a normal pact weapon, and something potentially far more special than it to."