—Present Day: Ilifelen calendar, year 5212, Hishen, 6th
It's been about a week since Alum returned to HQ. He'd previously been briefed about the upcoming operation regarding the ruins near the Forest of Lidande.
The suspicious Dark Grasp outburst from before seemed to have come from within those ruins. Now that the area had been cleared, a camp had been set up near those ruins. An advanced team had already entered, having cleared the first 5 layers.
"I didn't tell you this before since it hadn't been decided at the time, but you'll be working closely with Emerine Ilis and Ethym Ilis," Rigeld said, handing Alum some files.
"…"
Alum looked at the info-slate, scrolling as he skimmed the contents.
"I see. So, after finding out that a Wanderer would be involved, they decided to request one in particular."
"That's right. As you read, they were involved with the Dark Grasp case back in Meain. Although the findings from that time had been handed over to bio specialists, advanced magitech was discovered; there were ancient texts combined with hieroglyphs, too, and based on the geo data gathered, the ruins are approximately around 50-thousand years old."
"And so, with a Wanderer's blessing, they'll have an easier time translating what's depicted?" Alum asked, already knowing the answer.
Rigeld crossed his arms and nodded.
"That's right. From our understanding, your blessings allow you to understand, communicate, and even write in this world's languages. From past observations of previous Wanderers, you should still be blessed by The Light."
"That's correct. I picked up a random book from the south and was able to read it just fine; their old dictionary wasn't an issue either."
"That's good," Rigeld replied, leaning back on his chair. "Also, this is just protocol, but keep a close eye on the Ilis pair. Basically, you'll be their guide for the 2-day stay at HQ."
"…"
Alum turned to Alver, who silently nodded.
"Well, they're here to see their daughters but also you, for the most part." Rigeld shrugged. "This is between us, but I heard they canceled a bunch of non-emergency projects just to participate in this project—it's not like I don't understand their sentiment and all. But… entering a high-security military base just for those reasons, I gotta give it to them—Saint Amethely really takes after them, just as she'd pursued you, they went ahead and did the same—ahag-hahaha!"
"…"
Alum couldn't help but scratch his cheek, his face being a little hot to the touch as well. He wondered that Amethely or Chely might've been a better choice since they were literally their parents, but considering how busy those two are, it was natural this fell into his hands, having his "secretary" role taken by Alver and all.
Essentially, he was duty-free and had been spending time with the others during combat training and only that—after all, he'd already passed all the tests.
"Affirmative…"
In the end, Alum let out a small sigh. He didn't know what type of people her parents were. But based on what he'd heard, they're warm people—albeit a bit workaholic to the point of leaving their young daughters behind.
His feelings towards them, albeit not hostile, weren't completely friendly either.
—I know Amethely might not mind, but… for making her feel extremely lonely at that young age, I'm not sure I can forgive it that easily.
Although he knew they didn't neglect her, at least intentionally, it was still a fact that his beloved fiancée had a lonely complexion whenever she spoke about them.
"Hmm, judging by your expression, you don't seem to look forward to it all that much," Rigeld suddenly voiced. "Anyways, you should head to the gates and meet up with them."
"Affirmative."
"Oi… your hair has turned white—I thought you returned the disguise device," Rigeld snarled.
Alum, who was about to head out to meet the pair, turned around; his eyes were akin to a blue glass.
"I did return it. However, it appears my old powers are slowly returning. Excuse me for the fluctuation. Be assured, it doesn't affect my magic."
"…I see," Rigeld sighed. "Very well, go then. But… I'd like to see when you fully recover, keep that in mind."
"Sure." Alum smiled coolly.
Rigeld had always known something was off about him the moment they met, but couldn't figure out exactly what. However, he experienced Alum's telekenesis firsthand; not only that, but he also experienced the neurotoxin from his blood. And when the later blood results came back, there were no oddities whatsoever, which only strengthened his suspicion.
After Alum left, Alver was the first to speak.
"Hmm… he did not lie, nor did he tell the full truth. Are you sure about this, Sir?"
Rigeld simply shrugged. "Hmm. Knowing Al, he presumably let control slip on purpose—there's no way a control freak like him would let his powers run rampant just like that, especially since he appears to have kept them abey all this time."
"Certainly…"
"Well. Whatever's going on inside the Ilis family, I shouldn't meddle more than necessary."
..
By the gate, Emerine and Ethym passed the checkpoint. They'd been told to be on standby until their Guiding Officer arrived.
Even though they'd worked with the military before, this was the first time in HQ. Most of their high-end magitech devices had already been taken away for shipment, so they didn't have anything but clothing and toiletries.
A little restless, Ethym tapped his feet as he looked around with his amethyst eyes that just peeked through his ash-brown bangs.
Emerine, on the other hand, appeared more relaxed, sipping the tea that was provided. Her warm, lush green eyes turned toward her restless husband.
"I see that you're restless for the both of us," she remarked softly, chuckling.
"Aah… please don't tease me, Rine." Ethym scratched his head. "I can't help it… It's been two years since we last saw our daughters—I'm not sure what to even bring up! They're not little girls anymore, so I really am uncertain on how I should treat them…"
"Just be yourself…" Emerine paused, looked around, then smiled mischievously and spread her arms. "Ethym~, come here, rest in my bosom for a moment and relax."
Adhering to her command, he scooted closer and fell into the mutual embrace.
"This never gets old…" Ethym lightly chuckled as he stroked her silky white hair. But then… "Huh? Rine, your heart is beating faster than usual—you nervous too?"
"Ehehe~hehe~ I really am," Emerine replied, whispering into his ears. "After all… we're also going to meet our future son-in-law—I can't help but feel anxious."
"Right… all we know is that he's handsome, has black hair and golden eyes. We don't even know his name."
Although Ethym and Emerine used their connections to dig up some more information, they only managed to get the names of the wanderers; the rest of their profiles were redacted, and one in particular was fully redacted—name and all.
"Yeah… let's make a good impression, kay?" Emerine said playfully.
"Sigh… Yeah, let's!"
Just as both got fired up, the door suddenly slid open, revealing a young, cloaked man with pure white hair and a pair of chilling blue eyes. They couldn't recognize the insignia with three golden gears that pinned his cloak. It was likely a custom piece—a reward of high honor within the military.
—Gulp…
Both the Ilis stiffened a little at the sight of him, and it was like they were inside a blizzard.
"Greetings, Lord Ethym, Lady Emerine," he coolly greeted the two. "My name is Alum Miller. I am a Wanderer. My rank is that of a Cadet. And I will be your Guiding Officer for today and during the joint operation."
"Y-Yeah… we'll be in your care, Mr. Alum…" both replied stiffly.
Making eye contact with each other, they wondered—Did… we do something to upset him?
Alum glanced down for a moment. "Mm… feel free to finish the treats and tea at your leisure. I will be waiting outside," he said and left the room.
""…""
"—The officer is a bit intimidating… huh?" Ethym said, breathing as he regained composure.
Emerine simply nodded with a somewhat wry smile.
Of course, the fault might've lain with them for choosing the fully redacted Wanderer.
"Still… no golden eyes and jet-black hair…" Ethym sighed, a little disappointed they were off the mark.
"Nn, I was hoping it was son-in-law who'd show up. And hopefully, we get to see our daughters today, perhaps catch a glimpse of the mysterious son-in-law too, hehe~."
"You're right. Let's not keep Mr. Alum waiting."
..
Waiting outside, Alum stood there, his back leaning against the wall. With crossed arms, he exhaled an inward sigh.
—Tsk… for making her feel lonely? Well, aren't I a hypocrite? Since I was this immature, holding something like that against undeniably good people.
Feeling conflicted whether to embrace new colors—even the ugly ones, Alum could only clench his fist.
He didn't exactly hate them, but he couldn't bring himself to like them the way Amethely so adored them. They were her parents, after all.
Even though her circumstances differed from his, the abandonment was a deeper scar than he thought.
Slowly, he reached a hand out, but stopped as he was about to place it against the wall.
"Bad manners, huh…?"
..
"Aww… look, look! Noah, isn't our boy too cute!?"
At that moment, a baby opened his eyes for the first time. Seemingly blinded by the bright light, he began to cry.
"Aawww, he really is—Sophia, he has your blue eyes too."
"Really? I rather think he got your eyes, though."
"What do you mean?"
The nurse who'd been watching the wholesome scene chuckled, commenting, "She meant that they look kind, Sir."
"R-Really?" Noah scratched his head awkwardly.
His wife, despite being weak, nodded vigorously.
"Yup! Oh, do you want to hold him?"
"O-Of course… I won't drop him, promise."
"—Waaah! Whaaah!"
"Oh dear, it didn't seem like he liked your joke," Sophia giggled.
"Wh-What do I do? Um… there there…" Noah said as he gently rocked the small baby whom he cradled so carefully.
The baby eventually stopped crying, his eyes locking with his father's—then, they turned the same golden colors as his.
"…!?"
Noah was so shocked he had to blink twice, sending glances towards Sophia to make sure she was seeing what he was seeing.
Just like that, an esper was born into the world. They might not think he remembered his early days, but that wasn't the case. Every instance with them had crystallized in his mind.
Then, different people would show up from time to time—he could hear his parents yell at them—but the moment his father was slapped across the face, his mind went blank. In a single instance, walls collapsed, and furniture was relentlessly hurled toward the instigators.
Luckily, nobody died that day. But at just the age of one, he was abandoned. His kind parents were nothing but a distant memory.
Alum didn't understand at the time, so he simply copied them. Their expression were unfeeling with a hint of defeat. He'd have many tutors during the years, and his blood and powers were tested daily. At that time, he didn't know just how lucky he was that it was his parents overseeing the experiments.
Then, he felt weaker and weaker by the day—using simple deduction, it was the pills he'd been given. His mind went hazy at times—his powers slipped, and before he knew it, he could barely muster them anymore. But when he saw the smiles of his parents behind the glass, in tears, he finally understood.
By the time he was four, he'd gotten used to the medication they'd given him, and he didn't feel as weak. Though he could barely use his powers anymore, he'd seen his parents more frequently, and they had meals together every day now. But he never once saw those smiles on their faces ever again—even till their last breaths.
He could hear cries late at night—
"I… I can't do this anymore!" A loud, high-pitched voice echoed in the hall. "Why can't I be with him? Why? God why!? My boy… my precious little boy… WHY IS IT THAT HE HAS THE SAME DEAD LOOK AS YOU, NOAH!?"
—THUMP!
A loud noise reverberated through the walls.
"WHY ARE YOU BLAMING ONLY ME?! I'M DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR HIM, I AM! DON'T YOU THINK I'M DEVASTATED TOO?! YOU ALSO AGREED TO THIS!"
Suddenly, Alum's ears were covered by the butler next to him. He shook his head.
"You mustn't listen in on private conversations, Master Alum. It is bad manners."
The butler had an indifferent expression, but there was a hint of warmth and sadness in his voice.
"Understood."
Then, he placed earphones over Alum's ears.
As they walked, Alum dragged his fingers across the wall, enhancing his sensitivity to vibration as he continued to pick up on the muffled conversation that now reverberated through his bones.
..
Having recalled the past, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind. And before he knew it, the Ilis pair walked out, seeming more composed.
"Well then, let me show you to your room—"
"Ah, before that, would it be alright for a little tour now? Most of our luggage has been taken care of already," Ethym calmly said.
"Understood. I will show you what I can."
At his reply, both Ethym and Emerine's eyes sparked—he could instantly tell they were hoping to catch a glimpse of their daughters. And so, they headed to the closest area, which was the port.
"This is the port. And the one over there is the one we'll be boarding in two days."
Alum pointed at a bullet-shaped airship, the MLC-13—a logistics carrier that was being loaded with supplies and whatnot. There were other airships around, but they were either stored underground or out operating somewhere.
Smaller aircraft with the looks of birds and stingrays, such as the Sting-G88 and Volkx-Pred30. The Volkx had one powerful engine supplied by a large, stacked high-bandwidth mana battery. As for the Sting, it had weaker engines and more thrusters compared to the one on the Volkx.
"So cool…" Ethym's eyes sparkled. "I wonder how much one of those costs to make…"
"Nnh…? Design-wise, Volkx seems to be the simpler of the two, and the Sting seems rather complex; it must be quite a chore to maintain considering all the moving parts," Emerine said, looking at it thoughtfully.
"Right? I'm sure it must've been a fun project to work on, considering the complexities…" Ethym added, then drifted into deeper thoughts. "What about it, Mr. Alum? How is the case really?"
"It falls outside of my operational purview. I am a field operator, not a pilot or a technician," Alum said bluntly.
—Though he knew about the HQ's financial situation.
"R-Right…" Ethym recoiled slightly from the cold reply.
Emerine, on the other hand, pouted as she looked at Alum with disaffected eyes. She knew for a fact that most officers around the base weren't this cold usually—in fact, they were warmly welcomed, even by the staff around the bay area.
"Is there something on your mind, Lady Emerine?"
"Yes, I was wondering. Are there more officers assigned to us? We did request you as our guide, but I was wondering if there are other wanderers besides you, Mr. Alum, for this joint project."
"Yes and no. The other wanderers are far too inexperienced for this type of mission. My main role, as stated in the documents, is that of a translator; my secondary role is to protect you alongside the adventurers and operators."
"I see. Then, you must be quite skilled to be assigned that second role, huh?" Ethym commented.
"Would you wish me to demonstrate?" Alum answered nonchalantly.
Emerine and Ethym's eyes widened for a moment. "You would?"
"Yes. But before that, would you like me to show you where you'll be staying on the ship?"
"Yeah, that would be great." The two smiled.
..
Just like that, they found themselves in the training grounds. Alum turned to them, nodded briefly before entering a combat block. Some soldiers turned his way, curious about the Ilis pair.
Alum tapped his earpiece. "Can you hear me, Lord Ethym, Lady Emerine?" he inquired, glancing towards Emerine and Ethym.
When he affirmed that they did, he called out to the system, the combat barriers were fortified, and a massive bull-like creature covered in heavy armor was simulated.
Then, Alum calmly spoke as the countdown began, his mana bursting, covering the whole block.
"Firstly, I am an artillery mage—I am to torch my enemy with overwhelming firepower."
Freed from the restraints, the bull raised its front legs, about to slam down its hooves—KABOOM! But before it was allowed to, two massive blocks of ice smashed the beast—blue glass-like splinters of ice scattered everywhere, hissing a low 'Vrrrm' through the air.
Alum, with his hand out, clenched fist, the two cubes crumbled into a smooth ball, which began to illuminate and erupt. The steam that had filled the combat block in a split second cleared, forming water serpents that descended onto their prey.
Before the bull was even able to move, its armor was gone—internals crushed, body parts missing. And to finish it off, as the serpents struck, the whole area was turned into a frosted thorned hell of icicles humming with deadly electricity, in just mere seconds.
"Next," Alum said.
The bull began to dissolve into light—a feline creature emerged, its white fur folded down and began to resemble armor. Its long legs gathered explosive strength as blade-like claws protruded from its paws.
Alum looked into its eyes, materializing Depth Cutter from the void storage, as he used physical enhancements on himself.
"Secondly, close-quarter combat is not my strong suit. But I am not terrible at it—every soldier has to be a generalist to some extent."
Once again, the countdown reached zero, and the agile feline lept toward him. Alum glared at it—flinched, which caused the beast to rapidly change course, jumping to the side.
It reattempted to launch at Alum again—he acted, swinging where he'd predict the beast to be, it faked the attack as it flashed to his wide open back, going full throttle with its jaws fully ready to tear him to pieces as it exploded toward him as a missile with its limbs retracted.
But just as it had predicted, Alum had also seen this coming, allowing it to lower its guard and go all in. With lightning-fast footwork and a blade infused with plasma, he gripped the handle tightly, spun around—letting his blade run along the right side of the jaw to the rear with its own momentum.
The creature splattered onto the facility barrier, dissolving into light. Alum adjusted the insignia and dematerialized Depth Cutter.
Then—
"Thirdly, I am capable of maintaining sturdy barriers, falling into the backlines if need be—but I am not a healer, so do not expect me to cleanse or heal," he said while a bunch of projectiles and spells hit plates of Abyssal Depth, until it collapsed.
"And finally, when resources are running dry, I am armed with the tools necessary for a war of attrition."
He simply said, bringing out the pocket rail cannon, using as little mana as possible while facing hordes of smaller mobs. And so, the less than two-minute demonstration was complete as piles of carcases dissolved into light. He turned toward the Ilis couple and walked up to them.
"This is my worth. Any inquiries?"
Emerine and Ethym blinked a few times as they looked into his eyes, then at one another. Their eyes also wandered, meeting the soldiers around, and they all seemed to have the eyes of—ah, that's a future prospect indeed.
—They couldn't agree more. But that wasn't what bothered them.
Alum tilted his head slightly, and his eyes happened to wander up. There he saw Amethely, along with the others, who happened to have walked in at the start of the session.
His demeanor instantly melted, a faint something tugged his lips as his eyes softened.
"Al!~ 💕"
Amethely waved affectionately, Luna quietly smiled, followed by a tiny wave. Noel grinned, giving him a full-blown thumbs-up.
Chely was the first to notice when they came into view—somehow, they'd missed each other. "Father? Mother?" Her eyes widened slightly.
Emerine and Ethym looked at Alum, turned around towards Chely, then their eyes darted toward Amethely, then faced Alum again—since the first spell of the demonstration, they noticed that his hair had turned jet-black, and now, when he was up close, his eyes were a pretty pair of cool gold, and not crystal blue.
Amethely gasped upon realizing. "Ma—I mean, Mother, Father?!"
At the sudden cry, they turned towards Amethely again, letting out a dumbfounded, "Huh…?"
Alum touched his hair.
"Hm…?"
Noel then shouted, "So you dooo know how to show off! Firstly!—"
Alum's eye twitched as he recoiled—he knew what Noel was about to say, and it was oddly embarrassing.
""Oh…""
Emerine and Ethym continued to stare at him blankly.