It's almost been three days since he woke up in the year 6208. This time, he was certain that he returned back to the past and not just a revival of his treasured people.
"You're really training? I thought it was just a whim of yours," a sweet voice commented next to him. It was none other than Haina, his first love and also one of his comrades in the war.
Her long brown hair was tamed into a ponytail, and she possessed an innocent, bright green iris that was adorned with long eyelashes. She was smiling widely in front of him, but a hint of bewilderment was evident on her beautiful face. And the reason might be his sudden actions.
"Ron, for all these years that I've been serving you, this is the very first time that I've seen you hold a sword!" the girl commented without an ounce of fear. If it was another person, they'd take that as an insult, but to him, it was day-to-day interaction with this person.
He couldn't help but smile at that thought. Haina was not just her sister's knight but is also their friend. She was a child of his father's trusted knight, and she began training here since childhood.
That's why they're used to her unhesitant comments on various things. And maybe this was the very reason why he liked her.
"Damn, you're really training, Ron? I thought the maids were just exaggerating their stories again."
Another voice reverberated in the training grounds. This time, the owner of that voice was Haina's twin brother, Harison. If Haina was considered his sister's friend and guardian knight, then this guy was his close friend and also his guardian knight.
The owner of that voice, Harison, strode confidently across the training ground while his face was screaming with amazement. In return, Veyron just gave him a blank expression, making Harison laugh out loud.
"Don't tell me you're trying to impress her?" Harison asked and continued to laugh. He was even pressing his stomach but still managed to sneak a glance at his twin sister, who was right now confused as hell why her twin was laughing like a madman.
Harrison knows that he likes his sister, and he was supportive of that. The only problem is that his twin was as naive as a baby. To the point that she couldn't understand their simple gestures even once!
Absentmindedly, he lowered the wooden sword he was using before approaching his friend.
"Even if I am trying to, I am more certain that she'll just dismiss it after a praise."
Harison laughed even more after hearing his words, "I pity you, man. But I won't do anything. It's up to you."
Haina, on the sideline, was confused. "Who are you referring to? Why does it seem like I have no knowledge about it? Are you excluding me again?" she spoke before shifting her gaze to Veyron. "You like someone, Ron? Why didn't I know about it?" she sulked and even pouted.
The whole training ground fell silent. So helplessly, Veyron shifted his gaze to Harison, asking for help, but the latter ignored him and just laughed again. Deep inside, Veyron was cursing him to just die with excessive laughter.
"Uh..." He doesn't know what to say and where to begin. Although he likes her, that was in the past, before he returned back in time. Now, all he felt was a fleeting feeling, and he considered Haina as his sister.
However, he just played along with his friend's nonsense, because if he told the truth, he'd only get teased even more, and Haina might even find out the truth. And he didn't want Haina to expect something from him, especially since the future is at risk and the solution for it might be his memories.
"Ron? " she spoke, pulling him out of his reverie.
"Uh?"
"If you don't want to tell me, you can just say so; I won't be angry," she said softly. "Everyone has their own secret that can be shared with some people only. So if you don't want to tell me about it, it's okay; I understand. But if you made up your mind, you can tell me and I'll listen."
He stared at her for a few seconds before smiling. This is so Haina.
He walked towards her and messed her hair. "I'll tell you about it someday," he promised before returning back to his training.
♦♦♦
It's been five months since he returned back to the past. All those months, he was training his body and searching for people that could help him change the future.
"You've really changed, young master," a knight commented on him after their spar, which he won. His name was Soren.
"You just realized that now?" he chuckled before helping him stand up.
"I thought that you were just bored on your first week of training. But when it lasts for months, I guess you were really determined," he commented.
"Well, I'm determined," he smiled and envisioned the future that he wanted.
"And I thought that you were just trying to impress her, my lord!" Soren teased, pertaining to Haina.
He chuckled. Everyone in the mansion knows about the past Veyron's unrequited feelings for Haina, and at the same time, they were amazed at how Haina remained clueless about it.
"Nah, you know that she'll just end up praising me then asking for a spar," he stated, making Soren pause for a second before laughing out loud.
Then another knight joined them and began teasing him. Since he grew up hanging in the training ground while watching Haina train, he became familiar with the knights. That's why joking around was a normal thing for them. For him, they are a family.
"My lord, are you sure that you really aren't possessed by someone? " Donald joked before chuckling.
"Maybe you ate something weird? Did your enemy in your last fight feed you strange food, leading to this sudden change? " another one added.
Until now, the knights couldn't believe that the drunken young lord of them would turn into someone responsible. If they didn't know him very well, they'd think that this guy in front of them is a doppelganger. But they have known him since he was young. Except for giving up drinking and for focusing on trainings, nothing much changed on him. He was still the same young master that they could joke around with without getting offended.
"I just realized that a life with an uncertain future will crumble even in the slightest doom," Veyron said based on his experience. He remembered how he became stronger with sheer determination and blindly focused on revenge on those who destroyed the lives of his loved ones. He became strong because he wanted to avenge his family.
But since he returned back, he is not stupid enough to let his family encounter the same tragedy. That's why he was pushing himself to his limits with a determined thought.
The thought that never left his mind ever since he regressed.
The very same thought that he have before his regression, if ever he was given a chance.
And that is to prevent the loss of a family member.
Veyron wandered off his gaze. Now that his family is increasing, he needs to increase his strength even more.
♦♦♦
While Veyron was busy polishing his skills, he was unaware that a certain god was watching him from afar. A god that will do anything to prevent the change in the records. The god who was seriously planning her counterattacks while her twin was busy watching her.
She was sitting on a long sofa while reading the things that are written in the book. Although the book seems omniscient, it wasn't enough for her. After all, the information about the person that she needs to eradicate was missing. It is as if someone was concealing them intentionally.
But who would it be? Who is this mysterious god who was protecting this guy to the point that even the god of the past can't intervene?
Eloa sighed in annoyance. Things like this never happened in the past before, even in other dimensions, only now. So what and who causes this disruption and error in the Akashic Records?
Whoever it is, she doesn't care anymore. She's too lazy to think that. It would be easier to just snap her fingers and destroy the world.
"Why aren't you helping me resolve this problem, Avenir?" she inquired, but all she received was a shrug.
"The Future banned me from helping you. He said that he'd rather anger you than offend "you," he said with a hidden meaning.
Eloa's annoyance increased. She wasn't a patient person, and she wanted everything to be easier. In other words, she just wants to goof around all day instead of working so hard.
"Fine! If you're not going to help me, then I'll just go to their land and cause a rampage there!"