Hi everyone, after watching the anime and reading the light novels of Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut, I began to really like the series and ton of ideas formed in my head.

Story-wise, this takes place in an alternative universe. In that regard, I would like to get into the details at the end of the chapter.

For now, please enjoy~.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.

~Prologue~

[0]

A young girl looked up to the dark sky.

There were sparks.

There were explosions.

There were heart-wrenching roars.

The most powerful country in the world, the castle of the Arcadia Empire was burning to the ground.

She stood inside that place, in a room where the lifeless bodies of the royal were left to rot in the intense hot air.

She saw a black dragon dancing within the red flame that swallowed everything.

There were other dragons.

The battle of the Drag-Knights and a mighty beast. Thousands of men in their dark grey ancient weapons were sacrificing their lives.

She held tight onto a sword which was too big for a young, small body like hers.

Her mind was wondering as she stared at the jet-black Drag-Ride. A single dragon that torn down the army belonged to the kingdom in its rampage.

She remembered the words of a certain man.

"Remember that figure if you feel like it. It's the hero who took down the horrible empire."

When she turned to him, he had already disappeared.

"…"

The young girl went into a well where there was a hidden passage, she used a key inside her pocket.

One last time, she stared at the night sky lit by chaos. Her vision never drew away to the escape path until the battle was over.

The black Machine Dragon stopped its dance as it floated in mid-air.

The black armor with bloody red outline pulse ran across the body began to disintegrate.

Finally, it was gone.

At this very moment, it became a legend.

The girl's trembling, soft lip moved.

"…the Black Hero…"

She muttered that name.

"...father...I..."

Something else urged her to shed tears.

As if she was dead inside.

…..

[1]

Dark clouds emerged above the sky.

"Ah, I don't like this."

A certain man didn't like it, not at all.

If he was right, the time should be around afternoon. At a distance away, a lightning struck down. The warning about an upcoming storm was clearly there.

It was the signal from an unexpected wrath from mother nature, he could almost see a small spark of light in the middle of the wood.

….please let there be no fire.

The horses at the front grumbled loudly before stopping, the wheels of the wagon which he rode halted. It sounded like they wanted not to end up in that part of the area.

"It's going to be a heavy rain soon, isn't it? Might as well take a break."

Leading the horses to pull the vehicle inside an open space at the side of the road, the man laid down near a tree to rest.

He was a merchant, an ordinary man you can find anywhere in the world. Recently, he just started this business all because he wanted to be with a girl whom he fell in love. She was the daughter of a wealthy noble in the region.

The man tried his best to surpass her father's expectation in many trials. This time was no exception, either. With the daughter's help, he was provided a wagon and currently, he was doing a commission given by the father to deliver some goods and a letter to their relatives, who lived up north.

If this went on smoothly, the daughter can have the permission from her father to become the man's fiancé and get marry.

The splattering sounds began to fill his ear.

Heavy rain and thunderstorm.

The combination of bad weathers did not give him a pleasant atmosphere. The thick branches on these trees should be able to prevent both him and the horses from getting wet for a while.

While the horses were feeding themselves with the grass, the merchant took off the bowler hat and covered his face with it.

It might be a good time to close his eyes for a while until the rain is over.

…..

[2]

*BOOM*

An ear-piercing noise woke the merchant up.

Unlike thunders howling non-stop at the top of the clouds, that sound was awfully similar to an explosion.

The man stood up and scanned around the scenery. He saw a column of smoke rising up on the sky despite the pouring tears, it was next to a river stream not far from here.

"What the-!?"

What he saw strangled his whole body with shock. In the midst of the storm, three mechanical weapons flew against the strong wind.

They were heading toward his direction.

The man stood astounded until those Machine Dragons went past over the branches above his head. He wasn't sure if it was due to his imagination or his eyes were deceiving him, however, he could have sworn that one of the Machine Dragons was holding a frail, young child in its metallic grasp.

"What is going on!?"

Was that the mechanical weapon called Drag-Ride he saw inside the museum at Lordgalia?

Was this some sort of battle?

Was this place a battlefield he accidentally set foot in without knowing?

This valley was located within the territory of the New Kingdom. It has already been three years since the fallen of the Old Empire.

There couldn't possibly be another war right now, could it?

It was decided, he can't stay here and think too much about this. He needed to get out of here, he needed to accomplish the quest given by his possibly soon to be father-in-law.

The last thing he wanted to do is getting involved in an unnecessary bloodshed.

"You bet I am!" Jumping back onto the front seat, the merchant proudly declared to no one but himself and the horses. "Sorry for interrupting your breal but I'm going to finish this, return to my lover then propose to her!"

Screw the rain and screw the storm! Even if this weather continued for a whole day, he was not going to linger here anymore minute after seeing such a sight.

The whip in his hand swung in the air, with a snapping noise, the horses started to move their feet along the road again.

Shortly after, black clouds continued to thicken.

The man could no longer see no more than five meters in front of him. Unnaturally, everything suddenly went dark that it was hard to believe.

Wrong.

Something was very wrong about this.

This was on the contrary to his thought, being stubborn and going further would endanger not only him but also the wagon.

….no good, should I stop at the river stream up ahead and wait until this weather is over?

While he was wondering about the choices, a mysterious light appeared in the form of a strange circle with pattern.

It swallowed the darkness.

It expanded for a moment, covering the entire land.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it vanished.

…..

[3]

When the river came into view, the intensity of the weather did not change.

The merchant left his wagon behind and ran toward an open field next to the natural stream. The source of that mysterious light greatly concerned him.

Because he saw something that shouldn't be existed.

Clearly as day, during the downpour, he saw the seven colors of rainbow. It was a phenomenon that only appears when the rain is cleared out.

…heh, I'm glad I managed to complete my study properly.

He seemed proud with that basic knowledge.

The merchant searched around, no trace of that light was left in this dark and wet place.

Rather, he discovered something else.

The remnant of a cart and a large metallic object were found in that spacious grassfield.

The merchant didn't have the knowledge about the distorted scrap of metal, yet he was able to recognize it as a Machine Dragon. The structure and its body limbs were closely similar to the three Drag-Rides he saw previously.

Still, he was clueless, he would have no idea the Machine Dragon he was staring at is a broken Wyvern. Looking at a full picture, the cart was nearly burned down to a crisp and the entire parts of the Drag-Ride was a wreck.

No one was there in the control part.

That explosion before happened due to the recent battle, and the pilot who controlled the Wyvern must have already escaped.

The chain of event should have occurred like that, the man believed so.

Until he shifted his line of sight to the river.

An unmoving body was lying there, near the edge. Next to it was a broken white sword.

Fearing for the worst, he immediately went to check the person's condition.

"Hey, are you alright!?"

The rain hasn't showed any sign it would stop, everything was dark, he can hardly identify the appearance of the unfortunate person.

From what little details he can make out, it was a young boy with unnatural silver hair.

His small built body was covered in tattered clothes, damped by rainy tears and blood despite there was no sign of injuries inflicted on his body.

His pulse was weak, as if it would stop at any moment.

….such a thing, how did this happen!?

Not planning to idle around, he carried the boy back to the wagon and raced to the nearest town.

Something happened on that day.

And….

Something also changed on that very same day.

Arc 1: The Chore Prince

~Chapter 1~

Lux_Arcadia

Part 1

The gold wedding ring on his left hand glittered in the sunlight.

Two years has gone by since the day of the wedding, it should be around the time to begin harvesting wheat.

A wagon with many stacks of goods steadily moved along the barren road, which leading to a village ahead.

"Hah...I'm nervous."

The silent forest made him feel uneasy.

The merchant was worrying sick while he scanned around repeatedly, he could hardly shake off the feeling of someone was watching him behind those thick bushes.

There were rumors about a group of bandits armed with Drag-Rides ready to attack and steal anyone who set their foot on this territory. He was desperately afraid to discover possible sign that inform him of an ambush from those bandits.

Why did it have to be this place anyway?

"Then again, my wife pushed the job of transporting these goods onto me." The merchant sighed in defeat. "I would get an earful scolding if I didn't do as she said."

In this wagon, there was no one else but him, he was talking to himself. Maybe he felt too nervous for his own well-being that he found some way to distract his own thought.

"Either she is busy with business back in the mansion or she is really concerned about her husband's safety right now."

He hoped it was the latter.

"Ah, what the heck, honey I miss you so much!"

The horses let out a deep grunt, this man was starting to annoy them. The merchant has been riding the wagon for half a day on this road alone, he has yet to see anyone pass by, not even traveler.

"Which is okay even if I speak louder, right?"

What an interesting man.

"I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU MY WIFE!"

The merchant did a great work in distracting himself from the negative chain of thoughts about the bandits or the possible ambush coming from them.

Few seconds later, he instantly regretted doing that in broad daylight with his cheek burned hot in embarrassment. Somebody else was a distance away in front, they were moving on foot toward his direction.

That person was covering his mouth. No, he was coughing while turning his head to the side. He heard it loud and clear and was pretending that he didn't hear out of politeness.

The merchant pulled down the hat to cover half of his face, whistling to clear the atmosphere. The melody came out bad though.

When that person came near, the man took a brief glance at his appearance.

A young boy with silver hair and a small built body, quite a distinctive trait. He figured the boy could have been a traveler since he was carrying a bag of foods over his shoulder.

Aside from the scarf loosely wrapped around the neck, he wore a common clothe made of cotton consisted of a white shirt, a green hoodless short cloak outside, fingerless black glove and work pant. Appearance-wise, he didn't stand out that much in a crowd.

Around the waist, he carried two Sword Devices. One of it was carefully covered in bandage.

Wait a minute…

The merchant widened his eyes, could this person be one of the Drag-Ride users? Those who can use the ancient weapons discovered deep within the many layers of Ruins according to the rumors?

Judging by the look on his face, that boy didn't look like a bad person.

The wheels stopped rolling before the boy walked by.

"Umm, you there."

"Yes?" The boy also halted his movement, his cold greyish eyes stared at the man.

"Can you tell me how much longer I can reach the village from here? I have some goods to transport and I fear the bandits would jump at my wagon if I don't hurry before it goes dark."

"A little bit further mister, but if you're concerned about the bandits then you don't have to. They're no longer around."

The boy smiled, and he continued his way.

The merchant scratched his cheek as his gaze fell on the back of the young boy until he disappeared.

Oddly enough, that boy's appearance gave him a bit of an uncertain reminiscence. He might have seen him elsewhere in the past.

"Alright, I'll take your words for it then."

….

….

The wagon arrived at the village.

It didn't take long to reach the place as the sun was descending behind the mountains.

However, the merchant was surprised. The first thing he saw was a lively festival.

It was a grand party.

Every men, women and children were happily dancing, playing at the center of the village. For a small place, he had no idea such big celebration would take place. Has the Kingdom anniversary come earlier than he expected?

If it was, how did this often occur? He thought this place would have been filled with difficulty due to the bandit's ruthless activities.

"Excuse me, what happened?" The merchant asked one of the villagers while taking out the goods from the wagon.

"We're saved! The bandits are captured, we're no longer terrorized by them. We got back what was stolen so we decided to have a celebration to remember these moments! We had suffered for too long and this day finally came!"

The villager replied cheerfully and invited the man to join in with them, an offer which he gladly accepted.

….

….

"Say, do you know who did it, the one who captured them?"

"We don't know."

"What!?"

"Whoever did this must have been one of the brave Drag-Knight officers from the Capital."

"None sense, there aren't any officers who were sent here to help us. The chief obviously knows who did it, but ours hero seemed to have made a request not to reveal his identity to the public."

"Whatever the case, we owe to that person a great deal."

"Now that I think about it, aren't we missing someone? Where is that odd job boy? I saw him running around the village just yesterday."

"He's gone." One deep voice resonated among them, everyone turned to the chief of the village. "He finished his works here, he already left."

"It's a shame then, the kid is going to miss all the fun."

The merchant laughed at the remark.

Suddenly, the figure of a certain traveler he met a while ago crossed his mind.

The silver haired boy with two Sword Devices.

This village's savior, could it be….?

"Do you think that odd job boy is our savior? If I remember it right, he carries two swords."

"Nah, that can't be right. I mean he looks too weak to go against an army of bandits on his own."

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

Once again, the chief spoke up and quietly sipped his drink. The conversation hanged in the air, never came close to a proper conclusion.

Listening to the rigid tone in the chief's voice, the merchant has an idea.

…...maybe I actually met their hero then…

From the village, the celebration went on for some time with a joyful feeling. The story of a hero who saved a certain region from a group of bandits armed with Drag-Rides was born.

Many days later, the tale spread across the Kingdom.

Part 2

The silver haired boy wiped off a drop of sweat on his forehead.

He fixed the black choker on his neck.

During a hot day, the choker really made him feel ticklish under the heat.

In the cross-shaped fortress city made from the blocks of five towns, Cross Field. The shadow of the small build boy wandered around the district.

"Next stop is….the shop up ahead." He muttered while holding a small notebook.

He only got back to town yesterday from the Kingdom, now he must force himself to indulge in a ton of requests that he wasn't able to carry out.

"Oh, Lux-kun! You came back! My storage has been waiting for you to clean up!"

When he knocked on the door, the owner of the store greeted him with a cheerful smile. It almost like the expression of someone who felt happy because their mess was about to disappear.

The owner led him to the backyard of the shop.

As the door led to the storage opened, the silver haired boy's jaw dropped in amazement.

Everything inside was indeed a whole mess.

"Well, I'll leave it to you then." The owner patted him on the shoulder and went back inside.

He was left alone.

He checked the memo again, there were five more requests until the end of the day.

With that in mind, the boy rolled up his sleeves.

…this is not going to stop me!

A fierce battle broke out as he wrested around with dirt, garbage and spider webs.

…

…

To serve and to help the people of the Kingdom.

That was an obligation and absolute aim for someone who was put in a special position in this country.

Lux took out the memo from the bag equipped on his belt to check again. It was already past morning, he needed to help another shop keeper to clean the glass in the front desk.

He put down a bucket of water and dip the towel into it.

White clouds on the clear sky continued to flow endlessly until his work finished.

"Nicely done, kid! That is spot clean." The shop keeper was delighted. "Here is your payment."

"Thank you very much!"

Lux humbly bowed his head and received the money.

"I'll send the request when I need you again."

"Please do."

The silver haired boy with a choker continued his daily job. His next destination was on the other side of town. He won't have enough time to take a break.

The next person has requested him to be available when the sun reached the highest location on the sky.

So Lux ran.

It was a distance that normally people feel like it would be best to take a carriage.

…

…

"Let's see."

Lux muttered as he rested by the fountain at the center of the district. He already carried out three job requests and he finally let himself to get a decent break.

He carefully outlined the job description of the two last requests.

[Request number] 23

[Work place] Albert Liquor Store

[Client] Owner, Albert Wayne

[Work contents] Clean up the store

…..this should be alright, it's easy enough.

Lux took a bite from the bread he bought and flipped the page. It took him a few minutes to consider buying a good lunch or just a simple meat as usual, since the money he got from the requests were used to pay for a massive debt.

In the end, he decided to go with just bread.

For some reason, simple food like bread tasted better today. Probably because he broke a good sweat.

[Request number] 24

[Workplace] Gible Bar

[Client] Owner, Gible Bluespeare

[Work contents] Look out the bar while the owner is away.

….the bar owner, I hope he would stop teasing me with dirty jokes.

The owner was a good man. However, he has a poor reputation with the ladies. He became a drunken demon if you gave him just one cup of alcohol. It was always difficult to get him out of the drunk state.

"Oh my, if it isn't Lux-kun? You returned."

Lux looked up to see a girl from the liquor store he was about to go to for the next request.

"Good afternoon."

"Are you, by any chance, go to daddy's shop?"

"Yes, I'm about to go there to help him clean up."

"I heard from daddy. Lux-kun, you can stay there for the night as payment." She offered. "Daddy already gave you an okay."

"T-Thank you, I'm in your debt!"

"Don't be so modest, I have something to do now. Do your best!"

She waved goodbye at him and left. Lux spent a moment to look at the girl's figure until she disappeared in the crowd.

He closed the memo and went back to work.

In the further region of the sky, dark clouds approached.

…

…

"Hey, Lux-kun, do you see that girl over there? Is it me or those hills of her are boing-boing a little bit too much?"

"Gible-san, aren't you supposed to be away at this time?" Lux asked with a dry smile.

"I already did, and I went back just now. My supplier contacted me that they cancelled the shipment due to circumstance, so no goods are delivered."

Inside the bar, Lux stood behind the counter and poured drink at customer's request. The owner was next to him, adding the boy.

"How is your works today?"

"It was ordinary."

"Just like usual, huh. Would you kindly get the bottle at the top of the shelves?"

He climbed the small step ladder to grab the object. Suddenly, he has a bad feeling.

Strange stares, as if coming from a predator, directed at him. They seemed to come from around the bar.

He has an idea of who those stares belonged to. But first, he needed to make a confirmation.

"I've been meaning to ask you this."

"Yes, boy?"

"Why are you making me wear this today?"

He wore a black vest with red ribbon nicely fitted around the collar, despite a choker was in the way. His appearance definitely stood out more than the usual formal attire as he worked as a bartender.

In the eyes of the ladies, who enjoyed their drinks in the bar, he was like a stylish, royal man. Even though his small build body and the childish face may cause significant damage to the very definition of said image. Still, it was a special combination that served as a bonus.

"To give them a little bit fresh air."

"I feel weird gazes land on me though!?"

Not to mention the place where he worked was just a bar, not some fancy restaurant.

"Actually, one of the ladies has been asking me to make you wear this when you returned. She wants to see you wearing these clothes, so she paid me with an amount equal to your payment."

"You were bribed!?"

Lux was almost petrified at this point.

"Now, now, Lux-kun." The owner placed his arm around Lux's shoulder. "Think about it, this is a chance for you to step into the adult world. Just give in to the experience, sooner or later, you'll become a man in the next few years. You're handsome and I know you're very popular with girls, that means the possibility is endless. You gain the privilege that everyman could kill to wish for, which making me jealous so much."

The silver haired boy broke out from his grasp, he stared at the owner's face.

It was red.

And he was holding a cup reeked of alcohol smell.

"You're drunk already!?"

"Hohoho~, I know young boy like you is pretty much interested about the opposite sex at this age. Take a good look at the young woman, who is sitting in the corner over there, she's been staring at you this whole time."

Lux followed his line of sight.

A very beautiful young woman was in that spot, she was looking at him.

"Can't you feel the passion in her eyes?"

It was fierce, bloodshot boiling like a lion preyed on a defenseless deer.

"Can't you feel your heart skip a beat at that provocative lip?"

It curved up, making a bewitching smile.

"Can't you see that she wants you?"

She waved at him, and the boy flinched as he didn't know how to respond. The young woman then left her seat and headed toward the counter, bringing along her empty glass.

"I finished my drink." She spoke directly to Lux and turned to Gible the owner. "Master, thank you for letting me see something good."

An idea instantly formed in Lux's mind.

It was her! She was the one who requested him to dress like this!

The young woman placed the glass back on the counter, the red mark of her lipstick remained. She winked at Lux as he noticed it.

The boy felt hot around the cheek, this was a glimpse into the adult world Gible spoke of.

It might not be so bad after all?

"Will I be able to see you here next time?" The young woman asked him.

At the sudden question, Lux sheepishly scratched his burned cheek.

"Ah….err, it depends on Gible-san."

"I see. Well, I'll look forward to see your cute face again."

That was a compliment from an adult. Lux knew he couldn't take it for grant, but he couldn't stop the embarrassment from tormenting him.

The young woman then headed to the exit. At this time, the owner whispered into the boy's ear.

"A piece of advice to you, Lux-kun. You should know that she's into S&M."

"Eh?"

The young woman gave him one last look before officially taking her leave, the look in her eyes spoke "I will break you someday, my new toy."

"Gible-san! Gible-san! I'm scared! Can I get my payment early and call it a day!?"

"No that won't do, my boy. Change of plan, I need you to be here and help me until midnight. Also, bring this cocktail to that table." He pointed toward a group of merchants, one of them was a woman who has been expecting the handsome young boy. "Be careful. That person is a widow, rumor has it that she wants to remarry a younger husband regarding of their status. Right now, I think you're her target, Lux-kun. Try not to get tempt so easily by the teasing over there."

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"

How did he know so much about these individuals anyway!?

Temptation and danger were everywhere in the bar.

Lux decided to endure it until the job is finished.

Part 3

Lux dragged his feet into the room the owner of the liquor store has prepared for him. He was entirely exhausted.

"What a day."

All the quests for today were done.

A deep sigh let out from his mouth as he met the nice, cozy sensation of the blanket. It has been too long since the last time he got a proper bed to sleep on.

….warm…

Lux let himself drown in this little blissful moment. He hugged the pillow, bringing it closer to his slowly beating heart.

His eyes closed.

And the darkness behind the eyelid gradually pulled his consciousness away.

…

….

…..

…

…

…..You're weak….

Eyes shot opened, he immediately sat up. Cold sweats dripped down a frightening expression.

That nightmarish voice in his mind, it whispered those haunting words repeatedly every time he found himself relax too much with life.

"It's always like this." He said that to no one.

Something changed, fire of burning resolve sparked within his deep cold, grayish eyes.

Tonight, there won't be any sleep.

Lux looked over to the two Sword Devices leaning on the wall, he equipped them to the belt on his waist.

Outside the tiny window, moonlight cannot be seen. Like the signal of an omen, the calm before the storm, it was heavily raining outside.

The door quietly swung open and closed as he left.

Part 4

The next morning, every street were damped with heavenly tears.

People woke up and began the new day, they saw the lonely figure of Lux cleaning the blurry glass window in front of a certain liquor store.

He has always been the one to wake up the earliest in the morning with all the odd job requests.

"Good morning, Lux-kun." An older woman with good physique passed by. "Can you help out at my kitchen tomorrow? It's almost the time for the anniversary of the establishment of the New Kingdom of Atismata. You can also make a bit of dishes fitting for a party, right?"

"Ah, I'm sorry…I already have a prior engagement tomorrow." He quickly took out a pen and a notebook from the pocket on his waist. "But I do have some free time the day after, if it's okay please give me the info so I can come to you after I finished."

"Lux, can you also help out with taking care of my cows?"

"…..um…"

"Hi Lux, I'm running short on human resource here. Can you come over to my company and help me sort out the documents?"

"Oh, if this isn't the young lad. It's been a while. Will you be able to work at my place next time? I don't have enough manpower to plant some seeds during this season….."

"….I just came back so….."

"Lux-chan, you should come to my house sometime!"

"Can you become a play buddy for my daughter?"

"..p-please hold on a sec…."

The young boy was barraged by a ton of requests, he could hardly note everything down.

"Will you all shut up!?"

Within the crowd that surrounded a single boy, an angry voice of someone broke the lively atmosphere. The harsh nature of that toen brought silence to the street.

Among the citizens of Cross Field, one man stepped forth. He has a stern, irritated look on his face as he glared at Lux.

"I can't believe it, have you all been blind and deceived!?" He rudely said and pointed a finger straight at Lux, especially the distinctive feature of his hair. "Have you all forget who this thing is!? It's a member of the Old Empire's royal family!"

Lux's most standout characteristic, the silver hair he inherited from the Arcadia bloodline.

Five years ago, the Old Arcadia Empire, which had laid out tyranny and crimes against its people for a very long time, had been overthrown by a coup d'état.

He was the seventh prince of that empire.

"Not only that, this brat is a criminal!"

The black collar he wore on the neck, it was the proof that he received amnesty from the New Kingdom. He was the survivor of the old royal family and as a punishment, he was forced to sign a contract with the administration.

The condition was "undertaking odd jobs of any people of the New Kingdom." Which explained the kind of activities he has been doing up till now.

It was the only thing he can do to pay the debt that is about one filth of the nation's wealth.

The contents of the job varied from domestic servant, bartender, cook, blacksmith and fieldwork.

"I can tell that he's just acting, pretending to be friendly with you all and he'll ready to stab you in the back. He is just as rotten to the core as the Old Empire."

The man with a haunting personality continued to throw verbal abuse at Lux as he pressed a finger on the boy's chest.

The crowd already backed away a few steps.

"What do you have to say about that, huh, Chore Prince? You're only popular because you are convenient to us!"

More insults cruelly stabbed Lux, the former young prince remained silent and he didn't say a word.

It became a commotion, the situation only settled down when a guard passed by.

"Hey, what is going on here!?"

"Tch, I'll let you off the hook this time." The man quickly left, paying no attention to the guard who was calling him.

Lux was fully aware of the harsh glare coming from the man. It meant there will be next time once that person was around in the area. He recognized some people like that, that rude man was one of those who resented the Old Empire.

Out of all thing, this happened in the early morning.

Lux let out a deep sigh.

In the past five years after he was released by the amnesty of the New Kingdom.

The current life as a Chore Prince, as an errand boy was by no means comfortable. In the countless requests, he experienced many pains and difficult things.

Because of the Old Empire's adherents.

By now, he has already got used to these kinds of treatments.

Soon, the crowd broke up. Everyone went back to their business.

Lux grabbed the bucket and continued his job.

"Lux-kun, are you alright?"

The girl from the liquor store who gladly allowed Lux to have a place to sleep yesterday asked him in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine." He replied softly. "I'm sorry for causing a ruckus in front of your store."

"What are you apologizing for? It was never your fault! You know what, you should stand up against people like that sometime. It's been years since the fall of the Old Empire, and you are no longer a prince. People don't have to treat you like that."

"Still, I am a criminal." He touched the dark collar that seemed to squeeze the neck. "It makes no difference that I came from a corrupted royal family."

"But you're different."

The boy smiled awkwardly at those words, he shook his head. The girl probably understood, it was a topic that shouldn't be discussed in public.

"Anyway, did you sleep well last night?"

"Ah, yeah, thanks to you, thank you very much for having lodged me."

The girl playfully shortened her distance with the boy, she looked at the bucket he was holding.

"I see."

"?"

"You're helping daddy again, I doubt he asked you to do this."

"Your father let me use the kitchen to make breakfast, so this is-"

"Lux-kun, even though you also have many other jobs, doing works like this is tough, isn't it?" A warm smile directed at him. "Thank you!"

Lux was taken aback by the gratitude, he managed to gather himself together.

"Hmm, how should I say it? I guess….."

Shifting the view to people on the street, one thin smile unknowingly formed.

"I'm happy that I can help others."

*doki doki*

The girl startled as she observed that gentle expression on his face.

"Lux-kun's smile is so adorable!" She giggled.

"Eh…..t-thank you?"

He obviously had no idea why the conversation took a turn like that. Even so, this small talk has certainly raised his spirit up a bit.

The girl then looked up to the sky.

"Yesterday, there was heavy rain, wasn't it? I thought it would last over midnight. But it turns out to be a sunny morning today."

As the girl enjoyed the warming sunlight, Lux also did the same, he stared at the vast blue sky. There was no group of clouds up there. However, they could still see many visible masses of water vapors gathered at the further regions.

The shape of the empty space, where the sky was crystal clear, made an appearance as if the horizon was split apart.

"I wonder why the rain stopped so sudden."

"…"

It was a simple question.

And possibly, it may never get an answer.

Part 5

Lux didn't expect the new day would be this eventful.

"Stooop!"

When they looked away, at the moment when they least expected it, the small purse which the girl from the liquor store was carrying has been snatched by a stray cat from out of nowhere.

"Ahaha…you don't have to force yourself…." The girl forced a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely bring it back!" Lux said with determination.

He promised her that, a repayment should be fine with a meal and spending one more night in the store.

Although he has been chasing after the cat for hours, his speed was inferior to its. As he was left behind, the tiny feline immediately changed its route.

It shot like arrow through the crowd and up the slope that located on the main street.

On the way, there were more people requested for his labor. Yet, Lux didn't allow his pace to decrease and lose the sight of that mischievous animal.

Capturing the cat was his priority. He would get back to them once the little thief was caught.

….that cat is smart.

It ran into a busy street to use everyone there as obstacles, Lux would need time to bend himself through all the gaps and openings if he wanted to shorten the distance.

Apparently, he won't make it. Exhaustion overwhelmed the last bit of energy in his leg.

The cat was heading toward the buildings in the central first district, the only road it took was the uphill slope that led straight to an academy on top the hill.

He heard it was an all-girl school, if the cat got in there, his chance to retrieve the stolen purse would be nonexistent.

And if he continued to chase it head on like this, the distance would never improve. It was a basic organism's instinct of an animal to run away from those who tries to capture it.

…..in that case.

Lux spun on his heel, he ran to a different direction.

…

…

Throughout the years working as a Chore Prince, Lux obtained more than just knowledge and experiences from each job.

Because he always organized the request to create an efficient schedule seven days per week, the former young prince also put in the effort to find the shortest routes he can take to move faster across the entire town.

As a natural hard-working person, it can only mean one thing for Lux.

Every corner, every alley, every house with back doors and rooftops that allow him to take a detour, he knew them like the back of his hand.

"Oh, Lux-boy! You're back!"

"Owner, please let me use the window in the back!"

"Of course, it's opened!"

He sprinted inside a shop and gave a quick greet to the owner. He carefully using the momentum to let his small build body sharply conquer the narrowed corridor and up the stair.

A window was opened for him to jump out, he kicked the wooden frame to fly through mid-air. After a soft landing on the rooftop, he continued to run past couple of balconies. Due to the rain last night, the ground was still wet, he has to be extra careful.

The tall building ahead located next to the hill, where the top floor connected to a higher section of the town. There were several alleyways he can choose to go further.

Lux braced himself for another jump. It was a long drop from a two stories house to a pile of tarpaulin sheets below.

His weight was light enough to safely bound up upon the impact.

He was in a marketplace. The location was more than half way on the slope. From here, he can get a good view of the main street nearby.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw the cat slowing down as it climbed the road. He hasn't run out of luck yet. A cat with a purse in its mouth was easy to find among the crowd.

The boy seized the opportunity to continue the race against time.

Inside a deserted alleyway, he reached the door that led into the backyard.

"It's locked!?"

Not good, he didn't foresee this!

Has his luck really ran out within these last minutes!?

….I can't give up here!

Lux took back a few steps, he dashed forward, increased the speed then kicked his feet on the surface of the wall to do a double jump. Thanks to that fluid movement, he made it through the gap above the door.

Now, he needed to make it to the highest floor of this building, the rooftop.

It was built hillside. However, the stair was not going to be an option, his heart was thumbing violently as much as his energy was drained from all the free-running.

….wait, they are reconstructing the place?

A wooden crane was on top the building, a rope hanged around the head as it was used to deliver objects from the lowest ground. Lux noticed one end of the rope warped around a log just outside the backyard while the other head was tied around a heavy rock.

The young boy has an idea.

He unsheathed the white sword on his waist, with the other free hand grabbed the rope, he swung the weapon. In an instance, the boy flung to the sky.

Within a few seconds, Lux eventually arrived at the highest floor.

He made it on top the slope.

"It's about time!"

Shortly after, the little thief was finally caught.

Part 6

Before he knew, the horizon was dyed a sodden crimson color.

It became dusk.

"There, there, little kitty." Lux gently rubbed the cat's head as he embraced it. "You should know that stealing is no good."

He bought a pack of dried fish and brought along the little feline friend. Thankfully, it wasn't much difficult to wait for the right time to stop it from entering the academy ground.

Lux had hidden himself to plan an ambush when the cat tried to move past the wall. When it climbed on the branch of a tree, it was the moment when he struck.

Apparently, it was hungry.

The daughter of the liquor store's owner often works at a certain restaurant in town, the kitchen was where she does most of the cooking. This cat may had smelled the lingered taste of food on her purse because of that reason.

The stolen purse was safely returned to its rightful place.

"Umm, you didn't look inside, did you?"

Lux felt strange that the girl asked him such question in a timid manner.

With a word of gratitude parted her lip, the event came to an end.

However, Lux still got an earful scold from the people working in the construction site back then due to him cutting the rope and breaking the large rock as it dropped without permission. His debt did not increase, though he needed to compensate by helping them for one day.

…..schedule is getting tight.

Lux sighed.

But….

The repayment was worth it!

He can sleep in the comfortable bed and has a decent meal for another night.

"Yes, you have to think positive!"

Lux tried to encourage himself.

This might be a small achievement, but it was still the reward to an act of goodwill.

The boy started to smile in relief, he did something good today.

"Nyaa!"

And the cat seemed to agree with that.

A stray cat and a boy without home, these two were going to get along just fine.

Part 7

Elsewhere.

Within the vicinity of the academy.

On the roof of one building.

*Crack*

A nasty sound like that was made.

And….

And….

And….

It waited, until the day someone put all their weight on it.

It was supposed to initiate the beginning of a great tale.

Yet, it never happened.

Part 8

There was the wall and a marble pillar lit by a lamp.

White steam covered all sight.

A young girl was leisurely enjoying the feeling of clean warm water caressed her moist skin.

Her small tender body relaxed in the large spacious bathtub, her curvy waist and the lovely collarbone were exposed as she washed herself.

The girl then scanned around, the steam was thick enough that she can only make out the outlines of other girls.

The towel unwrapped and fell.

There was a dark red brand below the smooth silky stomach. It was like a healed burn scar.

It seemed to ache slightly when the memories of long ago resurfaced.

For a while, the fateful night of five years ago appeared in her head.

"…Black Hero…"

Lisesharte Atismata quietly muttered that name under her breath.

The jet-black Machine Dragon that was responsible for the downfall of an entire country.

A legendary figure that will never be discarded from her memories. Whoever piloted that Drag-Ride remained the biggest mystery in the world.

And even to this day.

The young girl, who was the princess of the New Kingdom, genuinely wished to know.

/

Author's Note: And that was the idea I came up for the first chapter.

Basically, the concept of the story is somewhat different than the canon, it's about a Fallen Prince who actually became a chore loving person. This story takes place in an alternative universe, where Lux has never enrolled into the Royal Officer Academy. It would focus more on his life as the Chore Prince and the "Odd Jobs", the story goes from there. In this new AU, Lux's objective and demeanor are the same in some way, which I will try my best to grasp it along with other characters. However, since it is an AU, there will be new factors added in and new changes.

While the motivation is still burning, I really want to expand this idea further.

At the moment, my other stories are still on standby. I don't plan to drop any of it so rest assured and I apologize if I made you wait for too long. It will take time for another update since I can only do things at my own pace for now (talk about life).

That's about it.

Review the chapter if you please, criticism is also greatly appreciate. I will see you in the next note.