Author's Note
If you readers haven't noticed, the beginning parts of the story will not take place in Beacon Academy. Instead, it will focus on Jaune travelling around with his dad. Although I don't want to spoil anything, the Beacon Arc will most likely begin after they have finished their travels.
So how many chapters will it take to finish the travelling arc? I hear you ask. Well, considering my outline that I have, I can say that each kingdom will have around 2-3 chapters, other than Mistral. I think Mistral might be just one chapter. Most of my chapters consist of 6000-8000 words, so having only one chapter for a kingdom would make the story seem too rushed. Then again, I am cutting stuff down so that the pace of the story will be faster.
That's all I wanted to say, I hope you guys enjoy reading!
/-/Reincarnated in Remnant/-/
"All of you are no longer regular civilians. From now on, you are going to be soldiers who are going to serve our noble kingdom! Your lives will depend on the next few weeks of training, and failure will not be accepted. Congratulations on being chosen to serve the 31st unit." The heavily armored captain announced to the crowd.
Jaune looked around in confusion, watching the newly formed recruits. They ranged from all ages, young and old. His heart beat quickly as he couldn't find the children from the orphanage. He didn't know what the hell was going on.
He cried out in surprise as everyone marched forwards. Jaune had no option but to follow. He blinked in surprise as they came to a stop. His surprise was pushed further when a large wooden training sword was put into his hands. His body lurched forward at the sudden weight. There was no way that he could carry this, he was only twelve.
Sharp pain registered in his mind when he felt his arm get hit by the instructor.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and fight back! Do you want to die in battle?" The man screamed. Jaune heaved as he stood up. They were disposable. Orphans that held no importance in the kingdom. They were sending these disposable children into battle.
His arm shook from the pain, but Jaune lifted the sword with all his strength to block the next incoming strike. The attack was successfully blocked, but the sword fell out of Jaune's hand by the force of the attack. His hands were now shaking in pain from the feedback.
Looking towards his small hands, blisters had already began to form. He winced as he saw the skin peel off. He didn't have any time to tend to his wounds as he felt his stomach curl in pain. His instructor had attacked with his fists. Saliva drooled out of his mouth as he tried to breathe properly. His head was facing the ground as his body curled to protect his stomach.
How long did the torture last? He had no clue. He could only feel pain resonating everywhere. His arms couldn't move, they were numb from the damage that was done. Instead, Jaune collapsed and shut his eyes, darkness entering his vision.
-2 months later-
Jaune stood near the fields, watching the sunset. Behind him, soldiers were still camping. They were talking to one another, as it was most likely the final time they could talk happily. They were interrupted as their commander emerged from the largest tent.
"28th to 31st unit, the time is near. We must defend these grounds with our lives if we wish to win this fight. The enemy is approaching, and fighting is our only option. Not all of us will make it out alive. I can only wish every single one of you this: Good luck in staying alive." The commander yelled.
Jaune formed fists with his hands as a small smile made its way to his face. For two months, he had endured training for this moment. He would be a hero. The ones that he always dreamed of becoming. He would emerge victorious with the other children from the orphanage.
He followed the formation that was called, falling into his position. The ground shook as the enemy army emerged. Jaune gulped audibly in anticipation. The books about heroes he read in the orphanage, it was his chance to become like them. He held his sword in the kingdom's basic combat stance, waiting for the enemy to approach closer.
His tight grip on his sword began to shake as the enemy rushed closer and closer. His blue eyes no longer held anticipation. They only held pure, unadulterated fear as he got his first close look on the enemy. What the hell were they?
Their skin ranged from all the different colors. Their appendages were inhumane, in terms of both length and size. The way that they ran was disturbing. They were off balance, as if running was unnatural for them. The size of the enemy forces outnumbered them severely.
Cries of despair ran through the entire unit as combat was engaged.
He couldn't move his limbs. His eyes were frozen, staring at the same spot. His legs collapsed, and Jaune fell to the floor as he watched the slaughtering commence. The blue sky was so different from the red that painted the green fields.
Jaune felt vomit build up near his throat as blood splattered. The blood hit his face, entering his mouth. He was barely able to turn his head around. A dead, strangled body came into his sights. The body was dismembered, a large gaping hole formed in the stomach. From the wound, the intestines trailed out, letting out a disgusting sound as it hit the floor. His body convulsed in disgust, stomach emptying its content onto the ground in front of him. He breathed desperately, looking around for an escape route.
Instead, his eyes came into contact with another child that came from the same orphanage. The child was in the same position as himself, frozen in fear. The child was thrown to the ground as a large demon slammed its foot. The claws dug into the child's throat, and blood exploded from the neck.
A scream traveled through the entire battlefield. The sore feeling of his throat signalled that he was the one who screamed. But he couldn't tell if it was him or not. His mind was shattered as he saw the dead bodies. He slowly rose to his feet, staggering to run away. The rotten smell of blood and corpses entered his nose.
He gagged repeatedly, not able to even throw up as he already emptied his stomach earlier by vomiting. Saliva mixed with splattered blood trailed down his chin as he continued his walk. It didn't take long for a demon to notice him. The demon ran towards Jaune, and Jaune could only stare with fear.
He closed his eyes, hoping for a quick death. What the hell. What about the tales of the heroes? Weren't they supposed to be true? He didn't care about anything anymore. He just wanted to die, to be relieved of this nightmare.
The warm breath of the demon brushed across his face and Jaune stood still, waiting for the final blow.
/-/Reincarnated in Remnant/-/
"JAUNE!" A voice roared. Jaune yelled out as he snapped his eyes open, arms swinging around frantically. His hands fumbled through the room, searching for anything to grasp onto. Instead, he felt two large hands grab onto his shoulders, shaking him.
He reared his arm back, ready to strike back desperately at the abomination that was attacking him. Jaune propelled his fist forward, barely able to stop himself as he stared at his dad.
"Dad?" Jaune croaked. Reality seeped in, and he realized that he was back in his safe haven, back with his father. His body was pulled forward as his dad wrapped his arms around him. Jaune was still breathing unevenly as he was pulled into an embrace. Minutes passed, and he felt his breaths slowly calm down.
He could still hear his heart beating a mile a minute. Sweat drenched his clothes and covered his entire body.
"I'm fine now. T-thank you." Jaune replied hastily as he pulled himself back. He used his hands to wipe the sweat off his face. He noticed that his forehead was burning. His dad handed him a glass of water, one that he accepted immediately. He gulped the cold liquid down, relishing the feeling as it traveled down his digestive system.
"Are these frequent?" His dad asked slowly. Jaune leaned back into the bench as tried to collect himself. Were they frequent? He placed a hand on his forehead, massaging his temples as he thought. At the beginning they were. Almost every damn day he had these nightmares. But that was back when he was young, when he was a child again.
At his current age, the nightmares still lingered, just not as much. If he was lucky, he would have a nightmare once every two weeks. He was a quiet sleeper. Even if he had a nightmare, he would stay silent. His body would heat up, sweat would drench everything near him, but he was silent. It was how he hid the fact that he had nightmares. It was the reason that his dad didn't even know he had nightmares.
"No, not at all." He winced as he heard his own voice. Even after drinking, his voice sounded hoarse. His answer didn't sound convincing at all.
"Do you… want to talk abo-?" Nicola asked cautiously.
"No." His answer interrupted the question. Jaune coiled his hands into fists as they slightly shook. "No." He repeated again, the answer aimed at no one in particular. What would his dad say if he told him the contents about his nightmare? About his previous life?
Most likely, his dad would think that he was crazy. In front, he would act as if he could understand, trying to appease him. Truth was, behind his back, his dad would try and find if his son mentally ill. Besides, he didn't want to even talk about it. It was the truth. Jaune didn't want to spend a second thinking about his hellish life. He wanted to forget about it.
Yet, the memories stuck to him like flies.
Nicola stared silently at his son as he crossed his arms. He knew his son. Jaune was stubborn as hell. If he pressed forward, it would only ruin their relationship. A sigh escaped his lips as he recalled the moment. His son was sleeping like a corpse. Sure, he was slightly mumbling, but it was the sweating that gave it away. No one sweated that much naturally.
What kind of nightmare haunted his son? The only ones who even reacted like that were ones involved in his line of work…
"Let's just talk about something else… please." Jaune asked desperately. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw his father nod in response. Jaune focused his eyes outside instead, widening as he saw the sudden change in the environment.
No longer were there the plentiful green vegetation of his homeland. Instead, sand replaced the landscape. It stretched far beyond the horizon. It was simply a desert. The sun shone brightly, but the temperature inside the train was cool due to ventilation system.
"How is the train running anyways? Shouldn't the sand get in the way of the wheels?" Jaune asked, calming his nerves.
"When we entered the lands, the train shifted. You were sleeping, so you probably missed it. We aren't running on wheels anymore. The train is levitating, thanks to the technology and dust of Atlas." Nicola explained. Jaune hummed as he listened. He focused on the horizon as he saw a large city approaching. A desert environment… There was only one region that fitted the description.
"We're heading to Vacuo first then?" He asked. Nicola nodded at the question. Jaune focused his sights back to his dad. It was just like he learned in school. He didn't pay much attention to geography, but he knew the most basics of the basics. Also, dust was more amazing than he thought it was, if it was able to make an entire train float.
"Can you tell me more about Vacuo?" Jaune requested as he shifted into a more comfortable position.
"Well, Vacuo has a interesting history. Before it was turned into this barren desert land, it was originally an oasis, which allowed the people to flourish. Natural resources were plentiful, and businesses thrived. However, war happened. The resources in the country were sucked dry, and damages caused transformed the land into what it is today." Nicola explained with a sad smile.
Jaune narrowed his eyes as he listened. Of course it was war that ruined such a nation.
"Right now, there really exists no exact civil code or law in Vacuo society. The only city that has any from of law is the main city which holds Shade Academy. Vacuo fits the words, survival of the fittest. That's why you should stay close to me." Nicola finished as he flexed an arm, an attempt to lighten the mood.
Jaune snorted at his dad's antics as he returned to stare at the landscape. It was a shame that he couldn't see the land when it was at its natural peak. Instead, he was left to discover the land when it was at its worst.
It didn't take long for the train to arrive to its destination. It seemed that Jaune slept a lot longer than he thought he did. The two stood up, walking towards the exit. As they walked, Jaune couldn't help but notice that almost no one was getting off. In fact, they were staring at him and Nicola for getting off. A nervous breath of air left Jaune's mouth as he exited the train. Just how bad was it?
Jaune followed Nicola towards the exit of the station, cautiously looking around. For first impressions, the city didn't look bad at all. Sure, the buildings lacked a lot of variety in color, being the shame shade of light brown. The buildings were shaped in either domes or in neatly cut rectangles. Jaune walked closer to the station walls, inspecting the material.
Running his finger over the wall, he rubbed his fingers together to try and identify the substance that was used to build the buildings. If he had to guess by the brown smudge on his fingers, it was built mostly with some combination of mud and concrete.
The pathway that led to the main city was empty, there were no people around. The buildings most likely were used for housing. There were no stores or vendors that were open. The two made their way towards the main city, and Jaune couldn't help but notice that his dad navigated through the city in a familiar manner.
As the two walked closer to the capital, Jaune noticed that the city began to show signs of life. People were starting to walk around, the streets soon were filled with stores consisting of food and clothing. It seemed that energy was very scarce in the city, as fire was used for heat. Restaurants all had a live fire instead of ovens and stoves. Lights were provided with lanterns.
Even with the crude lighting, the city exuded a calm atmosphere. Nicola walked towards the nearest inn, which Jaune followed. When they entered, the innkeeper seemed surprised by having a customer. The transaction of Lien was made, and Jaune soon found himself sitting on the beds.
The room temperature was high. It was to be expected, as the country was located near the deserts. Even if they were standing still, sweat started to form around the forehead of them both. Little was provided in the room. Hell, the train had more furniture than the inn.
A loud ringing brought Jaune out of his thoughts as he stared towards the source of the sound. Nicola sat next to Jaune as he gave Jaune the scroll. When Jaune turned his head towards the scroll, he noticed the faces of his beloved family.
"How's your trip so far?" His mother's voice came out from the scroll.
"Everything's fine. Dad even let me sleep during the train ride, it was a miracle." He replied, causing his mom to smile. Nicola grumbled in the background. His mom was about to speak, but was interrupted as two smaller faces appeared instead.
"Why did you leave without even saying goodbye stupid brother?"
"Hope you and dad are safe."
Two contradicting voices rang out. Jaune smiled as he recognized the twins of the family. Emma and Olivia Arc. Although they were identical twins, their personalities gave them away. One was a tomboy, preferring crude words over prim manners. She was outgoing and one who sought fun.
Olivia on the hand was the definition of cautious. She rarely spoke first, instead listening in the background. Unlike Emma, she stayed indoors, usually reading books or drawing. The two were both thirteen now. They were respectively the third and fourth eldest of the family.
"I don't know, ask the stupid dad that question. We're both fine Olivia." His sisters chuckled as they saw Jaune's face get pushed down by their father's hand. The faces of his sisters disappeared after, showing his mother again. His father snatched the scroll away from him, making small talk. Jaune snorted as he saw the two. Nicola was practically obsessed with his wife.
Overhearing some of the conversation, he learned that his sisters were outside. Jaune sighed as he fell backwards in the bed, waiting for his dad to finish the call. Most likely, they would call each other frequently. Maybe he can sneak in a few minutes of sleep while his father was busy talking. He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep on the rough bed.
"Nice try." A gruff voice entered his ears and Jaune looked up to see his dad glaring at him.
"Your laziness reminds me of our agenda. While we're on this trip, you're gonna get that lifestyle of yours fixed. That means having a fit body. You're basically skin and bones somehow, even when all you do is eat and sleep." Nicola said.
"OUR agenda? Excuse me, but isn't that your agenda? If you need to work out, you are free to do so. Alone." He emphasized the final part. They locked onto a short staring contest, which ended in Jaune's inevitable defeat. He soon found himself doing pushups and squats against his will.
His dad was a slave driver. No time to rest between doing sets. Even when his arms and legs were shaking of exhaustion, the man kept forcing him to go on.
"No more. No more." Jaune groaned as he finished his most recent set.
"I'm getting a feeling of deja vu. You said the exact same thing when we ran earlier this morning, didn't you?" Nicola asked with an evil smile. Jaune glared back at the man, recalling the event. He did say the exact same words.
"Whatever. That's enough for today. Let's head out and explore the city, shall we? One more thing before we head out. What do you think about faunus?" His dad asked, demeanor becoming serious. Jaune sat on the bed as he scratched his head.
"Well, I've never really seen one to make a proper judgement. Back in our hometown, there were no faunus at all. We rushed our way here, so I didn't notice any either." Jaune replied honestly. He was curious about them, wanting to meet them to see exactly what faunus looked like. When he heard that they had animal appendages and senses at school, his eyes lit up with shock.
"If you wanna live in this city, here's a tip. Don't stare at any of them for too long. You're picking a fight if you do. Remember what I said earlier, about survival of the fittest? You end up in a fight with anyone here, you're gonna get your ass kicked hard." Jaune simply nodded at his father's assessment. In Nicola's point of view, he would get his ass kicked in many different ways. In his father's eyes, he was a lazy child who wasn't fit for a fight.
In truth? He could probably win against anyone that went against him, considering if he had a weapon. He spent his entire previous life fighting, the instincts were drilled into his mind, even if the state of his body was different. The knowledge was still there. Would he ever try to prove that he can win a fight to his dad? Fuck no. Even if someone did picked a fight with him, he would just apologize and fuck off. He wasn't living this life to fight.
His breath caught in his throat as he saw his dad pull out the sword and attach it to his buckle. His father glanced towards him, noticing the stare.
"It's for self defense. I'm not going to just swing this thing around everywhere I go." Nicola called out, causing Jaune to face him. Did his son not have any faith in him at all? Jaune continued to stare at the sword before finally breaking contact. He stood up, leaving the hotel room with his father trailing behind.
He stopped once they stepped outside, letting his father take the lead.
"You hungry yet?" Nicola asked, causing Jaune to rub his stomach. He frowned as he continued to rub, trying to gauge the amount of food that was left in his stomach.
"Yeah, I can eat right now." Jaune concluded, watching his father move to a different location. Although there were many restaurants, his father passed by them after glancing inside each and every one of them. Confused, Jaune followed his father's actions, glancing at each store. There weren't any significant differences between the stores, all selling similar food.
His father finally entered a store after letting out a satisfied grunt. Looking around, Jaune could understand why his father was passing all the restaurants. The owner of the current restaurant was a faunus. Even when Nicola told him not to stare, Jaune couldn't help but look towards the two extra ears that were perched on top of the head.
Bright orange fur complimented the darker shade of orange that was the hair. When the owner turned around, Jaune was surprised by the facial features. Except for the ears, they looked exactly the same as regular humans. Sure, the twitching of the ears was unique, but it wasn't anything bad.
He quickly averted his eyes down as Nicola grabbed his attention. Don't stare. It was the message that he was sending to Jaune. Jaune decided to explore the menu that was given to him. Similar to the restaurants they passed by, the menu was consisted of dry food. Knowing that any dry meat would be too chewy for his liking, Jaune decided to settle for the sun dried tomatoes instead.
It didn't take long for the food to come out, and Jaune licked his lips in anticipation. It was the first time that he was trying the food of Vacuo. The initial texture of the food was dry and rough. After biting his teeth into the tomatoes, flavor exploded out. Drying the food caused the flavors to be concentrated. Sour and sweet filled his mouth.
If there was one other thing that Jaune appreciated in life other than his family and sleep, it was food. Ration bars was the food that was provided in his previous life. Food was already scarce, and soldiers didn't get to have the luxury of food, even if they were risking their lives everyday.
Most of the time, the food served was unidentifiable. It looked similar to a pile of shit, and tasted like shit. However, it was the only thing available to them, and they needed food to survive. Hell, after eating the lowest quality of food for years, his taste buds were probably destroyed.
For the first time, he experienced eating quality food. Whether his mother was an excellent cook, or his brain registered that anything he ate was just good compared to the military food, Jaune didn't know. Eating pastries, fresh vegetables and fruits, and actual meat that wasn't spoiled was heaven to him. Discovering the cuisines of other countries was exciting to him.
Nicola was chewing repeatedly at the rough jerky that he was holding. The meat in Vacuo wasn't exactly high quality. It was the texture and salty flavor that attracted customers. If he only had a beer right now…
"What did they teach you in school, about faunus?" Nicola asked as they left the restaurant. They had finished eating earlier, and Nicola had payed the bills. Jaune noticed that Nicola asked in a silent voice, most likely to keep the conversation to themselves.
"Aside from physical appearance, we learned about some history, as well as how they have some extra abilities that humans don't due to their animal counterparts." Jaune listed off his head.
"Do you know about the differences in rights? How they are treated compared to humans in society?" Nicola asked.
"No. We didn't really expand on the topic." Jaune replied as he raised an eyebrow. He waited for a moment, walking in silence as he waited for his dad to explain. His dad stayed silent, and Jaune focused his thoughts to understand why his dad wasn't explaining.
His dad had asked him what he thought about faunus earlier at the hotel. Now, he was hinting again at something. But what was the message his dad was sending?
The answer clicked in his head and Jaune smiled. Nicola was trying to show Jaune the treatment faunus received in society. If the clues were any indications, Jaune concluded that they were mistreated, probably due to the differences in anatomy.
It was the reason why his dad chose to visit Vacuo first. Survival of the fittest. The country was too focused on trying to survive that they didn't care much about being faunus or human. Whether Nicola was someone who treated faunus differently or not, Jaune didn't exactly know. However, his father wasn't trying to push his views upon him. He was letting Jaune make his own conclusions about the faunus race.
If they visited a land where misportrayal of faunus was common, it would distort his views. Rumors influenced viewpoints, whether the rumors were true or false. By going to Vacuo, a place where everyone was focused on survival, Jaune could see the faunus as who they are.
As they walked, Jaune looked up towards the largest building in the city. If he had to make a guess, he would suspect that the building was the center of the city. Nicola noticed the long stare Jaune was giving to Shade Academy.
"Aren't you gonna ask what the building is for?" Nicola asked to Jaune. Jaune flicked his eyes towards his father.
"I thought we were going to visit it at some point, considering that we're here to explore." Jaune replied casually.
"Good point. Unfortunately, we can't enter. That building is Shade Academy. It's the only building which actually upholds any form of law." Nicola said.
"Academy? As in a school?" Jaune asked.
"Yep." Nicola confirmed. Jaune glanced back towards the academy. Why was a school the biggest building in the capital? Was it a school meant only for the elites?
"What the hell do they teach in there to warrant its size?" Jaune pondered out loud.
"They raise hunters, huntsman and huntresses to be exacts. From the art of combat to survival. Students are taught to become soldiers that fight. The probability to get accepted into the academy is higher than expected. The graduation rate, however, is ridiculously low." Nicola explained. Jaune scoffed as he listened. So the largest building in the city was meant to train soldiers.
Nicola recalled his own memories. It wasn't a surprise that Jaune didn't know what huntsman and huntresses were. Nicola and his wife had chosen a settlement where Grimm posed no threat. Hunters were not needed in their hometown. Honestly, Nicola wanted to keep his children in the dark. By doing so, the chances of his children wanting to become a hunter would diminish completely. It was selfish of him to do so, but the safety of his children was his priority.
In fact, most of the population in Remnant tried to avoid having their children become hunters. Vacuo was a unique exception, as they believed that only the strong survived. It made sense for them to aim to become huntsman and huntresses. If Nicola had to make a guess, less than ten percent of the population of remnant tried to become hunters. It was why their numbers were always lacking.
"So what do they hunt if they are called huntsman and huntresses?" Nicola stopped his walk as they arrived to the desired destination. Jaune followed the action, surveying their surrounding. Looking around, they arrived to high ground. From where they were, he could see far into the horizon. He shifted his focus forwards as Nicola pointed a finger forward.
Jaune squinted his eyes to see more clearly, eyes slightly widening as he saw multiple moving figures. His dad was pointing to a large field that was directly next to Shade Academy. Inside the field, there were multiple people that were moving around at a fast pace. They were circulating around a black figure.
The entire body was colored jet black. Some areas were covered with a white shell that resembled bones. Red patterns decorated the white shells. It wasn't human, that was for certain. It's movements were more feral, acting on instinct.
"Grimm. That is the abomination that huntsman and huntresses fight." Nicola started solemnly, staring at the students who were fighting. "They are creatures of unknown origin. We don't even know much about them. Even after decades of fighting, their numbers seem to never decrease."
Jaune felt his fingers dig into his palm. So they were like the demons in his previous life? The situations were similar. Demons in his world were abominations that seeked destruction. They had intelligence and a social structure much like their own. Unlike the people in this world, the kingdom had found out where the demons came from.
The void was where they originated from. Once a portal to their world had opened, hell was broken loose. In the end, Jaune had to kill the king of all demons to seal the portal. The people of his past world were most likely rebuilding from the damage caused. Or they were still fighting the other kingdoms…
"Honestly, I thought you'd be more scared after seeing one." Nicola said. Jaune flicked his eyes back and forth, staring at the Grimm. How could he be scared of it, after seeing real abominations? The animal like Grimm were cute compared to them. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders.
"There's only one of them. The one Grimm is surrounded by students in training that are supposed to specialize in killing Grimm, right? We're also in a safe place, surrounded by the city walls. If I met them by myself outside, then I'd get scared. In fact, I'm more interested in the students. They look really young." Jaune replied.
"Although ages can differ, the majority of the students begin at age eighteen." Eighteen? Eighteen was around the age that he died. That was besides the point. Why would they want to participate in fighting the Grimm, instead of living a safe life at home? His face must have gave his thoughts away, as Nicola began to speak again.
"Haven't you ever had dreams of becoming a hero for the common people? To stand up for the weak? Huntsman and huntresses sacrifice their lives everyday fighting in the front lines to make sure that the civilians can live a peaceful life." Of course he had those dreams of becoming a hero before. Before he came to this world that is. In his current life, he didn't want to help anyone. He wanted to be selfish, to live a self fulfilling life.
"Hell no. I don't want to risk my life everyday. I want to see the smiling faces of my family everyday after I wake up from my sleep. Isn't that why the graduation rate is low like you said before? Because many students die in the process?" Jaune shot back.
"That is… true. During missions and live experience training, mortality rate is high. The problem isn't that, however. The lifespan of huntsman and huntresses are very short, as you probably know why. The best of the best don't live long enough to live their full lives. Even if the cities are in need of protection, they're not trying to send people to their deaths. To graduate, one needs to be the best of the best, they need to live up to the expectations of hunters and huntresses. There are even times when there are no graduates in a year. Well, the pay is really good." Nicola said, muttering the last part.
Jaune scratched his head as he listened. At least the academies have the decency to act like they care about the lives of the students. His kingdom that he served on the other hand…
"Oh?" He muttered, as a large sound rang throughout the city. The students were using weapons while fighting. Although they were pretty far away, Jaune could see that the weapon changed shape. What seemed to be a large spear transformed into some kind of weapon that he couldn't identify. His eyes widened as he saw the student shoot bullets.
It was a… spear gun? A gun spear? How the hell would you describe the weapon? Guns were considered obsolete in his old world. There were many reasonings. Guns required resources to use, and were slow. They could only focus on singular targets. When magic was discovered, the production of guns completely stopped.
Magic was wide scale, able to take out a whole unit with a single spell. It was much more effective against the demons. Magic also didn't require any resources, other than the energy that mages possessed. Through the books of Remnant, Jaune learned that his world was considered a medieval fantasy world. Technology in Remnant was much more superior, another fact that Jaune had to adjust to. Machinery that he had never seen were plentiful.
Transforming weapons? That was fucking cool. The weapon was able to cover its own weaknesses by having two forms. Jaune peeked to the side, staring at the longsword that was attached to his father's buckle.
"The weapons they use are specialized for hunters. They design the weapons themselves most of the time." Nicola's voice rang out. A slight sigh of relief left him. So hunters were the ones that wielded such weapons. That meant that his father wasn't a hunter, right? The sword he owned seemed normal in his eyes.
The ringing sound of Nicola's scroll interrupted his thoughts. Nicola took out the device from his pocket, raising the scroll next to his ear as he answered. Jaune raised his eyebrows as he saw the face of his dad darken. Nicola's eyebrows arched slightly, and his eyes were narrow as he listened to the person on the other end. Jaune could only stare curiously at his father.
"Goddammit." Nicola whispered. Jaune barely heard the curse. Jaune turned his body so that he faced Nicola directly. Nicola muttered few words under his breath, trying to form a plan.
"I need to tell you something." Nicola started. Jaune stood still, tapping his foot impatiently. "I actually didn't take a break from my job." What? Jaune stared incredulously at his dad. So his dad ditched his job. Great.
"I made a... agreement with them. While I was mostly stationed for Vale only, I made a deal that I would help the other kingdoms in exchange for travelling with you." Nicola finished carefully. He sighed afterwards, bringing a hand to massage his temples. He expected that a duty call would come sometime. He just didn't expect it to come this early.
"Dad. What exactly do you do? Both you and mom never answer the question directly when I asked before. Is it seriously something we shouldn't know about?" Jaune asked. Nicola stared in return.
"Guess it's the best time to tell you, considering that I just explained to you what my job does." Nicola replied as he smiled sadly. Jaune froze as he interpreted the words. He mixed them up in his head, trying to come up with different ways to interpret the sentence. His dad just explained what his job did? That meant that…
"I'm a huntsman." Nicola finished. Oh...
Oh.
In truth, he had some suspicions already as they traveled. The way that his dad mentioned the wage of the hunters. His dad has said that his bank account was full of money. Sure, maybe his dad was some kind of underground business owner, but it didn't make much sense for his dad to hide the amount of money he made from the family.
Next was the explanations. His dad knew too much about the academy. He explained them too casually, as if he experienced going to one himself. Jaune knew that even with the presented evidence, he denied the truth. He didn't want his dad to be someone who risked their own lives for the sake of the common people. Jaune wanted to deny that his dad was what he was in his previous life…
"Wait a minute. Please tell me that you have a different weapon you use when you fight against Grimm." Jaune cried out as he stared at the sword his dad carried. Nicola stared into Jaune's eyes with amusement.
"What can I say? We're the old dogs. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. I'm already too used to using this weapon. Besides, it's a family heirloom that was passed down in our family. The name of it is Crocea Mors, have a look." Nicola offered as he detached the sheathed weapon from his buckle. He brought out his arms towards Jaune, an expectant look on his face.
Jaune glanced towards the sword, hands slightly shaking by his side. He didn't want to try holding the sword. But the way his dad looked at him, the way his dad looked at the sword with pride…
He hesitantly accepted the sword that was offered to him. Jaune slowly unsheathed the sword, watching the silver metal gleam under the afternoon sun. Blue leather wrapped around the handle. The bottom of the handle was capped with gold bearings. The blade itself was simple, made of what seemed to be steel. The length of the blade was around half his height.
Jaune's eyes were slightly slanted as he glared towards the sword. The length of the sword, the weight of the sword, it had to be coincidence. Sure, the design of the sword was different. But the feeling of holding the sword, it felt exactly like holding the sword he used in his previous life.
Daemon Occisor, the sword that the kingdom forged for him to wield. The name translated into the demon killer, an appropriate name for the sword. Of course at the time, Jaune thought that he would only be killing demons. Yet, he found innocent people on the other end of his sword. His hands shook slightly as his brain recalled the feelings of impaling people.
The feedback he felt on his hands as his blade ran through the hearts of other humans. His sword, covered in red blood. A fountain of blood spraying from the wounds that he caused.
"What do you think?" Nicola's voice entered his ears, snapping him out of his recollection. Jaune took a deep gulp of saliva as he tried to steady his breath.
Nicola glanced at the sword with a nostalgic smile. The sword was his pride. The most fondest memories he had with his own father and grandfather were forged because of the sword. He hoped that one day, he could pass the sword down to Jaune. To make the sword hold similar significance to him.
"Seems great." Jaune replied quickly. He hastily sheathed the sword, handing it back to Nicola. Immediately, his nerves calmed when he didn't hold the sword anymore. His father called out to him again, and Jaune noticed that Nicola had a more serious face.
"Jaune… We have to head further north to a small settlement." Nicola began. There was no more point in hiding anything from his son. "I've been asked to get rid of the Grimm that are gathered around the area, as they can be a threat to the small village. We have to move out now." He finished.
"Alright. So what's the plan dad? Are we gonna ride a train again?" Jaune asked.
"I'd love to, but unfortunately, the settlement doesn't have a station. Vacuo isn't exactly the most richest kingdom. We're going to have to ride a camel or rent a dust operated vehicle." Nicola explained. They quickly headed back towards the inn, retrieving their luggage. Jaune took one last look at the Shade Academy as they walked towards their destination, He couldn't imagine his dad attending any kind of academy.
Jaune glanced around curiously as they arrived to a weary shack. The building seemed old and unstable. A person sat out on a rocking chair, watching Jaune and Nicola as they walked closer. The person was covered with robes. It was impossible to identify the person underneath. Looking around, there were multiple buildings similar to the small shack. Most likely, it was a garage meant to store the dust powered vehicles.
His suspicions were proven correct as his dad walked towards one of them after making payment. He lifted the vertically sliding door, lifting it all the way to make sure that the door didn't fall down. Jaune whistled as the vehicle entered his sights. To accommodate for the sand, the vehicle used dust to hover, just like the train did. White paint covered the exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle had some age no doubt, as Jaune noticed multiple scratches adorning the paint.
They entered the car, and Jaune watched his dad press multiple switches to start the vehicle. His dad surprised him everyday, reminding him again that he didn't know much about the man. He lurched forward as the vehicle began to float. Wind caused the sand around them to whip upwards towards the air. With a satisfied smirk, Nicola began to drive the vehicle towards the outer desert. Nicola whipped out his scroll, looking for the settlement on his map.
The vehicle began to move at a surprising speed. Jaune rubbed his stomach as he began to feel a foreign feeling rise in his stomach. Weird, what was causing it? He felt fine when he rode a train. Was it because the vehicle was floating? But why did he feel fine when the train floated? So many questions ran through his mind, but they were all dismissed when he felt the feeling rise up again. Without a doubt, his body was warning him.
"Dad?" Jaune called out.
"Hmm?" Nicola hummed in response, sparing a glance towards his son. His hands that were on the steering wheel froze as he saw Jaune's face. His son had a pale complexion, looking sick. Don't tell him…
Nicola started to panic, looking around for a bag of some sort. His son was fine on the train, so why was he getting vehicle sickness now?
"I need to throw up." It was the last words Jaune said before he felt himself get shoved.
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"Not cool at all. Seriously not cool." Jaune muttered as he stood next to his dad, waiting for him to finish talking to one of the village people.
"Who shoves their sick son out of a moving vehicle?" Jaune whispered just loudly enough for his dad to hear. He grunted as he felt his dad's elbow smack his ribs. The village stared curiously at the antics of the two.
His dad, a huntsman that sacrificed his life everyday fighting the never ending forces of the evil called Grimm, was afraid of vomit. In panic, his dad shoved him out of the moving vehicle, forcing him to tumble in the desert. At least the vomit problem was solved. He heaved the contents of his stomach on the desert sand.
"I said I was sorry…" Nicola grumbled guiltily. It was out of pure instinct. He didn't even realize what he did until he heard the sound of the vehicle door opening. He flinched as he saw the glare that Jaune was still giving him. Sweat fell nervously from his face. Nicola quickly headed inside of the villager's house. It was a privilege that hunters had.
In exchange for their noble service, villagers of the different kingdoms offered their homes as a place for hunters to stay. He sighed in relief as he saw Jaune follow suit. He found the rooms that they were assigned to, placing his bags on the floor. Jokes and apologies aside, Nicola turned around to speak.
"I'm most likely going to be gone early in the morning. Knowing your… sloth like habits, you won't even realize that I'm missing. You'll have food and everything ready, so don't worry." Jaune blinked multiple times slowly.
"You'll be back safe and sound, right?" Jaune asked. His voice croaked. If everything that his dad explained was true, then there was a chance that his father might not return…
"Of course I will. I told you before on the train, I'm the oldest man in the business. I know how to live during these encounters. I'll be back before dinner." Nicola responded confidently, warmth filling his chest. This is what kept him alive. The will to return to his family. He couldn't imagine a world where they grieved over his death. He raised his large hand, ruffling his son's blonde patch of hair in a loving gesture.
Instead of brushing away at the intruder's hand and letting out a noise of displeasure, Jaune sat quietly, letting his dad ruffle his hair. A thought emerged from Jaune, and the thought bothered him. Nicola sighed as he saw his son stare off in the distance again.
"Goodnight." He called out to Jaune, lying down on one of the beds.
"Goodnight." Jaune muttered before lying down himself. Contradicting his lazy nature, Jaune stayed awake. He lived fifteen years of his new life the way that he wanted. To sleep, to rest, to eat. Now he learned that his father was a huntsman. Every time his father was away from home, Nicola was risking his life to fight against the Grimm. Was it alright for himself to really live a carefree life that he dreamed of, while his dad was fighting?
It wasn't wrong of him to live selfishly, was it? He complied to the wishes of the kingdoms in his previous life. He lived and trudged through hell to get a chance to live a new life. He watched his friends die in front of his eyes, he suffered wounds but was healed for the sole purpose of fighting again. He deserved to live selfishly, right?
Guilt stabbed him repeatedly. If would all be fine if his dad was a normal civilian. Jaune didn't give two fucks about people other than his family. Now that he knew what his dad really was, he was questioning his choices. If his dad ever died in battle, he would blame himself. His heart hurt just from the thought. He loved his dad without question.
Jaune couldn't sleep that night. He stayed up, thinking about everything that has happened so far. He turned to the side as he heard his father move. Was it already early in the morning? Jaune shut his eyes in order to appear asleep. He waited patiently as his dad got ready to head out for his mission. The loud thuds of boots resonated louder as his dad walked closer to his bed.
"I'll come back alive. I promise." Nicola's words were barely audible as they were said in a whisper. The door to their room opened seconds later, and Jaune listened to the sound of his father's footsteps. They became quieter and quieter as he moved further away. Jaune grabbed a fistful of his own hair and tugged at them in stress.
He just felt more guilty now.
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Afternote
Thank you for reading!