They got back to the village in time and with Siegmar’s set of lungs, were able to grab the attention of his father. Who knew that one day Siegmar’s loud arrogant mask would be useful? Not Kieth that’s for sure. Together the three made their way into the Great Hall, where the Jarl, his trusted advisors, and the chosen representative of the mages are.
Seeing his mom, he waved while Siegmar and Eloise handled the talking.
“Father, we bring back word of a demon that has entered our territory.”
Eloise nodded along, “Yes, here Siegmar, set it down.”
Keith scanned the room. There’s a new scent, one that smells like oranges and the hazy recollection of what must be ‘church incense’ from his past life. As Eloise and Siegmar explained the situation, revealing the sulfig to everyone, he crossed his arms and hid his throwing dagger.
“Then the boy is right,” the Jarl said, gesturing for someone to come over. “You speak the truth, Leonith of Clovis.”
And out stepped Leonith, the same age as he, his hair like sunlight and eyes like the sky. He’s wearing rather simple robes in plain brown, the only thing standing out from them being the silver cross around his neck. For a moment, Leonith’s face was overtaken by another face. Of a man with grey eyes and black hair, with devastation written on his face and betrayal on his tongue.
The memory made him frown, squashing down the urge Oryath had left behind of ‘I’m sorry.’.
“Orionith,” He ended saying instead.
Leonith looked at him in shock before freezing. “Oryath?”
The hall grew quiet, their eyes turning to gaze between this foreign boy and the son of Astra.
Leonith walked closer and he could taste the oranges in his scent. His face twisted, trying to understand everything. For a moment he over saw that same face that Oryath remember his brother making, confusion, concern, unsure, uncertain-
Yes, He snapped at Oryath’s memories. I get it, shut up!
Then the emotions on the other’s face locks away and leaves it strangely blank. Leonith’s face twisted to sneer at him, blue eyes bleeding red. “A hundred years have passed since the Sealing of Tiamat. Where were you at that time?”
That’s not Orionith speaking. Keith blinked in shock. No, Orionith never spoke like that, not in Oryath’s memories and certainly not in the book. This cold reception… That has to be Leonith’s own personality. The shock bleeds away as he narrows his eyes and growls his own reply.
“Keeping her sealed away. Something Orionith and the rest of the Heroes couldn’t do.” He snarled, moving closer to Leonith.
The Jarl slammed a fist on the table and one of the advisors gasped. He can see his mother glancing at him, tail twitching in worry and anxiety. She gave him a quick smile to reassure him before glaring at the Jarl.
“Oh? And what does the Traitor Worshipper and now the Reincarnation of a Traitor have as proof?” The Jarl asked, crossing his arms and standing tall, judgment already in his eyes.
Those blue eyes are now fully red as Leonith agreed. “What makes you so sure he’s the only one to seal away Tiamat?”
“Back off!” Astra yelled, a hiss in her voice as she stood beside Keith. Her claws came out instinctively. “You will not treat my son like a criminal!”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Keith looked at his mother, and bit back the growl threatening to come out of his throat. The anger bled away to resignation. Of course, right, this isn’t a book where everyone listens and gets along. With a sigh, he pulled down the collar of his shirt, exposing his marked chest.
“Ktlr lr atf Zjgx bo atf Vfji.”
Ktf Zjgx bo atf Vfji lr gfv ilxf yibbv jcv lcaglmjaf ilxf j ygjcv. Pa qeirfr, atgbyylcu ilxf j tfjgayfja. Ktf mlgmif jcv atf gecfr jii lcrmglyfv ab ibbx ilxf j yfjealoei ajaabb atja atf vjwclcu fnlvfcmf la lr. Bflat tjafr ibbxlcu ja la. Lf tjafr rfflcu la jcv xcbklcu ktja la lr yfmjerf la yglcur yjmx oibbvr bo Ygsjat jcv Kljwja jcv qjufr bo j rabgs.
It’s always unpleasant looking at it.
The red in Leonith’s eyes fade away back to blue and the sneer is gone, back to a glint of guilt and shame.
“Tell them, am I a liar?” Keith asked softly. His mother’s clawed hand went on his shoulder in silent encouragement.
“… No. I remember this,” Leonith whispered. His hand reached out to trace it. “Oryath had designed it before Tiamat brought destruction. It was intended to seal away any portals between this world and the demon world. There are remnants of the original design.”
Keith smiled bitterly. Leonith continued to speak.
“Though… Should it be black or red? Because it’s as black as night.”
He paused and looked at it himself. What should have been blood red is now a plain black. He narrowed his eyes as his hand glowing white, placing it over the mark. He pulsed his magic. The mark didn’t pulse back.
It’s gone.
“Fuck.” He cursed because what else do you say when the one thing keeping a demon from coming back and bringing about the end of the world is gone? “It’s gone. The seal, it’s supposed to be red, I didn’t realize-”
The Jarl’s face grew stonier at this revelation. “Evacuate the people, all those able and willing to fight shall stay. Astra, check the Yggdrasil sapling, find out why this demon was able to enter.”
“Understood,” They bowed, moving to dispatch his orders.
Keith gave Leonith a tired look. “Since you’re here, you better help. I’m assuming you know nothing of when the invasion will arrive?”
Oryath laughed. “Since you’re here, you better help. I’m assuming you know nothing of when the bandits will arrive?”
“Are you insulting me, Markless?” Perseus scowled. “I know your kind, unchosen and unworthy for the Gods to even claim you.”
“My, you truly are a chosen of Poseidon. All water and no thought in that head of yours,” He sneered.
His brother places a hand on his head. “Oryath, that’s enough.”
He blinked away the memory. He’s not as playful as Oryath is, and yet the words still slipped through in a different context. Keith, not for the first time, cursed out the fact Oryath couldn’t reincarnate normally like the rest of the Heroes of Yore.
“None.” Leonith shook his head.
Beside the two of them, Eloise and Siegmar were speaking in hushed whispers. Their backs bent as they spoke. Idly, he wondered if they knew he could hear them. They weren’t that quiet and his wolf-ish hearing from Fenrir’s gift allowed him to hear what they were arguing about.
“El, you’re friends with the reincarnation of a well-hated historical figure, what the fuck?”
“So what? That’s the least of our problems you dimwit, shut up. We can ask them about this after the battle but for now we need to prepare. If your father falls in the invasion, you have to step up because you are his one and only son which means you’re his heir.”
“I know that, El! If I become Jarl, you’re going to be one of my advisors and I’ll keep Uncle Lars too. Auntie Agnes deserves a break after all the dumb things my father thinks about.”
Leonith bumped shoulders with him. “We should go help with the defenses. The Jarl looks busy planning.”
He glanced at the war table, the Jarl and his two advisors, Agnes and Lars, talking amongst themselves as they gestured and pointed at the map.
“Yeah… Do you remember Orionith’s and Oryath’s dual barrier?” He asked, wondering just how much Leonith remembers from Orionith.
“Somewhat, I remember the barrier’s formation.” He hummed. “But I don’t remember the details.”
It’s rather odd, how whatever anger Leonith had is now gone to leave only a simple peaceful acceptance, as if he usually interacts with reincarnations of history’s most detested. Not that he’s complaining, it makes things easier if they talk to each other like classmates who only say hello when they pass each other by. Nice. Easy. No drama, just the way he likes it.
Keith shrugged, tail lax as he nodded along. “Close enough. Come on, we need to place a double barrier around the Yggdrasil sapling and then around the town.”
Leonith nodded along, “Lead the way.”
Together the two strangers-but-not walked side by side underneath the rainbow lights. Normally, he would enjoy this walk, the beauty of the rainbow leaves from the Yggdrasil sapling and the bright colorful light that connected this sapling to the others is calming. It’s like looking at stars. The light isn’t bright enough to keep the village as well lit as day time would so they still used lanterns. Yet now, as he sees the village bustling with activity, it has never had him so anxious before.
He would hate to see Kiol like this and he knows that by the end of the battle, gone or not, he’ll have to leave. Keith’s heart ached at the lack of sorrow on the thought of leaving. In fact, a part of him is excited to leave.
As much as he tried to not succumb to the fragmented memories of his past life, he didn’t feel like Kiol was truly his home. It was merely there. At most, the only one he would ever care for was his mother, and perhaps Eloise. And while he loved the Yggdrasil sapling and it’s beauty, it wasn’t…
Wasn’t what? He wondered to himself. As expected, he couldn’t answer it, and the only thing he could do was march forward in order to keep Kiol safe.
When Leonith had come to Kiol, he did not expect to see the reincarnation of Orionith’s brother. Nor did he expect him to recognize him to be Orionith’s reincarnation but here he was, walking to the Yggdrasil sapling beside the by all account traitor he should hate. Yet, when he spoke of the truth about the sealing, he was unsurprised. Did Orionith know about this?
He’s not sure. He only gets vague impressions. Like grasping at memories of childhood, it’s all seen through a haze of emotion and the fogginess of time. The fact Keith seems to remember more of Oryath’s life than he did Orionith was interesting. But it also meant he might be treated because of a past life he barely knows.
It irks him.
“Keith,” He said, “I ask that you not treat me based on our past lives. I may be Orionith’s reincarnation but I am not him.”
“Good. Do the same for me,” Is all Keith said, Leonith left it at that.
There was little else to say.
The silence continued on until they reached the Yggdrasil sapling.
“Mom,” Keith called out, “Leonith and I can help with the defenses.”
His mother took one look at the both of them and nodded. “The Yggdrasil sapling is missing some bark.”
His tail whipped back and forth as he thought about it. “Are they using it as a magical version of gate pass?”
Her eyes, so similar to his gazed at him with a bone-deep tiredness he hasn’t seen her wear since the one time he asked about his father. Pulling him close, she sighed. He could smell sweat clanging to her skin, and taste the crackle of magic in the air.
“Don’t overwork yourself, Mom. Leonith and I can help, we still remember something from our past life.” He reassured, hugging her back.
“Past lives and demonic invasions, oh be bother it all, why did it have to be you?”
“I’m sorry.” He whispered, apologizing for, well everything.
Astra shook her head, pulling away from him. Her ears are downcast and tail twitching. “Don’t blame yourself, pup. The Fates have been working on the threads for a while now.”
“Get some rest, Mom.” He murmured, guiding her to sit and rest beneath the Yggdrasil sapling.
Despite its name of sapling, the tree itself is easily as large as a skyscraper. Under his and Leonith’s combined memories though, they were able to place the dual barrier around the Yggdrasil sapling. It took them a while, having to draw the sigil in the ground in the four cardinal directions but it’s worth it.
Leonith flagged behind when Keith began to bring them to the borders of the village. The heavy use of magic as well as the journey having taken a toll on him. Frowning, Keith turned and spotted Eloise raising her own barriers with ice. Even from here, he could see how pale she’s gotten from doing that enough times for the borders of the village.
Unlike Leonith and Eloise though, he wasn’t that exhausted in terms of magic.
Oryath, did you give me your magical core alongside your soul? Keith wondered before turning to see Leonith stumbling over himself.
“If you’re tired just say so,” He grouched, because of course the protagonist’s reincarnation got the typical ‘stubborn streak’ of a shounen protagonist. “Come on, my house should be close by.”
Judging by the grateful glint in Leonith’s eyes though, he very much doubts that stubborn streak is to the point of stupidity. Plus as much as he wanted to keep going, not adding his larger magical core, he would like to enjoy some sleep. Glancing at Leonith, he moved to support him and stop him from tripping into the ground.
It’s strange how tired he is but it might be due to his journey to get here. He noted as they both settled into his house, not caring to say anything.
Thank you for the chapter ❤️
The brothers reunite. I’m glad that Leonith doesn’t seem to harbor any grudges and quickly believed him. ☺