Aggressively throwing open the windows of Theo's room, an order thundered through the space:
"Wake up, princess," Ethan ordered, shaking the cloth over Theo's bed.
Waking gradually, still heavy with drowsiness and blurred vision, yawning as he processed his father's voice, Theo sat up in bed. He expected daylight to be pouring through the window, but it was still dawn.
"Come on, make your bed and come downstairs in the next ten minutes."
Theo groaned in dissatisfaction, sleepy and uncomfortable. But it was what had to be done.
Getting up and obeying Ethan's orders, the boy quickly joined Edward in the yard of the residence, where the Duke usually trained casually.
On the lawn, just a few meters ahead, Ethan was warming up beside Luanne.
"Hm… Make sure to teach him properly, so he can develop his own ignition," said Luanne.
"I know," Ethan replied, writing on a mobile board.
"Hm… Are you sure that's all?"
"Luanne… It's his first day of training. Do you want me to overload him with information?"
"Yes."
Ethan searched for his friend with his eyes and judged her. In the distance, in his wide view, Ethan spotted Edward and Theo sitting and stared at them from afar.
The Duke gave the order for Theo to come closer.
"Theo, since you've shown interest and want this… I'll teach you enough so you can survive without exceeding my limitations."
"You can't teach me much, why…"
"There's a quota, son," Luanne replied. "Knowledge is monopolized in the hands of academies; what are cores? How to use them? Those are things we can answer. However, complex and specific knowledge can only be taught in institutions."
"Nonsense," Edward muttered to Theo.
"I think so too, but unfortunately, there's a treaty for everyone who enters the Great Orders. We are forbidden from sharing knowledge with individuals outside the orders."
"Right…"
Ethan tapped a ruler against the board.
"In total, there are seven stages of cores, five types of energy, and three polarities. I spoke with Beatrice when classes were canceled due to the Cataclysm, so you should already know something, right?"
Theo confirmed with a nod.
"The three polarities are: negative, neutral, and positive. Within the seven stages, there are three stages for negative and positive polarities, and only one for neutral."
"What are the colors?"
"Yellow, orange, and red for positive; blue, lilac, and purple for negative… Lastly, green for neutral," Edward answered when he saw his nephew struggle to recall the sequence.
"Mana, ether, ki, quantum, and psychoenergy are the types," Theo said before Ethan could ask.
"Great. Now, simply don't worry about that. These are concepts you'll only learn in the academy. I'll teach you only how to convert energy into elemental attributes, recognize your affinity, and manipulate it."
"But first…" Edward said, grabbing Theo by his unfractured arm. "Let's restore your body, right, brother?"
"Exactly," Ethan agreed.
Guiding Theo across the lawn, Edward forced his youngest nephew to run around the house for the entire morning.
Even when he was tired and his legs were weak, almost collapsing to the ground…
Theo remained standing.
When he was about to give in to his own judging mind, he kept running until the end.
Edward made him practice jumps while running, move between the trees in the grove, and even navigate.
Taking Theo along the road that led to Loureto, Edward made the boy enter the forest and get lost for a few minutes… which soon turned into hours.
Theo took advantage of his time in the forest to absorb as much energy as possible, following the doctor's instructions. The Lawrence family's private forest lies at the boundary of the zones of the Nymph Forest, yet it manages to maintain a high concentration of mana in the atmosphere—similar to the death zone.
As he sat down to rest in a clearing, he placed his hands down, crossed his feet, and took a deep breath. His fractured arm throbbed with pain, even as he tried to suppress it.
Mana flowed through the air, falling onto his body like a funnel. Absorbing the energy and eliminating unnecessary particles, he kept visualizing that process for an entire day.
He intended to replenish his core so he could use the world vision, which allowed him to see the patterns of mana in the atmosphere. After nearly twenty minutes in that state, Theo stood up only when the pain in his arm ceased.
Opening his eyes, he entered the perfect vibration that allowed him to perceive mana patterns. Soon, he was drawn to small movements in the trees, revealing themselves as little skirrans—a species of magical squirrels with albino fur; their eyes, filled with dark colors, carefully observed the Young Master.
Realizing they weren't a threat, he stood up and began walking again.
With a sudden motion, Theo pushed aside a bush, startling the small skirrans: leaping between branches, a small membrane covered in white fur appeared beneath their forelegs, allowing them to glide. Then, with a small gust of wind, they flew deeper into the forest.
Exploring for a few minutes, he decided to run again in search of the path home. Using world vision, but being consumed by the intensity of the surrounding mana—which prevented him from seeing further—he leaned against a tree and took a deep breath.
It was a useless drain of energy, since mana had begun to behave like a wall of energy. That was what protected the location of the Lawrence Residence, as any undetected invader would get lost and die to beasts in that forest.
Only when he thought of that possibility did Theo feel even more threatened. At the same time, he realized it was unlikely, since night was falling and he hadn't encountered any beasts.
Walking calmly through the forest, Theo eventually saw traces of cobblestones forming a straight line, as lampposts lit up and revealed themselves as his guide.
Even though he had gotten completely lost and lost all sense of direction, Theo knew exactly where he had to go at all times. The only problem was the steep and unfavorable terrain for walking alone.
Reaching the cobblestone road, Theo ran back home, following the lampposts as their light appeared one by one.
But he had not been alone at any moment.
"Did you like it?" Edward said, appearing beside him. "The exploration game. Did you like it?"
"Mm… I just didn't understand the purpose."
"It's because when you become a Vagus agent, between expeditions, you can't just lie down and wait for information. Breaks don't mean resting, but seeking to complete the mission faster… At least, that's what your father told me."
The two boys ran side by side, keeping a pace that wouldn't tire Theo too quickly.
"There will be days when you'll be idle, so the most sensible thing is to learn the environment. Spending a day exploring and hunting is the best way to pass time on a mission."
"And you leave me alone all day for that?"
"Never! I didn't leave you alone. On the contrary, I was with you the whole time. I even killed a few beasts that tried to attack you."
Theo's eyebrows furrowed in surprise.
"But I didn't even feel it…"
"You're not supposed to feel it…" Edward smiled, looking toward the end of the road, a bright gleam in his eyes. Turning to Theo, he concluded: "That's why I train like a deviant."
"Ah… I see…" Theo said.
Taking a deep breath, the Young Master lightly tapped his uncle's heel, throwing him off balance and nearly knocking Edward to the ground.
"Hey!"
"I was desperate!" Theo exclaimed, almost grinding his teeth. "Damn it…"
"Really?" Edward shot back, trying to laugh at his nephew. "Didn't seem like it… not even once."
Turning his face away with a click of his tongue, the boy replied sulkily:
"But I was."
In truth, Theo was upset for not encountering any beasts along the way. His instinct, as a former general, wanted to test his own limits. Even so, as a child, he feared encountering them since he was at a disadvantage.
Besides his young age, he also had a fractured arm.
Returning to walk along the cobblestone road, both remained silent for the rest of the way. They analyzed distant worlds, trying to recover from the day in the forest.
Theo still tried to analyze Luanne's method of conversion, which allowed her to absorb energy while walking. But he found no answer to that feat.
"I'll need more observation…" he thought, feeling a cold wind run along his arms and between his legs.
Seeing the moon in the distance, rising above the mountains behind the Lawrence Residence—so far that only its outline remained—he was captivated for a moment.
The pale glow of a mother, adorned by the marks of a dragon's death… he recalled a passage from a tale he had read in recent days.
It was one of the tales of Saint George, a saint capable of slaying a dragon, and in that moon lay the marks of that bloody battle. One of Theo's favorite tales, as it represented the purity of a saint even in the face of death. A reflection of what he wished to become.
When he emerged from his flooded thoughts, he found himself at the end of the road: in the square in front of the Lawrence Residence, where two carriages were being prepared for a journey.
They frowned, watching from afar as they approached, seeing Ethan and Luanne talking seriously near the fountain.
Wiping his forehead and curious, the boy asked:
"Are you leaving already, godmother?"
Looking at Theo, sweaty and worn out, Luanne crouched and ruffled her godson's hair.
"Yes, yes, dear. Your godmother has a few things to handle on the coast, so I'll head home quickly."
"Hm…" Theo replied, dissatisfied.
Trying to fix the boy's dirty and dry hair, Luanne combed it with her hand and looked into his amber-colored eyes. A hidden, upset lip tried its best to stay concealed.
Feeling a bit saddened, Luanne clicked her tongue and looked at Ethan.
"Can you leave us alone?" she asked.
Ethan nodded.
"Ed… Give me a report on what you found."
"Okay…" he replied suspiciously, being led away by Ethan.
Standing up, Luanne walked toward the fountain while holding Theo's hand. Stopping in front of a serpent statue, the moon priestess placed her hand on her godson's blond hair.
"Tê, do you know who this serpent is?"
The boy said no.
But Luanne already expected that answer.
"This is the representation of one of the first sea dragons, belonging to the mythical species of Leviathans. Its name is Aegiron, the guardian of the Ancient Lands. You know the tale of Neptune, right?"
"Yes. That is, if you mean the tale where Neptune curses the world for forty days and forty nights after the gods destroy his kingdom…"
"Yes, exactly. After the sun rose on the forty-first day, Neptune exiled himself from all gods into the depths of the sea, maintaining contact only with his older brother, Pluto. However, according to the ancients, Neptune's trident is still out there, embedded in a cave protected by Aegiron, strengthening the world's curse…"
"The world's curse?" Theo asked, curious.
"Mm-hmm. The curse that creates a storm cloud capable of dividing the world… No ship we've built is strong enough to survive the calamities beneath the black cloud… It's impossible to pass through…"
Theo looked at Aegiron's statue and reflected… To him, it sounded silly, but he had to ask.
"And how do they know there's something on the other side?"
"Because it's impossible for there not to be, dear. We know our world is spherical, yet we can't complete a full turn… Think of a ball; we can leave one point, go around the ball, and return to the same point, right? However, we can't do that… Imagine the ball torn in half, preventing our finger from circling it."
"Hm… Is that cloud like the wall of Snegriya?"
"Correct! A wall of ice that surpasses the clouds. Not even deviants capable of flying can reach the top, only glimpse it. Causality always prevents us from achieving such feats… It's as if the gods want to hide the world…"
Theo became thoughtful at that. Of course, as a curious child, he wanted answers to everything, but if even Luanne didn't have them, then no one did.
"That's why I joined the Order of Vagus. There are so many things in this world… Perhaps even other worlds we don't know. Humanity has never set foot in every place on the planet, and that's what drove me. From what Ethan said, it's what drives you too…"
Luanne gazed at the ethereal gleam shining in Theo's eyes; like amber exposed to sunlight; like small drops of honey briefly falling.
"That shine…" Luanne admired.
It was the shine of someone who would not change their mind.
"So… do you remember what I told you about the child of the moon?" she asked with a hopeful smile.
"About Lumen?"
"Exactly!"
"I do… But what about him?"
"Vagus agents need a codename for their missions… You know, as the chief Priestess of the Celestial Lunar Alunne, I would like you, Theo, to adopt Lumen at your consecrated deviant baptism."
Luanne crossed in front of Theo.
"It would be an honor, both for me and for my goddess. Do you accept?"
A deafening silence took over. Obviously, it was an immense responsibility to carry the name of someone legendary, although it was a common practice in that world.
The practice of adopting the name of someone important—a hero or relevant political figure—as a war codename was common. However, among the many tiers separating such men, there existed the very top shelf; the one reserved only for the untouchables.
Lumen, as the hero who gave his life so the Lord of Destiny could preserve humanity's existence, had been named the Savior of All.
Among the untouchables, he held the first place.
No one had ever considered using his name, because beyond the responsibility it carried, it was also protected by the Priestesses of Alunne.
And yet, the chief Priestess of the Moon was proposing it personally.
A high expectation with an even greater responsibility…
"I don't know if I can…" he said hesitantly. "You know who I was, right?"
"Theo…"
"How do you know?"
Relaxing, arms crossed and looking at the sky, Luanne shook her head with a playful smile.
"A little bird told me!" she replied.
At that moment, Theo felt like laughing. But he held it in, shaking his head and looking at the ground. He wouldn't get any answers from Luanne right then. So…
He gave in.
"Alright… I accept such an honor!" he replied, forcing a cheerful tone. "I will carry this responsibility and carve a glorious path to honor him beneath the sky!"
"Beneath the sky, Theo?" Luanne thought, letting out a soft smile. "Children really don't understand what they say…"
"Thank you for entrusting me with such an honor!"
"I should be thanking you, my Golden Moon."
Fixing her godson's hair once more, Luanne smiled under the daylight glow.
After saying goodbye to everyone, Luanne took the carriage toward the city of Loureto, intending to catch her return and finally head to her destination.
Along the way, Luanne stared at the moon hidden behind the clouds, as shy as it was pale. The white owl followed the carriage, flapping its wings without making a single sound. At last, the bird entered the carriage, where only Luanne sat in the cabin, and positioned itself on the cushion before the Priestess.
'Do you think our goddess truly agrees with this?'
"What are you talking about? Isn't it obvious? She's the one who asked me to do it."
'Hm… So our goddess is truly connected to this boy's transmigration?'
"Yes… But at the same time, it's not exactly transmigration… It's closer to reincarnation. From his behavior, I'm sure Theo knows who he is, but at the same time, he's pretending to be a new individual… Or perhaps truly being one."
'This will cause problems… Mortals who deny their own essence and believe in the lie until it becomes reality end up being more confusing than the gods.'
"I know. That's why I'll be nearby when it happens, because it will happen… Trials exist to show what each man is capable of. I firmly believe our goddess removed him from the Judgment of Elysium so he could go through these trials."
'Again… Are you absolutely certain of that, my sister?'
Luanne sighed and leaned against the carriage window, watching the moon emerge from behind the clouds.
"As long as he doesn't lose the light in his eyes, Lumen will exist."