บท 3: Banished

Shortly after checking his status, Ella returned with a plate of food. Placing it on the table as she spoke ."Here, young master, horned rabbit meat with fairy leaf salad."

Archer approached the table and sat down, looking at the food with a confused face.

"Is there something wrong, young master?" She asked.

"What is fairy leaf salad?" Archer replied.

Ella looked baffled for a second but smiled as she explained. "It's a salad grown by the elves that have special healing properties."

Her head tilted to the side as her eyes widened like saucers. "What happened to you? Your ears are sharper than mine!"

She then looked him up and down with shock in her eyes. "You have bumps on the side of your head, and your eyes have changed! They are like a dragon's."

Archer looked at the girl who was examining him like a scientist. After taking a few bites of the food, he replied. "You've only just noticed it."

He laughed at her confused look before continuing. "To be honest, I don't know. I looked in the mirror before you walked in and was like this already."

She nodded suspiciously before moving on as he finished the meal before she spoke. ''It could be something to do with your bloodline, but we won't know until you reach level twenty.''

Nodding in agreement while pushing the plate away, she informed him of something he needed to do. "Well, young master, the master wishes to see you now that you are awake."

"Why does he want to see me? Is it about that stupid beast fight?" he asked while finishing the food.

Ella was just about to reply, but Archer cut her off. "Young master..."

"Just call me Archer or Arch." He interrupted.

Ella looked baffled, not expecting him to request her to call him by name as it was taboo.

But she thought to herself. 'He's always been like this,'

So she just accepted it, or he will bug her as he's done before. Ella smiled before replying. "Okay, Arch, all I can say is he looks angry.''

Archer sighed, anticipating the old man's intentions. He thought, 'They'll probably kick me out like in those novels with disappointed parents.'

But he didn't bother dwelling on that right now. He needed to go to the library and learn some spells before leaving.

"Ella, we'll go to the library first, then I'll go see Father once I'm done. Will you show me the way?" Archer asked.

"Yes, let's go," She replied before leading him there.

While walking through the hallways, Archer couldn't help but notice the fancy decorations everywhere, with gold trimmings lining the frames of the paintings.

"It seems like a waste of coins," he commented.

Upon hearing this, Ella quickly explained. "The first wife Ksara Ashguard, loves decorating the manor. She spends a lot of gold on pointless stuff."

Archer shrugged and followed her until they found two imposing doors standing firmly before them. She turned to him and said. "It's behind these doors. It's the biggest library in the city."

As they both entered the room, Archer saw rows of bookshelves stretching along the wall and spoke. "Wow, this is impressive."

He looked around the room before spotting the spell books stored in one corner and approached them. Ella followed behind him as he started to browse through the books. One particular spell caught his attention.

[Void Blast]

Intrigued, he took it and continued to search for more spells. He soon came across three more books that interested him.

[Cosmic Shield]

[Cosmic Sword]

[Blink]

Taking all four spell books, he spotted a table by the windows and went to sit down. Having set the spell books on the table, Archer began his search for a world history book, eager to gain a deeper understanding of the new world he found himself in.

Ella followed behind him as he walked back towards the table. Archer turned other. "If you want to do something else or read yourself, you can do it."

She smiled before going to get a spell book. He noticed she was holding the Earth Blast spell when she sat beside him.

This made him curious, so he asked. "So you can use Earth magic?"

Ella smiled before answering. "Yes, I can also use Light magic.''

Hearing her answer, he was shocked. According to the fragmented memories he received from the previous Archer, most people have an affinity for one element most of the time.

However, those who possess an affinity for two elements are considered geniuses and highly sought after by many kingdoms and empires.

After pondering this for a few minutes, he shook his head and started reading the book he chose but only got through three. Hours passed as they read before Archer looked up from his book and noticed the sun setting through the window.

Finishing with the reading, he dropped the book onto the table, creating a resounding bang that startled Ella, prompting her to jump with a surprised yelp. Archer started laughing, and Ella glared at him before joining in on the laughter.

Then, he remembered the notifications that had popped up while reading.

[Void Blast Learned]

[Cosmic Shield Learned]

[Cosmic Sword Learned]

Learning just three spells brought him joy, but he still had one to go. He soon discovered that he had an affinity for two elements: space and lightning magic. Fortunately, some of the memories he received were not as fragmented as others and taught him the basics of using magic.

The key was to imagine the spell and understand how it worked. Using Mana was already a rare ability, as only about fifty percent of the population could use it. However, everything on Thyrlos had Mana within them, which benefited them even if they couldn't use it.

It made them healthier and longer-lived. Elves were the best adapted to using magic, but most races could use it to some extent. Humans, being on the weaker side, relied on numbers to gain an advantage in wars.

While waiting for Ella to join him, he returned the books to their shelves but kept Blink. When she was walking up to him, he examined the girl and couldn't help but find her cute in her maid's uniform.

He couldn't help but admire her beauty even more. He stared at her as she approached, lost in thought. Standing before him, she asked, "Hello Arch, are you okay?"

Still lost in a daze, he muttered, "So beautiful."

Blushing at his comment, she felt too shy to meet his gaze, so she guided him out of the library. They both felt awkward as they left, with Ella leading him to the Duke's office while avoiding eye contact.

Walking down the quiet hallway, they maintained silence. Archer glanced out the window and noticed the towering trees that bordered Vassia City. 'They are much bigger than Earth's trees,' he thought.

The two soon arrived outside his Father's office, and Ella knocked on the door. Soon after that, a commanding voice responded, "Enter!"

Ella opened the door and entered first, followed by Archer. Inside, he saw a man sitting behind a desk and instructed Archer to sit. He watched the middle-aged man with brown hair stand up.

He was six feet tall, with a strong jawline and stubble. This man was Leonard Ashguard, the Duke of the Mistwood Duchy, and Archer was one of his many children. Leonard spoke accusingly, expressing disappointment in his recent failures. "Archer, you've failed a simple test and brought shame upon the Ashguard house, a house known for producing powerful warriors for the Avalon Empire!"

He then slammed his fist on the table, startling Ella. He glared at Archer and asked, "What's become of you? Why do you look like that?"

Archer hesitated, unsure of how to respond, but before he could speak, Leonard brushed it off, saying, "Actually, never mind. I don't care."

That's when Leonard continued, "All your siblings possess remarkable talent and contribute to this family, but you... You're useless and unwanted. Even your mother agrees."

"You lack skill with the sword, in magic, and in administration. You are of no use to the family. Therefore, I hereby banish you."

"You are no longer an Ashguard. Leave at first light tomorrow, and I don't want to see you again. Understand, boy?"

Ella gasped at the Duke's decision, while Archer met his gaze calmly and replied, "Okay, I'll leave."

Exiting the Duke's office, Archer and Ella headed to his room to begin packing. On their way, they encountered two of his half-brothers, Aldwulf and Pallius.

Aldwulf, aged fourteen, and Pallius, aged thirteen, were notorious for getting away with mischief. Pallius stared at Ella inappropriately, angered Archer, who quickly warned his brother. "Keep your eyes off her!"

The boy scoffed, and Aldwulf said, "I heard about what happened. It's a shame someone as useless as you was born into this family."

Archer stared at them defiantly before bursting into laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Fuck off, you idiots!"

Taking hold of Ella's hand, he walked away, leaving the two boys bewildered.