Chapter 12: Are You Kidding Me?

Kyran struggled even more, but could not break free from the shackles. He thought of using his magic. He’d rather risk facing the four-colored ruin’s attack than being bound like this.

“Stop struggling, you idiotic kid. I said I’ll kill you, but I really won’t. It’s an expression. Got that?”

Kyran’s face was full of dark lines.

Expression? What was this man saying? They were practically strangers. Why would you use an expression like ‘I’ll kill you’ to a person you just met? Wasn’t he being too familiar with him?

“I’ll release you in a bit. But right now just stay still and don’t make any sound.”

The cloaked man’s voice came again.

From what Kyran observed, he seemed to be moving. Although he did not feel that he was being carried. It even felt like he was moving in midair.

“When I release you, can you promise not to run? Nod once if you agree. If not I’ll knock you out.”

More dark lines appeared on Kyran’s face.

Did he only have two choices?

“Well?”

Kyran nodded once.

“Good.”

The cloaked man did not speak after that.

Kyran did not know how much time had passed. After a while, they slowed down and finally came to a stop.

Then he fell.

“Omphf!” Kyran groaned as he hit a hard surface.

The man treated him like a piece of baggage!

“I’m going to release you now. Don’t make any funny moves. Nod once if you understand, stay silent and I’ll let you stay that way until you agree. But I’m telling you, I am not a patient man.”

Kyran sighed. Why did he only have two choices?

He nodded once.

As soon as he nodded, whatever was binding his body and covering his mouth and eyes, loosened. He then noticed the ‘binds’ turned to black mist circling around him.

He observed the black mist and saw it gathered around the cloaked man.

The moment his eyes found the man, Kyran had a sudden impulse to escape. He stood up but remained still.

When they were in the cave, he did not take this cloaked man seriously. Now he felt the man’s domineering aura that was almost suffocating.

It became clear to Kyran that he could easily be killed by this man.

The cloaked man was silent.

Kyran could not see the man’s expression, but he knew he was being watched.

A portion of the black mist around the man formed a small chair. He sat while the rest of the black mist entered his cloak.

“Now we talk,” the man finally said.

Kyran frowned a little.

When this man ‘caught’ him, he was already expecting a confrontation. He was also mentally prepared to ‘remain silent’ even if he was tortured.

However, while the cloaked man sat on his chair, acting all high and mighty, Kyran did not feel any hostility from him.

‘Does he really want us to just talk?’

In order to calm his nerves, Kyran focused his attention on his surroundings.

It was then that he noticed they were no longer in the forest. He was not sure where they were but it seemed like a ‘grey space’.

Kyran did not know how to call this ‘place’ other than ‘space’ because as far as he could see, there was only, grey all around. There was no sky. No trees. No… Anything. Other than the two of them, there didn’t seem to be any other life in this space.

“Where is this place?” Kyran asked.

“My domain.”

Kyran frowned and looked at the cloaked man, “Domain?”

The man tilted his head. Kyran might not see his expression but he could almost see his exasperated look.

“You really don’t know anything about magic, do you?”

Kyran suddenly felt defensive. It was not his fault, okay? It was only recently that he knew he had magic. Also, because of his guilt of not having magic, he avoided anything to do with it. Well, his family also made sure he had no contact with magic, for entirely different reasons.

Besides, even if he did not try to study magic, he still had some knowledge from military school. After all, as combat specialists, they had to know how to deal with people with magic.

“I do know… a few things,” Kyran replied defensively.

“Right. You don’t even know something as basic as forming arrays.”

“Forming arrays?”

“See?”

Kyran’s eyes twitched. He could almost imagine the sneer on the man’s face.

“Well sorry for being ignorant.”

“Did I say you are? Such an uncouth kid.”

“I’m not a kid.”

“Compared to me you are. Now let’s stop with the idle chat and let’s get down to business. Tell me who you are.”

‘Here it comes,’ Kyran thought and clenched his fist. Although he had calmed down, the man’s aura remained very intimidating. Thus, it took a lot from him to hide his fear, and return the man’s gaze. He had to understand this man’s purpose first.

“You already know who I am.”

“You really want to play hard to get? Seriously?”

“I’m not. You act rough and unreasonable, but you seemed like a smart man. I’m sure you already figured out who I am.”

“Pfft. Rough and unreasonable, now that’s new. I only ever heard people say how annoying I am or how I talk a lot,” the man laughed.

Kyran suddenly felt cheated. Here he was feeling scared and nervous, but this man was very relaxed! And it was a little annoying!

When Kyran remained silent, the man suppressed his laughter.

“Tsk,” the man snorted disapprovingly. “Look, kid. If you take everything that happens to you too seriously, you’ll end up bald by the time you turned 30.”

“….”

The man cleared his throat and leaned back. He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from under his cloak and threw it at Kyran.

Kyran looked at the paper as it fell in front of him. He took it cautiously and smoothened it. His eyes narrowed as he saw that it was a bounty poster, and his picture from when he was still in military school was on it.

‘A bounty! They put up a bounty on me… One million high-grade spirit stone!’ Kyran was shocked, but he never showed it on his face. This was the unknown factor he was afraid of. He could not believe that just a day had passed and already, he got a bounty on his head.

The cloaked man was silent.

Kyran knew the man was observing his reactions. He did a quick scan of the poster, and found they wanted him ‘alive’.

‘No wonder he did not kill me,’ Kyran thought, feeling a little disappointed. To be honest, he was hoping this man could be an ‘unlikely ally’. He was thrown into the world possessing dangerous magic. He got a bounty on his head and now he was a fugitive. Even now, he could barely keep himself safe. What he needed right now was someone who could help him. Or at least, point him in the right direction.

“You’re a mercenary,” Kyran finally said. He looked at the cloaked man, trying to act indifferent.

“I am,” then the man paused. “I am also a mage.”

“I did not ask –.”

“Just saying,” the man interrupted him. “I’m not good at remembering faces, but I can at least recognize someone once I get used to seeing their face. The person in that poster is a brat. And you are a kid.”

“Huh?”

“What huh?”

Kyran looked at him incredulously, “Is there a difference between the two?”

“To me it does. A brat is a brat, a kid is a kid.”

So unreasonable!

“Now, that poster did not say a name. Only that person’s last known location.”

Kyran was dizzy. This man was seriously treating him and the ‘brat’ in the poster as two different people?

“That guy. You know the one who broadcast he was looking for you back at the forest? He said your name is Kyran Regis.”

Kyran’s heart started to beat furiously. He agreed not to do any ‘funny moves’ but right now, he could not trust this man. He was in the man’s domain, but he did not believe that he could not escape. At least, when he started to rouse his magic, that was how it felt.

“I said no funny moves,” the man’s voice interrupted Kyran’s thought.

Black spikes appeared beneath Kyran and pierced his lower legs.

“Argh!” Kyran groaned and fell. He immediately placed his hands on his wounds to stop the bleeding.

The tip of the spikes that pierced his legs, turned soft and bound him in place.

“I told you we’re inside my domain. I have full awareness of everything that happens here. That also means, any form of magic being roused,” the man explained patiently.

Kyran breathed heavily, the pain in his legs burned. He knew these black things did not only pierced his flesh, but also his bones. Such piercing power.

What exactly were these black things?

Kyran turned his head and glared at the man. But that was all he could do, glare at him.

“I just want us to talk. It’s your choice not to trust me, the same goes for me. But right now, I just really want to understand something. Be a good kid and play along, yeah?”

Kyran gritted his teeth. He did not reply and instead reached for his pouch. ‘Gone!’ He panicked when he realized his pouch was missing.

“Ah, right,” the man then took out something from his cloak.

Kyran saw that it was his space pouch.

“I’ll keep this in the meantime. Oh, and also this one.”

The cloaked man opened his left hand. He was holding Kyran’s necklace with the two jade rings.

“Alright. I…I’ll cooperate, just please…please return those,” Kyran struggled to speak from the pain.

“Hm? Seriously? These two are important to you? Tsk, I should’ve used this to threaten you right from the start,” the cloaked man complained.

By this time, Kyran was already numb to the man’s antics. Aside from that, he was really scared right now. The man did not even flinch when he attacked. At least he did not attack to kill. If not, Kyran would not even know what hit him before he dies.

The man then silently stared at the rings in his hand. He took these things earlier but did not really pay attention to them, until now.

Kyran on the other hand managed to sit up. But he still kept his hands on his wounds to keep them from bleeding.

“These rings,” the man spoke after a few seconds of silence. “Is it yours? Or did you get it from someone?”

Kyran swallowed to moisten his dry throat, before answering. “It’s a memento… from my parents.”

“Parents?”

Kyran heard the shock, from the man’s voice.

“Y-Yes.”

“Well, f*ck me.”

“Huh?”

“Are you kidding me? This kind of coincidence? Really?”

“I don’t understand….”

The man did not reply, he just fell silent. He seemed to be contemplating something as he stared at Kyran.

Finally, after a few minutes, the cloaked man spoke in a very serious tone.

“Tell me what happened to the Regis clan.”