“Sorry, Abel, but could you leave our party?”
It was a day like any other—save for the fact that Roy, our leader, had sprung this suggestion on me. I was so caught off guard, I couldn’t respond.
“The world’s more or less at peace now. It’d be a waste for an Archmage like you to be on the front lines. We’re more than enough to deal with any demon stragglers.”
Our party, led by Roy, had defeated the calamitous Demon King of Twilight who’d brought on the Age of Darkness. We’d saved the world.
“It’s okay. I don’t see it as a waste. I’m here because I want to be.”
“Abel,” Roy said firmly, stopping me from saying anything more. “You’re not stupid. You must’ve realized that those Amber Eyes of yours have no place in a peaceful world.”
His words sunk in slowly. I was at a loss for what to say. Eyes were a testament to one’s strength. One’s affinity for specific elemental magecraft was directly correlated with the color of their eyes. Fiery red eyes—Crimson Eyes—indicated an affinity for flames. Then there were Azure Eyes for water, green Verdant Eyes, and so on.
However, one color stood out from all the rest. Those with Amber Eyes like mine had an affinity for all elements. With some training, they could easily surpass all other mages. Those with Amber Eyes were considered the strongest, but they were also perceived as a symbol of evil. But who could fault this perception? Ninety percent of all demons had this very eye color.
“This should be mutually beneficial. With the peace we’ve secured, there’s no doubt that the next big conflict will be between humans. When that happens, you’ll be persecuted as a bad omen.”
He had a point. Humans born with Amber Eyes were branded as reincarnated demons. People like me were used to having stones thrown at us for as long as we could remember. However, in my case, I wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill mage. I was a mage in the world’s strongest party that had defeated the demon king. Were people really incapable of distinguishing between a hero who defeated the demon king and a common demon?
“I don’t want you to think we’re just tossing you out to fend for yourself, though. If you head west from here, there’s an island. Remember? The same one where we took down that kraken. Demons don’t go anywhere near it these days. We had villas constructed there, so maybe you could happily spend the rest of your days th—”
“Enough.”
This was hilarious. My so-called comrades, whom I’d been on countless adventures with over the years, wanted to confine me on a deserted island. They didn’t ever want to see me again. They wanted me gone.
“Fine. I’ll leave.”
“All right. No hard feelings. Here’s the paperwork you’ll need for the vil—”
“Keep it. I won’t be going.”
Roy’s Jade Eyes widened. Looking at them, I only felt disgust.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. “Relax. You’ll never see me again.”
“Abel!”
I turned on my heel and left. Roy called after me, frantically trying to explain—he’d phrased things poorly, he didn’t mean anything by it... No, Roy. You said exactly what you meant. I didn’t blame him, though. I knew better than that.
Truth be told, I’d realized a long time ago that after peace was achieved, I’d be persecuted for these eyes. That’s why I didn’t blame Roy for his actions. Similarly, I didn’t blame the citizens of the kingdom, my party members, or even myself. It was this immature, ignorant world that was at fault. That’s why I’d worked on and completed a unique magecraft, something that nobody else in this world could even dream of: Reincarnation Magecraft.
After leaving Roy and the others, I teleported to the entrance of the cave where my hideaway was. I made my way deep inside, along the stone walls and cobblestone corridors, until I reached the steel doors to my laboratory.
I’d erected layers upon layers of barriers here to keep others out, but apparently they were less effective when it came to dust, which had accumulated like piles of snow from my years of absence.
Maybe the culture of people living in a peaceful world will evolve. Maybe their education and knowledge will be enriched. Maybe this magecraft, which is impossible for them now, won’t be, after two hundred years. Maybe people will be more open-minded and accepting of people with Amber Eyes.
I’d bet everything on the small glimmer of hope that the future would be different—that it would be better.
I pulled out tomes, medicine, and various gems all caked with dust. I’d already prepared the body into which I’d be reincarnated. The composition of a human’s body was pretty simple, as it was only made up of twenty-nine different elements. About sixty percent of it was water, with a few overlapping components such as carbon, ammonia, and phosphorus. After conducting numerous experiments, using magecraft to examine the various elements that composed humans, I finally completed my ideal body.
Okay—all done. I lay down in the coffin I’d prepared and gazed at the ceiling. Before I knew it, I was struck with a sudden wave of sleep as the reincarnation magecraft slowly pulled my soul from my current body. My eyelids felt like lead...and when I opened them next, I’d be in the distant future.
With that thought in mind, I fell asleep.
Truth be told, I had made a mistake. I should’ve told my companions about this reincarnation magecraft. My mistake would come to cause much grief for the denizens of the future. As for how, exactly...that will be revealed at a later time.