Astraea: The Journey of Magic

"Woah. It's a real Wizard's tower!" Kuroki and Riku exclaimed at the same time.

Amyris, Riza, Kuroki, and Riku had all arrived at Amyris' place. It was a decently sized place, certainly had more land than the other areas. It had both a front and back yard, and the building was made of stone. It looked a bit worn down, and was covered in moss in some places, making it feel less grand then it actually was. However, it was very well made. Kuroki spotted a few ward arrays already, yet he couldn't sense any of them. Like the Mage's Guild, something was inhibiting his perception.

In fact, he and Riku had been incapable of noticing this tower until Amyris pointed it out to them. After that, they focused mana into their eyes, ears, and nose, and were quickly able to notice it themselves.

There was not only a front yard, but a back as well. However, the back was connected to a back alley with buildings on every side, so very few people would probably see there, especially with the perception inhibitors. The stone wall was decently high, but not too high. It went up to Kuroki's and Riku's neck, and it had an old wooden gate. Riku went to open it, when Kuroki stopped him.

"Kuroki?"

"Master, what is the password?"

"Oh, you noticed?"

Amyris chuckled a bit, while Riku looked a bit miffed and pouted.

"The password is Luxia Tenebris".

"Right, got it. Luxia Tenebris".

With those words, the gate made a clicking sound and opened on its own.

"...I am amazed you caught that".

"Just barely, Riku. Now Master, why didn't you mention anything sooner? Exactly what would that spell array have done to us?"

"Ah, I set my house defenses to the lower setting ahead of time, so it would have just made you both quite itchy for a few hours and shocked you a bit".

"...I see. And if it was set to maximum".

"Let me put it to you this way. I never set it to maximum".

"Understood".

"Now then, Riza. You go home. I will be raising the house defenses now, and you have your own work to do".

Riza pouted and threw a tantrum. "But its more interesting with you! I don't want to deal with boring paperwork!"

"You need to send those reports to the king, don't you? And go searching for more Starfallen?"

"Geh. Fine fine. But I need to teach Riku more swordsmanship, so I will be back okay?"

"Fine fine. Remember to bring gifts".

Riza then extended both his hands and shook both Kuroki's and Riku's hands, the two bracelets on each wrist clattering a bit as he did. Though they otherwise seemed abnormally silent.

"You both are fun and interesting! If Amyris gets too busy and I am around, feel free to come to me if you need help!"

With a childish grin and an energetic wave, the grandpa who looked like a young thirteen year old boy said his goodbyes before skipping off into the dark. The trio turned to enter, when they heard something strange. It sounded like someone shouted "Hey brat, give me all your money! And your clothes too!", and then almost instantly the sound of stone shattering and cries of despair from that very same voice.

"That reminds me. This might be a city, but it is located in the frontier in an area full of dangerous parts. It can get very dangerous, but especially at night, so don't go out at night. At least not on your own, let me know okay?"

"R-right".

"Got it".

And so, the trio went through the yard, which looked somewhat untamed but also worn and broken in, and they made it to the front door. Amyris opened the door for them, ushering them inside before coming inside himself and closing the door.

Unlike the outside, which looked worn and old, the inside looked well kept. There were parts that could use some cleaning here and there, with dust or some books thrown around or such. However, there was no moss anywhere. The inside had a properly maintained carpet with none of the areas missing or peeled away. There was a coat rack as well as a place to keep shoes by the entrance, and in the main hall the lamps turned themselves on when they walked in. There was a few steps that led up to the carpeted area, and then doorways with no doors to the left and right. To the left was what appeared to be a living room, while the right appeared to be the same. Both had large glass windows that did not match the windows on the outside at all, suggesting that even when they had been allowed to notice the building, they had not seen through its proper illusion. A multi-layered disguise, so to speak.

There was also a hall that led down into the back, with stairs on one side that led to a second story. Underneath the stairs that went up were stairs that went down as well, so there was also clearly a basement. The hallway up to the second floor was too dark to see what was up there, the stairs down they didn't have a good angle to look down for at the moment, and at the end of the hall was three more doors.

"Kuroki, Rika, make sure you take off your shoes and put them in the cubboard".

Kuroki was pretty sure the word was cupboard, but perhaps that was how they pronounced it here. Or maybe that was Master specific.

"Ah, right".

They had already started anyways, having had a similar feature in their own homes. Once they had, they walked up the three steps to the main floor. That was when Amyris looked back and nodded.

"Now, we should get those inspections done first before putting you two to bed, but first...how about you two explore the house? I will answer most quests as best as I can".

"Wait, you won't show us around?" Kuroki asked.

"I could if you want, but I thought it might be more interesting for you guys to explore it first".

Riku especially seemed excited. "Yeah yeah, let's go let's go!"

"Alright then!" Kuroki replied, getting swept up in the excitement. He was a rather emotional boy after all, getting easily flustered and excited. The two checked out the front two rooms first.

"These are basic living areas. Sometimes I will hold lectures here for those I am teaching, although typically I prefer to hold them outside".

There were all sorts of tables and chairs, as well as some couches. There were a few bookshelves, as well as a painting or two. Almost all of them were scenery paintings, except for one which featured Amyris with a silver, translucent clocktower behind him, on a dark stormy night as he and his allies fought against monsters.

"Ah, that painting is what we call a Historic Painting. They are used to depict historic moments".

"Are there many different types?"

"Most paintings reflect nature and naturalism, so you generally get a lot of scenery paintings, or nude portraits. There are some parents who have them made of their children when trying to court marriage partners, to show them they have a wonderful and healthy child from long distances away".

"Ah, sounds like a noble thing".

"Merchants and others in power use them a lot as well, but yes it was started by nobles. Also having a record of healthy growth in the family is considered a good thing".

They moved onto the next room, the room behind the living room on the right. It had even more windows and glass, letting in plenty of sunlight during the day. It was probably a wonderful and warm room. It had some doors that were rather heavy to open and close.

"Woah, is this an indoor garden?"

"No, that's where I grow plants. I will have you both take care of them while you are here, but I should warn you some of them are dangerous. Like the one in the center, it will try to eat you".

"...wait what?"

"I prune its vines so it has difficulty capturing its prey, and then I extract its sap to harvest. That said, it's been a few days so..."

The two boys exited the room and closed the door.

"Yeah. I should handle it first for sure" Amyris agreed. "You two probably will be fine, but...you are also unfamiliar with them which could be an issue. I will need to teach you about magical plants and monster plants as well".

The two boys ran to the other side of the house through the long way, where they came across what appeared to be a dining room. It had a door to the left, a door to the right which likely led back towards the center hall they saw before, and a door that led to the back. It was a decently sized dining room, and could probably fit about ten to fourteen people total. Seeing as how it was normal, they quickly moved to the left room, which ended up just being a storage room full of various things. Most of it was dishes or platters, but there were swords in there too, as well as a suit of armor for some reason, and apparently various ingredients. The containers had some enchantments like storage expansion, although given how small they were apparently only about fifty percent more space was possible. The room itself however had far more powerful enchantments. To be exact, it was clearly enchanted to keep the food fresh and prevent it from going bad. Perhaps that was why this room felt rather cold to the two boys, who were in short sleeves and shorts. This room was basically a walk-in fridge, or perhaps even a freezer.

Before they left though, the two found something else. Wedged between two shelves was a book. When they pulled it out and looked at it, it was some sort of recipe guide. Or an instruction manual. Its title was "How to Cook, Super Beginner's Edition for Anna types" on it. It seemed a bit rude, but from what Kuroki heard, she was a terrible cook. Apparently it didn't interest her enough and she couldn't stay focused on it, so that probably didn't help at all.

"Master, is this..."

"Yeah. I didn't realize that thing was still down there. It was a rather foolish attempt by me which never worked at all" Amyris admitted. "She was just too willful and uninterested in cooking. At least in taking the time to learn properly".

Hearing that, the two left after having skimmed it a bit and then put it back where they found it. From the sheer basic instructions and the fact Amyris had put in pictures and images, making it partially a picture book, they had a decent idea of his troubles.

They headed into the room in the back next, which was a large kitchen area. There was a smaller table with a few chairs. If everyone crammed in together, it might fit five or six people, but they would literally have their chairs touching each other's chairs.

It was a rather large and properly developed kitchen, complete with a sink.

"Master, so you have plumbing then?"

"...not completely. Right now I only have sinks. I used to have a bathtub, but it broke ages ago. That said, it might be an adjustment for you, but you will still be able to take baths here. Just keep in mind it's a basin bath".

Amyris then explained it to them. A basin bath was when someone filled up a large wooden or metal basin with water, and then would stand there during the initial rinse as they were scrubbed and rinsed off. Usually this involved someone with a brush or a sponge, and then afterwards they would sit down and soak in the water. Some soap was added as well, and it was sometimes placed over a light to keep it warm and blissful. That said, given that the water faucet that would let them fill it with any reasonable speed was in the backyard and there were no hoses in this world, like most others it would probably be done outside.

"Speaking of which Riku, for someone who only arrived in the city today and who was on his own the whole time, you don't seem too dirty".

"Ah, the room I found these clothes in also had some other things. It looked like a researcher's room...actually, I had found some soap and shampoo in a closet that felt cold like that storage room, and now that I think about it, there was a faucet on the wall and a large wooden basin underneath it. I guess the guy bathed where he worked. There was also a bucket in the corner. I looked inside and there was some weird gunk in it, but nothing else".

"...but where did you bathe?"

"Ah...I bathed in a river this morning. It was a...different experience. But not as strange as when this weird pack of rabbits nearly stole my clothes. Thankfully I was able to chase them down, although I had to use a modified Brilliant Flash to get the last one".

"And you washed your hands right?"

"Yeah I pooped right before bathing after all. I wish he had toilet paper, I had to use leaves from a tree".

"Oh good. Did you also wash your hands using that faucet to try out the soap?"

"Yeah, wh...wait, are you saying..."

Amyris nodded. "Yeah, that bucket was his toilet. Thats normal though, you know. Only nobles, the very rich, or businesses that require it have plumbing for toilets and baths. Sinks as well. Plumbing is expensive after all. I only have it for sinks right now. The pipes for bathtub need to be bigger, and mine broke a few decades ago, so you will need to do the same".

A reminder that this world was not some gimmicky convenient world seen in other isekais. It didn't magically have all of modern conveniences. It was a harsh world full of reality.

The only room past the kitchen was the back entrance heading to the backyard, which was where the faucet was. Kuroki supposed at least that meant they wouldn't have to bathe in the front yard, and Amyris even pointed out some good spots to squat, since it was generally preferred to keep that nastiness outside. There whole a hole with a hatch where one could dump it into, and then they would need to wash the bucket. The buckets were apparently enchanted to prevent staining and make it harder for things to stick, so it was actually rather easy and would only take them a minute or so.

Once they were done with that, the two boys headed upstairs. Like below, there was a central hall, although this one was larger. About three times as wide as the one below. The door right in front of the stairs was Amyris' room. To the right on this side of the hall was the library, while on the left was an alchemy room where one could work on brewing potions. The door on the far side was one for magical engineering, while the door to the right of that door was for apprentices to sleep in. Apparently students who stayed here all slept together in one incredibly large bed. It used to be two rooms, but that was when the third story was accessible. Certainly, there was a set of stairs on the left wall from exiting the stairs that went up to the third floor, but it seemed like no matter what they couldn't quite perceive where to get on them and the door up there gave them bad news.

Across from the student bedroom was a guest bedroom that had two beds in it.

"What happened to the third floor?"

"A dangerous relic unleashed itself. Thankfully my home includes quarantine protocols against dangerous things. Ah, speaking of which, lets get you both registered with the house".

He then led the two boys to a door on the opposite wall that the stairs were on, in the middle of the room. Somehow, both Kuroki and Riku had not even noticed this room until Amyris led them there. His house was full of tricks it seemed.

Inside however, Kuroki could understand why this room was hidden. Complex ward designs were scattered everywhere, and there was an orb in the center that served as the main control unit. There were also two smaller orbs as well. All of them were on pedestals and appeared fixed in place.

"Please put your hands on the orbs and don't move or use any magic. I am going to register you both with the house defense system. Don't let go no matter what".

The two put their hands on the orbs, and suddenly metal prongs shot out of the pedestals and bound their hands to them. They were completely pinned, as the orbs began to heat up and feel uncomfortable. The two felt some of their mana getting sucked out, and it sent shivers down their spines in a different way then before. While before it was a sense of danger or fear, this time it was because some of their body heat was sucked out into the orb, which grew even warmer.

"Just keep it going! It only takes a minute!"

So Amyris said, but it was incredibly unpleasant. After the cold feeling, suddenly the two boys felt superheated instead. It was like both suddenly spiked fevers or such, and they wanted to discard their layers as soon as possible. It was just that warm, that hot.

However, eventually a minute passed, and the orbs retracted their prongs and released them. The two fell backward, still feeling rather stuffy and hot as they took off some layers.

"Sorry about that, but I thought if it caught you by surprise the shock would delay some of the unpleasantness".

"It was still unpleasant!"

"Yes, but it was necessary. Now the house will let you open the front door, and also won't automatically target you if the defense system activates".

"Well, that is good I suppose" Riku mentioned. "Now, we still have the basement to check out!" Pulling Kuroki along, Riku led the group to the basement. Amyris just had a bit of a concerned look on his face, but followed them regardless.

Eventually, they made it to the basement hall. Well, they referred to it as a hall in their heads, but it was more a square general room. There were quite a few things of note.

First of all, there were four doors, one on each wall. Secondly, all the doors were even more fortified than before. And third, and probably the most notable, was that they could hear the sounds of water from behind the door that would lead to under the front of the house.

The two opened it, and saw what appeared to be an even more secure door. They were able to open that one just by touching it, the locks unlocking at their command. And behind that was...a wall. An actual wall. From what Kuroki could tell, it was a normal wall. But he knew better then that, and turned towards Amyris.

"Press on the middle brick for three seconds".

Kuroki did so, and suddenly the wall moved out of the way, revealing a sewer system and three goblins. Immediately, the goblins were set on fire.

"Goblins this close? The Guild has been slacking in sewer subjugations. I will need to tell Ozlo about this tomorrow".

They quickly sealed back up the secret passage.

"By any chance, is this the other reason you didn't get your piping installed?"

"Certainly. Incidentally, its enchanted in such a way so even those that learn of it cant tell or show others it. At least not willingly, if at all".

"Eh?"

"For real?"

Amyris nodded. It seemed the two just learned quite the secret.

Either way, they moved on to the door that was at the right when you came down the stairs. Amyris opened it up, and they saw...a room full of chains and shackles.

"This is where we keep any prisoners of ill refute. Also those who are suffering from magic that affects their mind, or when a child becomes naughty and such a naughty boy needs to be punished".

Amyris notably had adopted a lighter, sillier tone for that last bit, but it still sent shivers down their spines regardless.

Once that was done, Amyris headed towards the center door, but the two boys chose the left first.

"...ah, are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's fine, right?"

"...I suppose you will find out eventually".

The two heard the strange remark, and grew even more curious. They opened the door, and saw a huge amount of magical tools lying around, radiating with mana. There were blackboards full of notes, and various paper notes scattered about. And in the center was a stone statue of a girl, naked except for a sword in her hand. The sword meanwhile was not made of stone, but was an actual proper sword being held by a statue. A look of stubbornness and resignation was on her face, and perhaps just a bit of sorrow as well.

"...you have this sort of statue? Of Anna, I am guessing?"

"Correct. However, that is not a statue, but Anna herself. Her clothes just simply couldn't withstand the magic that has been unleashed upon her as we tried to free her for the past few decades".

"Wait, this is the real Anna? The actual real Anna?" Kuroki asked, alarmed. He had always thought she died, but he didn't realize her fate was like this. To think she had been petrified into a statue...and that Amyris and everyone else had spent decades trying to free her without success.

Amyris nodded. "And for over fifty years, I have been failing her. My greatest regret as her teacher. But thats just how dangerous curses are".

"Even with all your power and knowledge, you can't free her from petrification? This is petrification right?"

"It is, but the issue is that I first had to take my time dismantling a rather powerful mind magic first, and her petrification isn't normal. Certainly, if it was any of hte normal means of it, I could undo it by now. But...she inflicted this on herself, with her own magic. That makes it so much stronger. And curses are already incredibly resiliant and dangerous. If I make the wrong move, it might kill her instead. If I dispell it improperly, it might kill her. If we free her but it ends up reverting it so the mind magic returns as well somehow, then she will probably just turn herself back into stone again".

"Wait, she turned herself to stone?"

"Yes, to prevent herself from killing anyone. She was hit with a nasty and powerful cursed spell, that made her attack her friends and allies. It was cast by a powerful Devil, who we managed to just drive away with all of our power after removing a big portion of her power. Unfortunately, she fled and was able to hide after all this time, so we were not even able to kill her. We have however advanced our knowledge of her spellwork and found better ways to fight against her specific brand of Mental Magic. Still, the fact it was able to penetrate all of Anna's defenses in an instant was...worrying. Not to mention the fact not a single one of us, or even all of us working together, was able to unravel the spell. And in addition to cursing herself with petrification, the curse from the mind magic seeped into it, further complicating it and making it even more problematic".

From what it sounded like, this enemy was a very troublesome individual.

"And now it seems like they are back as well".

"Wait what?! When did you learn this?!"

"Thats super big problem, isn't it?!"

Kuroki and Riku each had their respective reactions.

"When the Guildmaster came after you. He is always problematic when drinking, and we didn't want him to scare you away or anything...but it came clear to me and Riza that he wasn't just drunk. He had been hit with the same curse. Of course, he is an expert at Curses. Part of that knowledge even came from helping me with Anna, and we had all made preparations for the day when she finally returned. As such, it seems that he was only hit with about one one-hundredth of the effect".

It made him go after and pester his allies, and even embarrass them.

"Was it really that reduced?"

"That was an attempt by the Devil probably to have him kill us all".

When they encountered Sebas, the Guildmaster was not only able to stand up to him, he was able to erase Sebas' oppressive mana through his sheer pressence. He was undoubtedly stronger then Amyris or Riza, the former seemed to have a tug of war with him mana wise, and the latter only seemed able to protect himself from it. Even Ozlo had difficulty. What if such a force had come at them seriously?

It sent a shiver down Kuroki's spine.

"Well, it is true sometimes he can be like that buzzed as well, no inhibitions or restrictions, but he was too on point I felt like. Ah, incidentally, the spell Ozlo used to get rid of his drunkenness can also be used to remove lower level curses, but it has a higher chance of killing anyone not able of withstanding the effects of the spell itself, or I would have had him check on you both to be safe. And the Guildmaster is an eccentric who loves to measure and record the growth of younger guild members. He is actually a bit of a health freak, aside from his love of alcohol. But otherwise he is a good and reliable person and if there is no one else, go to him for help".

"...such a useful spell".

Riku shrugged at Kuroki's words, as he seemed to fixate on Ozlo's spell. "If only it didn't hurt like hell".

That said, the guildmaster's reputation, while somewhat restored, still got some dings from Amyris' words. That said, his tone suggested he might hold personal issues with the Guildmaster.

"By the way...does this mean Riza is weaker than Krazel, even though he is S-Rank?"

"Ah, thats right. This always seems to mess up you Otherworlders, but S-Rank isn't the highest. Its the third highest. There is SS-Rank, and then X-Rank".

"...really? Why?"

"Well, long ago it used to just be S-Rank. But then as combat and magic evolved, there were some gaps in power between different S-Rankers, to the point it was causing confusion and made it unclear what level of power it actually held. So the Guild ended up adding more Ranks. That said, pure power doesn't mean everything, so this decision is still questioned a bit. After all, there is compatibility and various situations to consider. An X-Ranker could absolutely lose to an S-Ranker under the right conditions, not to mention prepwork done beforehand. But I can leave all that complex stuff for later. Just know Rank is moreso a demonstration of how much skill, trust, experience, and power an adventurer has acquired. That said, we did have a lot of power types back there. The Guildmaster is, of course, an X-Ranker. I am an SS-Ranker, although admittedly this is partially due to my most famous spell, The Silver Hour, and the rest is more about my level of skill then my power. Riza is an S-Ranker, while Ozlo is an A-Ranker".

"What about Sebas?"

Amyris scowled. "That backstabbing weasel relies too much on brute force mana, but because he has so much of it, he is powerful. However, keep in mind Ranks are not everything. Its an old system that was set up by the guild and has been reworked a few times now. Compatibility and tactics matter the most. Too many people focus on rank and think 'oh wow he is higher rank then me I have no chance', but that is wrong. Tools, tactics, spell variety, those are what matter the most. If I exclude his tremendous mana, which feeds his ego, Sebas is much lower ranked. C, at most. But he uses that mana like a crude weapon, and I have not seen him cast many actual structured spells. But keep in mind again, Rank is just an average estimation of abilities, trust, and so on. I have seen plenty of A-Rankers defeat SS-Rankers, and even some X-Rankers. Certainly, I wont say its easy, but one's Rank doesn't necessarily equate to one's strength. And there can always be bad matchups, or tactics and preparations, or things like that".

Amyris snorted, and mused to himself a bit.

"Sometimes we question if he can even structure a spell properly".

This thought seemed to cheer him up a bit, before the elf continued.

"Thanks to his ocean like mana, I would say he might be about S to SS Rank, if we really need to use ranks as a comparison. However, again, ranks dont mean much. I mean, that group of six you beat? They were all ranked D or E. The leader, who you surprise attacked at the start, was probably close to ranking up to C. And what rank are you?"

"F" the two replied, realizing what he meant.

"Exactly. So, an adventurer's rank is not an absolute. This entire ranking system is simply a rough comparison, and a sign of how much trust you have earned from the guild. But, that also means you two might be in a lot of trouble right now. A lot of adventurers might see what you did as showing off, and you have yet to build up enough trust with the organizations in this city to defend yourself from indirect attacks and pressure. And I can't handle everything for you. I would be a failure of a mentor if I stepped in too often, I need to hold back unless its absolutely necessary. Especially since I dont want my own reputation to be harmed, and risk my enemies coming after all of us".

Amyris spoke of his reputation again, but this time it certainly was relevant and had a good reason.

"So, with that said...why haven't you been able to free Anna from Petrification?"

"Because she did it to herself. Self inflicted spells like that are significantly harder to remove, especially the longer they are active, except by the caster themselves. But, since she turned herself to stone, I obviously can't get her to dismiss her own spell. And curses are even tougher to remove than normal spells, despite the risks involved. And I couldn't remove the Petrification until I removed the Mind Curse anyways, since then she would have just gone around killing people randomly. People she knew and cared about. Obviously, I couldn't let that happen".

It was Anna's own wish after all to not do that. He had to respect it.

"Why didn't her clothes turn to stone?"

"Hmm? Because she only petrified herself, not everything around her. She kept it simple so she could funnel more power into it. In the first place, there is no reason for it to affect clothes as well. As far as I know, no form of petrification affects clothes. It would be rather hell if it did, having one's clothes turn to stone in the middle of a battle anyways".

That did make sense, now that they though about it.

"So then, how close are you?"

"Not sure. Its not like I have a way to measure progress. I cant just partially do it after all, that would kill her instantly, or at least make her lose parts of her body...which would then almost certainly kill her from shock".

"Ah right..." Riku said, realizing he asked a stupid question. Amyris seemed to be getting increasingly agitated and displeased the longer they stayed in the room also.

"Now then, there is one last room to show you".

He ended up dragging the two along with him out of the room, back into the central room and then to the door the stairs were facing. Pulling them inside, they entered the largest room yet. The ceiling was so tall it should have been overlapping into the first floor, but clearly did not. It was a large and simple room, but it was very sturdy. It was all stone bricks, except for a strange mat in the center. It looked almost like a mix of gym mats and tatami mats. There were a few benches at the side, along with an orb of some kind right by the door.

"Here is where we do indoor combat magic training. This room is capable of simulating certain enemies that I was able to transfer sufficient memories of, creating illusionary beasts and monsters. It also has the strongest barriers and wards I have ever made, so you are free to go all out in here. Now...it is kind of past bedtime for you two, but we do actually need to check you both for curses. So strip. I need to at least begin the laundry anyways if you have any hope of getting them back before noon".

"Is it really necessary?"

"Its unlikely, but we need to be safe".

The two didn't quite understand how curses worked, but given the state Anna was in for decades, they figured better safe then sorry. They took off all their clothes and put them in a nearby basket for Amyris to wash.

Once they had, Amyris began his examination. He used magical enhancements on his eyes, as well as a number of divination spells. He had them move around, raise their arms outward in a T position, stand on one leg, going between the left and right, and even hopping up and down.

He even had them shake hands, hug, do jumping jacks, do push ups, dance around and sing. Amyris even had to give them a spanking. He then made them dinner, and had them eat it down there. It was a wonderfully cooked steak and eggs, with some apple juice. They had to eat while standing and moving a bit so Amyris could keep inspecting their bodies for any signs of curses, but even when they finished eating and drinking, there was nothing that happened.

After that, the both of them do a lap around the arena to be safe, go back to back and then bend forward to try and push each other down, lay down on the ground and arm wrestle, and then lick the back of each other's necks. After that they blinked twenty times in rapid succession, and then they picked their noses. Amyris then had them press their feet against each other, which was hard since they both had to do this while standing on one leg. As such they decided to lean against a wall for this one, but still nothing.

He seemed a bit hesitant on a few of those things, but seemed to resign himself.

"Is there something else we need to check?"

"...there are triggers for curses we have not confirmed yet, but I doubt any of these triggers were used for any of those other cases. Still...I can't be totally sure...but, safe than sorry is probably best?"

Amyris sighed, and seemed to suck it up.

"Okay, now you need to kiss each other. On the lips".

"Eh?"

"What?"

"Its a fairly common curse trigger, meant to turn a moment of trust and closeness into one of misery and death. Its used a lot, especially by Devils...I just don't see why they would use it against Starfallen, who seem unlikely to kiss any time soon, but we cant be certain. Especially for you Riku, who was alone and therefore vulnerable for several days. They could have cursed you any number of times in your sleep, or maybe you got cursed in that dungeon. And rather than have you kiss me, an adult, each other seems like the better option. Especially since it will make it easier for me to treat you if something does trigger".

Amyris had standards. As much as he had put this off, he did need to check for this he figured to be safe. And since he absolutely had no intention of kissing a minor, especially a naked minor, on the lips, having them kiss each other was better. Especially so he would be better able to stop and dispel it. If would be one thing if the cheek was sufficient, or even the shoulders or belly. But the lips? Amyris would rather stab himself.

Hearing that, the two faced each other and readied themselves. The two nodded as they had resigned looks.

"Just to be clear..."

"Hold it for ten seconds".

The two nodded, and compliantly went in and kissed. They held it as Amyris counted the seconds, and once he reached ten, the two tried to separate.

"Mhm?!"

"Mhhmmm?!"

"Wow. Erm....huh".

Amyris seemed a bit shocked as he saw the two boys push against each other to try and separate their lips. However, their lips could not separate. No, it was even worse then that. Not only could they not separate, but it appeared their noses were suddenly stuffed as well. In other words, this wasn't just a lock lips curse. It was a curse that was actively trying to suffocate them both! Amyris had honestly not expected this to be a curse.

"I am detecting curse energy...from Riku. However, this level of curse...is not a Devil Curse. Oh, I got a few reactions. Apparently Riku has several dormant curses. Three, to be exact".

The two boys couldn't speak, but instead found themselves drawn closer into each other. Moving their heads and necks in a certain way, they wrapped their arms around each other as they went full hug mode, trying to make the positioning work as best they could. They were not holding back either, or rather they couldn't. Thankfully they were both small and weak, but if they had been adults, they would be applying enough force to fracture some bones already. Everything was pressing against everything, which was not just unpleasant, it was painful. This would legitimately kill them. No, they would kill each other due to the curse, watching the light be snuffed out of each other's eyes, and there was nothing they could do about it. In this position, neither of them could use magic. This was a lethal curse, meant to inflict death on the target and someone they cared enough for to kiss on the lips.

"Alright, just hold on. I see it now. A bond broken, a bond forged. Let this petty rage become no more. A twist and a tap, unravel this spell. Free these two from their unjustly hell".

Kuroki felt Amyris' mana seep into Riku, and into him a bit as well, as he incanted a spell. Various glyph equations appeared as well, or at least what Kuroki figured they were, as it was the first time he saw Amyris use them to cast a spell. Furthermore, he used both them and an incantation, as well as direct mana manipulation.

Either way, it seemed to work, because the two suddenly found themselves released and separated, both of them falling backwards onto their butts.

"...what the hell kind of curse was that?" Kuroki questioned, gasping for air.

"It seems that there were a few curses set up to apply to whoever the first person was to touch some chest, unless they were a blood relative to the original maker of the curse. Not only was it meant to make both the target and the one they care for suffer, but even it was meant to suffocate you both".

"Ah...the stuff the guy made for his son".

"Indeed. It seemed to apply three different curses. This one was probably a surface curse, meant to conceal the other two if someone did check for curses and would think they were safe after only dealing with that one. A second one was determined to stop your heart in a few days. The last one is...combat related it seemed, but I couldn't identify it. I do know how to reveal it, and seeing as how it could trigger any time you defend yourself, we need to reveal it now. As such...the two of you will spar against each other here".

Sometimes curses would activate only in battle, so it was necessary to see if it triggered. Thanks to his spells, marks would be guarenteed to show up somewhere on their bodies, so it should route it out. This was quite litterally the only thing left. If this didn't bring out the curse somehow, then it was probably defective at this point.

Amyris motioned both of them onto the training mat, and then activated the crystal. A barrier seemed to rise up around the area with the mat, and magic washed over them. A simulated sword appeared by Riku, while a simulated Grimoire appeared by Kuroki. When they saw both of these things, they both looked relieved. Indeed, Amyris had no desire to force Kuroki to do martial arts for this either.

"Now then, this will make it so neither of you will actually be able to inflict real injury upon each other. That said, while pain might be simulated, it will still feel incredibly real and unpleasant. Now then, begin".

The moment that word was said, Riku raced towards Kuroki. However, Kuroki was already a step ahead, as water appeared around him.

Alright, let's try this one out.

Kuroki began to speak, as he tried something new.

"Look in a puddle, look look look. The image you see is your own despair".

Kuroki wasn't as good as incantly fast like Amyris was, so Riku made it to him before his incantation was done. However, he used Water Puppetry to protect against the sword. It was identical to the sword Riku had before, so it seemed their specific weapons were being mimicked here. It was powerful, cutting through it much better then the ruffians at the guild. Or perhaps it was because his own power was not being boosted by Ellie's clothes.

Still, he was able to block it enough to dodge. However, that was when he saw Riku curl up his toes as he dug into the ground.

Shit! I am still in range!

Kuroki quickly side hopped, as Riku unleased his Brilliant Flash. "A myriad of mes, a myriad of times. Splashing in the ocean, kicking up a torrent. Moving back and forth. Set forth upon the waves, crashing down upon you".

Riku quickly recovered, interrupting the last part of his Brilliant Flash and rolling on the ground, getting to his hands and feet as he charged forward. His toes curled again, which surprised Kuroki a bit since even with enhanced physical abilities, he was using them to improve the ability of Brilliant Flash, which meant it should still be wearing him down. However, when he attacked, this time he jumped up as he swung his sword down. Kyoudo Style: Overarc Slash. It was difficult because you had to slash as you jumped, meaning you didn't have the same balance or footing as you might normally have. However, it was fast and incredibly difficult to block. Kuroki didn't realize he was able to do it, but perhaps he only became able to in this world. Since gravity would not only bring his sword down but him as well, and given the size of his sword, it was a powerful attack.

"Behold your own despair. Unfathomable Torrent!"

Suddenly, a huge torrent of water rushed out of the ground from all directions, heading right for Riku. He still had his blade cut right through Kuroki, only for him to suddenly turn into water just like that. Kuroki then appeared well behind him, unleashing several ice spike attacks right at Riku. Riku sidestepped them, but still faced the powerful waves. And yet, he seemed to twist his body and moved in a way so that the waves propelled him forward, towards Kuroki. This caught Kuroki off guard, as Riku swung his sword to attack. Kuroki got out of the way, deflecting the blade with ice, but Riku twisted himself around on the force and managed to kick Kuroki in the right side of his torso. Their bare skin connected, and Kuroki felt the force...but not the pain.

"Ahg!"

Instead it was Riku who cried out in pain, as black marks covered him head to toe suddenly. Every part of him, even that which Kuroki had tried not to focus on despite it moving about as he did, was covered in the black markings. They already began to fade, when suddenly Riku was struck by a spell and they returned, along with the pain. Suddenly his body tried to spasm, as Amyris ran over.

"Kuroki, hold his head and stop him from biting his own tongue!"

Kuroki knelt down and kept Riku's head on his lap, but then the black markings tried to spread to him, causing him pain as well. Furthermore, the curse from earlier seemed to rear its head again, as Riku's body was sliding up his for some reason, and Kuroki's arms were stuck in place. This caused one of his hands to get stuck in Riku's mouth basically, which was really unpleasant. Amyris then got to work.

He brought out a potion and used it on Riku. "There. It looks like this third curse could reapply both other curses, but that should stop any heart failure. I know its hard, but I need both your mouths clear to drink Anti-curse potions, so please fight any desire to lock lips with him. And it seems to be that the curse is designed to even make him spasm and die when someone tries to remove it. Honestly, curses are such rotten dirty things!"

Amyris stuck a potion into Kuroki's mouth.

"Drink that! Don't throw any of it up or spit it out. Since its only affecting you secondary, that should be more than enough, but you can never be too safe from curses".

Amyris seemed a bit frantic, but then again he had lost Anna to a curse. Of course, it turned out she didn't die, but petrified herself, but it still must have been a horrible experience. Still, it seemed he held an absolute hatred of curses as a result, to the point he wasn't acting like his normal calm, collected self. This was the most emotional and out of control Kuroki had ever seen him in the past week. Even the cold rage he held for Kuroki's father didn't cause him to be this expressive.

Amyris forced two potions through the open parts of Riku's mouth, the liquid pouring in. It was a bit bitter, but then the taste of strawberries overpowered it. However, something about it still felt a bit unpleasant.

Amyris then proceeded to cast various spells, stripping the curses one by one, step by step. The first two were easier, but the third was a handful. Riku spasmed a lot, and even though they were unstuck again, Kuroki couldn't move at all. They couldn't risk him suffering a serious head or neck injury after all. The floor appeared like solid stone right now, and it felt like that to Kuroki, so it probably simulated its hardness too.

Eventually, the black marks removed themselves from Kuroki, and then finally were extracted into the air from Riku, before being outright obliterated. When it was done, the two felt their energy sapped a bit as they collapsed. Well, Riku already was collapsed, so it was really just Kuroki, but both were panting fierce.

"That...was horrible".

"Agreed".

"That was a curse you two. Now you see why this was all necessary. Curses are no joke. And even when removed, they can leave after affects. You might experience side effects such as temporary loss of reason, extreme closeness to each other, occasional heart spasms, occasional bursts of pain, the strong desire to kiss each other, and more. That said, they should go away after a day or two since you weren't cursed for too long, relatively speaking. Curses can remain dormant for months or even years just to make sure that even if they are removed, those side effects give you trouble nad potentially even could still take your life. And just so you know, that first one, the kiss one, could have forcibly triggered on its own while you two were asleep. If we hadn't caught it...".

The two boys paled a bit. They had nearly died in their sleep, since they would be sharing a bed tonight.

It dawned on them that Ozlo himself said he once cursed the Guildmaster, which probably indicated he had been really pissed with him at the time. Although if the Guildmaster is an expert, that might have been less serious for him. Especially if he truly had been under the same curse as Anna but only experienced that little of an effect by comparison.

Curses were scary things, not to be taken lightly. The two reflected upon that knowledge.

"Now then, off to bed you two".

They eventually got up, however Riku's face went red.

"What, you both seem fine now, and you dont really have a problem sharing a bed together right?"

"No, thats not it..." Riku said, as he began to fidget. He was cupping his boyhood with his hands, however it seemed he was embarrassed for another reason.

However, Kuroki began to feel it as well, as he started to do the same thing as Riku.

"Umm, you see..." Riku said.

"Right, lets head this way. And hurry! I don't want an accident in my house! This is absolutely some petty curse thing again!"

He quickly led them out to door at the back of the hall, opening it and ushering them through it. They found themselves in the kitchen. It was true both of them still needed to eat dinner, however that wasn't what Riku needed at the moment. After that, they headed into the back hall, which featured quite a few buckets. He grabbed two of them, and then brought them and the boys to the door. He quickly removed his socks, and they went out barefoot into the back area. It was already quite dark, so Amyris pointed out a corner where the wall of the house and the wall of the back yard, which was also just tall enough to hide them when they squatted down. At least by anyone on that side.

The two boys quickly took the buckets and went over there, leaning against the wall for support as they proceeded to relieve themselves. Two arcs of not-water also were released in front of them onto the grass, as their faces went from contorted pain to bliss.

Eventually after about a dozen minutes and unpleasant pain, they were done. Amyris handed them leaves from a nearby tree to wipe their butts, and then they proceeded to dump the waste in the designated waste hole that Amyris showed them.

"That was...terribly unpleasant".

"Was that also the curse?"

"Nah, thats probably because you are both small and you were so excited and distracted by everything, you forgot to go until now. That said, I do want you both to try going before going to bed, just to be safe".

"Can we please just...go inside and not talk about it".

"Sure, just a sec" he said, as he flicked them both on the forehead and got them to fall backwards into the grass. He laid down as well, as they looked at the stars.

For the first time, they really looked at the night's sky. Kuroki had passed out inside last night before looking, and both boys had been busy focusing on surviving and getting to civilization and being safe. So this was the first time they were really able to gaze up at the stars while relaxing.

It was beautiful. Like a sea of gems looking down on them. A brilliant and colorful sky, uncorrupted by light from the world below. Kuroki and Riku ended up laying down in a star spread shape, as they were mesmerized by what they saw.

"You both went through a lot of really unpleasant things, but remember this. These things are not the normal of this world. This night's sky? This is the normal of this world".

The sky dazzled them. They had never seen it so clearly before. It wrapped over their whole world, the starlight shining down upon them like a guiding light. Leading them to light. Leading them to happiness. Leading them to hope.

"We are safe, Riku..."

"Yeah...we really are safe..."

The feelings of embarrassment washed away, as well as the despair and strain they had felt, as their hands reached out and held each other. Waterfalls errupted from their eyes, and eventually they even began to smile and laugh.

They would not be safe forever.

This world was not an easy place to live in like their previous world.

But for now, for this moment, there were no shadows looming over them. No oppressive forces who ruled their lives. For now, for this moment, they were safe.

And so like that, they ended up falling asleep under the stars, and Amyris eventually carried them in and tucked them into bed. For the first time, Amyris saw an innocent and pure smile on Kuroki as he slept.

"Ten or fifteen, that is what a child's expression should be when they sleep" he said contently, packing them in close together so they could share in the warmth, before heading to bed himself. "I hope one day, instead of a face of worry, that becomes your natural expression Kuroki".

And so, the night continued on as those words rode the winds into the night.