Hi again. I'm sorry for this late update of the fic. I'm just suddenly being lazy to write and just returned to my old hobby, drawing. But fortunately, my spirit to write this fic come again, so I could finish this chapter quick enough, just in three days.

Oh yeah, in this chapter I put 2 original characters that I made myself. Please, just move forward and read it.­­­­­­­­­­­

Chapter III: The Apprentice

The tall man in the bishop robe entered Sasarai's office and walked toward the desk. "Long time not meet, Bishop Sasarai!" he greeted Sasarai with a smile on his face.

Sasarai smiled to him. "Welcome back, Bishop Shin!" He raised from his chair and offered his right hand to the black short haired man. Bishop Shin took his hand and shook it firmly.

"Please sit down." Sasarai adjusted the chair across his desk to his bishop friend.

"Thank you!" Bishop Shin thanked him and then sat down. "I hope I'm not bother your work."

"Not at all!" Sasarai told him. "I'm happy to see you again."

"Ha ha ha! I'm just left Crystal Valley for one month and you already missed me?" the taller bishop teased him.

Sasarai just chuckled. "Don't tease me. Now just tell me what your business with me."

"Oh, right," Bishop Shin smiled, "Actually, I want to talk about something with you." He leaned toward the desk. "I think you must be know the story about the kid that was born with Mother Earth Rune that was spread lately."

"Yes, I know that story," Sasarai answered him. "I also know that the Temple appointed you to go and check the truth of the story," he added.

"Right. So I left Crystal Valley to check the story. And then I found that the story was true," Bishop Shin explained to the young looking bishop in front of him.

"So, that's true…," Sasarai mumbled quietly. "So you have met the kid?" he then asked.

Bishop Shin nodded. "Yes. He is a fourteen years old boy." He folded his arms on the desk and continued his words," And…I have bought him to this place."

Sasarai smiled sadly. "As I expected. That was the command from the Temple, right?" He looked down to his desk. "I feel pity for the kid."

Bishop Shin just chuckled. "Don't be like that. That boy is an orphan, he was treated like a slave by his own uncle. So, I think he will get a better life here than with his uncle. That's way I spent almost one month there. I have to take care of some problems first. I also have to give the boy time to prepare himself."

"Why do you think that boy will get a better life here? You know what happened with the other kids before, right? They've been treated like a prisoner!" Sasarai protest him.

"Yes, I know," Bishop Shin replied calmly. "I have took care of that."

"What do you mean you have took care of that?" Sasarai asked.

Bishop Shin smiled to him. "I have asked the Temple to let the boy stay under your treatment."

Sasarai looks surprised. "What? Under my treatment? Why not you?"

"That boy was bore the Mother Earth Rune, and you are the bearer of the True Earth Rune. You were bore the True Earth Rune for a long time. So it's better if you are the one who train him!" Bishop Shin explained.

Sasarai looked straight into his brown eyes. "So you want me to take him as my apprentice?" he asked.

"Yes!" Bishop Shin nodded. "You don't want that boy suffer, right? So you must take him under your treatment."

Sasarai stayed silent for a moment. But then, he smiled to the other bishop. "…you force me," he finally spoke.

Bishop Shin just laughed. "I'm not force you!"

"Okay. I will take care of that boy," Sasarai told his decision to Bishop Shin.

"Good! I know you will do that!" Bishop Shin exclaimed to him. "I will bring him to you tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Sasarai nodded to him.

Bishop Shin then raised from his chair. "Well then, I must go now. Thank you for your time, Bishop Sasarai!"

"You're welcome!" Sasarai replied him. "But, umm…Bishop Shin, you still not give me that boy's name."

Bishop Shin looks surprised. "Oh! That's right, I'm sorry." He looked at the smaller bishop and smiled. "His name is Rei."

A dark brown haired boy in blue robe was guided by a black short haired bishop walked along the wide hallway of Circle Palace. He walked behind the bishop. His face looks nervous. "Umm, Bishop Shin, I'm still afraid to meet with His Holiness Bishop Sasarai…"

Bishop Shin just chuckled and patted the boy's head. "Don't be afraid like that, Rei. Bishop Sasarai is a nice person, I assure you!"

"But…uh…why I must to train under him? Why not you who train me?" the boy who was called Rei asked.

"It's because he is the best person who can teach you about your rune and how to use it," he answered the boy and smiled widely. "Trust me. You will like him after you meet with him."

Rei just stayed silent and followed Bishop Shin. Finally, they stopped at the door of Sasarai's office.

"This is Bishop Sasarai's office. Now, I will introduce you to him!" Bishop Shin told the boy.

Rei just nodded. Actually he was still afraid. He already likes Bishop Shin because the man was very nice to him. But now Bishop Shin wants him to become an apprentice of another man who he doesn't know. He was afraid that man won't treat him as nice as Bishop Shin.

Bishop Shin knocked the door two times. He then spoke loudly, "Bishop Sasarai, it's me, Bishop Shin! I bring Rei with me! May I enter?"

"Please enter, Bishop Shin!" replied a youthful voice from inside the room.

Rei surprised when heard that voice. That voice was so young.

Bishop Shin opened the door and entered the room. Rei followed him from behind hesitantly.

"Good morning, Bishop Sasarai!" Bishop Shin greeted the bishop in front of them. "It's the boy that I told to you yesterday."

"G-good morning, Your Holiness Bishop Sasarai," Rei bowed and greeted him nervously. He not dare to look straightly to the bishop in that room.

"Good morning. So you are Rei!" Rei could heard that youthful voice again. He still hesitant to raise his head.

"Please lift up your face. There is no need to afraid," Sasarai spoke to him softly.

Rei raised his head hesitantly. Somehow he felt that the man in front of him was a nice person, just like what Bishop Shin said to him. He was very surprised when saw the figure in front of him. That bishop was looking so young. Their height difference also not far, only about three inches. The bishop's figure looks mild and friendly. His imagination about the bishop before was far different from the figure in front of him. He couldn't hide his amusement. He gazed at the bishop long enough.

Sasarai felt uneasy being gazed like that by the boy. He waved his right hand at the direct of the boy's gaze. "Umm, excuse me…is there something wrong with me?" he asked and smiled to Rei.

"Huh? Oh, n-no! I'm sorry, Your Holiness!" Rei very surprised when heard Sasarai's voice. He felt embarrassed. He just met with him for the first time and he already acted impolite.

Sasarai just laughed. "It's okay, it's okay. Don't be scared like that. I won't bite you!"

Rei looked down to the floor. He could felt his cheeks become hot because of the embarrassment. He tried to hide his face from the bishops, but it was too late. They already saw it.

"Ha ha ha! Rei, why your face become so red?" Bishop Shin teased the boy and shook his hair, messed his shoulder length hair.

"Bishop Shin, let's stop teasing him," Sasarai told the taller bishop. He then walked closer to the boy. "Rei," he called the boy's name.

Rei lifted his face slowly. His blue eyes met with Sasarai's green eyes. He could saw the bishop smiled softly to him. He blushed again.

"Do you want to study here with me as your teacher?" Sasarai asked the boy softly.

Rei looked at Bishop Shin. That black haired bishop just smiled at him. He then looked at Sasarai again. "Y-yes! I want to study under you, Your Holiness," he answered Sasarai and smiled nervously.

Bishop Shin smiled at Sasarai. "Well then, please take care of him," he spoke to Sasarai. The smaller bishop just smiled and nodded to him.

Sasarai put both of his hands on Rei's shoulder, made the boy surprised. He looked at the bishop questioningly.

"I, Bishop Sasarai from Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, from now will take you as my apprentice and teach you many knowledge about the Runes and Harmonia," he declared to the boy.

Rei looks surprised at first, but then he smiled widely and bowed to Sasarai. "Thank you, Your Holiness."

To be continued….