-Chapter 27- Return to Xyrus

Arthur Leywin P.O.V.

This has happened to me once before, back when I had first arrived at Xyrus. When my family and I went through the teleportation gate I was placed in a dark place. I was surrounded by darkness before I was let out. I never had an answer for what had happened that day, I had just assumed I hallucinated it or something but this confirms it.

What had happened that day actually happened, I was once again in that black void. Why was I here again? What had caused it both times?

I stood there wondering what this was or how this was happening. That's when I felt the monstrous presence. I felt a powerful force of energy trying to crush me with all its might. I can feel it watching me and observing my every move.

"I found you," the voice spoke in a soft tone. The voice, while soft and silvery, was still threatening like a knife.

When they spoke I felt all the energy in my body drain out. It soon became hard to stand and I collapsed to the ground. It was then I was released from the void of darkness and was let out through the other side of the portal. I crawl out through the other side of the portal and pass the two guards stationed there.

"Huh? Wait, are you ok?" One of the guards rushes over to me. He looks over to the other guard, "Quick go get an emitter and some people to help carry him to the nearest infirmary."

I only managed to get a few feet away from the portal before I black-out from having my energy drained.

***

I woke up in an Infirmary bed, I leaned forward so I was now sitting up. Did an Emitter somehow save me? I get up off the bed and stand up, I walk over to the bathroom and look in the mirror at myself. I had sustained no damage from when I fell down the ravine and there wasn't even a scratch or bruise on my body. While looking at myself I notice a black mark on my right arm.

Located on my forearm was a symbol that resembled that of the runic language. It appeared it had been imprinted onto my arm like a tattoo. I couldn't read what it said but whatever it was I should be cautious. I go back to the infirmary room I was placed in and retrieve my clothes and my Dimension Ring I kept my items in.

There was a system in place for masked adventurers like me to prevent our identities from being revealed while in the infirmary. Anyone that was wearing a mask, their mask could not be removed by unauthorized personnel. If the mask did need to be removed for a medical reason then the mask would be taken off by a trusted person or an associate of the adventurer and then replaced by something else safer that would block other people's viewing of the face.

It seemed in my case I was wrapped up in bandages, I took off the bandages and changed my clothes to the ones I had stolen from the ruins. I put on my Dimension Ring and Mask before walking out of the room. I walk towards the front desk to sign out.

"Hello Mr. Note, are you here to check out of your stay?" The nurse at the front desk asked me.

"Yes, how much is the bill and can I ask a question?"

"What is the question?" she asks, with a confused expression.

"Who was the person who had swapped out my mask for the bandages? Was it one of my party members? Is one of them here?"

"Here let me check the logs," She finds my file and opens it, she looks through it for a second before her eyes land on one spot on the page. "Ah, it says here Ms. Bladeheart was the person who swapped out your mask."

Ms. Bladeheart? Were they related to Kaspian?

"Excuse me but who is that? I have only met Kaspian Bladeheart."

"Oh, I'm sorry if they weren't supposed to, it said in your file that you have affiliations with the Twin Horns and the Bladeheart family so I allowed it." She says slightly panicking.

"No it's fine, I just want to know who it was exactly."

"Oh, ok then. It was Kaspian Bladeheart's niece, Claire Bladeheart," she states.

Claire... I think I heard that name before. Wait, was it that person I had saved back during the Adventurers Examination?

The woman continues speaking, "As for your other question prior, the bill has already been handled by the Bladeheart family."

Kaspain didn't need to do that. I sigh and thank the worker at the front desk. I leave the Adventurers Infirmary and try to find a way to contact my party. Remembering I have the transmission scroll I send a message to Jasmine asking her where I could find them and that I was alright.

It didn't take long before they responded, guess I must have panicked them. I open the letter and read where to go. My eyes widened in surprise, I guess I'll be going there sooner than I had expected.

***

I arrive at the guildhall where I meet my party arguing with Kaspian Bladeheart. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you all about Lucas Wykes's current location, I have no right to put an adventurer in danger," Kaspian says.

"We just need to talk to him, why are you siding with him?" Adam yells.

I close the door behind me which lets everyone in the room notice my entrance, Kaspian is the first to greet me. "Ah Mr. Note, great you could join us."

"Better late than never," I say back as I walk up to the rest of my party.

"You little brat you scared me half to death because of that stunt you pulled!" Adam yelled as he began shaking me by my shoulders.

"It's good to have you back," Jasmine says. "We heard from your parents that the light on the ring was still active so we knew you were still alive, thankfully."

After getting situated and caught up we hear the front door open once again. We turn around to see Lucas Wykes enter with several armed guards around there meant to protect him. "You made it out alive!"

Jasmine and Adam immediately turn to him with their weapons ready. I just stood there waiting using all my self-control to keep myself from attacking him.

"I wonder how you managed to escape from that terror of a beast. Did you have to sacrifice someone to save yourselves? Was it Aaron, no he escaped before me? Then who?"

As my comrades get angry I just simply retrieve something from my Dimension Ring and toss it over to Lucas who caught it in his two hands. He looks down at the item in his hands in shock and terror.

"This- this is, the beast's mana core?!" He stands in shock as he looks at the beast core of the S-class mana beast he had fled from. "How? The only way you could have gotten this was by..." He looks at me and questions in his head.

I answer his mental questions by responding. "Yes, I killed the mana beast. That should be all the proof needed."

He looks at me in anger, he throws the beast core as hard as he can at the wall. "Don't ever show your face around me again."

"Too bad you're gonna have to," I get up and walk to him. "Well see you in court," I smirk as he storms out. After he leaves I go and pick up the beast core and place it back in my Dimension Ring.

***

My party had left, I told them to go off and get us all rooms at an inn while I stayed behind for a bit. I slowly walked alongside the road waiting for the person I planned to meet, to show up. I send out a pulse of wind mana to see if they are nearby, I find them sitting down on a bench nearby. I walk up and sit down next to them, "It's been a while since we talked huh."

"Yes it has, it looks like life as an Adventurer has done well for you?" Kaspian asks.

"You can see how that's going. By the way, it seems your Niece has learned my true identity."

He looked surprised at my comment, "How? I had only told her that I trained you nothing else."

"She was the one who swapped out my mask at the infirmary."

"They are a clever one aren't they?" I nod my head a bit, I then decide to ask him a question.

"Are you willing to help me with my plan for the court case against Lucas?"

"You were my student, why wouldn't I help," He says.

***

The next day we are at the court case, Lucas and I were the ones on the stand. The judges announce the verdict. Lucas smiled confidently, he expects things to end up how he would want them.

"On behalf of the Adventurers Guild for putting the life of the AA-class adventurer Note in danger while in a high-ranking dungeon. I hereby declare Lucas Wykes formally stripped of his A-class ranking."

Lucas smiles, he knows they can't do anything to him permanently due to his nobility.

"-and as for Note, given your enmity towards Lucas Wykes and the Wykes family you will be banned from Xyrus City for the duration of Lucas Wykes' attendance at Xyrus Academy."

The judge's gavel slammed down leaving a noise to boom across the large room. Lucas was forced to hand over his Adventuring card, and he left. The license didn't mean anything to him.

I was led to a secret passage hidden behind a bookshelf and led to find Kaspian Bladeheart.

"Your acquaintances await you on the other side." He says.

"Thank you for this," I say.

"It's truly no problem Arthur, have fun at Xyrus Academy," he says as he smiles.

I walk through the door saying my goodbyes to Kaspian as I join my party once again, this time we leave back home.

After getting far enough away and making sure no one was watching us, I and Lilia removed our masks and we made our way to Xyrus City. We go through a teleportation gate and walk back to the Helstea manor.

We were both welcomed back by both of our very excited families we were finally returning home properly for the first time in years.

"How was your time adventuring?" My father asks Vincent not too far behind him also wondering the same question.

We all sat down in the living room and I and Lilia told them stories about most of the dungeons we had explored. We purposely left out the stuff on the S-class mana beast incident. I knew they had suspected something had happened, the rings had to have gone off for both my mom and Aunt Tabitha.

Adam and Jasmine already left to rejoin the Twin Horns, only after making sure I was alright several times.

I think back on my time as an adventurer, I had almost died a few times. It wasn't good but it helped me realize something. I'm nowhere near as strong as I could be, I need to spend time working on my faults and fixing my weaknesses. To do that I need time to do it, that was the whole purpose of my plan. I turn to Uncle Vincent and ask, "Is it possible for you to get me into Xyrus Academy?"