Special Thanks to:
-CrazyLich -Xenophos24 -Ken Law -Xolef
I do not own Arknights or Fate series or any Type moon content.
Ursus Empire's northwestern tundras / 3:35 PM / Snowy
The continuous sounds of pickaxes clanging against hard Originium rang across one of the many mines belonging to the Ursus empire.
A twelve year old boy hammered on and on in a stable rhythm, his pickaxe shattering the black, transparent ore to pieces with each strike.
The child had brown, shoulder-length hair, with dark eyes filled with purpose, his body looked rather thin and slightly malnourished, yet his strikes still carried a good level of force behind them.
The boy's bear ears twitched as he heard the sounds of gunshots, his grip on his pickaxe tightening considerably as his eyes closed shut for a moment.
" Another one bites the dust. "
Another miner, a middle-aged man with similar bear ears, next to the boy forlornly stated as his strikes slowed down a bit.
" Don't dwell too much on it, Edward. "
Edward nodded before he continued on, hammering on and on repeatedly, his strikes distinctly stronger than before.
Their work continued for a few more hours, before break time arrived.
The miners sat close to each other as they ate what little food they got from their captors.
Edward approached the children huddled together and began his regular inspection of their conditions, one by one.
" Big bro! Can you tell us another story today? "
" Big bro! Can we continue last time's lesson, please? "
Already he was bombarded by all kinds of demands coming from all sides, the kids swarming him like moths to a flame.
Edward smiled wryly as he tried to calm the excited group of children.
" Okay, okay, calm down, we'll do everything one thing at a time. "
The kids slowly settled down as Edward finished his check-ups, listening to what they had to say in the meantime.
Edward felt someone's gaze from behind him, turning around, he smiled gently at the pair of white rabbit ears hiding behind the cover of a small pile of rocks.
" Yelena, I know you're there. "
The rabbit ears twitched cutely, before a little, white-haired cautus emerged from her cover.
The little girl rushed towards Edward, the boy patting her head gently, making her lean into his hand, taking comfort in the warmth of the affectionate act.
" How did you find me? I thought I hid well. "
Edward smirked at her knowingly before gently flicking her forehead, causing Yelena to pout.
" You're too cute to be hidden from me, Yelena. "
Yelena smiled at the compliment, and stood still as Edward inspected her for any injuries.
" Yelena, there you are, I was wondering where you went. "
An old woman walked to the group of children, a blue-eyed cautus with similar features to Yelena, looking much worse for wear than most of the miners around.
The woman's wrinkled face softened upon seeing Yelena and the kids, a visible smile of relief blooming when she saw their smiles.
God knew their happy faces were the single ray of sunshine in this hell they're in.
" Grandmother! "
" Aunty! "
Yelena ran towards her grandmother, giving her a fierce hug, the woman chuckling slightly before returning the act.
" It's good to see you're all doing well, children...and I guess it's good you're still alive, brat. "
Edward's friendly smile faltered for a second, his eyebrow twitching in agitation as he glared at the woman.
" Old hag, I don't think you'll outlive me even if I sought my own death. "
It was the woman's turn to have her smile crack at the not so subtle jab at her old age.
" What unruly manners, as expected of a brat, did anyone ever tell you to never mention a lady's age in her presence? I suppose I would need to discipline you on these things, otherwise you'd never be able to talk to girls. "
Edward merely gave a sweet, fake smile in response.
" I'm well aware of that, it's just that I find you implying you're a lady to be the only problem. "
" Why you insolent little sh- "
" Now if you'll excuse me, I have children to teach, but first, let me get a look at your wounds. "
Giving the woman a necessary inspection, the boy was glad to see she's not as bad as her appearance seemed to indicate, barring a couple of bruises and cuts here and there, requiring but a few moments to heal with his magecraft.
Quickly turning around, Edward walked over to the children again, followed by a giggling Yelena.
The fuming lady could only sigh in exasperation, a phantom of a smile on her face.
" I know the banter's fun for you two, but maybe you should be easier on him Ana? "
A Vulpo man came next to the now named Ana, his graying hair and wrinkled face were clear indications of his old age.
Originium shards were present on his left cheek and neck, denoting his severe infection with Oripathy, although his expression was relatively calm.
Ana turned her eyes towards her companion, before returning on Edward, now teaching the children about the basics of mathematics.
" You don't understand him like I do, Alexei, these little banters are how we communicate with each other. As long as he remains unruly, then he's fine. "
Alexei chuckled at her answer, although a cough cut him off.
" That boy is very special, I bet you if he gets out of this shit hole, he'd grow to accomplish great things, it's a shame he got in here in the first place. "
Ana remembers that day well, the arrival of a new batch of miners a few months ago, and the calm boy who stood out among them like a sore thumb.
At first glance he seemed quite unremarkable, neither possessing robust physique nor any charisma to speak of.
The only thing that was soon known of that boy was that he was a very helpful and composed child, who also happened to possess a form of healing arts.
Everyone had kept it a very hidden secret so as to avoid bringing trouble to him, and he was very eager to help care for those who needed assistance.
The boy from back then sure grew on all the miners quickly, and his presence had somewhat lessened the constant somber and depressing air in their prison.
Ana was brought from her reminiscence by the biting pain in her chest, her infection acting up once again.
' Looks like I don't have much time left. '
The cautus's expression fell as she retreated to her corner, still having a clear viewpoint of the children, and of the happy Yelena as she tried to answer the problem.
' With him around, they'll have a chance of survival. '
Her thoughts soon drifted off as sleep slowly overcame her.
' Another day of hard labor nearly done, a few more hours to go. '
Edward inwardly sighed as he hammered away at the Originum in front of him.
Plans of possible escapes ran through his mind, although most were immediately crossed out, either to the lack of knowledge on portions of the layout of the mine and the patrol routes.
Ever since he came here, he'd been developing such plans to have everyone escape the mines, maybe even free the others in the nearby ones, but progress had been very slow due to the lack of opportunities , even the parts of the mine he'd already mapped were only explored thanks to use of a copious amount of hypnosis, but it's still not good enough.
' I should be able to pull that kind of stunt again, with the amount of time that passed, they probably won't suspect anything. '
" Hey you! You think you can laze around! "
The sound of a whip echoed in Edward's ears, and for a moment he thought it was him the voice was directing its hostility towards.
Yet when no pain came, his heart sank and his blood felt cold.
Edward, and Everyone's attention turned to the noise, only to see Ana hunched on the ground in pain, on the other end of the whip stood the imposing, scarred figure of the Overseer named Gregor.
" Age is no excuse for not working, as long as you draw breath, when I say you work, you will work."
Gregor stated with such dismissal that it was as if he was stating the obvious.
" You, the infected, are fated to die off, your deaths meant to save others from the same fate. "
He glared at all the miners present, before he struck the ground with it in warning, the ground cratered.
" Take solace in the fact that even when treated as the animals you are, you still contribute to the growth of the empire. "
Edward could see the old man Alexei gulp and turn away, like everyone else.
Looking at the strength of the whip, they didn't want to see the results of its use on an elderly woman like Ana.
Ana struggled to get back on her feet, yet in the end, her frail form still gave out on her.
She stumbled, panting from exhaustion as she rested on all fours over the ground.
Her earlier labor was already too much for her, and now her body felt like it was broken to pieces, it took all she had just to hold herself from screaming.
" Grandmother! "
Yelena rushed towards her grandmother, helping her as best she could, tears falling down her cheeks.
Gregor's eyes narrowed. Workers who could no longer pull their weight held no value to the Empire's progress, becoming nothing more than a waste of precious provisions.
Under everyone's horrified gazes, the whip lashed out again, with even more force than the last strike.
Yelena stepped in front of her grandmother, her small, trembling body trying to shield her grandmother on instinct.
Closing her eyes, Yelena's heart skipped beats as she felt the slight breeze of the whip.
It was then that Edward moved.
The loud sound of the strike rang in everyone's ears again, although no scream was uttered.
Edward stood in front of Ana and Yelena, a lash mark traveling from his left cheek, all the way down to the right side of his waist, the whip having ripped apart the rags he wore.
He spoke not a single word, but neither did he act out.
This pain was nothing, he could handle it.
He may have done nothing when these conscripts playing patriots killed the miners everyday, but he refused to allow such abuse to happen in front of him.
He would not compromise any further.
" You dare! " Gregor seethed.
He was one of the Overseers given authority to watch over the infected's punishment in this mining site, but with them being so short in manpower compared to the number of miners, they would not allow their authority to be challenged.
The whip cracked again.
And again.
Alexei and the others stared in horror and rage as Edward bore through strike after strike, they knew they couldn't speak out, lest the damn Overseer kept going out of spite.
Yelena could only stare in horror, her terror at what she nearly experienced made her body freeze in place.
Ana quickly covered her granddaughter's eyes as her own face turned ashen at the sight of the blood pooling from Edward's body, the disturbing sound of flesh being ripped apart haunted everyone's ears.
What no one knew, was that the one feeling the most anxiety was none other than Gregor himself.
The boy's eyes, they stared at him, as if a predator was staring down its prey, unflinching, immovable and unblinking.
He seemed to feel no pain at all, no matter how hard he threw his whip forward, the boy shrugged it off like it was nothing.
An instinctual side of him screamed at him to stop, that he was provoking something that shouldn't be provoked.
With one final strike, the overseer finally stopped.
Edward's eyes still did not leave his figure for an instant, and he finally spoke.
" I'll take care of both her and my daily work for today, so leave her be. "
Gregor snorted in disinterest, although he felt somewhat relieved he had a way out of this peculiar situation.
" As you wish, you'll handle both her and your own workload, starting now, get back to work, all of you! "
No one spoke a word as the Overseer retreated for some reason, Edward picked his pickaxe again, and started hammering away.
" Edward! "
Ana hurriedly rushed to him, her weak, trembling hands on his shoulders, her grip was surprisingly tight.
" What the hell were you thinking? "
Edward looked at her for a moment, before he smiled.
" Nothing much, just saving you two. "
Ana's face turned blank for a moment, before she frowned.
" You irredeemable idiot, how could you risk your life like that? Do you have a deathwish? "
Edward did not answer, he merely helped her sit down before he went back to work.
" Stay still, I'll take a look at you after we're done. "
Edward's gaze moved to Yelena and the kids nearby, all of them looking at him with clear worry and fear.
He approached the trembling girl, patting her head gently, he just smiled at her.
" There's no need to cry, Yelena, everything's ok now. "
Yelena sobbed as she hugged Edward tightly, uncaring for the blood that stained her body and clothes.
She felt terrified, chills traveling down her spine, the sound of the whip still clear as day in her mind, and so she clutched onto her protector.
" Big bro! "
The children ran and hugged their big brother, many sharing in Yelena's terror and worry for him.
" Hey now, you guys… "
Edward found himself slightly flustered at the pile of kids hugging him and looking at him for comfort.
Sighing weakly, Edward kneeled down on one knee and beckoned the others in a group hug, his invitation answered with enthusiasm as every one of them grouped together.
Yelena's tense body slowly relaxed at the warmth of her siblings, and her sobs slowly receded, she watched as Edward stood up, patting their heads, one by one.
" Hey, Petrova. "
Edward suddenly called out to one of their siblings.
" Yes, big bro? "
All of the kids turned to their sister Petrova, a pale Kuranta with black hair and blue eyes, being slightly shorter than most of her siblings, even as she was among the oldest, it took her raising her hand to make herself known.
Smiling at her, Edward gave her a playful look.
" Why don't you tell us what to do when we're afraid? "
Petrova's eyes widened as a small glint shined in them, she winked at him playfully, before she puffed out her chest.
" Listen here, kids- "
" Boooo "
Her attempt at mimicking Edward's voice was met with immediate and heavy objection from her siblings.
" Let me finish! "
Petrova huffed as her order was obeyed, although guessing by some of the looks she saw, some of her siblings were having fun at her outburst.
" When you feel afraid, or when all hope seems lost, when you feel alone, or wanting to give up, always remember and tell yourself the reason for which you strive through these hardships, remember your dreams and shout out your goals, and then push yourself beyond your limits, for a better tomorrow! "
" Yeah! "
" I'm gonna be a very wise man like the king of magic! "
" I'm going to become a strong man like the shield of Ireland! "
" I'm going to create a weapon like the married Blacksmiths! "
The adults looked at the cheering group of children fondly, some smiled as they went back to work.
Edward looked on proudly as one after another, each of the children proclaimed their goals with enthusiasm and courage.
His attention shifted to Yelena, waiting for her to do the same.
The young girl stammered slightly, noticing the others started to look at her too. Feeling courage swell up inside her at her younger siblings' expectant looks, Yelena looked at Edward deeply, before she imitated Petrova, puffing her chest out cutely.
" I'm going to become strong like King Arthur, and make the lives of the infected better. "
The children looked at their sister in admiration, before they all swarmed her excitedly.
" That's our big sis! "
" We'll follow you all the way, big sis! "
Edward happily hummed in approval as he saw Yelena so flustered by her siblings' attitude, her face turning red from embarrassment.
" Ok, now everyone, time to get back to work, don't want to be beaten by a pile of Originium now, don't we? "
" Yes, big bro! "
Everyone went back to work in earnest to make up for lost time, some kept stealing glances at the Ursus teen vigorously working with a smile, despite the glaring wounds on his face and midsection, blood still pooling from them.
For the next few hours, the only sounds heard was that of the pickaxes striking against the Originum, but if one listened closely, one could hear a distinct sound of liquid dripping.
' Eden, how is the healing going? '
' Internal injuries are already completely healed, I left the outer layers of flesh and skin untouched to avoid suspicion, stitching and bandaging recommended. '
An imposing, calm voice responded to Edward's thought, Eden's voice heard to none but him.
' Thanks a lot, partner. '
Edward sighed as he finally finished his and Ana's quota, wincing slightly at the itchy sensation under his skin in addition to the accumulated fatigue.
' Reinforcement really pulled through for me this time, that Overseer didn't pull any punches. '
' Affirmative, it is my estimate that your body would have been in critical condition after the fourth strike had it not been for the use of reinforcement, a human of your physical age and in the same condition would have died by the first strike, or in critical condition by the second strike with use of Reinforcement. '
Edward hissed at the statement, ancients really are scary creatures sometimes.
The magus knelt in front of Ana as he put his hand on her shoulder and analyzed her, his expression turned somber as he noted a few broken ribs and minor cracks in her spine.
Not one to dwell for long, he concentrated on healing the old woman.
Ana sighed as she felt her injuries start to heal up, holding a groan as Edward realigned her broken ribs before healing them.
" You should worry about your own injuries for once, brat. "
" Don't worry about me, I can handle this. "
Sitting next to her, Edward casually projected a needle and some threads and began stitching himself.
" Give that needle here, I'll help stitch your wounds. "
Edward stopped and looked at Ana in slight confusion, but still gave her the needle and shifted in front of her, and let her do her work.
Ana ripped a part of her rags off and placed it in a water barrel, pulling it out, she started cleaning Edward's wounds.
Ana couldn't help but flinch at the whip's handiwork on the child's body, feelings of guilt rising as she gently traced each wound, before she commenced stitching.
" Your arts sure are convenient, Edward, I would have loved to have you around in my time as a field medic. "
Between healing and creating needles and threads, Ana had to admit Edward's arts were very amazing, the boy's mastery over them even more so.
' He would make quite the excellent medic. '
Unaware of her thoughts, Edward smirked, but chose not to comment.
The stitching took a while, but Ana finished her work.
" There we go, nice and neat, now then, time to bandage that. "
The woman once again ripped parts of her rags and proceeded to use them as makeshift bandages, ignoring Edward's strong protests.
" You're really hopeless, brat, now look at your face, that wound's going to scar for sure, and you'll remain single for life. "
The elderly woman gently traced the large wound on the boy's left cheek, all the way to his neck, saddened by this mark the mine had placed on him.
" I saved your life and this is how you repay me, old hag? target my potential love life? "
" What about it, brat? Want me to talk about your idiocy? I'll have you know there's plenty of subject matter there, it's just that I graciously ignore that part. "
" Why you- "
" Wake my granddaughter up with your profanity and you'll have more injuries to stitch by the time I'm done with you. "
Edward actually flinched and moved back on instinct at Ana's terrifying stare, he felt a certain aura from her that made him think twice about finishing his sentence.
' She may be a cautus, but she's no less a mama bear, that's for sure, right, Eden? '
' … '
' Come on, partner! Don't leave me hanging like that! "
' I ask that you do not bring me into this. '
' Traitor. '
Edward could swear he felt Eden's blank stare at him, he felt like cursing his partner in this new world for his betrayal, but could not find any insult to use on him.
" Hey, Edward. "
Edward's attention shifted back to Ana, who moved by the sleeping Yelena's side, affectionately caressing her head.
He could feel a change in her demeanor from her use of his name.
" You have been planning an escape from the mines for a while, haven't you? "
Edward was slightly surprised, he thought he was stealthy in his little reconnaissance attempts of the mine.
' Then again, she was more attentive to me than others most of the time. '
He smiled wryly, before nodding.
" Guess I couldn't get past you, miss Ana, I do have a plan to get the miners out of here, but it's going to take a long time to finish. "
Ana nodded thoughtfully, her gaze landed on him again, this time, her eyes carried solemness and hope in equal measure.
" How much time do you need? "
The gears in Edward's head began turning, slowly calculating the time needed between the finishing of reconnaissance, laying the foundations and the finalization of the plan.
' What's your estimate, Eden? '
' One year '
Edward hummed in agreement, his own estimation being similar.
" A year, give or take."
Ana's eyes narrowed, before she nodded.
" Then it should be just about enough. "
Edward's head tilted in confusion, but Ana ignored it, lost in her own thoughts.
" Edward, can you promise me something? "
Edward's heart felt like it stopped then and there, for a moment, a memory forced its way to his mind, Ana's one singular question beckoned it like the tolling of a bell.
Promise me, Ed…
" Edward? Edward. "
Edward drew a long breath, only now noticing his rapidly beating heart. He shook his head a few times as he forced that memory down again, in favor of the present situation.
" Of course, anything. "
Ana's eyes lit up in slight suspicion at Edward's momentary loss of composure as she stopped caressing Yelena, her eyes focused on Edward's figure.
" Promise me that you'll take care of Yelena and the children here. "
" Miss Ana- "
" I'm going to be executed tomorrow, Edward. "
Edward's expression became downcast, sadness and frustration showing his own acknowledgement of the fact.
" I see you thought so too, what a rude child. "
" I'm sorry. "
" You don't need to apologize, anyone with half a brain can tell that after the overseer saw me today, he'd already marked me for tomorrow's "roll"... "
Ana's eyes playfully glanced at Edward's sad face, and she smirked.
" ...Congratulations, brat, you have half a brain. "
" Miss Ana- "
" Please promise me, Edward, I...know this is a selfish request, but you're our only hope of someone, anyone, leaving this place. "
Ana clenched her hands, and gritted her teeth in indignation, it was rare for him to see her in such a state, she always kept a calm and encouraging attitude after all.
" I don't mind being forgotten or abandoned, but to have these children snuffed out so indifferently is just too much. "
Edward frowned at her, he took her hand in his, calmly grasping it as calmly as he could.
" Don't worry, miss Ana, I will save the kids, that much I vow, but neither will any one of the miners be forgotten, I'll have it no other way. "
Edward felt Ana's hands grip onto his own, it felt like she was gripping onto a lifeline of sorts, and then slowly but surely, she regained her bearings to a small degree.
He saw her uncertain expression, and the conflicted feelings it betrayed.
" You should go to sleep, Edward, take it easy on your body. "
" Yeah, definitely, good night, miss Ana. "
Once he was out of her sights, Edward sighed as he leaned against the wall and slowly sat down.
' She fears her death. '
' I can see that, Eden, yet here I am, completely unable to do anything. '
' It's not possible to save the entirety of the miners in your current conditions. '
A memory resurfaced in his mind, a moment that was at the core of his very being, who made him the person he was.
Promise me, Ed…
An immeasurable gift that was granted upon a parting, one that filled an empty being with a cherished purpose.
' ...Are you well, Edward? '
Edward seemed lost in his own world, Eden's voice recalling him from his trance.
' Yeah I'm good. '
' ...Your hands are trembling, Edward. '
Edward's eyes turned to his hands, finding them to be shaking like a leaf.
He looked at his shaking hands deeply, a hollow laugh, reeking of self-loathing, was his only response to such a foreign reaction to him, a magus and a killer of many people.
' Some hero I am, aren't I, Liliana? '
' I find your exercise of self-loathing to be misguided, Edward. '
' What worth is a Hero who can't even save those within arm's reach of him? '
' I find such a person to be of more worth than a hero who saved no one at all, and died in a vain attempt to do so, despite the possible opportunities of at least saving some of them in the future. '
Edward just looked in front of him, lost in his own world, until he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder, looking to the side, he saw Petrova hugging his arm tightly, her small form clung to him with surprising strength.
" Petrova? What's the matter? had a bad dream? "
The ursus teen patted his junior's head, her small black tail moving sporadically as her grip became stronger.
" Don't scare us like that ever again, please, we don't want to lose you. "
Edward froze for a moment, he sighed as he gently nudged the little girl's head to have her look him in the eye, and gave her a toothy grin.
" You shouldn't worry about that, little sis, no matter what, I'll never die on you guys, promise. "
Petrova looked at her smiling big brother, and returned to hugging him, a small smile on her face as she leaned against him.
" Can I stay with you tonight, you big oaf? "
Edward laughed at her question, he smacked her head playfully.
" Is there even a need for you to ask such a question, shorty? "
Returning her hug, he positioned himself to allow her to sleep comfortably with him as a body pillow, something that didn't go unnoticed by the little Kuranta.
' You're really kind, aren't you, big bro. '
" Good Night, Petrova. "
" Good Night, Big bro. "
The two slowly fell asleep, one peacefully enjoying the warmth and safety of her big brother in all but blood, while the other's heart was still grasped in dread and doubts, taking whatever solace he could in the smiling, small form of the happy little sister of his in his arms.
And so tomorrow came, and with it, the dreaded moment.
Edward's strike stopped right then and there, his heartbeat accelerated as he turned and found the overseer from yesterday pointing his crossbow at none other than Ana.
Everyone knew the meaning behind the overseer's action, and sadness was the only thing that was on everybody's face.
The trigger was pulled, and the bolt was fired.
" Grandmother! no! "
Yelena grasped tightly onto her fallen grandmother. she didn't want to lose her, the only family member she had left in this world.
" Please! don't leave me! "
" Yelena… "
" I beg you, grandmother! "
Ana stared fearfully at the overseer, before she reached out weakly and kissed Yelena's forehead gently.
" Have no fear, my little rabbit, I'll always be with you, no matter what. "
Patting her head, Ana gave Edward a knowing look, before smirking at him as her vision blurred.
" Besides, I'm happy to know you and the others will be in the good hands of that kind bear over there. "
Yelena turned her gaze to Edward, looking at them with a forlorn expression, as if he was in more pain than them.
" Now go to him, child, and be strong, ok? "
Yelena was clearly unwilling to let go, but she decided to obey her grandmother's words, and slowly treaded towards Edward, looking back many times in the process.
Ana laid on the ground, a puddle of blood slowly forming beneath her. She gave one final glance towards everyone, smiling as her eyes settled on her daughter and the boy she considered a son, before whispering a few words that only he was able to understand.
Thank you.
Two words that felt like knives stabbing his heart and made him feel disgusted with himself.
' That's unfair of you, miss Ana. '
It didn't take more than a few minutes for the accursed sound of bolts to reach their ears once more, Yelena sobbing as she worked on, her tears ran like a river at the loss of her sole remaining family member.
Alexei looked at her in sorrow, before shifting his gaze to Edward, and at that moment, he felt his blood run cold.
There was a certain aura about him that felt different from before, it was like he became a totally different person all of the sudden.
His face was locked in a cold, indifferent look, his strikes got harder, and harder, until his pickaxe broke to pieces from the sheer intensity.
His breathing became haggard, and he ignored everything that was happening around him as he heard a sound eerily similar to a bell.
' Eden, What's the matter? '
' I have decided to give you a mission. '
' I'm not in the mood for any mission or task, Eden, leave me be '
' It's one that will interest you greatly. '
'...What is it? '
' Mission: Salvation of the damned:
Your wish was granted when you were reborn in this new world, and now that you ended up here, you have learned of pain and misery.
You have made an oath, to save and care for the children in this mine, and so it shall be regarded as a mission.
Your objective is simple, you have 1 year to have the children escape the mines and into freedom, and guide them to safety.
Reward: an empty class Card, 10000 Points. '
Edward looked at the mission briefing, a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.
' Mission accepted. '
Edward felt a hand grasp his shoulders, turning to see the old Alexei looking at him with worry.
" Hey, kiddo, are you ok? "
Edward nodded his head.
" Yeah I'm fine, I just needed to let some anger out of my system. "
Alexei looked at the shattered pickaxe and deadpanned back to Edward, the boy not meeting his gaze as he scratched his head.
" Listen, kid, I'm going to tell you that we're aware of this plan of yours that you need a year to get ready, Ana told us about it last night, we made a headcount and we have just about enough for adults left to ensure none of the kids would die before your preparations are done, but you won't have any adult to help you with the escape either, are you sure about doing this? "
Edward looked at the elder's serious gaze intently, the old fox noticing a certain despondency in the little bear's eyes upon hearing the news, but it quickly switched to a more serious look.
" There won't be any issues, the children will escape regardless, I had hoped more could be freed, but it seems it's not the case, I'm sorry, Alexei. "
Alexei chuckled as he patted Edward's shoulder encouragingly, his eyes looked on with nostalgia and longing.
" It's no problem, lad, my bones are old, and my death is near in all cases, I'd just like to go to wherever my wife and son went, knowing you'd take care of the children puts my heart at ease, you're the most dependable kid I've come to know in all my years, I know you can do it. "
That night, Edward found himself sitting on his lonesome, his siblings within eyesight as he mourned and grieved.
In the midst of his growing frustration, he felt his blood boiling, and a stinging sensation eerily reminiscent of the feeling of his circuits opening.
' Eden, what is this feeling? '
' I detect a reaction from the Originium in your body, look at that rock next to you. '
Edward looked at the rock next to his thigh, noticing something peculiar about it.
Mainly, that it was floating a bit.
He grabbed the rock, and held it on his open palm, the rock floated on top of it still.
' Interesting, try to concentrate on the rock, imagine it moving. '
Following Eden's suggestion, Edward concentrated on the rock and tried to get it to move to the left, he was pleasantly surprised to see the object moving towards the left, until he mentally commanded it to stop, and so the rock stopped on his right hand's palm.
' I didn't activate my circuits, and I have no Bounded field or Magecraft capable of this, so I guess this is my Arts. '
' Affirmative, primary analysis heavily concludes that your arts is telekinesis or some variant of it, it will prove incredibly useful, although more experiments are required to properly assess its limits and drawbacks. '
' You're right about that one, but that's an issue for another time, I should do a complete check on things, let's start with status, shall we? '
' Affirmative. '
A wall of text began to appear in Edward's field of vision, showcasing his status.
' Well, everything seems to be in order, let's get to work. '
A book appeared in front of Edward, landing gently on his hands, titled "Advanced bounded fields ".
' Give me a visual of the mapped areas of the mine so far, Eden. '
Edward soon concentrated completely on studying the content, and periodically marking certain places in the three dimensional presentation of the areas he mapped so far during previous "outings".
Moving his gaze back to the sleeping kids, his eyes narrowed as the grip on the book grew tighter.
' Don't worry, Miss Ana, they'll definitely be free and happy. '
Name: Ahkmatov Edward Victorovish. (Formerly Edward Miles)
Race: Ursus.
Age: 13 years old.
Element: Fire, Earth, Air.
Originium-Cell Assimilation: 2%.
Originium blood concentration: 0.2 u/L.
Arts: Telekinesis.
Current condition: Malnourished, Slightly injured.
Inventory:
-" Introduction to the field of Alchemy. "
-" Intricacies of Transmutation. "
-" Advanced Bounded Fields. "
-" Advanced Runes and the engraving process. "
-" The paths of Healing magecraft and Spiritual healing. "
-Ursus arming sword.
-Dague.
-Food.
-Shroud of Martin.
-5000 LMD.
Points: 5000.
Thank you for reading.
Have a nice day and stay safe.