Bad Liar

But fear struck me as I remembered how they were born and the conditions they were brought up in. It reminded me about the Holocaust of World War Two, within the confines of Auschwitz. I shuddered thinking about it...

Looks like Adolf Hitler wasn't the only bright guy with sadistic medical aspirations. Either that or the author had a very sick way of thinking about human aspirations within the medical field. Or perhaps the writer was a war history major and loved to place real events into fictional ones.

"They may look happy but they looked like hell about a few months ago. They were born out of human experimentation. And we have no clue if they can survive the outside world or not. And we constantly worry that their bodies would crumble if they used too much Magecraft."

Mavislin sounded like a very concerned parent as she gave me an explanation about the orphans. Her tone was heavy, unlike her cheerful self from before. It was as if she was carrying all these little lives on her wings. It wasn't her fault that they were orphans.

I knew about it but not to seem too suspicious, I pretended it was the first time hearing of such things. It was then when Mavislin halted. My heart skipped a beat as she turned to look at me. The glare she gave could make a grown man cry.

"What's w-wrong?" I asked, stammering at the last part.

Crap, she might think something is up.

"You are not from this realm, right?" asked Mavislin, with her eyes darkened.

How the-

"It was easy to tell. Your scent does not come from any Domain I have been into. And I have walked this realm for more than two centuries. Enough for me to smell a foreign being from a sea of people. You stand out like a sore thumb, especially at an open field like before."

I panicked internally. I knew my cover would be blown but I wouldn't have imagined that she could tell right off the bat. Until I realized that I was messing with a Valkyrie. My head was rushed with the many outcomes that this conversation could go.

"So, is my prediction correct? Because you don't even sound like you're from this part of the world. And you've got the same eyes as Raiyen and Z, who aren't from this world either."

"Yes, I am foreign to this realm. But I don't bear any ill will! I have no reason to, I just want to recover from the tragedy that ended my time in the other world. If you want me to go, then I will," I confessed, knowing that I was putting myself in a very vulnerable position.

Raiyen had been silent for some time and paused when Mavislin did. He looked at me with raised eyebrows. Mavislin looked at me with shocked eyes before breaking into a giant smile. She then patted my head and ruffled my hair. I blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what she was doing.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one that isn't from this realm. I, myself, am from a place that was long gone. Me chasing you out doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me," she replied, with a big and gentle smile.

Her smile was so... Gentle. Weird for someone to say that had been kicked by her an hour ago.

"We may look human but we aren't from this place, so you've got no reason to be wary of us. After all, your reason for ending up here is the same for most Mages. Minus this boy here, who just liked this realm better than others," added Mavislin, pointing to Raiyen.

"I stayed for a certain Valkyrie and I've got a legit job here as well. Anyways, she is right. You don't have to be scared of being from another world," answered the Time Mage.

We continued walking until we reached a block that looked different from the rest. It was much bigger and the doors were similar to vault doors. With a snap of her fingers, the doors swung open, to reveal a giant hall with several long, communal tables.

It reminded me of my secondary school canteen. But the next thing I noticed was the smell of cooking soup. Instantly, my stomach growled.

"Clement! Are you done cooking?" shouted Mavislin.

A tall man donning an apron appeared from behind a door at the back of the hall. He had the pale skin and eyes of an Asian.

"Are you referring to the children's food or yours?" he asked.

"The soup. I need an appetizer first," replied Mavislin.

He shrugged before going back into the room. Mavislin sprouted her wings once more and headed towards the small door.