The orb mage's gaze fell upon the anxious figure extending a hesitant wave towards her. If Merlin’s assemblage consisted of a group of monks with a gallant stature and spiritual grace rivalling that of pantheons, this person was a stark contrast from his brethren. Even distinct enough from the intimidating Ganika and Ko Zarni.
Tenshin waved his right hand still. Alicia might not see it clearly, but Tenshin's blushed face betrayed the subtle sheen of cold sweat and a ceaseless quiver in his lips. His body and soul witnessed the wielder of the Divine Grace, mere paces away. The wielder of the gift was sure the fairest, limning the ever-perfect fruit of Divine's work.
Tenshin was probably the most socially inept monk Alicia had ever met. Dressed more or less the same as his brethren, but made worse by the presence of a dull cotton robe unsuited to his undergarment colour. Just imagine going out into the battlefield wearing a bathrobe because his latrine was being bombarded by the enemy. Was he seeking a sauna amid the throes of war? Such levity exceeded even Alicia's father's sartorial missteps. Even though presenting oneself impeccably was a dogma to receive a fine first impression of the opposite sex, Tenshin had abandoned this tenet. Alicia's initial impression, one might imagine, had been less than favourable.
But despite his fashion faux pas, Tenshin possessed a certain dishevelled charm. His unkempt grey hair and baby face framed by his eyeglasses imbued him with the air of a sleep-deprived savant of alchemy.
Expressions of genuine admiration came from the young sorcerer. "F-finally! I have the chance to see you in person, not just with my inner sight anymore! Y-you are indeed attractive… I-I mean unique. You are unique!" Tenshin cleared his throat. "You do something that no Arcane magic wielders can do… You can address the source of power itself. That is… unique, indeed!"
"Another Merlin follower?" Alicia mounted a stance against him. "Where are you taking me? Let me out of here!"
Tenshin stammered even more after hearing the girl's hostile tone. "P-please c-c-c-calm down, Miss! I d-don't want to c-complicate matters—"
"You've already done it now!"
Alicia's vehement outburst startled Tenshin like a timid hare. Poor little novice. He let out a small shriek due to his carelessness. "R-r-r-really, I don't want to cause any trouble! Especially after seeing you cry recently. Please, let us converse about this peacefully."
"W-what? How—"
"Those around you might not have noticed, but your eyelids are slightly swollen. There's a faint redness in your eyes, and the region around your nose bespeaks mild irritation. Your voice is still tinged with shock. And gauging by your behavior..., your emotions are far from stable."
Tenshin comprehended Alicia's current state. One could not tell if this was an innate talent—seeing someone's self and empathizing with one—or if he had trailed her tears through astral projection from the outset. Either way, this scared her.
"Naw, naw, naw… ye freak, dinnae come any closer!"
"I-I'm not a freak, M-Miss! The body is always gi-giving signs of a person's condition. If denying is your coping mechanism, I will not judge you. B-but… W-would it be better i-if we acquainted ourselves f-first? My name is T-Tenshin–"
An Arcane blast thundered the tiles just ahead of the approaching lad.
"I couldnae care less what your name is! Let me out, and away with ye! For Orb and I have no mercy left for you later!"
Emotional damage for Tenshin. The scathing reprimand shattered his attempts to woo the girl of his dreams.
However, the ambition of his Master and all the people of Danhar was more critical than his lust. He had all the days in the world to find love if the universe was not destroyed.
"F-fine, fine, I am sorry. I d-did not mean to act weird in front of you. A-Alicia, is it not? I pulled you... into... the mirror dimension. That is why Arcane could not reach your friends, because basically, we are in a d-different realm…”
Mirror dimension. Such a sentence alone gave a spark of curiosity in the girl's eyes. Hidden within her thoughts were questions to know more about interdimensional magic. But the last time she lulled into a magical experience, the Eternal Empire captured her, and now she became a fugitive from the entire world of thaumaturgy. Alicia was a Crimsonmane mare, not a jennet. Horses should elegantly leap through a portal, not fall into it, let alone twice.
"G-good trivia. But I didnae hear anything about getting me out of here!" Alicia replied.
"You will be out, Alicia! Only if you're willing to hold hands—I mean come with me—no, come with us!" Tenshin slapped himself, shaking his head at the disarray of his words. His mind was still contaminated with a fondness for the lass.
Alicia comprehended neither Tenshin's way of thinking, nor all sorcerers’ in common. "Do ye expect a lass to voluntarily accept an invitation from a foreign group of sorcerers, who barges into someone else's house and causes a stramash?"
"T-that is why I am here, A-Alicia. That is why I brought you here, I want to resolve it..., uhm, diplomatically. Please forgive Master Merlin, his nature is unpredictable. But I can assure you, he is a good man!"
"He is to you, aye, but to us, he's nothing but an absolute swindler!"
"S-swindler… What? Miss, no! You do not know Master Merlin! Master Merlin is no swindler. He has safeguarded Danhar for centuries and now, he is about to spread his wings to protect the world once again!"
"Protecting the world? Protector of Danhar for centuries?" Alicia's patience wore thin. "Listen to yourself. I expected more intelligence fae ye as a sorcerer!"
"We have ancient scriptures and complete documentation that supports the existence of Master Merlin for centuries."
"Merlin granted his Eternal Peace a millennium past, he was killed by his own disciple during the fall of the Pendragon dynasty!"
"O-okay! Then w-where is the body now?"
The bespectacled girl was stunned for a moment. She was still grappling for inadequate counter to the clumsy professor's argument. The tale of Merlin's demise, Alicia recalled, was shrouded in ambiguity. The entire narrative seemed more a creation of fancy, akin to the chronicles of a mythical figure than an account grounded in history. "His remains were never found… but that doesnae justify Merlin's eternal life and disappearance from civilisation until now!"
"Ha!" Tenshin brandished his left forefinger while exclaiming somewhat shrilly. "I mean…. N-no! I did not mean to m-make you feel more miserable because of y-your wrong fallacy. H-humans err s-sometimes. I'm j-just saying, your people do not know about his body now. It could be that he was lost, or he never died in the first place. We have all the explanations for that, if you'd be so kind as to join us. I-I will teach you all that knowledge, it is sure to be an interesting date—no! Not that! N-not me! I mean, there are other masters who will teach that… not me, ha ha. I'm just… an ordinary student, please, just, just… ugh! Y-you know what I mean!"
Tenshin sure loved to mutter, a lot. Alicia kept thinking to herself, What's wrong with yon lad? Do I look like a minger or what? She knew she was angry, but the usual response she got when she was angry was further bullying from others, even from her best friends.
“Awright, you see, Sorcerer—"
"My name is Tensh—"
"Haud yer wheest! I told you I dinnae care about yer name!"
Tenshin flinched with such a foolish expression.
"You're right. I just wept. I'm exhausted. I can't think straight now. All the more reasons I have nae intention to join you. C-care to know another? Let me explain slowly so you understand!” Alicia took a deep breath and let it out through her mouth. “'That person you think as Merlin, even if he is centuries old, nae one will ever believe him. I mean, he uses Protos particles! Ever since Orb chose me, I've been hunted down and nearly killed by its users, until this very! Moment! So pardon me if I dinnae care if he claims to be Merlin, or a bloody Divine! He could have used black magic to retain his youth!”
“I understand, Miss Alicia,” Tenshin replied.
“Then why are we still here?”
“I understand your concern. Arcane and Khaos, cannot unite, yet there are still greedy people who want the two powers together. So it is all about that, right? Arcane is a noble power, whereas Khaos is the opposite. A mage with the power of Khaos is a malefactor deserving of all the hatred in the world. 'His blood is lawful to shed!' But we never believe a power is an affiliation of a certain party."
"What do you mean?"
"Arcane and Khaos, both are just... powers. Khaos dominating the world is indeed hazardous to the people, but there is no good or bad, Miss Alicia. It is just a way of our perception of seeing and understanding the reality of everything, including these two. They are just… energies that rub against each other and repel each other, such nature was perhaps necessary for balance. Nothing more than that."
"You're nae a sound jester when you say that, Sorcerer!"
"Because I am not a jester! Do you not know how many benevolent practitioners used 'dark magic' for noble purposes? Or how many Roman sorcerers abused their Arcane might? Merlin is not evil, Miss Alicia. His Khaos condition is unique, but he never wants your Arcane might. He only wants the best for you, for Danhar, for the safety of the universe. You have been chosen, Miss! The Universe appointed you to be its protector! The Danhars have been waiting for it, and soon the whole world! So please, accept Master Merlin's offer. This is your chance to unlock your greatest potential as a wielder of Arcane, and become the realm’s saviour!"
If he thought about anything other than the desire for the woman, then one could see his charisma and confidence. In a fleeting moment, Tenshin's first-sight experience seemed overshadowed by the solemnity of the prophecy he staunchly believed in; that the hopes and prayers of his ancestors could have a massive impact on the world. Alicia, too, could perceive the unblemished sincerity of his words. As such, she eased her stance.
"If your intentions hold true, you should not have caused such an uproar," Alicia responded. "And I'm sorry, but Grand Magus Haddock has a point. You, separatists, are at war with Chixian Shenzhou. Everyone in the world already knows of my existence. If I go with you, more threats will come upon you all..."
"Do not worry about the threats in Danhar land, Miss Alicia! We can take care of it!”
“I'm not done yet,” said Alicia again. “What about my house, Camelot? Can your group handle it if Chixian Shenzhou distributes its troops to launch an aggression against my hometown?"
Tenshin's sense of inferiority flared up again. This time was for being unable to retorted to Alicia's question, thinking he appeared foolish before the lady of his dreams. In the end, it was just a form of egocentrism for every human being. Who was more worth hearing, who was most in need, all pointing to themselves.
Alicia said again, “So I beg of you, Sorcerer. Let me out of here, ask your group to retreat. I can find my own way of learning Arcane magic with Orb. Once again, p-please?"
The tone of her plea pierced Tenshin's heart. The girl sure looked tired, yet the manner in which she entreated held a certain potency that made him even more enamoured with her.
Orb sounded a tone of approval. Within the melody, it implored the young sorcerer to leave them be, if only for a time. Alicia stole a glance at Orb when the phrase "if only for a time" was conveyed to her. Alas, Tenshin comprehended nought but a mere trill.
Even in the throes of infatuation, Tenshin thought again of Master Merlin and all the people of Danhar. He shook his head, steeling himself against the allure of calflove. "No. No! Master Merlin entrusted me! Danhar and the world depend on me! I shall not return with an empty hand!"
A succession of hand gestures were made! Two tangerine circles conjured on his left hand and right palm covered in metallic gauntlet!
"Eh… Sorcerer?" A disquieting sensation began to creep over Alicia. "W-what are you doing?"
"I have reasoned with you, Miss!" Tenshin said, his voice quivering with conflicting emotions. "If that does not work, I must resort to force! Forgive me!"
Tenshin treaded step by step nervously. Nervous about having to give a speck of violence to the young lady he adored. Nervous, for the presence of the Divine Grace wielder herself was that significant, the world was at stake.
"Sorcerer! Do not even try!" []
The orb mage's gaze fell upon the anxious figure extending a hesitant wave towards her. If Merlin’s assemblage consisted of a group of monks with a gallant stature and spiritual grace rivalling that of pantheons, this person was a stark contrast from his brethren. Even distinct enough from the intimidating Ganika and Ko Zarni.
Tenshin waved his right hand still. Alicia might not see it clearly, but Tenshin's blushed face betrayed the subtle sheen of cold sweat and a ceaseless quiver in his lips. His body and soul witnessed the wielder of the Divine Grace, mere paces away. The wielder of the gift was sure the fairest, limning the ever-perfect fruit of Divine's work.
Tenshin was probably the most socially inept monk Alicia had ever met. Dressed more or less the same as his brethren, but made worse by the presence of a dull cotton robe unsuited to his undergarment colour. Just imagine going out into the battlefield wearing a bathrobe because his latrine was being bombarded by the enemy. Was he seeking a sauna amid the throes of war? Such levity exceeded even Alicia's father's sartorial missteps. Even though presenting oneself impeccably was a dogma to receive a fine first impression of the opposite sex, Tenshin had abandoned this tenet. Alicia's initial impression, one might imagine, had been less than favourable.
But despite his fashion faux pas, Tenshin possessed a certain dishevelled charm. His unkempt grey hair and baby face framed by his eyeglasses imbued him with the air of a sleep-deprived savant of alchemy.
Expressions of genuine admiration came from the young sorcerer. "F-finally! I have the chance to see you in person, not just with my inner sight anymore! Y-you are indeed attractive… I-I mean unique. You are unique!" Tenshin cleared his throat. "You do something that no Arcane magic wielders can do… You can address the source of power itself. That is… unique, indeed!"
"Another Merlin follower?" Alicia mounted a stance against him. "Where are you taking me? Let me out of here!"
Tenshin stammered even more after hearing the girl's hostile tone. "P-please c-c-c-calm down, Miss! I d-don't want to c-complicate matters—"
"You've already done it now!"
Alicia's vehement outburst startled Tenshin like a timid hare. Poor little novice. He let out a small shriek due to his carelessness. "R-r-r-really, I don't want to cause any trouble! Especially after seeing you cry recently. Please, let us converse about this peacefully."
"W-what? How—"
"Those around you might not have noticed, but your eyelids are slightly swollen. There's a faint redness in your eyes, and the region around your nose bespeaks mild irritation. Your voice is still tinged with shock. And gauging by your behavior..., your emotions are far from stable."
Tenshin comprehended Alicia's current state. One could not tell if this was an innate talent—seeing someone's self and empathizing with one—or if he had trailed her tears through astral projection from the outset. Either way, this scared her.
"Naw, naw, naw… ye freak, dinnae come any closer!"
"I-I'm not a freak, M-Miss! The body is always gi-giving signs of a person's condition. If denying is your coping mechanism, I will not judge you. B-but… W-would it be better i-if we acquainted ourselves f-first? My name is T-Tenshin–"
An Arcane blast thundered the tiles just ahead of the approaching lad.
"I couldnae care less what your name is! Let me out, and away with ye! For Orb and I have no mercy left for you later!"
Emotional damage for Tenshin. The scathing reprimand shattered his attempts to woo the girl of his dreams.
However, the ambition of his Master and all the people of Danhar was more critical than his lust. He had all the days in the world to find love if the universe was not destroyed.
"F-fine, fine, I am sorry. I d-did not mean to act weird in front of you. A-Alicia, is it not? I pulled you... into... the mirror dimension. That is why Arcane could not reach your friends, because basically, we are in a d-different realm…”
Mirror dimension. Such a sentence alone gave a spark of curiosity in the girl's eyes. Hidden within her thoughts were questions to know more about interdimensional magic. But the last time she lulled into a magical experience, the Eternal Empire captured her, and now she became a fugitive from the entire world of thaumaturgy. Alicia was a Crimsonmane mare, not a jennet. Horses should elegantly leap through a portal, not fall into it, let alone twice.
"G-good trivia. But I didnae hear anything about getting me out of here!" Alicia replied.
"You will be out, Alicia! Only if you're willing to hold hands—I mean come with me—no, come with us!" Tenshin slapped himself, shaking his head at the disarray of his words. His mind was still contaminated with a fondness for the lass.
Alicia comprehended neither Tenshin's way of thinking, nor all sorcerers’ in common. "Do ye expect a lass to voluntarily accept an invitation from a foreign group of sorcerers, who barges into someone else's house and causes a stramash?"
"T-that is why I am here, A-Alicia. That is why I brought you here, I want to resolve it..., uhm, diplomatically. Please forgive Master Merlin, his nature is unpredictable. But I can assure you, he is a good man!"
"He is to you, aye, but to us, he's nothing but an absolute swindler!"
"S-swindler… What? Miss, no! You do not know Master Merlin! Master Merlin is no swindler. He has safeguarded Danhar for centuries and now, he is about to spread his wings to protect the world once again!"
"Protecting the world? Protector of Danhar for centuries?" Alicia's patience wore thin. "Listen to yourself. I expected more intelligence fae ye as a sorcerer!"
"We have ancient scriptures and complete documentation that supports the existence of Master Merlin for centuries."
"Merlin granted his Eternal Peace a millennium past, he was killed by his own disciple during the fall of the Pendragon dynasty!"
"O-okay! Then w-where is the body now?"
The bespectacled girl was stunned for a moment. She was still grappling for inadequate counter to the clumsy professor's argument. The tale of Merlin's demise, Alicia recalled, was shrouded in ambiguity. The entire narrative seemed more a creation of fancy, akin to the chronicles of a mythical figure than an account grounded in history. "His remains were never found… but that doesnae justify Merlin's eternal life and disappearance from civilisation until now!"
"Ha!" Tenshin brandished his left forefinger while exclaiming somewhat shrilly. "I mean…. N-no! I did not mean to m-make you feel more miserable because of y-your wrong fallacy. H-humans err s-sometimes. I'm j-just saying, your people do not know about his body now. It could be that he was lost, or he never died in the first place. We have all the explanations for that, if you'd be so kind as to join us. I-I will teach you all that knowledge, it is sure to be an interesting date—no! Not that! N-not me! I mean, there are other masters who will teach that… not me, ha ha. I'm just… an ordinary student, please, just, just… ugh! Y-you know what I mean!"
Tenshin sure loved to mutter, a lot. Alicia kept thinking to herself, What's wrong with yon lad? Do I look like a minger or what? She knew she was angry, but the usual response she got when she was angry was further bullying from others, even from her best friends.
“Awright, you see, Sorcerer—"
"My name is Tensh—"
"Haud yer wheest! I told you I dinnae care about yer name!"
Tenshin flinched with such a foolish expression.
"You're right. I just wept. I'm exhausted. I can't think straight now. All the more reasons I have nae intention to join you. C-care to know another? Let me explain slowly so you understand!” Alicia took a deep breath and let it out through her mouth. “'That person you think as Merlin, even if he is centuries old, nae one will ever believe him. I mean, he uses Protos particles! Ever since Orb chose me, I've been hunted down and nearly killed by its users, until this very! Moment! So pardon me if I dinnae care if he claims to be Merlin, or a bloody Divine! He could have used black magic to retain his youth!”
“I understand, Miss Alicia,” Tenshin replied.
“Then why are we still here?”
“I understand your concern. Arcane and Khaos, cannot unite, yet there are still greedy people who want the two powers together. So it is all about that, right? Arcane is a noble power, whereas Khaos is the opposite. A mage with the power of Khaos is a malefactor deserving of all the hatred in the world. 'His blood is lawful to shed!' But we never believe a power is an affiliation of a certain party."
"What do you mean?"
"Arcane and Khaos, both are just... powers. Khaos dominating the world is indeed hazardous to the people, but there is no good or bad, Miss Alicia. It is just a way of our perception of seeing and understanding the reality of everything, including these two. They are just… energies that rub against each other and repel each other, such nature was perhaps necessary for balance. Nothing more than that."
"You're nae a sound jester when you say that, Sorcerer!"
"Because I am not a jester! Do you not know how many benevolent practitioners used 'dark magic' for noble purposes? Or how many Roman sorcerers abused their Arcane might? Merlin is not evil, Miss Alicia. His Khaos condition is unique, but he never wants your Arcane might. He only wants the best for you, for Danhar, for the safety of the universe. You have been chosen, Miss! The Universe appointed you to be its protector! The Danhars have been waiting for it, and soon the whole world! So please, accept Master Merlin's offer. This is your chance to unlock your greatest potential as a wielder of Arcane, and become the realm’s saviour!"
If he thought about anything other than the desire for the woman, then one could see his charisma and confidence. In a fleeting moment, Tenshin's first-sight experience seemed overshadowed by the solemnity of the prophecy he staunchly believed in; that the hopes and prayers of his ancestors could have a massive impact on the world. Alicia, too, could perceive the unblemished sincerity of his words. As such, she eased her stance.
"If your intentions hold true, you should not have caused such an uproar," Alicia responded. "And I'm sorry, but Grand Magus Haddock has a point. You, separatists, are at war with Chixian Shenzhou. Everyone in the world already knows of my existence. If I go with you, more threats will come upon you all..."
"Do not worry about the threats in Danhar land, Miss Alicia! We can take care of it!”
“I'm not done yet,” said Alicia again. “What about my house, Camelot? Can your group handle it if Chixian Shenzhou distributes its troops to launch an aggression against my hometown?"
Tenshin's sense of inferiority flared up again. This time was for being unable to retorted to Alicia's question, thinking he appeared foolish before the lady of his dreams. In the end, it was just a form of egocentrism for every human being. Who was more worth hearing, who was most in need, all pointing to themselves.
Alicia said again, “So I beg of you, Sorcerer. Let me out of here, ask your group to retreat. I can find my own way of learning Arcane magic with Orb. Once again, p-please?"
The tone of her plea pierced Tenshin's heart. The girl sure looked tired, yet the manner in which she entreated held a certain potency that made him even more enamoured with her.
Orb sounded a tone of approval. Within the melody, it implored the young sorcerer to leave them be, if only for a time. Alicia stole a glance at Orb when the phrase "if only for a time" was conveyed to her. Alas, Tenshin comprehended nought but a mere trill.
Even in the throes of infatuation, Tenshin thought again of Master Merlin and all the people of Danhar. He shook his head, steeling himself against the allure of calflove. "No. No! Master Merlin entrusted me! Danhar and the world depend on me! I shall not return with an empty hand!"
A succession of hand gestures were made! Two tangerine circles conjured on his left hand and right palm covered in metallic gauntlet!
"Eh… Sorcerer?" A disquieting sensation began to creep over Alicia. "W-what are you doing?"
"I have reasoned with you, Miss!" Tenshin said, his voice quivering with conflicting emotions. "If that does not work, I must resort to force! Forgive me!"
Tenshin treaded step by step nervously. Nervous about having to give a speck of violence to the young lady he adored. Nervous, for the presence of the Divine Grace wielder herself was that significant, the world was at stake.
"Sorcerer! Do not even try!" []
