Chapter 40
This is a fictional story by realTensai
"…Al? — Alvis?"
"Huh? Oh yes."
"Bro, you ain't even listening," Dane said as they stepped out of their room. "What's wrong? You haven't been yourself those last two days."
Damn, if even Dane notices it, it means I've been really out of it.
Alvis shook his head, trying to clear his mind.
"Don't worry, just sleep-deprived."
Dane furrowed his eyebrows but said nothing. Alvis thanked him in his mind for not praying any further.
Two days had passed since the incident at the beach, though the shadow it cast over Alvis hadn't vanished yet. The Assassins' Guild had sent him a warning, and he would be a fool to ignore it. Alvis had thought he wouldn't have to worry because the time limit they gave him hadn't run out yet, but he had miscalculated. Entering their city resulted in them reacting. Even though they hadn't attacked him afterward, Alvis still had to have his guard up. One moment of carelessness could mean his death, especially because of the mission of his third level. Surviving was his top priority, even if that meant he couldn't enjoy his class trip. With this mindset, Alvis had spent the last two days.
"Oh, if this isn't Lia. Perfect timing!" Dane said with a grin after seeing Lia at the other end of the floor. "Hey Lia, come over here."
Alvis' eyes shot open, and before he knew it, Lia stood before him. Alvis looked into her green eyes, but nervously averted his gaze. Her intense yet genuinely worried look was too much to handle for the current Alvis.
"You gotta wake him up. This ain't the Al we know."
"Thank you, Dane. I wanted to talk to him, anyway."
Dane left, leaving Alvis and Lia alone. Normally, Alvis' heart would celebrate a party in such a situation, but right now, it felt as if it would tear apart. He grabbed his chest and looked up again, this time with a smile on his face.
"You don't have to worry, Lia. Everything is—"
"Cut it," she said, her emerald eyes seeing right through him. "I'm an empath and your wife. You can't lie to me."
Alvis couldn't even sigh. His smile wavered as he averted his gaze again. The urge to just run away overcame him, though his legs wouldn't move. The stinging pain in his heart wouldn't vanish until he addressed what was weighing on his mind.
Suddenly, his wavering hand was touched by something warm. When Alvis looked at it, he saw Lia's small hand holding his. Her firm yet gentle grip caused his shaking hand to calm down, giving him the courage to look up again. The smile on her face drove away all the clouds in his mind.
Hah~ I am so pathetic.
"There is something I have to tell you."
Lia's expression grew more serious and Alvis turned his head multiple times to make sure no one was near. With a deep breath in and out, he continued.
"Three days ago, at the beach, someone from the Assassins' Guild attacked me with his killing intent."
Lia's widened eyes displayed pure horror and her loud gasp only confirmed it.
"No need to worry. It was short and only a warning. But since then, there was no moment I hadn't had my guard up."
"This explains everything. Have they attacked you ever since?"
"No."
"Thank god, so it really was only a warning."
Lia went silent after that. Alvis said nothing, too, not wanting to interrupt her thought process. After what felt like an eternity, she spoke up again.
"I know this may sound naïve, but I think you shouldn't worry."
"Wha-"
"You know it too, Alvis. I can feel it. Deep down, you know your anxiety is controlling you."
Once again, a stinging pain terrorized his heart. He opened his mouth, but no words would leave it.
"Think about what the organization wants. They want you to work for them. They even gave you time to consider their deal. So why should they want to kill you now?"
Her arguments were something Alvis had already considered. He knew it didn't make sense. He knew they wouldn't attack him before the time was up. But why was his mission then to survive? Why did his level start once he entered Awaniko?
"Al, everything will be alright," Lia said, her grip around his hand tightening. "You said it, didn't you? That together, we will overcome everything."
I'm so pathetic.
Alvis raised both of his hands and slapped himself as hard as he could. The stinging pain that had been in his heart was now in his cheeks, but this was ten times better. Lia's last words forced him to reflect on himself. Back then, when he found out about the leading assassin organization, he had spouted confident words in front of her. Where was this confidence now?
I won't live in fear.
A battle with the Assassins' Guild would be inevitable. He shook his head, wondering how he had forgotten that. It didn't matter when they would attack him, Alvis would face them. This was the vow he made to himself.
"Thank you, Lia. You made me remember something very important."
She smiled.
"Don't hesitate to rely on me," she said before leaning in closer, her face now next to Alvis'. "We are married, after all."
She whispered it into his ear, making him turn red. She immediately turned around, though Alvis caught a glimpse of her face, seeing how she also blushed.
Way too cute!
"See ya."
"Bye."
Lia left, and Alvis' heart was about to calm down again, but she turned around. Buckling forward with an angelic smile, her long, blond hair hung down.
"I can't wait for our date."
Alvis' heart almost exploded as he heard her last words.
Ugh, her cuteness will kill me one day!
——
"Here we are at the spiritual sanctuary of the Arifuner. The Tekka temple!" Finriel said as they got off the bus. "I know you already saw it last time, but today we will go in. The priest will give us a tour of the temple, enlightening us about their ways and beliefs."
A sincere grin could be seen on Alvis' face as he stood before the temple. As an Arifuner himself, his soul felt at peace at this holy place. Just looking at its symmetric shape and the combination of the golden and blue colors made him want to shake hands with the architect who designed it. Even though it was the second time he saw it, the fascination was still the same.
"You look like a creep."
"Just stop it, Dane. This joke is getting old."
"Haha, you look better as a creep than as a sleep-deprived zombie."
"I will take this as a compliment," Alvis said, laughing. "Thanks again for calling, Lia. I'm myself now."
"For that, you will hop on War of Races later."
"Bet."
They did their signature handshake to close the deal.
"Let's go in."
Following Finriel and Ms. Myth, the class stepped into the temple. The moment Alvis entered, he felt as if he was in a different realm. The temple looked just as beautiful as it did from the outside. No, it was even more magnificent. White pillars acted as the foundation of the place, covered in otherworldly mosaics. Golden chandeliers made the place not only look holy, but also royal. Its high, blue ceiling made Alvis wonder if they had captured the sky in it. The green carpet was outstretched like a well-maintained grass field, just adding to the surreal feeling.
"Wow."
"I am happy you like it."
A deep voice coming from within the temple surprised the students. A human man in his early thirties arrived wearing a white, golden cloak. But something felt odd about him.
"Welcome. I'm the leading priest of the Tekka temple, Zaini Bidini."
Alvis touched his solar plexus the moment he saw the priest. The mana within him wanted to break out, it wanted to get to the man. With more than a few deep breaths in and out, Alvis controlled his mana. He wiped his forehead, only to see an unusual amount of sweat on his hand. The coughs of his classmates showed they had to endure the same.
W-What is wrong?
"Oh, please forgive me! I didn't tell you about my blessing," Zaini said, his eyes darting around to see if everybody was fine. With a sigh, he continued. "I have the blessing of mana. That means mana feels naturally attracted to me. But don't worry, your mana will soon adapt and get used to it."
It was just like he said. Alvis' mana calmed down, and judging by the look of his classmates, theirs did too. But what had been anxious faces just a moment ago had been turned into faces of admiration and awe.
So he has a blessing. What are the odds?
The weird feeling Alvis had felt now made sense. He was a human, but his aura was more akin to someone who was loved by mana. This contradiction was what made Alvis' mind spin. But a blessing explained everything.
"Yo, Al, what is a blessing?"
"Are you for real, Dane? I thought even you would know."
"Don't overestimate me."
Alvis sighed.
"A blessing is a gift from god and the opposite of a curse. They aren't bound to the laws of nature and give you extraordinary powers."
"So they are just like cheats, but in real life?"
"Yeah."
Dane's explanation hit the nail on the head. Alvis would have saved time if he had just said it in gamer language.
"Please take your shoes off and follow me. We will start our tour now."
The priest went on to explain the beliefs and principles of the Arifuner religion, their origin, and much more. Alvis already knew most of the things because he was a devoted Arifuner himself. They believed in the one and only god who had created everything. They pray only to him and live a righteous life to please him.
For Alvis, who saw himself as a rational person, their religion made the most sense. He couldn't believe that the world and all these different races existed just as a coincidence and without a purpose. There had to be someone who created them. And this someone must have had a reason to create them. This was why Alvis was an Arifuner.
However, this wasn't the only reason. His curse and all the suffering he had to endure were the other. He couldn't imagine that a merciful god would create a world full of suffering where an innocent boy like him was destined to suffer because of something he couldn't control. But the Arifuner told him that this world was only a test. People who believed in the one and only god and did righteous deeds were going to get their reward in the hereafter and live in heaven. This belief gave Alvis the strength he needed to keep going.
"This concludes the tour. Thank you all for listening, and I hope you learned a few new things."
The priest Zaini saw them off, and the class exited the temple.
"You got free time now. We will meet again at the Mana Spire Square at sunset," Ms. Myth said, dismissing the class.
"Perfect! Come on, Al, let's go grab something to eat."
"Fine. Sekki, you coming with us?"
"Of course."
With that, the trio went out to the city.