I opened my eyes to find myself in a room full of darkness with only a dim night light in the room's corner, closest to the door. The casual sounds of crickets chirping for their mates filled my ears along with faint breaths that were not my own.
Poppy. She was slumped against my bed in the usual spot without a care in the world. I could not, for any reason, figure out why she was so attached to me. Even if she claims that Korne had no involvement with this, I can't help but believe that he did. We are two different species, so why does she like me so much?
*CRUNCH*
There was something in my mouth. Something hard. I carefully reached into my mouth, careful not to make the slightest noise to wake Poppy. I pulled out a small crystal. It was a semi-transparent green gem cut in a hexagonal bipyramid that gave off a subtle green glow.
I was not the type to randomly place things in my mouth, not even as a kid. "So what was this doing in my mouth?" I said out loud, forgetting that I was trying not to wake up Poppy.
"Young…Master…?" Poppy's voice called out sleepily. Her long, pointed ears twitched a little as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her green eyes, still half open, looked at me in a daze. "It's…still dark?" She murmured before yawning. A gentle green glow left her mouth. A small green crystal similar to the one in my hands rested on her tongue.
"Sorry," I said, scratching my head. "Didn't mean to wake you." She has always been found at my side early in the morning, so I should really get adjusted to that and be more considerate. Though, how did she get here without waking me up? I have my ear implant set to amplify sound while I sleep. Yet then again, the first morning after my revival, that Volbear did sneak up on me. I should probably adjust the settings once I get back into my armor.
Though maybe not. As I watched Poppy, I could not help but notice that now that she was awake, I could barely hear her breathing. Even with her being this close, the crickets outside were louder.
"Poppy, are you hiding from something?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity. Then I recalled something from the night before. Korne had called her a thief. "Does it have anything to do with your being a thief?" It might have been in poor taste to bring up something that another person said like this, but anything that could lessen her view of me is a win.
"Hmm…"
Poppy stood up, brushing off her maid uniform. She glared at me and thought for a moment. She opened her mouth, and the words that left her lips were not the reaction that I had been expecting.
"So what of it?" She said. "We all come from different walks of life. Those blessed with magic have ample opportunities to live out their dreams, while those who aren't…well, let's say that our deity's teaching holds no value when all we wish for is survival."
A soft sigh filled the room as she turned her head with a pout.
"Seriously, Master, why are you telling the Young Master all that information for? Do you really think I am not capable of coming clean about my past?" Poppy muttered into the darkness.
"Wow…not only did you not really answer my question, you also seem to have a very colorful range of emotions," I said with a voice mixed with awe and disappointment. "I honestly expected you to get mad. Kinda like a 'who told you that!' kinda thing."
Poppy tilted her head in response and hid a smile behind her sleeves. "Young Master, did you seriously think that I would get mad over anything that I know Master would have told you?" So she assumed that Korne told me, go figure. "It's cute to think that you believe such a simple thing would shake my love for you. I'll have you know that we elves are very, VERY, persistent when it comes to matters of love." I swear I saw something I should not have the second time she said 'very'. "We can wait a long time." She ended that with an enormous smile, with her hands clasped together. I think Korne had taught her the art of intimidating smiles.
Her eyes, despite the smile that backed them, reminded me of Emlyn. A soldier who fought at my side with unconditional love for me because I had saved her from death on the battlefield. Truthfully, it is because of her that I am hesitant towards Poppy. I have done nothing to truly earn someone's love. Being saved and falling for your savior, is that something that could really form something meaningful?
"Emlyn…" Her name left my lips involuntarily. Poppy's ears dropped low as her smile shifted to a frown.
The last memory I have of Emlyn is one full of pain and suffering. "I can't believe I spent ten years chasing after you. Give me back my time!" Those were her final words spoken to me the day I had died. I have known her long enough to tell what kind of face she was making under her helmet. An expression so painful, drenched with tears. She was strong, but emotionally, she was rash. She must have felt betrayed by the betrayal of her first love.
*THUNK*
"Ouch!" I rubbed my head. At some point, Poppy had moved in front of me, holding a stack of books, one current balanced on top of my head. She puffed out her cheeks and averted her gaze. "Ok…" I said, unsure what I had done to annoy her.
I grabbed the book from my head and looked at its cover. Strange symbols filled the cover. A language I could not read. I suppose the blessing that Velantra gave me only worked on spoken words, not written.
"I can't read this."
"Figured as much, Young Master." She turned back, her ears bouncing with joy. There was a sparkle in her eyes that made me think I had just played right into her trap. "Master wanted me to teach you the basics of the elven and beastman languages within a week."
While her eyes and ears said one thing, the tone that left her lips was screaming another. She sounded as if she were trying to force herself into being annoyed. It was strangely cute, but I could not help but think that I really did something to annoy her.
"Not only that," she continued, "he also wants me to further your training with space magic."
"A week? Why a week?" I asked. That old man should know that a week is not enough time to learn anything. Or was that just normal for elves? You'd think he'd have realized by now that I am not one.
"Ask him yourself." She said flatly. "Oh, keep that crystal in your mouth during study. It will help restore your mana. You have a large mana well, yet hardly anything is pouring in. Master says your patron should be restoring it over time, but I feel that good-for-nothing demon is just gonna leave you to the wolves, so I slipped one of mine into your mouth while you were sleeping."
"And how did you do that?" I feared the possible answers as I hesitantly placed the green gem back into my mouth.
"I just placed it in with my fingers." She looked at me with a puzzled expression before a smile lined her lips. As the sun shone through the curtains, I could see a slight blush on her cheeks. She moved closer. "Did you want me to insert it with a kiss perhaps—!?"
"Hold it." I stopped her mid-sentence with a hand to her face. "Too close."
She pulled back her head and pouted. "Too stingy."
Despite her sad tone, she clearly did not seem to be bothered by my rejection. She grabbed the stack of books she was carrying to place them on the table in the center of the room. She then gave me a cute smile and gestured for me to sit across from her.
Unable to protest against the idea of having to study before training, I grabbed the book that was next to me and made my way towards her with a wary look. She was too happy with this arrangement. I just hope that happiness does not affect my studies.
As all things would be, I was naïve to believe that this would go smoothly. Poppy, when happy, is a complete klutz. This was a lesson that I will commit to heart. Most of the morning was left to fix mistakes Poppy would make because of tripping over her own two feet or spilling water in ways that seemed almost impossible.
After embarrassing herself enough times, she calmed down, and the teaching had really begun. She was an excellent teacher when she was serious, though harsh. But it could be due to my laughing at her when she fell face-first into the table.
Once we finished eating the lunch that Poppy had prepared, we made our way towards Poppy's room on the first floor. It was empty except for a small bed in the corner that looked like it had not been used in a few days.
I asked her why there was nothing in the room, and she simply responded with, "There was no need to decorate it." After a long pause, she followed up with, "Was it not girly enough for you?" It was faint, but I could tell she was not particularly happy.
I followed closely behind her as she led me towards a door that led to a long staircase. We followed the steps down to the bottom. A vast open area filled with foliage and flowers met my sight. Despite being underground, the area felt as if we were on the surface. The only thing that ruined the immersion was the large overhead lights covered by some kind of filter to keep the light as natural-looking as possible.
"Welcome to Master's underground lab, where he researches medicines and new alcohol combinations in his free time." She gave a gentle bow before turning her head to mutter something I could barely hear. "Also, the reason my room is empty. He goes in and out too often, leaving me with no privacy."
A soft wind carrying the scent of fermenting fruits brushed past me. A green speck drifted past with some leaves floating above its head. Once it noticed Poppy, it dropped the leaves and zoomed towards her. It spun around her body before landing on her chest.
"It wants us to go that way." She said with a forced smile. "Apparently, Master designed something to help with training."
"You don't seem too happy. Isn't your Master the one you have a lot of faith and trust in?"
"Be that as it may, I am not a mindless husk who blindly follows the orders of their superior." Although not directed towards me, I felt as if I had taken a stray shot from that comment. "As you can see, I have my own colorful personality, and Master and I clash more often than you think." She moved forward.
I followed her towards a large open pit in the ground with small wooden poles scattered throughout, like someone spilled a small bag of beans over a large plate. The green speck took off from Poppy and drifted away, leaving her with a face that I have never seen her make before.
"Master…why?" She then turned towards me and let out a sigh. "Today's training will be to cross over to the other side. Each time you do, the challenge will escalate until either of us is drained of mana." There was unease in her voice, as if something was bothering her.
I looked at the hole itself. A gaping blackness filled the bottom. I took a nearby stick and tossed it in. I waited for a while, only to be met with silence. Worry crept into my heart. Falling will cause death, and I am expected to cross over to the other side?
It was clear enough from Poppy's improv instructions that she herself did not approve of this, let alone feel comfortable with it.
"You know," I said, my voice sounding a lot smaller than I had hoped, "I would not call this possible by my standards." That was a lie. With my training, I could easily cross the gap once, but I worry about the escalating difficulty. The current spacing was possible, but if any of them moved, I would not make it.
Poppy took a step next to me and bowed. With an elegant smile to match her grace, she said, "Observe, Young Master." She took a leap; a trail of wind guided her steps. From pole to pole, she made quick jumps, showing the stability of the poles as she crossed to the other side with ease.
"Yeah, if I were an elf!" I barked across the void. Poppy shrugged her shoulders, still not masking her worry.
I took a step forward, gauging the distance. This training was meant to help me learn space magic, but illusions are meaningless in this scenario.
"Remember what I said~" A voice called out from behind. I quickly turned and threw a punch. Both from pure instinct and because I knew who the voice belonged to. "Whoa, once again I am reminded that your reflexes are top-notch, if nothing else."
Korne looked at me with his usual smile while holding my fist in his hands. He stopped it mere inches from hitting him. I pulled back my hand in frustration. Another person managed to sneak up on me.
Korne chuckled, "That's a better look than the one you had before. I don't need any wusses trying to cross these pits of doom; otherwise, you end up dead." He patted me on the shoulder. I pushed off his hand, and he continued. "Space magic is not just about illusions, lad. You can also cross large distances should you figure out how it works."
"So tell me," I asked in protest of his outrageous plan.
"Nope."
"Then tell me why you created this pit thingy."
"Poppy, did you rat out your Master? I thought I told you to take ownership of this training course the moment you laid eyes on it?" He shouted across the void towards Poppy.
"Master, I would never take ownership of this, forgive my language, dragon shit of a setup," Poppy shouted back.
Korne gave me another pat on the shoulder. "Lookie here, lad. My servant has become bolder than before once she laid her eyes on a man she adores. It warms my heart to see her more rebellious than before."
"Do you get off on this or something?" I asked him.
"Maybe. There's nothing better than a cute girl trying to get mad at you."
At this point, I should not be surprised at the words that leave his lips. "Why did you even bring up her rebellious nature anyway? Knowing you, it has something to do with your plan."
"Oh oh! That you would be correct." Korne smiled. "A young maiden in love. My plan is to keep my faithful servant happy." Evaded my question with ease. I exhaled and turned back towards the pit. "Now that you don't look so pale, good luck."
"Huh?" I turned around too late. He had disappeared as if he had never been there, leaving behind a faint trail of wind in his tracks. For someone who was twice the size of Poppy, he was far more nimble.
With him out of the way, I could finally focus on the task at hand. I was not about to let this second chance at life pass me by in such a pathetic way. All I have to do is master a new section of space magic, and we'll be finished. I turned towards Poppy from across the void. She looked as if she were trying to mask her impatient irritation.
"Alright, Lucan, time to stop hesitating," I spoke to myself. "I have been through worse training in my life; this should be a cakewalk."
Although I should know that misplaced confidence can and will result in death.
I stepped back a few steps and dug my rear leg into the ground. I forced all my strength into it and leapt into the air. This was my specialty. Speed fights speed. I flew towards the closest pole and immediately pushed off it with all my momentum. I did not take a second to land; I would never make it to the second if I did.
Jump after jump, I let my body's subconscious movements guide me. That's how I survived several battles against beings who lived longer than we did. Thinking gets you killed on the battlefield. Follow your orders and move towards your goal. If you think, your emotions take over, opening Pandora's box of consequences.
"Huff…Huff…Huff…" I managed to cross over to the other side. I must have been out of shape to be this winded from this much movement. I turned back towards the void. The wooden poles that I know I crossed from were no longer there. Was that the challenge? Do they disappear if I use them?
"Did you really not notice?" Poppy, who noticed my confused gaze, said with equal parts amazement and disappointment.
I stood up and looked at her. "What's the point of this training?"
"Well… It's an endurance test." She said, turning her face away from mine. "An outdated one at that." She muttered. "Master, what is your goal here?"
My heart dropped. The confidence I felt was now lost to the wind. Endurance tests were a nightmare for me. Cleverly disguised tests to determine how much we can handle before breaking rather than building us up.
I heard a faint rustle of clothing. I quickly glanced back at Poppy. She was gone, no, not gone. She had already crossed over to the other side, holding two daggers in her hands.
"Ready for around two?" She asked, forcing a wink and smile. For someone who has a crush on me, she sure is not making this easy.
It's her harshness that keeps this training purposeful. This training would be nothing if she were to go easy on me just because of one-sided feelings.
The round started off normally. I kicked off the ground, launching myself towards a wooden pole. But this time, Poppy was an obstacle. She flung a dagger towards me just before I hit the first pole. It grazed my cheek, distracting me from the second dagger whose hilt slammed into my leg, stopping me from launching off the pole. I landed hard, struggling to keep myself from falling over.
The pole, contrary to what I had initially thought, was unstable. It was wobbling back and forth, ready to give out at a moment's notice. This is why the others fell. The force of my jumps knocked them over. I had a new respect for Poppy; her movements were soft enough not to let these things wobble an inch.
"Whoa!" I waited too long, and the base of the pole gave out. It toppled towards another pole. With little room for error, I jump off the falling pole onto the second. This one wobbled just as badly and toppled backwards, away from the next pole I needed.
I ran down the wooden shaft until I reached the point I needed to kick off the pole and land on the next one. As I did, the pole I was on snapped where I had jumped. This resulted in a short height, but it was enough for me to grab onto the third pole. I continued this game of quick thinking until I reached the end.
"Endurance test my ass!" I leaned over and shouted. My hands stung from the splinters I had received from my desperate latching onto the wooden poles. The muscles in my arms and legs screamed with fire. I don't think I can manage a third round, not with how few poles remained.
Poppy approached me with a dreadful expression, as if something weighed her mind down. "Young Master." Her voice was soft, yet fearful. She tried to keep her emotions neutral, but her personality gave her away. "You forgot about the magic part of this training, you know. This barbaric training course is designed to weed out the weak. The longer we go, the higher the chance you'll die. I would rather not see that happen."
"So let me off the hook."
She shook her head. "That I cannot do. Master ordered me to train you, and while you are my Young Master, his words trump yours." She readied her daggers. "This course will determine if you can adapt. Just use the spell, and I'll tell Master that you wore me out. I will expect a reward for doing so." She winked and made her way to the other side with effortless grace.
"You make it sound easy," I murmured. How can I cast a spell that I know nothing about? Learning about illusions on a whim was a miracle in itself; now I'm expected to learn a new spell while my life is on the line? "Damn it, Velantra, why didn't you teach me about magic!?"
[…] A sound played through my ear implant. However, I was too frustrated to notice my demonic caretaker on the other end.
No… I must not let my emotions get the best of me. If I rush things, I'll die.
"Think about getting to the other side," I said, keeping myself sane as much as possible. "If chantless magic worked for illusions that way, then this should work the same, right?"
I felt beads of sweat roll down my face. The fear of dying only intensifies once you experience it once. The pain. The dread. I don't want to feel that way again. But I suppose that's how the innocents felt when I took their lives, the same fear I felt now. I had no right to fear death, not when I had swung the reaper's scythe for so many. If the reaper claims my soul—
"—Who am I to fight against it?"
Unaware of the look on my face. Poppy stiffened up as if she had seen the jaws of a monster. She gripped the daggers tightly in her hands and took a stance as if ready to fight an apex predator.
I leapt forward without a thought, the same as I always have. A dagger shot towards me, faster than she had ever thrown one before. I twisted my body around to dodge the blade. Thanks to that, my jump was cut short. I slammed into the wooden pole and knocked it forward.
"Run…" I muttered.
I ran up the pole as fast as I could. I felt my body burn as I eyed two wooden poles equidistant from my current position. An illusion of me dashes towards the left, leaving me jumping to the right. Poppy threw her dagger towards the clone, just as I had hoped.
"Run…" My legs burned, but if I stopped, I would die.
There were hardly any poles left due to my careless actions during the second round, toppling so many. Poppy threw another dagger towards me as I made my way onto the third pole. She missed, allowing me to leap towards the fourth.
Or so I had hoped.
The trail of wind that guided her dagger was strong, much stronger than anything that she had thrown at me before. Like a hurricane, the gust slammed into me, pushing me far away from the pole.
"Huh?"
"YOUNG MASTER!?"
Snapped back into my own thoughts, I found myself falling into the void. A figure held out their hand, but I was too far. Fear filled my mind. My heart beat rapidly, yet I wanted to feel at ease. Death was something I deserved. A second chance at life was not something I was worthy of. A smile crept onto my face.
[Idiot.] I heard her voice. The one who gave me a second chance at life. Perhaps it was fate that led me to her. She wouldn't let me die. Why? [Repeat after me without a moment of delay. Keep your eyes on a target.]
[Through space and time, may the passage of the world bend at my will—]
"—To open the gate that will lead me towards my goal."
I finished repeating the chat that Velantra told me. A large yellow magic circle appeared behind me, devouring me whole. One moment I was below, now I was above, falling towards the void once again, but this time something grabbed me. Poppy, face full of tears, caught me and pulled me with a force that could only be described as a last-ditch attempt to save someone you cared about.
She pulled me into her chest and started sobbing. I could feel her frightened heart beating as she wept.
[I might not be able to see what you are doing. But I can feel your heart. Please don't wish to give up so easily. This world cannot be saved without you. And I'll die too.] The last part of Velantra's message came out as a whisper, but I could tell that, for once, she was being serious.
After a moment, Poppy calmed down. She then pushed me down, forcing my head onto her lap.
"Sorry. Young Master." She said. "That attack had more magic planted into it than I had wanted. I saw a beast in you, a cold-hearted monster who sought blood."
"You were not mistaken; that is me." That is all I was. "A human whose orders were to kill. Conditioned by deadly battles, I learned to turn my mind off and focus on a fight. That's how I fight."
"You truly only see yourself as a monster, don't you? A monster that is undeserving of living." Her voice was filled with anger despite the sadness in her eyes. "I watched your face as you fell; you were smiling. WHY!? Do you want to die that badly?"
There was nothing I could say to defend myself. I fear death, but at the same time, I welcome it with open arms. "It's the only redemption I can offer."
*SLAP*
A sharp pain filled my cheek. I turned to look at Poppy as small tears dropped onto my face. She made an expression as if she had been hurt more than me from that slap.
"Never say that again. We all commit sins in our lives. We have all done irreparable damage to the lives that surround us. Don't act like your sins are special. You aren't the only one who spilled the blood of those undeserving. If you think that death is the only redemption, then what about me? Has my life been for nothing? Have I been struggling to amend my wrongs for nothing?"
Her words stung me deep. I had no answer; I looked for an easy way out. By doing so, I trampled the pride of the elf girl, who had been nothing but nice to me.
"I'm sorry." Those were the only words I could come up with.