Kalle raised his brow, surprised of what he just heard.

  "You mean...?"

  Even before Kalle finished his question Richard interrupted.

  "Yes, I'm related with Anthon and Eli, in fact I'm their father" Richard explained.

  Kalle remembered Anthon telling him that their father works at the academy, but he never did he mentioned that their father was the headmaster.

  "Don't worry, it's merely a coincidence that they travelled with you, during one of your travel days Anthon sent me a message using an owl that they would be traveling with someone" Richard paused

  "It was merely a coincidence that it was you"

  'Owl?' Victor asked.

  Owls are used for sending messages here, they are special type of owls that could travel at a extremely high speed, they're one of a few kinds of magical creature that were allowed.

  Of course Victor didn't know about that. Kalle decided that he would explain it to him later.

  "Why are you really willing to take me in for free" Kalle asked.

  "The answer for that question is simple, me and your father are close friends." Richard explained.

  This made Kalle clench his fists, of course he didn't show it.

  "You could even say that I'm indebt with him" Richard said looking down as if remembering something.

  Somewhat the sincerity in the voice of Richard made Kalle's anger slowly fades, slowly he unclenched his fist .

  "How did you know my father?

  Richard smiled a bitter smile.

  "We were partners, if you could call it that way"

  Richard paused.

  "The thing is, we used do expedition outside the Agapea together"

  Kalle knosw about it, It was one of the expedition where his father and mother died.

  "I see, where would I be staying?" Kalle asked trying to change the topic.

  Richard noticed the change in Kalle's tone.

  "You know I'm really sorry for what happened for your father no one wanted what happened" Richard said sympathetically, his eyes staring at Kalle.

  Kalle doubted it.

  "You know, I have heard rumours..." Before Richard even finished what he was staring Kalle immediately interrupted.

  "Yes, rumours. His death cause a lot of rumours, now can I ask where I would be staying" Kalle said.

  Richard raised his brow, he felt that Kalle no longer want to talk about his father.

  "I was hoping that you could stay with us, at our house" Richard said.

  Kalle's eyes widened.

  "What? I thought there are dorms available for students here."

  "Yes there are dorms for students, but I would prefer if you could live with us" Richard explained.

  "I appreciate the offer but I would prefer to stay in one of the dorms" Kalle said plainly.

  Richard looked at his table as if thinking of something, suddenly he looked at Kalle smiling as if he just got an idea.

  A smile that reminded him of Anthon.

  “What about a bet?” Richard asked.

  “A bet? What kind” Kalle asked curiously.

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  “Eli and Anthon told me you could play” Richard gestured at the board.

  “If you win against me I'll let you stay in the dorms, of course I would still deal with your expenses but if you lose you would have to stay at our house? How about that?”

  Kalle knew it was impossible, he knew that Richard was far better than both Anthon and Eli, there is no way he could win.

  Unless…

  ‘Need my help?’ Victor spoke in his head.

  They once talk about the game, Victor told him that there was a exact version of the game from his era which was called chess and Victor was extremely good at it, atleast thast what he says.

  ‘Tap the table twice if you want me to help’

  Victor said.

  Kalle thought for a moment, he didn’t want to cheat neither did he want to live with one of his father’s friend. He decided that the later is worse.

  He slowly tapped the table two times.

  Richard tilted his head at the gesture but decided to shrug it off.

  “So what is your decision?”

  “let’s play” as Kalle said this he stood in front of the table so he could play with Richard.

  Richard raised his brow

  “No that would be tiring” as Richard said this he gestured his hand in a way that seemingly manipulated the chair in order to adjust it self where Kalle could sit in front of the table.

  Kalle took the seat, The two shaked hands before starting the game.

  It was Kalle’s who would make the first move.

  ‘the piece in front of the king, two squares forward’ Victor instructed.

  With that the game begins. And to Kalle’s surprise Victor wasn’t lying he was really good at the game.

  Some of the moves Victor told him to do made Richard widen his eyes. Personally Kalle could not understand most of the moves that Victor makes, but as the game unfolds he could see the reason behind some of the moves.

  Richard looked confused, he even scratched his head once or twice, apparently surprised by the skill Kalle was showing. When he talked to Eli and Anthon the two of them told him he could easily beat Kalle but that don’t seemed to be the case.

  As the game progress Kalle slowly gains advantage. Richard felt that all of Kalle’s moves were carefully calculated.

  Eventually the position completely turn in favor to Kalle, which made Richard resign.

  “Were you holding back? When you played against Eli and Anthon? You’re the first person to beat me in a while” Richard admitted, remembering that the only other person who could beat him was Kalle’s Father. Yet he find it strange because the way Kalle play and his father is completely different. His father takes more risk on the other hand Kalle seemed to calculate every detail and only makes a moved when he is sure.

  Kalle shrugged of the question.

  “So Ill be staying in the dorms?”

  Richard sighed.

  “Yes, As much as I wanted you to stay with us I must keep my word.”

  The two talked for a few more moments, discussing the schedule of lessons and how the academy works, Richard find easier to talk with Kalle with this things than it is talking about his father.

  When they are finally done, Kalle shook hands with Richard.

  "Thank you for your hospitality" Kalle said.

  "No problem, Leo you should guide Kalle to our dorms, oh and I forgot to mention you would have to share a room with a fellow student" Richard explained.

  Kalle looked back, he decided it would be better than to live with them.

  Leo moved first, opening the door allowing Kalle to get him and Kalle to got out of the room.

  As Leo moved through the halls, Kalle followed him quietly, observing his surroundings.

  They walk a short while before arriving at a series of doors that appears to the the rooms for students.

  Leo quietly pointed at a door which has the number 5149 indicated in it.

  "This would be your room, I believe your roommate has already settled in, also here are your keys" Leo said handing the keys to Kalle.

  "I see, thank you for your help" Kalle said.

  "No it's fine, I shall take my leave then" As Leo said this Kalle nodded at him watching him as his figures slowly disappears in the hallway.

  Kalle looked at the door before deciding to knock.

  No answer.

  He tried to know again, yet the results were the same.

  Kalle thought that his roommate probably left somewhere.

  He looked at the door room again before deciding to open it. To his surprise it wasn't locked.

  When he opened the door he widened his eyes in surprise the room was huge, and we'll decorated. However that wasn't what caught Kalle's attention, the room was filled with junk.

  What he saw was various metal scraps scattered on the floor, there were items the he could not recognize. Some strangled wires and broken objects seemed to be scattered everywhere.

  Kalle tried to carefully moved so he wouldn't step on any of the mess. He looked behind the double bed he saw a man with a slim figure, was slightly tall, the man has greyish coloured hair, He was sitting in a chair facing a table and is seemed to be busy with something.

  Kalle tried to approach the man.

  "Excuse me?" Kalle spoke, not trying to disturb the man.

  Suddenly the man stood up and look behind him to look where the voice came from his black eyes widened with surprise.

  Kalle looked at the man, he seemed to be far younger than himself. When he looked at the table he saw what he was working at.

  It was some sort of round object that seemed to have three hands, one constantly moving.

  When the man finally gained back his composure he bowed down and apologized.

  "I'm really sorry are you my roommate? I didn't expect you to came already, I haven't even started cleaning" the man said sounding genuinely sorry, his eyes trying to avoid Kalle's glance.

  "No it's fine I can help you." Kalle said sympathetically.

  "Really? Wouldn't that be too much? Wait I forgot to introduce my self I'm Nikoli Gearworks" the man declared.

  "I'm Kalle thyllos, should we start cleaning?" Kalle asked gesturing towards the piles of trash scattered on the floor.

  "Yes, yes" Nikoli said sounding a little tensed his hands slightly shaking.

  The two went on and started to clean the messy room. Nikoli picked up the items scattered in the floor while Kalle cleaned the other side of the room near where the table is located.

  While cleaning Kalle noticed the item that Nikoli was fidgeting earlier. It was embossed with gold and look extremely valuable.

  'A pocket watch?' Victor said, probably implying about the item, however Kalle has no knowledge about the item in the desk.

  Kalle didn’t knew what a pocket watch was.

  He holds the item feeling its round shape and observing its unfamiliar appearance, He could see one of the Hands moving shortly every now and then producing a ticking sound repeatedly.

  ‘It is an item used to tell a specific time in our era’ Victor explained.

  Kalle’s mouth gapped slightly, he assumed it is one of the items that do not rely on any magic.

  He looked at Nikoli, who was still cleaning the mess on the floor.

  ‘It looks like in a world of magic…’

  Victor paused, thinking the right word

  ‘You have found an inventor’

  Somewhere the town of cappella a woman with curly hair was walking briskly in the empty streets moving through pavement while the afternoon light touches her faces.

  The walk took her less than twenty minutes before arriving at her destination.

  The woman observed her surroundings, it was a village, or atleast the remains of it.

  She saw houses that had been burned down, some of houses completely that collapsed, wood scattered on the floor, she even saw some blood that have been dried with the walls of some of the houses.

  She clenched her fist at the sight.

  There were no noises that could be heard, only occasional rustling of the leaves from the tress when the wind blew.

  The woman decided to look around maybe in the hopes of finding a house that wasn’t damaged completely, she failed.

  She tried looking for anyone, possibly residents of the village yet the whole place seemed to be completely abandoned, forsaken even.

  While looking, she found a familiar statue, one that is made completely out of stone and is intricately detailed.

  The statue was of a woman who is holding a book while slouched to the ground, she is hugging the book very tight, her head slightly looking down, her eyes can’t be seen due to her hair but tear drops could be seen trickling down her face.

  There were marks of blood on the statue.

  The woman with curly hair gritted her teeth, Her black eyes almost was glowing, it seemed to contain both anger and grief, seeing what happened to the village.

  To her own village.

  She decided that it’s time to search for Kalle Thyllos.

  It took the woman another thirty minutes of walk to return in the town of cappella, once there, she asked travellers, locals or anyone on the streets if they knew a man by the named of Gabriel.

  Her search didn't take too long as it turns out that Gabriel owns a tavern that is frequently visited by Travellers.

  The woman opened the door to the tavern and took a seat in one of the chairs near the counter.

  Lyra approached the woman and asked her what would she like.

  "Is Gabriel here? I have to talk to him" the woman sitting said.

  Lyra tilted her head, confused she called Gabriel.

  Gabriel moved closer to where the woman was sitting, he looked at her straight in the eyes before speaking.

  "What do you need"

  The woman slowly opened her mouth,

  "I have a question"

  After a slight pause she spoke again.

  "It's about Kalle"