Five years. The thought felt heavy, unreal. Almost five years since Kaito Ren had woken from the life he knew into the pages of a fantasy novel. He had long since moved past denial into pragmatic acceptance. This was his reality now: the Kingdom of Caelum, Year 741 by the King's Reckoning, inside the world of "Aelric the Last Flame". His research hasn't still found a way back, no hint of why he was here. His brief hope for a 'System' like the book's protagonist had proven futile; he was simply himself, Kaito, operating under the guise of "Kaito Ren," the commoner scholar persona built upon the foundations of Lian Vance, the illegitimate noble son whose life he'd inadvertently usurped.
He played the part well. Diligence, sharp analysis, and carefully managed interactions had earned him a place. Leveraging his intellect and the subtle, deniable support of his 'father', Lord Vance, he'd excelled at the Academy and secured a position within the Noble House as low level attendant. His reports, devoid of personal ambition but rich with strategic insight, circulated quietly, reaching influential eyes. He avoided the spotlight, preferring the shadows, gathering data, mapping the political landscape, always conscious of the looming date: Year 742. One month remained until Oakhaven village, until Aelric's fated appearance. The calm before the storm.
* * *
The summons disrupted his meticulous routine. Not a standard Organization request, but a formal message bearing the seal of the Noble House of Caelum Primus itself, requesting his presence in the West Wing administrative chambers. An unusual venue for a senior clerk. Kaito felt the familiar prickle of caution. Unscheduled variable.
He arrived punctually, his modest clerk's attire feeling intentionally plain amidst the quiet opulence of the Noble House wing – polished marble floors, intricate tapestries, guards in gleaming ceremonial armor. He was led not to a standard office, but to a formal chamber resembling a small, private court room, dominated by a large, dark wood table.
Only one man was present, standing by a tall window overlooking the capital. Kaito recognized him from Council briefings – Minister Kenjiro, a senior figure known for his sharp political mind and deep roots within the established aristocracy. Kenjiro turned as Kaito entered, his expression neutral, eyes shrewd and assessing. There was no warmth in his gaze, only the cool calculation of a man accustomed to wielding power.
"Master Ren," Kenjiro said, his voice smooth and cultured. "Thank you for attending at short notice. Please." He gestured to a chair opposite his own at the head of the table.
Kaito inclined his head. "Minister. You summoned me."
"Indeed." Kenjiro took his seat, steepling his fingers. "Your work at the Noble House has not gone unnoticed. Your analyses show... remarkable clarity. Certain influential parties," the Minister's eyes held Kaito's for a fraction of a second, a silent acknowledgment of the Vance connection, "believe your talents could be better utilized."
Kaito waited, keeping his expression carefully neutral.
"There is discussion," Kenjiro continued, "of creating a permanent position for a Strategic Analyst attached directly to the Council's oversight committee. A role requiring foresight, discretion, and unbiased assessment. A role for which you seem... uniquely suited."
Kaito processed the offer. A direct line to the Royal Council. Unprecedented access. A quantum leap in influence. "That is... a significant honor, Minister," he said carefully.
"It is a significant responsibility," Kenjiro corrected mildly. "And it comes with a prerequisite. Consider it a final assessment, if you will. There is a matter requiring immediate attention, one demanding precisely the skills you possess. Succeed, and the advisory position is yours."
Conditional. Kaito had expected nothing less. "I understand, Minister. I serve the Kingdom. What is the mission?"
Minister Kenjiro leaned back slightly. "The details require specialized knowledge." He nodded towards a side door Kaito hadn't noticed. "The request came from the Grand Council of Mages." He raised his voice slightly. "Archon, if you would?"
The side door opened, and an old woman in the deep indigo robes of a Mage Archon stepped into the room.
It was Archon Mirell, a figure Kaito recognized from infrequent Council briefings where magical matters were discussed. Her face was a network of wrinkles, but her eyes were sharp and missed nothing.
"Master Ren," Archon Mirell greeted him, her voice dry like autumn leaves. She didn't wait for pleasantries. "We require your analytical skills regarding a rogue mage initiate." A shimmering image formed above the table – the young woman Kaito had seen projected before, the one with chaotic energy in her eyes. "Initiate Mizano. Formerly Tenkaru Magic Academy student."
Kaito focused, absorbing the information. Tenkaru Academy? Mizano? The girl caused some whispers two years ago?
"Initiate Mizano," Mirell continued, "was unremarkable for her first year. Indeed, her instructors noted a distinct lack of magical aptitude. Then, early in her second year, something changed. She displayed a sudden, exponential increase in mana capacity, raw power, and an intuitive grasp of spellcasting that defied conventional learning."
"The Grand Council of Mages executives," Mirell stated, "naturally took an interest. Certainly, such potential, properly guided, could be a great asset. We placed her under careful observation, monitoring her progress." Her lips thinned. "Regrettably, Initiate Mizano proved...she became uncontrollable. Her power grew erratically, matched only by her disregard for established magical principles and Academy regulations. Last year, she fled Tenkaru before containment measures could be enacted. Our attempts to locate her since have failed."
She paused, letting the weight of the Council's failure sink in. "We had no leads, until two weeks ago. Rumors surfaced from Yamashiro, a remote village in the eastern territories, near the Goblin Fells." Kaito were absorbing information carefully.
"Forest Goblins attacked Yamashiro," Mirell explained. "A common enough occurrence in those regions, usually ending tragically for such isolated settlements. But this time, witnesses report a young woman matching Mizano's description intervened. She drove off the Goblins, saving the village." Mirell's eyes narrowed. "The methods described were... alarming. Prohibited magic. Energies drawn from decay and ruin, constructs animated by forbidden means. Our assessment confirms she is practicing as a Ruinseeker."
Ruinseeker. The term resonated with Kaito's book knowledge – users of ancient, dangerous magitech and forgotten arts, often viewed as heretics or grave robbers by the Mage Council.
"A rogue of her power level, wielding such dangerous and prohibited magic, cannot be permitted to roam freely," Mirell stated flatly. "The Grand Council of Mages formally requested assistance from the Royal Council in locating and apprehending her. The Royal Council, in turn, directed the request to the resources of the Noble House."
Minister Kenjiro picked up the thread smoothly. "Given the target's elusive nature and the need to predict her movements based on fragmented reports and potential motivations, your specific skill set in data analysis and pattern recognition was recommended, Master Ren. Therefore, the Noble House entrusts this preliminary stage – location analysis – to you."
Kaito remained silent for a moment, processing. Something is definitely off about Mizano. His own brief research into her name after hearing the first rumour hadn't yielded much beyond confirming a Mizano enrolled at Tenkaru with deceased parents. She wasn't a character in Aelric the Last Flame, he was almost certain. But this event at Yamashiro... he did recall Yamashiro mentioned in the book's appendices. A minor village, insignificant, but noted as being destroyed by a goblin horde early in Year 742, an event unrelated to Aelric's main path but used as background flavour for the region's instability. So, Mizano saved a village that was fated to fall. She had altered the timeline, just in a different place than he first assumed. His policy of strict non-interference, of following the book's flow to leverage his future knowledge, was becoming untenable. If variables like Mizano were already changing events, his knowledge's value degraded with every passing day. Who was she? Another player dropped into this world?
"Master Ren?" Minister Kenjiro prompted, breaking the silence. "Do you accept this mission? The security of the Kingdom, and indeed your own future prospects, may depend on it."
Kaito focused, pushing aside the larger questions for now. The mission was clear: locate Mizano. The offered position was valuable. "I accept the mission, Minister, Mrs. Archon," he stated clearly. "I will apply my full capabilities to locating Initiate Mizano. However," he added, meeting Kenjiro's gaze directly, "my capabilities are purely limited in physically and magically. As you know, I possess no meaningful combat skills, nor any aptitude for the arcane. Should location lead to confrontation, I would require capable support."
Kenjiro nodded, seemingly expecting the request. "Pragmatic. Agreed. Apprehension is not your task. I shall arrange an escort through my contacts with Commander Valerius on the Northern Frontier. A small squad of his veterans – discreet, experienced in dealing with... unconventional threats. They will provide security."
"Thank you, Minister," Kaito acknowledged. Valerius's men. Disciplined, effective. Good. But never faced or seen him before.
"Then what is your proposed course of action, Master Ren?" Archon Mirell asked, her sharp eyes fixed on him. "Where does your analysis suggest you begin the search for this dangerous Ruinseeker?"
Kaito paused, organizing his thoughts. Mizano was last seen in Yamashiro, eastern territories. But the book's main plot, Aelric's arrival, was due in one month at Oakhaven, southern territories. Two separate points of interest. But Mizano was a wild card. Could she be drawn to Oakhaven for the same reason he was – because it was the nexus point where the known story began? Or was she simply operating randomly in the borderlands? Positioning is key.
"Initiate Mizano's actions at Yamashiro demonstrate a willingness to intervene, unpredictably, in local events," Kaito began, choosing his words carefully. "Her last known location is in the east, but the southern territories, specifically the region around Oakhaven village, are projected to become strategically significant within the next month." He didn't mention why he knew this. "By positioning myself in Oakhaven, I can establish a base to analyze movement patterns throughout the southern and eastern borderlands, investigate any residual traces from the Yamashiro incident via local networks, and monitor a region flagged for potential instability. It is the most efficient nexus point for gathering intelligence on both the target and the developing regional situation."
Minister Kenjiro and Archon Mirell exchanged another look. Kaito could see the skepticism – Oakhaven was geographically distant from Yamashiro. His reasoning sounded logical, analytical, but perhaps strategically counter-intuitive to them. They didn't argue, however. They had requested his analysis.
"An... unexpected starting point, Master Ren," Kenjiro said slowly. "But we defer to your analytical judgment in this initial phase."
"My assessment indicates it is the optimal path," Kaito stated firmly. "I will require travel arrangements immediately. I depart for Oakhaven tomorrow morning. The military escort should proceed there directly to rendezvous with me upon my arrival. Time is critical." He stood, giving a respectful bow, his mind already shifting gears, preparing to step out of the shadows and directly into the path of the oncoming story, chasing a variable that had already started to unravel the future he thought he knew.