Herald 4 : Engulfed_In_Fear

Things never fall the ways one might expect.

R : "Are you sure, Jullan?"

Roberia was clearly losing her composure from the situation she had been thrown into. Not only had she been removed as a candidate for the throne, but for the two before her who were to fight the prospect was aggravating.

J : "It's alright, Roberia. Pierre isn't much of a warrior, so this shouldn't be too hard."

R : "Stop treating this like a joke, Jullan. My entire future is at stake here."

But, then again, it was not surprisingly for things to fall as they were. After all, the others did not expect the ruler of Rugnud to be strong.

J : "I know."

R : "I want you to beat him. I would rather marry a pauper than that snake-eyed bastard who put me here in the first place."

*Cozy's Notes : Yeah, you better marry dat pauper Katachi. You betta marry dat- OH SHIT, YOU ALREADY DID. At least, in Messiah.*

They simply expected a ruler with the power to lead Rugnud in the right direction. In a sense, the ideal that Rugnud's monarch would be the strongest was, in itself, a childish dream of Roberia's.

J : "You can't really blame him for it, can you? I mean, you produced the dirt for him to use in the first place. If it were me, I would never give an opening like that to the very end."

R : (Easy for you to say. You're not the one who's had to fight that child... But, now that I think about it, I've heard that the Words of Power are supposed to be incredibly strong when used correctly. I wonder if there's a more plausible way to defeat it?)

Roberia's fantasy of thinking the strongest ought to be king crumbled rather quickly. The others had skipped her opinion on the matter, and the knights were finished with selecting a handful of young candidates willing to learn kingship by the time she was even aware of it.

As a mere individual, she was powerless to topple that decision.

*** ***

Katachi picked up what seemed to be a purple mushroom with white spots and cut it apart into small slices before mixing them into a stew of sorts.

K : (... Quiet and painless.)

Katachi couldn't quite find the courage to continue on. Though he may be chastised on his weaknesses and shortcomings, though he may be worn out by his circumstances, nothing battered his spirit harder than the acknowledgement of the bitter truth.

He may have been corrupted by the Words of Power long ago.

He may have been doing the wrong thing the whole time.

He may have denied Rekter, the Demanti couple, and many others of the things they endeared.

K : (Then, the only logical option...)

... Was to end himself before the corruption could grip him any further.

The risk of searching for a successor, another person trustworthy enough to carry the torch was too great. Who across the lands would wish for the dream he dreamed, to obediently follow and collect the 292 Words of Power without satisfying themselves selfishly midway? Was there even a guarantee that he would have the discipline to let go of the Words of Power should that time come?

Was he not already satisfying himself with his 定? Had he not set the status of the orange to Constant as a gift for Mother Rinnesfeld, had he not set the status of a piece of gold to Constant such that it would not be consumed when he used it to clean his clothes? What made him different from Rekter, or any of the other men who manipulated the sigils for their own desires?

Others were unreliable. He was unreliable. Nobody was trustworthy enough to hold the Words of Power with no malice or ill intent.

Nobody was worthy of it.

If none were worthy of it, then none shall have it.

But, before that were to become possible, Katachi must first destroy the Word of Power binding the rest of them in place.

K : (... Goodbye, Mother Rin.)

Katachi reached his hand towards the pot, and submerged his whole forearm into the stew-

"What a tasteless decision."

A voice.

Before he could scald himself and forcibly ingest the poison through his softened flesh, someone's voice stopped him. Katachi spun around to address-

K : "!?"

-a horrific beast.

It was a strange creature, truly. A monstrously large wolf, or perhaps a bear? It was a quadrupedal creature which had skin as beautiful as the ebony night sky with its countless stars like little dots.

K : "A Divine Beast?"

"Your wits are about you. Good."

*** ***

R : "It's almost time, Jullan. Run over what I've said."

J : "Do I really have to?"

It was no surprise why Jullan would be against repeating himself for the umpteenth time.

R : "I don't want to see you lose this match, Jullan. If you do, I won't be happy knowing that Pierre is one stage closer to swearing oaths with me."

The unannounced candidacy was no joke, and Roberia saw how there were already preparations and decor underway for the event. She was particularly on guard, especially since Pierre was well-versed with the weaknesses that others faced.

P : "So, I take it that you are prepared to lose, Jullan?"

It was too late for any further revisions, though Jullan would have appreciated that. From the archway came Pierre Marillin, a particularly disturbing eyesore with a candlestick staff at the ready.

He was unusually prepared to fight, despite being a merchant's son who performed his knightly duties flippantly. Or did it suggest a trick up his sleeve?

J : "Sorry to keep you waiting, Pierre."

There was no need for words. Without much further delay, their spar began.

Roberia stood to a side with one of Duke Harlot's observers, watching the match from a distance. It wasn't uncommon for fights to extend and involve the spectators at times, unless they were rumbles against people the like of Baron Anders who were exceptional at sword binding and stopping people in their tracks.

Jullan adopted a very aggressive style, and quickly dashed in a beeline to cut Pierre with his Edie swords.

*Cozy's Notes: ÉDié is 蛾蝶, which means Moth Butterfly Blades. They're similar to twin butterfly blades, but they're longer and slimmer. The traditional hooks still exist.*

R : (A quick engagement to start off, forcing Pierre into the defensive and preventing his spell casting. Nice!)

Pierre was quick in slamming his staff onto the ground, but not quick enough to establish any spells. He ducked down and slid himself to a side, using the momentum to hit Jullan's shins with his staff.

Jullan merged his blades quickly and did a somersault to avoid the staff narrowly, pressing his freed hand against the floor to carry his momentum forward. Both of the boys re-positioned themselves to their natural stances once more.

R : (Bite at him, Jullan! Pierre doesn't fare well at close range, considering the weight and bulkiness of his staff! Run straight in a beeline, pull back marginally and let his staff miss, use your feet to step and lock his staff in place using him and the ground as anchors, and cut him when he's defenseless!)

Roberia was honestly excited even though she was clearly not a participant. Then again, was it ever a surprise for the princess of Rugnud to be a devout and passionate follower of Ilpoh? In the pursuit of the ultimate battle, it was common for the followers and apostles of Ilpoh to show enthusiasm for battle.

Jullan ran to a side and kicked himself against the wall to change the dynamic of his approach.

R : (Jumping at him, landing prematurely and kicking off the ground for a surprise attack? Not bad!)

But that technique was not without weakness.

P : (A technique like that is so typical of him.)

Pierre recognized the technique and played around it successfully. After dodging the rapid strike, he retreated backwards and shifted himself to the centre of the room where there were no walls to kick off of. He couldn't react fast enough to Jullan's mobile and disorienting style that forced his opponents to focus on their relative positions heavily, but if he could force situations where they couldn't be used then there was no need to worry.

R : (He's done research into Jullan's assertive style, huh? How much does he know about his enemy?)

Jullan separated his swords and tossed one half at Pierre while charging in again, first with a distraction and next with a follow-up. But Pierre seemed to anticipate that perfectly, and smiled briefly at the approach he chose.

Pierre ducked down to his right and avoided the thrown blade, while twisting his body in a wind-up and-

R : (Not good! Jullan, back away-!!)

-he proceeded to smash Jullan's cross-guard and fingers at the same time.

J : "Gh!"

R : (Crap. He fell for it.)

As Jullan was clobbered on his hand, he froze up and stiffened for a mere moment, which allowed Pierre to continue the momentum and spin for a second strike, smashing and clapping his hand between his staff and the ground.

Jullan wasn't accustomed to pain and he wasn't very sturdy. His stature was unsuitable for taking hits head-on, so he resorted to a swifter, more vigorous approach to fighting that was similar to Roberia. However, that made his body less resilient towards attacks that actually landed directly so he was unable to stomach the pain down.

Had he been subject to a training as harsh as the ones Roberia endured, an attack like that wouldn't even affect him. But it was most unfortunate that a person's capabilities only brought him so far. If it were Roberia in his place, she would have been able to use that pain as an opportunity to reflexively force her body to spin along that momentum and strike Pierre's backhand with her right elbow or a left hook.

R : (But, more importantly... Pierre's got the upper hand now.)

To wind the body up and spin while keeping his head perfectly level and still for better aim was not a trick easily done while squatting or crouched. It was a move often performed by dancers from foreign countries across the seas like Qari or Aiecol where they swerve and seduce men with their hypnotic and fluid hips accompanying their flamboyant moves.

Pierre was a merchant's son, so he had the fortune to be graced with meetings and talks that often employed those entertainers. In a sense, Pierre chose to train and hone his knighthood with his own methods, using his acuity and creativity as a resource.

But what was the most threatening part was how the effort paid off.

Pierre had successfully injured one of Jullan's hands, which meant that there was going to be trouble continuing the battle.

P : "Look at yourself. You're a mess, Jullan Gracer. How did you let that happen to you?"

A taunting and malicious intimidation that dug deep into Jullan's psyche was quickly followed upon by another swing of his weighted staff, and Jullan raised his injured right hand to defend the blow. The armour helped to cushion the impact, but the reverberation of the impact numbed his sensitive fingers.

R : (This is really bad. He knew that Jullan couldn't wear real gauntlets because of the Edie blades' design, and he took advantage of that.)

*** ***

K : "... What brings you here, to the wilderness where nothing significant lays about?"

Katachi retreated away from the wolf-like creature slowly with his guard up as high as he could raise it. A Divine Beast was no joke, certainly not when they were beings that could fell Gods and Reincarnates with ease.

"I sensed a great amount of fear from you, one that was enough to interest me. That is all."

K : (Fear... Hraxiif, the Wolf of Fear?) "Interest you? What... What do you mean by that?"

H : "Were you not troubled by the corruption within yourself? Were you not troubled by making that familiar-looking nun upset? Were you not troubled by the cruel and beautiful world that sought to abuse the power within those sigils in that book strapped on your waist?"

His deduction was spot-on, as though he could clearly see right through Katachi.

K : "H- How did you-"

H : "I am the manifestation of all fears, child. Troubles are problems that people cannot resolve by their own hands alone, and that incites fear. Fear of failure, fear of the schemers who plot behind one's back, fear of the worst coming true, fear of death... I embody those fears of Man, manifest them and harvest their essences."

He was clearly bad company to have around. Katachi felt a strong urge to run away, yet his feet remained in place.

K : (He's bad news. Seriously bad news. I can feel it from just standing here, that he knows more about me than I do. It's as though I were mere prey, in the plain sight of a predator toying about.)

But, in the presence of a superior being like Hraxiif, all he could do was freeze and pray for his own safety.

The moment of silence between them was peaceful, yet filled with a dread and suspense unimaginable for anyone else.

H : "... Do you think I am evil, child?"

As though in response to his growing, budding fear, the creature spoke in a inquiring manner.

K : (Do I think it's evil?) "Why would you ask me?"

H : "It's natural for people to associate fear with evil, is it not? But, you must have an opinion of your own. What is fear to you, child? Answer me."

*** ***

Pierre's victory was decisive from there.

Jullan tried to tackle Pierre when he threatened a spell to bind his body to the ground, but without a strong arm to wield his Edie blade he flinched from the pain and his stab was slightly delayed. That was more than enough for Pierre to continue the beat down. By using his status as a magus, Pierre came prepared to smash him as soon as he approached to stop Pierre from casting a spell.

Jullan was placed into a situation where he would be in trouble regardless of whether he was close to, or away from Pierre. Without his Edie swords to increase his range, he couldn't flicker and waltz between the two distances and create a difficult situation for Pierre to react to. He was no longer in a position where he could bait Pierre to swing only to dart backwards and then strike him while his guard was down.

Roberia didn't have the heart to watch on. The match shouldn't have been a problem for Jullan, yet he was already close to defeat.

R : (That's strange. He's not himself today.)

Jullan was out for the count from the weighted staff stabbing into his gut and clobbering the back of his head with a powerful swing. The decisive blow had already been dealt, and the match was over.

"And so it concludes. Pierre is the winner of this duel."

With that, the observer left quietly to report his findings. Roberia helped the giddy Jullan to his feet and got him to a nearby bench so he could recover.

P : "So, I heard that you would rather marry a pauper than a snake-eyed bastard like myself, would you?"

Even his opening statement was repulsive.

R : "And what of it, Pierre Marillin? There is nothing you can say that will change that opinion."

P : "No, nothing insinuated, my dear. I simply wish to beat the other competitors so I can see the look on your face as you become mine to play with."

R : "I hope you have lead sewn into your jaw, because I will kick it so hard you won't even recognize yourself."

Even the insult was brushed off without as much as a cringe or a retraction of his head.

P : "Feisty, aren't we? That only motivates me more. When you see what I have in store, I guarantee that you'll never go back to this haughty state of pretense. You'll be balancing books on your head and serving me tea for years. I'll get the respect I deserve from someone younger than I such as yourself."

R : (He's been creepy from the start, but he's observant enough to know how much I detest court etiquette. If he were ever to succeed, I can't even bear to imagine how many lessons of that he'd put me through. Damn it!)

Roberia dreaded slightly at the thought of wearing a fanciful dress, walking with elegance and taking classes in a subject where Cosette would fit in without hassle. She never was the kind to enjoy being reserved, and as a devout follower of Ilpoh the humiliation and stagnation of her swordplay would be unbearable.

*** ***

K : "... Fear... Is a way to defend the self."

H : "And what makes you say that?"

A child like Katachi would be experienced with fear, having lived most of his childhood submerged within it. Where others would associate fear with the worst imaginable, his answer was deviant in that it associated fear as something beneficial to himself.

K : "I... I've always felt fear when I approached some of the adults. But, I've felt fear from other things as well. Poison, boiling water, fire, the things that threaten my life and safety... I think that fear is a way to defend the self from them."

The wolf, however, seemed a little disappointed. Katachi was honestly surprised that a Divine Beast such as itself was actually showing some semblance of emotion.

H : "Well, from a self-preserving point of view, I suppose it can be seen that way if you consider only the fear of death. Though, I was asking in a more objective manner."

K : "... Then... If you were asked by someone else to explain what fear was, what would you say?"

Perhaps it was the conversation at work, or the intelligent response from Hraxiif. For some reason, Katachi felt as though the creature was something that could be reasoned with, and the curiosity overpowered the baseless fear he held onto before.

H : "... Well, it will take a bit of explaining, if you're keen on listening."

K : "I- I'm not in a rush to... To go anywhere. I'm listening."

H : "Very well then."

Hraxiif relaxed its limbs, or whatever the black swirling pillars were supposed to be, and sat on what could be assumed to be its belly.

H : "Fear and dream are best seen as two approaches to the same problem. Before you understand what fear is, perhaps it is better if you understand the purpose of Dream."

K : "The purpose of Dream?"

H : "Yes. When asked 'What is your dream?' by another, one would give answers that are often favorable, would they not? Some yearn for a better harvest, some yearn for lawful partners, and there are others who yearn for a new chance to redo a past mistake. If you don't believe me, I can read your dreams right now, child."

K : "Let me bear witness to it."

H : "Certainly. You dream of collecting the Words of Power. You dream of their destruction, an end to their permanence. You dream of a time where you may be held within the arms of another, cradled in warmth and-"

K : "I don't believe that one."

H : "-you dream of dreams which you believe you can never have. I do not blame you for that, given how arduous the task of collecting the Words of Power can be."

That rebuttal was suggesting a side of Katachi he desperately wished to hide, a weak side that he swore never to unveil until his quest was complete. But, for the Wolf of Fear who usurped many from their respective titles, it was little wonder how he could understand Katachi on such a personal level.

But was it the deciphering of his fears, or simply its antecedent knowledge of Katachi's potential precursors that granted it such wisdom? If there were precursors to Katachi who suffered similarly wretched fates, then have they not tried to fix those wrongdoings themselves? Or perhaps his existence was, in and of itself, a subtle hint to their failure?

K ; (No, no, that can't be. My existence was forged from the cruelty by the Words of Power decades ago. Surely they couldn't have foreseen that. It was not their failure that caused my misery, but an oversight on the unseen face of Image. That is why I must carry on the will of these precursors and become a precursor myself.)

He felt a little bit guilty talking himself out of what could have been the unrelenting truth, but he didn't want to know what would become of himself should he proceed down that train of thought.

H : "Do you not stop to ponder why everyone dreams differently? Why would you have such dreams that others would dare not? Why does everyone have a different dream from each other? Do you not wonder that as a follower of Segus, upon witnessing the various different worshippers of the same legend and their myriad of beliefs?"

Hraxiif was right – Most Segus followers had conflicting opinions on how life ought to be lived.

Some chose a lifestyle of peace, living plainly as farmers and carpenters that pass their days in an idyllic fashion. Some chose a lifestyle of pro-peace, and wrote scriptures that discouraged strife and war, opposing cavalry movements and war rallies to little effect since they were easily quelled and detained whenever they tried. But some lived however they wished from their own interpretation of Segus' history, and they would see thievery, extortion and incest as acceptable acts as long as the ends were justified.

That legacy Segus left gave him a horrible title, the Revenant of Chaos. His followers all had different dreams and different desires, and compared to Ilpoh, the God of Battles who enforced strict regimentation guidelines or Dardicel, the God of Trials who promoted challenging the self in various aspects to become a better person... Hraxiif's words were forming a strange painting in his head.

Katachi had never thought of it that far before. For the most of his life, he was so concerned with self-preservation and protecting himself that perhaps, just perhaps, he limited his own viewpoint of the world subconsciously. While followers of Ilpoh and Dardicel may be abstractly different yet united towards a common goal, Segus followers were quite literally all over the place and the title Revenant of Chaos was indeed a fitting one.

He could not be accused of that act, however. He wasn't that carefree or liberal to ponder about the deeper meanings in life, so for the most part he had been rather self-serving despite having followed the guidance Segus provided to help others in need.

K : (Is that the fundamental difference between a Legend and a God?)

Hraxiif held a deep, enlightening insight in his words. He was oddly mesmerized and drawn to it, similar to bees approaching a flower for nectar.

H : "You wish for the Words of Power because you've seen what they can do. You know what they're capable of and it's almost painful watching you hold onto the faint hope of that book about the Warlock of Wheels you've read about. You wish for no further victims to its uncontrollable might, and that is why you seek to bring an end to them."

K : (How did it even know that I read the book? Wait, something's definitely weird here.)

How did it recall something even Katachi forgot, something from so long ago? Or was it possible that the thought of reading it was falsely implanted into his head? But, there were no distortions in his body he was acutely aware of, so neither mind reading magic nor suggestive magic were active.

Did it truly read his dreams? But, as the Wolf of Fear, why would it be able to read dreams?

H : "It's not just your dreams, child. A dream for gold could be explained with poverty. A dream to marry someone could stem from loneliness. All dreams are essentially desires from the depths of one's heart as much as fears are, and all of them have a single thing in common."

It was as though Hraxiif was literally able to read his fears. His very fear of being influenced by external factors like suggestive magic was addressed immediately, and Katachi somehow understood how horrifying a monster the Divine Beast before him was to an extent.

K : (Something in common... Poverty? Loneliness? Wait a minute...)

H : "Dreams are a yearning for that which is not yours. Dreams are a desire to abolish or remove something negative in one's life, in hopes to better it. Would you argue otherwise?"

K : "... No. I wouldn't."

It wasn't that Hraxiif's words were the absolute truth. But, as of yet, Katachi could not think of a single example to refute and debase that argument. That feat would prove difficult considering that both Yvolki and Hraxiif existed in the era after the Cleansing, and an omnipresent being that survived for thousands of years must have accrued knowledge beyond Man's capacity. Even the answer provided to him felt as though it was thoroughly simplified and watered down, adequately accommodated to his understanding.

H : "The rest is simple. As dreams are a yearning for that which is not yours, fears are a longing for that which is; Fears are a desire to maintain or uphold something positive in their lives, as a direct counterpart to dreams."

K : "I'm afraid you lost me there."

The old beast released a slow and sinister chuckle before its tail wrapped itself around a tree almost playfully, yet almost... Maliciously. The tree could be easily uprooted and swung about like a weapon for a beast of its size, and the raw strength combined with the unsettling laughter gave the impression of a ruthless monster.

H : "You don't have to think too hard, child. Dreams and fears occur together, for they are two approaches to the same problem. A merchant who dreams of financial success also fears failure."

With a solemn and strong voice, Hraxiif asserted its stand. Katachi was forced to recognize once more that the being before him was no Man, and should be treated with the utmost of caution instead of trying to reason with it in the first place.

K : "... It's confusing."

H : "I suppose I should stop here, then. More importantly, I have a proposition for you, child."

A deal with a Divine Beast was a privilege most wished they would never have to burden themselves with. It was with certainty that Katachi felt an unspoken pressure from the words that erupted from its jaws.

K : "A proposition?"

H : "Yes. Your particular disposition interests me, child. Most would live their lives with situational fears; A fear of spiders, a fear of heights, a fear of betrayal. All men have their fears, but few across the ages have a fear quite like yours."

K : "Wh- What do you mean?"

H : "Your fear is a constant, child. You have been living in your own fears for as long as you started upon your journey. I first imagined you a victim of a kidnap, but you are truly interesting. Your fear has a constant threshold it never drops beyond, and it fluctuates when you are put into difficult situations."

What the beast said was hard to comprehend.

K : (Threshold? Fluck... Fluck-something?)

*Cozy's Notes : Here, Hraxiif is using a word that exists mid-17th century : Fluctuate. That is why Katachi is confused, because the year is 1570 A.D. in the story world currently. (Minister Lein's arrival at Sage Raufid is a hint that the new year has started so the year transitions from 1569 to 1570, since that's when spring commences) This also suggests Hraxiif's timeless nature, to exist outside the concept of time by using phrases yet invented. Not that any of the Wattpad readers will ever know, but still.*

H : "Irregardless, you would make for a suitable vessel, one I can channel my powers through. So, I would like to enter a covenant with you."

A covenant with a Divine Beast. That was no simple request; If Hraxiif was serious enough to suggest that, there must be a reason (and consequence) to its choice.

The pressure from before suddenly became that much more apparent. A monster like itself that stems and feeds off another's fears... If possible, Katachi would like nothing to do with it.

K : "What if I refuse?"

...

The beast seemed to smirk, its cheek muscles pulling back the sides of its mouth.

H : "Then, I suppose I have no choice but to continue harvesting fear as I always have. Perhaps I should start from the town nearby."

K : "Harvest... Harvesting fear?"

H : "You're no stranger to the idea, are you? Obviously, without a vessel to control and limit my strength, the only way I can harvest fear feasibly is by making these mortals acknowledge their mortality."

It was an outright blackmail.

*** ***

R : "How many more of these selection rounds are left?"

"There's not that many left, my liege. Mr. Marillin has already defeated five opponents, Mr. Gracer included. Assuming that none of the opponents concede ahead of time, there are a total of eight matches remaining for Mr. Marillin to compete in."

That was not a very optimistic number. For Jullan to lose this early in the candidate selection was a great setback to his potential appeal as a candidate for the throne.

R : (Looks like it's fallen upon me after all...)

Roberia frowned at those odds, and in particular Pierre's influence and position as one of the merchant families' sons. Bribery, denial of tax rights and extortion were not out of his reach, and the more veteran of knights could not punish him for the underhanded means.

R : (I should ask, at the very least. Should he ever see me in that light...) "Is Ian Bloodcrust one of the participants?"

"No, my liege. Mr. Bloodcrust has rejected the invitation."

R : "I see." (So even now, his respect for me has denied the possibility... Then again, if Ian seriously participated in the selections it would have long been over, since most candidates would simply forfeit to avoid facing off against him.)

Her fatigue was showing. It was like playing a game of tag with oneself – Ceaseless and meaningless.

R : (I feel uneasy not knowing any notable candidates to stop Pierre, however. If the worse comes to worst, I may have to force a Duel of Superiority on him and diminish his rights to make decisions.)

There was still hope left, but the consequences were unfavorable.

R ; (Heh. 'Empress Roberia'... I can't believe my only way out is to live up to that name. How ironic indeed.)

*** ***

K : "Mortality..."

H : "Indeed. Perhaps I should start with that lady, the nun they address as Mother Rinnesfeld. Oh, how sweet her shrill voice would be as I destroy everything she holds dear. Or would you perhaps have a better victim in mind, hmm? How about that child, Jorta, for the lie she fibbed that spiked your fear? Would a sinner like herself be a better target, to void her of life and a chance to repent for her fibbing?"

Alas, no human was safe from a Divine Beast.

K : (My 定 won't work on a Divine Beast. It's too powerful to be brought to control... Shelly stressed that before, given that my circumstances would naturally attract such disasters upon myself.) "You wouldn't dare."

H : "Would you stomach and live it down, knowing that you had the power to stop my rampage by your hand, yet you chose not to? Would you bear with that guilt none would suffer and fuel my might more with that ever-looming dread in your heart? Would Mother Rinnesfeld be proud of your choice, to reject the noblesse oblige before you? Or are you simply conceited enough to believe that your wretched fate would excuse yourself of doing what is correct?"

Hraxiif was using some big words Katachi didn't understand. But, somehow, he understood the intended meaning behind it.

Katachi finally understood the reason Hraxiif approached him.

Either option he chose was beneficial to it. Should Katachi decline the offer, Hraxiif would manifest his worst fears and proceed with the destruction of the towns nearby, and it would very likely start with Eliasbury before roaming and rampaging towards Mielfeud, and he would continue on his journey knowing that the havoc was caused by his inaction.

Yet, co-operating with the Divine Beast was likely a horrible decision in its own as well. There was a reason why it was a Divine Beast, a monster that existed after the era of the Cleansing and a reason why even the greatest of legends fall – Most were speculation, but such rumors often turned out to be true.

Hraxiif definitely had some kind of power to bring even the toughest of legends and perhaps even warlocks and Gods to their knees. It was insinuated that most of the crazed maniacs who yearned for the title Godslayer were instigated by its presence. To harness all the worst fears of Man as its own strength, as though it were the World itself striking down whomever it deemed to have stepped out of line... The appeal of power was a mortifying one.

And, the worst of it all... Never in history were there people who declared themselves as a vessel of Hraxiif. Katachi had never found or read books about such an instance, and even if it were present in other cultures there was no telling what fate awaited him should he choose to comply.

It could be the first time it chose to contract with a human, and Katachi would be the very first.

It could be yet another one of many other contracts, to be erased from the knowledge of history. After all, the fear of the unknown was a potential source of fear Hraxiif could tap upon by destroying all documentations of its previous vessels.

He didn't know any of that, but there was one thing he knew.

K : (... If I truly am to follow through with this decision, I must ensure that this never happens again. I may not be the first, but I must somehow discover a way to ensure that I am the very last.)

If it meant that lives could be saved, Segus would undoubtedly intervene to prove the futility in fights. If it meant that there would be none in the future to suffer a similar fate, then the current suffering was worth enduring.

... Perhaps, just perhaps...

... That dauntless hope that the future would be better, that dream of creating a future where the world would be better for the ones to come after him, was exactly the reason Hraxiif took an eye to him. If what it declared was indeed true, his fear of his failure to make that a reality would be the counterpart to his almost-inexhaustible resolve to push onward.

K : (... I am broken, after all... But I found a way to make these remaining shards work. Are you proud of me, Mother?) "You leave me with no choice but to accept the covenant."

H : "Quite the contrary. You left yourself with no choice, to extend that kindness towards strangers whom you have never met before. But... That is not displeasing."

It may have been right in that as well – Katachi's compassion may have been the reason why he chose to accept the covenant voluntarily.

But Katachi knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself otherwise.

K : "Please, just get this over with."

H : "Very well. But, before the proper procedure may begin, you must be tested."

K : "You're going to test me?"

H : "Perhaps 'test' is the wrong choice of words. 'Tempering' would be more fitting. You shall visit my three Acolytes, people whom have sworn their devotion to me, and you shall understand what it means to entail the roles and responsibilities of a vessel to Hraxiif."

Hraxiif's influence was greater than he imagined.

K : (There's actually people who follow him?) "What do I have to do when I find them?"

H : "You will find out. All in due time, child."

The shimmering black mass disappeared, and there was nothing but the cackling of the quiet embers next to the poisoned cauldron. The leaves were quiet, as though it were a funeral of sorts for the irreversible choice he decided upon.

K : (... I don't think I can shrug that off as a mere daydream, can I?)

Katachi tried to get up, but as he bent forward to stand a peculiar symbol caught him by surprise.

Something like the tattoo of an eye surfaced on his right hand, and it was staring into the distance with a longing expression.

K : (... I suppose my only way forward is where the eye directs me to.)

Why u no post :C

Cozy :

It's not that I'm not posting, or that the story died.

Far from it!

But right now, bigger plans await me.

I plan to publish Volume 1 by June, so I'm clearing the edits and touch-ups. So until June, I'd probably slow down considerably for Herald.

Still, it's not like I haven't made progress. I've written Herald 4 a good bit already.

So, have a little patience, okay? It will be out soon.

With love,
Cozy

Herald 3 : Pretense

"Have you heard about the Auseri in town recently?"

There were many things wrong with eavesdropping on another's conversation, but Katachi couldn't help but perk his ears for information.

"They were looking for someone, weren't they?"

"Yeah. Those guys look like trouble. Just keep your head down and you'll live longer."

"You too."

They left the fountain hastily when someone called out to purchase some of their wares.

K : (... The Auseri travelled all the way from down South here?)

He wasn't particularly interested in the concept of war, but he knew that war was something Segus attempted to stop. It was a conflict between two ideals that he opposed, just as he was once on the side of the slaves against the slave traders.

If it could simply end, the world would likely not be divided by countries.

But that was a thought too naive to be claimed harmless.

K : (Thinking that they travelled all the way from Auser just makes me thirstier. I should refill my bottle since I'm here already.)

He made haste to the fountain quickly.

*** ***

C : "M- My liege, I'll be in your care."

Sir Charles nervously took a bow at the red-haired girl breathing heavily from a match with a fellow knight. He had his arm twisted beyond what was deemed acceptable and one of his legs were pressed and forced beyond the joint, effectively bleeding and swelling at the joint region.

The poor esquire before him was clearly out of commission for good. Seeing how he took her on first thing at daybreak, he likely missed the other knights who were disjointed and fractured at night. He missed them as well, but it wasn't hard to guess given the many screams and screeches of metal and flesh through the night.

R : "Have you prepared your will, Sir Charles?"

Roberia tightened the wrap around the grip and held her rapier firmly.

C : "En garde."

R : "En garde!"

It wouldn't be a surprise to guess that she had not slept since last night. She had yet to rest or take a break from consecutively beating up the knights who challenged her directly.

But that was, more or less, what he trusted would guide him to victory. Her fatigue was likely building up, and she was worn out from dealing with the many before him.

Even if it were a foolish mistake, it was a mistake he had the obligation to see through to the end.

C : (I can only hope Duke Marcyn's guidance with the axe is enough to pull me through.)

Sir Charles gripped the axe with both hands carefully, holding it slightly higher than usual. Normally, gripping the very base of the axe allowed for the strongest and deepest cut with the blade, but that wasn't his goal here.

C : (A rapier... She's quick, I'll give her that. But the problem isn't the fact that she's quick alone.)

That was why keeping his hands close to the axe's center of gravity was important. It improved his control and allowed a normally sluggish axe to move faster than usual while providing a new means of attacking effectively.

Roberia backed up slowly and ascended the small flight of stairs to her side while training her gaze on him at all times. Axes were heavy, and so swinging them upwards was slightly more difficult than swinging them down. She knew that clearly and repositioned herself such that he would be pressured to move to the level ground alongside her.

But if he approached her with that slow weapon, she would definitely take advantage of that.

It now boiled down to whether he could react fast enough to her strike when he drew closer.

C : (She'll likely use my eyes as a guide for how I'd attack. I should take this to my advantage.)

Sir Charles approached her, with a fierce determination.

He glanced at the hand holding the rapier, but his body and the axe's position threatened to smash Roberia's face with the base of the handle.

He lunged forward, watching the rapier hand carefully so that he could dodge the strike while tracking her face's position using her eyes as a guide to where her face was. If he could dodge the rapier, he would be victorious-

The eyes vanished from his peripheral vision.

C : (She's not reading my eyes?!-)

And before he could even begin to regret his mistake, she had clipped his neck between the rapier's blunt edge and her forearm. With a quick jab to his forearm and a tug, she yanked the axe right out of his hands and onto the floor.

A perfect lockdown – Disarming the opponent and threatening his life with precise movements was a difficult thing to execute without risk, and she had pulled it off.

R : "Lay down, Sir Charles. This is not a fight you can win."

Making her warning clear, she proceeded to stomp on the back of his knees and forced him to kneel, before grabbing his right arm and swinging him to the side of a wall. His back clapped against the bricks, and she kicked off him with her grip on his right arm still tight.

A displeasing pop sound, followed by great agony, followed right after.

C : "Aaaahhh!!!" (My... My shoulder! She dislocated my shoulder instantly! How strong is she?!)

*** ***

Katachi found a sparse amount of gold in the pouch, much to his disappointment.

K : (I don't have much left... Maybe I'll starve this meal and eat the next. If I manage my expenditure carefully, I should last another 3 weeks, hopefully.)

But that was an optimistic view, should that gold be spent solely on food alone.

What of the other expenses like shelter or clothing to replace his rags? The sewing kit from back home and the groundsheet from the Academy would aid to a degree with the cold nights and binding other rags onto his shirt in a patchwork fashion, but what about the off-chance that he had to bribe his way out of rowdy adults?

What about the chances of meeting a bandit who would wait until he was feeble and hungry before arresting it from his grasp?

Three weeks was all he could manage at best, but would the world be kind enough to allow him three weeks of uneventful serenity and peace?

He thought about it carefully, but he had none of the tools to make his journey easier. He didn't have the coin to purchase charms or wooden tablets of the sort to ward off or, at least, reverse his situation when it mattered.

Those foreign spells... He could only hope that he would stumble upon their origins and learn to cast those spells himself in due time, safeguarding himself from harm effectively. But until then, he was like a Sandalwood Mouse exposed on the plains, prey to the menacing hunters of the skies.

He clasped the pouch tightly in his hands and fastened it well before placing it back into his bag.

No matter how frugal he tried to be, his situation was not getting any better.

From the looks of it, he would need to find some means of procuring gold should he desire to travel further. Heading upwards toward Rugnud and Anik was going to need more than what little he now held, not to mention the conversion between the different currencies and the bigger problem of their conflicting languages should he reach Anik.

But, what? What kind of work would reward a ten-year-old with enough income to continue his journey?

Peddling was out of the option. He had nothing on him to sell, and traveling with a merchant would be shady - He couldn't easily trust anyone who was older than him.

Given his already cruel past with the adults in Mielfeud, he had long been naturally defensive against the malice those beasts in human hides held within.

But on the other hand, courier work would be wonderful. Delivering mail and important edicts or packages containing rare ingredients could be useful. The transport of goods meant that he would expose himself to many different elements, which meant he received an equal number of chances to find a Word of Power.

His original destination was in Anik, the country whose language defined the Words of Power, but until he became proficient enough to converse in fluent Anikan it shouldn't be too bad to poke around and earn a living while continuing his quest.

K : (It's decided then. Rugnud it is.)

Katachi resolved himself to his new destination, and checked through his water sacs once more, ensuring they were filled to the brim.

"Jorta! Where are you?"
K : "... ?"

A girl younger than he was sat across the street, idly staring at a spinning top. Her lack of motion caused her figure to blend into the background subtly, but not until she heard the cry of a young boy calling out what seemed to be her name. She seemed to raise her head slightly in panic, and stuffed the top beneath her dress, holding it down while sitting upright with her hands pressing against her knees and the hem.

Had the bystanders missed the act before, they would have thought she was trying to practice being a proper lady. But it was strange - Why would she do that?

*** ***

C : "I surrender. Forgive me for my selfishness, my liege."

The poor knight leaned his body against the wall, trying to fix the dislocation with his free left arm.

R : "Why were you so focused on my rapier, Sir Charles? Did you not expect me to kick or jab you?"

Just hearing that alone made him shudder slightly. Roberia had been watching his eyes, yet his plan failed for some reason?

C : (So she was looking after all...) "I... I thought I should have traced your movement through the direction of your weapon and your eyes."

R : "There's an easier way of predicting your opponents' attacks, Charles. Focus on the shoulders instead of the face - The shoulders will always reveal how they plan on hitting and moving. Beyond a certain slant, you should expect your opponent to throw their weight in a direction, so be ready to shuffle and reposition."

She demonstrated the technique by using her fingers to gesture straight lines that ran shoulder to shoulder while swaying and tilting her body to varying angles.

C : "I see..." (The shoulders, is it? So that's how she tracked my movement. This... This is valuable. Duke Marcyn has never taught me that before.)

F : "Is that all you have to offer him, Roberia?"

As they reviewed the outcome of the spar, a most unfortunate encounter with the King occurred.

R ; "Father...!"

F : "From what I gathered, you have been sparring and decommissioning many of our knights ever since the weekly court adjourned. What do you stand to prove with that, Roberia?"

Roberia got down on her knees and addressed the king in kind.

R : "I wish for Father to reconsider the hasty decision to renounce my rights to the throne."

It seemed too much of a joke for the king to withhold his laughter fully.

R : (Why is he laughing?) "Have I done wrong, Father?"

F : "My dear daughter, what you are doing now is the exact opposite. You are dwindling our forces and increasing the urgency of finding my successor. This defiance is futile, Roberia."

R : (Oh... Oh no. He's right - The more knights I beat down and wound, the less able men we have to defend Rugnud with. I didn't think this far... Isn't this akin to digging my own grave?)

Roberia quickly realized her mistake and ran over to Sir Charles to fix his arm back.

For someone of colossal strength like herself, Charles wasn't sure whether the dislocation or the reattachment was more painful.

C : "Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhggh!!"

His arm was alright now, but his psyche would require the console of a woman's touch to tone down Roberia's monstrosity.

R : "I do so only because these men are foolish enough to think they stand a chance against me one-on-one, Father."

F : "They merely wish to prove their strength, Roberia."

That was what she sought all the long, was it not?

R : "Then what of me, Father? Have I not proven my strength from defeating thirty-seven of these knights in a row?"

F : "There is no purpose in a hammer that crushes a thousand rocks if it cannot crush Laevinstone ore. What good is cutting down and defeating a thousand enemies if you cannot beat the champion?"

But even that argument was rebuked by the strongest man in Rugnud.

R : "Each example portrays a different strength, Father. The latter shows an overwhelming crushing power that dominates, and the former shows resilience and durability!"

F : "But for every soldier you fell, for every warrior you crush, you send a wounded man back at best, and an orphan starves and struggles for life at worst. Can you be held responsible for the losses your own men incur, the losses of war we fought hard to reduce? And even so, our enemies are not bound by honor like we are. How will you answer for the champions of Auseri who relentlessly kill and brandish their weapons against us without restraint?"

Fastiel's answer was decisive.

R : (Basically, he wants me to prove absolute strength to him, is it?)
F : "The kind of strength you strive for is not what our people need. If you truly want the throne, come after my head and surpass me, Roberia. Don't play around with these knights who possess neither your resolve nor your skills."

Without any further interest, King Fastiel left the scene having said his piece.

*** ***

When he reached the little girl, he ground his heels against the dirt and slowed to a stop, bringing a small cloud of dust beneath his feet.

"Jorta! Have you seen my spinning top?"

The young boy asked the young Jorta if she had seen the spinning top she hid under her dress.

J : "I have not. I've been sitting here until the wet stain behind my back dries."

"Oh. Alright then. I'll see you later."

A blatant lie.

Katachi couldn't even begin to describe the disgust he felt in his heart.

That lie was told without remorse or even a flinch in her face.

That lie was told by a girl younger than he was.

If someone that young could be stained in such corruption...

K : (Then... What about me?)

... then what surprise would it be for him to be shrouded and covered in that darkness a long time ago?

Was it not possible that he had long fallen into that darkness he sought to destroy?

Was that desire to covet the 安 Word of Power that hurt no one not the same as the desire the young girl had of the spinning top – A desire of want?

What of the desire to defeat Rekter and claim his Word of Power, then? Was that, too, not a fatal mistake? Had he been slow by a fraction of a second, innocent lives would have been put into peril as a result of their altercation.

Then, what guarantee was there that the risk would never surface once more? What of him, should he face opponents crueler, more merciless, and even greater losses were at stake?

If every Word of Power resulted in that sort of gamble instead of the peaceful resolution that was present from the acquisition of 信, then that meant there were at least 288 more Words of Power to contest and claim.

But even that, too, was but an optimistic view that was unreliable.

That was not considering the possibilities of being robbed or having to reclaim the lost Words of Power. That was not considering that the encounters between other Scholars were to be left unresolved, that the other Scholars or even himself were to flee and escape from the pursuit, and the damage done during the chase would be insurmountable.

Was it even right to continue on for this cruel, wretched world?

...

He honestly didn't know.

Maybe the quest itself was wrong to begin with.

K : (Perhaps it is best for me to discontinue.)

Katachi packed his equipment and set off quietly on the route once more.