Marian’s POV

Marian’s curiosity got the better of her. She was inside the master’s room that was sparse in decoration, apart from portraits of the Raven family and a high-quality clear mirror. She sat on the bed queen-sized bed as she caressed its sheets while thinking about her family.

She was waiting. Kris is supposed to be here in a few moment’s. She’s called for him under the pretext of learning more about his magical ability, but what she really wanted to find out was what exactly was going through his head.

The young man, who through various circumstances became her son, actively tried to hide his real personality but both Marian and Robert knew it to be an act. They’ve been together for more than three years now, living under the same roof. Even if you were someone dense, you were bound to see inconsistencies with his personality.

It was hard to imagine a young man like him, barely only 17, having the mental acuity and maturity of an adult. However, for the few times that it mattered, he’s been able to show unbelievable self-control and perceptiveness. It was one thing to be a genius, but traits that took time to develop were another thing. It just isn’t normal.

She’s been putting it off for a while now but she’s realized that in order for the Raven family and its addition to be more harmonious, they needed to be a lot more honest.

The door to the room opened and Kris promptly entered. He walked in an even posture, in contrast to his usually slouched gait, and as soon as he entered he looked at Marian straight in her eyes.

“Mom,” Kris greeted.

“Hey. Sit down, Kris,” She beckoned as she moved a bit to allow Kris comfortable space to sit beside her.

As Kris got settled down, Marian began her questions.

“So… It’s true that you’ve awakened from before right?” The first time Marian investigated Kris’ mana when they first met was the last time she ever did. To her, just the memory of the dark mana he carried was enough to repulse her. That’s why, year’s ago, she decided not to bring the topic up until he awakened.

That plan obviously got derailed.

“Yes, mother. It is true. Maybe about two years ago,” Kris said firmly.

“So why didn’t you tell us?”

“You know how my mana feels, right?”

“I… Yes. However you know that it doesn’t really…”

“That, but that isn’t the only reason…” Kris paused.

Marian, as a mage of her caliber, knew the implications of having such mana. It’s something that’s not really taught in schools, but she knew that what they referred to as Mages of Old connoted their chaotic mana. There’s been no precedent of another person carrying that same mana today. The ambient mana absorbed through mana veins are neutral enough to influence them towards an attribute, creating the magical system that exists today.

Maybe that’s why she feared asking him? Maybe that’s why she didn’t try to get in too deep? But as Kris mother now, she’s resolved herself to at least be there for him. She couldn’t help someone she didn’t understand.

Soon, Robert entered the room. He didn’t say much, but he quickly sat beside Kris and signaled for him to continue.

“My mana is chaotic, simply because I’ve inherited the will of a mage of old,” Kris revealed.

Marian’s face contorted into visible shock, while Robert held a stoic expression as he closed his eyes to think.

“More than inherited, you could say that I’m a Mage of Old myself,” Marian reeled her confusion in and listened to his story.

Kris recounted his tale of getting placed in a curse by his rival. Of being sent to another world filled with technology and with no magic to speak of. Of how he became a much-loved musician and personality.

She couldn’t believe what he was describing. Tall buildings of steel as commonplace as trees, carriages pulled with the power of dormant energy, and devices with no requirement of mana solely powered by lightning.

The ability to communicate to and from the ends of the world. Curiously, education was viewed as a right of every living being and knowledge was available literally at the palm of their hands. An abundance of resources that even the poorest of the poor could get their hands on with enough work.

Kris described its bloody history of war much more grueling than that of the olden times of Marian’s world, and how through that trial and tribulation, a worldwide free market and political structure that believed in accountability and diversity flourished, where power wasn’t concentrated on one man’s hands.

Kris, from the tone that he used to describe that world, firmly believed that the world he was sent to was superior in almost every aspect of Marian’s world. Marian slowly found herself believing that, too.

He then told them how his body there died, and he soon found himself transported to Marian’s world while he reverted back to his teens.

“My rival… he wanted me to carry his will. To safeguard the future that he wanted. It's not like he placed a curse on me to force me or anything, but I am grateful for what he showed. I’m sure you know, what I’m trying to say…” Kris said as he smiled wryly, obviously unsure if he was doing the right thing, and with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

Marian thought back on the few years they’ve been together. Kris was kind and he was very fond of Claire as she was in return. He studied diligently, and he quickly got closer to both Marian and Robert. He had a sense of humor that Marian couldn’t grasp sometimes, but it livened up the dinners even through times of stress from their business.

Marian could feel the gratitude that he had for the Ravens, and she also felt that when the time came he’d protect the family name.

That’s why she was so torn right now.

“Rizale…” Robert whispered to himself.

“Ye- yeah… That guy,” Kris tried to laugh as his nervousness emanated from him.

Marian recalled a significant event that changed her life.

Her history as a mage has taught her the evils of Rizale, and she became a mage who excelled because of her belief that she was a vanguard against evil. Slowly, she rose up Dragnir’s ranks and became one of the most sought-after fire mages, gaining fame and influence.

During her time with the Royal Battle Mages, they went on a quest. They were to examine a rune left behind by Dragnir on what was reported to be his old base, way before his founding of the country.

Dragnir's old base became a dungeon throughout the years, and it was only a stroke of luck that they even had a clue about its whereabouts. Marian and her team was able to find the rune and after a few weeks were able to decipher bits of its purpose.

It was a cursing rune of the void magic variety. The magic wasn’t made to damage or affect the physical body, but it was meant to transport a soul to another realm while binding it to its original dimension. Her team thought about its implications.

They first argued that it was meant to revive Dragnir in the future, but they shoved away that theory because the spell, once invoked, was meant to take effect immediately.

During that time, as they were making their way back to the capital, Marian realized something. There was no other person whom Dragnir would use this on, even if you included the heroes. There was only one person in mind.

She told her team about her theory, and after a bout of discussion, they all decided on one thing.

‘Let’s just keep this to ourselves.’

Dragnir’s founder and namesake is someone who served as the foundation to her country and Ensfell as a whole. The Royal Family are direct descendants of Dragnir, and if any of this discovery was leaked to the world, then the political backlash would be immense, the implications grand.

Needless to say, Marian felt lost in her way as a mage during that time. If their benefactor decided to revive the very same King of Demons that wreaked havoc on Ensfell, then what was the point of it all?

She felt as if all her beliefs as a mage were built on the foundations of a conspiracy, so she left the Royal Battle Mages. Thankfully, that was also the time she met Robert, and she joined him as they both dabbled in merchantry.

Of course, Robert knew all about this.

“At first I had no intentions of telling you both about this,” Kris said.

“However, you might’ve realized that my acting skills aren't really that impressive,” Kris chuckled, though it was a nervous one. “Even I thought that there were obvious slip-ups here and there, and honestly, it was quite a chore and bother."

Marian and Robert both smiled weakly as they recalled Kris’ usual fumbles, unbeknownst to them.

“I thought that if I’d tell you, then I at least don’t want to hide anything. Quite frankly…” Kris’ tone then became sharp.

“I’m stronger than even you, mom,” Sweat trickled down Marian’s forehead. If Kris’ story is true, which she at this point didn’t doubt was, then there was no mistaking it. It helped that Kris was releasing bits of his mana and directing it towards her, and she could feel her mana core getting shaken and disturbed.

“So, well… I realized that it’d be far better for us to start anew,” Kris said as his mana reeled back into his body, allowing Marian some breathing space. She looked over to Robert and saw that his face was pale.

“Like I said before, I was a musician. I became a musician simply because I learned that there was beauty in life, and I wanted to communicate that through music. My family back then were awesome musicians themselves,” Kris said as he raised his chin “so you could say I was inspired by them. It’s funny but… I think that was what Dragnir wanted me to learn,” He then locked his gaze with Marian.

Marian feared Rizale. Even when she recounted the history books, she shivered. But even though right now, she was speaking to a boy who claimed to be the very same figure she loathed, she felt different.

His eyes were soft as he looked at her, and his tone felt very familiar to her ears.

Instead of wanting to bolt out the door or fry this young man’s face with flames, she even leaned in closer, her heart feeling at ease for the boy confessing about his problems to his parents.

“What were you taught about our relationship?” Kris asked.

“Your relationship? What do you mean?”

“My relationship with Dragnir,” Kris clarified.

Marian scrunched her eyes in thought.

“According to historians, you were, to describe crudely, opposite sides of the coin. They said that Dragnir believed in the prosperity of Ensfell, while Rizale… you were simply hellbent on destruction.”

Kris nodded. Marian flinched. Robert was visibly getting more nervous about the direction of their conversation.

“That is true. But what I’m asking about is our relationship. How were we described by these history books?”

“...you were sworn enemies. That the constant battles ended in enmity between the two of you,” she described.

Kris shook his head.

“That’s wrong.”

Marian was perplexed. How was that conclusion wrong?

“We were best friends to put it bluntly.”

“Best… friends?” How were the two most powerful mages who did all they could to be a thorn to each other’s side be the best of friends? Marian couldn’t comprehend.

“That’s right. We grew up together, both of us having no parents and taken in by a more powerful nomadic tribe. We became strong together, and we developed dreams of creating an impact on Ensfell. Though, as we both grew in power, we also grew apart in terms of our ideals…”

Marian faintly nodded. Strangely, she just recalled that apart from the time when Kris exerted his mana earlier, she wasn’t feeling fear or anxiety. She wasn’t sure about Robert, though.

“What Dragnir saw was potential in other people. He despised the nomadic culture that Ensfell had normalized back then. He wanted to create a community that realized individual potential, together. As for me, I was caught up. I saw potential only in myself. As such, we separated,” Kris said before sighing.

“Of course in line with that, I quickly became a force that threatened to shatter his very dreams. While he looked for and developed talented people and was slowly trying to create the structure of society, I simply increased both my magical power and my killcount. To put it simply, though in the final battle I was injured quite severely, it would have been impossible to outright kill me. I could escape anytime,” Kris revealed.

Marian tried to sum up her previous knowledge of that legendary final battle. It was described as a bloodbath, with casualties amounting to thousands in a single night, all because of a single man. By the end of the battle, the Heroes were able to injure Rizale enough and Dragnir struck the final blow, ending the nomadic era.

“But Dragnir knew me better than anyone else. He knew that until I was literally at my last breath, I would still try to force my way through him and his heroes. That’s why he devised a plan. Instead of trying to kill me… he used void magic to send me to another world as soon as there was an opening in my magical defenses, but not before telling me of what to expect,” Kris then dropped his body to the soft cushions of the bed as he closed his eyes.

“So, what do you plan to do now? Not as who you were, but as Kris… Kris Raven?” Marian asked as Robert straightened his back.

Kris spared a look at Robert before turning back to Marian. He then closed his eyes.

“I want to thank Dragnir for the gift he’s given me. I want to be the safeguard of this era like he hoped for me to be, but even more than that, I want to help push Ensfell to the direction that’s at least similar to Earth. I don’t plan on making too drastic of changes, I wasn’t a scientist or an actual businessman before so I wouldn’t even know how, but I want to influence the leaders of this continent to begin envisioning such a future. For that, I need to succeed in my own way,” Kris explained. "In a way, I just want to do what I need to."

Robert and Marian looked towards each other, confirming their thoughts.

“Is that why you chose the Raven family?” Marian found herself chuckling.

“What?” Kris yelped. “No, of course not,” Kris shook his head. “I didn’t even know where to go when I first got to the orphanage. It was a stroke of luck and well… Claire… she’s cute. I’ve never had a sister before,” Kris said while his cheeks flushed red as he scratched his nose.

Yep, definitely not a kid.Even Robert was chuckling by then.

“It’s true that the Raven family is powerful. A bit more powerful than what I first imagined,” Kris said.

“Well, of course. Who do you think is the patriarch of the family?” Robert exclaimed as he puffed out his chest.

“Ohhh? I thought it was mom who did all the work,” Kris teased.

“Hah!” Robert snickered. “Your mom is the one who talks to clients mainly, but the true brains of the business is none other than me!” He exclaimed.

“Oh dear, you can’t deny that having such a powerful mage for a wife certainly helped you,” Marian argued.

“Tch,” Robert scratched his head.

Marian sighed playfully, before turning back to Kris.

“It seems that, even through your circumstances, you managed to change. I find that admirable.” Marian said as Kris shrugged. "But what do you plan to do for yourself?" Marian asked, unaware that her tone shifted to a more nurturing one.

"Myself?"

"You may be Dragnir's closest friend, but you never really found out about what he was like during the establishment of civilization. I'm not saying that I know but... I think the reason why he put you through that spell was for you to start having real happiness," she beamed.

Kris smiled back, finding he couldn't disagree. That was a lot like how Dragnir did things. “It was funny, you know? How I asked my parents back then why there was no magic in Earth. How they laughed in endearment. How they found my curiosity cute. How in due time… I forgot that I was actually a madman bent on destruction.”

“How was it then? Being a musician?” Robert suddenly asked. There was a faint smile in his expression, and though he was still a bit pale, there was a protective strength in his eyes as he gazed on the relaxed Kris.

Kris sat up excitedly.

“It was a blast, dad!” He flailed his arms around, like a kid his age. “I got to write a lot of songs, and then there were millions of people who became my fans! Though one thing I hated was this other vocalist because he was simply too narcissistic, and he kept trying to one-up me,” Kris said as he snorted. Marian noticed that at times, Kris did act like a kid. This was the only thing bothering her, but on the flipside, it actually made her feel connected to Kirke more.

“Then there was…” Kris’ eyes then became solemn as he looked up. The sharpness in his eyes dulled.

“On the day that I proposed to the one who showed me the beauty of life, was the day I died there,” tears were slowly collecting and falling from Kris’ eyes.

“She was really beautiful, you know? Though she was quite a nag. I’ve never been scolded so much even by my parents there. But days were always fun when I was with her, and she was the first person to ever listen to new songs I had written,” Kris’ was outright crying now, his voice feeling weaker.

Marian unconsciously bent over to hug him. Kris didn’t budge, but he even put his arms around Marian, too.

“I promised her that I’ll always see the best in people. That I would be their light, as much as she had been for me. Even now, I still want to be true to that promise,” Marian nodded. She at least was starting to understand now.

Their son isn’t a feared mage of old. He was now simply a boy with dreams named Kris. There was no doubt in that. Marian decided that she’d support him, and help him realize his dreams.

She looked over to Robert, only to see him tearing up as well. Marian chuckled a bit, as Kris continued to cry. So much for not wanting to act like a kid, Marian thought.

Marian felt her expression soften. It was weird even now, but she felt that she still could accept him as her son.

“It’s…” Robert sniffed. “It’s alright, son…” Robert put his arms around both Kris and Marian, not wanting to be left out. “We’re now here for you.”

Marian felt her heart jump with joy and anticipation. Truly, it felt like they were now a family. Albeit, with a mage that had the potential to level any country to the ground.