Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

So, here's the thing.

Phainon and his boyfriend, Mydei, that he loves more than life itself, are not exactly what one would call the gamers couple just like whatever his best friend Stelle and her girlfriend got going on. Mydei does play games but he's pretty sure mundane, puzzle games such as candy crush or cut the rope don’t count. Phainon doesn't play at all, preferring to watch dramas and movies. There's a reason why his specialty as a lecturer is Introduction to Drama and Fiction.

However, when their close friend Anaxagoras (as he insisted to be called) introduces them to a game called Amphoreus Chronicles, they were intrigued. Not because of it being a game obviously, no, but because…

“They share the same name and are almost identical to us.” The professor snorts, amused as he shows them a picture of a white haired man who does, in fact, looks like a copy of Phainon with the exception of his knightly attires and buff body. “It's a little funny to imagine both you and Mydei as warriors. I even got Aglaea to try this. You guys should check it out sometimes.”

And well, for whatever reason, they both decided to actually try it out because what the hell, sure. It's not like Anaxagoras had ever shared anything with them before so this game must be special.

And yeah, it is special. Both him and Mydei begin playing for a long time, keeping up with the stories and characters lore up until the last patch where everything kinda goes to shit.

Tldr, the main character (The Phainon look alike) ended up killing himself after the world was saved because everyone he ever loved (including his own version of Mydeimos that the creator had implied multiple times he harbors feelings for) died for the prophecy to save said world.

“It's bullshit.” Phainon had uttered after finishing the quest, his dinner untouched while Mydei moved about in front of the stove. “Is this really how they decide to end it?”

Mydei chuckles, though he does look amused by his behavior caused by a video game storyline when he turns to look at his boyfriend. “I think it's pretty typical and realistic. They are not meant to have a happy ending with that prophecy in place anyway.”

Phainon pouts, his eyes following Mydei's every step as he approaches the dinner table with a plate of mango sticky rice. It's their thing to eat different cuisines once every few weeks to test Mydei's cooking skills. “I still think it could've been better. I mean…” He sighs, picking up a spoon as he stares at his still warm white rice and a few bowls of dishes. “What kind of lesson are they trying to teach with that ending? That destiny is unavoidable?”

Mydei smiles, his eyes soft. “I understand where you're coming from but you're thinking too much about this, dear.” He pushed a plate of grilled fish closer to Phainon. “Now, eat. You can change your destiny but you need to eat first to do that so that you will have the energy to do it.” Phainon relented with another deep sigh which pulled another rumble of chuckles from the other.

…Anyway, back to his original point before he starts rambling about his very peaceful life with his dearest partner, Phainon doesn't think Mydei knew this would happen but well…. He wonders if those words carry some sort of curse that puts him in his current predicament.

Welcome user Phainon! I am your ever helpful system helper! codename: MEM You will proceed to Main Menu in 60 seconds. Please wait…

Phainon stares at the words in front of him, then to his weirdly small but buff and strong body, then at his very unfamiliar surroundings filled with yellow grass and blue skies, then back at the words.

He takes a deep breath.

Alright, he's pretty sure he should not be… wherever he is right now after what has happened. And he is also pretty sure that the afterlife should NOT have a starting screen. This begs the question…

Where the fuck is he?

Loading succeed! Hello, user! My name is Mem! How many I help you?

“Where the fuck am I???”

Such vulgar words! However, I understand your confusion. You are Phainon, correct? Date of birth is 2nd of July with type O blood, a clean record with no mention of a crime and-

Phainon groans. “Please, no need to recite my whole life information. I'm already dead anyway.”

Forgive me if that makes you uncomfortable, user! Anyway, I shall explain your current situation. Give any sort of sign for a confirmation to continue.

Phainon paused. “... Yes?”

You are currently a character in a game called “Amphoreus Chronicles” as the deliverer and the last Chrysos Heirs fated to survive, Phainon of Aedes Elysiae! You are tasked to-

“Woah, paused there uh, Mem.”

Explanation paused!

Phainon lets out a sigh, still in disbelief.

He's been isekai’d. Like, actually transmigrated to the game he used to debate the ending of with his beloved Mydei.

Wow. What a weird twist of fate.

System will auto-cancelled paused in 5 seconds!

He yelps. “Hey, wait-! It hasn't even been a minute!!”

Explanation continued! You are tasked to take over the role of the deliverer of Amphoreus, saving the world and following the prophecy as a hero! However, as this story is yours and NOT the original Phainon, User are encouraged to change this story with help from the system AKA me!

He stares at the words once again but this time with surprise. “... Change the story?”

Indeed! While there are of course prices and consequences to pay for messing up the prophecy and fates in this world, you may change it to how you see fit. You may also seek any kind of help that we can provide, though WE would not help you to interfere in any grand event such as a character death or an event that might cause other characters to be OOC.

Well, Phainon supposed that's not really a problem. The fact that he can act as OOC as he wants is quite the freedom.

If user Phainon requires to hear this explanation again, you can refers to it in the Data Bank! Just wave your hand in the air to call upon the menu manually or use your mind! The former works better but the latter are more convenient in the presence of other characters who cannot see us.

Phainon sighs again, placing his arm over his eyes. This is his life now, it seems. Well, whatever. He’ll make it work. Maybe then he can go to the afterlife peacefully.

System

error 404:

No afterlife

At the distorted sound, Phainon removed his arm and looked at the sudden error message on the… screen. Just as fast as it appears however, it disappears and the system begins typing again.

User Phainon first quest shall start now! Title: Phainon of Aedes Elysiae

Objective: Live your life as a boy in the village of Aedes Elysiae

Time limit: ????

Restriction: None

“... Is the time limit supposed to be question marks like that?”

Worry not, user! Time limit won't appear for unimportant, uneventful or extremely time consuming quest. It basically means that you have NO time limit or that your time limit comes when it comes outside of your control!

That… doesn't ease his concern at all but okay. He’ll take what he can get.

Glad to hear that, user Phainon!

“... Can I ask if there's an option to turn off your mind reading ability though?”

Apologize, user Phainon! That function is, unfortunately, unavailable.

Right. Whatever. He won't die from it. It's embarrassing but he’ll deal with it.

He has more pressing matters to attend to if he were to start his new life as Phainon here. He should get to planning.

… First things first though, where the fuck is he, like, actually. He knows it's Aedes Elysiae, it lines up with the way game Phainon describes the place and it was mentioned in the quest title but where in Aedes Elysiae is he?

You may checked your map function user!

Phainon obeys the command of the system and sees the icon of a map at the edge of the screen, a red exclamation mark glowing above it.

He clicks it and examines the map.

...

Hm. It seems like he's in the middle of an empty plot of land. Probably some place where village kids come to play football or something. He searches for his house and pauses, gulping a little when he sees his… name.

Phainon's House

He wonders if…

No… No, not the time to wonder about it.

Besides, if he ever makes it to the afterlife, he has a feeling he’ll see them again anyway. No use delaying the inevitable.

“Alright.” He stands up, stretching his limbs before turning to the direction where his house should be. “Time to go.”

-

Phainon never really had parents in the real world.

Well, he does have one obviously, it's just that for him, pretending they don't exist is way easier.

They were shitty to him so he doesn't mind the lack of good memories he had with them. From what he seems to remember after all the erasing his brain had to do to protect his delicate fragile mind from being more traumatized, his mother was a housewife who really loves going out with other men.

Well, he can just call her that one word but she's still his mother at the end of the day and Mydei told him that despite everything, she does take care of him way better than his father. It doesn't spare her from the fate she was met with but you know what they say, it's the thought that counts.

Anyway, his father on the other hand was…

Hm…

He… Doesn't remember. His memory up until his teenagehood is rather blurry and it gets worse as years pass for reasons he had mentioned earlier. He does remember a period of… good childhood, back before his parents fought all the time but they are very scarce. He has a feeling that was when both of them still sort of cared for their marriage. For him.

(He remembers very vividly what comes after though, constantly curling under his desk with his study materials scattered on the floor because his father tends to get rather violent when he's really mad and after his mother, it's him he goes after. That man has never been satisfied with anything. There's always something wrong in the house, always something wrong at his workplace.

It's annoying.)

He does hates them but at the same time not really. It's a little hard to hate something you don't fully know or remember.

So when he entered his house, he was… honestly a little surprised at the peacefulness.

There's a delicious smell in the air; bread, herbs and stew as well as a pleasant humming of a woman coming from the kitchen– His mother, probably. Last he checked from the clock in his Main Menu screen, it's almost time for dinner so that's probably what she's doing.

His father is sitting on the small steps leading to the backyard next to the sink where his mother is washing vegetables at, sharpening a sword, seemingly content with hearing his wife's humming.

What a weird sight. He doesn't think he ever sees his parents be this civil with each other.

Then, the man's gaze turns to him and he beams. “Ah, you're home.”

That catches his mother's attention as well so she turns and smiles at him too, motherly and warm. “Ah, our little warrior is finally back!” She places the veggies she was holding onto a clean bowl and wipe her hands on her apron as she approaches him.

“Did you have fun playing with your friends?”

He shifts in place. It's so uncomfortable to hear the sincerity in her tone. His mother never asked him about his day whenever he came home from school or anywhere else. She would just leave a plate of dinner on the table in front of him before leaving the house with her handbag to meet with whichever man she found online.

Kudos to her for still waiting for him to come home at least. She felt more like a dismissive older sister than anything but at least she fed him and made sure he came home to someone. Sometimes it's the little things.

“It… was fine.” He lies because there weren't any kids at all with him just now.

Her smile didn't leave her face as she wiped at his face with her pure white apron. “What, did you beat your friends in spars again so they don't want to play with you?”

He smiles back at her, hesitantly.

Unfortunately for her, he doesn't know either. He was alone when he got here and has been alone until he comes home. His father laughs. “That's our little deliverer! Those boys really should just suck it up and ask you to help them with their lackluster skills.”

His mother rolled her eyes, more amused than anything. “Dimitrios wouldn't be very happy if he hears you, dear.”

“Hah! He can challenge me for a duel if he's so unhappy.” He said, chest puffing with pride while his mother giggled. “I beat his ass more than his father ever did when we were kids.”

“Is that really something to be proud of?”

“Tsk, tsk. You don't get it honey. You know, back in my days…”

Phainon internally groans as his father starts a monologue about his childhood with his strict father and sickly mother who had passed away when he had just been a teen. Thankfully, It was an uneventful evening afterwards. They ate dinner together and Phainon has to keep his eyes down to avoid looking at how lovey dovey his parents are because it's too weird.

That night, he cooped up in his room with an empty notebook he managed to dig up from the inside of his desk drawer and a pencil.

Now, he needs to note down what he remembers from the damn game.

Surprisingly, he doesn't know much about the original Phainon. His backstory was extremely scarce and mostly came from stories he told himself.

And damn, was he an unreliable narrator.

None of the information he gave about Aedes Elysiae was confirmed or denied, considering the fact that he was the only survivor of the black tide disaster. He also mentioned something about a black attired swordsman who may or may not be one of the main antagonist, Flame Reaver. But that's all there is to know about him.

Well, there's also him mentioning that he had to mercy kill a lot of his friends and family but that's not really relevant to the plot. Just his character.

The other Chrysos Heirs are probably all the way in Okhema at the moment so there's no need for him to rush about them.

Hm.

“... Mem?” He called. “How do I ask for help?”

At your service, User Phainon! If you need any help, just call me! I am your helper after all.

He stroked his chin, trying to remember something that might help in his journey.

Most Chrysos Heirs are not Okhema's native but at this point in time, they should've been there already. He remembers Lady Tribios and her lore because of Mydei's adoration of her.

He had always wanted kids so that might have played a factor. The triplets, Trinnon, Tribbie and Trianne never left his team during world exploration.

… Still, they're probably already with Lady Aglaea in the Holy City so he’ll just wait to meet them later.

Professor Anaxagoras, the favorite Chrysos Heir of the real world Aglaea… is most likely all the way in The Grove alongside his TA, Hyacine.

Actually, now that he thinks about it...

“... Mem.”

Yes? Anything I can help with, user Phainon?

“Can… I ask about the whereabouts of all the Chrysos Heirs at the moment?”

Ah! Forgive me, user. This information can only be obtained by purchasing an item from the shop!

Yeah, he probably should've expected that.

No need to worry however! Most Items are a one time only purchased, Meaning that you only need to buy it once and use it forever! Isn't that neat?

He shrugs, letting out a hum because it is neat. What a generous system he's blessed with.

That said…

“... Well, can I trouble you to explain how to… you know… get coins and stuff?”

Oh wow! You adjust quick, huh?

No worries! System will!

However, it is now the very hour where you need to be asleep! User Phainon will get his explanation tomorrow. It is your first day here so the system will let you adjust first! Get some rest, user!

Sweet dreams!

Phainon sighs, throwing himself onto his bed. Who would've thought that the system would usher him to bed like a nagging mother.

Still, Mem had a point. He's tired. He should just go to sleep.

Tomorrow… He’ll deal with everything.

For today, sleeping it is.

Chapter Text

Phainon wakes up early the next day. 

His mother is already in the kitchen making breakfast while his father is getting ready to go to work with his farming equipment. Phainon had been living in the city his whole life so it feels a little funny to suddenly be thrusted into the life of a boy living in a family with normal villagers as parents. 

“I'm going now.” His father announces cheerfully as Phainon chews on his bread and soup, still not very awake. His mother waves at him from the door, shouting “Be safe!” before turning to her son. 

“You're still drowsy, little warrior?” She asked, her eyes concerned. 

He has to hold back a shudder. It'll take a while to get used to hearing her out of all people asking and saying things so sincerely to him. 

“Are you feeling okay? You're not getting sick, are you?” 

He shook his head. Honestly, he thinks the sleepiness might just be because he literally died and got revived in a span of 1 day. “I'm… Okay, mother. The spar yesterday was just… More strenuous than I thought, yes.” 

She giggles, the worried pinch in her eyebrows lessening a little as she ruffles his hair. “I see… Do tell us if you're getting sick though! Your uncle Dimitrios went to the Holy City a week ago so he’s set to return in a few weeks… Hopefully with some medicine in tow.”

He smiles at her, nodding obediently. After cleaning his room and taking a bath, Phainon said goodbye to his mother to explore the town. He doesn't have school for three more weeks, according to the calendar in the Menu. It is not the weekend yet though so his training session with his father won't be keeping him busy just yet. 

The calendar also mentioned his daily routine as Phainon and it's… surprisingly fun. 

See, Phainon had always been a little adventurous. He only went to his grandparents house maybe like twice back in his first life before they died and his parents became the way they did but he remembers everything about them. His grandfather loves to show him around their small village on his old motorcycle. He would laugh as he pointed at some places while explaining his son’s shenanigans as a child before bringing him to a small shop in the corner to buy some snacks for him and something for his grandma…

Ah, sorry. He got sidetracked again. The point is, Phainon loves walking and strolling around. Mydei wasn't really a fan of it, especially in the morning, but he indulges Phainon sometimes because, well, Mydei loves him. 

So when he sees the various activities the game Phainon had been doing as his daily routine during his current holiday– sparring with the village's swordmaster and the kids, running around the field until he gets tired just because he can, helping his father at the farm sometimes, etc– he was ecstatic.

He misses his village so much in the real world. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. 

First things first however…

Good morning, User! 

Hopefully you had a good night sleep because today I will be teaching you all about your quests and ways to earn coins to purchases everything from the shop! We will also be taking a look at your stats and exp! 

Are you ready, little deliverer?

Phainon hummed as he sat down onto a barrel just outside his home. 

Glad to hear the enthusiasm! 

Now, the first thing I will be explaining to you is about: Coins!

(These information can be reread back in data bank even if skipped!)

In the “Amphoreus Chronicless”, the physical cash you are using is called credits. However, for your in-game purchase, you shall refers to it as coins instead to avoid confusion! You can exchange your coins for credits and vice versa if needed!

He genuinely loves this system. Maybe Mydei is the one creating it for him because… Oh my god. It's unbelievably generous. 

Haha! Glad to hear how pleased you are about our system!

Back to the explanation, user, coins are obtained by doing small quests AND big quests! The amount varies according to the importance and level of the quest, of course but no need to worry, it will never falls below 10 coins!

He is genuinely starting to think it is Mydei looking after him. No one else loves him more than this. 

Secondly: The Shop

Once you obtain enough coins, you can then purchase anything from our shop that you can find in Main Menu! There isn't much explanation required for this part. Just simply tap the item that you want and poof! As long as you have enough coins, you'll be fine!

Most of them are a one time buy but there are some that needs to be bought multiple time or expired after a single use. Do be careful with your purchase!

He hums again. A small price to pay really. 

Next up! Exp and stats!

You may check it by clicking on that character icon on the Main Menu. You'll receive exp from quests of course and your stats can be improved by practicing– hobby, intelligence, strength, etc! 

From now on, the system will tell you the amount of coins and exp you will receive on the quest screen.

Make sure to not slack off on your stats user! 

Phainon spares a glance at the icon and makes a mental note to check on it later. 

He's still a child so he probably doesn't have much to expect anyway. 

Now that that's out of the way, let's go to your first subquest, user!

“Ah, wait.”

Yes, user?

“Can you show me the quest menu for my main quest again? I should be able to see the exp and coins I'll gain from them, right?”

Ah! Of course. 

One moment…

There!

Title: Phainon of Aedes Elysiae 

Objective: Live your life as a boy in the village of Aedes Elysiae

Time limit: ???? 

Restriction: None 

Exp gain: 20000 

Coins: 5000

He leaned forward, a hand on his chin. 

…

Wow. That's a lot of exp and coins. Well, he supposed it's fair considering the fact that this village would get destroyed because of the black tide soon. Maybe it's a way for the system to repent for it or something. 

“Alright.” He nodded, satisfied at what he saw. “Give me the quest. I'm itching to explore this place anyway.” 

Most certainly!

Here are the list of quests you can finish at the moment!

They are not all mandatory but these quest will helps tremendously in earning exp, coins as well as various other stats!

Adventure Mission: 

Title: What are you? An idiot sandwich!

• About mission: Help your mother cooks dinner. 
• Exp gain: 250 
• Coins gain: 50 
• Bonus gain: Cooking skills +10 Possible gain: obtained recipes of Aedes Elysiae dish.

Title: Thank you for buying from Haris bakery!

• About mission: Help uncle Haris to deliver his breads (0/5 completed) 
• Exp gain: 300
• Coins gain: 100

Title: A preparation

• About mission: Find Master Nikolaos for a training session 
• Side note: Master Nikolaos are usually free only in the evening, a few hours before dinnertime. 
• Exp gain: 500 
• Coins gain: 100
• Bonus gain: Strength, speed, dexterity, etc (click for more info). 

Title: Pen is mightier than sword!

• About mission: Visit the library of Aedes Elysiae and read at least 2 books.
• Exp gain: 500
• Coins gain: 100
• Bonus gain: knowledge, intelligence, (click for more info) 

Well, these are all quite long. 

He knows that they're not mandatory but he doesn't think too much resources is ever the case. He should try to complete them anyway. 

He hops off the barrel and stretches. 

First destination: Uncle Haris’s bakery. He should get quests like this out of the way as fast as he can. 

-

“Why, if it isn't the finest knight of Aedes Elysiae!” 

Phainon looks up at who he assumes is Uncle Haris, smiling. 

The bakery is small, well, smaller than the real world one that he and Mydei frequent to at least. You can tell it's a bakery from the outside, not just because of a giant sign that clearly said it is a bakery, but also by the aroma of breads and pastries that you can smell right through the door.

“Coming in to help again today?” Uncle Haris asked with a smile as he pulled out a batch of freshly baked bread from the oven. 

Yes. The old style oven. It feels a bit weird to see it. Mydei baked his pastries in a modern oven after all. Phainon is pretty sure that old ass ovens were the one being used by the witches in fairy tales to bake children as a pie. 

“Yes, Uncle!” He said with a deliberately loud voice.

Uncle Haris laughs, arranging the bread in various containers. Phainon had checked in the calendar and yes, it seems that Phainon had been volunteering here (as well as some other shops according to a note he found in the drawer) during his vacation. As for the reason…

“Still raising money to leave this little town of ours I see.” 

Yeah. That's that. 

Honestly though, he doesn't really understand why Phainon (the game one that previously owned this body he's using) had been doing so. In the game, he had said that he never had the desire to be a hero or anything like that. He wanted to live a peaceful life in Aedes Elysiae, be it as a farmer or as a knight, just guarding the peaceful village. 

But apparently, this Phainon is saving money to leave? He's not going to complain about it but it still doesn't feel right. 

Still, it is beneficial. He supposed there's no need to dwell on the thought of… another person. 

He only smiles as the man moves around while rambling about his adult son still working at the farm at his age. 

Nobody here ever leaves. Phainon knows. 

Eventually, after he packed everything, Phainon left the shop with a loaf of bread of his own and his pocket a bit heavier with some credits for his hard work. Uncle Haris waves at him with a fond grin, telling him to come by with his mother sometimes to which he only nods and waves back. 

The delivery was rather uneventful. Luckily for him, they do have a navigation feature in the map. 

Mem beeps at him when he voices this out though. 

It's basic common sense, User!

He scratches his cheek sheepishly as the system huffs… somehow. 

Anyways, he did get to explore for a bit through this quest. The people seem to adore him, ruffling his hair with a bright smile and shouting good morning energetically. Even the kids don't seem to have any problem with him, despite what his mother said yesterday. 

No wonder he was so devastated and kept suppressing his trauma in the game. 

(A voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Anaxagoras quips at him, 

“You're no better than him, you know?” 

Phainon shrugs it off.) 

When he was done, it's only late afternoon. Most of the kids are out playing in the field, tagging each other and giggling as they wrestle on the grass and dirtying their shirts and dresses. Yes, even the girls. 

Phainon watches them from afar while lounging around on some stray hay, occasionally taking bites of his own loaf of bread. He already refused an invitation from some of the said kids to come play with them. He knows it's quite out of character, game Phainon was very vocal about his love to abandon his studies and play instead during his childhood, but it's not like he’ll get penalized anyway. 

“Mem.” 

Yes, user?

“Can I check how many coins I have now?” 

Of course! 

Current coin obtained: 200

He blinks, raising an eyebrow. “Where did the other 100 come from?” 

It's a newbie bonus! You get 50 coins per day until the first month of your life is over.

Whoever it is that designed this system, Phainon is going to kiss them. 

Mem would like to advise you to not randomly kiss people just because you're grateful to them as it could spread disease!

He doesn't mean it literally, geez. It's a hyperbole. 

Sighing, he opens the shop and browses through it to find the item system was talking about. He's sure he’ll know it when he sees it. 

…

Hm.

It's a book. 

Honestly, he doesn't know what he expected. Of course it would be a book. It is information about the Chrysos heirs after all. What better medium would it be?

Shop 🛒:

Guides to the Great Chrysos heirs (automatic update) 

Coins needed: 1000 

You have insufficient coins to purchase this. 

He held back the urge to sigh a second time. 

Great. Even after death capitalism still wins. He's not even close to the goal yet. 

“... Mem. Show me where the library is. Seems like I got some studying to do.”

Right away user! Please open the map feature. The location has been marked. 

Phainon jumps off the hay he was lounging on after finishing his last bite of his bread, shouting goodbye and waving at the kids who are still playing in the grass. They wave at him back with cheerful giggles and giddiness that only children can possess. 

Well, not him but he's a different case, both in the real world and here. 

The library was deeper into the village, placed right next to the town hall and very quiet with a nostalgic vibe to it. When he entered, he was hit by the scent of papers, ink and books as well as coffee and the faint smell of pastry. Nothing unusual, he thinks. He smelled a whole bucket of chicken wings in a library back during his college days while he was cramming every information he could before an exam. 

There is a librarian inside, a sweet looking young woman wearing a pair of glasses. She has a name tag (for some reason that's kind of surprising to him), spelling out the name Sofia. She seems shocked to see him, probably because kids don't come to libraries during their days off, but only smile politely when he nods at her. 

“Oh my! I didn't expect to see you here anytime soon.” She commented as he closed the door behind him. “I thought you said that a warrior’s brain only needs to be trained by swinging swords and practicing combat.”

He grins up at her. “I still stand by that! Today has been pretty boring though so I came here to see if there's something interesting to read.” 

She giggles at his answer, propping her head onto her palm as she leans against the desk. “You're bored? Why didn't you go and play with Lefteris and everyone else? That boy ran out of the house the moment he finished breakfast this morning.” She sighs, exasperated but fond. “Really, who does he take after?” 

Phainon let out a small bout of giggles and she gave his hair a ruffle (he's standing closer than he thought to her desk) before waving him off, warning him to not tear any of the book or she will have him pay for it. Semi-jokingly. 

Phainon looked up at the bookshelf and paused. 

… What is he supposed to read? 

The mission said that he needed to read at least two books but which one? What is he supposed to do here? 

“Mem.” 

Yes, user? 

“What… Now? Do I just read anything?” 

Ah, forgive me user!

The genre of the books you read affected your stat differently. For example, if you were to read a romance book, it will slightly increase your charisma. If you were to read a history book, it will increase your knowledge. 

Ah, that makes sense, he thinks. 

Well, the objective said to at least read two books so he supposed he can start slow for today. He just got here from being dead after all. 

Phainon walks over to the shelf, craning his head up to see the labels on them. The one he's currently staring at is fantasy. 

“What stat can reading fantasy increase?” He asked, tilting his head. 

You'll find out after reading, user! 

He sighs. 

Well, whatever. He’ll browse here first then. He can still come back later if he wants. 

…

Hah… 

This section is full of childish fantasy books, like fairy tales and Disney movies type of stories. It's not exactly a rip-off of the real world but he can recognize the similarity and predict which story is which. 

“The Tale Of A Monster And A Beauty, Magical Shoes, The Twins and The Witch…” He murmurs under his breath, each story popping into his head with each title that he reads. As he contemplated going to another shelf and finding a history book instead, he paused when he spotted something. 

…

“... The Tales of The Deliverer…” He takes the book out of the shelf, examining the covers. It has a faceless figure standing on top of a pile of bodies, his hand raised while holding onto a GreatSword, pointing at the dark and bloody red sky. 

After a brief moment of contemplation, he tears his eyes away from it. The book feels… unsettling to him. 

Eventually, Phainon moves to the history section with a specific book in mind. 

A history book of this small hometown of his, to be exact. 

It's mostly out of genuine curiosity rather than anything. After all, the game never expanded on this place at all besides Phainon's musing and stories about his past. He can't lie and say that he's not at least a little interested to know about Aedes Elysiae customs or traditions. 

He scans the bookshelf once more and picks out every book that contains Aedes Elysiae in the title, which is honestly not much. He only got 3 books in his hands at the end of his search and he honestly doubted there could be more on the higher part of the shelves either. 

Guess it makes sense as to why this village is so unknown in the whole of Amphoreus. 

Phainon ended up spending the whole afternoon at one of the 3 only tables at the library, gawking and learning all he can about Aedes Elysiae from the book. 

The town is not at all famous, even described as an unknown part of the world in the book. The origin of the village is not significant enough to be remembered apparently so there's no mention about it aside from one particularly worn down book that stated how the town was first founded by a former priest of Oronyx, the God of Time. 

At some point, he decides that just reading it might not be enough so he asks Miss Sofia for some papers and a pencil to which she cheerfully hands over, with a warning to not scribble on the book. 

It's a little funny, honestly. The last time he has ever taken note, at least as properly as this, was back during his university days. 

When the shadows movea to signal how late it has gotten, Phainon finds himself a little disappointed. He still wants to read more but he also wants to start training as soon as possible because he's not sure when exactly the Black Tide disaster would occur. He cannot let his guard down.

You can simply borrow the book, user! 

Well, he supposed that's true. 

Phainon closes the book he was taking notes from, leaving the papers that contain his note inside. Just this one book should be enough to be borrowed, he thinks. 

After organizing the other two books back into the shelf, he strides back to Miss Sofia's desk. She is already moving back and forth around it, tidying up before leaving for the day. When she spots him approaching, she gives him a wide smile. “You stayed for quite a while.” 

He beams, holding the book up. “Can I borrow this, Miss Sofia?” 

She tilted her head, taking the book from him while reading the title with a raised eyebrow. “Oh? ‘The Village Of Dawn: Aedes Elysiae’?” She giggles, putting it onto her desk before opening one of the drawers and rummaging through them in search of something. “I didn't know you're into history, dearest knight.” 

He didn't answer, only keeping up his smile until she finished doing whatever it is that librarian does whenever someone borrowed a book. After handing the book to him, she warns him to return it by the date else she will hunt him down. 

Her tone wasn't exactly threatening but Phainon decides that he probably shouldn't test his luck. 

A beep caught his attention as soon as he made it outside before the system message appeared. 

Side Quest Complete!

Title: Pen is mightier than sword!

About mission: Visit the library of Aedes Elysiae and read at least 2 books.

You have gain 500 Exp and 100 coins 

Bonus stats gain: knowledge +10, intelligence +10

Hm, not bad at all. Now he should have around… 

“Mem.” He called, opening his steps towards the training ground where Master Nikolaos would hopefully be at. “How many coins do I have now?” 

Current coin obtained: 300 

Keep up the good work user! 

Phainon held back a sigh. 

It's going to take him a while to get to 1000 but he’ll live. 

For now, he should brace himself to start training. He has a feeling he will get tossed around a lot by Master Nikolaos.

-

Phainon does, in fact, get tossed around a lot. 

Now, hear him out. Back in the real world, Phainon's physical state is nothing to sneeze at. He went to the gym at least 3 times a week (with his beloved boyfriend of course) and he was also a member of a local fencing club. He considers himself to be at least a little stronger than most people.

But man. Master Nikolaos is more of a beast than a man. They've been sparring for 4 rounds already and he lost three of the matches in seconds. The longest he had lasted with the man was maybe a minute. 

“You done already, kid?” The older man asked with a friendly grin. An extremely misleading friendly grin, considering the fact that he had just thrown Phainon across the field like he weighed nothing a moment earlier. “Come now, where's your spirit? You won't even be able to beat the other village knights with this kind of resolve.” 

Phainon groans, pushing himself off the ground while picking up the wooden sword that has fallen right next to him. “There's no other village knight for me to compete with anyway, Master. We're the only village left in this area…” 

Master Nikolaos didn't say anything to his response, only getting into his stance again and beckoning Phainon to continue.

With a deep breath, Phainon surges forward and thrust his sword (probably a habit from his fencing days that he no doubt knows he probably should drop by this point) only to be parried by the other easily. He loses his balance and Master Nikolaos immediately takes that opportunity to swipe at his legs, causing him to fall on his back. 

“Now, that's unusual.” Master Nikolaos commented, lifting the sword to put it on his shoulder with his other hand on his waist. “You don't usually go with a thrusting style, especially since your father and I only ever taught you how to slash. Where did you learn that?” 

Phainon grunted. “Picked it up somewhere.” 

“Not from Dimitri, I hope.” The older man mused, smirking. “His sword fighting skill never truly improved… Though I guess he has always been more brain than brawn.”

Phainon couldn't help letting out a snort, pushing himself up with curious eyes. “Are you talking about Uncle Dimitrios?” 

“The one and only, little man.” Master Nikolaos laughs, ruffling his hair roughly while Phainon yelps at the sudden aggression towards his hair. “Dimitri was the brightest among us all but he's never really been gifted with physical strength.” 

“I… see.” Phainon simply replied, not knowing what else to say. It's not like he knows Uncle Dimitrios personally to judge him. The most he had heard about the man was from his parents during dinner last night. 

Master Nikolaos crane his head upwards, blinking at the slightly darkened sky. There is no such thing as night and day here but you can still tell when the parting hour is near.

“Well, it seems like we've been going at it longer than I thought.” He held out his hand at Phainon, stabbing his sword to the ground. “I better send you off now. Audata is scary when angered and I am not about to let myself be on the receiving end.” 

Phainon accepts his hand readily, storing away the information about his mother's name. 

Funny. She has the exact same name as his real mom. Was the creator of this game stalking him or something? 

As Phainon dust himself off the dirt and examine his scratches and bruises, a beep caught his attention. 

Side Quest Complete!

Title: A preparation

About mission: Find Master Nikolaos for a training session 

You have gained 500 Exp

You have gain 100 coins

Bonus gain: Strength + 5, speed + 10, dexterity + 3, (click profile for more info on what you obtained.) 

Nice. That's 400 coins. 100 more steps closer to his goal, he supposed. 

“I'll see you tomorrow, little man.” Master Nikolaos waves as he walks towards a small cottage near their sparring ground that Phainon assumed is his house. “Keep yourself sharp, ya hear me? I see your potential already. It'll be a waste if you don't train hard though!” 

“Yes, sir! Thank you for today!” He shouts, smiling all the while. It's not like he enjoys getting thrown left and right but it has been a very interesting and beneficial experience, especially since fencing style is probably not a suitable fighting style for him nor is it the safest. You can't kill a Titankin by simply stabbing it repeatedly… Unless he has a strong muscle. 

Still, it's better to pick up another style, just to be safe. 

Phainon straightens and begins his trek home. He still has one more quest to complete, especially if he wants to get as much coin as he needs to buy the damn book. 

User!

Phainon lowered his eyes to look at the message, though he didn't stop walking. 

Since you are quite desperate for coins, let me remind you again that you have the option to change your credits to coins! 

Oh! And also, there are also something called hidden quests placed all around this world for you. Hope this helps!

Well, it would help a lot more if only it is mentioned earlier but he digresses. It's only his second day here and judging by how peaceful and calm it has been for these two days, the black tide won't be coming anytime soon. He has time. 

Hm, that reminds him. 

Phainon’s eyes landed on the character icon at the edge of the screen before tapping on it. Mem did say it would show him his exp and stats…

Only to be hit by an error message. 

“... What?” He blinks, confused. 

Oh my! So sorry for this, user!

It seems like there's some sort of error in the system. 

“Well, can you fix it?” He asked, a little concerned. It would be hard for him to improve his stats and such without being able to observe it. 

Probably! It might take a while. 

So sorry again for this inconvenience, user. 

System will compensate you for this. 

“Compensate? With what-?” Before he could finish his sentence, the screen changed again and Phainon once again blinked, only this time in a pleasant surprise. 

Error compensation: 300 coins 

Current coin obtained: 700 coins

Phainon nods, pleased. “Alright.” He smiles with a little hum. “I accept this compensation.” 

-

When Phainon got home, he was hit by a sense of deja vu. Just like yesterday, his father is sitting at the step leading to their backyard, though this time he seems to be weaving something– a basket perhaps– while his mother is busy with controlling the fire under their very old school stove. 

Eventually, his mother's task was successfully fulfilled and she turns with a little exhausted huffs before she spotted him. “Oh! There you are!” 

His father turns to him, a genuinely happy grin on his face. 

Phainon shudders involuntarily. The last time his father grinned at him, it wasn't for anything positive. 

“I saw you and Master Nikolaos training from the field.” He explains, chuckling under his breath as he turns back to his weaving. “He got you good huh, son?” 

His mother scowls at his father's comment, walking over to Phainon and wiping at his face using her apron, just as she did the day before. “Don't encourage violence against our child, Hieronymus.”

Phainon almost jolts at the name. Seems like his father also... Shares the same name as his real one. 

The man lets out an offended sound. “I'm not. Our knight can handle a little bit of rough treatment if he wants to study all the way in Castrum Kremnos like Master Nikolaos.” 

“Sure you don't.” She rolled her eyes, though it doesn't look exactly like she's joking about her annoyance this time. 

He can tell. He saw this expression a lot with his own parents before, albeit worse. 

“I hope you're not too discouraged though, little knight.” His father spoke again as his mother moved to the drawer in search of something. “Even if it was for only a short while, he was trained in what was basically a nation of war. Of course he would be tougher than most people here.” 

His mother comes back to him with a bottle of ointment, her mouth slightly downturned as she examines his scratches and bruises. 

It reminds him of something that has happened before… Something from the past, sort of. 

She sighs, a tad bit relieved but still displeased. “Well, it's nothing too severe. Would you like me to put this ointment on them for you?” 

Phainon shook his head, smiling. “It's fine. I'll do it myself later.” 

“Are you sure?” She asked again, worried. 

“Yes, I'm sure.” Phainon glances at the stove roaring with fire. “You're making dinner right? Can I help?” 

She stares at him for a minute, aware that he is trying to change the subject but eventually, she gives up on making him talk and only hums. “Of course. Come on, wash your hands and help me grab some ingredients from the shed, hm?” 

Phainon mocks salute at her and his mother's lips curl up in amusement, shooing him off after telling him what she needs. She starts bickering with his father again as he passes the man on his way to their backyard shed, though it sounds like they're just throwing some playful jabs at each other. 

Much like how Mydei and him used to do, back before all this. 

Dinner was rather simple to make, especially since he is not as hopeless in the kitchen as most people thought he is (He'd like to take a moment to show a middle finger to Stelle and Anaxagoras for always making fun of his non-existent incompetency in the kitchen. Just because he doesn't cook much doesn't mean that he can't.). He got the completion announcement as well as some new recipes item when he put the last bowl of cream stew onto the table, smiling smugly all the while. 

“Enough of your little basket making.” His mother scolds, her arms crossed as his father places a finished basket next to another one. “At least eat dinner first. Your son helps make some today. Don't you at least feel a bit excited to taste it?” 

The man groans, waving her off as he reaches for another… straw? Or grass maybe. Displeased, she grabs it out of his way with an expectant look. 

“Audata…” 

“Dinner. Now.” 

Phainon couldn't help snickering as they began to bicker yet again. A good natured, playful type of argument. He doesn't think those two had ever bicker like this before, let alone speak to each other nicely. 

After a few more back and forth jabs, his father ended up being practically dragged to the table. He sighs as he sat down next to Phainon, frowning. “Your mom is scary. Don't ever make her mad.” 

He thinks back to Master Nikolaos and nervously smiles as an answer. He had never seen his mother angry, in this life or the previous one. 

Well, to be fair, he doesn't think she has ever shown much expression except for sadness back then. It is a given since his father was… the way he was.

His thoughts halted and Phainon finds himself back into his own mind.

If he remembers correctly, he had seen his mother angry before, even if it was only once. She wasn't angry at him, (he knows because despite everything, that woman never laid a hand or even raised her voice at Phainon) but he's sure that she was angry at… someone. 

Maybe his father? She doesn't get mad at him, at least not anymore due to her fear of being beaten to the inch of her life… But if it's not him then who else?

"Son?” His father's voice snaps him out of his musing and Phainon blinks when he realizes that he's been spacing out. “Your food is getting cold.” 

His mother shot him a worried glance, eyebrows furrowed. “You must be really tired. Hurry and eat your dinner so you can rest okay, little warrior?” 

He looked up at both of them and swallowed a lump in his throat, a weird feeling bubbling in his stomach. 

“Eat, dear.” His mother urged, smiling gently as she pushed his stew closer to him. “You can rest after this, hm?” 

Phainon feels nauseous at the thought of putting anything into his mouth but he hums regardless, picking up his spoon and staring at the cream stew he had helped prepare. 

Best if he doesn't think too much about it. 

-

Phainon finds himself staring at the ceiling until way after his bedtime, after putting the ointment on his injuries, of course. He can still hear his parents chattering through their thin wall, their voice soft and quiet in fear of disturbing his slumber. His mother occasionally lets out a few giggles after a few murmurs from his father. 

Phainon doesn't remember much about his life back then, at least not anymore, but he can still remember how loud his house always was. If not the sound of yelling, it's the sound of glass and belongings crashing. If not for his father's own wailing as he begs for forgiveness despite not meaning a single word, it's the sound of his mother weeping and pleading. 

They were Audata and Hieronymus too but why are they so different, he wonders? 

Another bouts of giggles come from behind the wall, paired with another voice explaining something while huffing in his own laughter. Phainon sat up on his bed and leaned on the wall, staring at it as the voices continued to converse. 

“... Mem.” 

Yes, Phainon? Do you need anything? 

He paused, eyes lazily glancing over at the screen that appeared. “What, no user this time?” 

Ah, apologize, user. Do… you prefer to be refer as such? 

Phainon shrugs, his eyes going back to the wall. “... No, I don't care. Call me whatever you want.” 

Phainon it is then! 

His lips curled up. “So you do have personality? Who would've thought?” 

Nevermind that! 

Do you need any help? 

Phainon sighs, slowly letting his eyes shut.

Phainon? 

“... Do you…” He hesitates, curling into himself as he pushes himself even more against the wall, as if he wants to become one with it. “Can… I prevent the destruction of Aedes Elysiae? Is that possible, Mem? Can I…” 

Can he stay longer here? See if this Audata and Hieronymus is… different than the one he knows, see if they'll stick together no matter what, come rain or shine. 

He needs to know, to see if...

The system beeps, cutting his thoughts off. 

Reminder to you, Phainon. 

You are not confined to any rules or regulations from us. You are allowed to deviate the story any way you wish, with its own consequences. 

He couldn't help letting out a small laugh at the answer. “That's not the answer I was looking for.” 

The system went silent. If not for the still open screen, Phainon would've thought that Mem had shut itself down just to not indulge his question. 

Phainon are allowed to act as he please. The choice is yours to choose, always. 

He hums, smiling humorlessly. 

It's still not answering the question, not even giving him a false promise. 

“What a generous system you are." 

The screen of the system glitch slightly and Phainon startles, his lips curling back downward. “Mem?” 

ERROR!!!

System malfunctioning,

Please wait a moment…

Pushing himself off the wall, he hesitates as his hand hovers at the screen only for it to glitch once more and causing him to flinch. 

Ṫ̵̼̫͑ĥ̶̭̮̾͋i̶̩͚͉̇̃̈s̴̟͗́͜

“Mem, wha-?” 

T̵̙̟̟̔̑̋h̵̠̱̚ĭ̸͇̲̩ś̵̠ ̵̖̌W̵̝͍͔͐̕ị̴̳̉͝l̵͙̈̎͐ḻ̵̡͐͘ ̴͕̚͝b̵̠̱̙͑̋̈ë̵̬͜-

SYSTEM IS BACK ONLINE 

Apologize, user! Something suddenly went wrong… 

Phainon paused. “... Back to user?” 

Ah, I mean, Phainon. So sorry about that! 

Here, we’ll compensate you for this incident, Phainon. 

“Eh? Again? Don't worry about-” 

System malfunctioning error compensation: 500 coins 

Current coin obtained: 1200 coins

Phainon stares at the amount, mouth agape. He knows that he praises the system for being generous but this is way too much even for his benefits. Isn't there some sort of rule for the Isekai system to NOT be too generous about giving out money? 

Close your mouth, Phainon! A fly might ended up making a home in there~

And now the system is teasing him. He didn't know that was possible but alas.

Don't think too hard about it! Mem implore you to consider this as a gift for dragging your soul into this world without permission!

Well, he can't really argue with that. They did force him into this situation so it is fair that he got compensated for it. 

Besides, that item is crucial for your journey so it's better for you to get it as soon as I can! 

Yeah, fair enough. 

Would you like to buy the book now?

Phainon stares at the word…

Before he decides to dismiss the system with a wave of his hand and collapses onto his bed while the system lets out a sound akin to shriek.

He’ll get that done later. He needs to escape to the dreamland for a while. 

It's only his second day here... He wonders if he'll survive the rest. 

Phainon yawns, covering his face with the pillow. 

Only time will tell he supposed. It's not like he has anything else left to lose anyway. 

Chapter Text

Time passes quickly for Phainon and before he knew it, two weeks passed by in a blink of an eye. 

He spent his time not doing much except some quests to earn more coins and stats, helping out his father and checking in on the status of the Chrysos heirs through the book. There wasn't much to be said about it, at least for now. Sure, it use some flowery words like,

“The Goldweaver spent her days in Okhema, weaving its future day by day with her golden threads.”

And 

“The gatekeeper continues to strive ahead with the prophecy as their guide to lead the people towards a better future.” 

But Phainon can tell it's just them saying that nothing is going on there at the moment, poetically. 

(There was, of course, Mydeimos's life written there too but… For the sake of his mental and physical health, he decides to not touch on that yet. He's 10 years too early to even go near the Sea Of Soul.) 

However, there is something strange about the book. 

Phainon stares blankly at the closed book, his arms crossed while the system screen is open in front of him, glitching slightly. He is pretty sure that if the system has a human body, it would be fidgeting nervously. 

“Mem?” 

Yes, Phainon? 

“You don't happen to know anything about Castorice, do you?” He asked, glancing at it. 

The system stops, screen wavering. 

Forgive mem, Phainon. 

Mem really doesn't know anything. 

“Really?” 

Yes.

“... Are you absolutely sure?” 

Phainonnn.

The system practically whines. 

Mem really don't know!

Mem is not the one who created

the system, you know? 

At that, he raised an eyebrow. “Oh? So you know who created the system?”

Mem is NOT allowed to answer that, user!

Well, it was worth a try but that's not the point. 

He sighs, leaning back against the wall of his house. His father is still in the field after telling Phainon to take a breather while his mother is organizing their food storage at the other side of the house so he's using his very limited alone time to talk to Mem, hoping he can get a bit of information. 

Alas, it doesn't seem like there's any important thing to be learned though. 

In the game, Castorice was an important companion to the original Phainon. She was one of his first friends within the Chrysos Heirs, putting up with his antics often no matter how annoying. Her gentle and kind demeanor is in contrast with her deadly touch, making her rather reserved and slightly touch starved. 

Phainon loves her. She was one of his favorite characters (After Mydeimos of course) and he only put the best gear on her. He has her traces all leveled and her signatures as well, making his wallet cries and amusing his Mydei to no end. 

I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, 

Phainon!

Mem chirps while Phainon continues to brood due to her absence. 

The one who made the system only have your best interest at heart! There must be a good reason this.

Phainon groans. There is no way that is the case. If the person who made the system really wants him to be happy, he would just let Phainon die and send him straight to the afterlife instead. 

None of that, Phainon! 

This is your second chance at life!

Don't you at least feel a little happy?

“Let's not go there.” He waves the system off. “What I feel doesn't matter. Not anymore.”

The system paused. 

But you deserve to feel happy too, Phainon.

Hah.

“Is that so?” He hums, a humorless smile on his face. 

Phainon-!

“Phainon!” His mother's voice sounded from the front of the house. “Your friend's here!” 

“Coming, mother!” He answers, slightly confused. No one ever came to visit him for the past two weeks so he had assumed Phainon didn't have many close friends but it seems like he's wrong.

Damn. This is bad. He doesn't know their names. 

Ah, I got you, Phainon!

The screen comes back at his sides as he walks. 

The three close friends currently standing in front of your house right now are:

Piso (boy with dark, short brown hair)

Livia (girl with small ponytail and brown hair) 

Cyrene (pink hair, white hair piece)

The previous Painon are very close to Cyrene but Piso and Livia are still your friends so don't ignore them!

Yes, system. He knows how friendship works. 

“Where were they, though?” Phainon asked, stopping just before turning to see them. “It's been two weeks and I haven't seen them around.”

It seems like both Piso and Livia were sick in bed due to cold while Cyrene was busy with her study as the Oronyx priest. 

“Priest?” 

This is the first time he's heard of this. The name sounds familiar, especially Cyrene, but the other details? Completely new to him. 

He couldn't help but wonder how the original Phainon managed to suppress everything so much to the point all these details aren't spoken at all, even to himself. 

The details are not all that necessary! 

They are your friends first and foremost. You'll learn about them in due times. 

Right. Whatever. 

The screen disappears without prompting this time and Phainon continues on his way. He spotted his mother talking to three children, two of them jumping up and down with their hands above their heads while another one was giggling at them. 

His mother's smile is soft as she nods along to their chatter before she spotted him. 

“There he is!” She beams. The three children—a boy with brown hair, a little girl with a pony tail and another girl with pink hair (interesting hair color, if he says so himself)—turned and smiled, waving him over.   

“Phainon!” The boy who he is very sure is Piso, calls. “There you are!” 

“It's been a while!” The girl next to him, Livia continues. 

Cyrene only smiles, though it looks slightly teasing and a bit too… knowing it's a little uncomfortable. 

Phainon awkwardly shuffles over to them, earning him a pout from Piso when he sees him looking rather skittish. “Why do you look so nervous?” He questioned, crossing his arms. “You forgot about us already? We're not some strangers, you know!” 

Cyrene giggles, covering her mouth with hand. “Don't be like that, Piso. He wouldn't be able to forget us even if he tried. Right, Phainon?” She asks with a tilt of her head and a wink. 

Phainon chuckles nervously, suddenly finding the ground beneath him much more interesting than all four humans surrounding him.  

“She's right, Piso.” Livia frowns, shooting him an annoyed look. “Besides, Phainon is probably lamenting his short time away from you anyway…”

“Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?” 

His mother and Cyrene laughs as they begin to push and tug at each other, bickering all the while. Even Phainon couldn't help letting his lips curl up at the sight. 

“Alright, alright, That's enough.” Cyrene shook her head, placing her hands on both of their shoulders and pulling them apart gently while they both huffed. “How about we go and play at the swings today? Both of you just got better from the cold, after all. We should take it easy, hm?” 

The two of them light up, their previous argument forgotten. “Oh! Are you going to make that divination thing again?” Piso asked, eyes shining. 

Phainon raised an eyebrow but he supposed he shouldn't be surprised. She is the priest of Oronyx after all. They're the only Titans that even bother to give some sort of warning about the future via the prophecy given to Lady Tribios. 

“Well, I wasn't but since you guys are asking…” She mused, a glint of delight in her eyes. “Sure! Let's go!”

Phainon blinks. 

“Ah, but father…”

“It's alright, Phainon.” His mother reassured him, giving his hair a ruffle. He turns to look up at her, frowning slightly. 

The quest with his father is not done yet…

“Go and play. I'm sure your father wouldn't mind. You've been spending all of your time helping around these past weeks.”

Okay, he really does appreciate her trying to make him rest but he does want those coins. Aside from helping out his father, of course. 

Side Quest Complete!

Title: A New Life From A Sprout

About mission: Help your father with farm works 

You have gain 500 exp and 100 coins  

Bonus stats gain: Strength + 10 Stamina + 10

No excuse now, Phainon!

…

He flashes a smile at his mother, eyes twitching. “Okay then. I'll be back for dinner!” 

She grins at him and Phainon couldn't help but slumped his shoulders. It's been a losing game from the start. He can't possibly say no to her when she looks so happy. 

-

The place with the swing that they mentioned was… relaxing, to say the least. It's quite windy, which is not unusual since Aedes Elysiae is located near the sea. The swing sways lightly, following the direction of the wind even with no one sitting on it. He also spotted a table at the side with two klines, a book and a deck of cards as well as a bowl of grape and pomegranate sitting on it. 

“Woah, something smells really good!” Piso shouts. 

“It’s from the Sacrament Courtyard. We were just having lunch together.” Cyrene explains, turning to them with a grin. “You can go and ask if you want some.” 

“Well, I'm sure ‘Phangry’ would like some!” Livia giggles, glancing at Phainon.

He couldn't help but frown as the three of them burst into laughter. Is she teasing him? What does ‘Phangry’ even mean? 

“What's that supposed to mean?” He questioned, slightly irritated. It may sound teasing to them but he genuinely has no idea what they're talking about. 

“Aw, are you embarrassed now?” Cyrene cooed, poking his cheek. 

No, he's not because he's not sure what he's supposed to be embarrassed about. 

“His ears are red!” Piso pointed in-between his laughter. “He's totally embarrassed!” 

Once again, Phainon literally has no idea what he's talking about. His ears are not red at all, he's pretty sure because all he feels right now is confusion.  

“Hey now, why are you lying?” Livia rolled her eyes, tugging at the boy's ear. “His ears look just as normal to me!” 

“Wha- It's true! It was red!”

“Was not!” 

“Was!” 

Oh great, they're bickering again. 

“Okay, divination starts now!” Cyrene clicks her fingers, bouncing over to the table next to the swing and catching their attention. 

“Ah!” They both shouted in unison, eagerly scampering over to her while Phainon followed behind quietly. 

“Please do mine first, Cyrene!” 

“No! Me first!” 

“Hey, you got the first reading last time!” 

“That was weeks ago!” 

Cyrene wiggles her finger, tutting while shaking her head. “Ah, ah! Bickering children cannot get the first place… How about we let Phainon go first this time?” 

… What?

“Ehh!?” Piso stomps his feet. “But Phainon always goes last!” 

“That's exactly why he should go first today!” Cyrene retorted, flipping open the book on the table. “He's been alone for weeks now so as a reward he can go first!”

Livia slumped her shoulders, dejected but agreeing anyway. “Cyrene's right, Piso. Besides, she did say that we won't get any reading if we bicker…” 

Piso seems like he wants to argue more but ultimately, he settles with a grunt while dropping onto one of the klines. Cyrene turns to him, tilting her head. “So? What about it, Phainon?” 

“Uh…” He scratches his cheek, feeling a bit lost. “Sure…? What are you… going to do anyways?” 

Cyrene winks, flipping a page from the book without looking. “That depends on you~ Any request?” 

Phainon paused. 

Actually, now that he thinks about it,

maybe he can ask her to do that… Divination thing for Castorice? Get some hints on her whereabouts? 

Mem urge you to give it a try~ 

Cyrene may be a training priest but her reading are pretty accurate.

Phainon internally snorts. How could the system even know that? 

Still, it's worth a shot. 

“Well,” He shrugs. “Since you're offering, I do have something I want your divination on.” 

“Oh?” 

Ah, wait. How is he going to explain this? As far as he knows, Phainon never left Aedes Elysiae before his village was destroyed. How would he know someone his friends don't?

It's okay, Phainon! Just tell her that you've heard of her from Uncle Dimitrios. He left the village once in a while for trading goods in the Holy City and ‘he’ always pestered him for stories. 

Well, he's not the original Phainon but he reckons that would work. 

“... Uncle Dimitrios told me about someone interesting before.” He begins, rubbing the back of his neck. “Apparently she has some kind of… magic powers that can… kill anything she touches.”

Cyrene's eyes shine. “A girl?”

Livia gasps. “Do you have a crush?”

Well, it's more like admiration than anything if he says so himself. She is an extremely kind woman and anyone would be lucky to have her as a partner but Phainon already has his husband to love anyway. 

He didn't answer her though. She can assume whatever she wants. 

“Well, well…” Cyrene put her hands behind her back, smirking. “If she can catch the heart of our dearest Phainon, then she must have been someone very unique! Tell me, do you know her name?” 

He pretended to think for a moment. “It was… Castorice, I think.” 

Cyrene nods, turning back to her book with her eyes closed “Oh? Beautiful name, one that can be associated with the Papilio Castor butterfly… A creature that can be symbolized as rebirth and transformation…” She clasped her hands together, mumbling something under her breath, the deck of cards on the table shone dimly before.

After a while, she opens her eyes, her hand moving to take one of the cards from the deck. “Hm…”

Her eyebrows furrowed, the previous smile all gone from her feature. Phainon couldn't help swallowing a nervous lump in his throat. 

“What’s wrong? Is it bad?”

Cyrene looks at him, shaking her head while her lips curl back up into a small smile. “No, nothing of that sort but…” 

She hands over the card to him. “It's a… curious one, to say the least.” 

Phainon looks at the card, intrigued. The card… Is a picture of Castorice, a faceless picture of her with her hands cupped and a few purple butterflies flying off ahead. 

“This,” She starts, as he flips it over. “is the ‘Servant’ card. As the name suggests, she is the Servant of Death. She embodies it even, walking in this world while bringing others peace using her embrace.* 

“That… Sounds scary.” Livia shifted in place, staring at the card in Phainon's hand anxiously. “She hurts people?” 

Cyrene shook her head, eyes soft. “Not without a reason. Death doesn't have to be cruel, don't you think?” 

“But dying is scary.” Piso pipes in, frowning. “Especially when it's by someone else's hand…” 

“... I wouldn't be scared of death if it's by her, I think.” He shrugs, earning the other three's attention. Cyrene's teasing grin makes another appearance as she bounces around him. 

“Why? Is it because she's pretty?” 

Phainon's lips quirk up. “Because she looks very gentle. Look at these butterflies landing in her palm.” He shot a look at Piso, a shit eating grin slowly forming on his face. “I bet Piso wouldn't be able to even get a bee on him.”

"Wha-! Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!” 

Livia laughs at his comment while Piso fumes, pouting his lips and scolding the girl for laughing too much. Phainon turns back to Cyrene who only tilts her head when she sees the hesitation on his face. 

“Any questions?”

“... Can you… predict where she might be?”

She blinks. “Like, her location?” 

He nods. 

Cyrene taps her chin, frowning. “... Technically I can but… I'm not expert enough to get a precise location and it's not guaranteed to work…”  

Phainon couldn't help the feeling of disappointment creeping up, slumping his shoulders. Cyrene seems to sense it and immediately begins reassuring him, apologetic. “I can still try! There's just no guarantee I can tell you.” 

Phainon ended up shaking his head, apologetic as well. “It's fine, Cyrene. I can't force you to do it.” He turns to Piso and Livia who are still a little dejected due to their previous conversation. “How about you give them a reading now? They've been waiting patiently after all.” 

They perk up, the gloomy air dissipating like fog. Cyrene shot him another look that made Phainon feel absolutely awful but he only gave her a smile, nudging his head at the two. 

She gives in, her smile making another appearance albeit slightly forced. “Oh, alright~ Good children get readings!” 

“Yay!” 

Phainon decides to take a seat at one of the klines while they flocked over to her. 

Is it really okay, Phainon?

Phainon shrugs. “It's not her fault. She's not a full fledged priest yet and we still do have time.” 

Hm… If you say so. 

Do you want to… do anything while waiting for them?

He hums. It's rather peaceful, with the sound of Livia and Cyrene giggling at Piso while he whines about the card he had gotten and the creaking of the swing swaying softly in the breeze. Distantly, if he strained his ears hard enough, he can hear Master Nikolaos boisterous laughter and Uncle Haris’s chuckle, as well as the sound of the villagers lingering about and doing their task. 

“No.” He answers, slumping on the table while closing his eyes. “I’ll just stay here for a while.”

-

When Phainon was young, back before his grandparents died and when his parents still somewhat cared about making their little family work, he once got lost in the woods behind his grandparents’ house. 

He remembered some details about that day—the sun was shining blindingly, the weather was hot and even the village children didn't have the energy to play outside as they usually do. 

Phainon, however, was bored out of his mind. His parents were laughing and chatting with his grandmother while his grandfather was busy collecting some harvest in their farm somewhere in said woods. 

Eventually, he sneaks away from the adults in search of the old man. He knows where the farm was supposed to be, though he doesn't know the exact path because his grandfather never lets him visit. 

Well, little Phainon just wanted some ice cream, so off he went into the scary, mostly unexplored forest. 

Unfortunately, he was a city boy. Phainon doesn't know how to navigate forest the way most children at the village do, let alone his grandfather. By the time he realizes he was lost, he was already deep into the middle of it. 

So, what else can he do? 

He cried. 

His sobs don't stop even after hours have passed. At some point, the sky starts to darken, signalling that the day is ending. 

That was when he heard a noise. Not an animal nor humans but…

“Mem?” 

Phainon blinks, his sobbing subsiding into little hiccups as he turns around slowly to find a… creature. It's not standing, it's flying, its tail swaying behind it left and right while it examines Phainon with a tilted head and red eyes. 

Terrified of something unusual, Phainon starts crying again, albeit even harder, causing the creature to let out a squeak and taking a step… well, flying a… step… backward, he guesses.  

“By the Titans! I-I am not going to hurt you!” It hurriedly explains, flying closer to him and giving him a concerned look. He flinched backwards but reeled back his sobbing, wiping at his eyes. “Are you lost?” 

He sniffs. “... Yes.” 

The fairy smiles at him, patting his head with its fluffy little hand. “I see, I see! Why don't you come back with me then, Memi? It's too dark and dangerous to find your way back safely right now!” 

Phainon looks at it, this time in curiosity. 

The creature flies away, making Phainon scramble to catch up. It stops by a tree to pick up a basket filled with berries and mushrooms as well as a few rabbits hide before it continues flying away and beckoning him with its head. 

Phainon remembers coming across an entrance to a cave then, shrouded by leaves and bushes. 

“In here, Memi!” It said before flying inside at the speed of light. Phainon follows suit because he doesn't want to be outside all alone. They trekked through a long tunnel made of tree roots and logs before spotting an opening. 

This part of his memory is particularly blurry but Phainon remembers coming across a wide clearing filled with similar creatures and introducing himself to them. 

He also remembers cooking dinner with them before they gather around to dance and sing. Phainon sang a particular lullaby he liked while the creatures surrounded him with fascination…

The next morning, he woke up to the face of his father. His mother and grandparents are there too, standing over him with worry in their eyes. 

“Where were you?!” The man asked, voice filled with panic. “Everyone has been looking since yesterday!” 

Phainon flinches at the harsh tone, looking down without answering. His grandfather walks over, slapping his son-in-law’s back playfully to ease the tension. “Don't be too hard on the boy. He's here now, isn't he?” 

“Father's right, Heronymus.” His mother placates, scanning Phainon up and down and ruffling his hair softly when she doesn't see any injury.

After a few more back and forth of questioning, they finally headed home. His grandfather volunteers to carry Phainon on his back and Phainon eagerly accepts. 

“Did you meet the fairies?” His grandfather asks, walking slightly slower than the three adults. 

Phainon beams, the first smile he let out since they found him. “I did! Do you know them, grandfather?” 

“Of course I do!” His grandfather boasted, chuckling. “I taught them how to cook back when I was your age. I haven't been back to the cave in ages though.” 

“Why?” 

The old man stops talking, seemingly contemplating something before shrugging his shoulders. “... You lose a lot of things when you grow, young man.” He turns to Phainon, a bittersweet smile on his lips while Phainon looks at him in confusion. 

“For what it's worth, I really hope you won't be the same as me though. Don't lose it, son.” 

…

“Phainon?” 

Phainon's eyes snapped open and he immediately sat up straight before catching the sight of Cyrene's wide eyes. She looks a little shocked due to his reaction of being woken up, her hand still hovering over his shoulder. 

He didn't even realize he dozed off. He was pretty sure he was just… flashbacking or something. 

“You okay?” Cyrene asked, frowning. “Bad dream?” 

“I'm… Alright.” He wipes his eyes, a little drowsy. “It’s not bad, just weird. Don't worry about it.” 

Cyrene pouts, a flash of annoyance passing in her eyes. “Really?”

“Really.” He insisted, saluting. “It's just an old dream. Nothing to be concerned over.” 

She scrutinized him a little longer, hoping that he would give in. Phainon only stares back with a raised eyebrow, silently challenging her.

She gives in after a few minutes, huffing.

“Fine, fine. I'll let it be for today.” She stood up from her kline, stretching. “Oh, I sat there for so long my body is all sore!” 

Phainon sighs, nodding while standing up as well. His body aches so bad, especially his upper back because of his sleeping position. If his Aglaea and Mydei knows he's been sleeping like that again, they would team up to create the longest lecture ever about the importance of proper sleep position. 

He looks around, noticing the absence of two usually noisy children. “Where's… Piso and Livia?” 

“Oh, them?” She shrugs. “They went home already. It's tea time for them right now.” 

“It's that late already?” He said, craning his head up to look at the light in the sky that certainly looks rather dim. “We barely have an hour before dinner. Why didn't you wake me earlier?” 

She giggles, waving him off. “It's fine~ I wanted to ask you to visit the fairy with me today, anyway. It's been a while.” 

Fairies? 

Okay, now this is confusing. The real Phainon never mentioned anything about having a fairy as a friend or anything. 

He really wasn't lying when he said he's a horrible storyteller. How is he skipping the part of having literal fairies as friends? Sure, he fights gods and fantasy monsters the whole game but having a fairy friend is something worth bragging too. 

Cyrene, however, took his silence as a refusal and whined. “Come on~ We haven't seen them for so long! It's been weeks. They must have missed us, especially you since you always cook them delicious meals!” 

Phainon sighs, accepting his fate. He has fairies friends now. Nothing new.

He hopes he’ll have a chance to converse with the real Phainon of Aedes Elysiae one day. He has a lot to say to him. 

“Sure, let's go.” He agrees. She visibly brightened, grabbing him by the wrist while pointing onwards. 

“To the Memberance Maze we go!” 

They walk a bit far away from the main part of the village, stopping right in front of a path covered by trees and bushes. They both are still pretty short and small so they squeeze in easily into a manmade path that's barely covered by grass despite its obvious lack of use. 

Cyrene skips over towards… 

Phainon paused, shocked. 

It's… A cave. He saw it before, literally just dreamt of it even if it's blurry now. Covered with roots and vines yet big enough to allow anyone to come in. 

Cyrene turns to him, tilting her head. “Is something wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost.” 

Phainon blinks. 

Once and twice. 

The cave is still there. 

He took a deep breath, curling his lips into a smile even though he felt like screaming inside. 

System, he means this in the nicest way possible, 

What the fuck?

System don't know what you 

mean.

Cyrene taps her feet, pouting. “Well? Are you just going to stand there all day? It'll get dark soon.” 

Alright. Alright. He's alright. He can take this in a stride, no problem. Just one more oddity to ignore. It's not as bad as getting transmigrated into a whole new world. 

“... Ladies first?” He tries, gesturing to the entrance. Cyrene huffs, shaking her head while stomping over to him. 

“Nope! No lady first!” 

“Hey, wait, wait-!” 

Cyrene easily pushes him inside and Phainon couldn't help letting out a loud groan. He really, really hopes whatever he's about to see is NOT what he expects. 

-

“... Oh! It's Snowy and Reney!” 

Phainon couldn't help the sighs escaping his mouth. 

The being floating in front of him is identical to the one in his dream, the one that he met back when he was a teeny tiny kid. It brought back a memory that he rather not remember now that he can't ever turn back but there isn't much he can do about it, is there? 

“Woah, Snowy, you've grown taller!” The… fairy commented, eyes sparkling while kicking its little legs. It then turns to Cyrene, head craning even more downward due to her height. 

It didn't go unnoticed by the girl, who crossed her arms with a frown. “Hey! I'm not that short.”

“Hmm…” The fairy taps its chin, playful. “I still think Snowy is taller!” 

“How rude, Relimem!” 

Ah, thank God She name drops the fairy. 

One out of many, Phainon. 

He ignores the system. 

“It has been a while, huh?” He smiles at Relimem, the words feeling a bit too sincere despite the fact that he's not even the real Phainon. “You also look like you've grown a little…” 

Cyrene gasps exaggeratedly. “Are you calling Relimem old?!” 

He snorts. “You said it, not me.” 

“Phainonnnn.” 

“My, I was wondering why it's noisier than usual.” Another voice interrupts them, surprising both the children and the fairy. 

“Oh! It's you, Chief!” Cyrene brightens. 

… Chief? 

That's the Memberance Village Chief, Dolimem! As the name suggested, they're pretty much the leader of this little community here.

Interesting. So they're like the Aglaea of the place. 

Pft, I supposed you can call them that. 

Huh. Phainon didn't know a system could laugh. 

Anything is possible for an incredible 

system like me~!” 

“My, you've grown up. It's only been a few weeks and you're already taller than Cyrene.” The Chief complimented, giving him a pat on the head with their… paw. It feels like being patted by an extremely fluffy cotton candy. 

“Not you too, Chief.” Cyrene whines. “Why are all of you so mean to me?” 

“Aw, don't be like that, Reney.” Another fairy pops up, giggling while carrying a basket filled with herbs and fruits. “I think you're cuter than Phainon still!” 

The girl immediately beams and gives him a smug look, one that Phainon responds with a playful roll of his eyes. The fairies seem amused by their antics, only letting out a little laugh. 

“Are all of you about to have dinner?” He asks, looking at the basket. 

“Mhm!” The fairy answers, proudly showing it off to him. “We all grew them the way you taught us! A kiss from the sun and a hug from the rain!” 

“They're so delicious, Memi!” 

“The kids absolutely love the taste.” 

…

Kiss from the sun? Hug from the rain? 

Goodness, was the original Phainon a princess or something? Who teaches like that? His grandfather used to tell him straight up that fertilizers were made from animal waste and loudly complain about too much rain. While he was five years old too, might he add. 

Well, at least he thinks he was. He wasn't sure. Still, who taught anyone how to farm like that? 

“Glad to be of help.” He answers instead of what he actually thought. “How about we help you cook today? We still have time before we need to get home.” 

“Really?!” Relimem shrieks, clearly excited at the prospect of tasting his food. The original Phainon must have been an exceptional chef if they're reacting like that over an offer. “Ohh, we would be so happy to taste your cooking again! Every other Mems cooking cannot compare!” 

Huh. Would you look at that? They share the same name as you, system. 

What are you implying, hm~? 

Phainon once again ignores the system. 

“Oh my,” Cyrene giggles, her eyes filled with mirth. “Are you saying even the Village's Chief cooking is not comparable?”

“What about mine!?” The other fairy huffs, puffing their cheeks. It's adorable, actually, like seeing a rabbit chewing on a carrot. 

“Eh… But your food always tastes a little bland…” 

Phainon sucks in a sharp breath when the other fairy's jaw slacked in disbelief at their companion’s comment, to the point that even their grip on the basket seems to loosen. 

“W-well! I'm not cooking any more!” They sulk, eyes shiny with what Phainon is pretty sure are unshed tears. 

“Hey, hey.” Phainon decides to play the peacemaker even if he himself is holding back a laugh, grabbing the basket from the other's fairy hand. It doesn't actually have that many ingredients on it, at least not enough to feed an entire village of fairies even if they're small. “No fighting, hm? I need all the help I can get so if you guys are not getting along…” 

He sighs, dramatically. “Then how can I rely on all of you to make delicious meals?” 

All the fairies, even those who just happened to be passing by, gasped before hurriedly swarming both him and Cyrene. 

“No, Memi! You must cook for us! 

“It's been so long since we had your cooking!” 

“Snowy’s food is the best! Please!”

“Rene, help us out!” 

“Our harvest just came in, Memi! You can't just take it back!” 

He couldn't help himself anymore. 

Phainon laughs, the sound unrestrained and loud, to the point that even Cyrene was surprised by his reaction. The fairies seem confused, looking at each other as if wondering what's so funny. 

It's been a while since he was able to laugh like this. 

“Well, Cyrene,” He grins, tilting his head at her. “What do we do? Do we cook for them?” 

She blinks, mouth slightly open in her own confusion. Still she recovers soon enough, grinning back. “Well, since they insist… We can't let them down now, can we?” 

“Alright then.” He nods. “Chef Phainon and Cyrene, reporting for duty today!” 

The fairies cheer and Phainon relishes in their innocent little squeaks and quips. 

Well, no time to waste. He should get started. 

Hehe~♪

Hidden Quest Complete!

Title: Welcome to the world beyond! 

About mission: Meet the fairies of Memberance Maze

You have gain 600 exp and 400 coins  

Bonus stats gain: Cooking skill + 2 

-

Phainon is late. Really late, in fact. 

His footsteps echo throughout the empty village's road, panting slightly as he rushes home. The cooking session with the fairies took him longer than expected and by the time he and Cyrene left the place, it's already past dinner time.

The sky hasn't darkened, of course they didn't, but the lights are dim, dimmer than when he just entered the maze. Not to mention, with how pale Cyrene looks when she notices and the way she rushes off, he's sure that they both had stayed far too long in there. 

Even Uncle Haris's bakeries are already closed when he passes by the square and the man loves to work overtime. 

Damn, he's really late. 

“God, system, a little warning would be nice about how late it has gotten!”

Eh~ but you look so happy, Phainon!

System doesn't dare to disturb you!

He breathes out harshly. The village is not that big but now it sure feels like a whole city all of a sudden. 

Just as Phainon was about to turn a corner to get to his house, however, he abruptly stopped, his shoulders moving slightly up and down as he heaves for air.

Phainon?

“Hush,” He placed a finger on his lips, his eyes fixed on a cart sitting next to a large tree while facing the wheat field. “... System, there's someone there.” 

The system paused. 

… Oh, you're right, Phainon. 

Who could it be?

“... Shouldn't you know that?” 

Nope. I'm not the creator of the

system, Phainon! There's some 

things even I don't know.

“... Right.” He wipes his forehead, grumbling. “Whatever, I'll go check it out.” 

Ah, be careful. 

He only hums as an answer while slowly approaching the cart. He peeks over it carefully so as to not make any noise just in case he scares away whoever it is. 

Then, his eyes widened. 

Light purple, slightly shorter but still recognizable hair, eyes filled with tears that highlight the violet color, cradling a figure in her arms with similar features as her. 

It was… Castorice?