John looked around nervously as he entered Sofya's office. He'd been here a couple of times, but never to actually speak with the headmaster herself.

He found this a little interesting, mainly because Prota interacted with her on a regular basis. Still, it wasn't like he had to talk to all of his sister's acquaintances. However, he was beginning to regret that he hadn't looked into the headmaster of Scholaris at all. As someone in such an important position, it was likely that she would eventually fill a significant role.

Even if this wasn't relevant to the [Plot], it sure as hell was relevant to him, and John wasn't a huge fan of that fact. In this game of cards, Sofya already had a better starting hand than he.

"Sit," Sofya instructed, gesturing to a chair.

John sat down obediently.

"I've called you in for two purposes. I'll start with the one that should be easier to discuss."

The dragon cleared her throat, putting on a pair of glasses and lifting a sheaf of papers to her eyes. John found it interesting that an apex creature would have vision problems, but then again, who was he to question something like this?

"The first is details regarding your sister, Prota. I've done a little research into her past, and as a result, I've also looked into yours. It seems you act as her guardian, is that correct?"

John couldn't help but blush a little. He had, in fact, been acting as a parental figure of sorts, but he had a hard time thinking of it like that. What kind of parent throws their kid into life-or-death situations and trains them by killing them over and over again? Yes, he was the closest thing Prota had to a mother or father, but that didn't automatically make him one of those. If anything, Prota was far more responsible than he, scolding him and picking up after him all the time.

That wasn't what Sofya was looking for, though, so John answered accordingly.

"Yeah," John nodded. "I guess you could say that."

"Then, 'I guess' I should inform you as to her progress. Although, it seems you came by to check up on that, did you not?" Sofya said with a smile.

"Uh. Yeah," John said awkwardly. "I mean, she's been doing really well, right? I don't think you really need to tell me anything."

"Oh? And by what metric do you judge this?" Sofya said, raising an eye.

"Uh… her spells look stronger? She can defeat more powerful enemies?"

"That is indeed a fine metric. But do you even understand how talented your sister was to begin with?"

John shrugged. He was starting to feel a little more at ease, now that they were simply talking about Prota. He might not think of himself as a parent, but when it came to complimenting his sister, he was as proud as any good father would be. Of course, he subconsciously tried to hide it, but he was starting to give up more hints than he really should have.

"I mean, her talent in chantless casting and mana manipulation are really good, right? Plus, you know, with Soul Steal and everything, plus the ability to create new spells… Is that not talent?"

Sofya smiled, resting her chin on her palm.

"I see," she nodded. "And what Mystic taught you this?"

To his credit, John had been somewhat prepared for this. He didn't flinch, and he replied without missing a beat.

"Huh? I mean… Leora, I guess? I don't really understand your question," he frowned.

Sofya looked disappointed. "Are you telling me you just happened to find a book detailing the specifics of Soul Steal? Leora, for all her expertise, is not an expert on Soul Steal specifically. That isn't a magic mortals are supposed to have access to, you know. I applaud your wit, but you must understand that facts remain facts no matter what you may believe."

John grimaced. He didn't have a way out of this one.

"...fine. Sure, a Mystic taught us about Soul Steal. But you have to understand when I say that I can't tell you who it is, right?"

Sofya nodded again. "Indeed, I do. That is of very little concern to me. What concerns me is how you nurtured your sister's ability before ever meeting a Mystic. What is even more fascinating is how you were able to do so without mana. And finally, how you understand mana in the first place, despite not being of this world."

At that, John did flinch. He'd just been hit with three nukes, one after the other. His body stiffened as he sat up in his seat, now incredibly alert. How the hell had this dragon figured any of this out? Had she read Prota's mind?

His thoughts must've been obvious, because Sofya seemed to instinctively know what he was thinking.

"I did not read your sister's mind. There was some mental communication, as she seems slow to speak, but I have not invaded her privacy. There is no need for concern," Sofya assured him. "However, she did detail the steps of her training. There was a small… gap in her story, mainly about where she learned her first steps from, but otherwise, everything lined up."

John grimaced. "What did she tell you?"

It was best to go through things one by one. He could figure out how she knew about his mana and otherworldly issues later. He needed to stay calm. Very calm. This was someone who could figure out so much from so little. At the very least, she was as tricky as he was.

If he had [Resets], he would've spoken carelessly and gotten as much information as possible before [Resetting], but now, he had to choose each word as carefully as possible.

Crap. If only he had something on her… no, there was no point in worrying over something like that. Right now, he just had to do the best he could. That was all.

"Looking to align your stories? Very well. She explained that you taught her how to control her ability to take mana. She learned magic, and then found another mentor in the Town of Beginnings who furthered her expertise in magic. The rest she learned through combat."

John nodded slowly. That was effectively true. There was no lie in those statements, and there wasn't much lying by omission, either.

"I am glad to know she wasn't lying," Sofya said. "Would you know her first instructor, by any chance…?"

John shook his head. "Look. Yeah, I don't have mana. Lupin and Leora already know this. I taught Prota using common sense. I don't know if you'll believe me, but that's really all it was."

"Common sense?"

John was gambling on this one last stretch. He wouldn't deny that he lacked mana. Lupin and Leora were already aware of this fact, so John could try to take solace in that. He could also explain that his ability to nurture Prota's ability was something he just understood. After all, it was true that he'd helped her despite not knowing what kind of power she held. He could mix enough truth with lies that he'd be able to make a believable story.

"I guessed. Just because someone doesn't have mana doesn't mean they can't research it. Yes, I taught her and helped her. But she figured out the rest on her own. I don't know what else I can tell you."

By failing to deny these two allegations, he'd be able to argue the third far better. He could blame the fact that he'd flinched by explaining that the first two allegations were true, and then vehemently deny the fact that he was from another world.

It had to work. It had to. Because if it didn't, he wasn't sure what he would do next.

Nobody had called him out like this before. It simply wasn't something he was used to. In over ten years of living in this world, nobody had ever suspected that he wasn't supposed to be here. Now that he thought about it, wasn't this what he'd done to Destiny? Just calling him out in the middle of nowhere, openly revealing secrets that weren't meant to be said.

He was starting to understand what it was like on the other end of the stick. It wasn't very fun.

But at the same time, it was definitely a little exciting.

"I see… all of that would be fine. Unfortunately, you don't know much about mana, do you? Since you're from another world."

John threw his hands up in exasperation. "What the hell does that even mean? Are you saying I came from another planet? Look, if you're going to accuse me of something that ridiculous, can you at least explain what it means so I can try to explain myself?"

"You are definitely quite the bright student. I doubt I'd find even royal advisors who hold their own in this manner," Sofya said with a smile. "After all, this must be quite the secret to unearth. It is no wonder you were admitted, even without mana. Unfortunately for you, these are not guesses. These are facts. And so, I will propose a deal."

John tried to hide his unease. Should he risk arguing with all his might? Or should he just bite the bullet at accept the deal? Both were unknowns, but one path looked a lot safer. Normally, he loved gambling, but that was only with the security of [Resets].

"Fine," he sighed. "What's your deal?"

"Very good. Then, here is my proposition. I will not reveal this information to anybody else. This conversation will remain between the two of us. In exchange, neither of us may lie at any point. I will fully explain what I know, and then I will ask you some questions."

John waited for her to continue, but she didn't. She just remained silent.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Um… is that all?" he said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Yes."

"You don't need me to answer?"

She smiled. "I hope you will. But I will not force you to. However, I expect that my answers will open up for more conversation, and that you will be willing to share what you know in order for the both of us to understand more about what is going on."

John considered it. She was giving him an out. There was always a catch to these kinds of deals, though. In this scenario, a [Protagonist] would go through one of two things: one, they wouldn't realize it was a trap. Two, they'd realize it was a trap and fall for it anyway, because they were just that confident.

John wasn't confident. But he couldn't back out, either. In the end…

"Fine. Let's do it."

Sofya nodded. "On a dragon's honour, I hereby begin the deal."

The room began to glow, basking both parties in a strange light.

"Oh. I forgot to mention that breaking the rules of the deal is quietly literally impossible. Unless, of course, you have the ability to resist Draconic Speech…"

Sofya's voice trailed off. Both of them realized what was going on.

"Ah. Ahem. I trust you will be honourable?" she said awkwardly.

Before John could say anything, a voice spoke in his head.

"John. Be careful."

He nearly flinched. Why was Zero speaking now? His eyes glazed over as his mind focused on his internal conversation.

"She doesn't know this, but… you're stuck with telling the truth. I don't know how much this will affect you, but this isn't something you can shrug off."

"...what?" John thought.

"Draconic Speech controls you. You aren't able to be 'controlled.' You can't do something against your will, essentially. We won't go over the specifics now, but the point is that you agreed to this. It's not against your will, so you are bound to the truth. Understood?"

"I thought I was just strong enough to block her speech," John complained.

Zero laughed. "What? No. Your mental is weak as shit. If it weren't for your ability, you'd be getting mind-controlled all the time. Well, technically- actually, I can't say that. Just keep this in mind going into this deal, ok? I'd hate for you to get outed because of a lack of knowledge. If anything, you deserve to get outed because you're a dumbass."

"Yeah, yeah. I wasn't going to lie in the first place," John thought, a little annoyed. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, I'm so sure you weren't. Good luck."

His mental conversation now finished, his vision swam back into focus. The dragon was looking at him oddly, but he just shook his head.

John nodded awkwardly. "Yeah. Uh. Sorry about that. I just got a little… distracted. You won't have to worry about me lying. I swear it on, um. My honour, I guess."

Sofya nodded, recovering her composure once more.

"Very well. Your secrets were easy to discover, I'm afraid to say. Remember, I am a dragon. You know what Soul Steal does, do you not? Then, you should know that I was able to check for your mana core."

John flinched again. Shoot. He'd forgotten about that.

"You… you do not possess a mana core. That is not possible," Sofya continued. "All beings of this world possess one."

"Hold on. I thought manaless people existed?"

"Manaless, yes. Exist without a mana core, no."

John frowned. "Explain."

"Of course. Soul Steal is actually a short form of the combination of abilities dragons wield: Soul Siphon and Soul Copy. Soul Siphon is the ability to draw mana from a mana core, and Soul Copy is the ability to inherit that mana and copy its magic. As a result, dragons are capable of seeing one's mana core. Even if one has very little mana to begin with, to the point that it could be called nothing, it exists. Dragons can draw at this if needed. You, however… have nothing to draw upon. That is not possible, however."

"What?"

"Humans, elves, dwarves, even Mystics… they all have something known as a mana core. It is impossible to go without one."

John nodded slowly, taking the information in. Her deduction made sense. He'd been fighting an uphill battle from the start. It was impossible to bluff someone who already knew the truth.

"Fine. You're right," John sighed. "I am from another world. I won't tell you what that is. I won't tell you how I got here. We good?"

Sofya nodded. "I understand. I cannot force an answer out of you. But will you at least explain how you were able to guide your sister through an ability you did not understand?"

"Who's to say I didn't understand it?" John said, raising an eye.

"Your sister."

John cursed under his breath. Her honesty and natural aversion to lying were killing him. It was a little awful to be critical of morally good traits, but then again, morals were something that had never really applied to him in the first place.

"It's nothing serious," John admitted. "I was being honest earlier. I helped her with common sense. Or, I guess you could say I guessed."

"You… guessed?"

"I mean, I made a series of educated guesses, but souls are something I already know about. Again, won't say how, but with that knowledge, I was able to guess at what kind of ability Prota had. I don't know about Soul Steal, but I am somewhat aware of the concept of stealing or draining mana, so I just tried to guide her in the right direction. She did most of the work from there."

"Fascinating… she truly is a genius," Sofya said quietly.

"Genius? Maybe. But I know she put a shit ton of work in getting to where she is now," John said, a small smile settling on his face. "She didn't just grow overnight. It took her half a year to live like an ordinary person."

"I see," Sofya smiled. "It is always good to see a combination of talent and effort. Three more questions for you, then. Feel free to turn me down if you so wish."

John shrugged. "Sure, shoot."

"Are you associated with a group known as Quaesitor Veritatis?" Sofya asked.

John grimaced. Again, he was being punished for throwing their name around.

"Kinda," he sighed.

He was giving away information to a potential enemy, but Sofya didn't seem like a bad person. Of course, a hidden [Antagsonist] never seemed like a villain at first. That's why they were hidden. But John's intuition was telling him that Sofya could be trusted.

"I'm acquainted with some of their members. I don't really like to associate with them, though," John explained. "They're… more like the rich uncle that kinda rubs you the wrong way, but you keep in touch with because he gives you a lot of money on your birthday."

Sofya frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

John pressed his lips together. "Uh. Don't worry about it. Basically, yeah, I know them. I'm not super fond of the fact, though."

"I see. Then, the second question. You aren't… fully human, are you?"

To her surprise, John laughed.

"I'm fully human," he said as his laughter died down. "Biologically, that is."

"Hm. Fascinating. I wouldn't have assumed someone of your physical age would bear the skills and wisdom you try to hide. It feels as though I am speaking to someone who has lived as long as me, if not longer."

"...really?" John said in amazement.

"Your attitude and behaviour are childish, but you erase that mask when needed," Sofya smiled. "I must say, it is quite the impressive mask, though."

John just sighed. "Fine. I'm older than I look. Thousands of years old, even. Whatever. What's your last question?"

Sofya clasped her hands together, staring John in the eyes.

"How do you fight so well, even without mana?"

"I mean, that should be obvious, no? You live for thousands of years, you gotta stay alive somehow."

"Very well. Thank you for your time. You may leave."

The light in the room faded as John stood up. As he reached the door, Sofya called out to him one last time.

"Thank you, John. I won't forget our deal. And… good luck to you, out there."

John nodded. He was lucky he'd gotten off as easily as he did here.

"Thank you, too. Have a good one."

The door closed behind John with a click. He immediately let out a sigh of relief, his body feeling a little shaky as he recovered his breath. There had been a total of two times in this world that he'd felt this stressed. The first had been when Diaboli had killed him. The second… was also when Diaboli had killed him.

"Yeah. Keeping secrets is scary," John muttered to himself as he headed back to his room. "Gotta talk to the wolf…"

~~~

Sofya continued to stare at the closed door long after John had left.

The boy was clever, she had to admit. There were a few Mystics who held his composure and wit, but they were all elders who'd lived at least a good number of centuries.

She wasn't impressed by his composure or mental fortitude. She'd met many humans who could maintain their calm. No, she was impressed by just how skillfully John had handled the conversation.

She'd hit him with some very heavy statements, yet he'd navigated the situation nearly perfectly. He'd immediately assessed his position, calculated the risks of answering in certain fashions, and then decided on a course of action with no hesitation.

More than that, though, was how high the stakes of this conversation had been. Absolutely everything had been on the line for that child… no, not child. That being. One misstep, and he was done for.

And he'd barely even flinched.

It was almost as if this weren't his first time talking to her. Of course, that was impossible. Regression wasn't something anybody could manage. But that just further reinforced how prepared the boy was.

After all, that's all he was: a boy. At least, that's what everyone thought. But he himself had just admitted to being thousands of years old. Then again, he'd also admitted to being biologically human.

Biologically. Why had he used that word? It was almost as if he meant to dodge the question, as if there was something he felt the need to hide. Yes, Draconic Speech didn't work on him, but it seemed he'd been telling the truth the whole time.

She shook her head as she took a sip of tea. From the conversation, she'd managed to gather one vital piece of information. Nothing more, but that one piece was all she needed.

"An outside source of energy," she muttered.

That was the only explanation. If John was indeed biologically human and thousands of years old, that could only mean something was keeping him alive. That might explain why he didn't think of himself as simply "human." His body was of the race, but the concept of the boy named "John" was not.

Such a thing would explain his ability to fight, his ability to appear as a child when his age was potentially older than her own. And if the energy doing so was not mana, there was only one other energy source Sofya knew of.

Her eyes flashed red once more.

"Just a few more months. Soon…"

~~~

John sat on a bench, staring up into the night sky. The days were still warm as they entered the autumnal season, but the evenings were now cooling off, creating a pleasant environment for late-night walks.

He still felt a little frazzled from the conversation he'd had with Sofya earlier that day. Prota had even questioned him when he got back home, only for him to wave her off. However, for her to have immediately questioned his appearance meant that he was shaken enough for his mask to have let some emotions slip through.

He took in a deep breath of the salty ocean air, then took a swig of his strange soda.

"Zero."

The soul popped out, sitting next to the body on the lone bench.

"What's up, John?"

"It's been nice. The past two years. Yeah, I guess there was some fucked up stuff that went on. But… I guess I gotta admit, it wasn't that bad."

"What do you mean?"

John sighed, leaning back. "I mean, I've sort of… I… a life like this wouldn't be that bad. You know, if I wasn't…"

"If you weren't travelling through a multiverse of multiverses, hunting for memories that dictate the very narrative of the world you exist in? Yeah, stuff like that does tend to make day-to-day life a little dull," Zero grinned.

John just flipped him off. "You know what I mean."

"I do. And I get it. Going to school, having fun, lounging around… It's pretty nice to just fuck around and do nothing, right?"

Despite the occasional battle, much of John's life had consisted of doing nothing for the past two years. Of course, he hadn't interacted with very many [Characters], but he'd had infinitely more interaction than he had for the rest of his time in this world.

Destiny, Danjo, Celestia, Briar, Arthur and Aurora. All people he was close to considering "friends." If one talked to him four years ago, he would've laughed and said making friends was pointless. But now…

"John," Zero said suddenly. "Let's say you were given a vacation. You could go anywhere, do whatever, with no consequence."

"Well, I'd-"

"Ah, well, not your original world. And not the world we're both thinking of," Zero said hurriedly. "I mean, what do you want to do? You're gathering your memories out of a sense of duty, out of a sense of necessity, but what is it that you want to do?"

John thought for a bit, listening to the waves crash against the beach.

"It would be nice… to have a little cafe. Not like the bar. Just a place where I can meet people I know, and we can have a meal and chat… play some games… hang out… Maybe travel with some friends, make some new memories…"

His voice trailed off, taking a wistful tone. The sound of waves filled the air once more.

"You know. Just a thought," he said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Character development and all that stuff are cool. But once in a while, is there really anything wrong with a little bit of joy? What's wrong with people having a good time? What's wrong with…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the soul knew what John wanted to say.

"What's wrong with being happy?"

Zero closed his eyes, smiling. "Well… isn't that what you've been doing these past two years? Sure, you don't like school. But… it hasn't been the worst of times, has it?"

John stared into the sky for a moment before letting out a short laugh.

"Yeah. I suppose."

Zero nodded, vanishing as John stood up.

"Well. You can tell that's ending soon, right?"

John's smile faded, slowly replaced by the usual mask he wore. Right. While a bit of fluff and comedy were nice, this wasn't that kind of [Story]. This wasn't that kind of world.

"Alright," John sighed. "I guess I'll get myself ready."

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