Maxi asked, "Is it like a common thing for awakened blessed to show off their powers?"
Colen responded simply, "No."
Maxi nodded. "Okay, I was seeing a pattern."
Colen smirked slightly. "Are you not a visual learner? I mean, I heard that from your mother. So are you saying she's wrong?"
Maxi jumped slightly and frantically waved his hands.
"No, no, no, not at all!"
His mind raced. When the hell did she tell him that? And how the hell does she know I'm a visual learner? I mean, I do like books, and nearly no one who likes reading books has a weak imagination, which very well could mean you are a visual learner, but how the hell did she figure that out? Does she have special motherly powers? Or maybe it's just common knowledge or a huge belief that if you like books, you're a visual learner.
Maxi sighed and shrugged. Colen raised an eyebrow, the rest of his face remaining exactly the same, and then, with a lazy flick of his finger, a single snowflake from the snowflake wall froze the air, transforming into an ice sculpture. The sculpture depicted a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He had human ears and fox ears on the top of his head, along with a long, fluffy fox tail. He was dressed in a thin, one-shoulder outfit adorned with intricate wave designs, revealing the left side of his chest. He wore baggy pants and a fur collar along the edges of his outfit. His right hand was adorned with artistic gloves, while his left wore a fingerless ring glove tied to a ring on his finger. His footwear consisted of Japanese Geta slippers.
The young man's face was calm and soft, carrying a humble smile. His long hair was tied up in a ponytail, cascading down his shoulders. He sat in a relaxed position, holding an instrument-a blend between a harp and a mandolin. The instrument's head was shaped like a double heart, its ends curling like a devil's tail. Carved into its surface were words in his language, lined with intricate symbols.
With another flick of Colen's fingers, another snowflake emerged and froze the air, transforming into a tree stump. Colen guided the fox-like figure to sit upon it. Then, with a sigh, the surrounding air grew even colder. A single snowflake left Colen's mouth, forming the snow figure of a young human woman who appeared to be around eighteen. She had a soft, beautiful face framed by short, fluffy hair. She wore a rugged, long dress with a waist trainer wrapped around her middle, and a satchel with mysterious runes dangled at her side.
More snowflakes emerged as Colen created a miniature frozen forest around them. He exhaled, his cold breath sending a shiver down Maxi and Angelina's spines.
"Okay, now that I have everything set up, I need to tell you something,"
Colen said in his usual cold voice.
Maxi remained in awe, barely registering Colen's words. Angelina, emerging from the labyrinth of giant library bookshelves, gasped at the sight. She dropped the four books she had been carrying, her eyes wide with wonder. A floating magic orb descended, flashing a soft light. A magic circle appeared on each book, causing them to float and return to their proper places. However, neither Maxi nor Angelina noticed, too engrossed in the frozen masterpiece before them. The sculptures felt both natural and man-made, a work of genius in ice.
Colen sighed, snapping Maxi and Angelina out of their trance. He extended his hand, drawing their attention.
"As I was saying, you must take everything I say as ninety percent fact and ten percent false. I am a historian who really likes history. I would even say history is the best story ever made. But as it stands, we have no idea how some events truly played out-specific conversations, the real cause behind certain events. I have my assumptions, and I will integrate them into my storytelling. Most of my assumptions are nearly one hundred percent correct, so it would be better for you to see them as strong possibilities rather than baseless speculation. Got it?"
Maxi nodded. "Okay, I understand. But I have two questions. Is that man what you call a fox oni? And why does he have two sets of ears? It looks normal but weird at the same time."
Colen sighed dramatically, a single frozen tear sliding down his cheek.
"First of all, don't call them fox onis. They find it very offensive. When humans first discovered them in the Forest of Festra, they used the word 'oni' as an insult. There were corrupted spirits in their lands that they referred to as 'oni,' so being generalized under that term is disrespectful. Due to the language barrier, humans mistakenly assumed that was their race's name. However, once the barrier thinned, we learned they have specific names for their respective race groups. There weren't just 'fox onis'-there were also 'deer onis' and 'wolf onis,' but each had a proper name. If you don't know what to call them, just ask."
Colen continued, "As for your second question, you're lucky I'm also a biological anthropologist. They have two ears for a reason. The human ears are for normal sounds-like dogs barking or someone speaking. The fox ears, however, are for detecting sounds the human ear can't pick up, such as distant footsteps or the flapping of wings."
Maxi wiped away his frozen tear and asked, "Okay, then why don't we just call them demi-humans?"
Colen shook his head. "Because they are not like humans at all. They may look like it in this state"
he gestured toward the ice sculpture,
"but other than that, they are entirely different. When in danger or battle, they can fully transform into their respective animal forms, standing upright on two feet. Their abilities become significantly enhanced, and they emit the aura of a demon."
Maxi hesitated before asking, "Okay, this might be a stupid question, but I'll ask it anyway. What does 'oni' mean?"
"It simply means 'demon' or 'angry spirit' in Fistra, which is the language of most people from the Forest of Festra," Colen explained.
Maxi nodded. "Got it. One more question. Where is the Forest of Festra?"
"It is hidden away. Only the people of Festra and those they invite can enter. It used to require a portal to access, but something happened-most likely involving a god. Perhaps they sealed themselves away for some reason. It was once found at the kingdom's border, near the Burnt Dragon's Forest of Haria."
Maxi nodded in understanding. Colen then said, "Now, let's finally talk about our history. You do know what happened before our main history, right? The power-hungry king who committed mass genocide against all religious believers?"
Maxi sighed. "Kinda. Tengen just mentioned it like it was nothing, so I know about it-I just don't know the details."
Colen sighed. "That is a vital part of history. You can't just skim past that. It seems I have to teach you that history first."
Maxi nodded reluctantly. Colen snapped his fingers, and all the ice sculptures shattered into delicate snowflakes. Angelina watched in awe and sadness as the frozen masterpieces dissolved into the air. Colen flicked his fingers once more, causing the snowflakes to freeze the air into a new scene-a young boy in bed with messy hair. More snowflakes shaped the environment, forming candle stands, bookshelves, and a chair.
Colen spoke. "This is the rise of the King of Power."