Soul of Searing Steel

Panda Novel

As the entire Lost Galaxy changed drastically with every move of the Mycroft civilization, time flew, and it was already Starfall year 841, the fourteenth of November in the blink of an eye.

In the southern residential district of Moldavia, Priest stood outside his house’s door, watching as Sol gently straightened Britney’s collar and hung a dandelion wool doll on her bag. Although his face remained serious, a hint of a smile lingered on his lips.

“Britney, do you have your Spirit Terminal and textbooks?” Priest reminded her, noticing a magically powered bus slowly moving toward them—the school bus coming here to bring his sister to school, hanging with banners of Winter Fort Academy and other schools. “Just remember to show your Spirit Terminal. I’ve sent you some money, so don’t cry your way home like last time because you didn’t have anything for lunch.”

“No way!” The little girl who was docilely letting Sol tidy her hair and clothes blushed, wringing her hands in panic. “That—that’s the first time I went to school, I simply forgot because I was too nervous… it won’t happen this time!”

“Alright, stop teasing her.” Checking that the spirit terminal necklace hanging over Britney’s neck was running normally, Sol’s spirit form dispelled the magical energy she used to affect physical objects and became illusory. She then turned and smiled at Priest. “You’re leaving in a while too, right?”

“…Yes.”

Priest, who had been teasing his sister to lift her mood and could not help smiling calmed down. Raising his hand to stroke his not-so-cleanly-shaven chin, he said calmly, “My mentor specifically asked for me—to be precise, the entire Elite Party, along with Ivan’s First Party and Lisa and Syndicate… Since he is going to make a move himself, we naturally have to go along as pupils and apprentices.”

Noticing that both Sol and Britney had fallen silent at once, Priest scratched his head, a little vexed. “It’s alright, don’t worry over me since we’re not going to some dangerous place like the Darkest Abyss. It’s just another galaxy, there’s nothing too frightening.”

“…I’m not afraid of that.”

The elven girl’s spirit sighed softly. “Both Britney and I are used to you being away every day—I could tag along before, but I have to stay these days to take care of Britney… either way, it’s not as if you can’t contact us even if you are away for long, we’re just worried whether Lord Radcliffe could control himself.”

While most citizens were unaware, closer acquaintances such as Priest and Sol were aware of Joshua’s present state. Compared to the danger of the journey, they were clearly aware of Joshua’s power and what they should actually be worried about.

Priest sighed in response. “It’s fine—wasn’t the popularity of Continental War over the last few months clearly helping? My mentor has recovered much, and we could only trust him if he says yes.”

Priest then shook his head. The bus had arrived in front of their house, and so the young warrior picked Britney up and whirled her around in the air, and hugged her before her chagrin turned to anger. “Don’t worry,” he smiled. “Although it would be some time before we could meet, the Expedition Fleet would set up communication terminals along the journey—we could talk on the Spirit Terminal.”

“Well, you make good on your promises each time, I don’t actually have any reason to make you say.”

Hugging her brother, the young but mature Britney whispered, “Make good on your promise this time, alright? Come home safely, and I’d definitely show you my first-place in the lower academy!”

“Of course.”

A simple reply with evident determination, Priest put down Britney and watched silently as she boarded the bus, guided by an elven teacher to her seat before the bus moved again. She then waved at him, while he and Sol waved back.

As the bus vanished from the corner, human and spirit lowered their hands. Priest was silent, while Sol laughed once and slapped him at the back of his head.

“What, don’t you love adventuring? It is even a grand expedition to another galaxy—why the long face?”

An icy touched could be felt as the elven spirit’s hand passed through Priest’s head. “You rascal,” she said, “You promised to take me to see greater sights, only to leave me as Britney’s babysitter while you run off to adventures alone. But even I’m not angry about that, so why the face?”

“…I’m just being emotional.”

Priest rubbed his face to restore some life into his face as Sol blabbered away—either cheeringly or perhaps insultingly. “You know, Sol,” he looked up, and sighed again, “I keep feeling as if I had been dreaming this few years… whether it’s coming to Moldavia, joining Winter Fort Academy, becoming the Liege’s student or meeting you, everything feels like an enchantment, an illusion.”

“Ten years ago, I was still living near the Empire’ borders, fearing the dark tides day by day. The Draconic Plague had destroyed my home and claimed the lives of my parents, and I had to raise my sister away from home and survive by the grit of our teeth… though it was painful and poor, it was especially real.”

“Now, I have become the pupil of a Legendary champion and told that I am considered a genius. I also have Gold-tier ability and an interesting, enviable job, even obtaining a huge reward a while ago that could not even be finished with a lifetime of lavishness… Really, I never believed in destiny before, but I could now feel that it had turned drastically at some point in my life. Everything now is very much a dream compared to four years ago.”

There was no sadness on Priest’s face. He was even smiling, although it felt a little empty. “The ‘galactic expedition’—Seven Gods above, if I didn’t really enlist into the fleet, I couldn’t even imagine it ten years ago.”

It was clear that Priest was neither feeling fear or being at a loss at a moment. He was simply emotional that his life and destiny now is stunning and unbelievable: ever since he chose to come to Moldavia and tried to join Winter Fort Academy, the young warrior’s future seemed to have been distorted by some great power to its present dazzling state. He had even joined a grand fleet on an expedition to another galaxy, becoming a part of a fleet that is fated to be etched into history books.

Excessively beautiful and dreamlike, which was why Priest thought it to be surreal after having gone through all kinds of suffering in the past.

“And is dreaming a bad thing?”

Having listened quietly to what Priest had to say, the elven spirit smiled ethereally and put her hand over his shoulder as if they were brothers. Then, she gave him the sunny and cheery smile he saw when they first met.

“It’s just an expedition to another galaxy, and you’re that shocked? You should know that I’ve only recently learned that my entire homeland was on an Evil God’s back! Ten years ago, I haven’t even gone past the mountains of my homeworld, and had to suffer the anguish of Chaos corruption day by day… In comparison, does your shock compare to mine?”

“Trust me. As long as we follow the Liege, if we continue forward, greater worlds and more fantasies await us in the future. There is still a long road to walk, so don’t reminisce now.”

Laughing, Sol turned and left those words behind as she wafted into the house.

“And don’t stand dumbly outside. We still need your luggage when you report in to the fleet!”

The door closed, and Priest stared blankly alone outside for a moment.

He thought about many things: the fleet, his sister, Sol, adventures, other galaxies, the ever-progressing magical technology of present-day Mycroft…

But in the end, he took a deep breath and dispel the excess emotions. Then, before Sol could call for him a second team, he entered his own home placidly.

Sol was right. He was not even thirty, single and without children—he was still young, and to reminisce now was too early.

The path ahead was long, and a brighter future surely lies ahead.

Meanwhile, similar scenes were unfolding amongst the families of candidates selected for the Combined Galactic Expedition Fleet.

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