1
What am I going to tell Dad? What am I going to tell Mom? I can't just walk in and say, "Mom, Dad, why did you hide the fact that we're part of an Isekai?"
Besides, what did that girl do? Was it magic? Am I a wizard? Why didn't anyone tell me before? What kind of wizard am I? Is there a whole political system behind this? An economy? So many questions, and so few answers.
"I just want to go home," I muttered.
I checked the watch in my bag; it was 3:00 PM. My mom is going to kill me—I was supposed to leave school at 2:00 today.
I ran all the way home, and when I opened the door, my mom looked beyond annoyed.
"Hi, Mommy," I said, trying to act casual.
"Why are you late?" she asked.
"Uh, nothing special. It was just my turn to sweep the classroom," I replied.
"For an hour?" she shot back.
"Well, I... I mean, yeah," I said.
"———" She gave me a look of total disbelief.
"Well, if you'll excuse me—"
"Oh no, young man. You aren't stepping an inch further until you tell me the truth," she said.
Ugh, Mom, why do you have to make things so complicated?
"Fine, let's just say... I crossed a sort of portal to another world using my key," I confessed.
"———"
My mom's face shifted from annoyed to deeply worried.
"Oh, really? Well, I guess it's not that big of a deal," she said, clearly trying to avoid a real answer and change the subject.
Suddenly, a yellow envelope slid under the door.
"Huh?"
I picked up the letter and, tearing it open, read the contents:
> [Dear Mr. Dylan Tyler,
> We have been informed, via the 『Seeker』, that you performed a magical transportation in front of a Nium. Officers are on their way to collect you. Should you resist—descendant of Merlin or not—we will be forced to take legal action.
> Attn: The Minister of Nium Incidents, Dolores Umbridge.]
>
A Seeker? What is that? Like the detector from Harry Potter? I don't understand anything.
"Mom, look at this letter," I said.
She snatched it immediately and began to read. After a few seconds, she looked at me.
"Dylan, how did you cast the spell?" she asked.
"Well, my key was magnetically drawn to the lock of that abandoned house," I replied.
Now that I think about it, did the letter say I'm a descendant of Merlin? The guy from the Arthurian legends? Pff, please.
"DYLAN!"
"AH!"
I screamed as my dad's voice boomed, right as the door burst open.
"Dad, you scared me!" I yelled.
BANG!!!
A blast echoed through the floor.
"Mr. Dylan Tyler," said a man in a bodyguard suit with a sword strapped to his back.
"We've come to relocate you," said another guy holding a wand like Elizabeth's. He wore a blue robe that looked like the mage from Final Fantasy III... or was it two?
"『Water Expulse』!" my mom shouted.
The sound of rushing water filled the air, and the whole environment suddenly felt damp. A jet of water blasted toward the man in the robe, tearing through the garden with the whistling sound of a projectile but with watery effects.
"『Electric Cut』!" shouted the man in the suit.
"『Terra Cut』!" my dad bellowed.
Both unsheathed their swords. Two sounds followed: the crackle of an electric spark and the sound of the earth being split. Both were thrown back by the explosion generated by the clash of their attacks. The entire entrance was destroyed; the ground had stopped shaking, but it was impossible to see through the smoke screen they had created.
"Dylan, you—"
My mom was interrupted by a yellow bolt of lightning that let out a dull thud and made my skin crawl. She was thrown to the other side of the house.
"MOM!" I screamed.
The man in the robe grabbed me by the neck and said exactly what Elizabeth had:
"『Gravity Intelep』."
The dull sound followed, my skin crawled, and a pink flash covered my entire field of vision—and my consciousness.
2
I woke up in a place I didn't recognize. It was a hall with colorful stained-glass windows, like a church. I was handcuffed, and the place was packed with people. In front of me sat an old woman with a giant monocle and a gavel, looking at me with pure disdain.
"Hello, Dylan Tyler," the old lady said.
The crowd stared at me. I tried to break free, but failed epically. I thought to myself: Okay, I'm in a trial. No Ultimate Students here.
Mom, Dad, where are you? Are you okay? Dammit, someone answer me.
The old woman seemed annoyed, and the crowd was somewhere between uncomfortable and expectant. I felt so awkward with everyone staring that I blurted out:
"Hey, I didn't commit a murder, so you can't execute me. Besides, you're not a funny bear; you'd have ten times less charisma."
The old woman reacted with an indifferent gesture.
"Let the trial begin," she said.
"Wait... who's my lawyer? Phoenix Wright?" I asked.
Then, suddenly, my mom entered wearing a lawyer's suit, accompanied by my Uncle Darius (who has red hair and purple eyes). My uncle said:
"Your Honor, let us begin the case."
3
"Dylan, your situation is this: you performed magic in front of a Nium while being the descendant of Merlin. You could go to prison. You can defend yourself, but know that your parents wanted to save you from this responsibility. I'll just tell you right now: I don't have much faith in you."
Gee, Uncle Darius, that was exactly what I needed to hear.
"Let the trial begin," the judge ordered.
Suddenly everyone started talking at once. To me, their words looked like the scrolling text in Danganronpa.
"He's just a kid, should we let it slide?"
"I don't think so; he knew the rules."
I stood up against the accusation, ready for a counter. Like a Truth Bullet, I broke through the argument.
"Refuted! Forgive me, Your Honor, but I was raised in the Nium world, or whatever you call it. I didn't know those rules because my upbringing wasn't 'traditional,'" I said.
"He has a point."
"That's true."
"Maybe it was necessary."
"SILENCE! Order in the court!" the judge yelled.
The murmurs stopped, except for one girl's, which turned into a shout.
"『OBJECTION!』" the girl yelled. "Even if you were raised in a Nium environment, that doesn't mean they didn't tell you about this world."
Everyone started whispering again, giving me disapproving looks.
"『OBJECTION!』" my Uncle Darius cut in. "While my client could have known, he was not aware. His parents saw no need to return to this world."
The murmuring intensified while I kept wondering: Is this a real trial or actually a Danganronpa trial?
"But what if he has done magic before? We haven't talked about that."
"It would be impossible to know."
"Refuted! Are you forgetting the 『Seeker』? Look at the records," my mom said, speaking for the first time.
The judge picked up a sort of golden clock or compass. After a few seconds, she said:
"It's true. The boy has only done it this once."
Thank God, things are looking up. It looks like I won't have to go to prison.
"Then the problem lies with the boy's parents," the judge said. "Since they attacked the agents and caused more of an uproar than their son."
Damn it, damn it, damn it.
"Therefore, a tri—"
"I'LL TAKE THE PUNISHMENT!" I shouted. "Just leave them alone."
The judge looked at me, perhaps with pity, and then said:
"Very well. With this, the trial ends. Dylan Tyler, descendant of Merlin, will serve one week of servitude at the Marthood Mansion."
She slammed her gavel.
"『Case Closed.』"
4
Great. I'm forced to be a maid for a week, and for free, too. Where's my legendary powerful sword?
"Ugh, this is awful," I said as we walked through the hallways.
The walls were made of oak, while the floor was likely made of glass.
"Son—" my mom tried to talk to me.
"You better have an explanation. Unless it's Dad who's going to explain things," I said.
"———"
Silence. That confirmed it. She isn't the one who will explain things to me; it's my dad.
When we finally got home (which took about 3 hours), Dad was painting. It's weird seeing a 7-foot-tall muscular wolf painting the walls pink.
"Hi, Dad," I said.
He looked at me and came over to hug me, but I pushed him away with my hand.
"Explain everything," I demanded. "And I mean everything."
Dad looked a bit nervous, but then he let out a sigh.
"Alright," he said. "I'll tell you everything. Just give me a few seconds, okay?"
"Fine," I said.
After about 10 minutes, we went to my room (without my mom, since apparently she doesn't know much). I sat on my bed, and my dad sat on the floor.
"What are we?" I asked.
"We are a magical race from another world. Your mother is from the continent of Rastrean, and I am from the Radiant Wild continent," he replied, looking me in the eye.
"...Was my life a lie?" I asked.
"No," Dad replied. "Even if you are Merlin, you are still my son."
"...Explain the 'descendant of Merlin' thing," I said.
"Do you remember the nightmares?" he asked.
I nodded. Every now and then, in my dreams, a man appears saying: "Destiny cannot be escaped."
"Son, the Tylers are a family whose lineage comes primarily from Merlin. For generations, he has 'traveled' through different family members because they inherited his power."
"Why did you hide it from me?" I asked.
"Because I didn't want that burden for you," he answered. "Besides, there are other reasons I can't tell you right now."
"———" I stayed silent, repeating my dad's words in my head. So, it turns out I'm Merlin's descendant.
I got off the bed and sat on the floor in front of him.
"You better not lie to me ever again," I said.
Dad smiled and stroked my head, messing up my hair. Then he lunged at me and started tickling me.
"No! Hahaha! Dad, stop, that tickles!" I laughed.
★★★
An 18-year-old boy with gray hair, golden eyes, and a giant monocle watched the window intently.
"Morty."
The boy heard his name and went to answer the call.
"Yes, Grandmother?" Morty said.
"The descendant of Merlin is going to the Marthood Mansion. Please, be his tutor," said his grandmother, a very important judge in the bureaucratic ministry of magical laws.
Morty, with a look of surprise, answered affirmatively:
"Of course. I'll help him."
After all, that descendant of Merlin would be very useful to him—for much more than simple domestic chores.