LETTER

RUSTAIN POV

AH~ it feels so cold.

My bearskin is pressed against a very smooth surface, and upon opening my eyes I'm back again to where I met Kuro for the first-time.

"Kuro!!"

I shouted but my voice only echoed through this pitch dark place, the silence just returned but out of nowhere a strong gust of wind blew behind me.

"Fresh air? Where's it coming from?"

Looking around I could only feel and hear the air flowing around me. I concentrated my senses and determined where the wind was coming from, and from there I sensed slight elemental energy to the east and silently followed it.

Continuing what I'm doing I saw a faint glow of the shade, green, from afar I saw an orb and it seems this is where the wind is originating from.

As I got closer, I felt my body absorbing the energy inside the orb.

*curious*

I told myself but I also felt the energy from it is rapidly leaking away.

"Hurry absorb it now before the power inside of it fades!!"

Kuro emerges from the corner of my eyes with his anxious voice. That moment the orb began to leak more and faster than I could anticipate, I immediately held onto the orb, and instinctively my body began to absorb but it was not fast enough, at the moment when I got the hang of it it was only a quarter away from depleting.

After a minute when I finally absorbed the remaining energy I fell flat on the ground exhausted.

"Kuro! What was that, what happened?"

"The Magic inside the orb went somewhere else but don't worry, you manage to absorbed almost half of it"

(Huff!! Huff)

Catching my breath I then was pulled away from my unconscious state when a sudden jolt woke me up.

"UGH!!"

Sei suddenly jumped out of nowhere and landed on top of me, she looked at me and the wide smile on her face can't be hidden as it stretched from ear to ear.

"Grandpa, he's awake!?"

Sei shouted and instantly the old man came rushing in. I tried to sit properly and looked around the room where I was lying down.

"Took you long enough kid, but it's still a surprise to wake up just after a day of recovery"

I looked into my seat and saw Sir Kai sitting with his shoulders covered in bandages.

"How did I get here"

"It's your grandfather that brought us here after you fainted I tried to carry you as near as I can to the village, good thing your old man saw us and immediately treated you"

Sir Kai said, carefully observing me, he then smiled and started to walk out of the door.

"Looks like you okay now how to meet me later in the afternoon at my house I'll tell you something"

He left which then swayed my attention to the bed right beside me, it was Kaizer laying on the bed unconscious.

"You brat how dare you leave him in a cripple state, if I didn't find him on time he would be attacked by a beast in the forest, also Sei, ... But I'm glad you okay"

The old man said, giving me a warm smile.

For all the time I have experienced, this is the first time I had a clear thought in regards to my feelings, I felt happy at the moment like all my worries fade and my mind at ease.

*these people, now could I never noticed I have been focused on myself and about my reasons that I neglect the people that genuinely care for me.*

"Thank you for everything"

Saying in the deepest part of me I started to shed tears, I never have been truly happy since my life-changing events. But right now I am really happy.

••••••

Just resting and sitting on my bed, Sei filled me up with all that happened when I was asleep.

After I fall unconscious, reinforcement from the nearby city arrives, exterminating the rest of the beast horde around the village, and everyone also starts to rebuild the houses near the gates which were affected by the horde.

"By the way, I was wondering, do you own a cat brother??"

"Huh? Why"

"No it's nothing it's just since you were brought here there's a cat that followed us here, his fur is so dark and he so cute, the cat is still staying outside by the way grandpa tried to feed it but it never ate"

Sei giggles talking about the cat.

*hmm... Kuro? Was he worried about me?*

"Oh on second thought, yes I have a pet cat I just met it about a few days ago when you left for the city"

"Oh is that so, then you better take care of it I'm worried that it's starving itself."

Sei left afterward, leaving me alone with unconscious roommates, I called his name.

|Kuro|

He immediately responded emerging from under my bed.

|Yes, Rustain?|

|What was that? The green orb|

|Fenrir's wind magic, but for an unknown reason, it was drawn to another place, by the way, stay still I can't do this earlier since you were monitored|

Kuro started to chant and slowly I felt my body became lighter, my joint aches were subdued, and my wounds healed instantly.

"Woah! By the way, since you've healed me do you have any idea who Sir Kai is? He seems to know something"

I stood up and grabbed some of my spare clothes, Kuro then walked towards the door.

|you'll know soon enough didn't he asked you to meet him, let's better go. Oh don't forget to talk to me through telepathy, you don't want others to think you're crazy right?|

I nodded and went out as soon as I finished changing.

••••••••

I arrived exactly when the sun was setting, in front of me was the house of Sir Kai, the empty neighborhood was filled with the sound of clanging blades.

*The sound is coming from the back, I better check it*

I slowly walked around the house and the closer I got the more the sound became vivid, the sound of hammering of the blades.

*a blacksmith?*

Upon getting a closer inspection I saw Sir Kai forging a blade,

"Sir Kai!! You should be resting, as a patient myself I'm going to tell you it's not good to strain your body"

"I know that kid, I don't have much time left anyway, here take this,"

(Cough!!)

Sir Kai began to intently cough.

"You should go to gramps he--"

He held my hand not allowing me to leave, shook his head, and handed me two pieces of the letter.

"No need, we had a slight conversation not long ago and he mentioned that you were planning to go back on the first realm, gotta say *Cough* you have a long way kid but that letter should help"

"What is this anyway?"

Giving him the worried look, my forehead creased and my eyebrows got closer. Seeing how pale he got it got me worried, but he looked me in the eyes firmly as possible.

"It's a letter of recommendation, a friend of mine runs a school, getting from this realm to the next required a permission, and only noble fat give you that,"

"If you say that, then why is this connected to a school?"

"Every year it always sends talented individuals to the upper realms to compete, and if you had a good standing you might get pick"

"Thus this means sir Kai I get back?"

He nodded.

"Still if you plan to leave you better get ready if I remember it will take 4 months to get there and by then you'll be attending the second half of the school year"

"Wait, why are you giving this to me and why two?"

He chuckled when I said it, smiling towards me he grinned and came closer to my ears.

He whispered something that I never expected.

"Him??"

••••••••