"Looks like your clothes are already dirty." Oliver handed Yadrith a towel.
"It is what it is." He cleaned his face and set the towel aside. "How much combat do I have to engage in to enter the First Step?"
"It's not about how much; it's about when. Don't worry too much about it."
He slowly nodded at the ambiguous words, then asked:
"How is it that you stay so clean? Even now, there is no blood on you, and your clothes you've not washed once... How is your shirt still perfectly white? Is that your Regalia?" Yadrith asked with his eyes narrowing at the word.
"Haha, I can feel your jealousy." He patted his thigh. "It's not my Regalia, though that would be a pretty cool ability. To answer your question, it's Rekh. Once you enter the First Step, you'll understand."
"Seems like the quality of life gets better when you learn to use Rekh."
Oliver's face went blank for a moment. "I suppose that's true... How have you achieved such an equilibrium?"
Yadrith smiled awkwardly. "Equilibrium?"
"I suppose you don't know." He blinked and stood up, his smile returning, "Ah, our time's coming to an end. You and Mahaya will stay near the rear; I'll go to the front."
Yadrith nodded, 'Odd.'
Oliver left through the back of the wagon.
'For a moment there he felt like he was threatening me.' Yadrith couldn't help but swallow, remembering Oliver's strangely blank face. '...I'm overthinking it. Overthinking all of it.'
He stared at his bloody hands and frowned. The sudden thought, 'Why am I doing this?' Assaulted his mind.
He burrowed his face into his hands and felt like crying, 'It's so sickening... Everything I've done so far—what is it for? Why am I leaving the Land of Demons? What is my purpose...?' With eyes filled with bitterness, he stared at the space between his fingers. 'Why am I here? Grandpa.'
The only person he could remember. Even if it was just his face, his grandpa. It felt like a saving grace to him, the last respite he had in this cruel world. A world where his actions were dictated by others.
His journey so far felt compulsory, as if it was an idea or command put into his head by someone else. No matter what, he felt like he had to leave this place. It made him think, 'Why do I have to leave?'
It didn't take him much thought to realize who placed his command in his mind, probably through the power of what they call 'Ethra.' He believed it to have been Miel.
But why?
He sighed and lowered his hands.
"I'm pathetic."
Suddenly, he saw a spider crawl into his view.
"Haha..." He let out a weak chuckle, "Just a bit of self-reflection. Do you mind me asking something?"
She jumped once.
"Why did your mother place a command in my mind to leave the Land of Demons?" He spoke bluntly, with a somewhat insane look on his face.
Mahaya stared at him in silence; she did not jump.
"I guess that wasn't much of a yes or no question. How about this: did she place one?"
Mahaya did not jump, even after ten seconds had passed.
'...' Yadrith rubbed his forehead. 'Am I just losing my mind?'
Mahaya jumped.
"What? I'm losing my mind?" He restrained his laughter. 'You can read my mind!?'
Mahaya did not jump.
He narrowed his eyes, thinking about her actions before realizing that she must've been answering his previous question.
Yadrith smiled, "Thank you for truthfully answering." As he spoke, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.
Figuring out the compulsion seemed to lessen his eagerness to leave. He was somewhat able to reflect more rationally on his journey, knowing this truth. However, he was still curious about why.
'Is a catastrophe going to happen here? Is that why Miel sent her daughter with me? Even if she thinks her daughter is unsightly, she still wishes to preserve her life?' He shook his head. "Can you guard the rear without me... I'm sorry, I need a bit of thought to confirm my actions."
Mahaya quickly left with a quick jump.
'No, that can't be right!' He frowned and dug his fingers into his head. 'All this leads back to is the reason why Miel was interested in me. If I can just figure out that one thing...' He bit his lip.
***
A month had passed.
The longest month in Yadrith's life so far, literally.
'I should invent cars once I get to Vestriam.' He chuckled, 'I wish I knew how to.'
It was an odd feeling, really, knowing what you had experienced without actually remembering the experience. He knew what houses looked like, but he didn't remember which one he lived in; he remembered what colleges were, but he didn't remember which one he applied to.
He remembers walking the halls of high school, but which high school? He vaguely could recall the path he had taken throughout life, but that was it. The most he could think of was that he was a student at a certain university.
'Maybe university is a good idea in Vestriam.' He smiled. 'There probably is higher education in this world.'
He sighed, remembering the fact that he had no true identity; no university would even let him step foot on their property.
'Using the Jubel name would be dumb.'
"What are you thinking about?"
"Just the future. After we make it to the port, I want to try going to school again."
Britain smiled. "That's wise, what made you stop?"
Yadrith turned his head toward the demon girl with purple skin and white hair. "I'm honestly not sure."
"With your skill, you could get accepted into most academies; someone like me would have trouble with that... Especially being a demon." She wore a melancholic expression.
Yadrith's eyes widened. "So schools accept people based on combat skill?"
She nodded. "With the war, as long as you have the potential to learn, Rekh, most academies at Vestriam will be fine with you."
"War? There is a war going on...? Why had nobody mentioned it to me?"
Britain gave him an odd look. "It started just a few years ago, with Vestriam and Pelsac going to war over the ownership of Balrendrum."
'Balrendrum...? I'll have to ask Oliver.' He thought before saying,
"Why is the ownership of Balrendrum so important?"
"It's been unoccupied for so long, and the Blight's destined release is in five years from now. Pelsac wants the Church of Sefirah to restore the seal, while Vestriam wants to liberate Balrendrum from the Blight and destroy the Blighted Ones wreaking havoc on the continent."
'Blight? It's my first time hearing such a thing. Another question for Oliver.' He digested the information for a moment. "I don't see why this is such a problem, why seal something that can be destroyed?"
"So... You take Vestriam's side?" She looked at him.
He raised his hands at her accusation, "I'm just curious."
"The Blight is terrifying if you've heard the stories growing up. He punished and killed the Exalted ones of the Church and took over Balrendrum, a continent larger than the Pelsacian Empire and Vestriam combined. He did all of this in just a few years, before being sealed for the past six hundred years in the Obsidian Spire." She paused. "Sorry, that was a bit off track with your question, but to answer it... It's simply due to the fact that Pelsac believes Vestriam is taking the matter far too lightly. They think the Blight is far stronger than any Ascendant that can come at it."
"You're rather knowledgeable." He spoke in passing.
"As a merchant, it's good to know the world around you." She smiled.
***
Another two weeks passed.
They had arrived at a mountain range, with one path through it. High mountains, steep mountains, and a river through the desert. A sign that they would soon be exiting the desert!
The long, hot, tedious, and somewhat boring journey would soon end.
"How long do you think getting through the valley will take?"
Oliver rubbed his chin. "Two weeks? Three? Depends on what trouble we run into... But. If we're lucky. Just a few days." He patted Yadrith on the shoulder. "The caravan also extended its hand to give us a ride across the ocean. What do you think?"
"I've made a few friends, so I wouldn't mind spending more time with them."
"That's like you; you're a kind person." Oliver looked deep into the valley; plenty of people were coming and going.
"By the way, why are you headed to Vestriam? Aside from being hunted, of course."
Oliver showed his trademark smile. "I plan to enter Belmond Academy; my teacher wrote me a recommendation. Of course, it'll also serve as a refuge from Neo Ogma."
"Hm... Then, I'll try to enter Belmond Academy as well. I was told that anyone with the potential to learn Rekh could apply to an academy."
"Well, that is true, but Belmond Academy is rather prestigious. If you reach the First Step, they'll consider you. Before then, probably not... So, work hard."
Yadrith nodded, looking off into the valley as well.
"My journey's coming to a close."
He sighed, walking back toward the rear of the caravan.
'Another few days of boring guard duty.' He dusted off his hands and stared at his weathered palms. 'When I get to Vestriam, I'll try to invest in some skincare and also some proper nail trimmers.' He glanced at his cracked nails.
"The heat has really weathered me."
Shhf... Shhf...
He looked up and frowned. A figure wearing a pure-black cloak, no taller than five feet, approached him. However, he blinked. In the next second, the figure was gone.
'Huh?' He blinked again. 'Nothing?' When he opened his eyes, his right eye was still dark.
'...'
"AHHHHHK!" He screamed, watching blood spray out of his right eye. A small dagger had been sunk into his eye. It was a miracle he was even conscious!
He reached up, trying to grab the arm, which had embedded a dagger in his eye. However, right as he was about to grasp the arm, it pulled away, embedding the dagger between his collarbone and neck.
"AGHH—S-stop!" He felt the dagger exit his body, and he immediately fell to his knees. Standing over him was what looked to be a masked girl. "F-fuck!" He raised his hand to push her away as he watched the girl prepare to plunge the dagger right into his heart.
However, at the moment, the dagger descended. Another cloaked figure appeared, this one wearing a rather shabby cloak. The one he used to wear, which he left in the back of one of the caravan wagons.
The figure kicked his assailant away and immediately picked up Yadrith.
"M-Mahaya?" He silently muttered, feeling his consciousness fade.
She looked down at him in silence.
Her face was exposed, but Yadrith's vision was too blurry to discern her features. The only thing he was able to see was her bright red eyes. Her eyes showed her frustration.
Mahaya looked up at the assailant, who was gone from her spot. Her eyes widened, and in the next moment she caught a dagger that had suddenly materialized in the air next to her.