NO one answered the knock at the door.
Is he sleeping?
Aki slowly pulled open the door, trying not to wake him, and peeked inside. Shafts of afternoon sunlight spilled into the room from the window on the other side, casting an orange glow on the ceiling, support beams, and wood floor. A single bed with a bulge under its thick quilt sat directly in front of the window. The bulge was likely Leo curled up under the blankets.
Aki tiptoed to the bed, careful not to step on any squeaky floorboards. There she found him asleep with the simple cotton quilt pulled up to his chin and tightly tucked around him.
I’m glad he was able to sleep for several hours.
Relieved, she set down the tray on the side table. She’d been fraught with worry that the room would be empty as it was when she went to check on Elias, but unlike the Hero, Leo rested without a fuss.
Aki carried the wooden chair resting against the wall over to the bed and softly sat on it. As she listened to Leo’s peaceful breathing and the lapping waves outside, Louis’s last comment plagued her thoughts.
“Who is Leo, really? Is he truly…human?”
She had never wondered who Leo was. To her, he was one of the first people she met in this world, he was dependable like an older brother despite his penchant for teasing, he was quick-witted, better at magic than anyone, and the man who proclaimed his love for her.
Leo was an irreplaceable person in her life. And not just to her, he was the unsung hero of their group that everyone cared about.
It just seemed so obvious for him to always be there the way he was, that it never occurred to Aki to consider his background.
What exactly was he doing up until he attended the Academy?
“…That you, Aki?” Leo’s purple eyes opened. They were too tired to focus yet. She accidentally woke him up.
Leaning forward, Aki studied his sleepy face. “Good morning, Leo. How are you feeling?”
He answered her with a lazy smile. “Could be worse. It’s not half bad waking up to your face.”
“Good for you, you’re well enough to flirt,” Aki retorted to hide her shyness, then rested her palm on his forehead. It didn’t feel unusually hot. He seemed fever free.
His complexion had gone from a worrying blue to a healthy pink after his nap. He seemed well on his way to recovery and would be fine as long as he rested up.
Exhaling her relief, Aki sat back on her chair. Leo rolled on to his side and searched her face. “What’s Elias and the gang up to?”
“Um…” Aki put her index finger to her chin as she recalled what the others were doing. “Elias and Sutcliff said they’re throwing a party for everyone tonight. They’re going all-out making dinner downstairs. Johann is still at the church making his report, and Mina and Louis are out patrolling the nearby Field.”
“Patrolling the Field? Ah, are they checking for abnormal spawns?”
“Yep. Adventurers broke into teams to scour the area for any unusual activity. Louis was assigned as one of the team leaders,” she added.
Leo let out a vexed groan. “I see. I would’ve loved to join him if I was feeling better. I’m gonna get rusty staying cooped up in bed like this.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re too strong to get a little rusty with a day’s rest. By the way, I have a cup of tea that Elias brewed for you. Want it?”
“Oh, I do, I do!” Leo sat up, swung his feet over the side of the bed, and sat on the edge.
Aki fetched the cup of tea from the side table. She presented it to him with both hands. “Here you go.”
“Thanks. Knowing Elias, it’s probably sugar water. Or tea swimming in honey. His tea is always deathly sweet.” Contrary to his complaints, Leo happily carried the cup to his lips.
Everyone knew for a fact that Leo had a sweet tooth. Elias likely made his tea sickeningly sweet knowing it would cheer him up. That unspoken kindness made Leo happy. The two of them were really good friends.
Aki observed Leo as he sipped the tea and relaxed. Is this my chance to ask about his upbringing?
Where was he born? What was his childhood like? What kind of teen years brought him to join up with Elias?
Those were the questions she wanted to ask, even though knowing didn’t change anything in particular. She was just curious about him, especially after Louis questioned his humanity.
Finding it odd that Aki was silently assessing him, Leo tilted his head. “What’s up, Aki? Something on your mind?”
Ugh, he’s sharp…
It was an exercise in futility to try to pull the wool over his eyes. Trying to get by with an “It’s nothing” would only end in him hounding her until she spilled her guts anyway.
“There’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for the longest time,” she started. Noticing the change in her demeanor, he schooled his expression and waited for her to continue. She looked into his almond-shaped violet eyes and cut to the chase. “What was your life like before you met us? Where did you grow up? How did you live? I’m curious to know more about you…”
She heard about how Elias and Johann grew up and attended school in Sanctuary, but she never heard anything about what Leo did before attending Academy.
Leo scratched the back of his head looking as if he wasn’t sure how to answer. “…It’s not like I was hiding it or anything, but I guess I haven’t told you much about myself. Sorry about that.”
“D-Don’t be sorry! I’m who’s sorry for prying. You don’t have to get into it if you don’t want to!”
Judging by the awkward expression frozen on his face, it seemed like a topic he didn’t want to touch on. Aki shrunk down in her chair and hung her head in shame for overstepping.
There was a light clang as Leo placed his cup on top of the tray. “Naw, I don’t mind talking about it, but it’s more like there’s nothing to talk about.”
What does that mean?
“…Long story short, I’m missing memories of my childhood. You could say I have partial amnesia.”
Aki sharply sucked in her breath at his unexpected confession.
She never imagined he had trauma like that given his cheerful and caring personality. She always assumed he came from a big, happy family.
Leo gave her a considerate smile when she didn’t respond. “It’s not as big of a deal as full-blown amnesia. I just can’t remember my youngest years, where I was born, or who my parents were. My memories start from when I was already living with Gramps.”
“Gramps?” she repeated.
“Yup! He was my magic teacher!” Leo explained, beaming at her as he spoke of a father figure he cared a lot about. “Gramps took me in when I was three and taught me everything I know about magic until the day I entered Academy’s magic school.”
A smile naturally spread across Aki’s face as she listened to him talk about his Gramps like a young boy bragging about his father or grandfather. It sounded like his magic teacher had filled both a fatherly and an educational role in his life. Maybe it was through his influence that Leo had such a jovial personality and was capable of getting along with everyone.
“Gramps is an amazing Mage, but he’s got one eccentric personality. He basically became immersed in his magic research to the point of losing interest in the rest of the world,” Leo continued. “He built a small cabin deep in the woods and lives like a recluse. I ended up living at his hermitage training seven days a week without ever interacting with the outside world…”
“Th-That’s quite the upbringing. Thanks for sharing.” Aki shoved her hand in front of her face, stopping him because she knew if she heard more about his time with his gramps, she’d worry. Plus, what he already told her seemed to be answer enough for why he was a magic genius.
In any event, she learned he had an unusual childhood.
Louis was hinting Leo might not be human, but being raised and trained by a recluse for over ten years seemed like it would shape anyone differently from children who grew up in normal families.
“…Skipping all the other details, I attended the Academy’s magic school from when I turned twelve until my graduation at twenty-two. And right after graduation, I was scouted for the Hero Party.”
“I see.” Aki gave a deep nod, convinced by his story.
He grew up in an environment that wasn’t too strange, though it may be hard to say it was normal, except for the memory loss. But who remembered before they were three anyway?
If there was ever an opportunity for it, she hoped she could meet the Gramps he respected so much. How much of an eccentric—er, unique Mage is he?
Leo stood as if to draw the conversation to close, and stretched. “Anyway, that’s it for my life story. Nothing to worry about, is there? It’s your turn to tell me about how you grew up.” He lightly patted her on the head and chuckled while heading for the door.
Oh yeah, I’ve never spoken to any of them about my life before coming here. How will they react when they hear about my world?
Just imagining their reactions was entertaining as she followed Leo out of the room.