Chapter 6: Homunculi Ritual Arc – The Strange Acceptance

Lazlo lost sight of his homunculi once the class was over. At first, he thought of activating the Geas on his doll to bring her back to him. But strangely he felt the presence of his doll nearing him. So there was no need to do it. He thought that the doll will have the same expression as usual when she comes. But he was betrayed.

“Hello, Master.”

A smile, unlike her usual masked one. It was so feminine and hopeful that he was dazzled for a moment. The thought of wanting the doll as a consort came to his mind. But he dispelled the thought. Straightened his golden hair, and looked at the doll with an icy face.

“Where have you been doll?”

“Somewhere useless, nothing that should make Master worry about, it was merely the doll’s last whims.”

Lazlo’s mouth turns frown listening to Melina’s bland yet cheery voice. Something was different that he could not help but wonder. What did the doll?

“Speak clearly. Do not tell me lies doll.”

He brought up his palm and revealed a sigil that controls the Geas Curse on Melina. Seeing the sigil brought up, Melina merely smiled and readied herself to reveal her true feelings. The sigil lit up, the energy of light then connected to the Geas on Melina, making her obey.

“Speak clearly.”

“I merely went to see a foolish magus. It was so foolish that this doll was amused.

Melina spoke mechanically. Hearing her, Lazlo thought that it made sense. He has been seeing the doll watching the foolish magus. And there was no way that she could lie when faced with the sigil on his palm. So Lazlo accepted her reply.

“Very well, I hope that you haven’t said anything unnecessary.”

“I didn’t say anything of course master.”

Still, under control by the Sigil, Melina answered. She didn’t say any lie and her feelings after seeing something worth seeing in her life made the Sigil’s command useless on her. She was truly feeling heartfelt that it didn’t matter what the Sigil’s effect on her. The Sigil registered it as not a lie so thus she spoke the truth.

“I am glad that you have been satisfied. But tonight the ritual will commence. Your short role as a student will be over, you will be given as a sacrifice to the platform of souls, and be the conduit that will allow us to test the mettle of the top class knights. As a man of the Berg family who is among those that will preside the ritual, we have done this ritual for generations. So I expect that you will put up a great performance doll.”

“I understand Master.”

“Good, now go back to your quarters. Spend the day gazing upon what you want to gaze. This is the mercy the Noble House of Berg can give to you. Use it well, for you are excellent doll, one that would allow us to rise up further in the art of homunculi creation.”

“I thank Master for this Mercy.”

“Now go, I shall prepare the ritual along with the instructors.”

“I bid Master Goodbye.”

Lazlo fans his fingers, sending Melina away. As ordered, she turns her back, went down a pathway that leads to the entrance of the Academy. Her back disappearing out of sight, Lazlo made a sigh. The Homunculi Doll named Melina has been one of the greatest dolls that they have ever made. Due to this, the Doll was more human-like, making Lazlo odd. The inferior dolls that were created before Melina had lack of Empathy and sentience will. But with Melina’s creation, the Homunculi doll creation has progressed more than expected. As one of the many sons’ of the Berg Family, a family consists of a large clan that has a private army of cold-blooded Homunculi. Lazlo was already sure that he would get used to a doll. But Melina was different, so different that it made him feel many odd emotions he shouldn’t be having to a mere doll.

“I shouldn’t be having this emotion.”

He could only crumple his face. His eyes pointed down at the floor, and unconsciously he gritted his teeth. The time he spent with Melina flashed on his head. Three years ago he was introduced to Melina, as her ‘guardian’. As a guardian, he had to cultivate Melina and allow her to part of the ritual of mettle that will happen tonight. For three years he has resisted the temptations of ravaging her well-crafted body. Preserving the doll’s chastity would allow her to be a more pure conduit untainted by fleshly desire. As a man, he was truly charmed by Melina’s beauty, even as Homunculi she stood out for her different facades of emotion. She had this rare kind of charm that the other fish-like dolls wouldn’t do.

It has been discussed many times by his elders if they should keep Melina. But since the testing of mettle was important, and there were many noble heirs that would be attending to the test of mettle. The Berg Family couldn’t let this chance go and delivered their greatest creation to the sacrifice. They can always make another ‘Melina’ and so the elders agreed.

Lazlo became the escort for Melina. And today, on this fateful night he would have to part with the beautiful doll that he has grown accustomed to being with. His heart aches, he could not believe that he would have such ‘odd’ feelings to a doll. But even so, Lazlo could not bear to disregard his family’s orders. That is why he hardened his heart.

He fixed his expression back to normal. He turned his heart cold and his mind as hard as tin. He cannot risk his noble standing for the sake of a doll. His elders were right and believing that he could harden his heart. Melina the ‘doll’ can be recreated. So there was no need for him to worry. He fooled himself with that thought. And thus, he went to the place where the instructors are, in order to discuss the ritual.

Sena readied herself for the ritual of mettle. Armed in her battle dress, chess armor, pauldron and importantly her sword, she was ready to bear the brunt of mettle. The ritual’s process has been formally introduced to her. She heard that they will be using a living sacrifice as a conduit to call the knight souls that would test them. Hearing the ‘live sacrifice’ part ticked some parts of Sena. Luckily the instructor that did it told Sena that it was merely a living doll, a Homunculi. Hearing that eased Sena, it was a mere doll anyway so there was no need to bother.

“I shall win this ritual with ease.”

She said that confidently, not minding the other nobles across the room. The room she is in was filled with four nobles. A noble with golden hair, who’s from a normal noble family of warriors, named Kale, a gray haired noble, that is a genius when it comes to both bow and sword, named Dane. The brown haired lady, who’s a capable lance wielder, that came from a family of royal guards named, Valera. And finally, the black haired noble who had a gloomy look, but is from a family of assassins that made their name in killing generals, and high-ranking demi human's, named Saul.

They heard Sena pretty well. But they could not refute her due to her family standings. No idiot would dare provoke a Saclea, that was a given. But, there was one who didn’t care. Valera who was from a royal guard family had the same standing as the Saclea’s. She was from the Asmara family, a family known for their vast cavalry and skill in the spear.

“Brave words; let’s see if you can indeed match me.”

“Ah, it seems a bug has entered the room, buzzing something useless again.”

Sena with her mouth has put Valera into place. Valera shook like a leaf, her body quivering with anger. The three male in the room looked odd at the two arguing, they didn’t dare to join in the fight against the two powerhouses.

“I am leaving; I shall wait for the fight, not babble to a sore dog.”

“You!”

Valera was mad, yet she was unable to stop Sena’s stride. Sena went out of the room and instead she went into the half wall near the pathway. Her eyes pointed at the clear field, in the there, where there are sands there was someone that was sitting listlessly looking at the crimson skies.

The crimson light illuminated Sena’s face. Her brows rose up, and three lines appeared on her forehead. She saw the odd man in the fields, looking at the auburn-haired young man lying down like a fool, she thought badly. How one can be so lazy, she internally said, pondering how a commoner wastes his time in a dirty field.

“How uncaring, no wonder commoners stay as commoners.”

Sena said. Looking at the auburn-haired young man she didn’t know about. He looks familiar to her, and rummaging her head, she remembered that it was the same fool who got into trouble with a minor noble. She pondered for a while, her head finally remembering the foolish magus.

“So that was him?”

Sena looked at the foolish magus on the field.

“Indeed, how foolish.”

She said, sneering.

...

Arden stared at the sky. His vacant eyes that lost color during that fiery night, is reflecting the sky. Deep in thought, he recalled the expression that the noble gave him, it was so sweet yet he knew that there was something going on with that smile. A smile, it was self-acceptance at best, as if she found salvation, and decided to walk the path that leads to her demise. Arden was familiar with such smiles, he may be someone that people avoid, but he knew the faces that people make when he helps them. Some would look at him with suspicion wondering why he would help them. Some think he was after rewards, and some think that he had other motives.

While some, who carries a heavy weight on their chest would look like that. Accepting their demise, turning their back on salvation, letting their selves be drag into hell for a stupid bit of hope. They are the kind of people that Arden just can’t leave alone even if it kills him. His foster father was a fool, that would help people yet no one understands him. He was a man-child, yearning only for his simple dream of saving others.

Arden was the same as his foster father. Or least he inherited the foolish principles of that sinful father. So, Arden closed his eyes again, he felt his heart thump, his follow body only meant for helping others began to rumble with life.

“It can’t be helped then. My heart wouldn’t be at ease I don’t ask her what’s wrong.”

He stood up.

His vacant eyes lit up with a golden fiery light.

His lax posture disappeared.

His foolishness subsided back into his shell.

Clenching his hand, what was left standing in the field of sands was Arden being illuminated with the light from the sun. His eyes were full of life. He didn’t have any of that attitude he had and if someone would see him. They would wonder where that foolish figure has gone.

A resolve formed in the heart of Arden.

A simple resolve in the name of helping someone he barely knows, a selfish wanting of a person who died who once died in a fire, who was then reborn into someone that can be leaned on, someone who can extend his hand to those who are suffering.

Arden steeled his heart out of foolishness. Thus, he was ready to find that person again and asked what was wrong. Even if he was rejected, Arden would help that person.

Thus Arden begins his foolish quest.