Rebirth-Transcending All Beings-Chapter 56: First Friend

The crack of dawn slowly approached — the morning sun rose above the treelines, painting the carriage in flickers of gold and burnt orange.

Birds chirped beyond the trees, flying alongside the wind whilst the wooden wheels creaked against the dirt pathway that led to their destination.

Inside the caravan, Vergil was slouched against the wooden frame, his head resting and eyes shut tight.

His dishevelled hair fell in tousled layers, partially veiling his left eye.

He yawned loudly and blinked before returning to sleep.

Across from him, Eleanor watched silently before moving to sit beside him. "Vergil... Vergil."

There was no response, just the quiet and even rhythm of his breathing.

"Vergil, hey — are you even there?" she said, waving a hand in front of his face.

Still nothing.

And without hesitation, she raised her hand, giving a sharp slap towards his cheek.

[Ahhh, another bitch slap.]

Vergil jerked upright. "What the hell was that for?!" He snapped at her, running his cheek. "That makes two times now."

"You weren’t listening!" Eleanor shot back at him.

Vergil groaned, leaning back again. "Whatever, what’s going on?"

"Elena is still deciding what to do." she brushed a strand of her brown hair. "Before we reach the capital, we’ll have to take an entrance exam to attend the academy."

Vergil paused briefly, sitting upright, coughing before clarifying what he had just heard. "A test? Shouldn’t be too bad."

"It’s split into two parts. Practical and theory."

"Theory?"

"Yes. You answer questions related to politics, monsters and energy systems."

Vergil froze. "Well... shit." Vergil currently had two problems. The less concerning one was the topics and the more concerning one was that he was illiterate.

’System... is there a way for you to make me not illiterate?’

[You’re a fucking immigrant bro.]

Vergil scowled. ’Uncalled for.’

[Uneducated and sensitive to all forms of bullying. It’s too easy to bully you.]

’Before you bully me, can you help me or not?’

[Nope. You have to learn it yourself. This isn’t cheat-fest.]

Vergil sighed, looking at the open space.

"Uh... Eleanor?"

"What?"

He scratched the back of his head. "I’m... illiterate."

Eleanor didn’t even blink, just stilled.

"Wait... what about the subjugation requests? Didn’t you read any of them?"

Vergil laughed awkwardly. "Nah. I just nodded while Elina explained everything."

Eleanor’s fingers reached for her face.

"You had all the time in the world to say that and you’re mentioning it now?!"

"Well," Vergil said nervously, "if I do well in the practical part, it should be fine, right?

We have the recommendation letters," he added.

"That’s the issue," Eleanor shouted. "We barely meet the requirements as it is."

Vergil leaned forward, his posture now serious. "So to summarize... I’m completely screwed if I don’t learn to read."

"...Yes."

Vergil groaned, flopping his body back against the wood.

[Want a motivational quote? "Education is the passport to the future."]

You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?

[Oh, immensely.]

Eleanor shook her head. "You better start learning."

"How do you know this stuff anyway?"

"Basic academy knowledge."

"My cousin studies there." she added quietly.

"Which cousin?" Vergil asked, tilting his head.

"The one from my uncle’s side."

[Let me in on this.]

’Why?’

[For the hoes.]

How old are you.

[...]

Then be quiet.

"This year will be her second, and she’s quite the prodigy."

"Doesn’t mean I can’t catch up but..." Vergil coughed. "But does that mean you’re giving up your revenge?’

"What do you..." Eleanor’s expression stayed natural, eyebrows raised — eyes sharpening at the statement

"I figured," Vergil said calmly. "With your personality, you’d be a fool not to take it."

He leaned closer. "But your venegance, should be done by your hands. I won’t fight your fight — but I can help you prepare."

She studied him. "Why?"

Vergil looked away for a moment.

"It’s not any fancy reason. But just imagine the ecstasy you would feel after paying them back." Vergil licked his lips.

"So you enjoy violence?" she asked quietly.

Vergil smiled. "... I’m not sure, but I’d like to find out."

She leaned backwards, smiling faintly. "You’re still crazy."

Vergil chuckled, "If I’m going to do something, I might as well enjoy it."

Eleanor shook her head as the carriage came to a stop — resting for a short while.

"Since we have some time, why don’t I start teaching you Elarian — if we cram, we might be able to manage," Eleanor spoke.

Vergil looked at her directly, staring daggers as if saying it’s impossible with his eyes. "Who do you think I—"

Before he could continue his protest, Eleanor had pulled him out.

--------

The carravan stilled at a small clearing in the woods, the morning sun had finally reached the peak as guards were stationed, watching.

In front of the carriage, Eleanor and Vergil were crouched on the soft grass — using a stick, Eleanor carved

Using a stick, Eleanor carved a symbol into the ground.

"Āra. The beginning."

Vergil crouched beside her, squinting at the mark.

"That looks like an ’a’," he muttered.

Smack.

The stick struck his hand.

"Focus," Eleanor said sharply as she drew another glyph.

"Bran. Strength. Think of it like the spine of a sentence."

Vergil copied both. "Okay... not that bad."

"You’re picking it up faster than most."

She continued.

"Cyr. Clarity."

"Drael. Ending."

Vergil studied the last one. "I’ve seen that on the gravestones."

"It’s always there," Eleanor said.

They continued.

Eil — spirit.

Fenn — flame.

Ghor — stone.

Vergil copied each glyph with surprising ease.

"You’re not struggling," Eleanor noted.

"It feels weirdly familiar," he admitted.

"Don’t trust that," she said. "Not all the time will your instincts help."

They continued.

Hael — light.

Ith — stillness.

Jarn — memory.

"Not too bad," Vergil joked.

[You have a permanent Jinx effect activated.]

Vergil froze.

Wait—is that a real effect?

[I’m joking.]

Eleanor smirked faintly. "Don’t get cocky."

Finally she drew the last glyph.

"Orun. Sun. Origin."

Vergil studied the last symbol. "That’s it?"

"For now." She stood and brushed dirt from her hands. "You learn quickly."

"Better than I expected."

"But learning the basics is only the first step."

"And the second?"

"How to form basic sentences."

He frowned.

"You mean I have to?"

"Spelling is just the basics," she spoke. "Writing is where it gets advanced."

Vergil stared at the symbols in the dirt for a while, before a shout rang through the woods, indicating they were moving.

------

As night settled over the forest, the moon began to unveil itself beyond the clouds as the campfire that was set up crackled in the clearing as the group rested.

Vergil sat on a nearby log, eating quietly, yet his eyes wandered elsewhere — to where Elena and Eleanor were across the fire.

Elena talked while Eleanor listened with her usual stiff posture. Then briefly — Eleanor smiled.

Vergil took notice, taking his final bite. ’Seems like they’re having fun.’

[That’s what’s known as bonding.]

’Bonding...’

[Talking — sharing. That’s how it starts.]

Vergil frowned. ’But Eleanor doesn’t open up to me.’

[Because you treat her like a tool.]

He stared into the fire. ’How do people even connect like that?’

[By first seeing each other as equals, can you then form a relationship.]

Vergil said nothing. ’For some reason, I just can’t see them the same way.’

[You’ve always pushed away your emotions for strength.]

’Didn’t it work, though?’

[Both rejecting and embracing emotions can weaken you. It’s a contradiction.]

Why?

[I’ll explain... after you get a drink.]

Vergil sighed and bought a dented jug from one of the many merchants — he had seen him supplying to the mercenaries for cheap as he took his first sip.

The drink burned his throat. Still, he drank.

[By rejecting emotions, you can kill without hesitation. Like those adventurers you murdered fighting Morvax.]

Vergil stayed silent.

[But when emotions do appear, you can’t begin to understand them.]

He drank again.

[Like with Elvira.]

His grip tightened around the jug.

[People who suppress emotions and then feel them — are overtaken just as quick.]

"What about me?" Vergil asked with a smirk.

[Loss.]

The word hung in the air.

[You saw Elvira as family. When she died, those emotions overflowed.]

Vergil stared into the fire.

"Maybe it’s the drink, but I can’t seem to remember her face," he muttered. "...Only the cold after."

The jug trembled in his hand.

[Stop treating people as tools.]

[The bonding system only works when both sides see each other as equals.]

Vergil said nothing, drinking until the jug was finally empty.

He blinked slowly, drunk now — hiccuping.

"S-System."

[Yes?]

"You sound... human sometimes."

[You think so?]

"Yeah... you’re the only one that’s been with me since I got here." He laughed softly.

"Never noticed it before... but you do help."

[...Thanks.]

Vergil squinted into the darkness.

"Wait... what?"

He stumbled to his feet, swaying. Nearby travelers glanced at him. "Drunk," one muttered.

Vergil staggered toward the carriage before collapsing into the grass.

The moonlight washed over his features.

"S’ystem..." he mumbled. "We’re friends... right?"

[For the second time... yes.]

There was a pause.

"...Are you happy? Happy being with me?" Vergil’s eyes closed before the answer came.

[Who knows.] The system spoke before disappearing.

The fire crackled quietly before an owl hooted somewhere deeper in the forest.

Then a message appeared.

[User relationship with "System" has increased to Rank 1]

[The System has gained the ability: Mission]