Chapter 1: Safe and Sound

Chapter 1: Safe and Sound

SONGBIRDS chirped a soothing melody.

Warm morning light shined down on Aki’s closed eyelids, rousing her from sleep. Images of Elias suffering in the cage of light flashed through her tired mind, shocking her out of bed.

“…Elias!” she cried his name and darted her eyes around, ready for a fight, only to be greeted by a laughably peaceful morning that was the exact opposite of the life-threatening situation she last remembered.

A gentle breeze blew in through the cracked open window, swaying the cotton curtains. Sunlight filled the room, people could be heard greeting each other in the streets below, and waves crashed against the nearby shoreline.

Isn’t this the inn we were staying at in Port City?

Aki was sitting on a simple twin bed with a log frame inside a cozy room with wood paneling. There was no mistaking it: this was the same room she had caught up on things with Nako and where she’d relaxed around the table with Elias and the Hero Party. Those peaceful moments together seemed like they had happened ages ago.

I made it back? How?

Aki held her hand to her head and scoured her memories. The last thing she remembered was diving into the light cage and embracing Elias as if their lives depended on it.

My forehead started to burn after that and I had to close my eyes against the blinding light. Then what happened?

Try as she might, there weren’t any memories left for her to dredge up. She had no idea how she made it back to the inn.

…Was everything just a dream? Aki wondered, then immediately shook her head. No, it definitely happened.

When she tried to stand, she was made painfully aware of the extreme fatigue making her limbs feel like lead and the dizziness slowing her thoughts—likely side effects of using ancient magic with Johann inside the Ancient Ruins. She eased back down on the side of the bed and took deep breaths.

Then she dropped her gaze to her attire to find she had been changed out of her usual beige skirt suit into a comfortable red dress with a pretty floral pattern. Gold thread embroidered the hem and elbow-length sleeves with roses. It looked like the kind of casual dresses she had seen this world’s city girls wearing.

The leather corset had been tied loosely, which could only mean someone had helped her change out of her suit while she was unconscious. Her skirt suit had definitely seen better days than when she got soaked, muddied, and bloodied during her hike and fight inside the cave.

“…I should let the others know I’m awake…”

Aki bent over to put on the shoes conveniently left on the floor beside the bed. She looked up just as the door opened a crack and Mina peeked in.

“Aki?”

“Mina!” Aki’s face lit up.

Mina threw what she was carrying onto the other bed and ran over so fast she nearly tripped. “Aki! Thank the Goddess! You woke up!” She pulled Aki’s head to her chest and squeezed her so hard it hurt to breathe.

The warmth of her embrace let it sink in that Aki really had come back from the cavern in one piece, and relief filled her all at once.

Aki wrapped her arms around Mina’s back and returned the hug.

“I’m glad you’re safe too, Mina! We made it back. We really did…” Just putting it into words warmed her heart.

Mina stepped back and nodded repeatedly, tears glistening in her hazel eyes.

“Yes, yes, we did! We all made it back safe and sound. Elias, Leo, Johann, Louis, and Sutcliff are alive and well too…!” Mina smiled and patted Aki on the head like an older sister. “We’re safe thanks to you. Thank you for saving us.”

Tears filled Aki’s eyes and spilled onto her décolleté. “W-Was I finally useful to everyone? Did I succeed in protecting Elias…?”

Since the day she arrived, Aki was distressed by her powerlessness. But now she had finally tapped into the Goddess’s power and assisted her party as the Hero’s Right-hand.

Mina reached out and hugged her again, then reassuringly rubbed the back of her head.

“Of course, silly. And it’s not like that was the first time. You’ve saved us in so many ways. People need to be saved from more than just monsters. You have supported me, Elias, Leo, and the others mentally as well.” Mina faced Aki and winked. “We love you so much, Aki! We couldn’t have made it this far without you!”

“Mina…”

Aki buried her face in Mina’s shoulder. Mina had given her the words she needed to hear most after the ordeal she had been through.

***

AFTER sufficiently basking in their reunion, Aki sat with Mina on the bed and heard all about what happened after she passed out.

According to Mina, Aki, Leo, and Johann had succeeded in sealing the Solar Goddess’s powers inside Elias, but the four of them lost consciousness as a result.

The resulting energy burst caused the Ancient Ruins to start collapsing, and Lunar Magic users Louis and Sutcliff worked together to cast a large-scale teleportation spell to evacuate the entire Hero Party to the inn. Mina laughed and flexed when she got to the part about a horde of monsters flooding the cave while they were in the middle of casting the spell and how she gracefully drove them away.

She told the story as if it had been a walk in the park, but Aki could only guess at how difficult it must have been to protect four unconscious people from monsters and falling debris.

Thank you, Mina…

They succeeded in bringing Elias back because they worked together, saving each other when they needed saving.

The four unconscious members then slept an entire day without waking after Mina and the others got them back to the inn.

It was now the dawn of a new day, but Elias, Leo, and Johann had expended so much energy, they were still sound asleep in their respective rooms.

I hope they’re okay…

“They’re on their way to a full recovery too,” Mina reassured and rubbed Aki’s shoulder when she saw the worry on her face. “If you feel up to moving around, why don’t you go check on the guys? Someone might be up by now. I’m pretty sure they’d be the happiest if you’re the first person they see when they wake up.”

“You think so?” Aki didn’t sound too sure. “I guess I’ll go check on them now then.”

As she stood to go, Aki suddenly realized Nako wasn’t around. “Hey, Mina? My younger sister Nako should have been waiting for us here. Did you see her? Maybe she went to take care of Johann.”

“…Nako?” Mina blinked as if she’d never heard the name before.

Maybe she hasn’t run into Nako yet?

“When Elias and I challenged the Ancient Ruins Quest, we left Johann, Leo, and Nako at the inn. Johann and Leo came to help us with the Quest, so Nako should still be here,” Aki explained.

“That’s strange…” Mina rubbed her chin. “I don’t remember running into anyone other than the innkeeper after we teleported here yesterday. No one else has entered any of the rooms either.”

“Really?”

Did Nako go out? Did something happen while we were away? I should ask Leo and Johann if they know anything.

With her mind made up to question the others, Aki headed for the door. As she approached it, she heard someone running down the hallway at full speed before a familiar face flew into the room.

“Aki! You’re up!”

It was Sutcliff, of all people, who had come running to see her, but she couldn’t even react before he fell to his knees and pressed his forehead against the wood floor in a groveling position.

“Aki! I’m seriously sorry! I know what I did can’t be undone with an apology, but sayin’ sorry’s the only thing I can think of! I can never make up for the way I hurt you and the Hero. I’m so sorry…” he apologized to the floor.

Aki crouched in front of him. She shook him by the shoulders, trying to get him to raise his face. “Sutcliff, it’s all right. I’m all right! Please don’t grovel.”

The mere memory of him stabbing her shoulder gave Aki chills even now, and the resulting devastation caused by activating the Solar Goddess’s power in Elias had put them all in grave danger. Even if Sutcliff was just following the Dark Lord’s orders, his actions were still unpardonable. Elias in particular had been dealt a crippling blow through the events of the past few days.

He had been the root cause of their suffering, but without Sutcliff there, Aki doubted they could have reached Elias with his mind taken over by the Solar Goddess or teleported out of the cavern in time. A piece of her was glad to have him on their side. He proved that the Shadow Tribe’s magic and physical capabilities far surpassed humans’.

When Aki told him that, Sutcliff raised his head and emotionally hugged her—or rather, clung to her waist.

“Uhh?” she squeaked, going stiff.

“Lady Aki…no, from today forward I swear to devote myself to you, so you are Boss Lady! Use and abuse me for the rest of my life!” he requested with zeal, ignoring her slack-jawed reaction.

“…Pardon?” It took a whole ten seconds before Aki registered what he said and the fact she was locked in his arms. She gave him a little push to put distance between them, but he wouldn’t release her. “It’s fine, really! I don’t need you to serve me! Please let go, Sutcliff!”

Mina had been shaking her head the whole time, but since she saw Aki wanted space, she grabbed Sutcliff by the shoulder and dragged him away from her.

“Hey! Don’t go touching Elias’s woman! Are all Shadow Tribe members as clingy and needy as you?! Sheesh a meesh.”

If the Dark Lord and Sutcliff were anything to go by, the Shadow Tribe was full of unpredictable, idiosyncratic people who came across as sinister at first but were actually good at heart, if not a little off-kilter. They seemed oblivious toward human boundaries.

Thanks to Mina and Sutcliff, Aki was surrounded by laughter and cheerful banter for the first time in a long time.

Before she knew it, she was laughing out loud watching Mina bonking Sutcliff on the head until he was on his knees begging for mercy.

***

“OH yeah, you said you haven’t seen Nako around, right?” Sutcliff brought up after their laughter subsided. He sat comfortably on the floor with his legs crossed. “I honed my senses and detected faint traces of Mister Lord Dark Lord’s magic in this room. So I’d guess that he brought Nako back to his castle for whatever reason.”

“The Dark Lord did?” Aki wasn’t expecting that. “Why?”

Worry creased Sutcliff’s brow. “Can’t say. But from what I know, he deliberately set Nako free so she could meet up with you. Something big must’ve gone down for him to come get her earlier than planned.”

Does that mean Nako was in so much danger the Dark Lord had to rescue her? Aki wondered. Or did she leave with him for another reason? A reason she couldn’t stay with us…

“Don’t ya worry too much!” Sutcliff caught the fleeting look of despair on Aki’s face and grinned to cheer her up. “I, your great and mighty servant, shall temporarily return to the castle once Heroboy and the gang wake up. I’ll check on Nako while I’m there.”

“Thank you, Sutcliff. I’m glad you’re on our side now,” Aki said with a relieved smile.

Sutcliff blinked three times before uncomfortably looking away. He sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “…Is it just me or are you good to the bone? You’re too forgivin’ and pure. You should hate me for what I did and yet here you are saying you’re glad to have me on your side. That’s just…”

Struggling to put his feelings into words, Sutcliff mumbled the last part.

“I think I figured out why Heroboy and Master Leo fell so hard for you, Boss Lady. I bet your inability to hate and your straightforward kindness is a refuge for them,” he said, smiling softly up at the ceiling. He put his hands on his knees and stood. “I like that part of ya too. I know I can’t undo the hurt I caused, but I’m here if you ever need me. Call on me when you need a hand. I’m your guy.”

He laughed bashfully and beckoned Aki closer. Curious, she leaned in close.

Sutcliff snapped his fingers and beads of light danced over his hand. The beads merged and transformed into an ancient book with a rouge leather spine. The same book he had shown off inside the Ancient Ruins.

The Book of Creation copy! Aki gasped.

Sutcliff dangled it from his fingers in front of her face.

“This is the book Lord Dark Lord ordered me to give Hero Elias. I told you this before, but the original copy is located deep within Sanctuary, and only a handful of High Priests can look at it. After all, this book contains the true history of this world, which Sanctuary has long kept secret.”

Sutcliff narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. “This book is bulging with facts that’ll doom Sanctuary if they ever get exposed… A lot went down during ancient times that ain’t pretty…”

Sutcliff’s doleful smile seemed to hint at first-hand knowledge of the Creation Era. The Shadow Tribe was said to live much longer than humans.

Maybe he experienced the Creation Era for himself? Aki looked to Sutcliff with that unsaid question hanging between them. He dropped the Book of Creation onto her hands as if to avoid going there. Her hands sank with the weight.

Ugh, it’s heavy! Aki’s eyes bulged as she propped up the hefty old book.

Sutcliff waved it around like it was lighter than a feather, but Aki needed to hold it firmly with both hands or she would have dropped it.

Silver beautifully framed the four corners of the book and, to Aki’s surprise, the cover was embellished with the same mark of the sun and moon that had appeared on Elias and her forehead.

I knew it. These crests are intricately connected to the Creation Era and this book explains why… And it also depicts the truth about the Hero and Dark Lord and their Right-hands like Nako was telling me.

Mina gave the Book of Creation an apprehensive look. “…Say, is it all right if I look at that book too?” she asked. She had remained a silent onlooker until then.

“Go for it. I can tell you’ll be stickin’ around to protect Boss Lady and the gang. So be my guest,” Sutcliff permitted with uncanny casualness for a book full of nation-destroying secrets.

Aki tentatively turned over the cover and peered down at the first page with Mina at her side. Small cryptic letters were scrawled across the pages. The letters looked like emoji hieroglyphs. They resembled what Leo drew in his magic circles.

“…Looks like it was written in the ancient script,” Mina groaned. “Same stuff that was written on the Ancient Ruin walls and that Leo and Johann use for their magic circles.”

“I see… Guess you need to know the language to read it. Can you read ancient script, Mina?” Aki asked, pointing to the squiggly lines on the page.

“Just a smidge.” Mina shrugged. “Learned enough to get by as a Thief. But I wouldn’t be able to get through this brick of text in my lifetime. We need an expert.” She smacked her hands together as soon as she said expert. “Speaking of experts, we’ve got just the man in our party! He’ll burn through this heifer in no time,” she exclaimed, pressing her fingers together.

Aki instantly thought of the man who had read the Ancient Ruin walls with ease. “You mean Louis, right? He seemed to really know his stuff. Maybe he has a knack for deciphering ancient script. Plus, with his knowledge of history, he might have an easier time with it.” She looked up at Sutcliff. “Hey, Sutcliff?”

“What’s up?”

“Is it all right if we have our party Minstrel translate the Book of Creation?” Aki asked, assuming it’d be okay since Louis was also a member of the Hero Party.

“Him?” Sutcliff rubbed his chin for a few moments before coming to a decision. “He goes by Louis Neal now, right? You can show him without a problem. While you’re at it, can you tell him if he’s gonna lend a hand, he’d better see it through until the end?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mina asked, sensing something more behind his words. Sutcliff shrugged, signaling he had nothing more to say on the matter.

Does Sutcliff know something about Louis that we don’t?

All Aki knew about him was that he was a Minstrel and a nobleman’s third son. Yet for that background he had succeeded in teleporting the Hero Party with just Sutcliff’s assistance, had intimate knowledge about the ancients, and seemed to be shrouded in mystery.

Is Louis really just a Minstrel? Or is there more to him? We might need to sit down and have a good talk about it before going too far on this journey together.

“Anyway, enough chitchat. Would you mind goin’ and checking up on Heroboy and Master Leo?” Sutcliff asked Aki. “Seeing your face is just the right kinda medicine for them.”

“Sure. In that case,” Aki held out the Book of Creation to Mina, “can you bring this to Louis? The sooner he looks at it the better.”

“Happy to do it.” Mina accepted the book with both hands and winked.

Aki waved goodbye to Mina and Sutcliff and hurried anxiously off to Elias’s room, her heart aflutter with anticipation for their long-awaited reunion now that she finally had her hero back.