The first day at the mansion went as well as it could have. He was shown to his room and left alone until it was time for supper. Afterwards, he talked for some time with Emilia and then was left to his own devices again.
Having nothing to do, he spent a good chunk of his time in the large garden at the back with his raven. The mansion looked a lot larger from the back than at the front; same went for the garden. It was, in all reality, more like a field than any garden.
Hedin did some normal exercises to spend the time and meditated on his glory. While doing so, he again noticed the spirits gathering around him, illuminating his form with various wisps of light. It wasn't as eye catching as what he had done in the capital, but the wisps of light clung to his body as if he were a magnet.
Another thing he noticed, was that when he practiced his glory, his mana seemed to surge. What had before been emptied was gradually filled as he continued to use glory.
He figured some more experimentation was in order and left the matter for the time.
As evening arrived, it was time for dinner.
Hedin fed the raven some corn. Rem and Ram were weirded out by his companion but did not choose to say anything about it.
And so, night arrived.
Hedin couldn't sleep for a good chunk of the night. Mainly because he was used to going long without sleeping. But more than that, because he was in a completely unknown location. The mansion residents were strange and gave him less than inviting feelings.
And so, somewhere 2 hours past midnight, he was able to fall asleep with his raven right beside him and a clone of the raven to stand watch.
...
Beatrice sat in her library, her pink, petal like eyes unusually unfocused today. The book she held in her hand, one she had read hundreds of times already, about the biology of Witch Beasts and their interaction with different types of magic seemed all too mundane today.
Her mind kept wandering to the curious individual that had walked into the mansion today. The same one that carried such a magnetic pull that she could not help but have a slightly favourable impression of him, above such farces as she was.
There was something about him. The way he stood? The potency and size of his mana pool? His gaze that seemed to sense exactly what she was feeling? His remark about the library?
She did know, and maybe she didn't care.
She did not remember the last time she had come across such a copious amount of mana. It was, in some respects, overwhelming. She was not like Puck after all. She could maintain herself without constant mana, and she was not a mana sponge. The mana input from that man alone was equivalent to what she could gather in 3 years. That alone was shocking.
"What a turn of events, I suppose." Her eyes travelled to the bookshelf to her right.
There, a book rested without a name. She hopped off her chair and pulled it out.
She flipped through the pages, rows and rows of ink. Eventually, the pages stopped.
There was nothing further written.
Nothing except her last command.
Beatrice was quiet. Nothing in her expression changed. She simply slammed the book close and kept it back into the shelf.
"Stupid."
...
...
The morning arrived quickly.
Hedin heard the chirping of small birds through his windows and the rays of light filtering through the glass. He looked to his side. Right there, the raven was asleep and right on the bedside, another raven was standing, it's empty red eyes looking at him.
He nodded at the bird and got off the bed.
His chiseled physique was covered by white robes. Apparently, they had been made for Roswaal himself; but he had so many that a lot of them went unused, or so said Ram.
He had, at first, been unwilling to part with his own clothes but sleeping in them was quite impractical too.
Besides, he was hoping the maids could make him some more some them. The uniform held little benefit except symbolism. Any normal garment could transform into the strongest of armours when laced with glory; the hunter uniform was a choice of fashion.
And in good faith too.
Careful not to disturb his sleeping raven, he walked over to the window and stared outside.
The field was expansive and amid the green expanse stood a gazebo. Right beside it was a beautiful woman with sheen silver hair and wearing a purple robe.
Emilia.
Hedin didn't have anything better to do and choosing better than to mess around with the maids, he chose to go and greet her.
Changing into his normal clothes which had been washed and put into the wardrobe, he stepped outside.
The mansion's interior proved to be a problem to maneuver, but Hedin eventually made his way outside.
Margrave Mathers is coming back today... I can only hope he isn't like the rest of the people here. If so, I might have to rethink my extended stay here... Hedin thought silently. The maids are rude. The protector of the library is a sociopath and the only normal resident is Emilia who is constantly busy. For one, it's concerning that I don't have anything to do. If only I knew how to read, I could research things from the library.
While lost in his thoughts, he gained up on Emilia and said, "Good morning, Emilia." He smiled.
Emilia opened her eyes, the spirits around her dispersing. "Good morning, Hedin. Did you have a good sleep?" She flashed him a charming smile.
"Good morning!" Puck chimed in from the side.
"It was nice. The mattress was a bit too soft for me." Hedin said, stretching his back.
"What are you doing?"
"She's talking to the spirits." Puck replied. "It's a part of training for her. As a spirit arts user, one needs to be adept at using both the contracted spirits and the uncontracted ones."
"Speaking of, Hedin, isn't your spiritual affinity also very high?! Would you like to try it out?" Emilia spoke, her eyes glinting like stars.
Hedin thought it over and nodded. "If it's not too much of a hassle."
"Sure! Let me just finish up on my practice."
He nodded.
...
"So, this England, you speak of." Puck spoke. They were seated some distance away from Emilia who was now at the foot of the gazebo. Various points of light surrounded her, brushing against her skin, floating all around like curious children eager for attention.
Somewhere between, raven had opened the window of his room and flown out. Hedin stroked his head as he talked.
"What was it like? Compared to Lugunica, I mean."
"If I had to say, it was a lot more developed than Lugunica." Hedin said, holding his chin.
"Oh? How so?"
"There weren't ground dragons that are so used. Travelling by the use of beasts of burden had become a thing of the past. Instead, we used giant metal contraptions powered by coal and steam to pull us along the roads. They were called cars and trains." He explained. "In fact, there was also things called planes - though they were too expensive for the vast majority. They are large structures that can soar through the skies upon giant metallic wings."
"Ehhhh." Puck spoke. "But how do they operate?"
"Most of the science behind it is lost on me." Hedin said with a sardonic smile. "The hunters never had the use for these things. I can run faster than any car or train. Though flying was a luxury for the people most adept at applications of glory."
"Man~ That's lame." Puck huffed as he lay atop his hair. Hedin reached out his hand and scratched his chin, making the spirit cat purr.
"Well aren't you a cute little cat." Hedin could not help but chuckle.
"I am aren't I? The cutest cat there is?" Puck said contently. "Tell me more about your hunters."
Hedin realized that Puck was trying to reach for information. He was an unknown man and the information he provided would dictate how he would be seen - hence, he had no problems giving them some information, especially when he was going to learn magic from them.
"Well... where do I even begin?" Hedin frowned, suddenly at a loss. "To be honest, the history of hunters is so vast. Too vast. Even if I want to only get into the social structure or modus operandi, that'll also get complicated and might take an hour or so." He folded his arms in thought. Just then, a light bulb went off in his head.
"That's right! I can dictate the children fables!"
"Children fables?" Puck snorted. "How much truth lays in them?"
"More than you can imagine." Hedin chuckled. "In fact, most of the children tales, especially concerning the Order of the Hunt are true."
Just then, Hedin turned his head towards the mansion. There, in one of the windows stood a blonde haired girl.
"What's wrong?"
"It's Beatrice." Hedin said simply. "I felt someone's eyes on me."
Puck floated off his head and looked at him from the air, upside down.
"I don't know if I should call you lucky or unlucky. Betty doesn't usually take interest in strangers."
"Is that so?" He said, again looking at the window. There was no one there.
"Curious."
"What are you guys talking about?" Emilia called out, making them turn their heads.
She approached with eager footsteps. The lights that surrounded her long having vanished into the air.
"Just about my country." Hedin shook his head. "What do you talk about with the spirits, even? Can they even form words? Given that they haven't developed consciousness yet?"
Emilia looked a bit bold. She pointed one finger into the air like a teacher and said, "Lesser spirits may not have a consciousness yet, but they are surprisingly effective communicators. They can relay information about a wide area, any changes in the air, and even changing weather or give us warnings about a disaster." She continued.
"Everyday, I talk to them about Irlam Village and it's people. I can't talk to them because... um." Suddenly, she quieted down.
"Um. Well, they don't take too well to my appearance."
"Hm?" Hedin's ears perked up. "Why?" He asked.
Emilia looked down.
"Well. It's because I'm a half Elf."
"And?" Hedin didn't get the point. Is there some racial prejudice against elfs? Come to think of it, didn't she say the same when I offered to help her back at the capital?
Emilia, for a moment, looked at him as if he were an alien. The raven croaked.
"Well, I have purple eyes!" She exclaimed.
"Yes?"
"And I have silver hair too!"
"I... see." Again, Hedin didn't really see the point.
"Hedin... you dunderhead!" Emilia exclaimed, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Hedin only looked to Puck, thoroughly confused.
The spirit cat only looked at him with his half closed eyes and shook his head. "You're really clueless."
"Pardon me about my lack of knowledge, then." Hedin said.
Puck sighed and took his seat atop his head again.
"Then, let me educate you." Hedin saw Emilia flinch. It was small, barely even observable; but to his trained eyes, it may as well have been a full fledged scream.
From her, he felt a profound fear. And doubt.
Well, it seems the most normal person here also has their own issues... I'm really starting to question my decisions.
While he was in thought, Puck began.
"Hmm. Where to start? Where to start? Right, let me tell you a children fable." He snickered. "Long ago, there were seven beings. Seven beings called the witches.
"Each of them was cruel, each scarier than the last. But even among them, there was one above all.
"One witch. A scary Witch, a terrifying Witch. To even speak her name was terrifying. She was called the Witch of Envy."
Hedin looked at Emilia. She was avoiding his gaze now.
"She was someone so jealous. So envious. So jealous that in her jealously, she sought to take everything from the world. She went berserk, vying to destroy everything. In the end, she swallowed half of the world." Puck continued. "She was only stopped by the first heroes 400 years ago, the first Sword Saint, the Sage and the Divine Dragon. They defeated the Witch and banished her."
Puck's face travelled down and came right before Hedin's.
"She was a half-Elf with silver hair and purple eyes."
Silence.
Silence rang loud in the courtyard. Even the raven was silent, observing them with it's empty eyes.
Hedin looked at Emilia, noting her doubtful eyes and the way she refused to meet his eyes now; in complete contrast to her otherwise confident persona.
"That's... heavy." He said. "So you're telling me everyone's scared of her because she resembles the Witch of envy?" He asked, making Puck nod in response.
"Hmm. That's stupid."
Emilia turned to him, surprised.
"Me, personally? I feel it stupid to judge someone based on appearance." He explained. "But I realize that you can't expect the same at a large level. People want to believe in appearances. It's to the point that they'll ignore everything about the person if it fits their own perceived image of that person."
He picked Puck up from his head and held him in his hand, stroking his back. The cat relaxed on his palm.
"You can't expect a country to be reasonable, after all. Even where I come from, there's plenty of prejudice against a certain group of individuals. Those that worship the brother of the second hunter."
"Second Hunter?" Emilia asked, intrigued.
"Heh." Hedin chuckled. "Let me tell you a children fable too."
But before he could begin, Ram appeared in the distance.
In just a few moments, she reached close and spoke.
"Master Roswaal has arrived. He is ready to receive you in the dining hall."
About time, I suppose. Hedin thought.
...
Throw some stones plz.
Bonus at 150 stones.
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(Image Here)
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A/N: Read upto 10 advanced chapters on my patreon: patreon . c o m/Yesnth Just remove the spaces from between.
Cheers~