Al-Farna. A fantastical world full of magic and wonder.

Right at the very center of it lied the Holy Land of Fana. A sacred land that no ordinary people are allowed to enter.

And right at the very heart of that land was the Throne of The World, a place where the Sage of Balance oversaw the whole world.

At least, that was how it supposed to be, before the Calamity occurred.

The Holy Land was overtaken by darkness, as the Sage of Chaos dethroned the Sage of Balance before sealing her away.

With the remnants of her power, she called upon a Savior. A Hero that would be able to fight the darkness and bring back light to the world.

And then, the Savior succeeded.

Only for her to absorb the darkness wielded by the Sage of Chaos out of her own free will, before taking the Throne for herself.

The Sage of Balance remained sealed, and she could only bide her time until she could gather enough power to summon another Savior.

And eventually, she did.

---

Kaito had no idea his day would end like this.

Just after he got back from school and changed out of his uniform in his room, two magic circles suddenly appeared below and above him, at the floor and at the ceiling. And before he could do anything, a bright light enveloped him and the entire room.

"...Hear..."

"Can...hear...me..."

"Can you hear me, O Savior?"

He was now falling. Not a harsh fall like how it should be, but a gentle one that was more like floating.

And he could hear a voice calling out to him. It was an odd, echoed voice but he could hear the hint of femininity in it clearly.

Then, he saw it. A figure made of light forming in front of him.

The figure was tall. Giant-sized even. With how blinding the light coming out from her, he couldn't make out her clothes nor her face.

"O Savior," the figure spoke, "Please, save Al-Farna. The Dark Savior, she has to be stopped, or else this world, and--"

The figure lost its form momentarily, flickering like a candle that was going to go out.

"She... expected... can't maintain... seek... gems..."

And with it, the figure disappeared. And the pure white landscape he had been falling in vanished as well.

And then, he landed right on top of a pile of hay.

The week was finally over. Another five days of dragging himself through Hell for the sole purpose of... Well, what was the purpose, exactly? Getting into a decent university and then not using whatever degree he managed to get? No, thank you. Of course, it wasn't like he had any choice. His parents would disown him if he said anything negative about his ongoing education.

Kaito shed his uncomfortable uniform and donned a pair of black sweatpants and a white tee-shirt. His only obligation tonight what dinner with his family. Outside of that, he was going to settle into his computer chair for a long night of Apex Legends. Bloodhound wasn't going to win all of those games herself.

That's when everything turned on its head.

"Can you hear me, O Savior?"

The voice danced through his ears like a dream, and a brilliant light coursed around him, causing him to throw a hand up and shield his eyes. He looked around wildly for the source before glancing down. His heart leaped into his throat as he realized the floor had vanished, and he was literally floating downwards.

He flapped his arms wildly, trying to grab at his desk behind him, but that had disappeared as well. All there was was light. Pure, dazzling light. And that voice. Ethereal and musical, yet loud and slightly terrifying. He called out desperately, not really forming words as much as just making noise. A woman appeared before him, looming ominously and cloaked in that same bright light. Her features were impossible to discern, but her voice was as clear as ever.

Kaito stared, transfixed by her words. They made no sense. He was pretty sure a couple of those words were completely made up. Had he fallen and hit his head? Was he asleep? Had someone drugged him? This was clearly a very vivid hallucination. There was no plausible explanation other than that.

The woman's voice began to flicker and fade, and its captivating essence wore off immediately. Once again, Kaito realized he was falling into emptiness. A long, drawn-out yell left his lungs as he waved his arms again. There was a flash and the light disappeared.

Kaito crashed into the hay softly before rolling off and coming to a rest on the ground. He blinked rapidly, spitting straw from his mouth and fighting off a sneeze that was triggered by the hay. The world around him seemed to spin slowly to a stop. He sat up and took in the unfamiliar surroundings with a surprised expression. Kaito was fairly certain he had never seen this place before.

The young man patted at his torso and face quickly, making sure his senses were not betraying him. This seemed too real to be a dream or hallucination. What was going on?

Phone... he thought suddenly.

Kaito fished his mobile from the front-left pocket of his joggers and turned on the display. The screen came to life, but the words 'No Service' were prominently displayed above the time, which had reset itself to 00:00. Even as he stared at this newest bit of craziness, he noticed the battery-level indicator tick down five percent in the space of seconds. The phone was dying at an alarming pace, as if the life was being drained from the battery cells by some unseen force.

"Shit!" he murmured to himself exasperatedly, running a hand through his thick black hair and looking around wildly once more.

---

Inside the silent and empty World Palace, there sat a certain girl.

She had had many names. Once, she was called Lilia Akatsuki. Then, she earned the mantle of the Savior. And now, she was the Dark Savior; the traitor that betrayed the Sage of Balance and took the power of darkness of the Sage of Chaos into her own.

If you were to ask her which name she preferred, she would answer the latest. It suited her just fine, being viewed as an evil villain.

She was fully aware that her dream was a selfish one after all.

"Meow. Meeeowwww,"

"Oh, Shiro. Is it time for dinner already?"

She possessed with her a white cat, that had been sleeping on her lap.

Shiro was her name, given after the color of her fur.

"Hmm, not yet. But the sun should come down soon so be patient."

"Meoowwww..."

Its master just smiled as it tried to look as forlorn and miserable as possible to her as she patted its head.

So, you have chosen your new champion...

And to think that you actually brought him... Is this your attempt to make me have a change of heart?

...No matter. I have decided a long time ago. And not even him would be able to change my mind.

However, maybe it would be amusing to see him react to this world.

With a slightly mischievous smile, she activated her clairvoyance spell. Eye in The Sky. With it, she could see everything he did anywhere and at any time.

Let's see how well you will do in this world, shall we, O Great Savior?

---

When Kaito came to, he would find himself outside, as he had crashed into a pile of hay beside a barn.

The sun was setting, and all around him he would be able to see unending fields of wheat stretching as far as the eyes could see.

Before he could go far however, a local came up to him and halted him on his tracks.

"Hey, who are you and what are you doing here?"

She held her shepherd stick in front of her as if it was some makeshift weapon.

"What are you doing messing up my hay? Now I have to collect it all over again!" she said in anger, while eyeing him suspiciously up and down.

"Wait... those clothes... that fabric..." She leaned forward and grabbed a handful of his t-shirt. "No doubt about it! This is the same garment she wore when I found her!"

She then looked back at him; her expression transformed entirely into pure joyous curiosity, and said, "You also came from another world, didn't you? Maybe even the same world as hers! Oh, you have to tell me everything!"

She grabbed his hands and pulled him towards her, with her eyes shining as bright as the stars.

Before abruptly releasing them, bowing as deeply as she could, before saying, "O-oh, I shouldn't act so familiar with you, should I? I-if you're just like her, then that means you must be another Hero like her! Aaww, I should've be more respectful to her back then!"

"S-so, Mr. Hero. I-it's a honor to meet you, S-Sir! M-my name is Gilda a-and I'm just an ordinary village girl!"

She gave a panicked curtsy that was clearly not refined in the slightest. She only knew that it was something ladies supposed to do to show respect.

"I-if you would like, y-you can stay in our house for the night. I-I'm sure Pops wouldn't mind in the slightest!"

She was clearly still as nervous as a bumbling bee.

Kaito stuffed the phone back into his pocket as he familiarized himself with his surroundings. He knew for a fact these kinds of fields didn't even grow anywhere near the city he lived in, much less within it. He'd never even seen a farm in real life. At least, not until now. That was still assuming this were real life, of course.

The young man stood and brushed lingering pieces of hay off of his thighs and backside, puffing his cheeks and blowing some air through his lips in a horse-like fashion.

Where the hell am I?

Just then, the most curiously dressed girl he had ever seen pushed through a row of wheat before him. She accosted him furiously, and he was left to stammer apologies that fell upon deaf ears. He threw up his hands as she brandished her crook in his direction, trying to show he was no threat. Kaito wasn't intimidating in the least; he was scrawny, short, and pale. She had no interest in his broken explanation, and before long, Kaito found himself listening to her every word with a slack-jawed expression upon his face.

Gilda behaved quite strangely and rather forwardly for someone he had just met. Her annoyance quickly transformed into elation, and it left Kaito even more confused. She was going on so rapidly that it was hard to follow, but he made sense of a couple things that stood out to him.

Locking his knees, Kaito stood his ground and drew his hands away from hers as if her skin had burned him. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you explain a few things," he stated flatly, eyes narrowing with irritation. "Who is this girl you speak of? And why would you call me a Hero? I've done nothing of note, as far as I'm aware."

He gestured wildly with his hands in every direction, continuing to stare Gilda down. Kaito was not as enamoured with this girl's appearance or giddiness as he might have usually been, given the situation. "And where am I, for starters? How did I get here? You must know. You seem to know an awful lot about me already."

Seeing how Kaito responded with hostility took Gilda off-guard. She quickly apologized profusely, bowing again and again and again at him.

"I-I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, Sir Hero! Oh, I've been rude again!"

Only after she was satisfied with her apologies that she answered his questions.

"W-well, I thought you are an Otherworlder just like Lilia--I-I mean, Miss Lilia--N-No, M-Miss Akatsuki! T-that's how I should've been calling her! I-I can't act all friendly towards a Hero!"

Once again, she was tripping over her own words.

"A-anyway, M-Miss Akatsuki... she came here a few years back. And she was wearing a garment similar to yours. Back then, I didn't know at all that she was a Chosen Hero, and she never mentioned it as well. Only later on after she was declared such by the Order that I knew who she really was! Ooh, I should've been more perceptive! It was clear as day with the way she carried herself that she was a special person! And I still didn't realize who she was even after she saved our village from the dragon! Can you believe it?! You're such an idiot, Gilda!"

She then tapped her own head repeatedly with her crook, only stopping after she realized that Kaito was still staring at her.

"A-ah, sorry for that, S-Sir Hero!" she said with an awkward smile. "W-where were we? Oh yeah, the reason why I called you a hero. Well, I figured you're just like her, an Otherworlder. So I thought you must be another Hero, chosen by the Sage! I'm right, aren't I? Teehee, I won't be so ignorant this time! I will make sure you get the treatment fitting of a Hero!"

"As for how you get here, didn't you get called or summoned by the Sage? I wouldn't know how such a thing could be done. I'm just an ordinary farm girl after all. Oh, and this is the Village of Autumn, at the Land of Wind. Like the name says, here, we are in perpetual autumn. There aren't much here but Miss Akatsuki said she loved the sight here very much!"

It was clear that she held Lilia in really high esteem. And from the way she was staring at Kaito with admiration and curiosity, she was ready to admire him just as much.

Kaito's legs felt shaky. There was a loud rushing sound in his ears, like that of an oncoming train. Most of Gilda's words were lost in that madness. Bits and pieces trickled through, and they did nothing to calm him down.

Lilia. She's here. This is where she went.

He fell forward onto his kness, placing his palms flat against the ground. It was spiky with dry dirt and up-sticking hay, but it was the only solid thing he had to grasp at the moment. Kaito could feel his throat tightening, and his rate of breathing increased threefold. His chest heaved as he looked up at Gilda wide-eyed. She was watching him with a sparkle in her eye, as if she expected great things of him at any moment.

"I... I knew her. Lilia Akatsuki," he gasped whilst nodding. "I knew her on Earth. She came here, you say? We were chosen?" It was a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but strangely enough it didn't hit him as hard as it probably should have. Kaito had seen this kind of thing dozens of times in the video games he played, books he read, and anime he watched. Even if it was a dream or hallucination, there was nothing wrong with enjoying the ride while it lasted.

"Alright. Alright," he nodded slowly, swallowing hard and struggling back to his feet. Kaito reached to Gilda for assistance, but whether or not she helped, he was able to pull himself back to his feet. "Village of Autumn. Land of Wind. Easy enough to remember," he murmured, trying to retain some of the knowledge being spouted at him. Perhaps if he showed some understanding, she'd settle down, too.

"So... what's the problem, then?" he asked, trying to see where he fit in with all of this. "If this Sage brought me here, which I'm pretty sure she did, by the way... What's the matter? Is Lilia in trouble? What am I to do?" For some reason, the word 'gems' kept echoing in Kaito's mind. This 'Sage' had said it to him just before. Surely there was some significance to be had there.

"S-Sir Hero? A-are you alright?" Gilda looked at Kaito with worry when he suddenly fell forward onto his knees.

"Y-you know about Lili--I-I mean, Miss Akatsuki?" Gilda said as she helped him rise up to his feet, grabbing his hands and pulling him up. He would be able to feel the roughness of her skin and the unexpected strength she possessed; both born out of her life as the daughter of a farmer and a shepherd who had to guard the cows and goats from any monsters or beasts that wanted them for food. "Yes, she really was here a few years back. And she helped us all in the village a lot! We used to have a dragon coming down from the mountain and raiding us for our livestocks and she took care of it by herself! You should've seen it! She was really, really amazing back then!" She raised her arms in excitement, her eyes twinkling as well.

Being humble, she neglected to mention that she was the one who guided her to the dragon lair on top of the mountain.

"So, you really are her acquaintance after all!" Gilda smiled while clapping her hands together. "That's great! You can tell me all about her then! We can talk about her all night long at my home! T-that is if you want to, of course, S-Sir Hero..." she quickly added, not wanting to offend Kaito.

"I-I wouldn't dream to know what your mission is, Sir Hero!" Gilda quickly answered when he asked her why he was sent there. "But if you were brought here by the Sage, you must have a really important task to do. Didn't the Sage say anything when she brought you here?"

"As for Lilia, I... n-nevermind." She stopped herself. Those rumors could never be true after all...

Lilia had slain a dragon? That seemed a little ridiculous. She had been very frail and sickly when Kaito had known her. Did that change when she was sent here? Would he be capable of such feats, or was he truly out of his element. He didn't feel any different. Certainly not powerful enough to vanquish a dragon. And the way Gilda seemed to move away from the topic of Lilia was rather strange. There was something she wasn't telling him.

"Please... Call me Kaito," he told her, growing uncomfortable with the whole 'Sir Hero' thing. With a gesture, he indicated for her to lead on. "Let's get to your home, then. Hopefully your family won't mind you having a boy over." That had been a bit of an issue with Lilia's family at first. "Believe me, I may actually have enough questions to keep you up all night if you let me." Kaito didn't even know where to begin, but he wasn't dressed for Autumn weather. He would wait until they were safely inside to ask much more.

Following closely behind Gilda, he tried to ascertain exactly what sort of timeline this place was in. Based on her clothing and manner of speech, it was probably something like medieval times. Maybe a little later. If dragons were real, there was probably magic and other similar creatures. He wondered if there were elves or dwarves, but he kept that to himself for now. Kaito didn't want to appear stupid or too presumptuous in front of his only friend in this strange land.

"As a matter of fact, I think she did," Kaito replied with an affirmative nod. "It was kind of garbled, but I think she wanted me to obtain some type of gems? I'm guessing they must be pretty powerful. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Kai-to?" Gilda tilted her head. "That's quite the odd name. But then again, Lilia's family name is odd as well... A-ah, I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to insult you or anything!" she quickly added.

"Oh, they wouldn't mind! Especially when that boy is a Hero!" Gilda replied with a smile. "Okay then, follow me, Sir Kaito. Or would you just want me to call you by your name? It would feel weird since you're a Hero and all, but Lilia never really minded. Or at least I think she didn't..."

Gilda then guided Kaito to descend down from the hills they were on, heading towards the village in the distance. The road they traveled on was just a dirt one, so it was quite uneven at places. But Gilda didn't seem to be bothered by it whatsoever. The fact that she wore boots certainly helped matters.

"Hehe, alright then! I'll take you on your offer!" she replied cheerfully to his warning. "Pops aren't coming back tonight though so we'll be there on our own."

"Gems? Hmmm..." She put her hand under her chin. "Oh, I remember! After Lilia slew the dragon, we found some treasure that it had been guarding. She told me to take it all, which I certainly didn't, mind you, I shared it all with the entire village--we could expand our farm and buy some more livestock thanks to it--except for this one gem. Maybe that's the gem the Sage wants you to gather?"

After around thirty minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the village. The place looked pretty much like your average medieval village, with all the wooden houses; some having thatch roofing and some with actual wooden roofs. The roads were actually paved this time, but they weren't as tidy as the roads you would find in cities. with some clearly need fixing.

When they arrived, they immediately attracted the attention of the villagers that saw them. It was one of the village housewives and a group of children. Most of the other housewives were busy doing their work--mostly cooking, cleaning, and sewing--inside their homes.

"Oh, Gilda, you're back! Wait, who is there with you?"

"Yaay, Big Sis Gilda is back!"

The children ran towards Gilda and hugged her; a display of affection that the farm girl replied with a bright smile and a generous dose of head pats. She was clearly quite popular with them.

"Big Sis, who's this man?"

"Your boyfriend? Well, I don't like him!"

"Yeah, yeah, leave him be and play with us instead!"

The kids looked towards Kaito with suspicion, as well as the middle-aged housewife for that matter.

"Oh, don't worry about him. He's just... a traveler, that's all. He'll be resting in my house for the night," Gilda lied.

"Oh my, taking in a stranger? Isn't that dangerous? Especially since he's a young man and you're a young woman?" the housewife said, eyeing Kaito some more. "And he's dressed so strangely too..."

"Oh, Mary, who do you think I am? If he tries anything, I'll beat him up with my trusty stick!" Gilda replied with a smile as she showed off her crook.

The housewife called Mary sighed. "Well, you know best. Just remember. If you need anything, I'll be there to help."

"Thank you, Mary!" Gilda then turned towards the kids. "Alright you guys, Big Sis Gilda has to go now."

"Aaawww..." the kids replied near-simultaneously with disappointment.

---

After that little distraction, the two finally arrived at her house. It was one of the wooden houses with thatched roof.

The place was definitely less well-off than your usual modern-day era house. The entrance didn't even have a floor and the wooden flooring that existed creaked every time they walked on it. And there was only one bedroom without actual beds. They would have to sleep on the floor with only hay-stuffed mattresses and blankets covering them.

Gilda took Kaito to the living room and told him to wait there while she prepared dinner. He would be able to smell the delicious scent of cooked beef coming from the kitchen.

To say Kaito felt awkward during the exchange was an understatement. The way everyone eyed him and talked down to him spiked his anxiety rather fiercely. It certainly didn't help that he was winded from the long walk. He kept his dark eyes down, staring at the path as Mary and Gilda had their conversation. A couple of the children tried moving into his field of view to stare up at him, and he tried to offer them a weak smile. It didn't do much to placate them.

At long last, the uncomfortable situation came to an end as Gilda spirited him away to her house. Kaito felt it odd that she had seemingly lied about who he was, but before he could ask why, Gilda had disappeared into the kitchen. He waited uneasily for a few minutes, glancing around at their meager belongings. Perhaps Gilda and her father should have kept more of the treasure. This place had nothing. How people ever lived in these sorts of conditions completely baffled Kaito. Unfortunately, it looked more and more like something he was going to have to get used to.

It seemed clear that Gilda had no siblings. Her mother appeared to be out of the picture as well. Kaito assumed her to be dead. It wasn't like he was going to ask if that were the case, of course. It was just her and 'Pops', apparently. How she kept herself in such bright spirits despite everything seemingly being against her was beyond Kaito. Perhaps it was all a carefully performed act. A mask she wore so well.

Kaito strode over to the entrance to the kitchen, popping his head in and taking a large whiff of the upcoming meal. It smelled wonderful. "Anything I can help with?" he asked, more than willing to be set to a task. "I feel awkward just waiting around while you do all the work." Kaito felt as if it was probably expected for women to do this sort of thing around here, but it was not how he was raised. Perhaps he could get a few questions in while they worked.

When Kaito entered the kitchen, Gilda was in the middle of peeling some potatoes. His sudden appearance, at least according to her, almost made her cut her finger.

"A-ah, Sir Kaito? N-no, please don't be! I can handle this by myself just fine! Since Mom went away, I'm the one on cooking duty after all," she explained, pausing at her work. "But if you insist... I-I guess I can have someone watching over the beef stew. Make sure it's cooking fine and all," she added with a smile. She didn't dare giving him any harder work than that.

The two then continued their work. When Gilda switched over to cutting some tomatoes, she said, "S-Sorry for lying about who you are back there, Sir Kaito. If I told them the truth, we'll still be there for sure as everyone would want to see and meet with a Hero," she explained.

An awkward silence then ensued as both sides didn't speak another work. Feeling the heaviness in the air, Gilda worked her brain, trying to pick up a topic to lessen the tension.

"A-ah, this reminds me... Lilia, I-I mean, Miss Akatsuki, used to help me with my cooking as well. Though she did it with her fire magic. Back then, we ran out of firewood to burn so we used her flame to cook instead."

Another pause. Gilda was braving herself to ask the question that had been nagging on her mind.

"A-anyway, i-if I may ask, what's your relationship with her, Sir? You seem to know her quite well..."

Fire magic? Kaito thought, his eyes widening. He didn't look away from the stew he was stirring, allowing himself to process this additional nugget of insanity. How in the world?

"I did. Or, at least, I thought I did," he responded, finally breaking his silence. "Never knew she was capable of using magic. She wasn't capable of much of anything, as a matter of fact." Kaito set the stirring spoon down across the top of the pot and sighed before looking over at Gilda. There was a certain amount of pain in his eyes. This was never easy to talk about.

"Lilia had a condition that limited her... severely," Kaito explained. "She was prone to sickness. Very frail. I was tasked with bringing home her schoolwork on the days she couldn't make it in. Before long, we were really good friends. We hung out all the time. Played games. Made up stories together. Then she just up and vanished."

By now, Kaito was staring at the ground again. There was a certain wetness to his eyes that he hastily wiped away. He hated showing weakness, but it was hard not to when thinking of the times they'd had together. The times they may never have again. Even knowing Lilia had been here was no consolation. His assumption was that she was in serious danger or had already died.

When he could finally muster the courage to look up at Gilda again, a bit of redness came to his cheeks. This was so embarrassing. "Did she tell you how she learned this fire magic?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Gilda stayed quiet while Kaito told his story. She now knew that Lilia was someone really close to him indeed. She decided it wasn't her place to probe further.

"No, she never did," she replied to his question at the end. "She simply just did it. I wouldn't know how to do it either."

The food finally finished cooking. The two cut their conversation short as they moved back to the living room. There was a sitting table in the middle of the room where they could eat together.

"Here we go!"

Gilda put Kaito's plate and hers in that order onto the table, as well a pair of spoon and fork for each of them. The utensils were made out of smoothly crafted wood. There were also some potatoes and vegetable dressing available. As for the drink, she had a bottle of wine for both of them.

It was quite the lavish meal for Gilda's standard. But she had one rule she always abide on. Never hold back on hospitality, especially when you're taking in a person as important as a Hero. Normally, she would only eat bread and soup when on her own. Kaito was lucky there were still some leftover meat available to cook.

The lamb meat was tender and the sauce was just at the right spot between sweet and sour. Gilda really knew her way around the kitchen.

As they ate, Gilda began telling him of everything she did with Lilia when she was here with her. She told it all with a bright and infectious excitement. She told him how Lilia just appeared out of nowhere in front of her barn, asking for directions. She told him how she brought her home and how they ended up sharing the same mattress as her father was home at the time. She didn't even shy on describing how soft and fragile Lilia was as she woke up in the morning hugging her.

"Oooh, she was just like a little sister I never had!" she exclaimed, even though they were around the same age.

She then told him how the next morning, a dragon attack happened and how it destroyed her barn, killing every cow and lamb inside, and how it made her cry in despair as it was half of her family's livelihood. And then, how Lilia comforted her, asking if she would like to take revenge of said dragon and kill it once and for all.

"At that time, she didn't even show an ounce of fear. Instead, I could only sense anger coming from her. Her smile back then... it was honestly a little scary," she admitted.

She continued, telling him how they went up the mountains and killed a pack of wolves before reaching the summit where the dragon lived.

"She was really, really strong!" she said enthusiastically. "She burned all those wolves like nothing. She even had this strange move where she dodged a charging wolf's attack by moving so fast she left afterimages. And she could apparently hover as well!"

They then finally reached the summit. And Gilda began to dramatically re-enact the fight using her spoon as at that point, she was getting slightly tipsy from the alcohol.

"So I was there, taking the front. Lilia said she had cast a shield spell on me and that she needed me to buy time as she cast a great spell to finish off the dragon. I ran around to distract the overgrown lizard, even hitting it once or twice with my stick, though of course it did nothing at all. I even got blasted with its breath once. Burned my dress right off. If not for Lilia's shield spell, I would've been dead for sure!"

"And then, it happened. A massive storm cloud gathered on the skies before a giant thunderbolt struck the dragon down. It was so powerful I actually fainted from it."

"After that, you knew the drill. We found the treasure, we returned back to the village, and we told everyone about it."

She sat back down after she finished her tale. Judging from the sweat she had on her face, it was as if she just experienced the adventure all over again. It was dangerous, but fun at the same time. In this sleepy village, it was probably the only true excitement she would ever get in her entire life.

"I don't really remember where she went afterwards though," she continued. "But any traveler should end up in the Capital. That's the best place to look for all sorts of info, or at least, that's what I heard. Oh, the Order of the Sage had a branch there so it would make sense for her, being a Hero and all, to go there!"

The story kept Kaito's full attention. It all seemed too perfect. A few scenarios coursed through his head as Gilda went on, but he couldn't decide which one was most likely. Lilia couldn't have always had those powers. No, she must have obtained them upon coming here somehow. Perhaps Gilda was not the first person Lilia had encountered on Al-Farna? Maybe she'd already had some experience with her newfound power by the time they met? That made a little sense, but it didn't exactly fit in with Gilda's description of events.

The more of Lilia's prowess Gilda revealed, the more a lump in Kaito's throat seemed to grow. The once-delicious food seemed to turn to ash in his mouth. Though he had initially been hesitant to do more than sip the wine, he suddenly drained his cup in almost one swig. It did very little to parch the dryness in his mouth. Kaito had only imbibed on the rare special occasion with his family, not counting the one time he and Lilia had snuck some liquor from her parents' secret upper cabinet. Drinking that quickly was bound to cause him some issues before long.

Fire. Lightning. Flight. Super speed, Kaito thought to himself. Goodness, what wasn't Lilia capable of?

Gilda's story was over before long, giving way to a stunned silence. Kaito blinked a few times and had another bite of lamb. The ability to discern flavour was beginning to return to him, now that he'd managed to calm down a little. He set down his utensils long enough to give Gilda a little clap in appreciation of her impromptu performance.

"I'd say that tale's almost as good as your broth," he complimented quietly, managing a bit of a grin. "Excellent stuff, by the way." Kaito dabbed at his lips politely with his cloth before continuing. "I take it that means I should go to the Capital as well? If the Sage brought me here, would her Order be willing to assist me, too?"

"Although, I wonder why you didn't go with her?" Kaito added in afterthought, eyeing Gilda curiously. "If you got such a rush from that bit of adventure, why not go seeking more? You can't really be content slaving away as a shepherd's daughter." Kaito had not meant to insult her; it was merely an observation. Perhaps his filter was beginning to wear away under the assault of alcohol.

"Tee hee, thank you!" Gilda replied to his compliment with a blush. "Well, the people on the Order should be more knowledgeable about a Hero's mission than me, so I don't think it would be a bad idea to go there."

At Kaito's suggestion of Gilda going with Lilia, the shepherd just laughed in response.

"That's impossible! I have Pops and the farm to take care of! Besides, I'm no warrior! I'll just be in the way!"

With that, their dinner was finished. It was time to sleep.

"That's all I can tell you about her," Gilda said as she poured Kaito some water to flush any of the beef or wine taste he still had in his mouth. "Sorry. It seems we don't have to talk all night after all," she added with a smile.

The two slept apart with their own mattresses and blankets. The blankets and mattresses were clean, although they were obviously worn-out from years of use. It was clear that Gilda took cleanliness really seriously. Unlike a more well-off girl would do, Gilda didn't change to her pajamas or nightgown before tucking herself in since she didn't really have any. It might be not that comfortable, especially since she had sweated through the day wearing the dress she wore to sleep, but she was an easy sleeper, and it didn't take long at all until she fell asleep.

She would just change into a different dress and undergarments tomorrow.

---

Lilia stood up from her throne after she saw Kaito falling asleep, dispelling the scrying spell with a snap of her finger.

Oh, Gilda. I'm glad you are still in good health., she thought with a smile. And thank you for taking care of Kaito.

Her cat had returned to her room on its own, going for an earlier sleep than her master. And so she was truly alone there.

I'm glad you didn't become my companion. Or else I would have to betray you in the end.

Her barefooted steps echoed as she walked forward. The castle was like her home now, and she never liked wearing shoes or even socks at home. And her minions always kept the place sparkly clean.

How interesting that he was sent to the same place I was sent. But it seems he has not yet awakened to his power, nor that he knows what his goal should be. My intervention bore some fruit after all.

I know he would go after me. But to reach this place, it wouldn't be an easy as just taking a simple trip.

I'll just have to show him that reality.

She stopped in her steps.

She had someone to call.

---

Kaito's sleep was restless.

He dreamed of flying through the skies, in search of his long lost friend Lilia.

No, to be more exact, he had already known where she was. He now just had to go there.

And then, midway through the flight, he suddenly crashed into an invisible wall mid-air, making him fall to the ocean below.

As he sank, deeper and deeper to the abyss, he heard a voice whispering to his ears.

The gems... necessary... to break through the barrier...

And then, he woke up.

The crow of a cockerel within the village cut short Kaito's vivid dream. Morning's first light was beginning to seep in around the doorframe and the shutters. He gazed around without moving his head, his brain struggling to comprehend where he was for a moment. The previous evening's events returned to him within a moment. Then there had been that dream. It was still fresh in his mind. The Sage had been trying to tell him something about the gems. They were for a barrier, it seemed. A barrier that would keep him from Lilia if not otherwise dispelled.

Kaito remembered Gilda mentioning that she still had possession of some sort of gem. He hadn't been able to ask about it the night before, but it was going to be the first thing he brought up this morning. The young man sat up and stretched his arms and legs out before him. The low mattress had not been as uncomfortable as Kaito had feared, but it still didn't hold a candle to his bed back home. A wave of homesickness enveloped him, as he realized there was a good chance he would never go back. This was the life he had to look forward to, it seemed.

His white tee-shirt was soaked through with sweat at the back, no doubt thanks to the stress of the end of his dream. It had been cold and suffocating, and it felt so real. Only the Sage's words in his ear had filled him with the resolve to see it through. Kaito took a sniff at the inside of his shirt and grimaced. Not the best smell in the world; that was for damn sure. He didn't even have anything to change into. Unless he could borrow some clothes off of Gilda's father, he was only going to get worse.

"Gilda!" he called out. "You wouldn't happen to have anything else I could wear for now, do you? I'd rather not keep standing out like I do. I'm no good with being stared at like yesterday, if you couldn't tell."

"Hmm? Oh, you're awake already, Sir Kaito!"

From Gilda's muffled voice, he could surmise that she was outside. And indeed she was, up doing laundry early in the morning. She had woke up around two hours earlier than Kaito, even before the sun had risen across the hill. She was perfectly used to waking up so early, as she had been doing it almost every day ever since her mother passed away.

It usually went like this. She took a bath first, using the water she drew from the well beside the house, and then she changed her clothes, with the old one being sent to the laundry, to be washed right away afterwards along with the clothes worn by her father. And after that, she would hang them all to dry.

Now, she was in the middle of said hanging process.

"Wait just a second please, I'm almost finished!"

And indeed she was, as she rushed in after hanging her bloomers last.

"Oh right, you want a change of clothes," she said after being in front of him. "That makes sense. But Lilia doesn't really change hers though. But hers don't really look that different from the clothes of this world..."

She then started to ruffle through the wardrobe inside the bedroom. They only had one wardrobe so both her clothes and her father's were stored there together.

"Hmm, not this. Not this. This is old. This has a rip on it--I really should fix that. Ah, yes, this is it!"

With a bright smile, she took out a light brown tunic and a pair of dark brown trousers. They were the furthest thing from fancy clothes, but they looked decent enough to wear.

"They might be a bit too large for you though. Here, try them on!" She handed them over to Kaito.

"And while you do, I'm making breakfast! Omelette is good enough, right?"

---

So, this is where he is...

A humanoid figure stood above the village, far away enough that no one could notice her presence.

The man that Milady took an interest in. The so-called Second Hero.

Her face was stern, almost of that of a judge.

Even without her order, I would still wish to test you nonetheless. To reach Milady, you will need the gems. And I would never surrender mine without a fight.

With her breath, she conjured what looked like a small tornado in front of her. However, said tornado gained a pair of arms formed out of even smaller tornadoes. And a pair of red glowing eyes appeared inside it.

So show me. Show me if you truly deserve to meet her.

The tornado then descended right towards the village.

Kaito accepted the offering of clothing gratefully, adding a polite bow of thanks for good measure. The items looked perfectly plain. He would blend in quite nicely. Hopefully it would help him go unnoticed long enough to figure out exactly what his purpose here was supposed to be.

As Gilda began preparing breakfast in the other room, Kaito undressed quickly. He continuously cast a wary eye at the entranceway into the kitchen, making sure Gilda couldn't see him. Kaito even took his boxers off, certain they weren't going to be of much use to him anymore. After discarding his regular clothes into a pile, Kaito pulled on the borrowed clothing.

Sure enough, they were slightly too big. He had to adjust the cord at the waist of the trousers considerably to keep them from falling and exposing him. Old-fashioned clothes were a pain, he realized. Once he was satisfied with himself, he scooped up his bundle of dirty clothes and popped his head into the kitchen.

"I just remembered," he piped up. "Didn't you say something about a gem yesterday? I'd like to see it, if that's alright." Just then, a strong draught of wind buffeted the cottage. The door and shutters rattled, and a gust of cold air seeped in and spun around them. Loose bits of straw kicked up off the ground, and Kaito found himself instinctively clutching his bundle of clothes against it. He glanced nervously at the door, afraid it might come down at any second.

"A-A tornado?" Gilda shouted in horror.

The wind got stronger and stronger, until it was strong enough to blow the hay ceiling right off. As said ceiling were unraveling, Gilda quickly grabbed Kaito's hand and dragged him towards the door.

"W-we have to run! Now!"

However, before she could do so, the ceiling finally gave in, and the tornado monster landed right in the middle of the room. Naturally, it caused immediate chaos with all the furniture flying and swirling around; table included.

And said table crashed into Gilda, sending her flying to the brick wall, knocking her out instantly.

The tornado monster then looked towards Kaito, before floating towards him, intending to swallow him whole with its body. Its target was only Kaito. It paid no attention to GIlda.

Kaito was of the same mind, preparing to flee with Gilda when the house came apart. The clothing in his hands scattered in the wind, flapping haphazardly around the room. There was a loud crash, and Kaito looked over towards Gilda as he felt their hands separate. She had disappeared, pinned to the wall by the flying table.

With a gasp, Kaito began to move towards her. Just then, the tornado beast settled into the room between him and Gilda. Kaito's advance froze and he leapt backwards, his eyes wide with shock and fear as he considered the terrible creature before him. It was clearly only here for his life.

As the monster approached, Kaito felt its powerful winds bite at his skin beneath the borrowed clothes he was wearing. The numbness swelled in his hands, his fingers becoming icy and stiff in seconds. The surge of cold was unbearable, but it didn't necessarily hurt. The lack of sensation in his extremities prevented that. Still, it was entirely uncomfortable, and Kaito yearned to be released from it.

The rush of cold at his hands reached a crescendo, causing Kaito to let out a pained and frustrated yell. Without knowing exactly why, he raised his frozen hands in the approaching beast's direction. To his shock, they were glowing with a bright blue light, and small wisps of steam twirled off of his fingertips.

With another yell, Kaito felt the unbearable cold drain out of him in the direction his fingers were pointed. Lances of razor-sharp ice spewed forth from his hands, spinning in a helix towards their target. They met the tornado monster, cutting through its windy barriers and freezing solid the very air it was using a weapon. There was a loud snap that accompanied this violent change in temperature. The very next second, the beast was encased in a solid block of ice in the middle of the room, and the winds slowly died down.