LIGHTNOVELONLINE Arc 1: First Contact: Coda Village Part 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihonkoku Shoukan as it belongs to its rightful owners.
Arc 1: Lands of Rodenius:
Chapter 7: First Contact: Coda Village Part 1
It was foretold that the peace which was brought thousands of years prior began in a fateful meeting between two worlds.
Some say it was an act of desperation and fate that had brought upon a miracle. A kind of miracle that has never returned once it had ended.
And some say it was the cries of a forgotten one that summoned an unimaginable force that many had feared but loved at the same time.
They came from a different world but had shown a very familiar value. The same value that would unite all of them, and when the conflict came to an end, they just left without any conditions or whatsoever.
Never to be seen again.
Their legend grew over thousands of years, their contributions ushering in a new era for the whole world.
Though, in an era where a rising evil is waiting to erupt, fate had made its move again and saw the meeting of these two worlds.
Deep down in a certain forest, a beautiful young woman knelt amongst the grass, clutching her hands together as she silently prayed continuously.
The rays of the sun penetrating through the trees, the faint rustling that is produced as the wind slowly blew past by her.
She didn't know how much time had passed. She was nothing but only a forgotten memory of the people she once blessed. Though, no matter what happened all those years ago, her love for them and this world continued to be strong.
As she finally felt that the Gods had finally made their move, a smile crept upon her lips as she opened her eyes for the first time and uttered her words.
"Please guide them."
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"So that's the village right there?"
The question rang through all radios of the four armored vehicles of the joint American-Japanese recon team trundled down the ancient highway. Rocking roughly over the jarred pave stones, which meant for more for horses and for travel than modern vehicles. After a day, the team had once again had reached a stretch of land which was wider than the previous ones. An endless roll of frosty grass that went far as their eyes could see.
As they approached the area where the supposed village that the air recon had mapped before, the team had stumbled upon a farm and the first signs of life began to emerge for the first time.
Flocks of sheep with wool thick enough to protect them from the cold—roamed and grazed the open fields.
Man, is it me, or are those sheep looked like giant cotton balls?"
A curious member of the team shared his own comment.
That very own comment would then trigger the first of the conversations amongst the American and Japanese soldiers.
"Man, I can't wait to meet the locals! I'm pretty sure their village has a small population of Nekos there." The ever-optimistic Kurata said the young man had been grinning from ear to ear while driving at a much faster rate.
"Don't get too excited Takeo, We still don't know if the village might give us a warm welcome," Itami explained, still gazing at the fields. His own words toning down the latter's excitement.
It was a simple yet wonderful site to see. There was a bit of excitement, nervousness, and uncertainty filling the air. The possibility of them establishing their own first contact with the natives in this world was fast approaching.
From the spot he was on, Yuji observed the distant scenery in front of him, taking notice of the familiarity surrounding the field and a small barn located just about together.
The distance between the main highway and the fields was not that far away so most of them can get a good look at what was happening around them.
With the passage of time, the team eventually spotted what appeared to be bleary-eyed shepherd boys sitting on crops of large boulders, watching over the flocks of sheep. They were in their mid-teens, dressed in a sturdy outfit reminiscent of the shepherds of fairy tales and ancient history.
The strong sound of the engines had apparently caught their attention. By the time they turned around they were overcome with surprised and curiousness as they decided to investigate the green moving metal mobile boxes passing by the fields.
"Moving Metal Boxes."
It was the only word that they have in mind at the moment.
They felt like little children again who saw what a dragon looks like for the first time.
Awe and fear mixed together inside their heads as they try to comprehend what they were seeing.
It wasn't until one of the boys noticed that there was something inside those moving metal boxes that their curiosity was piqued. When they finally realized that the people inside were humans just like them, the only thing that confused them was that they were all dressed in green.
Yuji could already imagine their reactions and perspectives. He compared it to the many scenes of all Modern meets Fantasy shows, The scenes often depicting farmers and travelers of that world spotting or witnessing metal moving objects in the skies, lands, and seas.
One could call it a UFO sighting in their own perspectives.
Always, in the end, they would write and record down what they have seen but their claims often dismissed or placed in skepticism.
The Japanese-American man wondered if the same could be said for the two shepherds boys.
"Should we approach them, sir? "
Meanwhile, the radio crackled back to life once more as the voice of Sgt. Kuwahara spoke through the speakers.
Of course, it did catch the attention of the rest.
Was it worth the action? As they were already just a few miles away from their destination.
That question would soon be answered as the 34-year old Otaku grabbed his wired walkie and said." Negative, It's not going to be worth the try, Kuwahara-san." He politely responded to the older man.
"Understood sir." He replied back.
Quietness soon took over after that decision was made. However, the good news of that decision was that It did give them more time to prepare for the main event.
Not too fast now, Kurata," Itami smiled and said to young private, as he then eased up the rate of speed that the LAV was producing as of the moment, the small scene apparently boosting out his nervousness yet again.
We don't want to startle them."
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The situation back on the American side was basically the same as their Japanese counterparts.
The same thoughts and similar conversations.
"Hey, that's quite a lot of sheep." Carl had voiced his opinion." I wonder if Mike had finally decided to raise his own back in his barn."
His big brother slightly nodded in understanding.
Lieutenant Brian shrugged thereafter. The thought of his cousin raising his sheep along with the other barnyard animals was quite far-fetched.
The man's culture and way of raising things were very different.
Brian really didn't want to talk about his first cousin. For all, he knew the man was just like his father but in a different form.
Of course, Carl had realized by that point, bringing out a quite sensitive topic did kind of change the mood a bit. But at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if there was a chance those two would end the bitter rivalry.
He was about to speak up when the older Wilson had beat him to it.
"We're almost there."
The words rang through his ears as the young Californian Ranger brought his eyes forward to the main road again.
"Guys, we're heading off to the left."
His brother pick up the wired walkie and informed the rest of the recon team.
"Copy that Lieutenant!"
There was a small intersection ahead and the latter road and onto a certain dirt track which led to a small forest. The rest of the recon vehicles followed as the team had finally reached the territory they'd been working hard to go to.
After two days of endless travel.
Up from a distance, the team could see a meager-sized settlement located on the bank of a long small river flowing with a rapid current.
The village was walled by a short wooden palisade on three sides, while the northern flank was guarded by the river. From a distance, they could spot what appeared to be that of villagers outside of the wall. hurrying inside through the main gate at the sight of his team's approach, taking their baskets of food and carts of goods within. It was no surprise that fear was their first reaction.
With the exception of children, who were overwhelmed with curiosity and even wanted to stay and meet the new travelers.
"Well, it's not every day you see giant metal boxes with wheels moving around, I mean I was in their position."
"Reactions much like this are expected, we just have to adjust the situation we are in."
"I guess, it's now our responsibility to show we are good guys then."
"That's if they are willing to listen."
As the military vehicles approached the place there was a large boarded sign above the village's gate written in this world's language.
"Coda Village"
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In the heart of the forest that surrounded the other part of the village lies a certain endpoint of the river.
The place was considered a hidden gem for many of the villagers in hopes of finding their own peace. Moreover, the area's main highlight was revealed to be that of a majestic small waterfall.
A waterfall that had existed there for hundreds of years even before the settlement was established.
Although in recent times, the place had become some kind of a getaway or hangout for Coda Villagers who saw the waterfall and its surrounding area as means to have fun and a factor for their leisure.
As for a certain short blue-haired 16-year-old teenage girl, She considered this place as her training grounds since the first time she had moved here.
Lelei La Rellena was a prodigy but she didn't view herself as one either. That certain title was coined by her teacher, the one and only Great Sage Cato, who took her as his apprentice when the latter had chosen study under him and left Rondel overall.
Originally, hailing from a nomadic tribe called the Rurudo, the teenage girl was already fascinated with magic. As a child when she saw a couple of travelers, who were revealed to be arch-mages that just happened to stumbled upon their settlement, which they were eventually welcomed.
As a token of appreciation, these arch-mages performed wonderful magical feats that captured and captivated the girl to the point that it had been engraved inside her mind until now.
That's when her passion to study magic began to rise and together with her big sister, they left home due to a strained relationship with their step-father and headed for the walled city of Rondel, one of the oldest and greatest places in terms of knowledge and magical advancements.
The girl smiled as she could still remember the day she finally learned how to cast her own spell, it was a beginner's luck but important progress in her learning.
Donning her usual blue robes, the teenage girl woke up one early morning and headed to this place with nothing but a small basket of bread, a book, and her staff.
The sun was still on its rise when the girl stood on a certain spot facing the waterfalls. The rays of the sun shining upon her while she closed her eyes in order to get a grasp of peace which was overflowing at the moment.
She liked quiet places much like this, where she would find her full concentration.
She could feel and hear everything in her surroundings, the birds were singing along with the forest, the trees going along with the wind, and the tranquility of nature that welcomed her with open arms.
In her mind, she imagined herself being this ethereal void as all of the kinds of energy on her surroundings began circling around her. All of it began to mix and meld together forming an ethereal-like stream that floated around her.
Slowly but surely, she raised her right hand which wielded her staff.
Her lips moved for the first time as she began to utter words that would eventually cast a spell in a certain direction.
The wind grew stronger passing by her, moments later all of the energy that had gathered and materialize, converge in the body of water. As a result, the flowing current was disrupted and waves began to rise until a big portion of water had detached from its main source.
With the help of the wind, the portion of water floated in the air as it began to form together creating a glowing ball of water that remained and continued to spun around. It grew larger and larger until the energy had reached its peak.
Lelei then opened her eyes to face the energy that she had created. A sense of pride and confidence overwhelmed her, all those months of honing her manipulation magic were beginning to blossom. She never did skip any steps, to begin with.
The young teenage girl continued as she manipulated the water ball of spinning energy around directing it to certain spots and back towards its current position.
It was like dancing with the world's force, creating a connection between the physical world and nature. In the back of her mind, the whole process was very surreal for her.
She couldn't believe she was doing this right now.
Her smile continued to widen for the first time as her groove followed through.
This was the meaning of hard work paying off. All that late-night studies just to...
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Watch out Lelei!"
Splash*
By that point in time, a voice called out to her name disrupting her thoughts, and furthermore, there was a wave of water that went straight towards her thus bringing her to wetness for the first time and eventually losing her control as the ball of energy vanished in front of her eyes.
Lelei was able to regain her composure after, falling down to the cold body of fresh water wasn't the ending she was looking for, but all in all, she was wet and her concentration won't be coming back anytime soon.
The only good thing was that her book wasn't in her hands while doing her spells.
She could hear the laughter that had to emerge right after the small ordeal. She quickly recognized their voices. She wiped the cold remnants of liquid on her eyes and turned her attention to a group of youth, who were about the same age as her.
"Really?" The blue-haired girl eyed the group of teenage boys and girls swimming in the area, had apparently pulled a little prank on her.
The group of teenage boys and girls continued to laugh despite the young mage's obvious expression.
Sooner than later, a certain teenage boy with dark brown hair stepped up to the front.
He had this wide playful grin on his face as he finally spoke.
"Come on Lelei! Why won't you join the gang and have fun?" The teenage boy asked and said.
Lelei ignored the boy's question and continued to give him that slight deadpanned expression.
"Seriously Luke, Is it the right thing to greet a friend, who is busy studying by splashing her cold water?" The young mage girl asked.
The boy continued to grin." You've got to be kidding Lelei, you really need to loosen up a bit." He explained, garnering many nods from his friends.
Luke was just one of those boys, whom the blue-haired teen had met when she first arrived in the village. The guy was friendly and was part of the Coda Village's small teenage population.
Even though they were only just some, they treated each other like family.
Lelei became the more estranged of the bunch due to her more conservative and quiet lifestyle. The blue-haired teen did not even participate at certain games during the annual village festival nor she didn't join any small gatherings or hangouts organized by them.
She was that person, who would only sit at the back and watch everything unfold before her.
This was apparently the latest attempt at convincing her to join them for the first time and have fun, only they could hope she would accept their invitation this time. .
Lelei stood quietly as her mind went about her friend's invitation. Though at the same time she could hear some giggles and laughs amongst them.
"Unless you scared of a little colder water hehe."
That until someone had the courage to speak up and tease the teenage mage.
For the first time since moving here, the girl's right eye twitched as she could the irritation climbing up her skin.
She took a deep breath before letting another calm facade emerge. She gave this slight mischievous smile before raising her wooden staff as it began to glow.
Seconds later, a very small tsunami-like wave had materialized in front of her jolly friends.
"What the heck!" One of them exclaimed before being slammed by the big splash of freshwater.
"Dammit Lelei! Stop using cheap magic tricks on us." Another said, much to the girl's secretly laughing on the inside.
"And stop using cheap moves at me when I'm peacefully minding my own business!" She replied back, trying to keep her joy of a little revenge from not bursting out while maintaining that calm facade at the same time.
The rest of the group had mixed feelings about it. Some were irritated, and some were even thankful, that they had enjoyed the big waves of fresh water wriggling their worlds.
"Hey, Lelei! Can you do it again?" One member of the group asked.
"Shut it, idiot! I almost drown myself because of that!"
Satisfied from what she had done, Lelei decided to leave the scene as peaceful as possible, though before she could turn back, her friend called her once more.
"I told ya so."
It was Luke and he had that accomplished smile as he looked through the teen's eyes.
All the boy wanted was to at least bring out that certain part of her. Every time, they would pull a prank on her, the girl would never respond back, and would just walk away from it.
Here, she responded to that for the first time much to the blue-haired teen's realization later on.
Lelei slowly nodded but gave a small smile in return before leaving the area. It was the first time she had let out a kind of emotion that everybody was waiting.
To the young mage, it did felt good when she responded back, it was a sense of overwhelming satisfaction to finally get back for all the pranks they had pulled and a good way to finally end that small chapter.
"Clever."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Later on
In one of the later parts of the village lies a small open area, where a small cabin stood in the middle of it.
It was just any simple cabin with a small chimney on top that can be compared to the many wooden houses scattered around the entirety of the village. The only difference was that its surroundings were decorated as one would notice a small wonderful garden located near the entrance.
The morning greeted the old sage with the rays of the sun penetrating through the window inside his room.
Sage Cato had awoken a few minutes before, his gaze was drawn first to the number of scrolls and parchments on his work table. His still tired eyes gasped for correct vision, while his brain reactivated every function in his body.
The old man was still exhausted from all of the work he had done the day before. His mind began to recall the simple events that had occurred. Aside from that fateful night when he caught a glimpse of her, the events leading up to it were nothing but:
Village Meetings
Village Meetings
And...
Village Meetings
Cato groaned as he stood up from his seat and left the room for the kitchen.
The creaky noises created as he stepped on the old wood, en route to his destination. Finding himself reaching the small living room, surprisingly occupied with stacks of books, and other study materials scattered across the main floor but in a more organized and neat way.
"Did someone made a mess last night?" He asked himself, being greeted by the beautiful scene in front of him.
He was caressing his beard as he wondered.
That's when he realized that his student had spent the night studying and he was not even aware of that.
Upon closer inspection, the old man had noticed a note on the living room table, He picked it up and read it.
"I'll be back soon Master Cato, there is a basket of bread at the kitchen table."
-Lelei
The old man didn't know how to react, though he just kept calm and understood her situation.
He could sense that certain dedication in her, what shocked him more was that she was waking up earlier than he was.
Cato placed the note back on the table as he proceeded towards the kitchen area, which not of any extraordinary. It was just a simple kitchen with a couple of cabinets, drawers, It also had one single oven and small metal box-like spot that goes a little where a bunch of charcoals was in place.
He only had one thing in mind and that was to drink a nice ceramic cup of hot Kaffa.
Kaffa, Yes!
The beans that were imported from Middle Eastern nations across the orient and the only place where to buy these important hard beans are in the City of Maihark, of the Qua-Toyne Principality.
His excitement for that certain hot drink shortly ended, by that point when he had checked the cabinets and drawers that he found out the small jar of Kaffa beans had run out.
"You have got to be bluffing." He muttered to himself, sighing for the first time.
Sure he had a supply of tea but that also had run out.
He was stuck in his tricky situation. His student had not come back yet, but then again he only had one choice and that was to go to the marketplace itself and buy a certain supply of tea, and then he had to go back here again, make it, and then go back to finishing his unfinished work.
It may sound simple for him but it was definitely a hassle overall.
He was old for the god's sake.
Though, from a certain clock which hanged on a nearby wall, it told him that he still had all the time left to do it all.
The decision was inescapable.
Cato sighed again, and as he was about to head towards his room again in order to get his staff and hat, he suddenly heard knocks on the door.
The old man widened his eyes." Lelei?" He wondered to himself, having faith that the blue-haired teen had finally arrived back home.
He wasted no time heading towards the living room and into the entrance door where the source of the knocking originated from.
"I'm coming." He uttered as he reached and grabbed the knob.
When he finally opened the door, his widened as the old man was overwhelmed with surprise.
"Rory?" He mentioned that certain name, as he found himself staring at an old friend of his from the past.
It was her smile that caught his eyes, the same smile when he first saw her from 40 years ago.
A beautiful adolescent girl in her mid-to-late teens stood in front of the sage. She had long flowing black hair with bangs on her forehead tied into a ponytail, hypnotic ruby-colored eyes, and reddish lips. She wore a simple dress and carried a small basket of goods, just like any other commoner, and despite the young appearance, she exuded a certainly matured facade of a lady.
She raised an eyebrow at the sight of the semi-weary and desperate old mage.
"You seem terrible Cato.''
For the first time, she spoke, her young, confident, and mature voice coming out from her lips.
For a brief moment, the old man stared at the girl, his memory began to juggle up as an image of a nightly cloaked specter under the moonlight flashed before his eyes.
My apologies Rory, I've not in the right condition this morning." He explained." I ran out of Tea, and-"
"Planning to go buy tea some more after you ran out of that addictive beans isn't it?" The girl said with an amused expression, completing the sentence just for him.
Cato simply nodded." Took the words out of my mouth, I'm impressed." He commented.
Rory giggled in response.''Oh, Cato, you're still the same old handsome young man that I've met back at Rondel." She said as she scratched her chin." I wonder what you were doing at that small spot near the bathhouse?" She gave a playful smile.
There was hardly any reaction from the old sage, rather than giving a sigh and semi-serious expression.
"I know, but tell me something."He said, looking straight at her eyes."
"What happened last night and What brings you here?" He finally asked the question that had been also bothering him. In the back of his mind, he had hoped the latter hadn't do something that would change the fate of this reality.
There was quietness for a few moments before the girl burst into small laughter.
"Don't be such a gauche, Cato." She replied brushing the small worries off, showing her small basket, revealing a supply of tea and sweets.
With that, the demi-goddess smiled.
"Let's have a morning tea party."
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Having a small tea party in the morning wasn't the groove that the old sage was expecting, in fact, he rarely does the occasional nowadays.
It was his old friend, who had a fondness for that kind of occasion. Amongst all the Apostles he had met in his lifetime, This simple and humble, hundreds of years old girl had that lady-like style of living.
"You should really tidy up your living room for a bit."
Those were her comments once she had fully entered the cabin. The small bits of dust coincidentally flew through air passing by the young lady." And what's with the stacks of books? "
"I did clean up the place." Cato explained, taking a seat at one of the living room chairs." And Lelei just happened to be studying here lately."
"I see," Rory said, placing the basket on a vacant spot on the wooden living room table and then took the jar containing the tea itself.
"If you don't mind, I'll prepare the tea." She simply smiled heading towards the kitchen.
For the remainder of the time, the old sage was able to look back through this life once again.
Every time, he would see the apostle herself, He would always be reminded of his hometown.
Rondel was a place where he spent the rest of his childhood and eventually the place where he met his childhood friend and sweetheart, Mimosa, who is also a fellow archmage herself.
Their relationship from the start until now was at best, a bit complex.
It was often tough love for most of the part.
He was a different man back then, a bit brash, confident, and an occasional prankster, and a slight accidental pervert.
Up until he got to the age of 50, that he finally understood why his colleagues and former students were addressing him as "Pervy Sage Cato" for most of the time.
The past event that his demi-goddess friend had referred to earlier was just a mere coincidence and accident, at least that's what he claimed prior.
And no wonder why he left Rondel, because of a similar event where he unintentionally cast a spell and it accidentally hit Mimoza, stripping her of her most important undergarment, when he was practicing his casting skills.
And it was during his younger days.
Luckily, He had escaped with his life still in one piece as his furious childhood friend had chased him all throughout the city with the intention of ripping him apart.
Cato blushed in embarrassment, remembering that final day.
It was just unfortunate that he didn't get the chance to say a proper farewell to his family and other friends, who only had been receiving letters from him until now.
Mimosa, on the other hand...guess he'll just call it a complicated long-distance relationship for the time being.
"Here's the tea!"
The old man snapped from his thoughts as he found himself looking at the young lady, who was carrying the wooden tray containing two cups of hot tea.
The sweet aroma of the drink spreading out all over the living room, making the ambiance of the place a bit more relaxing.
It was not long that the small tea party had started, and progressed in the form of simple conversations between the two friends.
A big ceramic bowl containing biscuits was placed on the table and acted as their appetizers.
Rory was enjoying the time indeed as she always liked the vibe she was getting whenever she was having tea and snacks. She didn't belong to any royal family or nobles, it was just a part of her hobbies nowadays.
A part of her goal to live a normal as much as possible, even though sometimes her "job" would just keep calling whenever it needed her.
As for the old mage himself, Cato had been wanting to ask the question, and mystery bothered him, though before he could open his mouth, the girl spoke first.
"So, have you finally read Mimosa's letter?" Rory casually asked, sipping her own tea.
Cato sighed." No, I haven't." He replied." My time has been limited if you know what I mean." He shrugged, instead of pointing at his workstation where various maps and scrolls were placed.
"Oh." Rory widened her eyes, before smiling." Well, I guess I should let her know that you're quite the busy man nowadays."
"And at least, she would think that you're a changed man now." She added.
There was a brief moment of silence that followed.
"No, I haven't read the letter yet." Cato slightly nodded." I'm still the same old man you knew, though you could say that I'm a much better person than before." He explained.
"Fine by me." Rory giggled taking a sip from her tea, she had a lot of questions in mind. Topics wanted to discuss, be it new theories, current events happening around the land, and as well as family.
"So how are things so far with Lelei?"
Cato gave a small smile.
"Well, she's been waking up much earlier than me lately, I have to guess, it's her eagerness to learn more." He explained, showing a slightly guilty expression." I haven't had the time to teach her recently, and I think that's why she's so estranged about it."
"Pity." The demi-goddess muttered, showing her own version of sympathy.
The old man's situation had recently become more complicated. His main job right now is cartographing maps of various areas of the continent, which he is updating and detailing based on his recent travels and research. Of course, there were travelers or merchants who would pass through the village and head straight for him to see if they could buy any maps that would be useful to them as they traveled across the lands.
In truth, there was hardly any time for magic, it was more of needing to do something to put food on the table. Another fact was the youth of Coda village hardly have the interest to learn the basic ways of how to use magic or theories that would have to help them gain more knowledge in return.
He did felt a little disappointed, sighting the fact that most of the villages in the continent, had no access to proper education, and Coda village was no exception.
He then turned his eyes towards the beautiful black-haired girl." So how are things so far with you?" He asked.
"Oh, just the usual, errands here and there, seeing the wonders of the Gods' creation." Rory smiled as she reflected on her recent travels. "And just to remind you again that I've been doing Mimosa's favor by babysitting...Oops, keeping an eye on your current condition." She giggled and blushed slightly.
"Please accept my apologies for using the incorrect word."
Cato sighed in response but continued to listen.
"And I also came across a group of bandits not too long ago." Hearing her statement, woken up the old man from his relaxed state." It was during nighttime inside some small field in the forest, and they were happily and desperately trying to violate a mother and her two daughters." She explained.
"And they were also planning to raid the village within a week."
Cato widened his eyes surprised but didn't ask any more questions since he knew where this was going.
"I did what I had to do." Rory simply said a hint of seriousness coming out from her voice, before drinking her tea once more.
Quietness befell the room for a few moments.
The old man slowly nodded." How many of those bandits who you killed that night?" He asked.
The black-haired girl wondered." Hmmm, there were a dozen of them, half of them tried to strike me down, and then half of them tried to run away." She explained as she recalled every detail of the event.
"Oh, and I spared one of them because he betrayed his own comrades in exchange for saving the mother and daughters." Rory's face was filled with amusement and a little delight.
She had rarely seen an irredeemable person have a sudden change of heart, or perhaps the young soldier had a good heart in the beginning after all.
"Do what makes things right."
A common principle of herself and the home where she came from. Sure, many people looked to her as someone who is to be feared, due to her ruthlessness, cruelty, and bloodlust. But in truth, she was just any person trying to balance her situation between what's left of her humanity and being an Apostle for her God. Being an apostle for 960 years wasn't that easy, to begin with. She almost lost everything because of that.
Having the image as an "Angel of Death" or "Dark Apostle" didn't stick to her liking, in fact, she hated those monikers, which were just made up in the form of urban legends across the land.
All those years, she finally had found what she wanted to be when she ascends into Godhood.
Although for now, she was technically still a walking urban legend to the eyes of many soldiers and warriors.
Cato nodded in understanding." I see, what of the young soldier, and the three villagers?"
Quietness befell area, Rory simply gave a smile." Well, you're gonna have to ask Eldar about that."
The old sage stared at her in disbelief, finally, he knew what kind of situation he has gotten into.
As he was about to say something, the door burst open, revealing the one and only Lelei, almost all of her clothes wet except for her hair, which was now dried up and messy.
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The Blue-haired teen's mood had slightly recovered after her time at the waterfalls.
Despite this, she was still irritated by what had just happened to her. All of her concentration and mental preparation prior to practicing just went down the drain.
Cato and Rory found themselves being startled by the sudden appearance of the teenage girl.
The obvious annoyed deadpanned expression of the old man's student was all over, though in that very moment as well, she took a deep breath and sighed.
Finding herself being greeted by her teacher and of course her unofficial surrogate auntie, who seemed to be enjoying their little tea party.
In the midst of that silence, that the Demi-Goddess, finally spoke.
"Good morning dear! Care to join for Breakfast?" Rory smiled, raising her cup of tea as a sign of gesture.
Cato, on the other hand, was more concerned about what has happened to his own student.
"Are you alright, Lelei?" He asked, standing up for the first time.
The blue-haired teen had gone back to her usual neutral expression. She forced a slight smile and said.
"I'm fine Uncle Cato." She simply replied, before deciding to head back towards her room." Just fell down on the water again, but you don't need to worry." She added, placing the basket of bread, then the book back on a vacant table.
Right after that, the visibly tired blue-haired teen sat on a nearby empty chair and finally had relaxed after a long journey from the waterfall area.
At the same time, something came up to the old sage as he immediately spoke.
"By the way, Lelei, your sister just sent you a letter." He explained as he took a small light brown envelope with a red circular engraved in the center, from one of the tables, and gave it to his student. "Here you go."
Lelei accepted it and gave a small smile. She was always ecstatic when she found out something new about her older sister. One of the persons she would look up to.
At the same time, her master gave a slightly nervous grin as he headed towards the next subject he was gonna say.
"Uhmm, Lelei, just to let you know we just ran out of vegetables, is it okay if you could go to market today? I've been quite busy with the maps and all." He finally made it through and asked.
Silence befell the living room again.
On the other hand, Rory was more confused between the two. She was beginning to wonder if there was also an issue regarding this small thing.
She could sense that there was something going on with it.
Meanwhile, Cato could feel his nervousness rising within him. The last time he had asked, his student just walked out without any response, but eventually did what he had politely asked for.
"I promise, I'll be doing the cooking this time." The old man nodded, a single sweat dropped from his forehead.
And in a surprising way, Lelei simply nodded and smiled. Instead of heading back towards her room, the young blue-haired teen went towards the exit door and left the cabin.
Quietness soon took over with the mood changing once again.
"Now that was very awkward." an amused Rory commented, before going back to drinking her tea.
Cato sighed in return as he headed back to his seat." I know, that will have to be my fault again." He added, bringing his head down." I promise to myself, I would spend more time teaching her, but then again..." He trailed off.
"I think you should go back to teaching, at least just for your student." Rory suggested bringing out a smile, which also caught the old sage's attention." Plus, your office at Rondel if filled with dust and dirt since your last visit. " She added.
"You're right, I'm too occupied on other things," Cato said, finally grabbing his tea and making his first drink out of it.
"By the Gods, this tea is already cold!" He complained for the first time as he stood up to get a hot refill at the kitchen.
Rory gave a little laugh regarding that. The old man was too occupied with his thoughts and feelings that he had forgotten to drink his tea.
Oh the power of conversations is just a magnificent thing.
As he was about to head to the kitchen, the door suddenly burst open yet again, and this time it was one of the village's officials.
Master Cato! Urgent news, We have something going on at the Gates!" The village official said, the man was tired from all that running, nervousness, and anxiety had taken him that he failed to notice what had transpired.
"Master Cato?"
Apparently, The old sage was startled by his appearance that he found himself slipping on a wet portion of the floor, courtesy of Lelei, who had her clothes dripping in wetness prior.
"Oh, my back!"
Was the only thing that the old man had said, even though he landed safely.
The village official was more confused than ever, and as he tried to comprehend what was going on, his attention was brought forward towards the black-haired girl, who gave him a smile.
"Honey, you do know how to knock on the door right? "
Rory couldn't believe what had just happened. In just a matter of all these hocus pocus, her tea time had now come to an abrupt end much to her disappointment.
The demi-goddess could only wonder what kind of emergency or commotion which had just arrived this time.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
All throughout her life, she had never seen a certain farm that would grasp her attention. Sure she had seen farms containing pigs, sheep, chickens and all but this was the first time she had witnessed a farm filled with cute giant yellow birds.
From what the elf girl has learned, these were bred of flightless birds, characterized by their yellow feathers, distinct odor, and the unforgettable chirp, "Kweh!"
She wasn't sure if these types of birds were domesticated, though she would assume it since she could sense their gentle nature and quick feet, she was already given the idea that they were often used as a mode of ground transportation upon seeing one pulling a small cart of vegetables, though rarely.
Tuka couldn't help herself but enjoy the view of the vast fields in front of her.
She sat down under a nearby tree, sinking deep into the peace she had craved since arriving in the village. The blonde girl is now dressed in common folk clothes, as her old green outfit (from the dragon fight) was in the process of being restitched and wash.
Her bow was repaired and her arrows were replenished by the village's local blacksmith, who was even kind enough to help her replace what she had lost. She had to admit that this was the first time she had ever interacted with people outside of the Koan forest. Due to her father's strictness, she rarely went on adventures; in fact, it was one of the things she understood but could not understand, since her own father was quite the adventurer himself.
It had been a day since she and her injured father had arrived in the village after what seemed like a long walk. There were hardly any travelers or merchants plying through with their wagons along the major highway, which she considered a lost opportunity if she were to flag down and hitch a ride. The only consolation prize she received was that her father was still able to walk and cooperate, and by the time they arrived at one of the village farms, he had lost consciousness.
And in a surprising outcome, a certain blue-haired village girl happened to pass by the area and thus the rest was history for her.
She could still feel the trauma and stress that she had endured yesterday, something that became a setback when she was brought in to testify at the village meeting. Tuka couldn't bring herself to speak as her memories would continue to interfere and distract her. Death was still a fresh memory in her eyes.
Not long after that, she received news of her father finally waking up, but disappointment soon would come as the first thing he asked for was a bottle of ale. Something that made the elf girl even more frustrated, hence why she had gone to this place to sort her mind out.
Tuka let out a sigh for the first time.
Her gaze was fixed on the slightly cloudy sky, and nothing entered her mind after that. She sat there like a stone, not moving any muscle or joint as she preferred to be in this state until it was finally broken when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.
XXXXXXXXXXX
"Hey, are you alright?"
It was the only thing that came out from the blue-haired girl as she happened to pass by the area when heading towards the small marketplace.
Lelei couldn't give in to her temptations, mentally she was tired and wanted at least to get a brief rest before heading out to complete her goal. Though in a surprising coincidence, she happened to stumbled upon a certain blond-haired elf girl resting on a tree near the fields.
She did manage to get the latter's attention, who only gave her a somewhat surprised look.
"I'm sorry for asking but, what is your name again?''' The young mage said, a bit embarrassed that she has forgotten the person's name, whom she had saved prior.
"Oh, It's Tuka." The Elf girl simply replied, before focusing back on the view.
As for the Lelei, she could sense that there was something bothering the elf girl, and much like hers. she eventually took a seat on one of the vacant spots under the tree.
She did have to admit that from where she was now, the view of flightless bird farm and fields were breathtaking to an extent. It was a perfect spot for anyone who wanted peace at the moment.
It was also not too long that a conversation would begin to form between the two girls.
"So, How's your stay in the village so far?" The blue-haired mage asked, having the idea of getting to know her new friend more.
Tuka flashed a small smile." It's fine, I'm very thankful for what you and your people did." She explained.
If not for them, her father would have died from the injuries he had sustained.
"They're not my people." Lelei slowly shook her head." I just moved to this place with my teacher, and I hardly even know the villagers here until..." She trailed off as soon as she was about to finish her sentence.
"Nevermind."
Tuka nodded in understanding, she immediately understood what the girl had meant." I know, it must've been hard adjusting to a new place?" She gave a little chuckle.
From what she had experienced, seeing your village get destroyed, barely saving your loved one, and surviving an unexpected dragon attack only to find your way in a different place was the kind of adjustment she was going through right now and it all happened in just one day. Was there really a need to adjust? She might as well accept what has happened to her.
A small smile crept upon the young mage's lips." I can relate to that." She said as she brought her eyes towards the small sealed envelope containing her sister's letter.
Rondel was the only place that she considered as a second home.
Perhaps the main reason for this is that her only remaining family is currently residing there. Despite the sibling rivalry, Arpeggio was the sister she looked up to as a role model, and she aspired to be successful as a mage like her. Her sister will graduate in a month and begin her real training, according to the last letter she had read. Hopefully, the letter she was holding right now was the most recent good news.
"So is that man with the long beard, your grandfather or something?"
Tuka had finally come up with her own question. She wanted to clarify if the man that she had seen at the meeting was in any kind of relation to the blue-haired teen. Since the two were wearing clothing in similar designs.
For the first time, Lelei smiled." No, Master Cato is my teacher, and I'm currently studying to be a mage under him." She explained, bringing up her gaze towards the blue sky.
"Well, I could say he is somewhat of a father figure to me, but as of recently, he's been doing other things than becoming the teacher he is supposed to be," Lelei added, bringing forth a slight disappointment in her voice.
She actually loved the old man as family and that will remain as it is, when she was struggling to find a teacher or an arch-mage to study under, the old man himself came forward and thus took her under his wing. She couldn't believe how happy she was that day, and as time passed, she didn't expect this would turn out differently.
"What about yours?" She then asked.
Quietness took over for a few moments before the elf girl was able to gather enough air to speak.
Tuka sighed."Well, my father is drunkard, a womanizer, and sometimes can't even fulfill his own duties, to begin with." She said, without any hesitation or embarrassment whatsoever.
"But still...He is able to pull himself together and be the better person he could be." She explained, still wondering to this day how her father managed to keep himself away from any possible trouble.
There was still some proudness left intact in her, and damn sure because that, she wouldn't be the person she is now today. The responsibility had shifted to her.
"Lelei?" She called, grabbing the teen's attention.
"Do you think the village will throw us out?" Tuka asked, a degree of uncertainty rising from within.
Lelei raised an eyebrow." No, why would you say that?" She said, wondering why a welcoming village, much like Coda would throw them out.
Tuka shook her head and took a deep breath after that. "Uhmm, it's nothing, I guess I'm just too overthinking right now." After that, she apologized. "But, on the other hand, thank you for helping me and father." She went on to say
The young mage just smiled as she showed assurance to the elf girl.
"Don't worry, you'll be safe here."
The two girls continued their conversation, forming a new friendship. Unbeknownst to them, an unexpected event was taking place in the village's main square at the same time.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
The unfamiliar roaring sounds produced by the massive metal boxes had caused confusion and panic, which had taken over the village's usual lively scene.
Fear
It was the one thing described by that of the members of the Third Recon and the American crew when they finally stepped foot on the village gates.
The fear they saw in every villager's eyes as the majority of their daily lives were put to an abrupt halt.
Lively voices of market vendors and their customers, the children going about their time playing tag on the small village streets, Porters transporting goods, and many more had stopped whatever they were doing at the sight of the newcomers.
According to one villager, it was the strangest of the strange, these men and women in mysterious green outfits, arrived at the scene with moving metal boxes, which had wheels made of black thick rubber, moreover, they were wielding these long black artifacts each on their hands and the one thing that stood out was they all had that fierce presence that only the elite soldiers would possess.
The question that mainly struck them was whether if these people had bad intentions or not. Most of them prayed that they were not like the Imperial Soldiers, who had the worst reputation.
Surely, they don't look like they came from the empire but they had to be sure they were not a threat.
Meanwhile, on the recon team's side, the majority of them were overwhelmed with this unexpected feeling of nervousness. Sure, all of them were informed and had prepared for the possible scenarios that would occur, but being in the moment was an overall different game. They also noticed some of the villagers even getting their own small swords and axes just for the means of self-defense.
Just like in any movie, where a modern force meets a community from a different world.
"They are just villagers sir." Kuwahara had secretly whispered to Itami, and the man just simply nodded in response.
"Stick to the plan."
Yuji could sense the tension arising, he brought his eyes towards the rest of the members who had their own various reactions. Firstly, noticing Itami making a small gesture towards Daisuke, their official translator of the group to prepare for the moment, secondly seeing a semi-nervous Kurata comically holding on to a very annoyed Shino's arm, and the rest of them including the American crew a bit stunned at the moment.
And in the midst of the awkward silence, a certain villager in form of a little girl had stepped forward.
Apparently, during that time the girl was playing around with a makeshift leather ball with her friends when it accidentally rolled over to the spot where the recon team stood.
The little village girl stood there, unsure of what to do. She was a bit afraid to approach the new visitors, and moreover, her mother was behind her and tried to prevent her from retrieving the ball out of fear of what these men are going to do.
At that very moment, an unexpected move occurred as Yuji stepped forward, his instincts kicking in as he went to retrieve the ball for the little girl. All the attention had now shifted to the Japanese-American man.
"What the heck is he doing!?" Shino could be heard uttering the obvious question.
Some of them wanted to stop the man from what he was doing but they were too late to do so when he finally spoke for the first time.
"Hey, I think you drop your ball little girl."
In the most normal and casual way, Yuji said as a gentle smile appeared on his lips. His eyes focusing on the girl as he tried his best to show how he was genuine about helping her.
In those moments, he noticed the little girl's reaction changing, her eyes widening in surprise as if she understood what the man with the glasses was saying. Not long after, she returned with a smile to her mother, seeking approval before proceeding to the man as she accepted her toy back.
Seeing this unfold had the tension fading away, causing stunning looks from both of the villagers and the recon team alike.
"Thank you, mister!" The village girl said as she left with her smile still on her face.
Yuji returned it by slightly nodding." You're welcome."
After that little scene had unfolded, one of the villagers gathered up the courage to speak, thus breaking the silence.
"They speak the same language as us!" The villager muttered, then sparking up murmurs and conversations amongst the crowd that gathered.
"These people must be merchants!"
"It's quite possible since they have those metallic horseless carriages! Are they from the Great Nothern Civilizations?"
The conversations were mostly that of curiosity and excitement. Even so, some of the villagers started to approach the new visitors, in an attempt to convince them to buy their goods and products since they assumed they all came from nobility or were just plainly rich.
Some of their suspicions were clarified when one of the soldiers spoke perfectly in their own mother tongue.
Meanwhile, from the Recon Team's perspective, a lot of them were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of hospitality brought in by the villagers. In a surprising twist, they could understand what they were saying.
Or they forgot important information about which they had been previously informed.
"I thought there was a language barrier?" Lieutenant Brian looked over to the Japanese recon captain, who also had the same surprise expression.
"There was no language barrier, to begin with at least in these places"
The two men brought to their attention Yuji.
"What do you mean?" Itami asked.
Before Yuji could answer back, a voice had interrupted him.
"Please calm yourselves!"
By that point in time, the commotion had dwindled down as an elderly man stepped out from the crowd, He was short, and had grey hair under a brown brimmed hat, matched by an equally grey mustache that stretched across his upper lips.
He slightly bowed before the two leaders of the Recon team and spoke, "My name is Eldar El Terna. I am the chief of this Village." It was the same voice who had called them from behind the crowd.
At the same time, Rory and Cato arrived on the scene, and they were greeted with a sense of anticipation.
"To what may I addressed you, humble travelers, " He asked politely.
There was a silence that befell for a few moments amongst the recon team members. Still recovering from the surrealness that they were receiving.
Both sides were unaware that in a normal morning much like this, an important part of history had finally taken place.
That's when Yuji stepped in again, recalling what the merchant Duke had said to them not long ago. He took a deep breath and said the words that would live on in the minds of the villagers for the rest of their lives.
"We're the Men in Green sir."
CHAPTER END
AN: That's a wrap for this chapter, I have to admit it was pretty tiring to come up with words and detailing the scenes and conversations. I wanted to make the scenes as if we were watching an actual movie or show. I'm not sure if I ever did achieve it.
As for the story, fleshing out the characters' background was also challenging, I had to look up references in order to get the exact idea I want for them.
For Rory in this story, I planned on giving her more personality, in terms of her character, From the fics that I've read so far and most of them had portrayed her similar to the original one in the main series with similar introductions, except for several fics which were able to tweak her personality and character.
My vision for Rory so far is to make her more in terms of not being that gothic little girl that would creep everyone out. Hence, why her appearance here is a little bit more older and mature.
I'm also curious to see how her new personality unfolds in future chapters.
Regarding, Lelei and Tuka, the idea for them was to basically explore more of their friendly relationship, the problems that they are currently facing, and the unexpected roles they'll be placed in the future.
For Old man Sage Cato, reading up his actual background, was kind of funny and interesting at the same. He kind of reminds me of Jiraiya to be honest.
Just like in the other chapters, the scenes here are small and personal. Also, I apologized for any grammar and spelling mistakes since English Is not my main mother tongue. With that said, Thank you very much for reading the chapter and your support! I really appreciate it!