WORLDLY MATTERS

Parsia was currently sitting atop the sentry tower, his face flushed red as if he had been drinking for two months non stop. His head was hung over, and if someone were to listen carefully, they’d hear soft, faint sobs coming from his mouth. On his shoulder was a frosty bird, its gaze extremely solemn and sad, as it looked at the figure of a man bathed in weak sun.

“Cheer up, young Prince,” the bird gawked, actually using its wing to pat the man’s back. “It’s over.”

“…”

“Aah, you’ve suffered, young one,” the bird said, looking into the sky. “We ought to teach that bastard a lesson.”

“L-lesson?” Parsia slowly lifted up his head, his eyes somewhat bloodshot red. “T-that’s right! It’s that bastard that sent me to bring SOME people over! I’ll have to skin him alive when I meet him!”

“Aah, some indeed,” the bird said. “Who would have thought you’d be riding a gold-adorned horse through vestiges of space, whilst being followed by a mob roughly 200,000 strong. Aah--”

“Stop! Stop! For the love of god, don’t remind me!” Parsia immediately began sobbing yet again. “I’ll never wash away that embarrassment! Those eyes… the way people looked at me… bury me! Just fucking bury me alive!”

“Aah, young one…”

“Shut up! You fucking loved it! The entire way through, you puffed your goddamn chest like you’ve wooed ten thousand heavenly beauties! What the hell are you even doing here? Go away! Let me weep in silence!”

“… are you Prince Parsia?” a strange voice suddenly startled him awake as he leapt onto his feet, holding tightly onto his belt, his somber expression quickly turning to that of caution. When his eyes met the source, he was left somewhat stunned; it was another bird.

“A-a bird? ARE YOU FU---”

“I’m not good with profanities, my apologies,” the bird interrupted; it was a night-black crow. The phoenix’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Oi, oi, how good is that a beautiful lady of the night met a sun---”

“I don’t date featherless birds. Wait. How can you even call yourself a bird? Go away bird-looking not-bird.”

“…” shot down before anything even happen, it was the bird’s turn to weep in silence as it took to the sky.

“Prince Parsia, my Queen has sent me to pick you up.” the bird continued without even looking at the fleeing Phoenix, majestic bird… sometimes majestic bird.

“I already have a Queen, I don’t want another one! Go away!” Parsia exclaimed, startled.

“Huh? Piece of trash like you thinks he can have my Queen?”

“Eh?” Parsia’s eyes widened. Didn’t you say you hate profanities?! What the hell?! Eh? Who does this remind me of?

“Before you have nuts to make such claims, go and grow some hair where it needs to be! Humph! How dare you disrespect my Queen? If she didn’t order me to bring you peacefully, I’d have pecked your eyes right now!”

“C-can I ask a question?” Parsia asked instead.

“Huh?”

“D-do you, perhaps, know Lynne?”

“Oh, but of course. Master Lynne is a man amongst men, after all.” I knew it! Fucking fuck, why did I get entangled with people who can’t filter their tongue even if it killed them?!

“S-so when you said to pick me up…”

“Of course, I meant to bring you along to the place Master Lynne chose to build the Kingdom at.”

“Ah… fine. At least-- wait, what are you doing?” the bird suddenly leapt on Parsia’s shoulder.

“Hm? Well, I won’t fucking fly all the way back, and this way I get to guide you and take a rest.”

“… so… I’ll be at the front again?”

“What front?”

“Nothing…”

And thus, the adventures of the Prince continue.

* * *

Fyre was currently kneeling on the floor in front of a simple sarcophagus, his expression grim and determined. This was a place he was very familiar with; a place where he went from being an ordinary Magus to someone who was able to reach the realm of a God.

“Ah… it is as I feared…” the hoarse voice sounded out, revealing a faint traces of melancholy.

“Master?” Fyre followed up.

“Poor, innocent creatures are used for their games…” the voice grumbled, melancholy turning to anger. “Looks like, this time, our beloved home will be entangled into something far greater than ever before.”

“Isn’t it fine if we just warn the Queen?” Fyre asked, knitting his brows; the way this was going, he had a feeling his Master would take the action himself.

“Warn the Queen?” the voice chuckled. “That little girl already knows this and much, much more. No, you’ll go and meet both of them, offer sincere apologies and then work with them.”

“W-what?”

“I am the last blood of my Clan, Fyre,” the voice continued. “And you’re my only Disciple. Rather, I’ve considered you my son for many years now…”

“Master…” Fyre choked up lightly on his words.

“I only want what is the best for you. My years are nearly numbered, but it is not time for me to go out in the blaze of glory just yet. I’ve already taught you all I could; your growth is now up to you. In this world, you can’t survive alone, Fyre. Even the brightest of stars need sky to shine on.”

“But… I-I can’t leave you alone, Master!” Fyre cried out, nearly getting up from his knees.

“Ha ha,” the voice laughed lightly. “You needn’t worry. Before my time ends, you and I will see each other again. And, then and there, we’ll drink the finest wine and reminiscence. Until then, you can be my proxy; show the world my teachings, and help Master fulfill the promise of that day.”

“… Master…”

“I believe in you Fyre. I have for a very, very long time. It’s high time you started believing in yourself too.”

“…” Fyre remained silent for a long time until he finally took a deep breath and got up, not looking at the sarcophagus. “This Disciple will do his Master’s bidding.”

“Good…”

* * *

A man in a straw hat was sitting at the edge of a wooden bridge leading to the center of the lake, lightly holding onto the fishing rod, his eyes firmly closed. The surface of the lake was extremely calm, without a single ripple, while the sun above burned gently. A faint sound of footsteps caused him to open his eyes whereupon he frowned.

“Didn’t I tell you not to disrupt me when I’m fishing?” the man said angrily.

“Oi, even after thousands of years, you still can’t talk politely to your own granddaughter?” a woman’s voice chimed in; she appeared middle-aged, with long, silver hair flowing gently down her back. Her eyes reflected the same color, lips curled in a slight smile.

“Humph,” the old man snorted coldly as he turned around. “If my granddaughter had more respect for her grandfather’s hobbies, I may even listen to her without wanting to strangle her.”

“Hah, that temperament of yours will get you killed, old man…”

“Why are you here? Even if you are empty-headed, you wouldn’t interrupt me without reason.” the old man cut to the chase.

“Little Y’se finally removed the formation.” the woman said, smiling.

“Oh? That little brat finally stopped rebelling?” the old man’s eyes flashed with a glint of surprise.

“Rebelling? Aah, you’ve really gone senile…”

“What? Do you want me to spank your ass back into obedience?!”

“Aii, save me from the old, perverted man!” the woman cried out playfully.

“Aah, where did your snake-like tongue come from… both your mother and father are wonderful people. Why are you so… just… wrong…” the old man grunted lowly, already having forgotten about the fishing rod which had slipped from his hand and into the lake. “So, what about little Y’se?”

“Cheerful news first: she had ascended.”

“Oh?” the old man arched his brows in surprise; even though the reaction seemed mild, for whoever knew him, they’d realize that he truly was shocked. For someone who had lived for millions of years, there were very few things capable of shocking him. “She really did it… younger than one hundred years, and already ascended…”

“Hah, what’s the surprise? Master already said her Bloodline is thicker than any of ours. It’s only natural.”

“Good, good,” the old man revealed one of the rarely seen smiles on his face. “It’s a great news. Ha ha, aii, the news must have already spread then. We ought to throw her a banquet! When’s she coming back?”

“… she’s not.”

“What?! Didn’t she play around enough in that shitty realm?”

“Aii, look at that tongue. You can clearly see where I inherited it from…”

“Humph… hateful brat…”

“You know her; she’s more interested in books than all of us combined. Besides, you didn’t let me finish relaying news.”

“What? There’s more?” the old man asked.

“She’s found another.”

“Eh? Another?”

“Our own,” the woman smiled. “With awakened Bloodline.”

“… now that’s just fucking impossible.”

“Aii, that tong--”

“Shut up and explain!”

“According to her, the little one managed to somehow make a Sanguine God his servant,” the woman explained. “And the God decided to stir his Bloodline and pop, low and behold.”

“… go back, go back. Did you just say servant?! A human got a God to be his servant?! What the…”

“Hey, don’t look at me. Before I came here, I downed twenty-six bottles of Heavenly Ale. Why the hell do you think I’m so calm saying all these things?”

“Fuck! And you didn’t think to bring me any?!”

“You’re too old and senile. If you keep drinking, you’ll forget even your name…”

“Humph, hateful brat! Wait till I spank you back in obedience! Anyway, what about this boy?”

“Apparently, he’s Median’s son.” the woman furrowed her brows. “However, when did he have a son? And why didn’t we hear about it?”

“…” however, unlike the woman, the man’s eyes flashed with a glint of understanding, and then another one, and then one more, until he broke out into maniacal laughter.

“Oi, oi, I was just joking about being senile! Was I really wrong?!” the woman worryingly walked over and held him gently.

“Ooh, this is beautiful! This may be even better than Y’se’s ascension! Ha ha, this is amazing! Listen, keep an eye out on that boy like a hawk! If anything happens to him, I’ll seriously spank your ass till it goes back inside your belly!” the last sentence was spoken in such a serious tone that even the woman was startled silly.

“Then, wait until I relay the last news…”

“Eh? There’s more? What? What?” although he was angry at first for being interrupted, the old man’s mood did complete 180.

“According to Y’se…” the woman bit her lower lip lightly as she spoke, seemingly not believing what she’s about to say herself. “The boy’s Bloodline… is… is three times as thick as hers…”

“…” shock. Horror. Confusion. Jaw agape. Eyes nearly popping out of his sockets. “What the fuck…”