“Sleeping like a baby, huh?” Vaan yawned. “Not… that bad of an idea, actually.”
It was late. After staying out for the auctions and using Spark of Creation so much, the fatigue was getting to him. Not only that, but the constant headaches he had from thinking about the princess were catching up to him.
Staring at Eve one more time to make sure nothing was wrong, Vaan nodded and then closed his eyes. Just a bit to take a quick nap. But before he realized it, he was fast asleep.
-A dream. Or was it?
He couldn’t remember, but it was vaguely familiar.
Setting out from a village after studying for years under a retired adventurer. Memorizing countless bits of information, monster weaknesses, traits, tactics.
Having believed himself prepared for any eventuality, he picked up a sword and shield and then set off.
Babel. That was his dream. To ascend the heights, retrieve a Divine Providence, and then pay back the ones who had raised him to the current day. To fulfill the dream of the adventurer who taught him, the one who never managed to achieve it throughout his entire life.
So he set off. Traveling across the world, doing odd jobs while carefully honing his skills.
And then he met her.
A woman who shone brighter than anyone else, who saw the world as one filled with light and colors rather than dark and gray.
Enchanted by her brilliance, he changed his mind and-
-Cursed the world.
No matter how much he struggled, no matter how much he trained, nothing changed.
Always someone stronger.
Always someone who would step on him and snatch away what he desired and held dear.
Even though they called him gifted, they threw obstacles to block his path.
Even though they praised him, they cursed him beside his back.
Even though they said he had a bright future, they took every step they could to crush that light.
All because he was different. Because he could see what they couldn’t, learn what they could not.
Because he walked a path of heresy instead of divinity, they cast him away.
Well. He’d show them.
If all of creation wanted to make him their enemy. If the gods themselves had abandoned him, he would-
-Give up.
Babel wouldn’t be able to change his fate. Even though he had the knowledge, skills, and tactics, this cursed body of his wouldn’t allow him to live beyond a hundred.
No, should he call it a twisted blessing instead?
In exchange for eternity, he could reach the peak. Despite possessing a frail body that seemed to flicker out at any time, his spirit grew with each passing year, his mind sharpening, his skills refined.
But that was the limit.
One life wouldn’t be enough.
Even so, he had to try.
The King, the Sage, and the Swordmaster made an offer to him.
If that strange power was what they thought it was, then maybe even he-
-Could live again.
It would be a different life. Too many pieces were mixed up to be untangled and odds were likely that he would just up wandering around and lose his life. That the obsessions making up his core would lead him to ruin.
But there was a chance.
The heart to change the world. That was what he chose to protect.
The will to defy those trying to drag him down and obtain power at all costs. That was what he obtained after a lifetime of resistance.
The potential to reach the limit. That was the fate that HE was granted.
And so Vaan had to choose. No, he was given the choice.
‘Right?’
[To live as I did.]
Or to choose your own path.
That was the deal. As the one who picked up where they left off, as the one who gained that miniscule spark that was created with the core of multiple lives and years of sacrifice.
‘Live?’
[Die?]
Or become eternal?
[‘Choose.’]
Evelyn opened her eyes. When she did, she saw an incredible sight.
A clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds. A towering oak tree, emerald leaves gently swaying in the wind. And then from nearby, the low roar of a waterfall.
“Is this… heaven?”
She couldn’t believe it.
A peaceful, bright, and colorful scene completely different from the dark and terrifying cellar she recalled. A warm sunlight instead of the cold and unnatural crystal torch.
Evelyn slowly sat up. When she did, she realized that she was sleeping in a luxurious bed, one large enough to fit five people.
The princess’s silver hair gently fell behind her and her violet eyes swept across the surroundings.
An unfamiliar but peaceful scenery. A calming atmosphere that was almost like a dream.
For a moment, that’s what she thought it was. Another dream that her feeble mind devised to escape from the harsh reality.
And then she saw him.
A young man with blonde hair, sitting on a chair. He wore luxurious clothes, a dress shirt with a crimson vest and black pants. There was also an elegant sword placed across his lap, emanating a sacred- No, divine aura.
Seeing that man’s face, a barrage of memories flooded Evelyn’s mind. A torrent that made her feel ill and want to curl up on the bed, burying herself away again. But just before she did, the latest memory played again in her mind.
A confident and somewhat irritated voice. A warm light reaching out to her. A familiar voice that she thought had left her behind… No, one that was similar to it.
“Master… Vaan?”
The name echoed in her mind. And with it, she could sense it. The bond that marked her as his slave. The one who had complete and utter control over her fate.
But also…
Evelyn frowned and carefully stared at the young man sleeping on the chair.
A face that was slightly more handsome than average. A build that was slim, but with trained muscles. Hair that was a bright blonde.
He looked… a lot like ‘him’. The one who she trusted the most and who vanished without a trace.
But… he wasn’t.
Evelyn could see it now that she looked closer.
The man… Master Vaan, was older than ‘he’ was.
‘He’ had been the same age as her. Not only that, but his hair was different and his face had been average.
Even so…
“Why does he seem so similar?” Evelyn muttered.
No answer. Of course. Vaan was asleep, so he couldn’t answer even if he heard.
Seeing that, Evelyn sighed and then got out of the bed. She did some light stretches and then closed her eyes to sort through her memories.
When she did, she remembered the shameless acts she performed and then flushed. Quickly opening her eyes, she glanced down at her clothes to check her body… but nothing was out of sorts.
“…Right. He isn’t that sort of person.”
Even if Master Vaan wasn’t ‘him’, they both were too chivalrous to take advantage of her.
Evelyn sighed again… and then she remembered something else. The words that Master Vaan told her.
“He… wants me?”
She turned back to look at the young man asleep on the chair.
He didn’t make sense. There had been clear desire in Master Vaan’s eyes when he looked at her. At the same time, he spent an incredible amount of money on her, enough to buy countless lives or even a baron hood.
But it didn’t seem to be for her body, potential, or title.
Evelyn bit her lips, hesitating.
It was rude. And since she was his slave, such an act could be considered treason. Enough justification for him to do whatever he wanted without her being able to put up a single shred of resistance.
But… She had to know.
Was Master Vaan ‘him’? Did ‘he’ run away and change his identity? Did ‘he’ manage to enter Babel and fulfill his dreams? And was that why he looked different?
The answer to her questions, the faint hope she held in her heart…
Evelyn held out her right hand and quietly whispered, “Libra.”
As a member of the Holy King’s bloodline… Well, as a former member before she was cast off, she could use some Holy Magic. Although most of it had been sealed, the most basic one to observe the status of others remained. And so-
[Status Screen]
[Biography]
Name: Vaan
Title: The Reckless and Foolish Pioneer that Creates Legends
Class: Adventurer – F
Age: 21 years
Gender: Male
Race: Human
[Parameters]
Strength: D
Endurance: C
Agility: D
Mana: EX
Mental Power: C
[Skills]
Restoration – The ability to restore something to its former state.
Mana Manipulation – The ability to directly handle mana in its purest form, as well as deconstruct magical phenomenon back to its basic elements.
Conjuration – The ability to produce items from mana
Evelyn’s heart fell.
Vaan… wasn’t him. No matter how similar they seemed, the status didn’t lie. And since the name was different…
Evelyn sighed. But at the same time, she was confused.
Despite his actions in the auction, his seemingly endless pockets, and his mana stat, he was barely better than an average adventurer. Not only that, but his class was that of a rookie adventurer as well.
That already was odd. An mismatch that couldn’t be explained no matter how you looked at it.
But then there were the other parts of his status that made Evelyn even more confused.
First was his title.
The Reckless and Foolish Pioneer that Creates Legends… Evie had never heard of such a long title. Just what sorts of incredible things did Master Vaan do in the past to obtain that?
Then there was that EX value for his Mana. From what she heard from her father, it was a value that could only be obtained by someone who reached the limits of mortal beings and had not undergone the Baptism of a Divine Providence.
But it was also something that a person would typically obtain at the end of a life striving towards that limit… And only the Grandmaster had ever achieved such stats.
There was also his Mental Power parameter… She didn’t know what it did, but perhaps that was the prerequisite parameter to control such boundless mana?
And finally there were his skills.
The names seemed ordinary enough. In fact, Evie had heard of those exact skills. Restoration was a basic spell for a Priest, removing abnormal status effects. Mana manipulation was the basic ability for a Mage, aiding spellcasting. And Conjuration was the basic ability for an Alchemist, allowing them to make up missing ingredients by substituting mana.
But the descriptions were completely different. The skills that Master Vaan possessed shared the same name, but were more broad and ridiculous.
Silently lowering her hand, Evelyn stared at Vaan and subconsciously muttered, “Are you a transcendent?”
Perhaps someone who had entered Babel and obtained an inheritance?
It was the only thing that could make sense… Except that would have changed his class. The fact that it was still a rookie adventurer…
Evelyn frowned and then decided to check her own status to compare. Quietly whispering “Libra” again, the second princess of the Holy Kingdom opened her status screen.
[Status Screen]
[Biography]
Name: Eve (Evelyn Edenia)
Title: Vaan’s Beloved Companion
Class: Restored Princess
Age: 18 years
Gender: Female
Race: Human
[Parameters]
Strength: C
Endurance: B
Agility: C
Mana: A
Mental Fortitude: A
[Divine Providence]
Light’s Wisdom (Restored) - The ability to utilize light magic to attack, support, and heal. Although originally sealed by the Primogenitor, Holy King Roland, it has been restored and separated from its origin as a separate power.
[Skills]
Holy Magic – The ability to utilize light magic to attack, support, and heal.
Intermediate Swordsmanship – The ability to utilize a sword in combat. Has a medium corrective effect, allowing even a novice to show considerable talent.
Advanced Nightly Pleasures – The ability to please another person in nightly affairs. Has a high corrective effect, allowing even a virgin to act as a high class courtesan. Currently sealed. The user’s desire to use the ability is required for it to activate.
[Conditions]
Bound by a magical contract. Cannot deny Vaan’s commands. Cannot oppose or harm Vaan.
. The user’s desire to use the ability is required for it to activate.
yeah
,if the need arises