Hiro looked towards the tent’s entrance where the silhouette of a knight stood, waiting for permission to enter. Maximillian was still sitting in his stool, dazed and with a vacant look. After a few moments, the mage came to and let the knight in, who stood before them at attention. It was Knight Captain Bhalrom. He looked a bit perplexed as to the situation, seeing Hiro’s confused expression and the mage’s distant look.

“Sir Eisenwald, we’ve received order to return to the castle and report our findings. Have you understood the youth’s origins?” (Bhalrom)

“His name is Hiro. The least we can do is call him by his name, can’t we?” (Maximillian)

A bit bewildered, Bhalrom tilted his head, before nodding. It was reasonable enough. Though he did find it odd how the great mage was showing deference to a young man who looked to be barely off his mother’s teat.

“Then it’s settled… I have confidence that there will be no more events like previously.” (Maximillian)

“If you don’t mind my asking, how have you come to that conclusion?” (Bhalrom)

“It would appear that the cause has left the forest. As for the cause… Well, that’s still something to think about from now on.” (Maximillian)

“And the youth - Hiro - have you found out anything? Is he really from a foreign land?” (Bhalrom)

“Well, he is certainly not from these lands.” (Maximillian)

“That’s right. These lands, everything and everyone is unfamiliar to me. Neither of us seem to understand how I ended up here, unfortunately.” (Hiro)

“That may be something that will take a long time to discover…” (Maximillian)

“Is that so? Well, I believe the King may want to meet you, Hiro. As the only discovery during these tremors, I believe that warrants a visitation.” (Bhalrom)

“Of course, only if you agree to come with us, Hiro.” (Maximillian)

While Bhalrom seemed to be treating Hiro as a commoner who had little importance aside from his sudden appearance at this time, Maximillian was being more polite and treating him with respect, making sure to allow him to have a say in things. A bit flustered inside at Bhalrom’s dismissive attitude, he was still gazing at the youth with a look in his eye, knowing that Hiro would understand the look. Think hard about your decision.

On the other hand, Hiro was looking between the two, trying to decipher the attitude of the mage. He was showing respect and understanding to him ever since that magic test. As for the look, he had certainly noticed it straight away. He would have thought hard about it regardless.

While he wasn’t too keen on the prospect of being involved with royalty, nobility and politics, he couldn’t straight out deny the proposal. He was un an unknown world. No connections. No knowledge about the world. No assets. The mage was implying that there was more benefits for him than just going to see the King. Making connections, finding a living, learning new things.

On top of that, he could figure that this mage was quite wise and respected in comparison to everyone else, and is someone he should get to know better. He also seemed to understand him better than anyone else, so the benefits were currently outweighing the negatives. With a sigh, Hiro scratched the back on his head as he responded.

“Well, there’s no reason to say no. I’m lost in these lands with nothing but my clothes after all. Besides, I wouldn’t like to disappear without returning the favor for the help and the pendant.” (Hiro)

“Good thinking. You would earn a lot of ire if you sleighted the great Magus Eisenwald. You should be honored and respectful to be in his presence.” (Bhalrom)

“Magus? Is that a title in these lands?” (Hiro)

While Bhalrom seemed a bit annoyed at the youth for being so loose and casual with his words towards the great Magus, he couldn’t be too angry as he was reminded that Hiro had come from far away. With his words, it seemed as if the title of “Magus” was unfamiliar to him and his origins. Conflicted over whether to vehemently educate the youth on its meaning, and understanding that it couldn’t be helped since it was a land and culture he was unfamiliar with, he tried his best to be understanding.

Hiro, of course, had realized by the way Bhalrom spoke of a “Magus” with such reverence meant it was something to be held in high regard, possibly on the level of royalty. With this noted, he did his best to speak in a way that would not anger the Knight Captain for his lack of knowledge about the world. It truly couldn’t be helped after all.

Seeing this happen on the side, Maximillian gave a gentle smile as he spoke up to the both of them.

“It’s just a title. No need to worry about it, Hiro. Bhalrom, please remember that he comes from a distant land, and things are very unfamiliar for him. There are a lot of things he may not know, and cultural difference may become apparent in time. You remember how much trouble occurred when humans and elves interacted for the first time, right?” (Maximillian)

“Yes, you are right. I remember being told the stories. Elves felt insulted when humans began hunting in their sacred grounds, and humans were offended when they were tried under Elven Law.”

Listening in, Hiro heard this piece of history, and began to extrapolate from it as much information as he could subconsciously, causing his mind and thoughts to go chaotic. Zoning out again with his head drifting, he began to think and dwell on things, creating hypotheses. In his mind, he began to create a general understanding of humans and elves, using previous knowledge to create possibilities, and backing them up with further examples, over and over.

While this was going on, Maximillian noticed that the youth had lost focus again, but this time he understood a little bit why it was happening.

“Bhalrom, let’s go outside, shall we?” (Maximillian)

Nodding, the two left the tent and went a bit of a distance away, leaving Hiro to his thoughts. Sitting down together at a dwindling campfire, they began to speak a bit more about what is to happen in the future.

“Bhalrom. Listen closely. That youth, Hiro. He is to be the King’s Guest. You understand what that means, as a Royal Knight, don’t you? Furthermore, I’ll keep him under my protection and take responsibility for him. That shouldn’t cause a problem.” (Maximillian)

“I understand, Maximillian. But, why do you go so far for him?” (Bhalrom)

“Have you already forgotten? Forget about where he came from. What matters is that he is here, now, in an unfamiliar land, with no means of communication other than that pendant around his neck.” (Maximillian)

The mage’s words were spoken lightly, but Bhalrom felt like they were quite heavy on his mind. He hadn’t forgotten the details spoken, but he hadn’t thought about what that implied. Staring at the embers of the fire, his mind spun as he realized what had been hiding in plain sight.

A man from an unfamiliar land, lost, who knows how far away from home or how he got here. No social status or local knowledge. No ability to speak the local language. Exhausted from the ordeal and possibly struggling to come to terms with his new environment, and the possibility that he may never return home.

He didn’t know for sure about everything, but at the very least, there was more to this than what appears on the surface. By making him the King’s Guest, means to show him courtesy befitting of such a thing, and showing respect to him. By being under the protection of the great Magus, he was in a position to receive a boon vastly superior than what he would gain alone as a commoner with nothing, avoiding the struggles that could possibly tear him apart otherwise. Being with the Magus also came with the freedom to choose his own path in the future, rather than be given no options at all.

With a look of having come to understand all this, Bhalrom’s face contorted into that of agony. For a man so young, barely above a boy, to be forced into this situation, was not a pleasant thing. And he knew better than any just how dark and cruel the world could be to those who were lost.

All of a sudden, they heard humming coming from the tent behind them. Like a slow ballad, they closed their eyes and enjoyed the tune, before it eventually ended, being replaced with Hiro as he exited the tent, having brought clarity to his mind.

“I’ll be helping the men prepare for the journey tomorrow. Hiro, if there is anything we can do for you, I will do my best to help you.” (Bhalrom)

With a slight bow to him, the Knight Captain left the two to their own things as he left. Watching him go, Hiro sat down next to the mage in front of the firepit. While it was a hot day and he was still wearing his winter clothes, he didn’t mind it too much at this point. Sweating while he was fat felt gross, but now that he was thin again? It was pleasant in comparison. The fire had probably been used to cook a meal.

“I see you defused the situation before it even started. Quick thinking. Nicely done, you trickster.” (Maximillian)

“Can’t beat you, though. After all, didn’t you just give him a talking to? He looked much more accepting of me than before. Sly old man, Maximillian.” (Hiro)

“Just Max is fine, Hiro.” (Max)

With a smile and nod at each other, they looked at the embers together for a moment. Maybe it was something unique to those with high levels on intellect and wisdom, but they felt a sort of bond between each other. For Max, he had found someone with an intellect rivalling, even exceeding his own, for the first in a long time. As for Hiro, he found Max to be someone who he could trust, even if temporarily. Still, no one knew what the future holds.

Looking at the sky, it seemed that night was about to fall. Hiro had not woken up that quickly when he was found, so it was already approaching dusk when he awoke. They headed back to the mage’s tent, grabbing some jerky to have for a snack until it was time to cook a meal. Sitting down on stools across from each other again, Max had a more relaxed expression on as he started to talk.

“Your mind doesn’t match your appearance. If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you truly?” (Max)

“I had just turned 31. Though I now look closer to 19 now. You seem to have figured out a bit about my situation. Was it when you did that mana reading on me? I take it that had the side effect of reading my memories.” (Hiro)

“Well, at least you’re not angry. I thank you for your cooperation, by the way. That mana reading only gave me a short glimpse. Coincidentally, are you young where you come from?” (Max)

“Nah, not so much. For a healthy living, it would only be a third of my life. Life expectancy for a healthy person is around 90 years.” (Hiro)

“Sounds like a good place to live. Life expectancy for humans here is about 45 years, maybe 70 depending on their lifestyle.” (Max)

“It’s a pleasant place. But there’s always two sides of a coin.” (Hiro)

“As expected of someone with such a vast amount of knowledge… That is a great saying. The meaning behind such a simple phrase to be so deep.” (Max)

“Maybe you can help me understand. You were reading my magic amount, my mana pool in other words. What does that have to do with knowledge?” (Hiro)

“I see. I need to start the explanation from there. You see, Hiro. In this world, a person’s mana pool is directly proportional to their knowledge. With a long life, one can gain more knowledge, and in return, have a larger mana pool. And yours is extraordinary. You could also say, out of this world.” (Max)

With a light chuckle from the both of them, they continued talking in between bites of jerky and sips of water from waterskins.

“From what you’ve told me, that would mean a manatrine measure this mana pool, but when such a large source came into contact with it, it overloaded and exploded. As if trying to shove vast amounts of water into a waterskin that is already full, or trying to move a boulder by throwing glass or another rock at it, causing them to burst or shatter.” (Hiro)

“Truly a quick one to understand. Yes, those are great analogies. I might also add, before you ask, that it doesn’t matter that your knowledge doesn’t come from this world. A desert tree and a bog tree may not be alike, but they are still trees. The same applies to knowledge.” (Max)

“That makes sense. Just like how both in this world and where I came from, a fire can still be started by burning logs. What did you happen to see in my mind? I’m curious about what you saw.” (Hiro)

“I do apologize for that. It was a shameful thing to do, but I had to be sure of who you are, and determine whether you were a threat. I should start by saying that I had to use all my own mana to encompass yours, and still couldn’t manage it, or even cause yours to react. I had to forcefully invade yours to even get a reaction. While it gave me a glimpse of your mind, the backlash really knocked the wind out of me. You felt that rejection, right? Where it seemed like we had been repulsed.” (Max)

“Yeah, I felt it. So that’s what those sensations were…” (Hiro)

“Well, it seems you have a talent for detecting and possibly even manipulating mana as well.” (Max)

Looking at the youth with a surprised expression, it soon turned to one of genuine enjoyment. To find a talent like this was more than a miracle. As a scholar, and as a Magus, he would love to see how Hiro grows from now on.

“I wasn’t able to decipher everything I saw, and even the things that I did see, I don’t understand. Massive battlefields. Hundreds, maybe thousands on them. Different places, different times. Sometimes watching everything as if in the sky, sometimes in the thick of it. Weapons of unknown design and power, magic the likes I’ve never seen, even weapon and body skills of which would rival masters. Fighting against untold enemies of various kinds. Evil, Good, Neutral, Beast, Godlike, Devil, Monster, Metal constructs. Even combat in space between huge masses of metal firing magic pillars of light at each other. The destruction of worlds.

And it wasn’t limited to this. I saw glimpses of you among people, nothing to do with the gore and bloody carnage I had seen before. These ones involved many, many people, many faces of both genders, interacting, fighting, falling in love, becoming friends. There was so much running through your mind at all times, and I could only catch a small burst of information, giving me a look at a map, but not being able to see the details on the map to scale. I understand why you lose focus. Your mind, in so much turmoil, constantly going through complicated and interconnected thoughts. It was… overwhelming, to say the least. It took me a long while to organize all the information that he pierced my brain…” (Max)

“...” (Hiro)

Hiro observed the mage, seeing that he had gone pale, and his facial expression a mix of confusion, awe, fear, and excitement. Waiting for Max to get a hold of himself, Hiro chucked another piece of jerky in his mouth. It was salted too much, and made his mouth dry. Regaining his composure, Max continued speaking.

“Aside from the memories I saw, there was also your knowledge. I didn’t see anything, or even understand anything, but I just felt just a deep chasm, an abyss of information within you…

Hiro… What are you?” (Max)

Shaking his head, Hiro looked the mage in the eyes as he spoke slowly.

“What you saw, most likely they were all not of myself. Judging by my world’s history, and from what you’ve said and what I’ve seen, I presume that knowledge here is guarded and kept secret. In my world, knowledge is shared freely, and can be easily spread. Too much had been lost by withholding such information. What you glimpsed at, was the collective knowledge of our world. The imagination and creativity, as well as creations of our world. By being free to think and create, many stories were made. Not based on reality, but entirely a fantasy. This is what you saw.” (Hiro)

“Then going by what you’ve said, with knowledge being freely available… this world must be quite desolate. You’re right; people keep their knowledge secret, and it gets lost in time. Everything I saw appeared so real and vivid… It’s hard to imagine. While I understand you are speaking truthfully, it’s hard to come to terms with…

Does that mean that even young children learn things that may be considered highly advanced magic studies here?” (Max)

“I understand what you’re getting at. Yeah. From a young age, most children are educated on what we consider common knowledge, and as they grow up, they can choose to learn more advanced things, or go out and look for work. There’s no distinction between people. The caste system had long been gone, no longer used. Everyone is equal. Or at least that’s what they try to promote.” (Hiro)

“... I’d love to live there… As a scholar, in the pursuit of knowledge… And also as an old man with a fondness for the growing generation.” (Max)

Hiro stared at the Magus. Truly, he did seem like someone who had seen a lot in life, and would find pleasure in the younger generation. To see young children growing up with smiles. Even he himself would smile at the sight of kindergarteners playing games happily and getting along, not a trouble in the world.

Max in turn was gazing at Hiro. The words that came out of the youth’s mouth sounded like that of a sage; full of wisdom and experience, bestowing knowledge unto others. He felt comfortable with him, with someone who was as much an intellect as himself. It had been a long time since he had found someone with the wisdom and insight to be able to discuss the mysteries of the world with. He felt like they could become great friends, despite their age difference. While Max may be superior when it comes to age, he felt inferior when it came to knowledge. But he wasn’t sad or angry at that. It was a refreshing feeling, like being young again, when he was first learning about the world.

Coming to a decision, Max stood up.

“Hiro, let’s go for a walk. I want to show you my Magic.”