Chapter 220 - Meeting Roy Gavern

"Who is this young man? Your grandson?"

"You're the one with a great vision why can't you tell who he is?"

Roy glared at Wolstan and reminded him, "I'm not some great sage or miracle man who can predict the future. I just saw a prophecy once and that was it. I did not see another prophecy after that."

"He could be a part of that prophecy. This is Jorick with no last name. He lost his memory, and I was wondering if you can help him. You are just a little below a great sage." Wolstan smiled at his friend mockingly.

"I'll see what I can do," Roy turned to Jorick and looked at him from head to foot and continued, "Please, make yourselves at home," he invited his guests into his home.

Roy looked at Jorick from head to foot once more and made him turn. He confirmed that Jorick had no illness that may have caused his memory loss. Jorick was physically fit and healthy.

He stopped his examination and ordered his servants to prepare some snacks and extra portions for the guests for dinner. Roy did not have a family. He decided not to marry anyone for fear that someone might use his family to threaten him and force him to betray his friend Wolstan. Besides, he couldn't bring himself to replace the only woman that he had ever loved. She already left the world at a young age, but her memories would always stay with him.

While waiting for the snacks to be served, Roy looked into Jorick's eyes. He noticed a reddish star in the innermost part of Jorick's eyes. That star was proof that Jorick could use magic. However, most people in Prazia who could use magic had a yellow or blue star. It was the first time that Roy had seen a red star. He frowned.

"What? Is there something wrong with him?" Wolstan asked immediately when he noticed Roy's frowning face.

"Something is definitely wrong with him, but I already found it. I just can't understand why the star in each of his eyes is red."

"Is there a problem with that?"

"I don't know. To be honest, it's the first time for me to see a red star. The star color of a magic practitioner is either yellow or blue.

'Why is it red?'

Roy injected some of his magic into Jorick's body to know more about its current condition. He found out that Jorick's growth and physical development had been suppressed. He looked like a clueless teenager, but in fact, he was already a full-grown man. Roy could not understand why the person who left a spell on Jorick's body to suppress his growth should do that to the young man. That person even made Jorick lose his memory.

After Roy finished his thorough check-up, he found out that Jorick's current body wouldn't be able to withstand the restorative magic that he would use to recover the young man's memory. He had no other choice but find a way to break the spell that suppressed Jorick's growth.

Roy cleared his throat and faced his old friend, "Wolstan, I need to break the restraining spell that someone put on his body. It may take a while so bear with me."

"How long does it take to undo the spell?"

Roy looked at his friend in disbelief and told him, "I don't know. This is the first time that I will undo a certain spell."

"What have you been doing all these years? I find it impossible that you did not meet anyone who needed help with undoing a spell."

"Well, I rarely got out, and I still don't go out much even today. I have everything in my estate, and my servants are reliable and honest enough to take care of things for me outside, like running my business."

Wolstan shook his head, "I really can't understand you. It is easy for you to live a comfortable life in the city, why do you want to stay here in the countryside?"

"I like it here," Roy gave his friend a faint smile.

Wolstan chose not to say anything anymore and just changed the subject.

"In your estimate, how long will it take you to undo the spell?"

"Maybe…three days?"

The former king glared at his old friend. Even he felt something terrible could happen soon. There was something ominous in the winds of Prazia.

"Make it two days including the recovery of his memory."

"T-two days?! I know I am good, but I'm not some sort of a god! How the heck am I going to do that?"

The former King of Tissuria brought forth the air of authority that had once accompanied him during his reign. Jorick shuddered when he felt a sudden drop in temperature. He couldn't believe that the old man he had been calling grandpa was actually a former king.

'No wonder he did not even flinch while spending such large sums of money when we were in Venetia.'

Wolstan walked slowly to where Roy was standing, and he towered over his old friend.

He used his best authoritative voice when he said, "You only have two days to complete the task I asked of you."

Roy gulped and used a submissive tone when he answered, "Then…two days. I will finish everything in two days."

Wolstan patted Roy's shoulder and smiled, "Good. I need to rest now and leave the lad in your care."

Wolstan trod the path leading to the guest room as if he owned the house. He knew that the room where he used to stay whenever he came for a visit in the past was kept clean and orderly.

Roy shook his head as he looked at the departing back of his friend. He looked at Jorick once more and sighed.

"Well, my young friend it looks like we need to do this without resting. You heard His Majesty. I've known him for a long, long time. He never changed at all."

"Sir, I apologize for the trouble that I might have caused you. But, I really need to regain my lost memory. I'm afraid that…" Jorick looked at the other way to avoid meeting Roy's eyes.

"You don't need to say anything. I can feel it too. I think the prophecy is starting to take shape."

Jorick looked at Roy, who was already looking directly at him.

"What prophecy?" Jorick felt that his heart was about to jump out of his ribcage.

"It's best if I don't tell you anything else. I don't think it's good that you know too much."

Roy turned his back on Jorick as he prepared the things that would help him increase his power to undo the spell.

"Does it include a golden flame that looked like strands?"

Roy turned abruptly and could not believe that Jorick knew it too.

"Did that Old King tell you that?" But, he could not remember telling Wolstan about it.

"I saw it. At first, I thought that it was a clue in regaining my memory. Later, I found out that what I saw was something that will take place in the future."

"Hmm… If you too can see the future, you must be someone from Herzegova."

"Someone recognized me before as a person who was hailed in Herzegova. But, I also heard that it was burned down and some of the citizens managed to flee to other kingdoms."

"I also heard that story. My mother's father, my grandfather, came from Herzegova. He met my grandmother here in Prazia and decided to settle down in this place. You can say that I have Herzegovan blood flowing through my veins. I saw that prophecy when I was still much younger than I am now. It was rather vague, but I could clearly see the golden flame that you mentioned. Maybe it's because I only have a small percentage of Herzegovan blood in my body."

Jorick nearly choked when he heard Roy's statement. He was already someone old, but he still regarded himself as someone young.

'Come to think of it, I have no idea how old they are. Grandpa can still move swiftly and does not look like someone who is already old.'

"But, I also heard that you need to experience something devastating to awaken the power to see the future."

Roy simply looked at Jorick and gave him a bitter smile. No one spoke anything about Herzegova after that. Roy tried his best to remain calm and composed as he went back to his preparations. A tear formed in the corner of his eye, and he tried his best to keep it from rolling down his cheek.

* * * * *

Zander and Odessa agreed on the day of the visit. He said that Renaria and Ovid had arrived in Tissuria and would like to meet her. They had decided that it would be best to meet them the following day.

"Y-You mean the people whom you have arranged to meet me are your mother and father?" Odessa panicked, and she suddenly stood up to walk back and forth.

Zander sighed and knew that she was nervous. He was glad that he told her the identity of the people that she would meet. At first, he planned to keep Odessa in the dark and surprise her. Looking at her reaction, he was glad that he had decided to let her know before the actual visit.

"Calm down. My mother and father are reasonable people."

"What if they don't like me? What should I do to make them like me?"

Zander felt warm inside when he heard that thing that Odessa was worried about. He stood up and hugged her from behind to stop her from walking.

"Zenzen already put a good word for you. She likes you very much and talked about you incessantly. Mother had wanted to meet you since then. Father too."

Odessa turned to face Zander, "Really? Zenzen already told them about me?"

"Yes! In fact, the bolts of Ishelon silk that I brought to you the other day were part of the gifts that Mother prepared for you. She instructed Zeze to keep the gifts in the Palace of the Crown Prince, and Zenzen would be the one to bring them to you later."

Odessa laughed and guessed why Zander's family must do that.

"Zenzen must've told your mother about me and wanted me to be her sister-in-law. They did not know that we've already met before. That's why she would sometimes call me sister. Zenzen is truly an amazing lady."

"Yes, I really owe her a lot."