Chapter 1

A/n: it's been a long time since I've done this. My apologies for the long absence, I've been dealing with a lot in my life. Which has lead me to lose a bit of interest in writing. But I'm doing my best to get back into the mix of it again. I'm doing this one as it's been on my mind for a long time. And I've been going up and down with it. But I shouldn't waste my time talking too much. Please enjoy.

-Japan, 4:50pm. 2018-

The city of Japan. A busy city of people bustling 24/7. Each with things to do, or things to get done. Some people were out with friends, others going into work. For some, doing the same thing every day varied. Some enjoyed the normal routine, others hated it and wanted something more than just the same thing, and some wanted just something. Anything to happen in their life and give them some sense of purpose or satisfaction in the grind.

At least, that's how three employees thought of the matter that is.

-Sompo Japan Nipponkoa insurance-

Inside the building on the 3rd floor. A group of employees were working on their computers. A deadline was due and they had to finish up the work that was required for them. In the corner, an employee with black hair was almost done with his work. He stopped as he then stretched his arms, letting them pop in some places. "Whew! Almost done with this thing" he said "Hmm, I wonder what I should do for my break? Maybe go on YouTube?". He looked up at the clock, it wasn't even close to getting off work. He sighed "This is gonna be a long night…..".

He got up from his desk and headed to the break room.

-the break room-

The employee stood at the vending machine as he watched the can of soda fall. He leaned down to grab it from the machine as he walked over to a table and sat down. He pulled out his phone as he cracked open the can, his expression of boredom as he swiped his phone screen.

" *sighs* this stuff never ends…." He said as he took a sip of his drink "Nothing ever changes here….Nothing exciting to do…..just a never ending boring dry cycle….". He kept scrolling on his phone and was about to take another sip when he then heard some people talking.

"I swear! I'll get this down! Just watch me!"

"Hehe, yeah yeah. Keep telling yourself that Belmont".

The employee stopped looking at his phone as he then looked at his two coworkers passing him by. However, they weren't going to the break room, but to the stairs. They both looked around so nobody would see them as they then rushed into the door as quickly as possible. The employee blinked, his curiosity starting to get the better idea f him. 'I wonder what those two are up to? And why did they have to check to make sure that nobody saw them?' He thought. His curiosity was now starting to get the better of him more and more. He then got up from his seat and walked over to the door and went up the stairs to see what was up with them.

-the rooftop-

After climbing a few floors. He finally made it to the top. He panted a bit when he reached the final floor. "I f-forgot how many stairs this was" he said to himself as he then slowly opened the door to the roof. At last, something, albeit small, was happening. Something interesting was happening in his life, even though it had absolutely nothing to do with him. But his curiosity and slight nosiness was eating at him to see what was going on with the two of his coworkers from his department. As soon as he opened the door, his expression was…mixed to say the least.

On the other end of the roof. A man was practicing with…a whip, swing it at some stacked bottles. While the young woman was sitting on the ground, fixed on a notebook that she was writing detailed notes in. The employee blinked, his curiosity was peeked, but…this wasn't what he had expected to see. He then walked over to them as the other male kept missing one of the bottles. "Dammit! I'm still not hitting it!" He said in an upset tone "How am I going to be any good at this if I don't hit anything?".

"You've been practicing for over half a month. You'll get it" the young woman said "You can't rush these things, it takes time and practice". The young man sighed as glanced at her.

"I know that! I just want some kind of improvement from-hm?".

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

"We have company" the young man pointed to their new visitor who came to greet them. The other male employee looked at him as he then waved his hands "Wait! Wait!" He said "You don't have to worry about me. I just saw you guys pass the break room and I got curious to see what you two were doing. I'm sorry that my curiosity got the better of me" he apologized.

The two looked at each other and then back at him. The female sighed as she closed her notebook. "Your apology is accepted" she said "But next time, I would advise that you don't let your curiosity get the better of you. It could get you into trouble" she advised. The male employee nodded at her words as he walked over to them a little closer.

"So what are you two doing up here?" He asked.

"Taking a break" the young woman explained"This is where my little brother and I tend to be whenever we have our one hour breaks". The male employee nodded "I see" he said "But…." He then turned to her brother "What's with the whip?". The young man sighed as he then looked away in embarrassment, "It's….well it's-".

"My brother is a huge Castlevania fan. Ever since he was little, he's always been obsessed with how the Belmonts use a whip as a main weapon. So, he took it upon himself to learn and practice with one. Which has lead us to what you see now" she explained. The male employee looked back at him "You're a Castlevania fan too?!" He asked him. The woman's brother nodded as he smiled at him. "Glad to see another fan of the series" he said "But yes, I am. It's also why she teases me and calls me "Belmont" every chance that she gets!". His sister smirked at him.

"Well it's true" she said "Tell me I'm wrong Belmont".

"I hate you so much for that".

The two teased each other as the male employee sighed. But it wasn't anything negative against them. He was happy that he got to meet two people, one who had the same taste in games as him at least. He sat down as he placed his drink on the ground.

"Well….at least this day isn't all that boring now" he said as he then looked up at the sky "Tell me…you ever just feel like your life just feels….empty?". The siblings stopped talking between one another as they looked at him.

"What do you mean?" They asked him.

"I mean….just look at us. Day in and day out, working a 9 to 10 business job. No lover at home waiting for us, no pet, just an empty house or apartment. Doing the same thing everyday. It's just so empty and lifeless….".

The siblings just kept looking at him for a bit before they then looked at each other. In a sense, he was right. Despite them sharing an apartment together, life was the same. Nothing changed, the two of them didn't have a lover or any animal to care for, and their number of friends were an absolute total of 7 combined. Except, they would rarely hear from their said friends. The female sighed as she then looked up at the sky as well.

"You know….sometimes I wonder why I'm on this earth".

The boys looked at her for a bit before glancing at one another. They didn't say a word, she hit the nail on the head. For they both felt the same way about their lives. The younger male then glanced at the whip in his hand, gripping it tightly.

"I sometimes….wish I was born in a fantasy world" he admitted. The other male nodded at his words.

"Now that would be cool!" He chimed in.

"Right?! No boring life! All fantasy and magic and fighting monsters! That would be so cool!".

The young man's sister snickered at her brother.

"Ohhh yes! I can see it now!" She imagined "Ohhh! Dearest beloved! I thank you for saving my life! As your reward! I ask for you to place your chiseled face into my sweet large rack!". The two men just looked at her with narrow blank stares for a bit before her brother spoke up "You're makin fun of me? Aren't you sis?".

"WHAT?! Nah! I would never make fun of my little brother! Perish the thought!".

The three of them then laughed for a bit before their watches all went off at the same time. They all glanced at their wrists to see that their hour break was unfortunately over. Their smiles were soon quickly turned to dread. " *sighs* back to hell…." They said in unison before they got up and walked to the door to head downstairs. "We should catch up with this little conversation after work" the young male said "I don't know why, but I feel like you guys get me".

"We'd like that" they said "So, after work you wanna head to our place to hangout?".

"Sure thing!".

-later that night-

After their job had ended, the three of them were walking home together. All while discussing about their earlier conversation. "So you were writing down fantasy ideas?" the male asked. The young woman nodded in response "That I was. Helps keep my mind off of work, plus, I tend to just write down some random magic fusion ideas. Not like it's gonna come to life or anything". As the three of them were talking, they hadn't been paying attention to their surroundings as they were wrapped up in their conversation and newfound friendship among themselves. However the sound of a speeding truck that was flying through traffic was coming straight towards them.

"Say, how good are you with advanced science?".

"Not the best honestly. I only know basic-"

"LOOK OUT!".

However it was far too late for them to react as the truck struck all three of them as it tried to stop, crushing them in the process. Their lifeless bodies under the weight of the damaged vehicle were all that remained. The life snuffed out of them and gone in an instant.

-meanwhile in another world-

The Earlshide Plains. An area teaming with vast life and fortune, and with as many animals as the eye could see. The Earlshide Plains was far from the Earlshide Kingdom, and it would take half the day to reach it if one used a horse. Although it was peaceful, danger still lurked among anyone foolish to come unprepared. Demons owned this land, and it was their domain to hunt prey, so travelers did their best to avoid them as much as possible. However as storm clouds were beginning to form, one lone elderly man was walking down the road to quickly take shelter from the rain that would be coming soon.

The wise man kept walking down the road until he then felt a drop of water on his hood. He raised his hood a bit to see it was quickly starting to rain. "Hmm, ah. So it's starting to rain I see…" he muttered "Well, it's a good thing I can head to the forest to take shelter". He quickly made his way to the forest. He took his time walking through thick forest to be careful, he glanced around his surroundings.

"I should stay here for a bit to keep-hmm?!".

He stopped dead in his tracks to see a rundown and destroyed caravan. The whole thing was ravaged, and the bodies of the former owners were scattered, slaughtered, and slightly eaten. The wise man walked ever so slowly towards the wreckage. "This is…monsters did this. What a terrible fate for them" he said as he leaned down at one of the bodies "At least, at least let me pray for you all".

However that was cut short by the sound of three wailing cries. The wise man quickly stood up.

'The cries of a newborn baby?! And theirs three of them!' He thought as he located the sound of cries. He walked over to damaged wagon and gasped. Inside, he saw three babies, two boys and one girl. The wise man gently held all three of them as he gently held them close. "Ooh…to be able to survive through an attack by monsters. This is absolutely a miracle" he said as he then noticed that one of them had a small scar. "Oh, you're a little hurt" said as he raised his hand up to the middle child "Heal".

A small green glyph formed over the middle child's face, healing his small scar. The wise man smiled as he kept the three of them close to keep warm from the rain. "What strong-willed children you three are" he said as he then had a look of seriousness on his face "I shall raise these three children myself" he proclaimed as he made his way back home.

"This must be destiny".

-back home-

The walk back home was a slight long one. The wise man hadn't realized that he had ventured that far out for his walk, but he was happy to be back home. He glanced at the children in his arms. Thankfully, they were sleeping soundly when he carried them. "Good to see that the three of you are okay" he said as he moved his right leg at the door to open it. As he walked in, he heard the sound of a familiar voice.

"Well…it's about time you showed up".

The wise man quickly turned to owner of that voice.

He sighed "I didn't expect that you would be coming here" he said as he then glanced at the window "Especially when it's raining out there". The wise man's guest snorted "You think a little bit of rain is going to stop me from coming out here to see if you're still alive or not?!" She shouted at him. "Shhh! You have to keep your voice down!" He responded "You might wake them!".

However before she could even ask him, she noticed the rustling around his arms, followed by the instant sounds of walling again. The woman looked up at the wise man who just gave her a narrow look as if to say "I told you". She quickly pulled open his cloak to reveal the infant children who were now acting restless and squirming. She quickly took one of them as she gently rocked them.

"Merlin where on earth did you find these children?" The woman asked him.

Merlin sat down in his chair as he helped lull the other two in his arms. "I found them in the forest" he said "Their carriage showed signs of a monster attack. These three were the only survivors". Merlin's guest held the baby close to her, she sighed, to have these children deal with a monster attack was one thing, But to survive it was truly a miracle. She then noticed that the baby had stopped crying as she then glanced at the child. It had stopped walling to catch it's breath, the woman sighed, but soon noticed something.

"This one is a girl?"she asked him. Merlin nodded at her "Yes Melinda, that is correct. Two boys and one girl" Merlin said "These children are truly lucky to survive that ordeal. I truly believe that it was destiny when I found them". Melinda walked over and sat on the couch with the baby girl. She gently raised her left hand up to the babies face, feeling her soft skin. This caused the child to open it's eyes, But now with a more curious look on it's face. Melinda sweetly smiled at the baby.

"Well…it looks like you've calmed down I see" Melinda said sweetly as she caressed the infant. However that was when the baby raised up its right arm, and touched one of Melinda's fingers. Seeing her grab for her hand sent a warm shiver down her spine. She moved the child closer to her face, placing her forehead gently against hers. Melinda couldn't help but smile at this.

"Well, you also seem to be a curious one too I see" she added.

Her words only made the baby respond with a few coos as it reached out to gently touch Melinda's face. Merlin glanced over at them, seeing Melinda holding the baby like that brought back old memories of their past together. He always thought about that moment which caused their divorce, but he never wanted to talk about it. As he promised that he wouldn't ever bring it up again in their conversations. However..he then realized something.

"I don't think that these children have any names" he said "You think we should name them?". Hearing this made Melinda break her focus on the baby for a moment. "Well…" she started "What kind of names did you have in mind for them?". Merlin pondered for a bit as he looked down at the two baby boys, he carefully glanced at both of them before turning back to Melinda with an answer. "The one on the left I think we should call Shin Wolford. And the one on the right should be called Liam Wolford". He then looked at the baby girl and quickly thought of a name for her.

"And for the girl, I think that she-".

"I'm naming her".

Merlin quickly stopped talking when he heard Melinda express that she would be the one to name the baby girl. He blinked a few times in silence, he wasn't expecting Melinda to express that she had wanted to name one of them.

"You…you want to name the girl?".

"Of course I want to name her! You gave two names for the boys. So, it's only right that I name the girl".

"That doesn't seem fair since I found them….".

"Ohhhh, so since YOU found them. Then YOU get to name the children? Okay then you old fool, let's hear this wonderful name that you had planned then for her then" she asked him. Merlin smiled proudly as he then told her of the wonderful name that he had for the baby girl.

"The name that I had picked out for her" he said "Was Godiva!" he announced proudly with a smile on his face.

There was a deafening silence in the room. He glanced over at Melinda, who just looked disappointed at him. Merlin glanced side to side hoping to get a response from her. Unfortunately for him, the silence was still there. And now it was getting quite awkward for him.

"Soooo….not the name you were expecting?" Merlin asked her to break the awkward silence.

"That…has to be….the most stupidest name I've ever heard you come up with…"Melinda replied with disappointment and bitterness in her tone "You picked two good names for the boys. But for her, you thought that was the best you could come up with?!". Merlin just looked at her in defeat, 'Well it sounded good in my head…' he thought. Melinda then stood up as walked over to him. They both glanced at the baby girl who just stared at the both of them before reaching out towards them. They both smiled at her.

"I'm naming her Loretta" Melinda said.

"Loretta? Why Loretta?" Merlin asked her.

Melinda then held the newly named Loretta up to his face. "Oh come now! Surely she looks like a Loretta. It suits her far better than what you were going with". Merlin grumbled about that jab she took at his "wonderful name" for her. He then glanced at the baby as she was cooing again, but this time also spitting out a few raspberries as well. Merlin happily sighed at Loretta, as he then glanced at Melinda.

"It looks like we have much to teach them when they grow" he exclaimed.

A/n: man, I'm still not good at writing down first chapters. Hmm, okay. So I am aware that the light novel has been completed back in 2022. However I'm going by the manga version. I do plan to be a bit more slower with this one, and try to work out different encounters with different characters in the story.

If you have any recommendations, I'm all ears. Hopefully this should be an interesting project to work on. But I do plan to finish this one before I start working my others. I just want to get that feeling again.