Finding my Parents in Another World-Chapter 71: Volume 1 Epilogue Part 3 - Raorka

It would be no exaggeration to say that the town of Temuril was embroiled in chaos in the days after the collapse of the Mayor’s castle. Raorka didn’t know exactly how much the entire townspeople knew about the crimes of Mayor Rokar, but all of them had seen the Demon. In a way that overcame the biggest hurdle they had thought they would face - the fact that the Mayor was harboring a Demon destroyed the years of goodwill he had built up even in the fanatic believers.

I wonder how much they actually know.

The direct families of the affected girls knew of course. Raorka couldn’t forget the bloodcurdling scream of pain from the parents of Jhoira and Clara when they heard how their daughters had died.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry." Lumina kept repeating, cradling their heads and consoling them the best they could.

Lumina had also changed significantly. Her fear and indecisiveness had gone, but she was not back to the exuberance Raorka had seen when he had first arrived here. An exuberance that most likely she was faking to keep herself sane.

Lumina noticed Raorka’s gaze and gave an almost imperceptible nod. Raorka returned the nod and went outside the Inn.

Lucerne was sitting on a chair, looking whimsically towards the remains of the destroyed castle.

"I heard you are going to the Royal Academy in the Capital?" Raorka asked as he went and joined her.

Lucerne looked up and smiled at him.

"Yes." She said nodding. "Most people in Temuril choose to go there. In fact, Rowena and Drisnen will be going along with me as well. And also....." Here she narrowed her eyes at Raorka as if waiting for him to finish.

Raorka shifted his weight around, unsure how to answer.

"What about Maris and Jareth? They won’t be going?" He asked instead, changing the subject.

"They will. But next year is the year for them. Both of them are one year younger than us you know."

"What?! Maris and Jareth are younger than you?"

Lucerne laughed, throwing her head back. In the sunlight there, she looked gorgeous. With the Mayor dead and the Demon of Lust pushed back, her mood was also much more improved as compared to her mother.

"But what about you? Don’t dodge the question, Raorka." She insisted, the smile still on her face even though her voice was tinged with seriousness.

No use beating around the bush any longer.

"I...I don’t know. I have not applied to the Royal Academy, for this year at least. Which should mean that I won’t be able to attend it this year."

"But...?"

"But Artemis told me that the Emperor Knight Vermillion has offered to sponsor my application to the Royal Academy for this year. Meaning I can enroll with you, but as a representative of the Emperor Knight Vermillion rather than a normal student."

"Makes sense. She must have been rather impressed by you and Artemis holding on against a full fledged Demon."

"I haven’t accepted it yet."

Lucerne looked towards him, her mouth open in shock. "Why not?"

Raorka hesitated, looking out towards the ruins of the castle. There were already builders milling about, reconstructing the castle. As per General Hoit, the next election was going to be held two months from now, and Raorka was sure that he wanted to finish building the new castle before that came to strengthen his candidature.

"I was ecstatic about it at first you know." He began. "The power to dominate over an immortal being like the Demon, and doing it so effortlessly boggled my mind. I want to do that too, I don’t want to feel helpless, even against monsters like the Demon of Lust."

"But?"

"But I don’t know. I suppose what Artemis said after that fight still rings in my ears. ’Run after strength for too long, and you may find yourself changed irreversibly’. My goal is not to learn about magik, it’s not to fight and beat monsters like the Demon of Lust. My goal is to find my mother and father. And I can’t help but feel that if I take up this offer of the Emperor Knight, I would be throwing that away, prioritising my desire to grow stronger over my desire to reunite with my family."

"That’s not right." Lucerne’s response was instantaneous. "You won’t be able to reunite with your family if you remain here in Temuril. Nor will you be able to find them if you just wander around aimlessly. Anasuril is a huge continent. And it has monsters far more fearsome than even the Demon of Lust you faced. It’s suicide to even contemplate going through every nook and cranny looking for your parents, not to mention impractical."

"But how will going to the Royal Academy help me instead?"

"Because it’s in the Capital. All roads lead there, people from every town, every village, every city eventually go there. I admit it’s a extremely huge, densely packed and sprawling but it’s still a lot more localized. Your parents will eventually go to the Capital."

If they are still alive....

Lucerne didn’t mention this, but that undercurrent of through was always hesitantly present in her words. There was a very real possibility that his parents were already dead, even though Raorka refused to even entertain that thought.

She doesn’t know them like I do. Mom and Dad aren’t going to be killed so easily. Especially if they also have some form of magik like I do.

"So," Lucerne said again, emphasizing her words, "you need to go to the Capital. And not to mention the Emperor Knight Vermillion herself is sponsoring you? That is a HUGE deal. We have never had an Emperor Knight sponsor from Temuril before."

"It is a huge deal?"

"Of course! There are currently twenty Emperor Knights, and each of them choose a single candidate as their representative each year. It’s kind of a friendly competition between them to see whose candidates perform the best. You know the better your candidate performs, the better your reputation grows."

"And Vermillion chose me? For such an important responsibility? She doesn’t even know me."

"She knows you can hold your own against a Demon. Not many can claim that feat." Lucerne answered with a genuine smile.

Raorka returned her smile, but he was feeling conflicted within. He had been overjoyed when he had received the invitation, then he had reconsidered and now he was unsure whether he was ready to take on such a huge responsibility.

Of course I am not.

But....this is the best way to find Mom and Dad, on that Lucerne is right.

"Thanks Lucerne." Raorka said, meaning it completely.

"Oh not a problem, not a problem at all." Lucerne blushed slightly and turned away abruptly, twirling her hair.

.XX.

Raorka found Artemis where he had expected her to be, in the small hut practising magik. Her injuries had recovered remarkably quickly, much quicker than Lucerne’s or his, and Raorka attributed that to the superior metabolism of elves.

"So, I heard you have decided to accept the sponsorship from Emperor Knight Vermillion?" Artemis asked, her voice neutral.

"Yes I have."

*When do you leave?"

"In a month. Drisnen will leave next week, and Lucerne and Rowena will leave the week after that. I will leave two weeks later."

"Why not go together?"

"Well my registration happens a few weeks later than the normal batch, and I gather you need specific documents to enter the Capital, which won’t be ready before next month."

Artemis nodded. Artemis already knew about the delayed registration process and the Capital entry pass, she seemed to be just trying to verify Raorka knew what he was doing.

"And what about your parents?" She asked softly.

Raorka bit his lips. "Lucerne told me, and I agree, that everyone in this Kingdom eventually finds their way into the Capital. So I will have the greatest chance of reuniting with my parents in the Capital itself."

"Hmm, that is true. But are you ready for the Capital?"

Raorka stopped short, and then stared at the elf. "What do you mean?"

"The Capital is a huge city, which Lucerne must have told you. But Lucerne has not visited it, and neither have Rowena or Drisnen. The Capital doesn’t house only rich nobles, but also poor slums. You will find wealth walking side by side to poverty in that city. In Temuril everyone is more or less in the same social standing. The Capital has diverse groups, diverse interests and diverse threats mingling together. The strongest people in the world live there, as well as the most malicious. So are you ready to tackle the chaos of such a city?"

Raorka gulped. There was really only one answer.

"Yes."

Artemis nodded, as if satisfied with his resolve. "Then all I can tell you is to take care. I have taught you all about magik that I can. You have already begun to use your Inito, now you can sharpen it only in a magik academy, and the Royal Academy is without a doubt the best academy in this world."

"What will you do?"

"Hmm?" Artemis looked up at Raorka at surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I have a feeling that you are not here solely because your Faux Eternalis is so close by. You have an overarching goal right? A goal towards which you are steadily making progress towards?"

Artemis didn’t answer. She regarded Raorka with her eyes, seemingly trying to determine how much to reveal to him. Finally she sighed and cracked a small smile, an exceedingly rare moment for the elf.

"I guess there’s no point in hiding it. Yes you are right. I am in Temuril for a purpose more than the proximity to my Faux Eternalis."

"What is it?"

"To kill Old Gotuj. Once and for all."