CHAPTER 1/3: INFORMATION

I grabbed my head in frustration and anger.

I was angry at myself.

Zelda looked at me with a smirk, but didn't say anything. It seemed like he was enjoying it.

The villagers came out of the woods one by one, looking at me with fear and respect.

"M-my lord!!! I knew you were a wizard, but I never expected you to be this powerful!"-Gilmund rushed to me, and kneeled down before my feet.

"I myself didn't know about it, so how could you?"-I thought, but just kept a fake smile on my face.

After that show, I couldn't afford to be seen as vulnerable.

"Ah. I appreciate the praise, but can you provide me with the armour and training I requested?"

"O-of course, my lord!"

He hurriedly stood up, and beckoned a boy to come to us.

The boy was about the same age as me, with stark black hair and green eyes. He resembled Satsuki closely.

"Pardon me, but are you a relative of Satsuki?"-I asked, and he looked impressed.

"My lord, you know my sister?"-he asked in a tone full of confidence.

"Y-yes. I met her earlier....er...during the bandit attack."-I was startled hearing his voice. I envied him for having confidence in himself, which I clearly didn't.

"I know all about it, my lord. Satsuki kept blabbing about you for the whole night after you saved her."-he smiled, as if recalling the events.

"O-oh."-I said shortly. I couldn't remember anything to say more.

Suddenly, Gilmund solved that for us.

He spoke up, looking happy.

"My lord, this boy here is the greatest swordsman of us all. I can assure you he'll be worthy to teach you."

"Where were you during the bandit raid?"-I asked bluntly. If he was the greatest swordsman among them, clearly he should have been here during the raid to aid his villagers.

He looked down, ashamed.

"I tried to fight, but I was outnumbered, and the bandits had upgraded gears. They knocked me out and were about to kill me....and...."

"I came into the scene."-I said, my gaze locked on him.

"Y-yes, my lord."-he cowered before my gaze. I suddenly remembered what the voice said.

"People will fear and respect you."

I softened my gaze, feeling pity for him.

"All right. The danger has passed away anyway, so, can we start our session?"

"Of course, my lord."-he relaxed a bit.

He started walking, and turned back at me after some moments, waving towards me to follow him.

I jogged to him, and struck up a conversation.

"I didn't get your name."-I asked, looking at him.

"Oh, sorry my lord. It's Takahashi."

"Takahashi?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Hmm."-I didn't say anything else, just kept following him.

After ten minutes, he stopped in front of a shed.

He went in, and came out with two swords in his hands.

He gave me one, and kept the other one to himself.

"So, what do you know, my lord?"

I scratched my chin, and said-

"Nothing?"

"Absolutely nothing?"

"Absolutely nothing."

He sighed and started teaching me sword stands and postures.

After a whole day of training, I was confident enough that I would be able to scare some wild dogs away.

When we got back, it was already dark.

A feast was prepared in my honour in the town hall.

I ate to my fullest, not wanting to leave this opportunity.

In this world, there was no assurance of food, or any other daily necessities.

"What are your plans for later, my lord?"-Gilmund said, pouring down some juice in my empty glass.

"I'll....probably go on a journey."

"A journey, my lord?"

"Yeah."

"May I ask why?"

"No. You may not."

I looked at him, and he shrank back in his seat.

I forgot about my intimidation. But anyhow, I couldn't tell him that I was from another world, or that I was going to fight against the seven Gods.

I quickly turned away, and focused on eating the chicken roast in front of me.

Someone filled my glass with ale, and I looked at them to decline it. The girl quickly murmured an apology, and took the glass away.

The feast continued in silence. Without Gilmund, no one was willing to anger me and bring my wrath upon him or her.

I left the hall early, excusing myself to get some sleep.

As I walked under the moonlight, towards my temporary habitat, I caught a glimpse of someone standing in front of the cottage.

I quickly looked around for a weapon.

Finding none, I tried to step back slowly without catching any attention, but my clumsy legs didn't listen to me.

Crack!

A fallen branch of tree broke under my weight, creating a slight sound.

It was enough for the figure to notice me.

"My lord?"

The voice called out to me, and I calmed down.

It was Satsuki.

"Oh, I thought it was an enemy."

I said, as I walked to her.

She bowed down a little, and turned her face up to me while looking at me with her large beautiful eyes.

I had to admit, this was quite cute.

"It's common to do that. I heard you were going on a journey, my lord?"

"You can call me Ryu."

"Ryu?"

"Yeah."

"But you didn't tell the others to call you by your name, then what did I deserve to gain such a privilege?"

She said with a teasing smile on her face. I smiled back, trying to come up with an answer.

I couldn't say that I gave her permission because she was cute or beautiful.

I had my pride and ego to maintain, no matter how small they were.

"Well, no one else came up to me as you did. Guess I just said it on a whim."

"Do you regret it?"

"Regret what?"

"Letting me call you by your name?"

"Of course not. I gave you permission, didn't I?"

"So you did."

She said, straightening back.

We looked at each other for a moment, and I felt her eyes surveying my whole body, especially my face.

Then I cleared my throat, and she averted her gaze, blushing.

"Why don't we talk inside?"

"Huh? Sure.....I guess. If you don't mind."

She said, hesitating a little. I opened the door, and held it like that for her to enter.

She entered the cottage, and sat on the bed. I pulled the chair in front of her and sat on it.

"So, why are you here?"

"I want you to take me with you."

"Oh?"

I said, then realized what she was asking.

I hurriedly held up my hands, and said with a stern voice-

"Not happening."

It wasn't like I wouldn't enjoy her company, it was because of a totally different reason.

I didn't know what I was diving into, and bringing her with me would complicate it more.

And besides, I couldn't endanger her for my own reasons.

She looked at me, and sighed.

I stared at her with question in my eyes.

"What?"

"I knew you were going to say that, so I was going to make a deal."

"What deal?"

"You need information to proceed, right? After all, you don't know this world."

"W-why? H-how did you reach that conclusion?"

I asked, afraid my secrets were going to be spilt out.

"Well, first, none of the residents of this world can use magic. Second, your dress was weird. Third, this device."

She brought out my smartphone from her pocket.

I lashed out and snatched it from her hands. I had totally forgotten about that.

"Y-you searched my room?"

"I did. Don't worry, I didn't do anything besides showing it to you."

I hurriedly unlocked the phone, and checked my memory. She was right, nothing was out of place.

I turned it off, and put it inside my pocket.

I didn't have a charger with me, so I had to save every bit of power I could.

"What's the deal?"

I asked, annoyed.

"I'll give you information about this world, and in return, you'll let me accompany you."

I thought it over for a moment.

I didn't have anything to lose, rather, If I accepted it, I would be the one with the advantage.

Both info and letting a beautiful girl accompany me was a plus for me.

But yet, I couldn't let her take the risk. My heart was a mess, and I didn't know what to think.

"Fine. I'll let you come with me. So, start."

She looked at me with confusion. I tilted my head and whispered the word 'information'.

She understood, and started telling me a very complicated, weird and conflicting tale.

I wouldn't have believed her if I hadn't been summoned here.

"This world is divided into seven...."

"I know about the races and the gods, along with their history. Give me details about the nature of the races, at the same time, the continents."

I told her, impatient.

She sighed and moved on to newer details.

"Each race excels at a different kind of magic."

"Was excellent."

"Yeah. Before the gods placed a ban on the use of magic, the continents used to brim with magical resources. We, humans, had excelled in automata, or in other words, manipulating non-living organism, from rocks to dead bodies.

Our magic was divided into two factions, necromancy and automation.

Necromancy consisted animating the dead, at the same time, controlling dying beings to a certain extent.

Automation was mainly about creating non-living servants, such as golems or gargoyles.

Elves, the closest race to us, or at least in appearance, were brilliant in controlling other animals and summoning familiars.

Though they couldn't control any being with high intelligence, they could summon one."

"Wait. You did they only matched human in appearance."

"Yes. Elves could tap into their souls or magical powers, in other words, mana with much more accuracy than humans. And they had longer lifespans."

"Longer lifespans?"

"Yeah. Elves can live for two hundred to one thousand years."

I almost fell down from my chair. Satsuki smiled seeing my shock, and continued.

"Anyhow, they could summon powerful familiars to aid them in battles, and they were skilled archers."

"Familiars? Like Zelda?"

"Exactly. That's why I thought that you were an elf. But now I think you just happen to have the same kind of magic. But you....used dark magic back there, didn't you?"

"Dark magic?"

"That devil....you were the one who summoned it, right?"

"Yeah. Why? Isn't it the same as Zelda?"

"No. It isn't. It's not just different in kind, but in power and control too."

"Power and control?"

"The thing you summoned, was the devil himself, or so I think. No one has such power like that, except for him.

Dark magic gives you the authority to summon otherworldly beings."

"Does that mean I can summon angels too?"

"No."

"No?"

I said, disappointed.

"No. With dark magic and spells, you can manipulate shadows and call foul beings from hell and hideous places. At the same time, this type of magic can be used to control sentient beings, such as humans."

"So it's like an upgraded form of Elvin magic?"

Satsuki looked at me with discontent, and continued.

"Not even close. Elvin magic is harmless and doesn't try to forcibly control other beings. But dark magic breaks the mind of the being in concern, and turns them into slaves."

"Who the hell uses this kind of messed up magic?"

"You. And vampires."

I stood up, and looked at her with questions and confusion.

"Now you are saying I am a vampire?"

"I didn't say that. Anyhow, vampires use this magic to control their prey, and use them as their food.

Their opposites are the werewolves."

"That never changes, does it?"

I joked, but only to be met by a confused gaze. Then I remembered Twilight Saga or Sirius The Yeager didn't exist in this world.

I waved my hands at her to continue.

"Werewolves specialize in light magic. Manipulating the light, freeing someone from vampiric or ghostly magic, creating illusions and shapeshifting. They can also bestow their powers upon another being, letting them gain the same power for a certain amount of time."

"Hmm. What about the others?"

"Dwarves used forging magic to create exotic weapons out of plain materials, such as branches, metal bar and etc. They could also change any furniture or weapon shape, making them prepared for everything."

"Their magic was similar to ours, then?"

"Close, but not similar. Automation meant creating a puppet from a material or corpse, and controlling them. But dwarves could only forge weapons and furniture, or anything around that sector. They couldn't create servants."

"So, they had to fight by themselves where the others let their servants fight for them?"

"Werewolves and fairies also fought by themselves, but well.....humans, elves and vampires didn't, so I guess you are right in a sense."

"What about fairies?"

"Well, they can, or could control the main elements of nature, such as fire, wood, earth or water. Though each fairy could control one element, some practised hard to control more than one, making themselves important assets in the war. They couldn't bend light and shadow, but they filled that up with their skills for manipulating the elements."

"Dragons?"

"They were, no, are the strongest among the races. Even though magic was banned, they can still use their magic, but it has been weakened to a certain extent."

I suddenly remembered the attack Zelda used with the bandits. It was clearly a magical one.

Satsuki continued.

"But they lost their ability to control the weather around themselves."

"They could control the weather?"

"Yeah, but not all of them. Only a few could, and they were considered kings and nobles among the dragons. Like Zelda."

"Zelda? He is a king?"

"No, I guess not. Summoning a dragon king? No one has ever heard something like that. He can be a noble though."

An image flashed inside my mind, with a clear picture of Zelda on a throne. Satsuki didn't let my mind wander for long. She went on with her speech.

"Anyhow, a dragon's attribute depends on its colour. For example, Zelda can control lightning or snow storms, or either of them. Though he could, I should say. They lost this amazing skill when they fought against the gods."

"Wow.....that's a lot to take in. Anyhow, what about the gods? Anything on them?"

"No....it has been more than a thousand year till then. All information on the gods have been banished, destroyed and anyone who tried to keep them, killed. The people who took part in the rebellion are dead, either killed by the gods, or died with the passage of time."

I slapped my thigh with frustration. Information was a vital resource here, without it, my chances of winning were slimmer than usual.

"Crap.......all right, tell me about the continent."

"I have never been to anywhere outside this village, but I can show you some old archives."

I thought about it for a moment, then agreed. I could use all the help I could get.

Satsuki went out for some moments, then came back with an old book.

A really really old one, so old that it's pages were about to fall apart into pieces.

I gently turned the cover over, and started skimming through the contents. Surprisingly, I could understand the language, well, I knew I could, as I was talking with the villagers for quite some time now.

Until now, I thought they spoke in Japanese, but these texts were written in arcane words.

I started reading aloud.

"The continent of Lavender extends to farther east, and is connected with Ravenford by the land bridge. "

"That's probably from the pre-war era, so I don't think the bridge exists anymore."

Satsuki commented, and I looked up.

"Where did the war take place?"

"Shakar. A few kilometres west of the bridge. The place is still full of ashes and corpses from the war, or so I hear."

I looked back at the book, and continued.

"The total area is about 5,66,674,443,32 sq. miles. It is the second largest continent after Ravenford."

"That's also wrong, or at least I think. A large portion of land broke apart from the main continent, and formed a large island in the east sea."

"Results of war?"

"Probably."

"Wait. You have never been to anywhere except this village, how come you know all about this?"

"Travelers sometimes visit this village, or visited this village. They used to tell tales about the land and the sea."

"Oh....is that so...."

"That's exactly so."

I shrugged and kept on reading. Suddenly, due to tilting the book slightly, a map of Lavender fell down from inside it. I picked it up and unfolded it. It was quite new compared to the book.

"Here is the village."

I pointed my fingers at a small dot on the map.

"And if we move along the main road.....we'll reach the dark woods, the town ruins, the old cemetery......and then Elvin valley...wait. Elvin valley? I thought only humans resided in this continent?"

Satsuki placed a finger on her palm, and started explaining.

"They are the Ka'oráh tribe. We always hear rumours about them. A legend says that they were too powerful compared to the ordinary elves, especially compared to their king. So, being afraid, the king banished them, and they took shelter in a valley of Lavender. It is said that they are extremely skilled in archery and swordsmanship, and still practice magic, or remember the ritual so that one day they can take revenge."

"Has anyone seen them?"

"No, they keep to themselves."

"Uh-huh?"

Suddenly, a couple of dogs started barking. I looked at the window, which was now yellow with the first rays of the sun.

We passed the whole night discussing the pieces of information.

Satsuki yawned, and I realized my own tiredness.

"Well, we can continue on the road. For now, let's end here."

I nodded, and showed her the way out.

She slowly went out, leaving me alone.

I jumped on the bed, tired.

Fatigue and sleep took over my body, and I quickly fell asleep.

Sleep full of information and dreams.