When his father came home, it was to be expected he'd ask what was going on here.

What happened to him?

But the now aged figure, Landan, chose to stay silent. It gave the youth no choice but to wait until he would open up about it. It wasn't so great, but parents had the right to stay silent about stuff. It took time to pry them up.

What was Landan hiding?

Such an enormous change almost made Lex ignore any formalities and be agressive about asking, but he knew that would only offend his father. Having little chance of success.

To him and his father, this form of respect was key to any parent-child relationship. It was the basis of any kind of bond made with good intentions. To know when to show 'respect'.

Only then could they talk.

Landan washed himself up and tied his long white hair. He wanted to look like his usual self in front of his son. Regardless of how he looked, he was still the man of this house.

He turned his head to ask his son after feigning calmness: "Where is that boy?"

"He's training with your present. He says there is something calling to him." Lex dutifully replied without missing a detail. He was almost too eager to spill the beans.

"Go tell him not to listen too deep." Landan waved away his son. The youth left while leaving the now aged man to look at them from the window. His eyes holding regret.

He wouldn't be able to stay for long, but it would be long enough to be significant.

There was one thing left to impart to his son.

…..

….

…

..

.

I wonder what happened with Dad earlier. Did someone hurt him while I wasn't looking?

The same way as Mom…?

No… This is only temporary. I believe that Dad can handle this. There's no way he'd be overcome by evil spirits… or the undead. He might look strange now, but he'll be healed by tomorrow or something. I'm sure of it!

Dad was strong like that.

"What's up?" Ryan asked with a relaxed expression. He swung his newly-acquired curved blade with vigour. His slashes were alternating between colourful and darkness.

The latter standing out when he tried to use the other bright colours with pitch black itself.

"My dad came home."

"Then why do you look like that…?" It's only when Ryan asked did I realise my expression.

I didn't want to talk about it. If I spoke anything specific, he'd continue asking and make me uncomfortable. There was a limit to what I could answer to a kid who was endlessly curious. The question were too difficult.

Even 'I' didn't know what Dad was going through; much less say my opinions about it.

"He said not to talk to your weapon." These words of mine caused him to be distracted.

He couldn't help scrunching his face, saying:

"But aren't they alive?"

"They don't have good intentions." I tried to reason that most Jinns were of that nature.

"Didn't you say there was a chance for them to change?" Ryan remembered what I said.

And that was right. Most of the Jinns had their own personalities. They grew just like humans. Even if they started vicious, they all had the potential to become good people.

But knowing that changed nothing.

"Their mentality as spirits is fundamentally different from ours. You can't expect a sword to understand English. No matter how full of reason you may act, they aren't here to listen to your-" I suddenly got interrupted by:

"HELLO, SWORD! YOU'RE MY FRIEND FROM NOW ON!!!" He roared at his blade.

"…" It continued to stay silent, and I sighed at this idiocity. There was no need to say any nonsense. He could try being possessed and see whether it was worth ignoring my advice.

Seeing him training the elements, I suddenly remembered the Stigmata Gift I was given.

What should I name them?

Maybe Simon had something in mind, but I wanted these two to have a special meaning.

Different from his naming style.

Make it my own.

But first, it'd be better to test them to see exactly what I was working with here. I might be able to make my first companion here if Ryan is up to it. There seemed to be some restrictions that were best explained first.

"Ryan."

"Yeah?" He turned his head and stopped his madness of trying to pry at his blade's limited patience. It must be hard, but I was better thinking about myself first before others.

"I unlocked my Stigmata Gifts." When I said that, he looked at me blankly for a good moment to process what I meant. It was only after a few seconds did he smile and nod.

"Right… Superpowers!"

"Right. Superpower- Wait, don't you know about Gifts? You have one too." I suddenly felt this sense of disharmony. My reaction only getting a proud look from the guy.

"Combat Gifts are self-made. You don't get it from some godly being or anything. It's just hard to make." Ryan reasoned with a look of absolute confidence in his words. I likely won't get anything from arguing about this.

"Anyway… Aren't you curious about it?" I tried to make myself seem mysterious, but he saw right through my nonsense. Looking like he was remembering something from earlier.

"I remember you spoke about your Class before. Wasn't it being a 'Hero'? I guess your abilities are related to attack and growth? I think?" Ryan theorised based on the most common interpretation of what a 'Hero' was.

Someone who grew beyond their peers to beat the baddy. Snapping the bad guy's neck and saving the world in the process. A light that was unbreakable. Maybe struggling, but had the potential to reach the highest heights.

I'd need to be completely beyond others to do that. Someone who was inhuman. The only problem was that he was completely off the mark. The 'interpretation' of abilities differed.

"Take a look at this." I extended my hand and showed him my power. Five marbles filled with power arose from the tattoos on my hand dramatically. Orbiting around one another.

"Elements?"

"Like you, I can control at least five at the level of an F Rank. They are apparently used for buffing a party member." I tried to make it clear, but he quickly got distracted by this.

"You're not 'like me'! Two 'F Ranks' make a E Rank. Two 'E Ranks' make a D Rank! You at least have enough Mana altogether for a full body Reinforcement!" It was really hard to understand Ryan when he got so excited.

Way too loud for comfort.

"Doesn't that mean that I'm…"

"Yeah." Ryan nodded with a look of praise and admiration. Likely thinking the same thought as me. Our next words speaking were said in the same simultaneous moment.

"I'm talented." "You're average."

The both of us suddenly became silent and looked like we bit our tongues. Tripping over our words to justify ourselves. Trying to make our points much clearer to the other person.

"Err, umm… I guess D Rank isn't average to you guys?" Although it was likely he meant that innocently, his words sounded too arrogant for me to ignore. It wasn't like I could ignore something that judged humanity itself.

"F Rank is a start for most people." I wanted to say more, but decided against opening topics I myself wasn't fully aware of. There wasn't that much information regarding how people were cultivated in the past or present.

The only thing I was told to do in order to qualify for Academies was… to NOT create any internal power source. No 'Artes Lines', 'Qi Centre', 'Aura Gate', 'Ki Meridians', etc. 

Everyone was to practice only External Arts like his Talismans unless given special permissions by their school, or had already awakened an Innate Gift and registered. 

Normies like me were the most in the dark about what kind of powers I could cultivate adter entering an Academy. Regardless of how much I'd studied to be competent.

"Well, F Rank in my time was considered the mark of 'Failures', and E Ranks were 'Below Average'. Having a D Rank at that time wouldn't make you special." Ryan was trying to rizz himself up on the greatness of the past. Trying to show me how it was better.

No monsters. No restrictions. Inborn talent and the ability to control Ether naturally.

Everything about the past had good points.

Since being objective didn't work, I decided to be subjective to protect my pride. It was hard on me to do this, but I had to say the words I least wanted to tell him after we became close. The words that were really painful.

"And yet you're an F Rank with horrible swordsmanship." These words from me caused him to clam up. Not even able to bring up his fame and success as a Soccer Star.

"…Yeah." Ryan didn't say a retort to this.

I immediately regretted souring the mood and making him look like that. It was shortsighted and petty of me. Maybe I should say something else since apologies wouldn't work to brighten the mood I'd darkened.

"If you want to, I could teach you Talisman Drawing." Since it'd be a chance of pace.

"You'd do that for me~? Oh, thanks! You're the best!" Ryan suddenly did a flip in attitude like he had a bipolar mood switch. It looked like seeing the bright side was enough here.

I'm glad the topic had changed though. 

The knowledge from his 'past' was still something I was grappling over. I mean, I liked him and he's a nice guy… but to simply believe him isn't my style. Plus, his story only becomes more unbelievable as he talks.

I'd rather we didn't bring his home's culture up until I get definite proof that this isn't some mental disorder, delusion, miasma poisoning, or whatever else that could cause these memories of his. I'll just see him for who he is.

My leader…

Though his past is blurry, I can at least say it made me happy when this guy was enjoying life and not causing problems. Like talking to his sword when I specifically said not to.

He had good decision-making, at least. If only that translated into properly being wise.

In the end I realised… This was an opportunity I had to get him on my side. I'll make him my first 'party member'. Even if I have to force HIM to be the Hero I'm not.

I was patient before asking.

"Let me show you how it works." I said before gesturing him to follow me. Taking him to my room and showing him my secret hobby. The amount of incomplete talismans was great.

Perhaps even shocking to see.

I got him to the desk where I'd worked on trying to improve 'Talisman technology' using the knowledge I was getting on Magic Circles of the past. They had a similar structure. The latter, however, was simply more versatile.

Magic Circles had two simple components for activation: 'Outer Circle' and 'Inner Spell'. It was why some even called them Spell Circles as a more specific term to refer to them. They had a power that spanned all types of magic.

While also having limitations.

There were many Affinities and Attributes, but each Spell Circle could only be made from one type of energy. The 'Outer Circle' would be an outline that limits the result to whatever that form of energy can actually accomplish.

If it was a Fire Attribute Outer Circle, then the result must encompass the keywords that could be 'attributed' to fire. Because this wasn't a bending of physics, but the ability to manifest thoughts and imagination to reality.

This different from Talisman Drawing.

In essence, Talismans were made to affect a target of sorts. It could be applied to a target to strengthen, weaken, control, and do other effects that are written into the paper medium. Which itself was unusable if ripped.

All this might make it seem like Spell Circles were simply better, but there was one aspect that Taliamans had over Spell Circles. They could be superimposed and combined with other things to accomplish greater results.

Ryan also recognised this.

When I taught him every aspect of it, he even complimented the inner workings of Talismans. Praise of this calibre from an honest guy like him… was worth being happy about. I felt a little proud, even if I shouldn't.

After all, these were all stolen techniques.

The only reason Dad wouldn't mind me teaching this to others was because we had no attachment to these techniques. No past or culture that made us respect these arts.

So I did my best to direct his hand when he started to draw his first batch of Talismans.

Correcting errors in 'Affinity Outline' and giving introductions of the different 'Inner Charms' he had at his disposal. As well as the type of options he himself could create.

The best I could offer to someone like him were 'Environmental Manipulation' talismans considering his Affinities. They weren't fast enough to be used in battle, but were definitely able to contort the surroundings.

"You're talented at this." After he'd somehow managed to make a complete Talisman on his fourth try, I gave some praise. It took me years to reach the level of drawing he reached simply by attempting to create it a few times.

"…You think I'm that good?" Ryan gave me a strange look. His face seemed to be showing some complicated emotions of happiness and regret. I couldn't understand his feelings.

"You are. Why? Is there something wrong with that?" I didn't understand why he was looking at me like that. Did I say something wrong? Did he not like compliments?

Well, I guess I better try asking now if ever.

"Hey, you know my Gift I talked about? It's actually called 'Party Link'. If you want to be a permanent leader of my team, you can get linked if you're up for it." I tried to persuade him to the best I could. It was a little weak.

However…

"Alright. Agreed. I'll be your 'Party Leader'." It was an immediate answer without thinking.

"Are you sure about this? I could give you time to think." It sounded too good to be true.

"No problem. Really… I'm serious." The look in Ryan's eyes when he said this was strong.

I could only guess my compliment did more to change his mind than anything else. It was hard to know what he was thinking, but to have someone like him early on was great.

The fact that he was willing to follow me was heartbreaking. I'll definitely take care of him.

Treat him with the respect he deserves.