Chapter 17: Practical Training II

Point Of View: Kaori Tanaka

Point Of View: Kaori TanakaI was completely excited; I would finally leave this imposing palace and get to know a little more about the city. The carriage had small golden serpents circling its roof. The animal pulling the cart surprised me; it was not a horse. It looked like a bipedal lizard, its eyes were like razors, and its front limbs had claws."What is that thing?" I questioned, looking at the red-haired man accompanying me."Ah, that animal? We call it a horse." It looked nothing like a horse. I wondered if it was the universal translator in my mind trying to assimilate the basic knowledge of this world. I could understand all the languages of this place."Ladies first..." Lorian Vellorn had the carriage door open, indicating for me to enter.The interior of the carriage had plush red seats, and a small window allowed light to enter. The nobleman entered right after I settled in, closing the door behind him. He had an elegant air and exuded knowledge, but his presence was weak and pathetic."So..." I opened my mouth to speak, but I was interrupted by a gesture of his hand. His gaze seemed venomous."I know you have many questions, but I need you to wait until we are away from the castle." Why so much caution? I couldn't help but wonder.The carriage started moving. The further we went, the more I realized the enormity of the castle. It was so large that it could easily house a thousand people. The houses around the palace looked like small mansions with spacious yards."The winter homes of the nobles. Most of them live in their own territories. These mansions are just ornaments used in winter, a waste of space, don't you think?" He rested his face on his fist and smiled.The rest of the journey continued in complete silence. The city was vivid, as expected of a capital. People walked back and forth. There were stalls of all kinds: food, trinkets, equipment, fabrics... I was eager to visit one of the stores I could see through the window, but the carriage did not stop."Where the hell are we going? Look, I'm already tired of kidnappings!" I glared at him, letting my anger seep into my signature. His body shrank, and I saw his face pale."Calm down, Miss Kaori. I'm taking you to a place where we can talk freely." I looked at the window again. We were leaving the city. Would I be able to face a mage from this world?The area outside the walls contained poorly built houses, piled up and crooked, made of mud, straw, and wood. The streets were narrow and muddy, wooden walkways connecting some of the houses. The stench of filth entered through the window. My stomach tightened. I looked at the redhead in disbelief; he seemed unfazed, staring at me."We've arrived." The carriage stopped. He had a smile on his face as he stood up to open the door. "Let's have our tea now."The people on the streets were skeletal and pale, some lying in corners. The strongest among them did not seem to be good people."Why did you bring me here?" I asked. I didn't want to see this situation; I expected a magical world full of wonders."I already told you: we are going to have tea." The redhead moved towards one of the houses, opened the door, and extended his hand to me, signaling for me to enter. "Ladies first.""But why in this place?" I questioned. What was his goal in showing me all this? Why did he bring me here? The redhead still seemed unbothered, as if the sight around us did not affect him.The place was dusty. He walked to a table in the room, which actually looked more like an improvised barrel. He pulled a crude stool and sat down. An old man with graying hair, thin, dressed in a butler's uniform, entered through the door carrying a teapot and cups on a tray. He placed everything on the barrel."Come on, sit down. The tea will get cold," the redhead said casually. I was not enjoying this at all."I imagine you have many questions.""What are you planning? Look, the first time I saw you, you were scared. I thought it was because of me, so I ignored it. But the second time, you seemed distressed, wanting to get rid of me." I paused. "You look like a frightened rat scurrying around.""Oh, you are being disrespectful, Miss Tanaka." He took a deep breath while sipping his tea. "What do I intend? To protect the people of this kingdom, nothing more."That answer was too vague, but I felt I wouldn't get a better one. He certainly had more hidden behind that good nobleman's face."You mentioned the ritual..." I changed the subject. I didn't want to get involved in political intrigues, just gather some information."Ah, yes, the ritual... A long time ago, an extremely powerful and benevolent mage was born in this world." His face seemed full of mockery, but I made no comments. "This mage revolutionized the laws of magic and created various spells, spells that to this day elude human understanding.""Okay, and what does that have to do with me?" Could he just be stalling? I'm not that stupid."Impatient young one. The magic that brought you here is a spell composed of two others: soul abduction magic and soul substitution magic. But, as I mentioned before, the spells created by the mage Magnus Bridge elude our understanding, so the results were inconclusive." He paused and looked directly at me.I reflected on his words. Substitution, abduction, inconclusive..."Substitution? What does that mean?" I asked the question already knowing the answer. His face remained smiling like a snake. This redhead was not a good person.He pointed at me while sipping his tea. "Beatriz, a nameless slave, was purchased about six months ago. I don't know her story."I should have felt bad, but I didn't; I didn't know her, so I didn't care about her. But my conscience weighed a little for having stolen this girl's body."What did you mean by inconclusive?""Well, the spells Magnus created are so complex that no mage can reproduce them. He has his own runic system. In the end, only a hero... Unfortunately, they were sacrificed in vain." He seemed to be hiding many things; everything seemed very vague.The conversation continued for one hour. He avoided or gave no precise details in all my questions, and in the end, he asked me to keep everything a secret."And why should I? You are clearly hiding details from me." His face seemed as calm as a snake."I will simply trust you." He stood up. "Come on, it's getting dark. You don't want to be in the slums at night." A smile was stamped on his face...