Kayushi: Am I… in trouble?
Troov: Of course. There's no way for you to escape now. This is a special kind of glass box that nullifies any magic.
Aurora: He is very skilled…
Troov: You stay here until I come back… and—
He looks at Kayushi with a slightly angry expression.
Troov: Don't you dare try to escape…
Troov walks away.
Kayushi: He went away. Do you have a plan?
Aurora: I certainly do…
Kayushi: Okay, what should I do?
Aurora: What else…
Kayushi: What?
Aurora: Sit here quietly until they chop your head off—
Kayushi: ARE YOU FOR REAL!!?
…
Aurora: Enough with the screaming. I'm thinking of something.
Kayushi: Oh… sorry. So, what do you think we should do?
Aurora: As he said earlier, this box nullifies any magic. So I don't think I'll be able to help… unless…
Kayushi: Unless what!?
Aurora: I'd like to examine something.
Kayushi: Tell me quickly!
Aurora: Geez… can you calm down? So, try to use healing.
Kayushi stretches out his hands, ready to use healing… but…
Kayushi: That's strange… I can't even feel my mana…
Aurora: Oh… so that's how it nullifies magic… It blocks your mana flow,
which prevents you from using any magic. In that case… I can't help you.
Kayushi: WHAT!!!??
Aurora: You heard me. If your mana is blocked, then there's no way for
me to come out. Even if we manage to undo what that guy did to you, we
still won't be able to switch. Switching requires the manacrystal to
connect with the brain through mana. But there's no way for the
manacrystal to connect with your brain, as there's no mana flow.
Kayushi: …
Kayushi: All of that just went over my head.
Aurora: 😞
Kayushi: But… somehow I understood what you meant.
Aurora: That's… somewhat good.
Kayushi: So, what should we do now?
Aurora: Who's "we"? You're the one who has to do the work.
Kayushi: Me? What am I supposed to do? I can't just break the glass. It's unbreakable, remember?
Aurora: Or is it? 🤨
Kayushi: What do you mean?
Aurora: He never said it's unbreakable. He just said it nullifies magic.
Kayushi: Yes… but why would they trap us in a place we could easily break out of? It's not like they're trying to help us escape—
Someone broke the box.
It's a masked guard.
Kayushi: Aahh… huh—?
Kayushi fell face-first onto the ground. The guard has a deep voice. It doesn't sound natural, though. It seems like a… voice modulator.
Guard: You have been summoned by the Mayor. Come with me.
Kayushi stands up, cleaning the dust off his body.
Kayushi: Who... are you?
Guard: I am a guard. Now, if you don't want to die, then come with me.
Kayushi whispers to Aurora.
Kayushi: Should I go?
Aurora: This guard's mana... is powerful. So, if you don't want to die, then... yes.
Kayushi: Uhh… okay…
Kayushi follows the guard. The guard takes Kayushi to a tunnel.
Kayushi: Umm… whe- where are we go- going?
Aurora: Looks like an underground basement.
Guard: As I told you before, you have been summoned by the Mayor.
They reach the destination. The guard opens the door.
Kayushi: Umm… so—?
Kayushi looks inside. He cannot believe his eyes.
Kayushi: Are- are these… are these… are these DIAMONDS!!?
The whole hall is made out of extremely beautiful crystals. The floor is made out of marvelous stones. It forms a beautiful pattern across the ground. Kayushi walks inside…
The guard shuts the door closed.
Kayushi: HEY!! OPEN THE DOOR!!
Kayushi bangs on the door multiple times, but it's… unbreakable…
There's a person standing in the middle of the hall with his arms crossed.
Kayushi: what is thisplace...
Troov: It's called the Hall Of Arkeas.
Troov walks inside the hall through a hidden door... He stands a meter away from the person.
Troov: You are two minutes late.
Kayushi: You… [Kayushi says with an angry tone]
Troov: Apologies, my lord, for being late.
Mayor: That's fine… [The Mayor says in a deep and calm voice]
Troov: Thank you, my lord. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Belhama Troov. I am the Captain of this area… Mister Auralis… please introduce yourself to the Mayor.
Aurora: His mana… [Aurora says with a fascinated voice]
Kayushi whispers to Aurora, asking him what to do.
Kayushi: What should I do now!?
Aurora: Just… stay calm… and introduce yourself.
Kayushi: Okay… umm…
Troov: Mister Auralis… is there a problem?
Kayushi: N- no! Sorry for my inconven— (man, what was the word!?)
Aurora: Inconvenience.
Kayushi: Yeah! That! Right! Umm…
Troov: You appear to be quite nervous…
Kayushi: N- no, it's just… Let me introduce myself… and sorry for the inconvenience… My name is Kayushi Aura—
Aurora: Start with your surname, idiot!
Kayushi: Ugghh… My name is Auralis Kayushi…
…
Mayor: Is that… it?
Kayushi: Umm… ye- yes, sir!
Mayor: Mister Belhama.
Troov: Yes, my lord? He may be a child, but you would be surprised, my lord—he nearly defeated me in battle. More importantly, he is the son of the Flaming Phoenix…
Mayor: Flaming Phoenix, huh? When did he get married?
Troov: I do not know, my lord. I received this information only an hour ago.
Mayor: I heard that he has a bounty on his head. Is that correct?
Troov: That is correct, my lord. Here is the poster.
With quiet elegance, Troov presents the poster to the Mayor.
Mayor: That is quite a high price for a child. Who produced this?
Troov: I was unable to determine that, my lord. There is a strange magic seal on the ID code. I believe it prevents others from identifying the creator. However, I think you may be able to break the seal, my lord.
Mayor: Hmph... Let me try...
The Mayor uses some strange spell. The poster starts to change its color. Previously it was brown, but now it's glowing purple. But suddenly... it becomes flaming yellow!
The Mayor raises one eyebrow in surprise.
Mayor: WHAT—?
Kayushi: Huh? It suddenly caught on fire!
Troov: It did not catch on fire. It is a—
Mayor: Flame seal. It is a type of seal that only master fire users can create. The only master fire user I know is the Flaming Phoenix... Why would your father place a bounty on your head?
Kayushi: Umm... to kill me.
Troov: Ah—my apologies...
Troov performs a series of hand movements.
Troov: Auralis... switch.
Kayushi: Wait...
Switch
Kayushi: Wait— We actually switched!
Aurora looks at Troov.
Aurora: What do you want from me now?
Troov: My lord, this is Jin'uz Aurora. He is the brother of the Flaming Phoenix. As you are already aware.
The Mayor looks at Aurora with a smirk.
Mayor: How long has it been...?
Aurora: Probably around... four thousand years...
The Mayor steps a little closer to Aurora.
Mayor: I didn't think I would see you again...
Aurora: I thought the same... But look how things turned out... We're both meeting again at the same place where we met... probably around seven thousand years ago.
Mayor: You know what they say... history repeats itself. Back then, you came as an enemy—but today, you are here as a friend.
Kayushi: I don't understand.
Aurora: Huh?
Kayushi: How do you know this guy?
Aurora: Well, he is—
Mayor: Are you talking to Kayushi? Let me introduce myself to him... My name is Scopus Polish. I am the Mayor of Sinville and the friend of your uncle.
Switch
Kayushi: Did you know that he was my uncle from the start?
Polish: Umm... Of cour—
Kayushi: Then why would you send an army of people to kill me!
Polish: Well, you see, at that moment when the guards surrounded you, that wasn't my order. So, when I got the news that you defeated all of them, I felt a familiar energy. So, I ordered a guard to take you to me.
Kayushi: You mean the masked guard?
Mayor: Yes.
Kayushi: Well, he didn't even tell me anything while we were com—
Mayor: What do you mean 'he'? Oh, you must have mistaken. Poly! Come in.
Someone comes through the door. It's that masked guard.
Poly: What?
Mayor: You didn't tell Kayushi anything. Why?
The guard slowly opens the mask and— Holy— SHE IS GORGEOUS!
Poly: I was not in the mood.
Mayor: come on...is it because of what happened yesterday?
Kayushi: 😳... Aurora?
Switch
Aurora looks at Polish with a teasing expression.
Aurora: oh, you got a girlfriend😏
Poly turns her face in embarrassment.
Polish whispers to Aurora.
Polish: can you please stop embarrassing me😳 and no, she is not my girlfriend...yet.
Aurora: cough why did you call me here? I can tell it's not because you just wanted to meet me.
Polish: you can read my mind, can't you? Yes, I needed a favour.
Aurora: a favour?
Troov: let me explain. So, the current situation of Sinville is pretty bad. As you may know, there's a debate going on.
Aurora: a debate?
Troov: between us and Jeten.
Aurora: who's Jeten?
Polish: Jeten isn't a person. It's a city. You may remember it as... Yeten.
Aurora: aaa... Yeten. I remember it. What's the debate about?
Troov: about who gets the fountain.
Aurora: a fountain? You two are arguing over a fountain?
Troov: it's not some normal fountain.
Polish: Have you ever heard of the "Fountain of Youth"?
Kayushi: The one that makes you immortal?
Aurora: That's what people believe. The stories say it gives life… but it takes something in return.
Poly: Yeah… and the ones who go looking for it? They never come back.
Kayushi: Why don't they return?
Aurora: No one knows… That's why it's still a mystery.
But there's a bigger question—how did you two even find it?
Polish: Well… it was Yeten who found it first.
Aurora: What? Then how do you know about it? They wouldn't just let that slip… they must've tried hard to keep it hidden...
Polish gives a little smirk. Aurora looks at him, narrowing his eyes in disgust.
Aurora: You're disgusting…
Kayushi: What are you two talking about?
Aurora: Uhh… it's nothing...
Awkward silence...
Aurora: So… where exactly is this "Fountain of Youth"?
Troov: From everything we've gathered, it's somewhere in the north. A group of guards from Jeten were patrolling the area. They were escorting injured villagers…
…and then they suddenly felt a massive surge of energy.
When they got closer, droplets of water started falling on them.
The ones who were injured…
their wounds healed instantly.
Poly: That place lies right between Sinville and Jeten.
That's why we are fighting over it…
Aurora: so... How are you going to claim it, Polish?
Polish: hmph... Simple... We are going to... fight them. You are with us, right—
Aurora: No
Polish: What!? What do you mean 'no'!? You just said you are gonna help. You can't back off now!
Aurora: Calm down. I am not saying I am not going to help you...
Polish: then what are you trying to say?
Aurora: I am trying to say that... your plan is worse than a corpse. I didn't expect you to be this dumb. Do you really think that they're gonna lose? If I remember correctly, the Mayor of Yeten used to be a total monster. He trained every guard there to be as strong as himself. He passed away, but his legacy got passed down through generations.
How many soldiers do you have?
Polish: probably like, 2 thousand...
Aurora: Yeten has around 30 thousand. How are you going to defeat them?
I have a better plan...
Polish: Tell me then!
Aurora: instead of fighting them physically... fight them legally.
Polish: legally? How? They probably have a better lawyer than us. We are gonna lose! And we don't even have enough money to hire a decent lawyer.
Aurora: I see...
Around 100 years ago, my consciousness awakened inside a lawyer's mind. He showed me everything there was about law.
Polish: So, what are you saying?
Aurora: I am saying that I will be... your lawyer.
To be continued...