Unwoven Destinies
Yuujiki
Chapter 11: Chapter # 10 - The first day
Notes:
For a full experience you might want to read "Horrors of Twinhood" which is a 2k appendix posted separately in the series. To access it you need to click "next work" button. It's not particularly important for the plot of this work, so feel free to skip it as well. It was originally posted in the chapter, but I was convinced to remove it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
I float in the depths of a dark, cold abyss. There is no sound to breach the silence or light to make it into my sight. It's almost serene in here. My memories are fuzzy, and I can't seem to recall how did I get there. I remember something about having a twin and encountering the corpse of some unholy being, but they are both long since lost in the abyss.
I'm just in here, haunted by an ever-present cacophony of distant echoes that sound distinctly similar to my worst memories. My hands are at my ears, trying to make it stop, but it's futile.
I've no idea how long I've been drifting in here by now.
Suddenly, I felt a warm touch on my cheek. In the midst of the freezing cold, it was burning to the touch, yet I leaned into it. The silence of this abyss was suddenly broken by a soft, gentle voice.
"Rudy, it's time…" This voice… It had driven away all the echoes. I know this voice. I love this voice a lot, although I don't quite remember the name after so long. I just want more…
"Rudy, wake up…" I try to answer something but never manage, as the touch suddenly stops for a moment. And then it comes back, stronger than before, on my hair and my forehead, and I lean into it even more. I bask in the rare warmth, and then the hand withdraws, going higher, out of my reach. No. Don't leave. I finally lunge forward, trying to catch it with my hands, and I find myself sitting up on the bed. But I caught it, with the dainty hand of a white-haired half-elf girl securely in my hands. Sylphiette. Sylphie. Yes, that's the name of that beloved thing.
It's freezing cold in my room. The blanket is tangled and rolled somewhere on the floor, and I feel streams of cold sweat rolling down my back.
"Rudy?" Sylphie asks hesitatingly.
"Got you." I find myself finally waking up. Gosh, what a horrible dream. I don't want a brother. Not again. Ever. Especially an isekaed one. Also, what in the name of all good did my subconscious just conjure? Yes, I probably killed that guy, but… Did I ever feel that bad about him? I've never really processed the whole thing that happened back in the winter. There were always more important things, like Sylphie, and then my own issues, and then guarding the princess, and then a whole bunch of other things. Whatever, I'll think about it later. And anyway, that guy has gotten what's coming to him. No one attacks my Sylphie! Oh, and also, no one attacks the princess I'm now supposed to guard, I guess.
"Got you too." Sylphie takes one of my hands, still clutching her right, and squeezes it reassuringly. "Aren't you cold?" She asks, a little alarmed, after a few moments. I nod, still a little dazed.
"I am. And you are warm. Can I get a good-morning hug, please?" The girl is a little embarrassed for a moment, but happily indulges me with a shy smile. Sylphie is not averse to physical affection, as I've learned and then grown to appreciate over the last few weeks.
"Sure." She sits closer on my bed and wraps her hands around me. Is there a better way to repel bad thoughts? I hug her back, as tightly as I could get away with, and the thoughts of that horrible dream that still swarmed in my head finally leave. Only after a few seconds do I get a little self-conscious.
"Sorry, I'm all sticky." Looks like I've sweated a lot over the nightmare. That's where the cold abyss must have come from. And I probably stink, too. And there is no hope she wouldn't notice.
Sylphie shakes her head, which is buried into my shoulder and neck. A muffled "I don't mind" comes into my ear, and it calms me down. I don't want this moment to ever end…
And yet, every sweet moment must end at some point. In our case, it was a loud sound of some door slamming that took us out of our little warm cocoon of love and comfort. Right.
Today is the start of the new academic year at the University of Magic. Am I that subconsciously anxious about going back to school that my mind graciously conjured a past-life-related nightmare for me? Now that I think about it, I probably am. At least I can defend myself now. I guess.
Putting on some decent clothes and a new cloak — well, a second-hand cloak I borrowed from Luke — I head out of the dorms, catching a few dirty looks on my way.
After arriving in the Magical City of Sharia and securing our enrollment, most of our party settled in the dorms of Magical University. Being a worldwide attraction for scholars and aspiring magicians, there were quite a few foreign students. For a reasonable price, it also provided enrolled students with lodging inside the campus area.
The princess chose to reside in dorms for the foreseeable future. And where the monarch goes, his retinue follows. Apparently, the University of Magic took security quite seriously, due to both important private research that was conducted within its walls and, perhaps even more importantly, due to quite a few vaguely influential, talented, and noble students enrolled. After all, the University of Magic, as I've heard at least twenty times in the last few days, was the most prestigious institution north of Ars, kingdom of Asura capital city, where the Asura Royal Academy was located.
There were also some Very Important People enrolled, and their number has recently risen with Princess Ariel's arrival. Normally, they were known as special students, as their status allowed them great privileges, both academically speaking and in social matters. They didn't have to pass exams and had free attendance; they were granted more space within the dorms and. Basically, their enrollment in itself was enough of a boon for the University that they were welcomed to stay for as long as they wanted.
Naturally, Ariel was one of the special students. I and Sylphiette, who was still publicly known under the guise of Fitts, were enrolled as special students as well. As vice principal Jinas explained, we would have been granted special student status even without the princess' patronage, thanks to our own magical prowess. As for the rest of the party, it was complicated.
Due to consideration given to Princess Ariel's status and circumstances, most of her remaining entourage were granted space in the dorms nearby. Apparently, allowing some servants to live by the side of their employers, especially royal ones, was an established policy here. But in our case, the administration of the University went further, granting Ariel and her entourage a whole sector — an isolated part of a single floor, that is — in the dorms, which thankfully made security a lot easier and less awkward to handle. From what I understand, Jinas was able to pull it off thanks to our party having three special students among our ranks. There was just one… not a problem per se, but a certain delicate matter in the whole arrangement. All this was a part of girls' dorms, which made it a little… well, awkward for the males in general and me in particular. The old me would have readily sold a kidney for all those opportunities for all kinds of mischief. However, that's not the case for me now. I can appreciate female beauty, of course. But this whole situation was straight from some ecchi VN, and, as it turns out, it is only entertaining as a fantasy. For me today, hanging all around girls' dorms is just a little inconvenient and sometimes maybe embarrassing, not to mention all the displeased looks sent my way.
The rest of the party, of course, resided by the princess' side. It consisted of Luke, who didn't mind the arrangements at all; Ellemoi and Cleane, Ariel's two ladies-in-waiting — that was their official title, I now knew; a middle-aged knight, Alistar Whitefox who didn't have any real intentions of studying magic or talent for it; and an elderly manservant, Victor, who handled logistical matters and, with the limited staff we had now, took on the occupation of a butler. Both of the older males didn't bat an eye at our arrangement, being ready for everything after living in the Silver Palace.
There was also Sara, the archer adventurer whose unusual talent and choice of weaponry caught Ariel's eye, and so she was granted a place by her side and, probably more importantly in her case, a full payment of her tuition fee. Timothy and Suzanne, her pseudo parent figures, wouldn't let her miss this opportunity. She was a lucky find, undoubtedly, although she was also a piece of work; thankfully, Luke and the girls mostly handled her, and I didn't have to entertain a tsundere. It had its charm, of course, but I've had plenty of it, not to mention the unwelcome flashbacks it gave from time to time. At least there is no ill will toward me involved and very little violence.
Anyway, our living arrangements were satisfactory, if only a little inconvenient for me. And if, from now on, Sylphie was going to wake me up like she did earlier, I don't mind at all. The quality of the dorms — the layout, the furnishing, and all that — was quite good. I'm certainly not going to complain after sleeping on the ground for the better part of the last three and a half years. It didn't match the ludicrous splendor and lavishness of the chambers in the Silver Palace, where Ariel grew up — scratch that, it didn't match the luxury of her wheelhouse. And yet, Ariel took it in stride.
I've been around the princess for a while at this point. And I still don't feel like I know her well. At first, she was a riddle to be cracked, and to get to the riddle, I first had to see through the mask of politeness and charm. Which isn't easy, even when she doesn't make a conscious effort to uphold it. It's almost as if the mask has been there for so long that it has become a part of her.
But when I look deeper, there is very little certainty — just smoke and mirrors. Sure, she actually cares about her subordinates, and Sylphie in particular. And that counts for a lot in my book.
But what are her political ideals? What inner motives compel her to wake up every morning to continue her life as it is — a life of a royal, exiled in all but name, in a quest for power? Who is she, as a person? What does she enjoy? What would she do with her life if she wasn't a princess? I don't have answers to all those questions.
I've been able to discern only so many after witnessing slips and cracks in her mask or when her guard is more or less down. She isn't bloodthirsty — quite the opposite, in fact. And that's a good start. She has her own list of people for the bloody murder, as is customary in Asura politics, but she generally dislikes the idea of violence as a primary means to her ends. I can imagine it being a part of herself. She grew up all around cutthroat politics behind a veil of properness. She is a victim of it, always the weaker party. That kind of background could be fertile soil for compassion and benevolence. Or tyranny and an eventual bloodbath if things were to go horribly wrong, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Then, Ariel has a flair for surprising people. I think at least part of her mask is an extension of her personality, and that's what makes her seem so genuine and charming. In negotiations, the princess drives people by manipulating their comfort zone or directing the conversation in the necessary direction. With opponents, she prefers to be underestimated; most of her long-term plans, as vague as they are now, rely on that.
Speaking of surprising people, the part where Ariel was not a special student also helped. To be honest, I was skeptical about the princess mastering magic. But the princess once again exceeded my expectations. Along with information gathering and studying local political layout, she took time to get started at learning magic — apparently to make her image among the normal student population even better.
Ariel's antics were the talk of the town. Students kept gushing about the princess' beauty and grace, with some young boys loudly proclaiming that a goddess descended upon these lands with a blush and an awe-stricken, excited voice. That was, unsurprisingly, especially true for the male half of the student body, although some girls were undoubtedly into her charming goddess facade as well.
The more politically apt part of the student body was also interested. Apparently, since the twin nieces of the current duke of Basherant graduated two years ago, there was only one royal in attendance: seventh-year special student Theodore Neris, great-grandnephew of duke Conrad Neris. Ever since then, the political landscape at the university has been "terribly boring", according to the gossip gathered by Cleane Elrond.
This particular evaluation was resented by two beastgirls, Linia Dedoldia and Pursena Adoldia, who were related to the chieftains of the respective tribes. These two were also special students and local troublemakers. Apparently, they were getting more and more out of hand for a while, and for a few months now, they have been gathering delinquents to form some sort of gang.
How wonderful that getting to know all those 'terribly boring' people and handling them in general was going to be my responsibility! That was on top of also being in charge of our relations with 'the fabled Silent Sevenstar'. Well, I couldn't possibly deny I was in a uniquely good position to establish connections with special students, either. In fact, that was the point of me becoming a special student, although I wouldn't turn down all those juicy privileges either way.
Well, no running away from scary people now. I'm about to enter a lion's den. I take a deep breath as I push the door open to the special students' classroom for my first ever homeroom as a special student. Here goes nothing.
"Pardon the intrusion." I call out quietly and pry the door open. There is a pleasantly decorated space on the other side. A couple of dozen desks, a lectern, and several bookshelves. And there is no one here yet. I sigh at the anticlimactic scene, relieved and annoyed simultaneously.
Of course, there wouldn't be anyone here yet. Since the special students are excused from attending the opening speech from the headmaster. Which was utterly mind-numbing. I'm willing to bet that there were more eyes on Ariel throughout the opening event than on the speaker. Thankfully, security people don't get as much attention, although that was a lot more of "who is this kid?" than I bargained for.
Well, it looks like a bit of a high ground for greetings, I suppose, since I'm the first to arrive. I pick up some research journals from the bookshelf, choose a desk in the corner of the back row by the window, and wait. And wait, as the words from the journal barely register.
I perk up at the footsteps outside and lift my eyes to take a look at the person who entered. This is Nanahoshi. Upon inspecting the classroom and seeing that we are alone, she somewhat relaxes and, with a "Good morning" in Japanese, takes a place to my right.
"Good morning. I thought you said you weren't interested in all this tedious school life." I almost forgot that Nanahoshi was technically a special student as well. Besides, didn't she say that she was there only for her research?
"I'm not." Nanahoshi answers with a shrug. At my gesture of unimpressedly raised eyebrow, she elaborates. "Don't you go cheeky on me. You're looking too similar to my little brother now; it's giving me a spontaneous urge to flick you." She deadpanned. "I figured I'd start with checking out the summoning magic classes here. They could offer me an insight or two, for all I know. Might as well sign up for them the right way."
"I see. Didn't you already study summoning under Orsted or some acquaintance of his?"
"I did, a little. It's not a field you could just learn comprehensively in a few months, you know. Especially not for my purposes." We did have some basic discussion, and from what I understand, there are no records of inter-world summoning ever being attempted. For all intents and purposes, if not for our presence here, it would be considered impossible.
"Want me to help?"
"You might as well tag along if you want to. But don't you have some political duties on hand?" I do. In fact, I'm right on it.
"Oh, you're getting interested in politics? Not afraid of getting involved?"
"They should be afraid of me getting involved, not the other way around." It sounds like a joke. But it really is not. At this point, if Silent Sevenstar wanted to, they could ruin all but the mightiest of monarchs. Not to mention possible backup she could summon — I didn't ask outright, but she probably could get in touch with the Dragon God. High school girls sure are scary these days.
"Fair enough." I admitted with a chuckle. "Please be kind to our humble political enterprise, then, Nanahoshi-sempai." I bow in a Japanese manner.
"Right, right. Be a good kouhai and I might treat you to some sweet and juicy political benefits later." She dismisses it with a wave of her hand. She probably wasn't going to be too invested either way.
"An older woman giving a freshman some sweet treats for helping her out? I see, I see." I sagely remarked, nodding to myself.
"Oh, hush, you." I can't know that, but I'm sure she is flustered under the mask now. "Come to think of it, how did you even manage to get involved in something like this? You were literally on the other side of the world less than a year ago. And you do realize how horrible politics are in this place? An older woman giving out treats to the youngsters for their services would be positively innocent and admirable." I snicker at the image of Ariel sending young, impressionable boys out with a sweet smile and candy that my mind just conjured. She is a teenager herself, of course, but she is more of an early bloomer, so it's fine. And I'm sure those boys would be utterly delighted to have such an experience.
"Absolutely heinous, not to mention disgusting by any standards that could be considered moral. I know, okay? Don't worry, I didn't fall into a honey trap or some unresolvable debt. It's just a nice shortcut to reach my goals." Well, now that I think about it, I did technically fall into a honey trap. But not in the way she might think. Besides, I don't mind at all, and even with the delays, it's probably a more efficient way to find Zenith than looking for a single person in a cluster of kingdoms. Which is probably worse than looking for a needle in a hay bale since people tend to move around. Speaking about it, should I ask her about Zenith? Couldn't hurt.
"Speaking of goals, I know this is far-fetched, but while traveling with Orsted, did you perhaps happen to…" I start awkwardly. Man, asking literally everyone I'd encounter would be exhausting.
I drop the topic as the door slams open, revealing two students. They are both from the beast race — probably Doldia, considering their ears. The girl in the front has cat ears on top of her short, shaggy grey hair, and she stops mid-sentence once she glances at us. The other, a dog-eared girl with long grey hair, barely dodges bumping into the catgirl who abruptly stopped, all the while managing not to drop her paper bag and chewing a piece of meat.
"Linia, what the fuck?" The dog-eared girl growls at her partner with a piercing glare.
"Pursena, that's not my fault, nya! This is all those new kids' fault for surprising me, nya!" The cat-eared girl returns heatedly, turning to glare at me. I let out a quiet "huh", which was lost in the beastgirls' banter. Between the nyas and the sudden accusation, I'm not sure how to react. The two soon stop bantering as the dog-eared one turns away with "Hmph", sets the bag down, and follows the catgirl who marches ahead on us.
"You took our spots, nya. But since you two are new kids, nya, I'll let you off the hook this time. An apology would be enyath for now." And another surprise to get me off balance. I did catch a glimpse of them both before, but they have always been in the middle of a crowd. These two must be the special students, the fabled Doldia 'princesses', right? Sure, Doldia are straightforward folk, but I'm taken aback by the sheer audacity and aggressiveness of this one. Should I stand my ground? Or should I apologize?
While I'm contemplating my options, the dog-eared girl, Pursena, passes me by to get closer to Nanahoshi. The beastgirl is probably taller, and since she is standing, she looms over the petite black-haired girl, who lifts her masked face to meet the cold glare head-on.
"Are you deaf, nya?" The cat-eared girl, apparently Linia, doesn't let it go, getting into my personal space. So that's how it is, huh? They are said to be troublemakers.
"Who would you be, miss?" I ask calmly, despite my rapidly beating heart. All my instincts, empowered by a horrible past experience, scream for retreat and de-escalation, even at the cost of my pride. I'm almost about to give in, but a sudden realization stops me.
"I'm Linia Dedoldia, a third-year student, nya. I'm the daughter of Gyes, the warrior chief of the Great Forest's Doldia Village, so you'd better learn some respect. And who are you, nyabie?" I've faced death, and I've faced danger. I've seen a murderous glare that would make these girls cower in terror. I've faced a fearsome, cursed god and lived. Between the nyas and her demeanor being… well, not as murderous as I've encountered, she isn't too scary. That's what I tell myself, at least. I can do it.
"My name is Rudeus Greyrat. Did you just say you are the daughter of Gyes? You must also be Chief Gustav's granddaughter, right? Both of them took good care of me when I spent the rainy season in the village!" Trying the diversion tactic, and that's… a success! Linia suddenly looks a little flustered at my familiarity, and even Pursena takes her eyes off the staring contest with Nanahoshi. Was there a flash of recognition just now, or did I imagine it? Probably the latter; I'd have remembered her if I'd met her before.
"O-oh, you know of our great tribe then, nya. But still, you're an outsider here, nya. You'd better scurry off as a thanks to my people's hospitality, nya!" Despite her surprise, she rebuilt her composure and thus her resolve to reclaim the seat, sounding downright aggressive in the end.
"Linia, isn't it a custom of Doldia to make honored guests and newcomers feel welcome?"
"Don't you mess with me, newbie, nya!" She growls in frustration after failing to come up with an answer. As she is about to pounce forward, I pull mana into the Demon Eye, preparing to rise from my seat.
When the confrontation is just about to start, it abruptly stops as Linia backs off.
Before I could consider the unexpected change, the door opened once again, and a young man entered, distracting me from my suspicions. With a cool look at the scene unfolding before him, this person tsked in disapproval.
"Didn't you two promise to stop picking fights in the homeroom?" He finally asks, annoyed, sending a withering glare at the beastgirls. I took this opportunity to take a good look at him. He is tall and stocky, with dark-brown short-ish hair and a boxed beard of the same color. He is dressed in a heavy, dark slate-grey outfit with silver trimming. This person is also well groomed and looks confident when confronting them.
"We didn't promise you anything, nya!" Linia retorts, switching her attention to the newcomer.
"My, my. Does that mean, perhaps, that you two have warmed up to the idea of … pacification?" He asks with an edge in his voice.
"We didn't attack you, Theodore. You weren't even here." Pursena joins the conversation. Is it me, or did she just pale a little?
"Right, nya! 'sides, it was these two who stole our seats, nya!" Linia added heatedly.
"But the deal for you was to not disrupt my activities. Which includes not ruining this classroom with your petty squabbles." He smoothly counters, taking a seat on the opposite edge of the class.
"Fine…" Linia, followed by Pursena, steps away from Nanahoshi, admitting defeat.
"Good kitty." He comments disdainfully. Leaving his coat with a silver broach behind, the newcomer steps closer to us instead and acknowledges Nanahoshi with a small nod.
"Thank you for reigning them in." I bow a little, to which he only waves his hand dismissively.
"These two need me to remind them of our deal from time to time. Speaking of deals, are you a new student?" I know this guy, if only by hearsay and Pursena's slip of his name. Theodore Neris, seventh-year special student and twenty-third in the line of inheriting the Duchy of Neris, one of the magical nations that is famous for magical items and tools produced here.
"I am. My name is Rudeus Greyrat, your grace." I bow formally in an Asuran manner. Which is actually an overkill, as it's considered a little too formal outside of Asura. Well, I'd hate to insult a royalty — no, scratch that, I just did exactly that — so I'd hate to insult a relevant royalty on my first day.
"I've heard of you. Jinas sang praises about you. And drop the title. I'm too far removed from the royal line to be called that routinely." He curtly replies, seemingly a little irked. Well, at least he isn't as obnoxious as certain other younger princes I had the misfortune of meeting.
"Jinas is too kind." I replied politely.
"I certainly hope he isn't. Those two could use some unkindness." As the homeroom teacher finally arrives, he shakes his head. "Alas, we'll have to cut our introduction short. A pleasure to meet you." The young man takes his place. Well, I can see why so many girls tried to pursue him. He is smooth and has an edge to his personality, if only a little aloof. And quite handsome. And he has an especially beautiful, tempting, and truly alluring name and inheritance. Well, thank goodness I'm not a girl, then.
The homeroom goes as well as I could expect: an assigned teacher explains how special student status works, takes our applications to the courses we find interesting, explains ground rules, and all that. As soon as the homeroom ends, the beastgirls go to their classes. Nanahoshi leaves soon after; both of us will attend summoning magic courses twice a week, so I'll see her another time. I'm left with Theodore Neris, whom I'm tasked to test the waters and, if possible, build a working relationship.
"Theodore, if we could talk?" I call him tentatively. With a sigh, he shrugs.
"Go ahead."
"I beg your pardon if it's private, but you see, I've heard of your participation in some obscure fields of Healing Magic research along with the Magicians' Guild. I was wondering if you are at liberty to tell me a little more about it." That much has the added benefit of being true. Unlike most other nobles in attendance, Theodore Neris was known for being an actual scholar. Well, I guess junior royals have to find their path in life by themselves.
Instead of a straight answer, I find myself at the end of a long, piercing stare. I can't help but notice the color of his eyes. Bright turquoise. I feel a little uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, although I try not to let it show.
"This isn't just about your patron, Princess Ariel, I hope?" He finally asks. Cut to the chase, full stop.
"It isn't, although her highness has expressed her wish to get acquainted with you at a later date, if you'd find it agreeable." I answer diplomatically. I have to admit at least that much — there isn't any benefit in obviously lying since he is aware of my connection to the princess. And if I'm also interested in learning magic, that makes my task at least a little easier. I might not be interested in every piece of research that is being conducted within these walls, but I might as well get in touch with the latest magical advancements while I'm around.
"I'm not opposed to meeting with your princess in principle, although I doubt we have much to offer each other. I'm sure we can settle the matter at a later date." Is it me, or was there a hint of resignation in his voice?
Well, that's not much of a success, anyway. The campus is not that big, and it is expected that they will be formally introduced sooner rather than later. It would be awkward at best and rude at worst for both parties to not acknowledge the other.
"I understand." I sigh, feeling a little disgruntled.
"Don't feel too bad; if your princess is any good at politics, she probably knows that much." He offers sympathetically. And yes, she does. It doesn't make me feel much better.
"Thank you… But if I may, what about the research?" Maybe we could connect on the projects he mentioned or something. Establishing connections is still important, or so I've heard.
"You could drop by in my laboratory, I suppose. If you are actually interested, that is." He answers with the barest hint of approval. For all I know, I might have imagined it. With a nod, he leaves the classroom, leaving me to my devices. More research, huh? Connecting with special students is going to be a full-time job, isn't it?
Notes:
Thank you for reading. Any feedback, including but not limited to negative, is always appreciated.
EDIT 2: the opening sequence of this chapter was supposed to be longer, but for now is removed to avoid confusion. I might bring it back after a rewrite. You can find it as "next work" in series.
It's been a while, but I'm alive. And this story is alive, too. I'm sorry it took me this long to update, dear readers.
Speaking of story, today is the anniversary! I first posted it on 21 of December 2021, so it's been a whole year since. Congratulations to me, I guess. The solemnity of the occasion is kinda lost because of 4 months of not updating, I guess. But hey, it might as well count as a Christmas miracle!
The story has received a new name, a thought-out one this time around. Seriously, I came up with "A minor change, a different world" 10 minutes before posting and stopped liking it almost immediately. I like this one a lot more. What about you?
I've also done some grooming for the whole story, fixed a few mistakes and changed spelling for some characters to match the LN. So, it's Sylphie now.
Feel free to comment on the chapter, too. I've received mixed feedback from my beta-readers, so I'm really anxious to know what the rest of the readers think.
On an unrelated note, if you enjoyed this work you might want to check out "A cure for homesickness", a oneshot I posted here on AO3 recently.
Merry X-mas to you guys. Hope the 2023 will treat us all kinder.