Darkwood Forest 3:00 in the afternoon

An unusual scene that's normally not found in a forest was happening. Voices of an instructor and the pained groans of a student were heard throughout the area as a desk and board made of darkness were positioned there.

"I still don't get it!"

Kai complained.

"You've only grasped the basics of ten runes, you don't even know how to decipher them yet! You still have a very long way to go!"

Reo exclaimed to the Kai who had nearly pulled out his hair trying to think.

"Seriously, it's been two days since we started; can't you do better? We need to keep up with our schedule!"

"Easy for you to say!"

Kai retorted almost instantly.

The only reason I could keep is because I wrote using strokes in my past life, runes are similar yet so far.

Kai sighed and listened to Reo's lessons once more.

"Let's continue."

"Okay."

Reo went back to his explanations once more. Kai had understood how to write ten runes but don't know the purpose behind them, when creating enchantments; that is fatal.

"If you accidentally use a wrong rune inside the enchantment, there could be very grave consequences. Let's take boots enchanted with glide; what if you accidentally replaced glide with weight? You'd instantly plummet down; hard."

"...That is scary."

"Exactly."

Kai shivered at the thought and tried to listen intently.

"That's why you can't just guess what the runes mean and have to study them thoroughly. There are very few people who could create enchanted gear, but being a blacksmith who can craft enchanted gear is so beneficial that the amount of payment they receive can only be matched by apothecaries and the highest of nobles."

"Is it just me or are you trying to cram everything into me...?"

But his focus was broken once he heard Reo's final sentence. Reo coughed once to try to steer the conversation.

"Not at all..."

"Next time, you're probably gonna teach me how to make different types of potions then teach me about politics..."

Reo coughed twice.

"No no no no, that's totally wrong, I had no idea of the sort."

"..."

"..."

Kai stared intently at Reo.

"Do spirits even cough?"

"..."

"..."

"Going back to the lesson, runes are very impo-"

"You totally just changed the subject."

"-rtant and also when writing them you have to be extremely car-"

"Did you just keep going while pretending you didn't hear me?"

"-eful. Also do you know why Ancient Gear are signficantly stronger even though they're older?"

"No..."

Kai got dragged into his pace as he unconsciously began to listen.

"It's because today's runes are weaker than the runes of old. The original runes of old were very strong; they were stronger and easier to write. But they're so hidden in the world that even I do not have a single ancient rune in the entire time that I have roamed this world."

"Hooohh."

"Also, I heard that they can be used as replacements for today's runes. It'll create a Pseudo-Ancient gear; gear stronger than Enchanted Gear but weaker than Ancient Gear. I heard that there are only three Pseudo-Ancient gear in this continent."

"Couldn't they just create more?"

"The three Pseudo-Ancient Gears were created by a single person; but he suddenly disappeared."

"...Could he have been kidnapped?"

"I doubt it, someone with enough power to create Pseudo-Ancient Gear wouldn't be taken so easily."

Reo continued his lessons through the day and only stopped for a few hours for necessities.

"So we write the rune like this..."

"Ah, so it has a certain pattern behind the meaning."

"Each piece of the character has different meanings?"

Kai had began to adapt after a few weeks, though they were off-schedule; at the current pace, he would need only a year and a half.

==========

Kuroshi Clan 10:00 in the morning, 8 months after Kai left. Mid-winter.

"Juro, get the bath ready."

"Yes!"

Juro was running around doing errands for Akemi.

"Get the food for her."

"Yes!"

Juro immediately began to make food.

"Say, can I hold her now?"

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Akemi glared at Juro.

"...I'm sorry, it's nothing."

"You made her cry the last time you held her because you were too scary for her. I'm not letting you hold her."

Akemi's voice was ice cold as she was talking to Juro.

"But Kai never made a sound when I held him..."

Juro complained as Akemi had a melancholic look as she looked at the baby in her arms.

"She was only born a week ago, if Kai was here, this would be perfect."

Juro had a warm smile as he stroked the baby's head.

"Emi."

The baby had tears on the corner of her eyes.

"Waaaa!"

"Juro...!"

"Eek! I'm sorry!"

Where did the lovey dovey couple go?

Akane had entered when Juro had mentioned Kai, she had learned to read the atmosphere and only entered after the mood had faded.

"Aunt, uncle, good morning."

Akemi bowed to the two in greetings.

"Ah, good morning Akane."

"Good morning."

Akemi and Juro followed.

"How's Emi doing?"

Akane pointed at the baby, Emi.

"She's doing fine, although a certain someone's presence scares her."

"Right..."

Juro drooped down dejectedly and went out of the room.

"May I hold her?"

"Go ahead, don't drop her though."

Akane took Emi from Akemi's arms and made faces.

"Hello Emi, it's me; your cousin! Remember my name, it's Akane, got it?"

Emi laughed cheerfully in the presence of Akane and reached out to Akane with her tiny little hands.

"Blleeehhh!"

"Blublublublblub!"

Akane made silly faces and noises as she tried to make Emi laugh more.

"Hello..."

A tiny head peeked out from the doorway, Yoko.

"Ah, Yoko come in, come in."

Akemi gestured with her hand to invite Yoko in.

"How is Emi?"

Yoko tilted her head towards the Emi in Akane's arms.

"You've been coming here almost everyday since Kai left, haven't you?"

Akane looked at Yoko.

"Eh?"

Yoko immediately turned bright red and averted her face.

"Eh...could it be..."

Akane looked at Yoko's reaction and was struck speechless.

"Fufu, looks like you have a competitor, Akane."

"Wah!"

Akane also turned bright red.

"What are you talking about, aunt?!"

In this world, it wasn't uncommon to find cousins getting married. There are even cases of siblings marrying because of political matters. They all naturally knew this hence they knew what Akemi was talking about.

Yoko kept silent and kept her head down.

"Let's have a talk, the three of us!"

Akemi had a bright smile as she pulled the two and Emi closer to her.

"I understand why Akane fell for Kai but how did Yoko fall as well?"

Akemi questioned Yoko but Akane was bright red even while ignored.

Yoko averted her gaze and her eyes began to swim around the room, the usual cool beauty had already fallen.

Seeing that Yoko wouldn't talk, Akemi began to inquire.

"Can I take a guess?"

"Fue?"

Yoko made a noise unbecoming of her usual demeanor.

"You probably had been isolated your entire life, never losing to anyone, yet on that day; after feeling the taste of defeat, it was replaced with love. Am I right?"

"..."

Yoko stared blankly at Akemi.

"Ara, was I wrong?"

"Nn, I'm not in love with him at all."

Yoko tried to deny Akemi but wasn't at all convincing with her flushed face.

"That would be too easy... but I suppose it's enough for a girl who was never exposed to anything outside fighting and being taught manners befit of a housewife."

Akemi followed afterwards.

"Ah, I see... I won't lose, Yoko!"

Unbeknownst to Akane herself, she had exposed her true feelings.

"But what was the clincher?"

"Like I said, I'm not in love with him. It's more like respect."

"Ah, you wanted a man stronger than you, a man who could protect you with all his might... is that it?"

Yoko once more flushed red and bowed her head.

"But aren't you scared?"

Akemi's voice suddenly lost the teasing tone.

"..."

"..."

Akane and Yoko were struck speechless at her words. Akemi herself had never brought up this topic so the two of them tried their best to avoid it.

"On that day, I can tell that you two figured it out. It wasn't only the element of darkness that had made him run rampant. You could see some other being possessing Kai."

"Nn."

"Yes..."

Akane and Yoko nodded.

"There are many secrets hidden within his body, if word of the secrets within his body spreads; there would be utter chaos. Not just in this clan, but the entire continent."

"...He's still Kai."

Akane was the first one who answered.

"He's the same Kai who had played with me for seven years, he's the same Kai who took care of me when I was sick, and he's the same Kai who was scolded by my side when we played pranks. I'll never change my opinion of him."

The resolute look in Akane's eyes made Akemi's smile warm as she turned her gaze to Yoko.

"...I may have not known him for long, in fact our contact was only a single day; but he was different from the rest. He never talked to me as if I was higher than him, he never underestimated me and fought me with his full power, and when he was knew he was gonna go out of control, he told me to run. I could hear the struggle in his voice as he held back with all his might just to let me run, just to let me get even a milimeter way from him. That left me... shaken to say the least. I can't deny that I'm afraid of him, I can't deny that if I see that state again, I'd tremble. But... at the very least, I won't hate him."

Yoko was talking with a smile on her face, she was unflustered. Her regular color returned as she was looking down on empty air.

"Exactly like a maiden in love."

Akemi's smile was bright, two people had fell in love with her child.

"L-like I said, I'm not in love with him!"

Yoko's expression crumbled with Akemi's teasing.

"I always knew Akane had fell in love with Kai but I never knew it was to this extent, looks like I was still naive."

"A-aunt!"

Akemi looked at Emi then at the sky once more.

Kai, come back soon. Your little sister and admirers are waiting for you. Your parents are worried about you, you must come back soon.

Akemi looked back at the two and smiled while ignoring their words.