Chapter 2

Radcliff POV

"Huh did someone just pass by," a middle aged exclaimed while pushing cart of mustard bread, "probably my imagination, need to speed up or I am going to miss my morning sales."

Of course the bread seller was not wrong as someone did pass by. It was none other than me. I cast an invisibility on myself to completely erase my presence, I picked up two breads, left some copper coins of the value I estimated the breads would be and leave. However, as I was leaving I almost shrugged his shoulder which lead him to the idea that someone might have passed by. Even though I was trained by assassins and even the assassins said that I had a talent in the assassination arts, even though I had absolutely no intention of becoming an assassin. That was a rookie mistake on my part. Thankfully I used a thought muddling spell to manipulate his thoughts and went away with it.

The town have absolutely changed from what I remembered them to be. When I first came two days ago I thought that the only thing that changed was the castle, due to being old and abandoned. However, that was not at all the case. Even though the positions of some shops and buildings have remained inconsistent, their designs and frames have changed beyond what I could recognize. Although the town did change it still carried the same nostalgic and homeliness it had in the past. This town, Nirmia, where I was born remained unchanged in its core and I was thankful for it.

I used an invisibility spell so that the townsmen could not recognize me. I still could not be sure whether they will recognize me as an individual or as a former-lord-traitor's son. Although I looked forward to conversing with them, helping them and even befriending them over again like in the past, I was still afraid. Afraid that I would be alienated, afraid that they would not accept me. Even though I have no one to complain to about, that bastard being dead, I hate having to pay his dues.

I had been inside the old castle for the past two days after I came in here. The only thing I had been having consisted of mostly beef jerky and potatoes that I had carried all the way from the capital. I thought that perhaps the well a small distance from the castle, as I remembered it to be, might still be useable. Thankfully the well as still being used and I did not have much problem with the water as I purified it as well as all the nearby water bodies with magic.

Yesterday, however an incident did happen. Since I was tired with only the hard and chewy beef jerky I decided to get some herbs from the surrounding shrubs after all most villages and forests do have a lot of edible plants and herbs growing in abundance. Although my botanical knowledge was mediocre I could still tell the difference between poisonous and helpful plants. However, that would have been great if I did get some herbs to cook along with my potatoes. While I was picking up some herbs I thought I had noticed a rabbit from the corner of my eyes. To satisfy both my curiosity and my taste I decided to hunt that rabbit with my actually-zero-but-self-overstated hunting knowledge. Anyways, so while I was tracking the rabbit through the maze of trees in the boundary of the forest, behind the castle a sudden sharp scream colored the silence of the night. Then I remembered my mistake. Back tracing both my steps and my memory I remember having seen some colorful fabric somewhere. Since I was hunting I did not pay much attention to it. Judging on the colorful fabric and the sudden scream I must have had encountered a faint hearted girl who probably thought that I was a ghost and so screamed in terror.

Since I was too scared to face the townsmen, I did not come to the town. Even then I was seen. Hence, I decided to get out, grab some grub and sightsee around filling the gaps of my memory lane. Besides I also had a work to do, or more appropriately I had to prepare a precaution in the face of a probable danger. Since my house Kousov was an ancient house that has amassed a lot of money and treasure throughout the ages, there were lot of other houses who envy over our wealth. Besides we even owned a top ranking assassination guild that has risen the ranks thanks to my greedy father, who even killed his brothers for it. Now that only me and my sister remained of the house Kousov, many enemies would surely come for our lives. My sister is safe since she has butler Remus, a former sword king as her protector and the assassination guild as her strongest backings.

I walked far enough before coming to the boundary of the great plains. These plains had the only path from the capital to this town. I buried a grand rank magic-stone and an immortal grass seed 8 meters beneath the ground using magic. I then invoked the magic hostility wall which extended to the Kousov forest behind the castle. This wall was supposed to follow my every command and also give me the benefit of detecting as well as rejecting entrance to any hostile entities.

It took a few hours to make this wall. Of course almost no human, even with magic powers would be able to detect this wall. Only those with extreme mana or those who own certain techniques would be able to detect this wall beforehand. Since I did not have any guard or protectors, unlike my sister, along with me this would be the only thing standing between me and any enemies that might come after me for until I left for Eton academy.

It was almost midnight when I completed the wall construction. I am tired and out of mana. Unable to keep my invisibility, my form appeared. Fortunately, there was no one nearby or else the 'screaming girl in the forest would have been recreated. I did not bring any magic crystals along with me as well since I completely overestimated my mana-reserves. Although, I was born with a huge mana reserve, I lazed around too much instead of cultivating mana, like my sister, which resulted in my current state. I even started feeling sick and then my vision blurred a little due to mana deficiency.

I straightened myself and started walking inwards towards the town while taking deep breaths. Right now I could only rely on my martial art techniques which gave a deep discipline to my body and its blood using the wind form breathing technique that Butler Remus had taught me previously. Slowly the blur in my eyes retreated. Even though I was still suffering from mana deficiency I could still stand up properly and put a healthy appearance, even though I still felt a slight headache.

Now that my vision is blurry no more and I can think straight I noticed that there were too many people and too much lights in the streets. I casually followed the path the crowd of people were taking till I came to the town square. Perhaps it was some sort of festival. The town square was illuminated with multi-colored lights, a product that can only exist due to the hardships of magical research. Now that I think back when I was a child my sister had wanted to grow up to be a magical researcher and discover many new functions of magic for the welfare of the commoners. Too bad she never got a chance and even had to give up that dream for the family.

"Old man, please give me a hotdog," I asked one of the many vendors that lined up the colorful streets.

"There you go young-man, that will be 3 coppers," he said handing me a mustard smelling and overly saucy hotdog, not that I minded much.

"Hey old man I am not from this town, so is there a festival going around in here?" I asked politely.

"It's the festival of the victors which has been here in this parts since the town's victory over the were-beast attacks from thirteen years ago," He smiles showing his yellow teeth before suddenly changing his expression as if he was thinking hard.

"But you sure you are not from around here," He said with some suspicion while triggering my heart beats, "It feels like I saw you somewhere, perhaps a long time ago!"

"Surely not old man," I reply shrugging his suspicions off, "your mind must be playing trick."

I scatter away while swallowing the hotdog before he could ask anything more.

That was a close call. Although I did not absolutely remember the old man he might have a great memory to actually remember me from thirteen years ago, what more when I was just a child. That man has one scary institution, if you tell me.

All of a sudden I came to the realization that a huge crowd had pushed me to some crowded street that I had no knowledge of. My ears kept ringing because of all the buzzing and I could not even see straight because of the crowd. I lacked mana to escape using magic.

"Give way Give way!" a group of people towing a huge frenzied buffalo screamed.

That was when I understood this was my only chance to escape. Before I knew it my legs by instinct started to move on their own. I pushed through the crowd and then jumped with all my might before landing

"Finally!" I exclaim before looking to my left after realizing that I wasn't the only one trying to escape the crowd. When I looked towards her, she too looked towards me and our eyes met. She was about my age and a perfect beauty that could bring wars to any kingdom. Her shiny black hair could attract anyone to touch it. And her black eyes were reflecting everything I saw back at me with a certain pureness. The moon paled in comparison to her beauty. Most people in the capital used to say that the goddess Sistine is the most beautiful goddess on creation. However, I believed that the Girl before me must be even more beautiful than any Goddess could ever be. However, it wasn't her beauty that made me stare at her. It was the fact it rekindled my feelings towards a certain girl who I used to be closed with thirteen years back. I stared at her because she was my first love.