Another Life, Another Chance

As I walked from streets to another, many changes from the last four years, some of the establishments were remodeled and some of it remained the same as it was back then. I decided to go to the market first to buy fruits to bring for them and some sweets as well.

After preparing everything, I set off and went to the nearest carriage station to give me a lift. Right after seeing a familiar face, I was glad that he's doing well. I entered the carriage and sat comfortably. "To the Crania Household please."

Jard looked at me but of course, he'd never notice my new appearance.

"Let me tell you something kid. You'll never set your foot in that household if you don't have an appointment." Jard said testing me if I'll still go.

"Don't worry. I can handle myself well." I said to him as I smiled then looked forward. The carriage started moving and after half an hour of strolling, we made it to the Crania household which became better than it was.

"We're already here." Jard said.

"Thanks." I replied and exited the carriage. I paid him the exact amount and gave him another tip before sending him off.

The guards standing in front of the gates were both looking at me, waiting on my next move. I walked in front of the gate carrying the food that I bought earlier and asked them. "Is this the home of Aldea?"

"Yes, what seems to be your business here?" The other guard grunty said.

"I am here to see her so let me in." I requested.

"Do you have any letter saying that she needs you to come?"

"No." I replied.

"Then return tomorrow."

"I needed to see her now." I requested again.

"Any resistance shall be punished according to the household rules." The other guard butted in.

I think I need to force myself in. I thought to myself when I suddenly remember the mask that I used at my battle with Frill earlier.

I quickly reached on my mask and handed it to them leaving them dumbfounded. "At least show this to her and let her know. Please?"

The other guard tensed up as long as he saw the mask that I'm handing to them. He quickly raised his long spear and pointed it right at my face.

"Come on. Is this the right way of treating your guest?" I asked as I raised two of my hands in the air.

"Hey! What are you doing? Pointing your weapon to a kid!" His partner said as he tried to touch his comrade's shoulders.

"He's the one who killed Frill!" He said with his hands trembling in fear. He must've seen the fight earlier.

"That kid?" The other one said as he laughed very hard until tears came out of his eyes.

"I'm telling you, he's not any ordinary brat. Never set foot in this household!" He said as he threw over my mask unto my chest and watched it until it falls down to the ground.

I kneeled and picked it up then cleaned the dirt that it got.

"When did we permit you in setting your own rules whenever it comes to the guests?" A sudden voice said as she walks near the gate. I smiled as I was kneeling and stood up.

The young girl walks near us and saw the mask I was holding. Her eyes widened and instructed the guards. "Apologize to what you did and let him in."

"But!" The other one tried to nervously talks back to his master.

"Do you defy my orders?" She asked as they hesitantly walks to the handle to open up the gate.

"No need to push yourselves." I said to them as I teleported from my spot outside to the inside beside Aldea.

The two guards that were opening the gates were shocked as they saw me enter without walking through the gate. I smiled to them and turned my back as Aldea called me. "Let's go."

There's a lot that changed in Aldea. Now I'm a little bit taller than her. The hair that she once loved was now cut into a shorter one. I wonder what made her change that.

As we both enter their home, Aldea looked at me and said something. "Don't talk until we're in the library." I nodded once and followed her lead until we reached the library.

***

"Tell me. What is your name? Why did you help Flora earlier?" She asked as she sits down and intently looked at me.

I sat at the chair and smiled at her. "If I tell you my name, would you tell me the reason you cut your own hair?"

She flinched as I mentioned that and looked again at me with confusion. "Huh? Answer my question because if not, I'll be the one to kick you outside of this household" She strongly said.

"Hmm, let's say I'm your long lost friend." I said as I winked at her.

It took her a minute to analyze what I said then looked at me but this time, tears were starting to form from her shiny eyes. "K-Kaiser?" Her stuttering voice said.

"It's been four years, Aldea." I said.

"Where have you been?" She said as she leaned her head on the table and cried.

I stood up and went beside her. "Don't you cry on me. Everything will be fine from now on." I reassured her.

She raised her head and hug me tightly which I accepted. "Now, tell me everything that happened after my disappearance."

***

After consoling her, she told me everything that happened after my disappearance in the hall. When I was teleported to the random domain, they said that Dem immediately went to the scene and stopped the battle, though I don't believe that because I knew that Dem was scheming with the shadow worshippers.

Frill and his partner escaped and the attack was blamed for father which was planned by Dem by presenting as the witness himself. Father was immediately sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. Mother desperately begged Dem to release father but she was slapped by him in the public. My anger was already reaching its limit. I clenched my fist but I still don't have much information about the cult, I can't do anything rash as of now. I have to devise a plan to cut Dem's connection to the Shadow Worshippers. After I disposed of Dem, I'll destroy the shadow cult myself.

The Crania household held our deal so they took mother upon Flora's request. Aldea also said that after mother's departure, our home was attacked and destroyed by the magic casted by our enemies. It's reassuring that I've accepted the deal because if not, mother and Flora should've died the moment I left.

As I was processing everything that Aldea said, she was just staring at me.

"What?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Where have you been?" She asked.

"Well, I was transported to an unfamiliar domain. And then…" I stopped midway because I don't want to reveal about the goddess.

"And then?" Aldea followed up.

"I don't particularly remember what happened back then but I trained myself each day in order to survive the harsh environment in the domain." I said partly lying at her. "It's good to be back."

"Yes. About your battle earlier, I didn't know you were an ice magic user as well." She said.

"Hmm, well I did learn it in the dungeon." I said. "Where can I meet mother?" I asked as I stood up.

"I think she's with Flora, don't worry I'll lead you to their room." She replied as she stood up and wiped her face clean.

I handed her the foods that I got and let her lead me to Flora's room. As we were walking down the hall, she was looking back at me time to time. "What is it?" I asked.

"Are you excited?" She said looking at me trying to understand me.

"Yes, I'm also a bit nervous." I replied.

"Don't worry, I'll be giving you space after I send you to their room."

We went upstairs and take turns in this big mansion until we reached the fancy door made out of oak. Aldea knock once. "It's me, Aldea. I just want to announce something."

My mother's voice answered. "Come in."

Aldea opened the door and gestured me to move beside her and there it was, face to face with my mother as she combs my sister's hair while sitting on the bed.

Even though Delphine changed my hair, my mother easily recognized me without even looking for the second time.

"Kaiser?" She said.

"Eh?" I was dumbfounded as tears began to fall from my eyes. I reached my cheeks to wipe my tears but mother immediately ran to me and hugged me tightly in her arms. I felt sluggish and gave in to her passionate embrace. As if a dam was broken, I felt the urge of emotion surging deep inside of me and I loudly cried. I realized how scared and hard it was to train under Delphine without knowing the whereabouts of my family and here they are, embracing me with such love.

At first Flora was hesitating because she didn't know it was me but seeing how our mother acted, she easily understood it. She also came near the two us and I embraced her just as mother did to me.

After our emotional reunion, mother arranged a meeting including the head of the Crania household.

***

After granting my request to have a selected person in the meeting room, the maid called me and leads me to the room. It was Ismael's office.

I walked inside and saw mother sitting opposite of Ismael. I sat in the vacant chair and instructed the maids to head out in a respectful manner.

"Now then." I said as I released a gust of wind encircling the three of us. "I want this talk to be limited to just the three of us."

Ismael Crania smiled as he knew that I have some good news. He nodded his head in affirmation.

I started to tell them all about the things that happened after I arrived in the random domain. Just like the story that I told to Aldea, I also limited the story that I have to disclose to them during this serious talk. With this, I'm able to hit two birds in one stone by creating a story that's the same as Aldea. By now, only I know the existence of the goddess and my little sister that I left in the domain.

After hearing me out, I requested mother to head out because I have some very special matter to discuss with Ismael.

"How are you doing?" He quickly asked after mother left. His face looks as if he's hungry for answers. "I didn't know that this day would come. I really thought that you died back then. I'm really glad that you came back."

"I'm good. Now that I know that you've followed our deal." I said relaxing my arms at the armrest of the seat. "What's next?" I asked.

"If we go according to our plan, two weeks from now, you will be publicly announced as Aldea's cousin and we'll change your name just for the sake of keeping your original identity. Since you're already eight years old, we need to train you quickly so that when Aldea became twelve, you can serve as her bodyguard and you'll be allowed to be her classmate as well." Ismael said. He then started to scan through the papers that were piled up in the table. "I know that it's hard to start practicing right now since you came back but we need to train you immediately starting tomorrow."

"What are you searching?" I asked.

"I'm trying to find the details of the best mage. She's the one that will train you before studying with Aldea."

"Stop." I said, stopping him to whatever he's doing. "There's no need to find that mage. The years I spent training in that random dungeon is enough for me."

"But the shadow worshippers are not a joke! You're just an eight-year old and we still don't know if you can handle them with your current power." He said as he stomp the table with two of his hands. Noticing my reaction, he retracted and apologized.

"What I need is a training room and a protective barrier. I want to train alone because I know myself better than others." I calmly said. "Please don't underestimate me. If you're not informed, I'm the person that ended Frill's life earlier." I said looking at him seriously.

"Are you for real?" Ismael said as he flinched from his seat looking directly at my eyes.

"Yes, there's no reason to lie." I said as I place the mask at the table. Of course there's no way that he never watched the match earlier. This piece of evidence is the key to make him believe that.

"It seems that you acquired the ice element. Good work concealing that shadow ability of yours." He said after carefully scanning it with his eyes.

"Tomorrow is the grand ceremony for the announcement and prize reward for Flora's victory. I want you to accompany her. Also, set a few guards for her." I said.

"Accepted. Do you have any plans?" He said as he waits for me to talk about some of my new ideas. "Proceed." He then continued. This old man is sharp as the day that I met him.

"I want to destroy the shadow worshippers before entering school." I said to him, his eyes hesitantly looking at me.

"I know it's not normal for an eight-year old kid to say this but, I believe in you." He said as he relaxed his face. "I will support you as long as you can bear its degree of burden."

"That's why I want my plan to be known by only you yourself. I don't want to worry mother anymore."

"If you successfully destroyed the cult, what will you do after?" He curiously asked. Maybe he's wondering if my family will still stay to his mansion or maybe it's about our future connections and collaboration.

"I still don't know. But one thing for sure, I will purge all of them." I replied smiling at him and stood up dispersing my barrier of wind. "For tomorrow, we have to successfully bring father home. After that, my plans will continue with your help."

"Well then. Have a wonderful night, Kaiser." He said as he stood up and walks to the window, staring intently at the beautiful stars.

I headed outside and closed the door.

"The future is bright."

I told to myself as I walk down the dark hallway.

This time, failure is not an option.