Chapter 14: New Life in Roa

Being the first to arrive in the lounge, Ghyslaine and I were left waiting at the back of the room for Philip to gather everyone he intended to. The rest of the family was obvious, but it was also up in the air who among the staff Philip trusted to be in on this new little secret of me being back home. Rudeus may be on as a teacher but with him also being a Greyrat I was sure Philip would surely include him. And possibly the head butler if I remembered him right.

And I'd add the fact I was standing in a corner with my hood raised made me feel a bit too much like that typical "brooding rogue" you'd get in a fantasy story just waiting for the intrepid party to stumble onto introducing themselves.

Ghyslaine certainly didn't seem to get why I was keeping a wry little smile in check.

Soon enough, people filed into the room.

As expected, Philip was in the lead, with Hilda not far behind him. She spared Ghyslaine and I the briefest of looks, her face almost stuck in a dour glare of an expression.

Sauros was right behind the couple, and out of the adults the decade showed on him the most, even more of his hair greyed out and deeper lines all across his face, but none of that strength had left him despite it.

Shortly after Sauros, Eris came bounding in, downright dragging Rudeus by the arm as she did. And the boy was much quicker to notice I was in the room with Ghyslaine.

"Alright Philip, you got us here, what is this about?" Sauros lifted his cane, pointing it right at me. "And who is this hooded little rat standing around?"

"Father, I'd refrain from referring to the boy as a rat," Philip sighed, and I was shooting Sauros a more than annoyed glare from under said hood. "And he is actually what we are here to talk about. Might as well rip the bandage off, right, Aegir?"

Sauros and Hilda both flinched at hearing my name, and I strode over while lowering the hood.

"I know this is out of nowhere, but… I'm home," I chuckled as I looked at Sauros and Hilda, the latter standing in a flash as the realization set in. "Let's just say a lot of things happened back in Ars… and now, well… I'm back."

"My boy!"

"EH?!"

Before I could even respond, I was almost barreled over when Hilda yanked me into an all too smothering hug. And I could feel the tears falling onto my head as she held me tight.

"You don't have to explain anything…" she said, stepping back and cupping my face, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Look at you… so grown up and I didn't get to see any of it. But what are these scars?! What ruffian gave you these?!"

"Ahaha, mother, I'm an adventurer now. I got these from my work, I'm proud of them," I put one hand to Hilda's as her thumbs traced those face scars, letting the smile show I didn't hate them. Though my statement of being an adventurer clearly shocked her.

"What do you mean adventurer?! What has that bastard James been letting you get up to?! A boy your age shouldn't be going around doing things that dangerous!"

"Now now dear, you're not just looking at a boy," Philip put a hand on Hilda's shoulder, though she was clearly more than a bit irate at this whole idea. "Noble young men already get mentored in even basic swordsmanship in Ars. Aegir simply chose to take it in a… different direction."

"And besides, look at the boy!" Sauros strode over, and in a quick move picked me right up… embarrassingly so considering my age. "Gahahahaha! Of course my grandson would make a fine adventurer! You can tell how strong the lad is just by looking at him! I bet he had that rat James shaking in his boots when he decided to leave!"

"Well, it was a bit more complicated… also, uh, please put me down, Grandfather. this is… awkward considering how old I am now," with a mutter, Sauros set me back down on the ground, and I dusted myself off. "I wish I could say I was back under-"

"WAAAAAIIIITTTT!" Eris, promptly, let out an almost room shaking scream, standing atop her chair and looking all too irate. "Why am I being left out of all of this?! Who is this kid and why are you all acting like you've known him for ages? What's going on here?!"

"I would uhm… also like to know that," Rudeus raised a hand, leaning into view from behind Eris. "If I'm to understand, Lord Philip, this adventurer is your son?"

"Eh?" Eris looked to Rudeus in surprise, then back to me. Then to Philip and Hilda, and back to me again. "I have a brother?!"

"Two, actually," I added. "Though he lives up in Donati now after Uncle James married him off."

"He did what?!" HIlda's voice was almost a shriek, and she grabbed me by the shoulders. "Leonel was…"

"If you're about to repeat me, the answer is yes. And also, don't worry, because it turns out Leonel is happy with it."

"You…" Hilda pulled away with a stunned look on her face, blinking a couple of times. "You have grown to be rather blunt, Aegir."

"I am an adventurer," I chuckled, though the grin quickly slipped back to a serious frown. "And much as I want to say I'm back and nothing's wrong… that's not it. See, before leaving Ars, I gave up my claim to the Boreas name and my rights as nobility. Technically speaking, I'm just another commoner now."

Hilda looked like she was ready to faint, only the faint remnant of a scream catching in her throat, while Sauros began scratching his chin, a more thoughtful look on his face.

"And that's why we can't be public about Aegir's return to Roa," said Philip, putting a hand to my shoulder. "But I did think of a workaround: We hire the young Aegir Greyfeather here as a member of our staff as an on-hand adventurer. If requests come up to us and the guards, he can handle them while also engaging in his normal guild work. Or, in all honesty, something completely made up so we have an excuse to pretend he hasn't just come home to be with his family again."

"Quite ballsy of you, Lord Philip," said Rudeus, Philip snickering at the boy.

"But why adventurer work?!" And again, Hilda yanked me into a rather suffocating hug. "He's not even of age yet! And he's already so scarred from work that's so dangerous!"

"I did say I was proud of the scars…" my voice was muffled no thanks to the all too tight hug. And from the corner of my eye, I swore Rudeus was giving me a jealous expression. Not addressing that right now.

"Hilda, the boy clearly knows what he's doing if he's gone this long and made it through alive," Sauros saved me from the vice-like hold of my mother, though his own hard grasps were about as bad on my shoulder. "I think Philip's idea is excellent. And while he's at it, Aegir can help Eris learn a thing or two! Heck, he might even teach Rudeus something for a change! Gahahahahaha!"

"You've gotta tell me all the stories you've got!" And Eris came almost bounding over the chairs to get in on the action, her face split in a toothy grin and eyes bright in excitement. "Ahahahaa! I have a brother! Rudeus, isn't that awesome?!"

"Eris, I happen to have two younger sisters myself," said Rudeus, "But, yes, it is cool."

"Then there's one thing left to say," Philip cleared his throat, cueing the others.

"Welcome home, Aegir!"

"Hehe, good to be back!" And with that, Sauros lifted me onto his shoulders, giving a triumphant yell as he did so, already lifting the mood in the room as he did.

Yet again, I could say there was a new start in my life. And this time, this one looked to be a much warmer, far more positive one than the last time I got to say those words.

Whatever was around the corner, it was brighter for sure.

Adjusting to life in Roa was much easier than one would have taken it. As an "in house worker" it meant I was roomed up in a, while small, cozy private room-despite Hilda trying to insist on something finer even it'd blow my cover.

As far as it went, I was on duty with Ghyslaine as a bodyguard of sorts when I was on the estate, which also meant I was quickly becoming acquianted with the members of the town guard she kept in touch with for these purposes.

More than a few recognized me from my time in Roa last year, but Ghyslain's vouching was enough for them to ask any questions about why I was suddenly being hired on by the fuedal lord directly.

Being the kid who killed a red drake will kind of do that for you.

And in the following days, I also got to seeing for myself what Rudeus' job was. I knew from my prior visit that he was a tutor, but the more surprising part was Ghyslaine's own involvement in the lessons.

One was never too old to learn new things after all.

And out here in the countryside, of course the standard education of people raised in a place like Ars wasn't just a normal thing. And I doubted I'd ever really lose the natural air that came around it. Most assumed I was a knight's son for a reason.

But, there was definitely something nice about being the one to sit in on watching their kid sister take basic lessons. Even if her tutor happened to be a couple of years younger.

And that was probably the thing I was keenest to learn about.

Rudeus.

Kid wasn't even ten, and yet he was intelligent enough to be hired as a tutor for nobility, and going by the reports was also a downright genius in magic. And he certainly had the air of being a lot more mature than a kid his age would normally be to go with it.

Heck, he carried himself more like the adults than anything else. And maybe I was just used to it, since the noble kids back in Ars tended to be a lot more mature than otherwise.

But something about the kid just sat… odd with me.

Ariel by contrast always felt that while her place as a princess forced her to mature, there was this underlying feeling that in the end she was still just a kid. Someone who acted the way she did because she had to, not quite because she wanted to.

Rudeus though, had this feeling that his maturity wasn't really something foisted on him.

So, what better chance than a post lesson sit down when Eris was going off with Ghyslaine to start up her sword training?

"So…" with the chance, I sat down at the table Rudeus had been using for his lessons, the boy going over Eris' work for the day. "What kind of situation ends up getting a kid like you sent to be someone's tutor?"

"Gotten curious about observing for a few days, Sir Aegir?"

"Drop the sir," I sighed, Rudeus tilting his head, "I'm not a noble, remember? You and me are basically co-workers. But, yes, I got curious. Mostly cause I'm wondering what was going through Paul's head."

"You've met my father?" Rudeus shot upright, eyes wide.

"There was a… bit of a mess with me getting lost about a year ago, and the short end is I found myself in Buena Village for about a week," Rudeus nodded, giving a curious hum. "And the short of it is I ended up staying with your family. Not bad people… mostly."

"Ah… yes. Father is, complicated," Rudeus chuckled, putting a hand behind his head. "And well, I'm here because I did ask Father to get me a job. See, I want to attend the Magic University in Roa when I'm older, and the deal was I had to pay my way for myself and a friend of mine back home. But as for how I got here… let's just say it involved knocking me out with a wooden sword so I wouldn't protest."

"He did what?"

"To be fair, he kind of had to!" Rudeus about scrambled to change the mood. I was about ready to make some serious judgments about Paul as a father. "Like I said, I would've protested, probably tried to argue my way out of it. Father had a point… I was uhm, kind of becoming a bit too dependent on a friend of mine, the one I want to take the university with me. In hindsight, a few years apart is probably going to be good for us. Besides, I'm only here for a few more years! This job is only until I'm 12."

"How old are you now?"

"Nine. I'll be ten next year."

"So about three more years… alright, how'd your first day go?"

"Lady Eris nearly turned my face into mush, and I had to run…" Rudeus sighed, and I cackled at the idea. "When we first met, she was… willful, to put it a certain way. She'd run off tons of other tutors before me."

"So I heard," I snickered. "I bet that father and grandfather spoil her rotten. No wonder she'd be a bit of a brat. Almost wish I could've seen it… though who knows how much longer I'll even be here for?"

"You're not planning to stay for long?" Rudeus tilted his head, and I shook mine as I stood and stretched.

"I come of age in a couple years, and no point staying cooped up here once I'm an adult," I put my arms behind my head, pacing around the room as I spoke. "But I don't wanna just up and leave after getting back, y'know? So maybe take an extra year or two, at least until Eris is of age herself at most. Once that happens, why not see the rest of the world? Millis, the Demon Continent, Begaritt Continent, head up north past the Red Dragon Mountains, the whole shebang. I want to hunt new monsters, meet new adventurers, and delve into labyrinths. Maybe take a detour here and there to learn new things wherever I end up. Who knows?"

"It seems you have your life rather well thought about," Rudeus chuckled as he tapped his pen. "You must have been learning a lot back in Ars to have that kind of idea. What's the capital like anyway? I've read about it, but obviously I haven't gotten a chance to see it."

"It earns its title of the most populace city on the planet. Ars is huge… and it's also why finding adventuring work in the capital province is a hard sell," Rudeus gave me a sympathetic look as my expression cracked. "I probably would've hit A Rank faster if I didn't spend my first few months doing odd jobs around the city… though I'm planning to hit as many jobs as I can to get there this year. So don't be surprised if I'm out for a few days… or a week or two. Depends on where I gotta go."

Rudeus nodded along, and I cleared my throat. Best to get back on topic.

"As for what it was like… since I was raised in a high noble house, I got put through some standard education at the Royal Academy. All sorts of basics from court etiquette to math and writing. On the side I was learning magic at the Mage's Guild and swordsmanship at the Water God Dojo in the city. Though I kinda blazed ahead of most people my age, as you can probably guess."

"Is there anything you didn't learn at the academy you're trying to learn now?"

"Yeah, actually… languages, to be precise. If I'm gonna be traveling, it'd be best if I understood whatever the locals are saying, right? Though so far, the only other language I've learned is Beast God, and I picked that up from the servants back at the main estate."

"Ahh, I get it. I had Ghyslaine teach me how to speak it," Rudeus chuckled, giving me a smirk. "But I've also taught myself some others! I learned Fighting God easy enough, and recently I've also picked up how to speak Demon God!"

"Seriously?!" I shot over to the table, my hands slamming down onto it. "How and where?! I couldn't find any texts about it back in Ars!"

"Well… I don't think there are many texts. The ones we happened to have here barely made it clear how to even speak it," and then, Rudeus's face lit up with pride. "But, my amazing Master came to the rescue! She sent me a whole hand-made book on how to speak and read it! I learned in not time thanks to that!"

"Huh, you'll have to let me see it for myself then…" I stifled a chuckle when Rudeus shot me a displeased look. "Or maybe use it to teach me yourself, if it's some precious thing of yours. Actually… if you can read it, then you can solve a problem of mine."

"What kind of problem?" Rudeus' brow raised when I drew the cursed blade at my back. Taking the blade around, I set it across the table. "Whoaaa… this is an impressive blade! I didn't think they made swords with cores like this."

"Cause they don't," I snickered, leaning on a hand. "That there's one of the 49 Cursed Swords, like the one Ghyslaine has. They were forged ages ago out of the bones of a Dragon by a demon smith. Thing is… I've got no idea what's its name is, or if it has some kind of special skill. Some of these swords do… and, well, I can't read Demon God," I traced my finger along the flat and to the inscription along part of it, Rudeus putting a finger to his chin as he saw it. "My master and I tried to find someone who could during our trip up here, but no luck. We figured if we knew its name, it'd be a hint to its nature."

"Let me see…" Rudeus leaned up, eyeing the script closely. Odds were he was still getting a grasp of the actual script, but I could only hope he could translate it. "Okay, I think it got it! Let's see… Magos Blade… Invictus? I think that's what it translates to."

"Magos Blade…" That alone got the gears in my head turning, my eyes boring into the sword as I tried to piece things together. "Wait…"

Placing my hand on the sword, I slowly drew it across the flat, shutting my eyes and trying to feel. Not the sword itself, but what was deeper in the sword. The power of the dragon whose essence lived on in the blade.

"Aegir? Is something up?"

"Shh!" I hushed Rudeus, making sure there wouldn't be any distractions. "Give me a moment…"

"Ah, alright."

Come on… you're somewhere in there, aren't you? Tell me what it is, Invictus… why did Julian forge you like this? What makes you a Magos… It was like I was trying to find the trace of a fire. Embers at first, but the more I followed them, the more they grew, bit by bit going from embers to wisps of flame in my mind. Until finally…

"THERE!"

Grabbing the hilt, I swiped the sword off the table, holding it outwards as a shell of bright red mana covered it in a burst of air. Taking a swipe, the mana shifted into flames, and Rudeus let out an awed sound as the sword ignited. Another swing, and the flames turned into whirls of wind. Another coated it in a dense shell of earth. The final one frosted it over in pure white ice.

"What was that?!" Rudeus stood as I swiped the blade clean, my face split in a wide, excited grin as beads of sweat ran down my head. "I didn't know you could use magic like that!"

"Because I'm the guy who came up with it," Rudeus's eyes widened, and I laughed while spinning the blade. "But that wasn't just my magic! When I use spells like that normally I just coat the blade. But this thing made the spells right from its core! I figured I could use it like a catalyst, but this is something else entirely! Rudeus, this is a sword that uses magic! My spells aren't just coating the blade, they're infusing it! Hahaha! It's a perfect sword for a magic user!"

"That's incredible!" Rudeus laughed as he looked the sword over, his eyes shining with excitement. "I always wondered if there would be things like this! And I get to see one for myself! That's awesome! Aegir, you've gotta let me help you test this thing!"

"Hehe, if you teach me Demon God and Fighting God tongues, we've got a deal. I'll even throw in some of my notes about my Spellblade style."

"Deal!"

"Hehe, then let's go find Ghyslaine and Eris so we can break Invictus in proper," I spun the blade and sheathed it, Rudeus hot on my tail as I left the office.

Finding Ghyslaine sparring with Eris was as common to see as anything else after barely any time here in Roa. And with the good weather at this time of year, the air being filled with the clacking of practice swords was like an alarm to the manor of the time of day.

And Rudeus and I running out nearly bouncing in excitement quickly caught Ghyslaine's attention as she and Eris finished up their current round.

"What's got you two so riled up?" Ghyslaine set the practice sword over her shoulder, Eris peering from behind her.

"I figured out how this sword works!" I drew Invictus, Ghyslaine's tail shifting as her eye widened. "You also promised to spar with me next time I was in Roa, remember? So, what better way to break in a Cursed Blade properly than sparring against another one."

"I'd be lying if I wasn't itching to test you properly," Ghyslaine tossed the training sword aside, setting her hand on her main blade. "Eris, watch on the side with Rudeus. Aegir and I will show you how Sword God practitioners spar for real."

"Awesome!" Eris bounced to the side, gesturing for Rudeus to join her as her legs kicked in excitement. "Kick his butt, Ghyslaine!"

"The least you could do is cheer your own brother on…" Rudeus sighed, Ghyslaine and I chuckling.

"Then let's give proper introductions," Ghyslaine drew her sword, its red edge glinting under the sunlight as she brought it near her face. "Sword King, Ghyslaine Deldodia. My blade is the Flat Core Hiramune."

I raised my blade upwards, turning its flat towards me, and the blade was already gleaming with mana. "Sword Saint, Aegir Greyfeather. My sword is the Magos Blade Invictus."

"Begin!"

At Ghyslaine's call, we both took that first step.

Swords rang as they clashed, sparks of mana flying from Invictus as it and Hiramune sang. Ghyslaine looked surprised for only a moment, but quickly shifted her pace as we carried the swings through, my blade painting an arc of red in the air as Ghyslaine side stepped the cut.

Much as I wanted to let loose, being in the city and much less the manor meant I would have to reign it in with the spell work.

So, as Ghyslaine and I fell into an exchange, I kept it simple. Nothing more than coating the blade in elements to change things up. I'd save showing off my fancier attacks for when we were out on monster hunts.

Yet to no surprise of mine, Ghyslaine adapted to the unorthodox nature of my fighting style all too easily. I knew that unlike me and Renault, she wasn't one to dabble in other styles. She was a pure Sword God practitioner through and through, and her fighting style was as fierce and up front as that would imply.

But her years of experience shined through with how easily she kept up with my more chaotic pace.

If the sword burst into flames, she'd parry it aside and shoulder me away. Gusts of wind quickly dodged past thanks to her natural agility. Extending my reach with an ice blade, instantly shattered with a hard swing to the extension. Shifting the weight with a sheathe of stone, met with an even more forceful swing than otherwise.

Even my sneakier fire bolts were cut through the instant Ghyslaine caught onto them.

The spar went on like this for a while, and the whole time I could feel my grasp on Invictus' nature sharpen with each blow. The way mana flowed through it, how it's flow and mine nearly connected entirely. In terms of power, it barely took any of my mana at all to get the thing running, which meant that magic core was powerful enough on its own I barely needed to use up my own for the results I was getting.

And that only brought a smirk to my face as the spar continued, sword ablaze with active mana as Ghyslaine and I danced around the courtyard.

I could just hear Eris cheering off the side, more for Ghyslaine than myself, but just impressing her with that felt like enough.

Neither of us were really taking this seriously though. If we were I'm sure by now I'd already have been flattened to the ground. Ghyslaine was just as eager to see my progress as I was to finally test myself against her, and it didn't take an expert to see she was taking it easy on me, for now.

And as if to make that clear, Ghyslaine ended things with a move so quick I barely caught it even now. A strike that forced my sword up and followed right into Ghyslaine stopping the edge of Hiramune at my throat.

"You've got a ways to go before you catch up to me… but not bad. Renault did a good job teaching you," Ghyslaine chuckled, pulling her sword back. "You've gotten strong, Aegir. I'm glad to see you've grown up this well."

"I wonder if I even had a chance at getting you even once…" I sighed as I lowered my arms, Ghyslaine laughing.

"If we were fighting more seriously, you probably would have caught me once or twice. Never fought someone who wove magic into swordplay."

"So, I did surprise you?"

"A little bit."

"I'll take what I can get," I set Invictus' tip into the ground, Ghyslaine looking at the blade. "And I finally get this thing. Gonna need some more practice, but I think I got it down."

"That… was so cool!" Eris bounded over, whirling around me as she laughed. "I didn't think anyone would ever keep up with Ghyslaine like that! How did you get so good with a sword?! Oh oh, you've gotta show me how you did that with your sword! It was magic right? Right? Rudeus, what did he do?!"

"It was certainly magic," Rudeus nodded. "Though not a kind I think I could use. Aegir's magic is something rather unique to him."

"The magic of a Mage Knight," I sheathed Invictus, Eris's eyes gleaming as she looked up at me. "It's a style I'm still working on. But I've had it in my head for a long time. Want me to teach you some of it, Eris?"

"You will?!" Eris's smile widened as I nodded, and she spun as she threw her arms up. After a moment, she caught herself, clearing her throat and folding her arms. Seems she was still trying to maintain some idea of bring a proper young lady. "I mean… you better! You may be my brother, but you do work for us! And besides, I'm still not sure if I should treat you like a brother anyway!"

I shot Ghyslaine an amused look, the beast woman shrugging.

"Then I guess I'll just have to show you how good of a brother I can be," I knelt a bit, patting Eris on the head. "And show this bratty little sister of mine she should be respecting me."

"Yeah, well… maybe take me on some adventures, and I will!"

That attitude was just way too amusing. The exact kind of obstinate but forced bravado of a kid just trying to look cool in front of someone. I had to respect it, a bit.

"When you're a bit older. I don't think mother would let me hear the end if I took you out on a quest now… even though I started at around the same age as you."

"Then that's why you should take me on a quest!" Eris stamped a foot, turning to Rudeus. "You wanna go adventuring too, right, Rudeus?!"

"I think I'll take Aegir's advice and give it a bit longer. Plus, I'm still too young myself. That's too risky even with my magic."

"Aw come on! Ghyslaine, you're on my side, right?!" Glancing at Ghyslaine, I could feel the mix of apprehension yet desire to please the little lady in the beast woman.

"Maybe if I go along…" I let out a sigh, Ghyslaine clearing her throat. "But we'll have to see what Lord Philip or Lord Sauros say first."

"Then I'm going to go ask right now!" And Eris was off in a flash, like a bolt of red in the air as she hurried off into the manor, yelling for Philip or Sauros the whole way.

"Well… this is going to make things interesting for the three of us, huh?"

Ghyslaine and Rudeus nodded. United as sort of coworkers, dealing with this rambunctious sister of mine was certainly looking to be a task with plenty of effort. And I was here after the other two had already dealt with the worst of it.

Lucky me, huh?

What a start to my new life, for the third time.