Lucien sat in the seat where he began his journey in this mysterious world. In front of him was a table, and a mirror attached to the wall. Resting on the table was none other than Sage, the mysterious book, sent by someone to guide Lucien on his journey.
A day has passed since Lucien's training with Instructor Renwick. Today was the day Seraphina was supposedly coming back, and he used that as an excuse to take a day off from his lessons.
Lucien leaned back on his chair, releasing a deep sigh.
"Is this everything?"
Lucien said with a tired tone.
"Unfortunately, it is. It seems no one has done much research about Blackmere, probably because of how dangerous it is."
Sage answered truthfully.
Though the things he had learned weren't much, he did learn a few valuable things that could be of use to him. He learned a lot about the former captain of the Royal Guard Army, and turns out he was pretty well-known, just not in the current time.
He used to be known as the prodigy of swordsmanship, the epitome of techniques. It was said he was as fast as the sound, as swift as the wind, and as sneaky as a rat, though he may not be that physically strong, he managed to dominate everyone, including those bigger than him.
He was also a talented Arcanist, following the path of Weapon Discipline. He was of the Expert Rank, though he wasn't able to ascend to the Master Rank; he was close to it. However, despite not being of the Master Rank, his talent for swordsmanship made up for it; he was also tactical enough to cover up his weaknesses, creating spells that align with his flaws.
He also became the captain of the Royal Guard Army at the age of 21. Many were envious of his achievement; however, they had no right to complain. After all, his achievements were seen and observed by many.
When he turned 30, he retired as the captain of the Royal Guard Army. The reason was unclear, but many speculated it was because he wished to live a peaceful life with his wife, who was pregnant, and wanted to live with them in harmony.
Many years passed, and the incident happened. The Gravhorns started to terrorize their territory continuously. They lacked soldiers, were outnumbered by the Gravhorns, and had no choice but to go back onto the battlefield.
They fought to no end, until Blackmere lost more of their soldiers. Though the king had already dispatched an army, heading to their territory, they were ambushed along the way, and so their arrival was delayed.
Until the day came, the day when he would eventually meet his demise. He fought with the Warchief, along with his troops, and died protecting his loved ones. He might have died, but the tale continued to live, as his son, Draven Thornevale, followed in his path.
Just like how his father led the knights of Blackmere, though they were short of numbers, he still managed to make up for it, and managed to go toe to toe with the growing numbers of the Gravhorns. Draven decided to lead the army, although he was young, his father had also been a young leader back then.
And so, despite his young age, many people decided to listen and follow his orders. That's not all, of course. He wasn't just a formidable leader; he was also talented, just like his father. He was strong, swift, and tactical, leading his soldiers on the frontline and dominating on the battlefield.
Things might have been different for them if Captain Darius had been sent onto the battlefield. However, there was also a dire problem in the Northern Borders, where Darius had to make sure things were steady. Something just as dire as the situation in Blackmere, or even more, perhaps, was transpiring, and so Darius couldn't be appointed on another mission.
Darius was only temporarily back for a while, as the situation on the Northern Borders had been eased, at least for a while. He was supposed to only be back for a week, for the purpose of reporting his experiences and observations so far. However, because of the letter Lucien had sent to the king, Darius was going on another mission, along with Lucien.
'Speaking of the letter…'
When the letter was delivered to the king, the king was utterly surprised by Lucien's request, resulting in him requesting another meeting with him. However, Lucien refused, saying he still wasn't feeling well lately.
Though the king still hadn't responded, he had a feeling things were going to get nasty for him.
'This is bad…'
As Lucien was deep in thought, an adorable voice suddenly interrupted him.
"By the way, when are you planning on giving me what I asked for? It's been so boring simply looking into the darkness, you know."
Lucien stared at him silently for a moment.
'Ah, that's right.'
Sage had asked Lucien before to get him an item that would allow him to shapeshift into something else. So that he wouldn't have to simply remain in the darkness. Sage had provided him with information on where he could obtain it; however, he had been busy with his lessons lately, as well as studying more about the Blackmeres' situation.
"I'll try to find one in the town. Well, I'll ask someone to find one."
Mirror of Change was a rare and valuable item, something that you can hardly come by. Sage had stated before that it can be found in the town, though it would be very expensive and hard to find. Or you can go to the black market, where the chances of finding it would be higher, and sold at cheaper prices too.
"I told you to get it for me a week ago. Are you sure you are not just being lazy and forgetful?"
Lucien leaned forward and smiled.
"You have been helpful, so I won't say anything back, I promise I will fetch it for you."
Sage was momentarily surprised.
'He seems to be in a good mood today.'
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
'Ah, could it be!'
Sage giggled, startling Lucien.
"I didn't know you were the type to suck up on married women, Lucien."