Disclaimer: Goes without saying, I don't own High School DxD or anything related to Fate.
Note: And we're back. Managed to write this chapter out pretty fast. Despite the fact that it's not as popular as my Naruto stories, I still feel like this is a pretty fun project to work on.
Writing my own character is quite motivating. I can have him be whoever I like, and who doesn't like a sarcastic troll? Lmao.
Anyhow, let's get on with it. I hope you enjoy the chapter!
If y'all are interested in joining a community of readers and several talented authors, consider joining AizenTheGoat's Discord server.
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-Chapter 3-
A Hole in the Wall.
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"Why are you pouting Rias?"
The red-haired ruin Princess lifted her head in shock upon hearing her best friend's voice, her cheeks turning a tad bit pink out of embarrassment, "That obvious?"
Akeno giggled a bit, "Oh yeah, could spot that unsatisfied expression from a mile away."
With a loud sigh, Rias slumped down in her chair, "For the first time in hundreds of years, the Throne reappears. And here nonetheless! And I screwed it up… I could've done it better, I know 'Zechs wouldn't have missed up on a chance like this…"
A serious look fell upon Akeno's features as she took a seat on one of the couches, "You can't always compare yourself to Sirzechs. It's not healthy, Rias."
"What else am I supposed to do? I could have worded it differently… Said something else. Make the offer sound better." She mumbled.
Akeno hummed thoughtfully, "Something like what you thought about when you're going to talk to Issei?"
As she shook her head, Rias sighed, "No… I don't think it'll be that easy. I doubt Luka got any wish for women and harems the same way my pawn does. It'd have been great if it was the case, but… I can't figure him out."
Tapping her chin, Akeno thought out loud, "Why do you want him so bad? I mean, he just awakened his Longinus. I know it's a powerful one, but in terms of fighting capability, I doubt he has any just yet."
"I don't want him because he got the potential to be powerful. Well, that's not the only reason at least." Rias replied softly as she stood up from her seat and walked toward one of the windows. Resting the tips of her fingers against the chill glass, "He is smart. Top grades in all classes involving politics and society."
The raven-haired girl cast a look at her king from the corner of her eyes, "You wanted to use him against Riser."
Rias nodded slowly, "Maybe… Just maybe, he could think about something."
"When not even you and Sona together could figure it out, what do you think he could do? He is after all just a human." Akeno countered.
"And that's exactly it. He is smart, and seemingly dependable in group projects, but he is human. His perspective would be completely different. There has to be something that we're missing!" She groaned out in frustration.
Akeno shrugged, "Well, in that case, it should be fairly simple. You don't need him to become a devil for that kind of help."
"What do you mean?" Rias asked next.
A mischievous smirk lifted Akeno's lips, "There has to be something else that he wants. If being a devil with the benefits of a peerage doesn't seem to be his liking, you just got to figure out what is."
The crimson-haired heiress hummed, "Like what?"
"Ask him."
She blinked in surprise, "Just like that?"
Akeno nodded, "While he pretty much barged in here, he was calm and polite. You could say reasonable, and as you said, he is clever. He should be able to figure out that having you as an ally, or that you owe him a favor, would be in his best interest."
"...You're right." Rias admitted reluctantly.
With a smile, Akeno stood to her feet, "Of course, I am."
Shaking her head at the other girl's antics, Rias bit the inside of her cheek, "Would you mind fetching him for me then?"
"I think it'd be better if you went in person. Make it more personal, it'll help him understand the importance of it. And also your personal feelings." Akeno responded with a small smile.
Sighing softly, Rias readjusted her hair behind her ear, "Fine…"
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As the dark-haired boy walked toward his apartment complex. He looked up toward the sky and shielded his eyes a bit from the sun, as he went over the day's occurrences.
After the talk with Rias, he'd just decided to go home for the day. Made up some excuse for the teacher, and then left.
It wasn't that he really felt sick, overwhelmed was probably more it.
"You sure it was a good idea to skip school?"
Hearing the mental connection established, Luka sighed, 'Maybe. Maybe not. I wasn't getting much out of the day anyway. Too much in my head. Never figured that Rias would be so up front about all of that, going as far as to pretty much offer to reincarnate me into a different species.'
Diarmuid chuckled, "In terms of the supernatural, I doubt they're as held back as regular people. Getting introduced to this kind of world is definitely something else."
'You can say that again.' Luka groaned as he ran a hand through his dark locks, 'Need to figure more out about magic. While it was probably a scare tactic more than anything else, Rias is right. No way to tell if someone is going to attack me because we fought back against that fallen angel chick.'
With a sigh, Diarmuid answered, "I wish I could be of more help."
Luka shook his head, 'It's not that. It's more that we don't know where to go, to even get weapons or books. That's the biggest issue, because if I could get a spear, I could learn from you.'
"What do you plan to do?"
With a snicker, Luka answered, 'Simple. When in doubt, the internet is your friend. Though it's going to look weird in my search history for sure.'
Unsure of what exactly he meant, Diarmuid chose to remain quiet. While his materialization through the sacred gear brought him knowledge of the modern world, there were a lot of sayings and things he didn't understand.
"I looked into that Yuka girl for you."
Luka put his hands inside his pocket, 'Anything?'
Diarmuid hummed, "I can sense a slight trail of mana… Though to say whether or not she is hiding something, is difficult."
"Guess we'll have to wait and see," Luka spoke out loud to himself.
The rest of the walk went without much trouble, and as he got to his apartment complex, he walked up the stairs.
Sighing as he got to his floor, he turned the corner and made his way down toward his front door.
Though he stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed upon the familiar sight of a blonde girl with amber eyes that was standing by his door, currently staring right at him.
"Yuka?" He called out curiously, as the rays of sunlight shone right upon her.
Felt a bit ironic to see her right there when they'd just talked about her… Felt too weird to be a coincidence.
"Can I help you?" He asked next.
He had to admit she was quite a beauty. Her hair was cut in something similar to a hime cut, with two short bangs framing the side of her eyes. Slightly shorter than him, and those eyes of hers.
Another reason he'd been a bit suspicious about her. She didn't look like the typical Japanese woman, despite her name.
"I'm sorry about this." She sighed softly.
Luka blinked, "Huh?"
Before he could further question it, she reached behind her back. Momentarily blinded by the light reflected off of metal, Luka raised his arm to shield his eyes again.
As his vision returned and he saw the object, his blue eyes widened upon the sight of a curved dagger that she spun around her finger.
With a simple flick of her wrist, the weapon left her hand. The sound of the air whistling as the tip of the dagger neared the spot right between his eyes.
Frozen in place out of shock, he clenched his fist as the symbol on his hand glowed.
And per his request, Diarmuid materialized right in front of him.
A spin of the man's wrist twirled his red spear at insane speeds as he deflected the dagger into the wall beside them, a loud thud sounding as a mist of debris filled the air between them, "So you were right after all." He commented.
"Seems that way…" Luka breathed out of relief before his gaze snapped to the surprised one of Yuka, "What the hell is wrong with you?" He shouted.
The girl blinked as she stood in a rather stiff manner, "Easy! It wasn't going to hit you!"
Shooting a look at Diarmuid, the man nodded, "It's true. The dagger was coated in a sphere of wind, it'd have either stopped or bounced right away."
With a deadpan expression, Luka retorted, "How the hell am I supposed to know she can slip a wind and stop a knife in the middle of the air?"
"I said I'm sorry…" Yuka sighed, "I had to test you."
Scratching the back of his head, Luka remained skeptical, "That I was supernatural or something?"
She nodded, "Given the events this morning, I found you interesting."
"Do you usually throw knives at people you find interesting?" Luka shot back with a blank stare.
Blushing out of embarrassment, she pointed a finger at him, "What else am I supposed to do? You just left out of nowhere."
"You could've just asked."
Taking a step back, she sighed, "Fine, fine! Okay, I made a mistake, it just felt easier this way."
Luka sighed tiredly and walked ahead of Diarmuid, patting the man on the shoulder to make him relax as he walked toward his front door, "Not going to stab me if I unlock my door?"
"No…" She mumbled with a small pout.
He had to admit he was starting to get amused instead of irritated. Normally she seemed like a normal girl, but right now… Her behavior felt like it'd switched overnight.
It was rather cute.
Unlocking the front door, the three of them stepped inside upon Luka's request and shut the door behind him.
As they waltzed into his living room, the dark-haired boy slumped down in a beanbag, "Okay, so, what can I say or do for you?" He asked, momentarily noting to himself that this felt like a complete reverse of what'd just occurred with Rias earlier.
Yuka twirled one of her blonde locks around her finger, "Well, I uh, just wanted to check if you were like… Not human?"
Chuckling at her awkwardness, Luka responded, "I am very much human, I do have this sacred gear thing though… Before you ask, I walked in on Issei getting attacked by a fallen angel. Diarmuid filled in the blanks about what she was, and uh… He is essentially from the scared gear, a type of summoning I suppose?""
"Well, that removes that from my list of questions." Yuka hummed, "Sacred gear huh, what is it called?"
Luka shrugged, "Throne of Heroes."
Her eyes immediately widened, "You got one of the Longinus?"
"Would appear so." He sighed in response.
She groaned out loud, "I got so many questions…"
Luka nodded, "So do I. We were both suspicious of each other, so I suppose that is out of the way. Did you know about the devils?"
Yuka nodded, "I did."
"They don't seem to know about you." He commented with a thoughtful glance.
She blushed a bit again as she scratched the back of her head, "Well, we're not exactly friends… So I didn't feel the need to, I was just there to study and interact with humans, so that's that…"
"Why did you reveal yourself to me then?" Luka questioned.
Yuka's cheeks remained a slight shade of pink as she took a seat in one of the chairs present, "You're nice to me. Helping me with my classes, lending me stuff, so when I got the idea that you might be different, like me… I got a bit excited."
He could understand that. From the moment they'd been paired to work together on a group project when he just got there, he easily got the impression she was a bit of a loner.
While he'd just written it off as her being different, he hadn't thought this much of it.
He himself was also a bit of an outsider. A foreigner and an exchange student, they'd been curious about him at first, but that died down after a week or two.
In fact, he didn't recall any time he'd seen the blonde girl hang out with anyone else besides him during break time.
"I see. So, are you human? Or… something else?" He asked next.
A soft breath escaped her lips as she stood to her feet again, "Promise not to freak out?"
Luka chuckled, "Don't worry. I got a mark on my hand that allows me to summon dead people, I don't think you can shock me that much."
She sighed softly as she closed her eyes.
And not even a second passed before two pairs of thin insect-like wings sprouted from her back.
Luka's eyes immediately widened, but before he could question it, Diarmuid spoke up.
"A fairy?"
Raising a brow, the dark-haired boy turned to his servant, "Fairy?"
Diarmuid nodded, "Yes, she is a fairy. Though, I'm surprised. I didn't think fairies liked to move too far away from their settlements."
"Well, we normally don't… but I was so bored, sitting around the village all day, so I managed to convince my mother to let me try and mingle with the humans," Yuka admitted.
'So she is just like me. Bored out of her mind.' Luka thought to himself, "That's pretty cool… Should I call you Tinkerbell then?"
"Tinkerbell?" Yuka questioned.
Luka deadpanned, "You serious?"
She nodded.
Establishing the mental connection, Luka talked to Diarmuid, 'Is she trustworthy?'
The man didn't show it openly, but he thoughtfully responded, "I'd say so. Fairies are known for being good and just. Fairness is a pretty normal trait for them, and she doesn't seem malicious. I'd say you can trust her for now."
'Let me know if something changes.'
Diarmuid responded, "Of course, but she does seem generous when she says she was excited to learn you were like her. Are you two close?"
Luka thought about it, 'Not that close, but she is one of the few people I'd probably call a friend at the academy.'
"Always nice to have a friend to depend on."
Sighing he rubbed his face with the palm of his hand as he turned his attention back to the conversation again, "You have been living under a rock?"
Yuka shook her head, "No, but I was in the village for the better part of fifty years…"
"I see- huh, fifty years? Hold on, how old are you?"
Not seeing the problem, she tilted her head a bit as her blonde locks hung from the side of her head, "A hundred and one years old, I'm pretty young for a fairy… My mom was a bit of a late bloomer, so…"
"I need an explanation." Luka sighed as he turned to Diarmuid.
The spearman chuckled with amusement, "As Rias said, devils have a longer lifespan. It's the same with other supernatural races."
'Forgot about that.' Luka grunted mentally, "Wait… I got a question for you then."
Yuka smiled a bit as her wings disappeared and she sat down again, "Ask away, I'd be happy to help you with anything. Could be my way of repaying all the help you've given me at school."
Still unsure why she took repaying her favor so seriously, he responded, "Can you help me learn about magic?"
"That's all?" She questioned.
"What do you mean that's all?" He asked, flabbergasted.
She giggled behind her hand, "Well, it's pretty simple. I could easily help you, oh! I can even show you where to get books and the stuff, it's a pretty amazing place. Hidden away from human eyes, and filled with so many wonderful things!" She spoke with great excitement that practically made her eyes shine.
He smiled a bit at the sight. She normally seemed a bit introverted, but right now, she was pretty much glowing, "I'd love to see it."
"I can even help you with the basics, and what books to get. Some equipment too! If you got a Longinus, there are a lot of bad people out there that might try to steal it or manipulate you…" She thought out loud with a hint of concern in her tone and gaze.
Luka rubbed his chin as he stood to his feet, "I'll be counting on you then."
Immediately she wrapped her hand around his wrist and began to drag him along, "Sounds great, senpai. Now, do you have money? The stuff there aren't exactly cheap."
"Well, what currency do they take?" He asked, "And drop the senpai, if anything, you're more of a senpai than me now."
She grimaced a bit, "I guess…" She hummed, "Well, they take normal money. They aren't savages. Though a lot of different races prefer the traditional old times, so don't expect the place to look like a regular convenience store. It's more like the old books, merchants, and stands displaying what they sell… It's magical! Well… Literally, but oh well!"
He laughed a bit at how cheeky she was being, "Well, I do have a bit of money, but not a lot."
Yuka turned to him and tapped her chin, "It's on me today then. Think of it as my apology for throwing a knife at you, and I'll hear no complaints."
"Ma'am yes, ma'am." He replied with a mock salute.
She rolled her eyes, "Stupid…"
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could vividly see the sight of Diarmuid following along trying his best not to laugh out loud.
He'd have to get him back for that later.
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"I think we took a wrong turn somewhere…" Luka commented as they stood in an alleyway and stared at a dead end.
Yuka immediately shook her head, "Remember what I told you? It's hidden. You can only enter the passage, if you know how! And it requires a bit of magic, so watch and learn. You channel a bit into the palm of your hand, and press your finger tips against this brick in the corner and… Voila!"
Nothing happened in the instant she did it, so he was about to ask her if she really knew what she was doing… but that's when it happened.
As if they were disassembling themselves, the bricks began to fold in on themselves, revealing the passageway behind the wall.
Though he could've sworn this wall blocked the alley from one of the main roads…
"This makes no sense."
Yuka turned to him, "What about it?"
Sighing, Luka walked up to her and inspected the space sceptically, "The main road should be on the different side of this wall. How is there something here?"
He knew they were at the outskirts of Kuoh, so all of this didn't really make sense to him.
"Don't question the world of magic Luka, it's just a simple transportation spell." She explained, "By opening the passageway, you can get transported to the market. As I said, it's hidden from plain sight, so you'd only think about looking here if you knew about it."
Luka tilted his head, "Don't the devils know about it?"
Stopping in her tracks, Yuka thought it over, "As far as I know, they do. However, there is like an unspoken agreement in place. As long as you don't cause trouble and it's just like a regular human business where people come and go without incident, they don't seem to mind."
Diarmuid nodded, "I'd reckon some of them even come here occasionally. The devils have a lot of knowledge themselves, but you can't rule out that this place might have something they'd need or be interested in."
Nodding his head slowly, the dark-haired boy buried his hands inside the pockets of his jacket, "So it's a mutual benefit type of agreement, gotcha."
"I don't know how much it'd truly benefit them since devils, even in my time, were known for being fairly rich. Though I suppose being greedy is a sin for a reason." Diarmuid commented from behind him.
Luka raised a brow upon hearing that, "So Gremory is rich?"
Diarmuid shrugged his shoulders, "I can't tell for sure, but I'd imagine so. Especially now with fewer houses having survived the civil war she mentioned, there'd be a lot of riches up for grabs. Spoils of war."
"That's pretty sad." Luka commented with a slight frown on his face.
The man nodded, "It is, but that's how it's always been. Supernatural or not."
Yuka looked at the exchange between the two. Frankly quite surprised that the two were that comfortable around each other already. He'd just summoned the spearman the other day afterall.,
So either, Luka was a naturally great master. Or Diarmuid was extremely loyal to the point of stupidity. Maybe even both, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
They looked to get along quite well, and the dark-haired boy definitely had a lot he could learn from the man, so if they were just naturally on good terms it'd help him out in the long run.
"Come on, don't be moody now. The fun is just about to begin." She called out with a wave of her hand, enthusiastically beckoning for them to follow along.
Luka shot a quick glance toward Diarmuid who first shrugged before nodding his head.
Wasn't like they really had anything better to do, and it was their best option to get him something that'd truly make him able to learn about the supernatural world and figure out what kind of abilities he could master.
Plus, he rather enjoyed spending time around Yuka now that she was being herself. Compared to the front she'd put up at school, acting like the stereotypical female student who was hell bent on following the traditions and using honorifics, her real self was quite fun.
As she began to drag them along again, Luka stared sceptically at the hidden entrance to this so-called market.
At first it was completely dark. The only thing noticeable being the sound of the wall reassembling itself behind them as it blocked out all the light, and the sound of their footsteps against the pathway they walked upon.
With each step they took, Luka was starting to feel like he'd been tricked.
He had no idea where they were going, or where they were. All he knew as this was definitely not the highway he'd suspected to be there, and that the only thing he knew for sure was that Yuka was still holding onto his hand and dragging him along.
Though, it didn't take much longer before something happened.
After a half dozen steps, they began to hear the sound of voices and… music?
Luka raised a curious brow as he began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Which would in any other scenario sound very wrong, but in all literacy, it was indeed a light at the end of a tunnel.
"We're here."
His eyes slowly began to adjust to the light as he narrowed them instinctively, raising a hand to block some of the brighter lights as he regained his focus.
It was as if taken out of a fantasy novel. Cobblestone pathways with carts and old-fashioned on the sides, an open air market with things on display, though what he found odd…
The sky was dark and filled with stars.
He could've sworn it was daytime just ten minutes ago, it didn't get dark that fast.
"Welcome to Night Market." Yuka said with a big smile as she gestured outward with her arms, almost knocking a man in the face by accident.
Luka deadpanned, "Sounds like something from a video game."
A smirk lifted Yuka's pink lips, "And where do you think they get the ideas for those video games?"
There was a moment of silence before his blue eyes widened, "You're kidding…"
She rapidly shook her head, "Nope! Now come, I need you to meet someone. She is the absolute best, and between us, people even call her the goddess for new adventurers."
"Goddess?" Diarmuid questioned.
Yuka chuckled a bit, "Not an actual goddess, but she is like… Think of a game, the person that gives you equipment at the start. Of course it ain't free, but she got all you could need. Medicine, potions, weapons, books, all of it!"
With a slow blink, Luka turned to stare at Yuka, "Potions? This really is a game."
She shrugged, "A lot of medicine is easier to consume in drinking form, especially during combat. But I guess why you'd think that. There areis a ton of different ones, but of course, a lot of them have side effects. You can temporarily drink something to restore mana, but given the strain it'd put on your body, you might feel like you have a hangover later."
"Great…" Luka commented sarcastically as they began to walk down the cobblestone pathways.
It was really something out of a game or a manga… The people here weren't normal. There were people with animal features too here and there, and he had no clue how to feel about it.
Pretty sure he saw a man wagging his tail while eating some food…
The music that was playing reminded him of taverns, especially those in a mediaeval setting.
He had to admit Yuka was probably right when she'd briefly mentioned that a lot of the supernatural people were traditional. While they used modern currency, this place was… not modern at all.
It had its charm for sure, and if the system worked, he supposed they didn't really have any reason to change it.
Though something did catch his eyes, as he turned to Yuka who happily skipped down the road beside him, "Hey, Yuka. I got a question."
She hummed and turned to him, "What is it?"
With a turn, he pointed up toward a tall building in the centre, "What is that place?"
"Oh! That is the Guild. As I said, there are adventurers. A lot of them are human mages, some of them aren't. There are a lot of different races. You see, some people don't want to work in modern society because they take pride in the skills you learn in a place such as this. And they want to make a livelihood out of it."
He nodded slowly, "So, it's exactly like a game. You become a member of a Guild, and there are… uh, quests, right?"
She grinned, "Quests is a rather old fashioned word for it, but technically you're correct. We mostly just refer to them as jobs or contracts. It gives you the ability to go on all kinds of adventures. Explore the lands, fight, look for treasures."
Luka thought it over. It didn't sound that bad. Definitely a lot more exciting than just sitting behind a desk and stamping papers all day for minimum wage, "I see. That's pretty cool."
"Thinking about signing up?" She questioned with a knowing look.
He flushed a bit as he looked away, "Maybe… Do I need to meet some criteria?"
Yuka slowed down a bit so they'd have time to talk it over, "Well, in a way yes. There are higher ranked contracts that are reserved for elites. It's done that way so newbies don't pick a quest about slaying a dragon or something like that. Other than that, it's up to individuals to decide. Of course you'd need to act in your own self interest, if you pick a job that's too hard you might die or get seriously injured and then your adventuring days would be over!"
Luka nodded in understanding, "Yeah, that makes sense. So how does it work? I suppose there is someone to talk to."
Once again, Yuka nodded, "Exactly. You'll get an ID card that you'll show to the contractors along with the contracts to prove your identity. And if you want to apply to become an elite, you'll need to undergo a trial set by the guildmaster."
"ID card?" Luka deadpanned, "Sounds like a regular office job."
"Do you fight goblins at an office job?" Yuka asked.
"Of course not."
"Then it's not an office job."
"Well no shit sherlock."
While all of that was going on, Diarmuid was trying his best not to burst out laughing. His master was definitely a very unique person.
Almost killed not that long ago, learned the existence of magic and supernatural beings, and while they were walking down the streets of a secret market, he was still questioning everything about it and making sarcastic remarks.
Well, hopefully that curiosity and apprehension would be the thing that'd keep him alive in the long run. You wouldn't last long if you didn't know how to think about what to do next when you were in a tight spot.
"Oh we're here!"
Turning his attention to where Yuka had jogged off to, Luka looked over the stand. It was fairly large in size, looked a bit more like a tent with an open front than an actual stand but it did its job.
The fabric covering the area of the stand was blue in colour, and the lighting consisted of several burning candles each with their own unique flame.
Inside the tent were shelves and chests, with all kinds of items he didn't know what to make of just yet.
And at the front was a woman wearing a light purple dress with a black cloak on top, a white scarf wrapped around her neck, and what appeared to be a gem on her forehead. She had light green hair and emerald-coloured eyes.
Yet at this moment, she looked in the direction of Yuka, and almost winced.
Seemed like they were at least familiar with each other, so that should make all of this easier.
"Yuka… It's been a while." The woman greeted in a soft and soothing tone.
The blonde girl nodded, "Sorry about that, I've been busy at school. Though I've looked forward to coming here for a long time, Mjurran!"
'Mjurran?' Luka thought mentally, realizing soon enough it was her name, "Uh, excuse our intrusion." He greeted.
Mjurran tilted her head a bit to look past Yuka, meeting the gaze of the young man behind her, "You brought a friend?"
Yuka quickly nodded, "Oh yeah, almost forgot. That's why I'm here actually. Mjurran meet Luka, he is… uh, was my senpai? If that makes sense."
"Not really." She chuckled faintly.
The blonde girl scratched the back of her head, "Uh, as we talked about… I pretended to be human, so he was technically my senpai? And then I revealed myself to him, so I guess that doesn't really count anymore?"
The woman nodded slowly, "Is he intending to become a mage as well? I assume that's why he's here with you." She smiled slightly.
Yuka shot her a grin, "Yep! Plus, he got a sacred gear too… That's how we came to meet."
"And she threw a knife at me." Luka added with a blank stare.
"You did what?" Mjurran asked with another blank stare.
The girl paled a bit, "Uh… Sorry?"
Mjurran sighed, "Oh well, since he is not dead and here with you, I guess everything is fine. Who is the guy that is with you?"
Luka shot a look at Diarmuid, "He is… my bodyguard? I guess. Hard to explain really, it has to do with the sacred gear."
With a curious stare, she just nodded, "I see. So how can I help you?"
Stepping into the tent and ducking under the flaps, Luka looked around, "Well, Yuka said you were the goddess for newbies. And I was looking for some stuff to properly get started. I can do a bit of mana manipulation, but it's… very little."
"Goddess for newbies?" Mjurran questioned with a deadpan expression.
Immediately Yuka stepped forward with a slow wave of her hand, "I didn't mean anything by it. You just always have the best advice and items for someone new here, and I thought it sounded appropriate…"
Shaking her head, Mjurran turned to the young man again, "I got a lot in stock. Are you aiming to become a typical mage, or do you think weapons are more to your taste?"
Scratching his chin, Luka looked around, "Is it possible to do both?"
"Ah, the magic knight approach. I got some stuff for that as well." She hummed.
"Pick out a sword. All in due time."
Luka blinked and turned to Diarmuid, "Did you just say something?"
Diarmuid looked confused, "No?"
Scratching the back of his head, "That's odd… I could've sworn I just heard someone tell me not to pick out a sword." He mumbled and raised his hand to stare at the symbol at the back of his hand.
"Are they communicating to you? The servants, I mean." Diarmuid asked with mild wonder.
Luka shrugged, "No clue, the voice didn't sound like anyone I know. So unless I'm going crazy I think so."
Diarmuid crossed his arms over his chest, "Majority of the servants are there to guide the master. I'd say listen to their advice, if it was gibberish, we can always come back again later and get you a sword if that's what you want."
The boy just nodded, "Still odd that they knew I was thinking about a sword."
The spearman chuckled, "The servants are able to somewhat see what is happening outside the Throne. I don't know why, but I assume it's to give us a general idea of what our master is like for when we meet him in person."
"They can see what I'm doing?" He sweatdropped.
Diarmuid shrugged, "Only a bit."
Luka rubbed his forehead, "Great, I'm never going to be able to take a dump without thinking about that again."
Covering his mouth to quiet down his chuckle, Diarmuid turned his head away.
"Yeah laugh it up while you can…" Luka sighed heavily as he watched Mjurran return to the front.
At a wooden desk, she laid out several items. A pair of books, a weapon wrapped up in a red cloth, and what appeared to be… clothes?
"I see that you look confused." She commented with a small smile.
Luka nodded dumbly, "I see what it is, but I have no clue what I can do with it."
She just giggled a bit, "That is completely natural. Here, let me explain it to you. The books are relatively simple, the first is a book about mana manipulation and its origin. You'll learn to do bare basics that will help you in the long run. The second one is about elemental manipulation on a beginner's level. Your own curiosity can take you to an immediate level if you experiment, but I suggest getting proper material if you wish to learn more advanced stuff."
"Combat stuff?" He questioned.
She nodded, "Combat stuff."
He crossed his arms over his chest, "I'll take those."
Mjurran nodded, "These are simple clothes, but they're crafted from a special material that makes them more durable. If you plan to become an adventurer, I'd suggest not using everyday clothing. They get torn too easily. The weaponweapoon is a regular double-edged sword, though it is crafted from a special steelsteal to make it stronger and more adaptable to magic."
"How did you get my measurements?" He asked with a curious gaze.
The woman chuckled, "They're magical clothing Luka. They'll adjust to you when you wear it, of course there is a limit. You can't just put them on a giant and expect them to fit, but there is leeway with the material as it will form around your personal build."
Looking a tad bit surprised, he looked it over, "So… what is there to pick from?"
Mjurran began picking the items up one by one, "This is a cloak, got some flame resistance. Black in color, I personally think it's a nice and neutral color if you care about fashion. A pair of boots, nothing special and then a simple blue jacket and blue pants. Nothing special there either."
"Sounds priceypricy…" He commented mostly to himself as he could hear his wallet crying.
Feeling a smack to the back of his head, he turned to see Yuka grinning at him, "Pick out what you like. I told you I got it covered."
"Are you really sure about that? Don't want you living in a box under a bridge just so I can play wizard." He chuckled.
Mjurran looked amused, "I get a lot of my stuff from her home place. That is how we know each other, and trust me… It's not making a dent to her funds."
"Are the fairies rich or something?" He asked.
Yuka shrugged, "We protect a lot of riches. And make an honest living like everyone else. We craft and sell, and protect what is sacred to us. We've done that for hundreds of years, and as long as you know how to maintain your money… It'll continue to increase."
That made sense. Though he still felt a bit bad about it, but he didn't think the girl would simply allow him to say no.
Sighing, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Fine, I'll take all of it. And uh, do you have… Healing potions?"
"Of course." Mjurran answered as if it was the most normal question in the world.
'Well that was easy.' He thought to himself.
The woman would then soon return with a wooden basket carrying a total of twelve glass bottles with red liquid inside of them.
Once again, it screamed 'game' or 'novel' to him.
"Hmm, if you're a newbie… I suppose you don't know any storage magic?" Mjurran asked.
Luka shook his head, "Not a clue."
The woman hummed softly as she picked up the first book and flipped the book open to a page around the middle, "Let's say I'll give you a first deal discount. I can teach you that spell, so you can carry all of this home without looking suspicious."
"You would do that?" He asked with a surprised look.
She smiled, "A friend of Yuka is a friend of mine."
Turning his head to the blond girl, all he saw was her grinning with her index finger pressed against her thumb.
Her antics really did change over night, didn't they?
"Very well then, I'll be in your care."
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While he'd expected to be overwhelmed… He wasn't.
By the end ofif the little tutoring session, Luka was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the tent with the book in his lap. Mjurran was kneeling down beside him as he had a glowing white magic circle that spun and levitated a couple of inches above his palm.
"Very good." Mjurran acknowledged, "Now, with intent, bring forth the potion again."
Luka nodded slowly as he began to focus, feeling the mana sapped very lightly from his fingers as the bottle with red liquid began to appear in front of him before it stopped right above the magic circle.
"And… Release." She instructed.
Doing as he was told, he cut the flow of mana and let the red bottle fall into his hand where he quickly caught it, "Like that?"
Mjurran nodded, "And now, for good measure, seal it again on your own."
Shrugging his shoulders, Luka held up his palm again and channelled the mana flow as instructed in the book. The white circle appeared again before seemingly engulfing the potion before it was gone from view.
Stretching his fingers he turned to the woman who just nodded with a smile, "You're quite talented."
The dark-haired boy scratched the back of his head, "It's simple… It's like a branched out version of science."
"Ah, so you're the wonder boy that Yuka told me about." She commented with an amused look.
"Wonder boy?" Luka deadpanned.
Mjurran nodded, "Sometimes when Yuka would visit, she'd tell me about the new boy in class. Someone that was an exchange student, that knew all they had to do even before the teacher taught it to them."
He blushed a bit at that, "Not my fault it was easy…"
"It wasn't!" He could hear Yuka cry from behind him.
Shaking her head, Mjurran helped the young man to his feet, "Now, let's try it with multiple objects. Just as it said in the book, try and store all of your new belongings."
He took a small breath as he placed the book down on the wooden counter and organized it nicely before sticking his palm toward it, channeling the mana once again, he pushed a bit more through.
Magic was theoretical and often associated with intent. As long as he could get a clear picture and a path to what he wanted, he'd be able to do it.
With more difficult spells, he'd, of course, need more practice, but with beginner's stuff like this, it didn't take long before four magic circles swallowed up the clothes, potions, sword, and books until they were stored away.
"So where are they stored?" He asked.
She blinked a bit, "It said where in the book."
He gave her a blank look, "Might've skipped that page?"
Mjurran sighed and walked over and grabbed a hold of his wrist before pulling his sleeve up, pointing toward the emblem of the magic circle that had now appeared on his wrist, "Right there."
"Ah, figured it had to be somewhere. Anything else would feel like time-space manipulation, and I doubt that is beginner's stuff." He commented with a laugh.
Looking surprised she held onto his wrist, "You know about time-space manipulation?"
He shook his head, "Only from games and novels, but I figured it probably existed."
She nodded slowly before turning his wrist, "I've been meaning to ask. If you don't know magic, then what's this?"
Seeing what she was looking at, Luka held up his hand, "The mark?" She nodded, "That's the sacred gear thing. Apparently it comes with a mark like this, not sure what the purpose is yet, but I'll probably figure it out soon enough." He said out loud and looked at Diarmuid.
The man just nodded, "All in due time."
Returning the nod, Luka turned to Mjurran, "Well, thank you for everything. I think that's all I need for the time being."
The woman bowed her head down, "It was my pleasure. Yuka has already taken care of the money, so you're free to be on your way. Don't be a stranger if you need anything else in the future." She smiled.
He returned the smile, "I'll keep that in mind."
Exchanging their farewells, the trio now returned back to the open road where they'd continue to look through the various stands.
In the end he got a few more items. One was a simple dagger that he stored away.
Just in case he was ever ambushed by another crazy fairy.
Yuka did not like that comment.
"So, what's next?" Yuka questioned.
Luka walked around with his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket, "Hmm, what about the guild?"
She looked at him surprised, "You want to become an adventurer? For real?"
"Why do you say it like that?" He asked before continuing, "And I figured why not? Might as well put these skills to use. Plus, it'll be fun."
Yuka eagerly clapped her hands together, "Oh, we should form a party then!"
The dark-haired newbie of a mage stared at her blankly, "Now you really are just saying stuff that sounds like references, aren't you?"
"Not really, but… It's more fun if we work together, or, would you rather not?" She asked with a small frown.
Deciding now would be the best time to tease her, he did a small bow, "I'll be in your care, senpai."
Her cheeks flushed up a bright pink as she just whacked him on top of the head, "Shut up idiot… Come on, let's go… You need your licence."
"Just show the way."
改行
And that's a wrap. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I also hope that you all are okay with the approach I'm going for. Instead of just focusing on the biblical faction, I thought about expanding a bit into the mage territory as well.
I figured that there had to be places like this existing since we know mages exist. And people already travel in various groups and parties, so I went with what felt like would be fun to write out.
Aside from that, a couple of questions. I'm curious about what you guys think.
Who do you think the voice was? The one telling him to not pick a weapon. Could be anyone really, but I wanna see if anyone knows what route I'm going. Small hint, it has to do with a mage.
Are there any servants, in particular, you'd like to see summoned? So far it's not a secret that Diarmuid, Artoria, and Tamamo will be involved in the story, but is there anyone else you'd like to see?
If, and it's a big if, at that, Luka were to become a supernatural race. What would you think is interesting? It's not going to be the devils. I can guarantee that much, though I've had ideas about a few here and there.
And lastly, what do you think Luka would want from Rias, if she were to ask for his help?