Stone Mage: Revenge of the Villain System

The next day, they arrived at Phoenix Mountain at noon.

The hike from the foot of the mountain all the way to its peak would take another three hours, and about thirty minutes in, there had only been the unbearable silence and the sound of rustling leaves and twigs that they stepped on.

Cermin couldn't bear it anymore and said in a jolly tone. "So.... how was the food last night?"

"How was it?" Ronin repeated, wearing a frown while still holding a certain book.

"Yeah... Did it taste delicious or was there something else you prefer to eat? I could have the chefs cook it for you."

"It was good." Ronin answered plainly.

"Oh. Then, uh..... How about the bed? Is it comfy? I would have preferred us to sleepover again, but my parents said it wasn't appropriate for a prince to share the same bed as a Commoner so you had to sleep to another bedroom."

"It was comfortable, and I did not mind."

Ronin knew from when the King and Queen first saw him that they did not expect their son's friend was a Commoner and felt uncomfortable with that.

(If it was a woman to please him, it would have been fine. But as an actual friend....)

(Maybe we should have been more concerned on finding good companions for Cermin too. But let him play with the Commoner for a while, as he had been through so much. He must be like a therapeutic pet for him, and will get tired of him eventually.)

Those were their first thoughts about him, whilst smiling and saying things like "Oh, we're very happy to have you here." or giving him empty praises.

'Most accepting royal family, pffft. Hypocrites, more like. They accept Commoners when they are just meant to service them." Ronin thought, but he doesn't really care about this reaction and found it amusing as it supports his view of the world.

Cermin then asked next: "The servants? Were they nice to you?"

"Yes. Very amiable, happy to see a fellow Commoner regarded so highly." Ronin just went back to reading his book at this pointless questioning.

"Oh... That's great....."

Cermin racked his brain for a subject that would get more answers from him.

"Then.... Uh.... Your book!" He exclaimed. "What about what you found in your book from the archives? Was it useful?"

Ronin closed it when he tried to peek. "It was. I learned many things."

"Like what?" Cermin asked.

He knew this guy really won't let him off alone, so he divulged a bit of information and add a bunch of filler nonsense so it would appear that he actually liked talking to him.

"The book talked about how the hunter, Flintwivk, found it strange that phoenixes resided in a domain of Aurion rather than live in the Other Side, which was Diamant's formal domain."

"Why must the only creatures that possess immortality reside in the material realm? After all, even the divine animals favored by the gods can be killed, and had to be resurrected by their gods."

"And these animals reside in the Other side with their masters, only visiting this world when summoned or brought along by the gods in their travels. Yet why not phoenixes?"

He wiped the cover of the old book with the etched phoenix on it. "Why are they the only ones that can resurrect themselves from ashes without any help from any god, Diamond or not?"

Cermin's eyes widened in interest. "That really is mysterious. Did the book answer why is that?"

"He also never found out." Ronin sighed. "But what he did found..."

"Was that phoenixes are very symbolic creatures. They function on what they symbolize. Flying despite the flame on their wings, dying to ashes yet being reborn anyway."

"Resurrection. Flame. These were the key to finding their strength and weakness."

Cermin blinked. "Er... I don't get it. What exactly is this strength and weakness then?"

"Well, if resurrection and flame is their strength, then the opposite is the weakness." Ronin grinned. "Flintwivk found out...."

"That phoenixes are actually easy to kill, as any weapon works on it, with the exception of Diamond phoenixes that can only be cut by diamond, of course. What was difficult was to make sure it stays killed."

"Once the sun touches them, they get healed again. Now that's odd, don't you think?"

Ronin looked at the sun high above them.

"Why the sun specifically? If it was a creature of Diamant, the God of Flame, then any fire would work. But why Aurion?"

It is strange, unless the phoenixes were never Diamant's birds at all.

But Aurion already have lions, and so wouldn't it be selfish to have another animal in his favor?

"I don't know either. I can't ask Aurion even when I wanted to, he never answers." Cermin shrugged.

He rubbed his chin. "So the only way to kill phoenixes was at night, right?"

Ronin shook his head. "Actually, that adds to another mystery. Because in theory, phoenixes should be able to be killed at night or at the dark....."

"But they disappear at night. The night protects them just as the sun does."

Cermin blinked. "Huh?"

"When a phoenix passed by a shadow, it disappears, and only appears again once they passed by that shadow, Flintwivk said. When nighttime falls, they completely could not be seen or vanish."

"Then..... How was he able to kill it permanently with normal weapons?" Cermin asked.

Ronin shrugged. "I don't know. He never said it here, that's why I believe it must have been a fraud."

It's not a lie, though. The book never explicitly recounted how Flintwivk hunted a phoenix.

But it was a lie that he believe he was a fraud.

What the book says in its epilogue.....

[If the sun so protects it, and the darkness too protects it..... Then it is a creature of both. And the only thing who could kill such creature of both light and darkness.....]

[Is from what created it.]

Cermin was disappointed. "A fraud..... Well, that must suck for you, you were so excited to find out about it."

"But we won't be using that information anyway." He shrugged. "Hunting phoenixes or even just trying no matter how impossible is illegal. We're here to just spot one, aren't we?"

"Of course. Just taking precautions." Ronin said. "After all, I can't endanger the prince of Scirocco himself."

He meant it because of the punishment for something like that, but Cermin chose to interpret it as concern for a friend.

"Aw, shucks. I'll be fine, Ronin. If anything, I'll be the one protecting you from the danger."

Ronin just made a face without Cermin seeing. "Uh-huh. As you say, Your Highness."

They stopped walking and sat on a nice clear meadow to have some food, before continuing again. It was in the middle of the afternoon already.

"We've reached the peak. I guess it'll be sunset the moment we reach the foot of the mountain again." Cermin said.

"Let's stay a bit longer, Your Highness." Ronin said. "You have your glowing sword to serve as our light after all."

"But.... I promised Mom and Dad that---"

"Your Highness, you're a grown man already. 18 years old, and graduating the Academy soon. You can take care of yourself without following everything adults command you, right?"

Cermin became embarrassed by this, his cheeks reddening. "Yeah... Yeah, you're right! We can manage even at nighttime, we're not kids anymore to be scolded for going out past bedtime."

"Maybe.... Maybe I'll just explain to them that we got a little lost in the way back or something that's why it took so long."

Even as Min Cheng, he had always been compliant to what his parents say, afraid to displease them even as an adult. In fact, not just his parents.....

But to everyone.

And Ronin knew this weakness of wanting to please everyone. He used it very well to get what he wanted from Cermin.

When nighttime came, Cermin summoned his Sword of Solaire. Ronin gave a look at this sword....

And took it. "I'll lead the way, Your Highness. I remember the path we took better."

Cermin was slightly unsure of handing over his Mage Focus, but found Ronin's excuse better.

After walking a few meters Ronin leading the way with a sword....

He suddenly disappeared, just like a phoenix disappearing at night, along with the sword.

"Ronin?"

Cermin was left all alone in the woods. In the dark.

"RONIN!!!"