Bab 6: A Sweet World
"I see, so that's why you were afraid of me a while ago." Eina smiled as Rin clarified his actions earlier.
He mentioned the regulation that his mother have explained when he used Divine Arts. Eliads who will instantly execute a Damniant because they have a talent for using magic was something that Eina didn't know despite being the daughter of a duke.
The reason for this is that Duke Bluesy himself didn't employ such teaching that screams evil punishment. He made sure that Eina wouldn't get the idea that Damniants are not meant to wield Divine Arts. The state of equality was the first lesson that she had learned back in the mansion. Divine Arts were embroidered for the whole of humanity. There's no rule stating that only those who revere Yddra are the only superiors who can use Divine Arts.
"Well, I get what you're feeling now. I'm sorry if I startled you..." She bowed.
"Ah! There's no need to apologize, I should be the one saying sorry. I don't know how to interact with nobles, it's my first time meeting one..." Rin rubbed the back of his head.
"It's fine. I'm aware that the Damniants don't have any access to education right now because the brass decides to exile you. I do recall reading that wielders of Divine Arts from this area will be arrested." Eina replied.
"Are you... going to report me?" Rin's worried tone made Eina frown. She grabbed both of his hands and forced him to make eye contact.
The two of them now faced each other with their nose about to touch. Eina's angelic face look made Rin blush for a second but the opposite was obvious from Eina. She was fierce and serious.
"No matter what happens, I'm not going to report you. I swear that with my life..." Her declaration was genuine. There was no hint of betrayal in her expression.
Seeing her determination to keep it a secret, Rin managed to calm himself down, releasing the tension that had been making him uncomfortable for some time now. Admittedly, the way Eina phrased her promise was similar to the practice that he showed to Bell yesterday. The only difference is that there was no condition this time. Eina doesn't want anything from Rin at all. And she swore that she will not expose him as well.
In the first place, the role of their House was to establish a deep connection with the Damniants as they are potential clients. There's absolutely no way that Eina will ruin that role just so she can send someone to die. At the very least, they have their policy when it comes to meeting their customers.
"Umm... I get it now so can you let go of me?"
"Eh? Ah—!" Not realizing the time that had passed, Eina suddenly pulled herself from Rin. He wasn't able to see her reaction but her cheeks are painted red. She might have gone too far into proving that she doesn't mean harm.
"Thank you for showing mercy, Miss Eina..." Rin's lovely smile melted Eina's heart. Though she doesn't know the boy that well as this is their first time meeting each other, there was something with him that she couldn't fully grasp the reason for her mortified actions.
Eina was usually blunt and serious whenever she interacts with the other nobles, especially with boys but Rin was kinda an exception for her.
Is it because he is not in a high status? Or maybe their conversation was relaxing that she didn't realize that she was closer to him?
"E-Ehem! In any case, I'm not showing you mercy at all, Rin." She harrumphed.
"Huh?"
"Though I pity your situation, it doesn't mean that I'm seeing you as a low person. My promise came from my heart because that should be the normal thing to do. It's not out of mercy or anything." She winked.
"I-Is that so?" Rin didn't understand but he thought it was great that she was staying true to herself and being honest.
"A-Anyway! We digressed too much! I'm curious about your Divine Arts skills..." Eina pouted.
"My Divine Arts skills?"
"Yes. Although your casting execution was flawless, you lack knowledge about its basic principles. Divine Arts are more complicated than you think..."
"Sorry, I didn't know that... I just followed the readings in this book." Rin grabbed the grimoire and showed it to Eina.
"Oh, it's a 2nd generation version of Grimoire..."
"A what...?"
"There are many different versions of Grimoire. And this one is the 2nd generation version. I'm surprised that you're able to read this. This is old and it's a bit dirty..." Eina inspected the whole book.
"I accidentally found it in my father's cabinet and I thought I should give it a try. As for how I was able to understand the text... That, I'm not sure." Rin replied.
"Wait what?" Eina leaned back in surprise. "You don't know how you managed to read it?"
"Y-Yes. My mother never taught me how to read but somehow I can understand that Grimoire..." He answered.
"Impossible... How is he... Could it be another form of magic?" Eina started muttering the possibilities.
"Umm, is there any problem?"
"Huh?! O-Oh! It is nothing! Haha, I'm just surprised..."
"If you say so... But still, I'm surprised that you know a lot about Divine Arts, Miss Eina. It's incredible when you explain it to me. It's like you're the smartest person in the world!" Rin complimented her.
"—! I-Is that so? Haha! Mhmm! Yes, that's right! I'm really smart! Hee hee~" This is her first time hearing someone compliment her this way. Rin's overwhelming evaluation of her partnered with his innocent yet delighted expression caught her off guard.
Rin's just pretty cute that's why she's acting like that. Eina probably didn't feel any appreciation for her efforts in studying that's why she's pretty sensitive when it comes to compliments.
"So umm... May I know how did you become well-versed in Divine Arts?" Rin asked, bringing her back to reality.
"Oh yeah, I am a Mage trainee from Neswarths Arcane Academy," Eina answered as she snuggled beside him.
"Neswarths?"
"Neswarths Arcane Academy. It is a famous institution from my home country and they teach young children how to use Divine Arts from an early age..." Eina explained.
"Wait really?! Um... How old are you now, Miss Eina?"
"I'm turning twelve next month! How about you, Rin?"
"Woah, so you're older than me. I'm ten years old. My birthday already passed two months ago..."
"Belated happy birthday to you, Rin!"
"Haha! Thank you, Miss Eina. I'm so glad that you're the one that I met." For a moment, Eina thought that Rin confessed because his wording was so sweet.
"Y-Yeah... Hahaha."
(W-W-What's going on? Why is my heart beating so fast?)
They're still kids so they still don't know what these feelings are. But only Eina feels like this and Rin is oblivious to it.
"Speaking of teaching magic... Miss Eina, could you also teach me how to use Divine Arts properly?" Rin's question brought her, yet again, back to reality. As someone wary about his surroundings, this question was pretty unexpected.
"Teach you? But Rin, I thought you don't want to use magic in front of nobles? What will happen if someone saw us?" She asked.
"Don't worry! I know a lot of hiding spots in this place. I was able to memorize it because a lot of bad guys here wanted to beat me up..."
"Huh?!" Eina dropped her jaw upon hearing about Rin's experience in the town.
"Hmm? Is there something wrong?"
"N-Nothing..."
(He's okay, right? Does Rin always experience violence every single day?)
Eina was afraid that she might offend him so she decided to keep that question to herself.
But if Rin is going to answer it, then yes.
Violence in this town is common. As for the reason why, well, if it is not obvious by now, almost everyone here is living within the razor's sharp edges. It wouldn't be a surprise if someone murders another person just so they could grab their money.
The Town of Fier may look like a small city but it is certainly a fact that it also serves as a prison for the Damniants.
As she realized that, Eina noted in her mind the current state of the town.
"If it is not okay then—"
"Sure." An unexpected answer.
"Huh?"
"If you want to learn the proper way of practicing Divine Arts, then I'll gladly teach you..." She smiled.
Is it alright for her to continue having a connection with him? I mean, who cares, right? She doesn't have anyone to stop her anyway. She is the daughter of one of the most reputable nobles in the Kingdom so it should be alright if it is within her authority.
"Thank you so much, Miss Eina..." And with that, Eina finally saw a reflection of light within Rin's dead eyes.
She could feel that he is empty deep inside and he always longed for a great and peaceful life.
If learning Divine Arts secretly would ease the pain that he was carrying all this time then...
"I'll make sure that our time together will be worth it..."
* * *
Several weeks have passed ever since Rin met Eina. Who would have thought that this connection between a Damniant and an Eliad would last this long without anything bad happening? Though, in all honesty, Duke Bluesy has been keeping an eye on both of them including Bella who seems to be mellowing out whenever she sees Rin.
"I wonder what happened? Did you finally realize that Damniants are not as bad as they think? Or perhaps you feel guilty about what you just said?" Eina asked Bella, her tone was very sharp for some reason and she feels like she was about to get beheaded with her words.
"I-I really apologize about what I said, Sir Rin... I hope you forgive my discourtesy." Bella bowed in front of Rin.
"Eh? Umm... Please raise your head, Miss Bella. I don't really mind if you called me like that. I'm already used to it so please..." Though Bella wasn't confident that Rin wouldn't forgive her, the way he replied just increased her respect for him and the guilt that she had been carrying.
When people are exposed to constant scrutiny and backlash, they develop this kind of sense wherein as time passes by, the words that the others are repeating wouldn't matter anymore. Of course, it is not guaranteed that it is the same for others. If you insulted someone who had a high position than you, they will technically just get angry and either return your insult or punish you.
It is a common scenario for those who have pride. For them, an insult is belittling their value, or perhaps they're just jealous of their status. The point is, all people have pride. There may be someone out there who's pompous enough to retaliate after you've given them such an uncanny and discourteous attitude.
However, if we take Damniants' point of view for a second and act like we're on our feet, pride is nowhere to be found.
They are neglected, powerless, abandoned, exiled, insulted, and generally loathed by the whole world.
If they can't do anything about it then why bother retaliating? If their drastic actions would only lead to death, why would they get angry at the insults? This was the development in their individualism and how they were able to cope with insults or backlash.
Sensing Rin's modesty, Eina also bowed alongside Bella to push forth their sincere apology...
"Eh? Even you, Miss Eina?"
"I know that you're used to this already but please... Rin, please don't devalue yourself any further. Have some sense of pride and don't let people say whatever they want to you. Don't take it as if it is normal for them to do it. I know Bella was just confused back then but she has a good heart. That's why I'm sorry for everything as well..."
"Milady..."
Rin approached Eina and patted her head. "You're so kind, Miss Eina."
"..." Once again, Eina saw Rin's genuine smile. A smile that is actually more worthy than treasure nowadays. An expression that has been buried under the hellish estate.
"Miss Bella, Miss Eina, I forgive both of you. I hope we can continue to get along!"
The two then smiled widely. "Yes!"
* * *
One month passed and they continued to develop their skills in Divine Arts.
Since Eina is a renowned high-honored student at Neswarths Arcane Academy, she was explicitly knowledgeable about Divine Arts and how they work. Because of that, she was able to guide Rin in practicing his own spells without straining himself.
"Listen to me, Rin. Divine Arts has a complex system at the center of its function. You don't practically just cast a spell and that's that. You also need to learn about the factors and properties that affect the scale, effects, and power of the magic that you're trying to invoke. For example, what comes to mind when you cast a Water Magic?" She asked.
"Water, right? And umm... Liquid?" Rin doesn't know but he tried his best.
"What you mentioned just now is part of the construction that the magic needs in order to work. Liquid, hydro, water, etc. They are the core of the magic that we're going to cast. But if we're talking about its properties, you need to ask yourself: How much water should I cast? How large is it? How powerful is it? How much force should I discharge? How much speed? And so on and so on..." She explained.
"Err... You need to think about all of that when casting magic?"
"Of course. Every single spell in the Divine Arts System has its own properties and construction rules. This was implemented because Divine Arts is a dangerous catalyst that might kill a lot of people. If you were to cast fire magic and you cannot control it, what do you think will happen to the houses around you?" Eina pointed to the town.
"They're going to get burned..."
"Exactly. That's why you need to think about how will you regulate the spell under normal conditions and set its factors depending on how much you need."
Divine Arts doesn't have any limit to its function. The moment you cast a spell, its effect will depend on the caster's adjustment and what they are currently feeling.
"Okay, I think I'm beginning to understand but umm... How are you supposed to adjust a spell and how does it work?" A common question.
"Hmm... Okay, let's take this as an example." Eina made a stance and raised her arm slightly with her palm aiming at the stone. "Embers of the malevolent prince of flame, lend me thy ashen fire that crackles through thy veins, witness the blazing course and serve thy name! Varime Renuoum! (Fireball)"
A scorching flare instantly appeared on her hand accompanied by small whirling flames. She then adjusted her position and fired the flaming ball into the stone. Since it's only a small fraction, the stone didn't break. The fireball that she discharged only left a dark mark on its surface.
"Woah..."
"As you can see, the fireball's effect was negligible. It wasn't the actual firepower that the original can give." Eina turned to him.
"So like, the power was diminished...?" Rin asked.
"Yep~ I adjusted the amount of magical power that I need to unleash and controlled it. By the way here's the original effect of the fireball..."
Upon facing the stone once again, Eina generated an immense amount of power, and this time, it was five times stronger than the previous fireball.
"Varime Renuoum!" As she released it, the fireball blasted the stone to pieces, and molten embers dissipated into the air as the flame twirled around the burning fragments. It created a small ripple of waves that pushed her back for a bit.
"..." Rin's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the large-scale effect of Eina's fireball.
"Well, as you can see, that's the difference when you're adjusting it by will. Now it's your turn..."
"Wait wait wait! I don't know to do that just now. Can you please tell me how to adjust it?"
The live demonstration didn't really help. Although the explanation was clear, the process or the method of how it was conducted was still unclear. Rin couldn't see how Eina was able to discharge the spell at will and she was able to control it.
"Hmm, now that I think about it, I didn't really tell you the method, right?" She confirmed.
Rin nodded.
"Let's see... I'm not really sure how to explain this... Ah, that's right! Rin, you need to use your imagination!"
"Huh?" Within Bella's enthusiastic answer comes a confused reaction.
"I'm told that Divine Arts is dependent on one's imagination. The stronger or clear the image inside your head, it will give the effect that you desire." She explained.
"Is that what you did just now?" Rin asked.
"Technically, yes. I'm already used to casting a lot of spells so mine is much more of a muscle memory and innately controlling it. It's like it was linked to my instincts so it becomes automatic. As for you though, you need to try and strengthen your imagination."
"Alright..."
Rin stepped into the field with grasses everywhere and started concentrating.
"Focus... Focus..." He raised his arm above his head with his palm pointing toward the sky and closed his eyes. At this moment, the whole world belongs to him. He need to make sure that he wasn't disturbed.
Eina watched him closely. Normally, she would've been smiling while watching someone do their best but her expression this time was serious.
"Imagine..."
Rin emptied his mind and constructed an element that heightened his creativity. He slowly configured that small ball of element like how a blacksmith shapes a metal.
A small bubble of liquid will give rain upon bursting. That was what he intended to conjure.
"I see it!"
And so with the finished craft, Rin opened his eyes and said the following:
"Wisest judicator of the azure realm, Heed thy chosen's decree. Bless with your pristine wisdom and fulfill our order! Impedimim Refininio! (Waterbomb)"
Small bubbles made out of hydro started compressing toward his palm. It reflected a bluish faint glow with air swerving around the ball.
"He did it!"
As the ball completed its transformation, it suddenly burst, splashing water all over the field as if it was raining. Eina's eyes sparkled with complete astonishment. The rainwater covered the grasses, making them glisten. She was aware of the original effect of the waterbomb that Rin cast but who would have thought that he could take an offensive spell from scratch and use it majestically and turn it into a beautiful show?
"How's that, Miss Eina?"
She clapped her hand and gave him a thumbs up. "Mhmm! You finally did it. Congratulations, Rin!"
"Haha! Thank you so much, it's all thanks to your guidance..."
A month ago, Rin was struggling with how to control his power and he doesn't even know the basic principles of Divine Arts.
But seeing the result just now, Eina—no, both of them could tell that the amount of time they have spent together was worth it.
She successfully fulfilled Rin's request. And there could be nothing more special than receiving his joy as a price.
* * *
"Hold up, stop the carriage..."
"Eh?"
As though he had forgotten something important, Marquis Briant exited the carriage and took a quick glance at the shopping district.
From there, he saw a woman who seemed to be in her mid 30's wearing a pendant with a red jewel in the center.
"Is there a problem, My Lord?"
"Nah... It's nothing. I'm just curious about someone here..."
The butler could see the Marquis's eyes filled with lust. A wicked expression that he had grown accustomed to as he accompanied him.
He'd already set his eyes on someone else. And there's only one reason for that.
"Hey, let's continue forward and follow that woman... I want to ask her about something." He ordered.
"Understood..."
Would this encounter escalate into something despicable? Or would it end peacefully?
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone