Slowly, in a dimly lit room, Shoun opened his eyes. The sight that greeted him left him quite confused. After all, the last thing he remembered was passing out right after completing the residence test for Deuz and Sein. But now, he was lying on a couch—and not just any couch, but the couch in his own home.
—Oh, you're finally awake! How do you feel?— Sein asked from the side, sitting on a chair. At that moment, Shoun could see the situation clearly. Deuz was sitting at one end of the couch, with Shoun's feet resting on his lap. Shoun tried to look for Kaze, and it didn't take long to find him. It seemed that while he was asleep, he had used the masked man as a pillow.
—How long was I out?— Shoun sat up a bit and took a seat between Deuz and Kaze as he regained some mental clarity. Out of pure reflex, he moved his right arm and touched his head. When he realized what he was doing, he expected a wave of pain, but surprisingly, he felt nothing. He stopped to look at his arm— It's healed…
—You should thank me! I don't think you could've healed that without paying a fortune at a guild or government hospital— Sein teased, watching Shoun cringe at the thought— And to answer your question, you were only out for a couple of hours. Liam examined you and said you had internal damage, but healing you with my ability would be more than enough.
—Since when can Liam do that?
—A medical room appeared when we came back. We assume it's because the residence tests count as missions, so we were owed a reward, which was the medical room— Deuz explained briefly, closing the book he had been reading.
—Oh... I guess that makes sense...— Shoun simply stared at the TV in response to the explanation. Kaze was quietly watching a cowboy movie, seemingly engrossed in it. So it surprised Shoun when the masked man spoke up:
—What you did was dangerous— Kaze commented in his usual monotone, almost disinterested tone, though that wasn't the reality.
—It's true, Shoun. You were reckless.
—Very reckless!
—Huh!? What are you all talking about?— Shoun asked, confused, as he looked at his companions.
—Taking that hit and overloading yourself with all those batteries almost killed you, Shoun!
—Sein, I did it to save your life. Tell me, what the hell else was I supposed to do!?— This time, Shoun stood up, a bit angry.
—N-no, Shoun, don't get me wrong. It's just— Deuz raised a hand to stop Sein, who, surprisingly, seemed a bit scared by his friend's anger.
—Shoun, let me be clearer than Sein. When he said, "That would've cost you a fortune," he meant it very literally. You had internal damage to several organs. Your right arm was completely burned, losing all nerve connections. Even if it could heal on its own, you wouldn't have been able to use it. The most concerning thing was the state of your core. Liam's examination showed that it had developed a few cracks. A little more electricity, and boom—no more Shoun. By my calculations, all that would've cost around 40,000 Crests. With that, you could buy a rank three uniform, maybe even customize it with extra protections. The fact that Sein could heal all that with his ability and some minor treatments is nothing short of a miracle. So tell me, does it seem like an exaggeration to say that what you did was dangerous and careless?
—...— Shoun didn't respond immediately, overwhelmed by all the information. It was hard to accept that he had almost died, but even more so in this situation. After all, this time, most of the damage had been caused by his own ability, by his own will— No, you're right. I was careless... I'm sorry for yelling at you, Sein… It's just that in that moment, I was desperate. I was hurt, and I didn't see any other way to finish off the enemy. That vestige was too strong.
—There was probably another way we could've killed it. It's not like we were short on options... though you're right that the enemy was incredibly strong. The fact that the four of us managed to kill it is hard to believe for anyone who knows about these things. Did you read the Codex description of the vestige?— Deuz asked after a brief pause. Shoun shook his head and proceeded to read the description of Kalgoros in his Codex.
[Kalgoros, the Tyrant of Adversity: Alpha Brute. An old king watched as his prosperous kingdom fell under the yoke of a disease. Many went mad, some grew weak, and others gained powers beyond mundane comprehension. When the king was infected by the disease, he gained extraordinary abilities, along with a new, erratic demeanor. It was then that the experts of the time finally named the disease: "Chaos." The day the king contracted Chaos, he ceased to be called a king and was instead called a tyrant—the one who ultimately brought an end to his kingdom.]
—...What?— Shoun tried to process the new information from this description and connect it with what he already knew, but it only left him more confused than before— What does all this mean?
—We've already discussed it, and we're not entirely sure about the bigger picture. Of course, now we know what the "Chaos" mentioned in some entries is—a disease that ravaged an ancient kingdom, apparently inhabited by the "Ancients." But it's hard to connect it to the history of our world. With what we know now, the only plausible possibility I can think of is that the Ancients weren't from our world— Deuz said, shrugging.
—...Isn't that kind of... obvious?
—Maybe, but think about it for a second. If these beings were from another world or dimension, how did they end up here? And more importantly, why does the Codex recognize them as vestiges? Of course, there's also the possibility that the Codex itself turned them into vestiges, but to begin with, what are vestiges?
—I think adding more questions to the table doesn't help clear up the mystery.
—I know, I know!— Sein didn't care about Shoun's concern and tried to answer Deuz's question anyway— They're enemies of all living things. They're monsters that seek destruction.
—Unfortunately, that answer is incorrect to some extent. While they are enemies of us humans, as well as demons and elves, vestiges don't actively seek to kill animals without consciousness or plants, though their actions often lead to their deaths anyway. So I think to solve these mysteries we're facing, we need to look deeper. The word "vestige," before the arrival of these monsters, was used for various purposes. One of them was to refer to the "remnants of something." So maybe the Codex called them that to signal that they were the remnants of something else. Maybe they're the spirits of deceased people from other worlds? Sigh... honestly, the more I think about it, the bigger the hole gets.
—That theory you mentioned... I think I heard it once in a history class. I'm not sure— While schools still taught history from before the arrival of the vestiges, it wasn't given much importance. After all, all races had to focus on preparing for any attack from these monsters— Anyway, does your theory that vestiges come from other worlds rule out the possibility that their origin was in the mirror world?
—Not necessarily. Think about it—there are too many similarities between that chaotic world and the vestiges. It might not be their homeland, but maybe when they arrive there, they finally become vestiges. In any case, it's not certain. I think the best way to solve the mystery is to keep going and keep killing.
—Seems like the only option. Anyway, does that mean all vestiges originally come from the kingdom of the Ancients?
—I thought about that too, though it seemed ridiculous at first. I mean, there are so many vestiges! Even if we count the populations of all the races combined, there would still be far more vestiges. But the only vestige I've killed that didn't come from the mirror world also seems to indicate it's from the kingdom of the Ancients. What about you, Deuz? Do any of the descriptions in your Codex suggest something different?— Sein finally asked, turning to the beret-wearing boy, who simply shook his head.
—Well, it's been a fun weekend... I think. But I have other matters to attend to. Sein already gave me your number. We'll be in touch for our next trip to the mirror world. See you later!
—Take care.
—Goodbye, Deuz!— Sein energetically waved his hand to bid farewell to the beret-wearing boy. Kaze didn't say anything and simply nodded in acknowledgment. Deuz gave a small bow and stepped into the shadows, disappearing from everyone's senses. Shoun was about to ask if he was still there, but then he heard the door open and close— I think I should head out too. We have school tomorrow. Take care, guys!
—Goodbye, Sein— After the boy left, only Kaze and Shoun remained. Each sat at one end of the couch. Kaze silently watched the cowboy movie, while Shoun was lost in thought about everything they had experienced recently. Then, the masked man broke the silence:
—Why did you put yourself in danger on purpose?
—Huh?... You mean when I overloaded myself?— Shoun didn't think Kaze was referring to when he protected Sein. His question was answered with a simple nod from the masked man— Well, we were in danger, so... it seemed like the most logical thing to do. Anyway, why bring it up again now?
—The topic got sidetracked earlier. Even knowing it would hurt you, why did you do it?
—...I couldn't stand watching you all fight while I couldn't help... I didn't want you to get hurt just so I could stay alive. I can handle pain well, especially if it's to protect you all.
—Why can you handle so much pain? Is it because of what you went through at the orphanage?
—...Yes— Kaze knew Shoun didn't want to talk about his experiences during those years, so he didn't press further.
—Shoun, we can also handle pain if it means protecting you— Kaze said briefly but firmly in his monotone voice. Despite that, his words deeply affected Shoun. The young man simply nodded and stood up.
—I-I have school tomorrow. Plus, I need to wash this uniform. Having so much vestige blood staining it disgusts me. See you tomorrow— Kaze nodded in acknowledgment as he watched TV. Shoun, on the other hand, did his best to keep the tears welling in the corners of his eyes from falling until he was out of the room.
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Meanwhile, Sein was walking through the now-dark streets of the city, poorly lit by a few streetlights. Before, he might have been scared to walk alone at this hour, but now that he was a Codex bearer, he doubted a thief could even scratch him—especially considering his training.
—(Anyway, I need to hurry. I told Grandma I was sleeping over at Shoun's place for a pajama party... I don't know how much longer I can keep up this lie)— Sein had claimed that he had gotten his grandmother's permission to become a Codex bearer. Even though it wasn't legally necessary, Shoun still didn't feel comfortable making Sein a Codex bearer without his legal guardian's consent. Sein, on the other hand, had lied to his friend, making him believe he had his grandmother's permission. As for her? She wasn't even aware that her grandson was a Codex bearer—and an outstanding one at that! So Sein had worked tirelessly to hide anything that could give him away, like letters from the guild or the government. The reason for these lies was that Sein knew his grandmother didn't have the best opinion of Codex bearers, always telling him to stay away from that profession—(It's a miracle she believed the lie that some cables had fallen near Shoun's house, cutting off communication for the entire weekend).
With a sigh, Sein entered a nearby park, more specifically the playground area. If he crossed it and walked a bit, he'd be home in no time.
—(Anyway, it's a nice night. I don't know what could make it better)— The boy admired the stars for a moment before his gaze settled on a specific spot in the playground. It was the swings. On one of them sat a young girl with brown hair and pointed ears, indicating she was part of the elf race. On her head was a black hat with various pins, and she wore a large white coat. Underneath, she had a black skirt and shirt, and on her feet were large brown boots—(Wow... she's... really cute)— Driven by an impulse he didn't quite understand, Sein inspected the girl more closely and was met with another surprise—(She's an apprentice!?)— The boy was stunned for a few seconds, but before he could react, he realized the elf girl was looking back at him.