Offer (1)

Hiroshi Maerlyin?

"That's an unusual name, isn't it."

He laughed with a smile.

"Hahaha, I've been told that a lot; it's my last name right?"

"It's a name you don't hear much about, it came from my ancestors, centuries ago."

His expression was full of interest, it seemed like he wanted to talk with a person for a long time.

"Would you perhaps hear the story behind it?"

I didn't even hesitate before I quickly nodded, there wasn't a reason why I would decline a story from such a nice man.

"The Legend of Maerlyin"

"Long before the rise of kingdoms and the birth of empires, in a time when the world was young and the lines between the realms of men and gods were thin, there was a name spoken in whispers across the land—Maerlyin."

"The Maerlyin was not merely one person, but a lineage—a bloodline cursed and blessed with ancient power. The first Maerlyin was said to be born from a union of light and shadow, a child whose destiny was woven by the hands of both fate and doom. From the moment of their birth, it was clear that the Maerlyin were bound by a cruel twist of destiny: to be the guardians of knowledge no one should possess, to walk the line between creation and destruction, and to bear the weight of a tragic fate."

He took a small break before continuing his story.

"Each generation of Maerlyin carried the burden of this cursed lineage. The power granted to them allowed them to see the threads of time itself—to glimpse futures that should never be known, and pasts that should never be unearthed. They were revered as sages, feared as sorcerers, and hunted by those who wished to claim their secrets. But with great knowledge came great sorrow, for the Maerlyin were always fated to witness the fall of everything they held dear."

"The stories say that every Maerlyin faced three trials: the Test of Knowledge, where they would confront truths that would shatter lesser minds; the Test of Loyalty, where they would have to choose between their power and those they loved; and the Test of Eternity, where they would be offered a chance to transcend time, though at the cost of their soul. Each Maerlyin chose differently, shaping the fate of the world in subtle but profound ways."

"The last known Maerlyin was said to have broken the curse, not by seeking power, but by relinquishing it. Instead of bending fate to their will, they let fate break them, choosing self-sacrifice over dominion. Yet, the world was left to wonder—was this the end of the Maerlyin line, or merely the beginning of a new cycle?"

"To this day, the name Maerlyin is spoken in the darkest corners of forgotten libraries etched into the oldest stones, and sung in the dirges of forgotten lands. It is a name that embodies both wisdom and tragedy, a symbol of the endless struggle against fate and the refusal to give in to despair, no matter the odds."

"The legend endures, for as long as there are those who seek forbidden knowledge and walk the path between light and shadow, the name Maerlyin will never truly fade from history."

I gasped, creating a speechless expression.

He laughed after seeing my face.

I was quite shocked by the legend, but one thing didn't make sense; if the last one sacrificed itself, how is he alive?

"Are you part of the legend?"

He shook his head, both agreeing and disagreeing.

"Although I'm not sure why I'm given the name Maerlyin, I don't have any memories of me or my dad—not even my grandparents of being such historical figures, and neither did they tell me anything about the history. I found the information myself, I dived into the past and learned this."

His eyes look tired, similar to a person who's been working day and night. 

He was trying to force himself to smile while speaking, it was easy to see through it, even for a guy like me who lost his memories.

I didn't exactly know how to react or respond to the legend, it felt like a new experience again, like talking to a stranger—no he's more than that, I should at least call him a good man.

His eyes widened before he continued to talk again.

"Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Are you a self-proclaimed Maerlyin?" I asked out of interest.

Well, there was not anything in particular I wanted to know, but I wanted to at least show him that I was interested.

After hearing my question he slightly shook his head.

"I'm not a self-proclaimed Maerlyin, but it's up to you if you want to believe it or not. Many people don't like the fact that I have this name, that's why I'd rather stay quiet instead of talking about it."

I hesitated before asking another question, first of all; why is he telling me this? And second of all; what if he gets mad?

But I genuinely got interested after hearing about his name, and there's another thing I wanted to know.

I took a deep breath before asking a question again.

"Did you face one of those trials?" I asked out of curiosity.

He slightly nodded before answering my question.

"I did, but differently; I didn't face them directly, but instead I faced them subconsciously, I was given opportunities in life, but only after them did I get interested in the past and that's when I learned the legend about it."

My eyes widened after hearing his answer, and could barely process what I was hearing.

After that the conversation was silenced, we both just sat on the bank enjoying the view.

It felt peaceful, a way I never felt before, even after losing memories I could feel that I hadn't experienced this sensation before.

The atmosphere was similar to a conversation between a grandfather who was telling stories to his grandson.

Finally, I got a glimpse of his full face. It was a quick moment, but I noticed his old features; it seemed like he was a wise man; a true warrior of his own.

…

Eventually, he broke the silence.

"Ahh… Peaceful isn't it? You don't get to enjoy these often nowadays."

"This might sound off topic, but can I ask why you chose me to talk to? I look like an outcast and I don't even know anything about myself either…"

He just laughed it off.

"Ah… I see, you don't get the reason why I decided to help you, but you get it soon, perhaps you don't realize it yet."

Wait, what? 

My mind rapidly spun, struggling to catch up.

It seems like he noticed my confusion and that led him to talk again.

"There's no need to worry about it, there's no point in knowing it now."

"But of course, there's a reason why I helped you out, usually I don't do this."

He glared at me with a mix of both seriousness and a bit of foolishness, his eyes were sharp, more sharp than you could ever imagine, it looked like just a normal old man, but in reality, he's something else, something way beyond that.

I couldn't predict what he was capable of doing, it felt like he was doing something. I mean he did tell me about the legend and mentioned mysterious powers.

Well not that I can gain anything by knowing what he's capable of, but he sure is something else.

Wait… I shouldn't be thinking about that.

But isn't it a bit weird that I'm talking to someone who has a legendary last name?

Well, he's the one who decided to sit next to me, not that I randomly forced an old man to comfort me while sitting next to me. But I do appreciate his kindness.

He just sat there, looking forward at the sky, before clearing his throat. 

"Ahem… So, uh… What do you think?"

"About what?"

"About an opportunity."

An opportunity, that's something you wouldn't expect from someone you just met.

"Could you tell me what you mean by that?"

He hesitated for a moment before answering, it looked like he was preparing something.

"Do you know what a citizen card is?"

"Citizen card?"

"It's evidence that you're part of the country. People who don't have them don't have the right to be here."

"Sounds similar to citizenship."

Hiroshi raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"What's that?"

"Never mind…"

Somehow I knew something that didn't even exist, this is another evidence that I lost memories about myself but not the knowledge.

"I can sense that you aren't from around here, you might end up lost if you've met the wrong person."

"You have the potential to reach something I couldn't."

Reach something he couldn't, what is he expecting out of me? To kill a god?

Well, it wouldn't hurt to accept his offer since I don't have this 'citizen card'.

I wasn't sure if his intentions were good or bad, but either way, I didn't care.

…

"You don't have a place to stay right?"

"I don't."

"I have a proposal."

A shelter was needed to survive, without a place to live you're just going through the same process of finding food and sleeping on the streets which is dangerous. With a home, you could at least feel safe.

If you're homeless and someone offered you a place to stay, who wouldn't accept that?

Well, this was my case, though I'm not sure, it's pretty obvious that he wants me to do something as a favor if he's going to put a roof above my head.

"A place to stay."

See, people are predictable, and now the question is what he wants in return. I mean who would offer something so precious without expecting anything back?

"But there's a catch."

"A catch?"

"You need to earn the money to pay the rent, in other words, you're going to work for me."

"…"

… Instead of being happy like normal people would, I was bewildered; not only did he offer me a place, but he also offered me a job.