Prologue: Daichi (Part 2 of 2)

“Daichi! Are you coming down!?”

Oh, I think I got caught up thinking about, well, I guess nothing. So another day begins. I’m 17 and I have school. Monotonous and mundane.

I brush my teeth, clean myself up, but on my uniform, which is black pants and, a dress shirt and the school tie and rush downstairs before the old man takes off.

“What is it dad? You’re normally less enthusiastic in the mornings” I ask him wondering if there’s a reason for him yelling.

“Yes well, I have something to talk to you about. Okay well, I’ve decided to go on a trip with some of my old friends from college. It seems that one of them wants to talk to me about working as a professor at his university” my dad mentions as he tries to hide the pride in his voice.

I gaze at him a little surprised, “Hey wow! That’s good to hear! You can pay the house bill this month after all! Maybe!”

My dad brushes off my comment as if it was nothing “Eh… Responsibility is important Dai. I thought I taught you better than to mock your elders and to make light of a man’s responsibilities”

“Ah. I was kidding. I was trying to joke around with you dad.” I look at him from the corner of my eyes and I can tell that despite the calm words… He’s being reserved.

He’s always reserved around me… As if he’s never been comfortable in my presence.

“Oh. Well then, good job, you got me! Haha! You jokester! So yes, I’ll be gone for the next 3 days, I’m going to travel to the Capital over via the portal in the city in the next city over, I should be back in 3 days so I expect you to remember everything I’ve taught you. Everything Daichi.” even as he says the words he’s all but basically out of the door not really giving me a chance to do anything but agree.

Throwing out my best ‘good boy smile’ I wave at him (not that he’s looking back) and tell him what I figure he wants to hear “Jeeze, of course I’ll remember. Be nice to others, do what you would do for someone else and generally stick to myself if I don’t need to get involved”

“Okay! Good! I’ll be off then, have a good day at school and remember everything!” he waves one of his hands at me dismissively as he closes the door behind me without looking.

Responsible but aloof. I would imagine you would need to take a resume, or look professional or something, but the old man just walks out the door like it’s a regular ol’ Tuesday. Ugh. I wondered whether this would be the last time I would ever see him.

Don’t get me wrong, It’s not like I have some sort of ominous feeling that’s left me wondering something particularly life changing and important. I’ always think that every time I see him leave. It’s normal to me for some reason.

I grab a few granola bars and head off to school. I’m half way there when I decide that I’m going to change my routine. If everything and everyday is boring, then I’m going to change that myself. I’ll do something interesting today. I can’t imagine what that’ll be but I’ll give it a try hah.

Although it doesn’t take me long to realize there just isn’t much to do in our town and since I don’t really have any friends it’s not like I can just ask someone to do something with me. So instead of going to school I head off to the largest (albeit only) library in out town. Which is also pretty much next to the school.

We have less than 9000 people living here in our town and we’re on the outskirts of a city. In fact we’re on the outskirts of everything near the mountains. If it weren’t for “The Portals” which allow us to just go anywhere else where another “friendly” (they’re all friendly) portal is. There’s only in every capital city in all 7 Kingdoms and a few in other major cities. They’ were created years ago by some of the strongest magic casters when Mana was stronger in the atmosphere. Our town which is considered a city solely because it has an Adventurer’s that is still in service has moderate resources. We live away from others but we have more freedom, we are surrounded by nature and most people love having the best of both worlds. They live in the country but have access to the city.

I don’t feel the same way. I figure if I at least lived somewhere else I’d have a better opportunity to see something interesting happen, but I guess that’s unlikely either way so it doesn’t much matter to me. I used to enjoy going to the town’s library. Until I read most of the history books, and what I was mostly allowed to read. Unfortunately every library is on lock down and everyone has limited access. Access is limited to general public use, and then the guild rank cards. You can access knowledge based on your rank in the adventurer’s guild. All the libraries (all the ones older than 600 years old) have this magical restriction. They were built that way. As peace settled the newer libraries were built without these magical restrictions, but as such, the knowledge in these libraries is also severely limited so it may as well be the same thing. I wanted to join the adventurer’s guild even though I thought leveling up would be extremely hard considering the limited opportunities but my dad wouldn’t let me.

Tch. “Well it is what it is, maybe I’ll find a hidden book somewhere though!” I yell in frustration and determination!

My own words were the last things I heard before everything around me went dark.