New year special!

The sweet smell permeates in the room.

They are coming from the creamy white frosting, frozen Tanghulu (Sweets made from fruits) with bright colors, shortcakes on top of a ceramic plate and I even some that I don’t know. It made me cringe. Even though this room had a cool tone of blue complementing the refreshments.

Other than that, this room is the most luxurious and comfortable room I’ve seen since I arrived in the Moonlight Kingdom. Well, this is the VVIP suite in one the biggest inns on the Moonlight Kingdom after all. Located among the rooms of the noble, I wouldn’t refuse to believe if someone claimed that this room is only second to the Ambassador’s room. 

The sweets surrounding him make a barrier stronger than any barrier a human Magi ever made.

Godammit, does he know that I’m coming?

I stared at the white-dressed girl in front of me and she stared back at. She finally finished her brilliant introduction. Although her gaze on me went a little off for a second. Is she prying me?

“Who are these people? Didn’t I tell Master that I don’t want anyone to disturb me?”

He struggled to stand from the bed. Well, casting a magic one tier higher than your grade can take a huge toll on your body. No surprise seeing him struggle to just standing up.

“Llyan, don’t be like that to your acquaintances. They came here to know your condition after all.”

“Who? I don’t know both of them.” Llyan firmly said. He glared at both me and Weiss to get any clue, but to no avail. I changed my clothing after all.

Magi have a different way to recognize each another. They use aura signatures to remember another Magi. Because a Magi can easily change their appearance given they have access to a higher level item, or spells. 

Aura signatures are usually affected by someone’s personality and experiences. So changing it is akin to changing your way of thinking, living, and virtues. 

Well mines broken from a long time ago. Forget to remember my aura, even high-level Divination techniques is a longshot to track me once I change my appearances.

“I’m Weiss, a Warrior from the Radiant Dragon Kingdom. We both came here from faraway eastern land for a certain goal. I’m hired by him to be his bodyguard.”

Weiss bowed. I then smoothly continued the introduction.

“Let me re-introduce myself. I’m a wandering Magi called Tasha. I came from the faraway eastern land. There—magic engineering flourished and many machinations could be seen more commonly. Compared to here that is,” I paused, and bowed my head.

A look of shock could be seen in Llyan’s face when he heard my names. And Lia’s face too for some reason as if she just realized something.

“I’m also called the Infallible Magi, the one who beat your ass a week ago.”

With that, I smoothly ended this introduction.

“T-tasha? You… yo. you’re him?” Llyan stuttered, his eyes all over me. But he stopped when he saw the staff I took.

While it shocked him, Lia exclaimed at Weiss.

“Weiss is a warrior from.. the Radiant Dragon Kingdom?” 

“Yes I am.”

“Then, it means you can turn yourself into one, right..? This is astonishing! I’ve never imagined I’d meet with one…”

Llyan went visibly pale after our introduction. He seems to not be in the mood to talk as he just stares the ground thinking about something. Gritting sound of teeth is accompanying the sound of his clenching hands.

Poor bastard, I almost feel sorry about him for being dragged into this. But he challenged me after all. 

Well, I’m the man who achieves his goal with the mindset of “The end justifying the means.” It’s not new for me if you call me as selfish, or if you say “You are a bad guy!”  

Things would certainly be different if I had the right target. All right, I admit it is my fault for targeting the wrong person. But I should be grateful to him as he led me to the right target. And I think it is an essential step for me conquering Fate.

I glanced at Lia when I thought of that.

You might think; what is Fate anyway? Well, if you’re from a secular non-magic world, let me kindly inform you.

Fate—with a capital F—is the congregation of a world’s intelligent mind and Mana, creating a pseudo-sentience. It comprises all the wishes and desires of any beings have and will ever have. Its awareness over things is terrifying.

Basically, an invisible wish-granting machine to whoever goes in its favor and an untimely demise to whoever or even whatever who stands in its way. It encompasses the whole planet. When it chooses its children, you better watch your move on them. Because the moment you even have even the thought of killing them. Things won’t be smooth sailing in your journey towards paradise-goal anymore. 

Even those who reached Legends held it in high regards. Only those who are powerful enough to stand out against it.

But enough of that, Llyan needs to face reality and bow down to his Fate, or rebel against it.

“Llyan Capricio, you must have known the reason I came here.”

A man should hold unto his principle in the highest regard and take responsibilities with pride and honor, is what i would like to say here.

“N-no..! You have cheated! Master you saw him in the Scryer, right? His staff is-”

Lia shook his head slowly.

“I had those thought a while ago Little-Llyan. But looking at the staff and examining it, I can only voice my disappointment as I truly don’t know. Oh! I’m sorry if I probed you Tasha.”

“No problem at all. So, are you ready to face the bitter reality? Perhaps you’ve made a little preparation as to how to face me?” I spoke with a dull voice. He responded with silence as I continue.

“Now, I’ll give you the kindness of telling this in advance—the way to our goal is like hell, but even more so for you because you’ll be in one layer deeper.” (It is said that there are different layers of hell in Trebüshka’s belief.)

My provocation didn’t have any effect. Not until I take the Magic Seal did Llyan flinch. He growls with an expression no less like a dog. His changing Aura surrounds him. He glared at me with a resolution of a madman who just lost everything. He is the madman.

“NO! I won’t accept it! Right here and right now, I challenge you to another Duel! The winner shall take it all!”

“Oh? And what is your bet? Or rather, what can you bet this time?” I asked with a demeaning tone.

“I.. I will truly put effort to serve you with the bottom of my heart, without you using the Magic Seal!”

Llyan exclaimed. Using the Magic Seal to command a servant does take a lot of Mana, especially if the servant is more powerful than you. He has a fair point here.

“That’s more I like it. You got me worried there for a minute. Worried that you might be a No-Goer, a born loser, a guy who pitied himself, you name it. A person who stays down after an unseen force pushed them down. Not trying to fight back at all.”

I started this journey with a conviction in my heart. I vowed with my lives as the bet. Did I not think of an event like this—where I involved the innocents—to achieve my goals? Yes I did. Never in my lives, I believed that achieving a goal only take efforts or hard work.

And if you think so too, then you’re wrong. Purely because; I’m confident in my experiences to say so.

Working hard blindly only pays off only if you are in the right track. If you have an all knowing mentor who experienced all the bad and the good and have arrived at of the end of the journey. That’s right, it is exactly like a journey.

Think of it this way. You are on your way to your Goal with a carriage. Your motivation is the horse, your conscience self is the driver, and an old man in the back is the one who tells if you are right or wrong representing your wisdom. 

If you think overworking your horse, neglecting to seek wisdom to pursue a goal blindly, then you can forget about achieving it without you having a mental breakdown and a lot of failures. Because only if you learn from your failures, and improves yourself by essentially growing your potential, then you can move closer towards your goal.

I said move towards your goal, because then you have a person like me. I used to be a loser who can’t do anything right. A person who can’t do anything right, even though I have the power, capabilities, and potential to achieve it.

Then I changed. I worked hard to become stronger, to change my Fate. I sacrificed many things, even the things I didn’t think I have. I have sacrificed a lot indeed.

“Fine, we’ll talk about it later. For now sign this-” I threw an empty parchment in the air and transform it into a finely decorated scroll. In it was a written agreement between an employer and an employee.

It is a Rite type of spell.

Rites are a type of ritual magic that can have bizarre effects. For example, the Rites of Binding is a spell that can bind the participant in a certain act. The Rites of Binding is created by the Deus of Order to maintain order between humans and magical creatures.

That certain act can decides one fate. All sorts of agreement can be made with the Rites of Binding. Whether it is the act of servitude. Agreement of truce. Declaration of peace between nations. Even in the simple acts of buying, borrowing, and selling, The Rites of Binding can be implemented. It have the ability to bind certain individual or groups in a certain acts through a Magic Seal.

Magic Seal is a medium to ensure order upon the side who agreed the agreements. Usually a durable object contain ing runic circuits. Using Mana, a participant of the contract can force the other side to act according to the agreed terms.

“No! I said I refuse to-”

“Just read the contract first, dammit.”

“It is… Not a servant’s contract?” Llyan said as he stares dumbfoundedly at the floating scroll. 

Dear god I wouldn’t be so bold to plunge myself into a disaster would I? Enslaving a Child of Fate? That’s Life-plus-fortune equals Death-plus-demise-times-ten. Even though he is not the Child of Fate, he has a strong bond with one. That’s a strong enough reason for her to go against me. Even Lord Edward Borstand—The legendary magic knight—wouldn’t be so bold to enslave a Child of Fate.

 “Yes indeed, did I ever say that you’ll be my slave? From now on you’ll work for me like Weiss. That is the bottom-line of this agreement. You can even take a vacation. It’s no different from a common Guild Contract. Just relax and sign it after you read the terms.”

“Vacation huh? Then when can I start taking mine?” Weiss shot those words instantly as he glared at me.

“Come on Weiss don’t be like that. You need to be professional, especially in front of your junior. Who would protect me as a vanguard if you take a vacation?” I said with a nervous laughter.

Him taking a vacation? I wouldn’t dare to imagine walking in the wild alone without a physical meat shield. 

“Hmph, you’re the worst employer I’ve ever seen.” He replied while crossing his arms.

“Master, what do you think?—”

 I walked into a nearby sofa and sat down. I put down my arms behind my back as I wait for him.

After around 20 minutes of reading and discussion with her mentor, Llyan seems to finally make up his mind.

And also, that girl is suspiciously quiet. She has not said a single word during our exchange in a defense to her student. Did she not worry for her student? Oh, speak of the devil.

“This is what Llyan want right?”

“Yes!”

“Alright, then Lia won’t get in your way. Sign the contract.”

Llyan nodded. It was done.

The contract burst into a tinge of purplish blue. Gray and purplish blue flame blended into each other, creating bits of amber of the same color. They float and danced each other until they bonded. The oh so familiar purplish blue flame.

“Alright, you seem to be in a not-so-bad-state. As per the raids, hunting, quests, and other things listed in the contract — we’ll start working together when you’re feeling well. For now, we’ll take our leave.”

Lia appears to be deciding something, judging by her pondering expression and the amount of silence in the room. Yeah, nothing suspicious about that at all.

“Wait Tasha, would you mind if we go outside of this room for a while?” Lia said, she seems to blush for some reason.

“I would like to discuss you about something”

“Oh, yeah sure,” I said not knowingly.