The glossy marbling upon the sun-lit walls illuminated the house of Beyldot. Outside, the breeze was gentle and not at all intrusive with the peaceful hum of trees. Yet inside, the wind had reached the lad's room, softly hissing through the shades.

It was just an ordinary morning like usual, indicating another beautiful day. In fact, the song of birds could even be heard emanating outside his curtained window.

However, just one glance from him alone was enough for them to all fly away in fright.

‘Heh… I could never have a bird for a friend.’ The young boy thought with a wry smile.

Not that he had any friends in the first place. Although he did once have friends, much like the passing days, it was now all in the past.

A soothing gust of wind then entered his room letting daylight further peak through. Still, no matter how calming his room seem to be, nothing changed its ambiance of solitude.

One glance around his room told him not even his attendants were present, as not one tray or hint that they had visited could be seen. Yet how could he blame them, when his gaze alone could even melt a person---probably.

Be that as it may, he recalled their faces and knew that they all meant well. This was the reason he still would not dare make a scene whenever they avoided his presence.

‘Atleast they have prepared my belongings.’

In the afternoon, he would then walk around their estate admiring the scenery his dad had invested in, and his mom had protected. It was another solemn venture as just like before, even insects would shriek upon hearing his footsteps.

It was as though he had ice for radiance as whenever he set foot on any place, the cold air would follow him.

His lunch was not so different, he himself had decided to have his meal alone. In truth, he never had a clue when he had started being so distant from his father, stepmother, and sister. Not that he was close to them in the first place.

Ever since his father remarried, their relationship became estranged. He knew it was okay but he couldn’t stop thinking how that man had abandoned his mother so easily.

The same went with his stepmother and half-sister yet at the end of the day, it was all for consideration as even he would not like to dine with himself.

When the dusk came and it was time to head back, what awaited him was the family dinner; a time of day he could not avoid.

That night was no different from the previous. With a stepmother trying her best to fill the gap in his heart, a little sister that was only too innocent, and a father that was all too giving; it was always awkward.

Undoubtedly, he appreciated the trio’s commendable will, yet at the same time, he felt annoyance with them.

'No one can replace my mom.

I could never hurt her…

Is all this your way of asking for forgiveness, father?'

Thoughts that would run his mind, making his face as grumpy as ever.

It was the prime reason he wanted to avoid them all. Still, even with all the angst present on his face, a sense of longing made him secretly appreciate that moment in time.

With the day itself ending, he found himself alone in his room yet again. He breathed in the cold lonesome air and felt the irony of it all, as that was the only time he truly loved Mundo.

Somehow he found peace knowing he was about to dream that his life had all just been a nightmare.

Akin to his appearance which was unapproachable, he felt Mundo was becoming more and more distant from his very own life.

.

.

.

“It’s about time you woke up Noob, HOOT!” Said Owly upon seeing him open his eyes.

The pain he had endured all registered as he tried to get up from his bed.

“Ughhh… that Andrew doesn’t really hold back.”

“...HOOT?”

The scenery was quite different yet he calmly surmised that perhaps he’d been moved to the hospital overnight. His room was immensely spacious and gave a sense of comfort, yet after a moment of deliberation, the unfamiliar place scared Naell.

‘I’m not in Beryldot’s hospice.’

Upon observing himself and realizing it was useless to even sit up, he chose to lie back down once more; all before turning to the flabby bird in surprise, and questioning if what he was seeing was real.

‘Wha… an Owl?’

“You really think you could move after using all that mana, HOOT?”

Naell was confused by his words. Since when did an owl other than his mother’s acquaintance, Athena, have the ability to speak?

‘Mana…?’

Since when did he, a teen that was far too old to awaken, become a mage?

Before he could even ask the pestering bird what in Mundo was happening around him, the door to his room opened up, and there entered faces with whom he was both familiar and unfamiliar.

“Hey, you...”

“You’re finally awake!”

There stood before him the green-haired elf, the black-haired golden-eyed lad, and the mellow lilac-haired lady, all of whom he certainly felt weird seeing.

With them were two jolly teenagers, one a small lady he did not know, and the other, a boy he perhaps was vaguely familiar with. Their two teary faces he guessed were either from the joy of seeing him awake or from laughing at his pathetic state.

As those thoughts made him even more troubled, Rizaul was the one who first spoke as he asked,

“Naell are you okay?”

‘When did we…’

And then it hit him. Those people were, if not his friends, somehow already his good acquaintances. Conflicting thoughts of the sudden development gave him a slight anxiety attack, further followed by the pain of moving as he shifted in his bed.

“Hey--- keep resting noob, HOOT!”

‘Ahh… this is Owly.’ He thought as his mind began to clear. Now he remembered.

“I’m not Naell…”

“...”

Upon those words, it was as if the room turned into a market. Owly, Andrew and the rest of his friends began panicking and crying out various words at the same time.

“Noob! HOOT!”

“W-What do we do! Uh, heal! I’ll heal him!”

“Hea…? I can help you Viola!”

“Naell remember us! We're friends right? How can you forget the most brilliant princess in all of Mundo?”

“...Overstatemen… I mean, Naell come back to us!”

Behind them, Rizaul grew quiet. A wave of worry came over him as he recalled how far their friendship had come. He was frightened that it would be all for naught and that he’d lose his friend a second time.

Andrew too felt anxious and had his mind racing by miles. He feared that the mistake he once made that caused Naell’s memory loss might reoccur and cause his loved ones despair.

‘It shouldn’t happen again…’

Truly, it took a long time for all of them to settle down. Luckily, as soon as the commotion was heard outside, the other guests who happened to be visiting as well managed to ease their worries.

Casper, his fiancee Wendy, and Aive Noedia peeked into the room before making their presence known. They smiled the dignified smiles of nobles as they saw everyone who came to see Naell.

Together with them were Septh Noom, as usual, accompanying princess Utua Taglagas. All of them comfortably stood in the spacious hospital room, with Lesjon joining them soon thereafter.

“Heh--- they really thought you were having amnesia, cousin?” Chuckled Lesjon upon asking without a hint of coldness. His absurdly normal demeanor surprised not just the protagonist’s party, but also his friends.

“Ha..ha…” Naell on the other hand was still distracted by what he just experienced. It was an odd feeling afterall as he felt that the character from the book he once read, volume one’s minor villain--- the Baron’s son, really was him.

‘It’s like… I was really gone.' He thought with a weak smile before he assured himself,

‘I’m not that Naell.’

“...”

Sensing the young master was deep in thought, Viola and the others grew concerned and asked how he was feeling. They then also apologized, fearing they had overreacted and caused him unnecessary distress.

The young master always seemed to have their back, not to mention their bonds had grown throughout the course of their academic year.

All of them could now admit, it would have been a painful sight to see him suffer through another fading of his memory.

“Now that you’re you again…” Note initiated, pausing as he glanced at the rest of his friends.

“We uh…really want to thank you both, Naell and Owly.” He said with pure sincerity.

The knightly appearance he harbored was paired with a stern yet teary-eyed look. Although it seemed he’d fully recovered, under his clothing Note’s entire upper torso was wrapped in bandages.

The rest of his friends followed with the same serious tone. Each of them began to thank him as none of them, including Naell, had been lost to the horrendous event.

Meanwhile, as a fan of the book, Arts and Magic, Naell was by then trying to conceal his fanboying. It was surreal to him as he watched the protagonist’s party collective show him and his feathered friend gratitude.

“HOOT-HOOT, I am great indeed, HOOT!”

“Truly, Owly is great!” Humored the protagonist party as Namiku then carried the fluttering bird in her arms while he chippered.

Yet as all that unfolded, the light-blue haired Septh could no longer hide his confusion and bewilderment,

“Sorry, what?" With a puzzled look, he first pointed to Owly, then to Lesjon, Casper, and the others; until finally, his finger landed back at the rowdy bird as his jaw remained open.

“...I’m still at the part where I’m surprised ‘Owly’ was actually this talkative…?”

Much like him, Casper and Wendy gazed at the owl, all before they both began egging Naell on as to why he didn’t tell them he could talk. This, in turn, caused Utua Taglagas to smile deviously when she and Naell locked eyes.

It was an exchange that was not left unnoticed by Aive and Viola, who then looked at both of them suspiciously. All the while Owly was being Owly as he fluttered while being petted.

“...”

The presence of several of the book’s main cast, would have been more awesome to Naell, had there been no boisterous bird beside him. Yet a slight dissatisfaction (that was unrelated to Owly) then made him realize who was missing among them.

The memory of why he was enraged then replayed in his head, as he sought the missing person among the protagonist party.

“Are you alright, Naell?” Andrew asked upon noticing the other’s worried expression.

“I’m fine, but how is Rin…Young Miss Rinca?”