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"Wooof! Wooof! *Slurp *Slurp *Slurp"
I suddenly woke up with dog saliva slathered all over my face. Not that I'm bothered by it. It's just our family pet being far too liberal with displaying her affections as always. It's quite cute actually. The only downside is me smelling a bit funny after she's done with me.
I slowly sat up on the bed and rubbed my eyes to get rid of the drowsiness. I'm not really a morning person. I moved my gaze towards the door to my room. As expected, the petite figure of my dear little sister was there; her cheeky little mouth curled up into a wry grin.
"Rise and shine big bro." an angelic voice resounded.
"Honestly, you've got to start learning how to wake up by yourself already. You've just turned eighteen. You've got to start behaving like a more responsible adult. You're setting a really bad example here."
I shrugged my shoulders as I listened to her usual morning lecture. Honestly. Doesn't she ever get tired of it? Not like I hate it or anything. After all, she does have a point... or two. It's just that I can't seem to find any motivation y'know.
"You're plenty responsible already Elaine. How bout you do my share as well?" I replied half in jest.
Elaine Evrard, my hyper competent, busybody little sister, pouted cutely as she placed her hands on her waist in an attempt to look imposing.
"Geez. What's with that? You weren't always like this big bro. You've been in that state ever since Vance and Felise left the village..."
My brows furrowed involuntarily and my expression turned gloomy.
Ouch. She certainly did hit a sore spot of mine dead on. After noticing my change in expression, Elaine cupped her mouth hurriedly and displayed an apologetic look.
"Big bro... I'm sorry. I..."
I got off the bed and lightly patted her shoulder.
"Nah. Don't worry about. I'm the one at fault for brooding about it after all this time anyway. Thanks for always worrying about me Elaine. And sorry for being such a no good brother."
Elaine got teary eyed and hugged me tightly on the waist. Geez. What is with this cute creature? My little sister can't be this cute!
"Big bro! Don't worry. No matter what anyone says, you'll always be my one and only big bro." she exclaimed with conviction.
Man. Just how much more loveable can she get? This little sister of mine truly was too good for me. I... I am not worthy. I'm seriously about to break into tears here.
"Wooof!"
A lively bark echoed throughout the room, breaking the moody atmosphere.
"I think Berry's saying it's time for breakfast." I said with a grin. Elaine smiled and let go of my waist. She then trotted towards the stairs with a lively gait.
"Big bro, hurry and wash up so we can eat. You know mom won't let us touch the food unless everyone's present on the table." she reminded before finally heading down. Berry, our family pet, followed along.
I proceeded to the bathroom to get rid of the smell and the sticky sensation on my face. I then headed towards the dining room of our quaint village house for some breakfast.
***
Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself yet haven't I? The name's Myst. Myst Evrard.
Quite the fancy name for a rural village guy don't you think? Apparently, the Evrard house was once a prominent noble house that produced several generations of excellent knights.
But due to coming into conflict with another famous noble clan and ultimately losing out, we started to decline and were finally chased out to the outskirts of the Vandel kingdom, where we lived in exile.
That's how the stories told at the periodic family gatherings went at least. Honestly however, they were little more than gossip and no evidence to substantiate those fanciful claims was ever found even if one traces back our family tree.
But it's a nice story nonetheless. Not to mention a great time waster. The kids seemed to love it anyway. Heck, even I was completely enamored with it back when I was young and didn't know any better.
Come to think of it, hearing those stories might be one of the factors that contributed greatly to me wanting to be an adventurer back then, only to have reality slap me in the face. Hard.
Honestly, why are kids so damn gullible?
***
"Good morning dear. Have you groomed yourself properly? And you didn't forget to wash your hands did you?"
My mother's smiling face greeted me as soon as I arrived at the dining table. Melissa Evrard - my awfully young looking thirty-something year old mother. Her long silky brunnete hair, smooth skin and curvaceous figure were the envy of the village housewives and spinsters.
Heck even our village's young maidens were jealous of her killer combination of youthful looks and mature charm.
"Yep. All cleaned up." I replied casually.
"Well, now that Myst is here, can we start eating already?" a deep, masculine voice echoed from across the table.
My dad, Lucian Evrard, made a pleading look as he asked my mother for permission to start digging in.
Even though he looked like a seasoned veteran warrior, he was actually a big softy, especially towards mom. They made quite a pair actually. Incidentally, he's also the village chief.
"Ehehe. Dad's stomach is already making funny noises mom. I think we really need to start eating before it gets any worse." quipped a familiar bell-like voice.
It's my little sister, Elaine Evrard. She inherited mom's glossy brunette hair and good looks. She tied her hair up in a cute twin tail style and possessed a cheerful and somewhat sassy personality.
"Look. Even Berry's starting to get impatient." Elaine pointed out while giggling happily. Our family pet truly did look a bit impatient as she vigorously wagged her tail.
Despite the cute name, Berry was anything but. She's a cross between a regular dog and a type of lupine monster species called Rouge Fang.
My mom found her wounded and nearly dead as she was picking herbs within the nearby Fiora forest. She brought her home and nursed her back to health along with my sister, so she's quite attached to the two of them.
She lacked the usual wild and ferocious nature of a full blooded Rouge Fang. But despite that, she's still about twice as big compared to a regular large dog.
She did have a unique charm though. Instead of her fur being blood red, it's carnation pink - except for a particular spot on the center of her forehead, which rather curiously resembled a red heart mark.
She's become our official family mascot. She can be rather sweet. But piss her off and you'll be on the receiving end of her pearly white (and rather sharp) fangs. She beats any regular guard dog, that's for sure.
And then, there's me. The one and only Myst Evrard. Seeing as the other members of my family (plus the family pet) have really distinct features and personalities, one would expect me to be the same right? Well, unfortunately, that's not the case. Far from it actually.
The wonder that is "me" can actually be described in one single word: ordinary.
I have no distinctive features. My looks, while far from abhorrent, can't exactly be called handsome or dashing either. My height is average compared to my peers. My build ain't skinny. But it ain't buffed either. I'm not particularly gifted academically. My physical capabilities are average at most. I have average mana capacity as well. And my skills with a sword, spear or bow can be considered as barely passing.
Hence, I'm your average guy. As ordinarily ordinary as they come. The poster boy for ordinariness. If you think of "ordinary", chances are, you'll think of me.
Anyway, the bottom line is that I'm ordinary. You got that?
It's not like I'm sulking or anything you idiots!
...
Well, I think you get the point.
***
After the meal (which was delicious, as always), my father and I headed out for work. Mom and Elaine started their day by fussing over the plants and vegetables in our garden as Berry lazed around nearby.
Mom's the village pharmacist. It's said that even just her smile could heal. There's even a rumor of people injuring themselves willingly just in order to see her.
My dad's the village chief, but he's also the village's best blacksmith. He used to take in loads of commissions for weapons and armor during the war with the demons.
Now, he just makes various tools and implements. His kitchen knives became an instant hit with the housewives because of their beauty, sharpness and balance.
I walked down towards the village entrance. Lindorf, this little village out in the sticks, is my home. Despite not having any distinctive features or specialties, our village still gets plenty of visitors due to it being one of the stops along the road towards the kingdom's southern border.
Adventurers and merchants pass through our village for some rest while in the middle of traveling towards the neighboring Almadeus Theocracy.
My job is basically being a village guard cum village guide and receptionist. I greet and inspect the people that come to our village and provide some friendly directions for first timers. Service with a smile and all that.
I also alert the other village guards whenever I encounter suspicious individuals. It's not the most exciting job in the world. But hey, it's better than nothing.
I greeted some of the villagers along the way. They're all relatively friendly folk. But some of the younger generation can get a bit annoying at times.
"Hey, look guys. It's Myst. He looks as gloomy and miserable as always. I can't believe he's childhood friends with Lord Vance and Queen Felise." a lanky young man quipped.
"Sssh. Quiet down! He'll hear you. He may be a good for nothing but he's still the village chief's son." a young woman whose eyes narrowed into slits warned.
I already heard you, idiots. And which part of me looks gloomy? Okay, maybe I do have a bit of a depressed look recently. But I make sure to put on my best "business" smile whenever I take up my post.
And seriously, a good for nothing? I may not be anything special, but at least I'm not "bottom of the barrel" useless. There are guys who are much worse off than me even in the village.
Damn. This is unjust resentment. I want a lawyer.
I do have an inkling as to why they're so critical towards me however.
Simply put, they're just jealous.
Why the skeptical look? I'm serious here. No, really. I'm not pulling your leg.
They're not jealous of "me". Not exactly.
They're jealous because I happen to be childhood friends with both the dashing and powerful hero who slew the Demon King and brought peace to the continent, and the beautiful and brave princess, who spent her childhood hidden in a far away village to stave off some traitorous nobles who were after her life.
She then made a triumphant return after the king, who had been turned into a puppet ruler by said nobles, breathed his last. She staged a successful coup, deposed the corrupt nobles and rallied the various allied nations under one united front against the threat of a massive demon uprising.
She was finally crowned queen after the demon army's defeat.
Amazing isn't it? They both sound like larger than life individuals, and I'm childhood friends with both of them.
Not that this little tidbit counts for anything really. They both seem so far away now.
And to think I can still vividly recall their smiling faces whenever I close my eyes...
Vance Rayleigh and I were the best of friends. He was a naughty, hyperactive kid who liked to cause trouble. But he was also quite smart and charming. He held a certain charisma even as a child and you really can't help but follow the guy no matter what sort of trouble he gets you into.
That's what I did anyway. I was his partner in crime. We did many crazy things together. As for what those things were, I'll leave that to your imagination.
Then, there was Felise Hayward. She was a veritable goddess. And I'm not exaggerating.
She truly was beautiful. She's a sweet and gentle girl, but she could also be firm and unyielding when the situation merits it. All the village kids admired her.
The sight of her lustrous flame red hair fluttering in the wind as she walked elicited admiring sighs from both the young and old folks in the village.
She also had Vance and I wrapped perfectly on her little finger. Whenever we went to cause some mischief, she'd be there to reign us in and prevent us from going overboard.
She was also my first crush.
You really can't blame me for falling for her though. Heck, most of the guys in our age group had crushes on her. She even charmed some of the girls.
Well, all except for one guy.
Vance, that idiot, was as dense as bedrock. He was more interested in swords and adventurers than girls. Somehow, it seemed quite appropriate though.
***
Vance and I dreamt of being adventurers. He was in it for the thrill and excitement of an unbridled life of adventure. I was in it for silly things like wanting to restore the Evrard house to its (rumored) former glory and attaining the hand of my lady love.
I was a kid back then. Kids tended to have some pretty crazy dreams.
We were able to study the sword under Felise's grandfather, Galvan Hayward, after a few rounds of passionate (i.e. desperate) pleas (i.e. shameful begging).
I was pretty into it at first. I followed the assigned training menu religiously. I did my best during spars. I filled several bundles of parchment with research notes about the stances and techniques of the "Sevenfold Paths of Radiance" sword style that grampa Galvan taught us. Most of it were just incoherent scribbles though.
I even had the gall to declare that I'd use my sword to protect Felise forever. She showed me a meaningful and somewhat mysterious smile whenever I did that. I was too caught up with myself to notice anything though.
But after a while, the huge difference in talent between Vance and me became readily apparent. He absorbed gramps' teachings at an alarmingly fast rate. It didn't take long before Vance completely surpassed me in skill, technique and strength. I was no longer a worthy opponent for him in spars.
It's not like I was particularly bad at swordsmanship. Vance was just too overwhelmingly gifted at it. Even grampa Galvan started to have trouble with him shortly after he took over as a sparring partner.
I was proud of him. I really was. He was my best friend after all. But I can't deny being jealous of him either. It's an ugly feeling, but I can't deny it.
The difference in the looks gramps gave to the two of us when we graduated from his tutelage made it much worse.
With Vance, there was a look of overwhelming pride. There were even hints of awe and reverence.
But, as for me, what stood out was pity. I was being pitied. Gramps tried not to show it, but I could tell. And I was truly bothered by it.
Maybe Vance's talent was just that overwhelming. It made me seem all the more drab and, well, ordinary. But even so, I thought that this still didn't justify the look of pity gramps gave me.
I was still decent with a sword wasn't I? Okay, well, barely decent. But I could still put up a fight. I wasn't useless. But that look took a serious toll on my self-esteem.
Felise did admonish gramps about the obvious difference in treatment. A small consolation. But I still felt down in the dumps. Vance, being his oblivious self as always, didn't help either.
***
I can't ever forget the look of disappointment on Vance's face when I decided not to go with him to register at the local adventurers guild in the neighboring town of Ambrose.
Even the usually dense Vance sensed something from my attitude back then. We stood in silence for quite some time after I broke it to him. We did promise to start adventuring together after our training ends after all.
But I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to follow after him anymore. I was afraid - afraid I might eventually come to hate him if I continued staying by his side.
I knew I was being unreasonable. I shouldn't have let jealousy get the better of our friendship. But I was already deeply mired in it. I was simply being petty. And not a day goes by that I don't regret the way we parted ways that time.
I was the only one who kept up with him no matter what kind of mischief he engaged in. He did tend to get carried away and often overdid his pranks after all.
I covered for him whenever we got busted by the adults. Being the village chiefs son, my words did hold some weight. So we got off not getting the worst out of it.
We used to think we were inseparable. But it turned out not to be the case. My insecurities won out in the end. It was the worst.
But what got me the most was that he didn't blame me. He might have even blamed himself.
Before Vance went on to start his adventuring career, he tapped me on the chest with his fist in a familiar gesture. I was supposed to tap him back. It was a good luck charm as well as a sign of faith.
I didn't return the gesture and just continued to stare at him stiffly. He showed me a strained and helpless smile.
That was the first and last time I got to see him truly close to tears. He departed for Ambrose soon after.
***
Things got awkward between Felise and me after Vance left. I was still caught up in conflicting emotions and continued to sulk while sporting a gloomy expression.
She often got out of her way to hang out with me despite my attitude. She never said anything. She just simply sat by my side. But that was enough. It was more than enough.
Truth be told, I thought she would hate me. I went back on my word and betrayed the hopes of my best friend just because of some unreasonable inferiority complex. I thought she would be disillusioned. But not once did I hear any words of admonishment coming from her.
Instead, she continued to silently support me. She was waiting for me to open up. But I never got the chance to express my feelings.
Fate would not allow me to.
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