??? Pov:
Was It Today ?
Or Was It Tomorrow ?
Or Was It #*##** ?
A Figure, A Shadow Loomed Over The Small Child ?
What Was Happening ?
The Child Looked At The Figure, Surprisingly Smiling,
Child: Mom, When Will We Go On A Adventure ?
The Figure, Now Classified As The Child's Mother, Patted On The Child's Head,
Mother: Soon My Dear, Very Soon, When You Grow Up I'll Take You There Myself.....
Child: Really ?!
The Child, Excited As He Spoke To His Mother,
Mother: Yes, I'll Even Protect You, You Don't Know Your Mother Is Actually A Strong Adventurer, Did You ?
The Child Laughed, His Mother Has Been Telling Him That For Some Time,
Yet No Matter How He Looked, She Didn't Look Like The Adventurers She Spoke In The Stories She Told,
Yet, Somehow That Felt More Then Enough...
Mother: Run Luc–ain–cas !!!
Suddenly, The View Changed, The Surroundings Changed Into A Burning Place, Marked By Burning Wood, Flames Devouring Everything.....
The Figure Who Spoke Him To Run Away Was None Other Then His Mother, Yet Also Another Of His Mother....
And That Was The Last Thing He Saw There...
3rd Person Pov:
The Road To The Labyrinth City,
The swaying woke him.
Lucian Gasped Slightly, But Not That Much,
He Simply Opened His Eyes, Taking In A Deep Breath,
(Great Sage: Notice, Sleep Mode Disabled Temporarily, Mana Recovered 80%, Physical Stamina Restored, Welcome Back Master....)
He Silently Heard The Voice Of Great Sage Speaking In His Head, As That Relaxed Him,
Out Of Anyone, Even Astrea, He Could Only Trust Great Sage The Most....
He Looked Around At His Surroundings, He Was Lying In The Back Of A Covered Wagon,
He Sat Up Slowly, Noticing That Astrea Was By His Side,
Astrea: You're Awake....
It Was Astrea, She Was Sitting On The Bench Opposite Him, Wearing A Spare Cloak Provided By The Ganesha Adventurers,
Her Face Was clean, The Dirt Washed Away, But Her Eyes Held A Lingering Sadness That Hadn't Been There When He Met Her,
Beside Her Sat Modi, The Ganesha Adventurer, Driving The Wagon While Keeping A Sharp Eye On The Road,
Lucian: How Long Was I Out ?
Modi: About Four Hours, You Slept Like The Dead, Kid, We're About An Hour Out From Orario....
Lucian Nodded, Understanding Where Exactly He Might Be, Besides Great Sage's Theoretical Calculations,
Astrea Reached Into A Small Bag, Taking Some Food Out,
Astrea: Here, You Need To Eat....
She Handed Him A Hard Piece Of Bread And Some Cheese, It Was Simple Adventurer Fare, But Lucian Accepted It Gracefully,
As He Ate, He Spoke With Great Sage, Who Informed Him Of What Happened After He Passed Out,
The Reason Behind His Mind Down Was Because His Body Wasn't Adapted Enough To Directly Use His Body As A Conduit To Take Out The Mana From The Goblin Stone He Had Got....
In The End, He Exhausted His Own Reserves, Causing A Mind Down,
Lucian Pov:
I See.... Though The Entire Thing Was Reckless...
At Least Ryuu Isn't Going Falnaless....
But Butterfly Effect Was Sure Brutal....
Even Dreams Kicking In Both Life's Memories.....
Let's Not Get There, Anyway, Great Sage, Did You Analyse The Healing Magic That Cat Person Used ?
(Great Sage: Correct, The Healing Magic, "Undine's Tear's" Spell Has Been Analysed And Is Ready For Use....)
Now That's The Great Sage I Know.... Wait, Undine's Tear ?
Is It A Spirit Magic ? Or Just The Name ?
(Great Sage: The Latter....)
Oh.... Understandable, Otherwise A Character Who Was Never Shown Originally, Yet Can Use Spirit Magic ? I'd Go Unconscious Again.....
Astrea: So... What Will You Do When We Reach The City, Lucian ?
I Swallowed A bite Of Bread, My Reason To Go There Is To Get Stronger, Maybe Hestia Familia, Or Loki Familia,
But Somehow Both Familia, If I Remember Correctly, Has Gone Through Some Extremely Close Calls.....
But Before Anything Else, I Also Need To Get Some Valis, My Reserves Won't Last Long....
Lucian: Hm, First, Find an inn, Register With The Guild, Look For Work,
Modi: Do You Have A Familia In Mind ? With Your Skills—That Stealth Magic—Plenty Of Mid-Tier Familias Would Take You, Maybe Even Hermes Familia....
Modi Asked From The Front, Sounding Genuinely Curious,
I Sighed, Even If It's One Of The Safer Options, I Can't Help But Suspect That Scheming God Behind Everything....
Lucian: Uh.... I'm Not Sure, I'm A Fifteen-Year-Old, Zero Experience As A Adventure, A Track Record Of Passing Out After One Spell, I'm Not Exactly A Hot Commodity.....
I Mean Everything I Said It Technically True,
Astrea: You Sold Yourself Short....
She Firmly Spoke, As I Looked At Her, The Blue Eyes Were Locked Onto Mine,
Astrea: You Faced A Wyvern To Save A Stranger, You Have A Philosophy Of Justice That You Believe In, And You Have The Will To Act When Others Freeze....
She Leaned Forward Slightly, The Swaying Of The Wagon Making The Shadows Dance Across Her Face,
Honestly, The Atmosphere Was Kinda The 'The Chosen One' Moment....
Astrea: Lucian, I Am Returning To Orario To... Face My Past, To See If There Is Still A Place For Me There, But A Goddess Cannot Function Without A Familia, And A Familia Cannot Exist Without A Captain.....
I Stopped Chewing Dead Track,
Wait, If I Remember She Was Shown Back In Volume 17 Or Something, With 5 Or 4 New Familia Members....
Meaning She Actually Left The Past Behind And Moved Forward....
And Thanks To The Butterfly Effect.... The Act Of Moving Forward Is Now Starting With Me ?
Lucian: Are You Recruiting Me ?
I Was Blunt, I Mean Even By Her Philosophy, I Myself Don't Think I Possess The Type Of Justice Her Familia Might Need .....
Astrea: I Am Asking You To Help Me... I Have Nothing To Offer You Right Now, My Home Is Likely A Ruin, My Funds Are Limited To What I Have On Me, I Have No Prestige Left In The City.....
You ? Don't Have Prestige ?
If You Still Don't Have Prestige? Then What Do Freya And Loki Have ?
Even After So Many Years, The Citizens Of Orario Have Never Forget What You Did For Them In The Dark Times....
She's Too Humble....
She Extended A Hand Towards Me,
Astrea: But If You Seek A Place Where Your Blood Does Not Matter... Where You Are Judged Only By The Content Of Your Character And The Justice Of Your Actions... Then I Would Be Honored To Have You As My First New Familia Member....
Lucian: Huh ?
Hold Up,
Wait A Minute,
Somethings Not Right.....
Blood Doesn't Matter ? Did She Just See Though I Was A Mix Of Dark Elf And Regular Ones ?
Besides Calling The Two Race's Dark And White Sounds Kinda Raciest.....
When Did Things Escalate To This Much ?
How Did She Came Up To The Matter I Was Kinda Looking For A Place Where My Mix Blood Doesn't Matter ?
Well I'd Like A Place Like That, But Those Kinds Of Places Are Kind Of Rare,
I Mean Most God's Just Gather Many Race's Just For Thier Interest, And As A Dark Elf, I'm Also A Rare Commodity, Heck Istar Would Just Kidnap Me Since Her Jealousy To Freya, Since Only Freya Familia Has A Dark Elf In Thier Familia.....
Besides, I Have Gone Through Many Familia And Possibility Of Joining Them,
But.... Loki, Freya, Apollo, Istar, And Even Evilus Might Make A Move,
Loki Would Move If I Give Them The Proof I'm Riveria's Brother, I'm Not Sure On Remembering Her Personality, I Never Read The Sword Of Otoria LN, But From What I Know, She Can At Least Help Me.....
Freya Would Just Take Me In Because Of My Soul, I'm Pretty Sure The Presence Of Great Sage And Predetor, Which Represents The Good Virtues, And Bad Sin, My Soul Would Look Like A Yin-Yang Circle,
I Bet Any God Would Be Interestes If They Saw Me,
Apollo.... That Guy.... Let's Say I'd Not Get Close To That Weird God....
Istar Would Make A Move If She Got News Freya Got Her Eye On Me....
I Looked At Her Extended Hand, Slightly Trembling, Waiting For My Answer....
Going To Loki Was A Good Option, But That Unpredictable Loki Is Another Thing.... I Bet She'd Throw Me Into Some Dangerous Stunt Before Trying To Save Me If Things Actually Went South....
Great Sage, What Are The Odds Of Me Finding A Better Goddess Than This ?
(Great Sage: Notice, Probability, Near Zero, Goddess Astrea Aligns Perfectly With Master's Psychological Need For Autonomy And Moral Grounding...)
Yeah, Besides She Should Have The Former Familia Ground Still Intact, Housing Problem Isn't Actually True,
Funding And Money Problems Isn't That Much Of A Case, I'm Sure I'd Be Earning A Lot Just By Myself,
I Sighed, A Small Smirk Forming On The Corner Of My Lips,
Lucian: I'm Expensive, You Know,
I Joked Dryly, Then Accepting Her Hand,
Lucian: I Eat A Lot...
Astrea Smiled, A Genuine, Radiant Expression That Lightened The Gloom Of The Wagon,
Astrea: I Will Work Hard To Feed You, Then....
Lucian: Deal, I'm In Your Care The , Astrea Sama,
3rd Person Pov:
They Arrived In Orario Under The Evening Sunset,
The City Was Overwhelming—A Sprawling Metropolis Of White Stone, Bustling With More Race's Then Lucian Had Actually Ever Seen,
The Giant Tower Of Babel Pierced The Sky, A Monument To The Gods Ambition....
Modi Dropped Them Off Near The North Gate, Saluting Them One Last Time Before Heading To The Ganesha HQ To Report The Wyvern Incident,
Lucian: Where To ?
Lucian Asked, Adjusting His Secondary b
Backpack, This One Held Lighter Stuff For Traveling, Fortunately He Hadn't Thrown It Away, While His Actual Belongings Were Inside His Sub-Space,
Astrea: The Old District,
Astrea Said, Her Voice Tight,
Astrea: My... Our Home...
They Walked Through The Streets, Lucian Noticed The Looks They Got,
A Goddess Walking With A Dark Elf Boy Was A Rare Sight, Even Rarer Since It's Astrea, The Goddess Of Justice Returning To Orario.....
But In Orario, Weird Was Normal,
They Eventually Reached A Secluded Area Near The City Walls,
But As They Drew Closer To Astrea's Old Home, She Grew Nervous, Her Palms Sweaty, Her Heart Pounding In Her Heart,
Was Her Old Home Still Standing?
Or Was It Blasted Into Rubbles By Evilus Trying To Get Petty Revenge....
But What Stood There Was A Dilapidated Church, Weeds Had Overtaken The Garden, The Roof Had Holes, The Sign That Once Read Astrea Familia Was Hanging By A Single Nail.....
The Stardust Garden Was Still There, Sure, But It Would Take Time To Return It To It's Former Glory.....
Astrea: It's...It's Exactly As I Left It....
Astrea Stopped, Her Hand Covering Her Mouth, Her Eyes Tearing Up, Years Of Old Memories, Especially The Good Days Can't Just Be Forgotten.....
As They Entered The Battered House, Astrea Nearly Broke Into Tears As The Memories Came Back Flooding Back Of Good Times, She And Her Familia Back Then .....
The Times When Alise Would Have Spirals About Justice And What It Ment,
Or When Kaguya Would Tease Ryuu And Make The Elf Red With Rage,
The Times When Lyra Built Her Bomb While Listening To Everything,
Iska Styling Everyone And Giving Those Willing Makeover,
Nezhe Keeping The Peace Between Kaguya And Ryuu Before A Fight Could Break Out....
More And More Memories Came Flooding Back To Astrea, She Was Barely Holding Back The Tears ...
Lucian: Welcome Home, Astrea Sama,
Lucian Said, Stepping Aside To Let Her Enter First,
Astrea Stepped Over The Threshold, Tears Pricking Her Eyes, She Wasn't entering A Tomb Anymore, She Was Entering A Home With Her New Family,
Astrea Turned Towards Him,
Astrea: Come inside, Lucian.....Close the Door, It Is Time For Your Falna.....
Timeskip...
3rd Person Pov:
Lucian Sat Shirtless On A Old Chair In What Used To Be The Captain's Office, Astrea Pricked Her Finger With A Needle, A Drop of Divine Ichor ( Blood ) Forming,
Astrea: This Might Tickle,
She Said, Tracing The Sacred Hieroglyphs Onto His Back,
As The Falna Took Hold, Blue Light Filled The Room, Astrea's Eyes Widened As She Read The Status That Appeared On His Back,
Astrea: Lucian...This...
She Whispered.... Almost In Shock....
Lucian: Bad ?
Lucian Asked, Looking Over His Shoulder,
Astrea: No....It's... Extraordinary....
Astrea Said, her Voice Trembling With Awe....
She Handed Him A Sheet Of Paper Where She Had Transcribed His Status,
Name: Lucian Vandris Ljos Alf
Level: 1
Stats:
Strength: I (0)
Endurance: I (0)
Dexterity: I (0)
Agility: I (0)
Magic: I (1)
Magic:
[Veil of Shadows]: Active Stealth. Erases presence, sound, and thermal signature. Can be extended to touched objects.
Skills:
[Great Sage]: High-Speed Thought Processing, Analysis, Parallel Calculation, And Chant Annulment.
[Predator]: Absorption And Analysis Of Organic/Inorganic Materials. Sub-Space Storage (Stomach).
[Pain Nullification]: All Forms Of Physical Pain Are Nullified, The Damage Is Still Incurred And Recognized, But The User Will Not Feel Pain.
[Avenger of the Rejected]: Damage Increases Significantly Against Opponents Who Hold Prejudice Or Intent To Persecute The User.
Astrea Traced The Last Skill With Her Finger, With The Family Name Ljos On His Status, Even If He Himself Didn't Knew Or Wanted To Believe In That, His Existence Was Known As That, A Simple Matter Of Fact, That's Who The World Sees Him As....
With Him Being Half Dark Elf, And Ljos Being Only Royal Family Exclusive, She Had Somewhat Guessed About Lucian's Background.....
Astrea: Avenger Of The Rejected... You Have Carried So Much Pain, Lucian....
Lucian Stared At The Paper, Great Sage, Predator And Pain Nullification Were There, As Expected, But The Fourth One... That Was The Falna Interpreting His Soul.... At Least The Life He Lived Before Gaining His Previous Life's Memories....
Lucian: I Guess I Have.....
Lucian Muttered, Pulling His Shirt Back On, He Looked At Astrea,
Lucian: Astrea Sama, I Have Left That Place Behind, It Doesn't Matter, Besides I Am A Member Of Astrea Familia Now,
Astrea Smiled, Wiping A Smudge Of Ink From Her Cheek,
Astrea: Yes.....You Are, Welcome To The Family, Lucian.....
Next, Reopening The Familia