Everyone in this world spoke of Rahl like he was some kind of miracle.
The royal wizard, architect of modern magic, and savior ofthe Aurelis Kingdom, those were just a few of the titles thrown around. He was the one who summoned us to this world. The one who greeted us with his calm smile and spoke our language better than some of our own teachers. To the people of this kingdom, he was a living legend.
He walked the halls like he owned them, and maybe… In a way, he did. King Albrecht treated him less like a servant and more like a brother. Their alliance was forged long ago, or so the stories said...
Two men who fought to build a brighter future. Rahl was trusted with everything. Defense, research, even the kingdom's most dangerous secrets.
But if there's one thing I've learned today... Legends lie.
And as I stood next to Princess Celestine, hidden deep in the quiet library, watching the horrifying vision from the ant I'd sent to spy on him... That perfect image shattered.
No perhaps that perfect image of his is this moment...
Princess Celestine's face had gone pale, her lips trembling. This was not the strong and lady-like personality she usually displays, for the first time I saw a hint of humanity in her.
"I never... I never knew..." She whispered. "Rahl… There may be times I thought he was suspicious, but still he was a mentor to me... He taught me how to read. He taught me your language. I thought—"
"He's experimenting on people." I said, cutting in coldly. "Torturing them. That girl was crying in my very own language. He didn't just summon us. He's been using others. Testing. Hiding it all under this damn castle!"
Her ruby and gold eyes met mine, filled with fire and disbelief. "And Father trusted him completely… No... Perhaps that may be the reason why..."
We heard footsteps approaching— soft, hurried, yet unsteady. Instinctively, both Princess Celestine and I turned toward the sound, our secret meeting suddenly at risk.
"There you are, Hayato!" A voice called from the shadows.
Aoi emerged from the dim aisle between the towering bookshelves, strands of her hair clinging to her sweat-dappled face, her breaths shallow from running. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her chest as she tried to speak. "I-I was looking everywhere for you… General Draven is calling everyone to the arena. He said it's urgent, something about—"
She stopped.
Her eyes met mine, then slowly drifted to where Princess Celestine standing inches from me, our faces still close from our tense cob=versation. A silence heavier than steel fell between us.
Aoi's smile twitched.
"Who is she?" She asked, her tone sugar-sweet, yet cold enough to send a chill down my spine.
Her hands clenched tightly around the hem of her robe, trembling as her eyes narrowed, wide with a manic glint. The innocent smile she wore twisted slightly, not quite hiding the dark storm brewing behind her gaze.
"Hayato~" she said, her voice now disturbingly calm. "I thought you were in the bathroom, but instead you were meeting girls in secret places like this. And here I was… Worrying… Running all over the castle... Just for you."
Celestine blinked, confused. I, on the other hand, instinctively took a small step back.
The air shifted.
I sighed and looked at the Princess who was surprised of Aoi sudden appearance.
"How did you find this location?" Princess Celestine asked, with a cold tone as if challenging Aoi to a fight.
"After I found out that Hayato was no tin the bathroom, I went to his room and he still was not there..." Aoi replied, still with a tense and eerie smile. "I tried to contact him via the Scaleforge, but for some reason it can't connect to his... So I decided to go the the only place that piques his interest, which is the library and viola! I found him here meeting up secretly with another girl."
"You better go with your girlfriend now, Hayato," Princess Celestine said softly, lowering herself onto her chair as she pulled out a her booklet she showed me the first time we met. "I believe the General is preparing to send you all on a mission."
"I'm not his girlfriend." Aoi replied hastily, cheeks puffed in a pout, before mumbling with a dreamy smile. "not yet~"
I glanced at Aoi, still tense from the earlier moment, then turned my gaze back to Celestine.
She extended the booklet to me with a somber look in her eyes, somewhere between sorrow and defiance with her voice, she asked. "Tell me, Hayato... Do you still trust me?"
I stepped forward, my fingers brushing hers as I took the booklet. My voice was steady, sharper than before. "Do you think I'll let emotions cloud my judgment? You underestimate me, Princess."
"Princess? She's the Princess?!" Aoi panickly said as she pull her hair. "I can't believe I was being rude to the Princess..."
Princess Celestine eyes widened briefly from what I said, then she broke into a radiant smile, the kind that felt like a breath of warmth in the cold. In a sudden motion, she embraced me. Tight. Her breath brushed against my ear as she whispered, "Thank you... My Hero."
"Wh-why are you hugging Hayato?!" Aoi yelled, flustered and visibly shaking. "P-Princess, please let go of him!!!"
The Princess didn't respond. As she held me, I felt something discreetly slip into my pocket that is smooth, metallic, cold. She leaned in once more.
"This artifact will shroud your Scaleforge, Rahl won't be able to track or hear you if he decides to spy on you" She whispered urgently. Then, gently, she released me.
Still stunned, I gave her a firm nod. "I won't let your trust go to waste."
"Jeez, now you're even sharing secrets with her?" Aoi huffed as she stormed past me, dragging me by the sleeve. "Let's go, Hayato! You better tell me everything!"
I followed her out, glancing once over my shoulder. Princess Celestine sat quietly, watching us leave— her expression unreadable, her hand softly pressed where my warmth had lingered. I saw her pull out a piece of paper on her table and she proceeded to write something on it.
*** *** ***
All of us lined up in our group, General Draven was in front of Lukas' group who looks beaten up from constant training. A boy who was laughing with Mizuki's group is also present, just looking at him reminds me of Princess Celestine so he's probably the fabled Prince Julius I have been hearing about from Kuroe's constant rant.
Whereas in our group stood still the very person who is the epitome of the word Demon.
He looked at me with his usual cheery smile as if to give support and pity, he went closer to me and I respond with a smile copying his tactics of hiding 'his true intention'
"Is there any improvement in your Scaleforge, Hero Hayato?" He asked, still with his cheerful smile that I now think of as creepy.
"Sadly no... I thought of something, but it looks like the others have a much more better version." I said with a darkened expression.
"Don't be sad, you will be useful in this mission." He said before going back to his spot.
I felt a pinch behind me, I looked at who it was and saw a sulking Aoi. "Are you reallly not gonna tell me anything?"
"I'm sorry Aoi..." I respond, this time with a cold and tense voice as I stare at that demon Rahl. "Trust me... I am doing this for your sake..."
"Okay, listen up!" General Draven shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Though it's only been a week since everyone trained, I decided that putting everyone in a real battle is much better than training."
General Draven pulled out a map, on the middle was the Kingdom of Aurelis that was encircled with with red marking south of it is nothing but empty forest that has a symbol of a horn. "As you can see this is the Kingdom of Aurelis, if you go south there's a forest that is a part of the demon's territory, if you look closely there is a village named Fleurdrys situated closely to the forest. It is up to you Heroes to kill the demons staying in the forest— at the same time as expanding our territory."
He looked toward his group— the group of our class President Lukas. "Hero Lukas and his group, you will follow my lead alongside my army to go deeper in the forest to eliminate any base of the demons we see."
He proceeds to walk and looked at the group of Mizuki. "The group of Hero Mizuki is going to be lead by Prince Julius, your duty is to provide support from the rear. Eliminate any demons trying to escape our retribution."
Lastly he went to our group and looked at us, everyone from the other group also looked at our group. "The group of Hero Aoi, unfortunatly due to emergencies your captain Rahl will not be able to come. The duty of your group is to ensure that the village is safe and in order, help the villagers to not panic and use your arts to ensure that the village will be stable. Lastly, due to the expedition of our group to the forest, only you five alongside the village soldiers will fend off any demons who manage to sneak onto the village."
"General, if I may speak?" Haruki raised his hand, clearly looking distressed of the General's plan.
"Your saying that there are only village soldiers with us right?"
"That's right."
"Not any of your trained soldier will be left with us then?"
"Yes, all of them will be coming with us in the forest."
"Then!" Haruki shouted, angry at what the General said. "What if there is a strong demon that came to attack the village? I am not underestimating the village soldier General, but still... We need the back-up we need if we want to ensure that the village is safe."
"Powerful demons live in that forest, Hero Haruki. Which is why we need all the capable soldiers we can bring." General Draven coldly replied.
"That does not make sense!" Haruki was more angered at what the General said, he tried to go closer but Miyu and Izumi stopped him. "You're basically stating that killing the demons and expanding the Kingdoms territory is more important than the safety of the villagers!"
"Yes, that's right." General Draven replied, still with a cold voice as if he did not even give the slightest care to listen at what Haruki said.
"Are you hearing this?! Isn't it our job as Heroes to keep people safe?" He looked at Rahl and the Prince asking for their answer. "Rahl and Prince Julius! As captains of their own group, do you agree to what General Draven said?"
"Well... My father trust General Draven..." Prince Julius replied with a carefree smile, showing that he does not care about an ounce of what Haruki said. "So whatever General Draven planned, I will agree to! Right everyone?" He looked at his group with a cheerful smile alongside a thumbs-up.
Mizuki and her group only looked at him coldly and decided to remain silent, understanding that they couldn't do anything about the situation. Whereas the group of Lukas decided to turn a blind eye, showing that they do not want to oppose General Draven in any circumstances.
Rahl went closer to our group, still with his creepy smile. "Trust in the General's capability Hero Haruki and trust your friends that they won't let a single demon get out of the forest."
"Still... It's better to be cautious..."
"Hero Haruki." General Draven went closer to our group, steady and slowly as his armor give out a menacing thud as he takes a step. "The others will risk their lives in the forest just so they could get experience, so if a demon manage to slip through us and got to the village take it as a learning experience for your group as well..."
"I see..." Haruki replied, finally giving up from the General's pressure.
I looked at Haruki and clenches my fist, though we may be Heroes I can see that they only treat all of us as disposable normal soldiers. If what I saw from the ant's vision is truly from our world, then that makes this more terrifying.
The fact that we are really disposable soldiers...
"We leave today!" General Draven shouted with conviction, his cape move from the winds and his eyes burning with passion gave him the aura of a soldier who have faced death a lot of times. "The maids have prepared all of the stuff you need in the carriage, you will be seated with your group! Be vigilant, since even in our territory we are not safe in our journey!"
"He stood in front, grabbed his sword and pointed it at the sky. "This mission may take us weeks, or worse even months to do! So be prepared to spill blood for the safety of both of our world!"