Chapter 11: Hidden Shadows

After Ren left, Kurai carefully packed away his things. He wanted to head out as early as possible the next morning, and he was sure that there wouldn't be any time to pack after the party that had been planned.

His gaze hovered over the box in his inventory which still contained the scroll.

Given that he didn't know whether he'd done the right thing by bringing chi close to the first scroll, he hesitated to do the same with a second and decided that he would rather wait until he had more information about the scrolls.

He was done in no time, seeing as he had most of his things in his inventory anyway.

'I guess that is one thing I am going to miss when I leave this game. Well, two things. Having everything close to you at all times without having to actually carry them is handy, and being able to use chi is pretty cool.'

Both Ren and Rai tended to fight more with daggers and shortswords so Hozumi had mostly been the one to train him using the Seraphs' own sword techniques as well as their techniques for absorbing and storing chi.

Both branches of techniques weren't really taught to outsiders, as the amount of energy they required to use them bordered insane, but a few exceptions were usually made to those that found themselves connected to the Seraphs in some way.

According to Ren, it was one of the reasons that Rin allowed him to pass the training hall quest so quickly, as he would still have Hozumi with him to continue his training, and by their estimate, he would be at a level where the Mortvira would allow him to enter the Guilds Hall once he left the training grounds.

Lifting his hands, Kurai examined the tell-tale sign of healing blisters that had been acquired after the day's training. Sure he could hold the sword properly now, but it still didn't feel right to him and that made it harder to understand the sword style that Hozumi was trying to teach him.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see Hana standing in the door with a knowing look, "I came to tell you the party is starting, but you were so lost in thought that I had to knock three times. Is something wrong?"

Kurai started shaking his head, but then realized that, despite not being a fighter herself, Hana probably knew a lot from simply being around her brother and nephews, "It is difficult to explain, but is it normal to feel like the body you are in and the weapons you are holding is wrong?"

The question seemed to catch her off-guard for a moment, but then her expression softened and a sad smile curled at her lips.

He watched as she reached up to her neck and pulled out a silver necklace with a small shield decorated in white and blue, "You know, I was engaged before I came to live with my brother. We had known each other for years so it was only normal to find that our parents had arranged for us to be wed."

Kurai listened without interrupting, even though he didn't understand why she would choose to bring up memories that clearly saddened her.

"A few days before we were to be wed, war broke out at one of the borders and he was called in to assist them in infiltrating the enemy camp. His strength resided in frontal combat and not infiltration so I asked him to inform them of this, but he declined, stating that they had been training him for infiltration all along. I made this while I was waiting for him to return," She sighed sadly as she absentmindedly played with the chain and Kurai realized why she was telling him this.

Her gaze suddenly became determined as she slowly removed the chain from her neck, "I made it to protect him, but he never returned and I regret that I didn't try harder. I guess what I am trying to say is that, if you feel like the weapon you are holding is wrong for you, then work hard to find one that fits because it could mean the difference between surviving and dying."

Kurai started slightly as she suddenly grabbed his wrist, palm up, and he looked down as a weight dropped into it, but before he could protest, she was already at the door again, "Come on, the party can't start without the guest of honor!"

Loud voices sounded up from the ground floor as Hana slipped away and Kurai took a moment to look at the shield before placing it around his neck.

'It would be a good idea to follow her suggestion, but would it be possible for me to equip something else? I haven't really received any other weapons so I haven't tried it yet.'

He decided to think about it later as he finally made his way downstairs to where the others were.

He immediately spotted Ren and Rai with a crowd around them as they tried to outdrink each other, but by the color on the youngest brother's face, it was clear that it wouldn't be long before he passed out if it continued, though Hozumi seemed to have expected it because she was clearly cheating by weakening Rai's drinks with water behind Ren's back.

Though the crowd around them didn't seem like they were going to inform the brothers of that little fact any time soon.

Hana had busied herself with carrying in the food with the help of a few warriors and he even spotted Rin to the side with his own drink in hand as he spoke with someone familiar.

Kurai froze for a few seconds as he noticed that it was the Inn owner named Lee.

Both men raised their cups to him in greeting as they noticed his gaze, but before Kurai could greet them back, Rai noticed him through the crowds and immediately abandoned the contest, leaving a laughing Ren behind, though he soon followed.

"Kurai! What took you so long? I thought my brother was trying to get rid of me some other way now that you managed to heal me!"

A loud thud echoed through the room as Rai clutched his head, "Aiaa, it hurts!"

Ren stood behind him with his fist still raised, though the look in his eyes clearly revealed how much the thought of his brother almost dying still scared him, "I wouldn't make jokes about that if I were you."

A loud bang echoed through the room and everyone turned towards Hana, who smiled widely as she put down the pan before walking forward to grab hold of Kurai, and pulling him to the front of the room, "As you all know, this party is to see off one of your fellow trainees who will soon enter the Guilds Hall and make a name for himself."

A cheer went up and Hana waited for it to die down again with a smile before she continued, "Kurai, you did a lot for us and I doubt that we would ever be able to truly repay you, not just for saving Rai, but also for allowing Hozumi to be free once more. Though you only trained here for a bit more than seven days, you will always be welcomed back and we will always be here if you need anything."

Another cheer rang out as everyone raised their glasses after Kurai had also been given a drink.

After that, they ate and drank to their heart's content and soon only a few managed to stay awake enough to help the rest to their rooms before excusing themselves as well.

Kurai sat outside to grab some fresh air as he watched the leaves rustle in the wind.

For once, his mind wasn't stuck on the things he couldn't change, but rather on the beauty that surrounded him.

It was strange that the world was so different from his own and yet, as he looked up, he noticed that the stars had been done in an exact replica of the real thing.

A twig snapped to the left of him and he abruptly turned, only to see Rin and Lee standing behind him and both were carrying short swords.

For a moment, Kurai held his breath in worry, but then both men dropped down on one knee and presented their swords to him with the hilt pointed towards him and the tip pointed towards their hearts.

The unexpected situation had him frozen in place and he almost wanted to push the swords away from their bodies, but something told him that it was important to react in the correct way.

If he were to simply look at the symbolism of it all, it became clear that they were offering their lives to him, and the scrolls as well as Lee's conversation a while back revealed that it wasn't to him as a person, but as the future clan head of the clan they once served.

Although it unnerved him to have people treating him in such a way, he decided to bring up the aristocratic mask that he'd used with Lee at the Inn.

He could imagine how clan heads were supposed to act in such an instance as they would simply accept the oath and leave it at that, but Kurai wasn't one to hide in the rear while others risked their lives for him.

Even in a game.

Because of this Kurai gently reached out and took both swords before turning them and holding them out hilt-first to the two men before he also bowed on one knee, "If you are going to lay down your lives for me if needed, then the least I could do is the same right?"

The two older men looked at him in shock before sharing a nod of understanding and taking the hilt of the swords that he held out to them, though it was Lee that spoke, "We look forward to having you as our clan head once you've completed your trials."

Kurai nodded in agreement before excusing himself and heading to bed.

His current level did not allow him to notice the two large groups that had been hiding in the trees as Lee and Rin performed the pledge, and he also didn't sense the feeling of unity that spread through the groups as they viewed his response.

Though as thrilling as it was to have such a leader, there was still the unspoken rule that Kurai had not passed the trials yet, and as such they were unable to help him any more than they already had.

Barely three seconds later, the two groups vanished and Lee and Rin both parted ways to their respective homes.

Both men had seen Hana's treasured necklace around the young clan-heir's neck and both of them were hoping that it would keep him safe in the coming days.

Unaware of the number of people that were counting on him, Kurai meditated for a bit before he finally decided to head to bed. A glance at the book of races hadn't revealed any new information and the thought of all the new knowledge he would gain while exploring was making him excited.

'If I am going to be stuck here until I reach level 100, I might as well enjoy it, right?'

On the horizon, a dark cloud made its way ever closer to its destination, but it still had quite a way to go before it reached its destination.

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