Welcome to You

Minutes had passed and still no one dared to speak. Kiha’s eyes bore deeply in Ezequiel’s face, as though she could see through him. The coachman’s lips twist for a second before lowering his face on the bush. He repairs the wheel in silence as Ezequiel is deep in thought. Kiha lets out a faint sigh, it is inaudible that no one has dared to ask what’s wrong. “I’m not blaming you, Zeke, I just want to know if you know who did this?” Her voice is soft and soothing as she places a hand on her knight’s shoulder.

“It’s not your fault, maybe some creatures attacked them after.” She chuckles, trying to make the man smile but fails. The moon is wide awake and the area is now black as twilight. The wind is blowing stronger than any other day. It’s been 2 days since they departed from her comfort place and she never expected to encounter such a terrible crime on the way to the most dangerous land in Eleanor.

The two of them sat down on the ground, not minding the dirt in it. Ezequiel took off his cloak and put it on Kiha’s shoulder while the coachman was sitting far from them. She looked up at the sky and saw a lot of stars, it’s full moon. “I had a nightmare. There is a family. A family of three. And there is a young girl with them, silently watching them eat their food while holding her stomach.” Kiha stated. There is a bitter smile on her face when she says those words, as if she’s the one experiencing it.

Mike, with curiosity in his eyes, looks up to see Kiha. He listened to her without knowing, he thought he’s not interested as he expected it to be something about fashion and their desire to marry the Crown Prince or someone with high status but no. It was different from what he expected. It was about a young girl living together with the perfect family anyone could ever ask for without receiving any love.

“She has this uneven length of hair, and wounds all over her body. She’s thin and weak, but she does everything for the family. She cooked, washed dishes, cleaned the house, and everything a maid would do. And you know what’s funny? The young girl is grateful to receive her payment every single day.” Kiha’s voice, for the first time in her life, cracked. Her lips are trembling and her eyes are welling.

“What do you think? Should I hire her?” Kiha smiled as the tears started streaming down her cheeks. She looked at Ezequiel before laughing out loud. Her eyes are cold as ice but her laugh is warm but empty. Her knight’s forehead was frowned, he then looked at the coachman who’s still busy repairing the wheel.

“The family members would come to her room one by one, scolding her, slapping, punching, every harassment a 10-year-old could never have dreamed of, she experienced it all every single day. That was her payment after all. I pity her, you know, it was her sister who cut her uneven hair out of boredom.” Ezequiel felt a sharp stab on his chest as she finished what she’s saying. His teeth were clenched and he couldn't stop worrying about Kiha.

“Milady, who’s that child in your dream?” Ezequiel asked as soon as he realized how bad the impact of that dream was to Kiha. Hearing this, Kiha’s frowned brows softened a bit and the look on her face got a little better. To lessen the cold, the coachman helped Ezequiel to build a fire and reluctantly joined them.

“I don’t know, she’s unfamiliar.” Kiha muttered. Her voice is somehow inaudible that Ezequiel needs to lean closer for him to hear what she’s saying.

There’s no answer after that. Ezequiel’s been weighing the situation since earlier and he can’t seem to find the right word and time ever since Kiha’s indifferent eyes bore on him earlier. He wasn’t himself, he couldn't focus.

Time passed before Kiha collected herself once again. Her face is now serious and cold, but there is a faint smile on her face. She then stands up and trudges to where the coachman is. After taking a few steps forward, she finds herself wandering around the cliff. Her mana is once again making its way to her upper body to her hand. She walks and finds the coachman smoking around the huge tree.

“That will only bring you diseases, well, I don’t mind.” Her voice reaches the coachman’s ear. His black hair is as dark as the obsidian yet his eyes are as bright as the sun. He looks at Kiha, listening to whatever she’s saying. “I just came here to remind you that I want to depart first thing in the morning.”

Her steps are elegant as ever. Her posture is straighter than anyone else. It wasn’t bad in the eye. If he were to describe her, he would say that she resembles a swan. Graceful moves and elegant body execution. One look and you can tell she spent her whole life perfecting her posture and all but then it was all natural to her.

The young lady didn’t even make a fuss while sleeping in the carriage unlike the rumors about her. The moon soon faded and the sun slowly rose, the light was busy seeping through the wooden window of the carriage when Kiha woke up. After that, they depart from the mountain and make their way to the western territory where the cold breeze and snow are peacefully residing together with the most powerful wizards.

“It’s been 3 days, do you think the Residence’s in chaos right now?” Ezequiel asked. His eyes are focused on her master. There was a huge smile on her face before she said these words; “No, they must be celebrating right now, or perhaps they didn’t even notice my absence. Maybe the Count is busy hunting you down, Ezequiel Hearst.”

"There's no reason to worry, Czarina's there to act as their eldest daughter. She always has been." She leaned on the window, her face on her hand, crossed-legged. She grins. It's true though, in her eyes, she had never been their child. She was the Count's yes, but not Kalyna. She always thought like that and it somehow confuses even her knight, Ezequiel.

"I've been watching you for years, and I really think of you as a fool sometimes. Do think about it, milady. You let the daughter of the traitor to be treated like a proper lady but she's what? Comforting you with her poisonous words?" Ezequiel laughs, his eyes are fading as there is a really big smile on his face. It was sarcasm though. One can tell what's going to happen to who.

Kiha's thin clothes are slightly fluttering as the wind is getting stronger as time goes by and the carriage is getting nearer to the border. She knew it, she could feel their mana.

Her eyes shifted as soon as her stomach flips upside down. Her mana circle is slowly forming. And it's all because of the unrealistic mana behind that towering wall before them. She knew she would run amoc the moment they passed that wall but she didn't care. She came here for one goal and that is to convince the head wizard to cure her younger sister. She can always let her mana out as soon as they passed this border, no one would ever complain in the first place. This place is deserted and cold ice is everywhere.

No one would be able to beat the cold other than the fire sign wizard. The most powerful in the Empire. Fire sign wizards use their mana to warm their body which is why they do not need a chimney at the tower where they reside. Ezequiel hugs his body as soon as the carriage reaches the border.

The coachman cocks his head to them as he makes his way to the wall. The border is beyond expected. It's as though this wall is as high as the sky. The place is dark as the wall is covering the light coming from the sky. Kiha opened the door even before her knight could even touch it. "Let's check the border, Zeke."

"Yes, milady," Ezequiel firmly nodded. He raised an eyebrow before escorting the lady out of the carriage.

"How should we open this one?" Kiha asked, turning her head to the coachman. It only took a while before the man handed her a scroll. Kiha took it and read the letter written on it.

"Recite the basic oath of a wizard?" Her brows knitted as she read the letter. It said to recite the basic oat of a wizard. She snorted, "I'm not in the mood to receive any pranks right now, you know?" She eyed the coachman but he just shrugged his shoulders.

Making what he means, she lets out a sigh.

She closed her eyes as she rummaged through her memory to the basic oath of a wizard. Multiple scenarios are carefully unfolding inside her head. She closed her eyes until she opened her mouth to recite the oath together with Hadassah, in her memory.

"I, Kiha Raelynn Richter, do solemnly swear to protect only those who are on the right side, and stand against not only the monsters but the sinners as well as the one who will bring the Empire to its lowest. No one will be able to break this oath of the child of Ashíde, the almighty root of Eleanor and people of God, Theophilus." She recited until an invisible door came into view.

She then went back to the carriage and soon after, a deep and mocking voice welcomed her.

"Welcome to the Western Territory, Lady Kiha Richter."