After we freed the heroes and showed them that we are not a threat to them, the Heroes became more willing to talk things out. While talking with them, I found out that they indeed were the Heroes summoned by the Holy Church, which the Ancient One had warned me about.
They explained how they had been summoned to this world for some reason - however, they didn't exactly know what reason.

Apparently, when they tried to ask the church the reason for their summoning, the church had simply replied:
"You'll see in the future. A Great Evil is coming."

Which if you ask me, is as vague as it can get. A 'Great Evil' could be anything - a Demonic Entity, an Evil God or just the damned French.
You name it.

(If you get the joke reference, you are a Top G.)

However, they just said it straight to me that that's all they got from the church and nothing else. Which did make me wonder.... What exactly was this 'Holy Church' up to? Just what was it planning?

Another thing to note, was something that I found out myself from the Ancient One - the fact that the summoning of people from other worlds was apparently forbidden by the dragons.
Upon learning that bit of information, Frindels suddenly aggressive and unhinged reaction upon hearing that these Heroes had been summoned here, made a lot more sense now.

But the one thing I wondered, was why exactly was it forbidden by the dragons? What kind of reason would they have to forbid something so oddly specific?

I cannot confirm this, however, apparently within the Contract between the Deities and the Dragons, they had demanded that the Deities would agree to never summon other individuals from different worlds, as they saw it as disingenuous.

Huh.... But you did say you cannot confirm that statement...
Looks like I'll have to ask Frindel about it later. I was slowly beginning to understand more and more about this worlds rules, despite believing that I had already understood them fully ages ago.

    A While Later...

        I was sitting all by myself on a boulder, watching the Heroes party, Wezrall and Odale all interact among one another. The Spearsmans and the Swordsman had hit it off with Wezrall, amazed by how physically strong he was and the weapon he wielded, while the Sorcerer and the Druid were both more together with Odale, discussing....
Somekind of magic stuff.

I honestly didn't understand what they were talking about exactly, however, whatever it was, was enough to drive away any attention from the fact that Odale was literally a lich.
It was a bit hard to explain his situation at first, however we managed to trick them into believing that Odale was a cursed man and just looked like a lich, while not exactly being one.

And before you ask, no the status wouldn't give away anything, since thankfully the status of my subordinates was under the same protection as mine.
Aka, the Ancient One was preventing any appraisal skills from reaching it.

Even though I stated earlier that I was watching all of the Heroes and my friends, truth was, my eyes were mostly fixated onto a single individual -
The Druid Girl.

Once I heard that they were indeed from another world, the possibility of it being just a coincidence practically shattered into bits.

No matter how much I didn't want to believe it, that girl... Was indeed my dear sister from my previous life. And upon realising this, I didn't exactly know what to think or how to feel.
I mean... It was seeing her again, especially seeing her with friends, but at the same time — This was a completely different world. This wasn't Japan or Earth.

This, was a new world, where magic, monsters and so much more exists...
Is this really a suitable place for a reunion with a family member?

As I glanced at her, the Ancient One suddenly manifested himself next to me, leaning in a bit to my left ear.

She's your regret.. isn't she?

I jumped a bit, startled by him suddenly manifesting himself next to me like that. I guess I had reached enough Magical Energy for the Ancient One to finally be able to casually manifest himself outside of my body, even if it wasn't physically and it was using my Magical Energy.

I remained silent for a bit, before exhaling and nodding.

"Yeah... But how do you even know that I have a regret?"

Please Master - What kind of assistant or Knowledgeable Being would I be, if I didn't know something like that?

The Ancient One replied, before taking a seat next to me, his golden silhouette feeling a bit... Warm. Almost like a human body.
I guess that's the Magical Energy that's keeping him together that I'm feeling.

I remained silent once more, simply staring a the ground. The Ancient One looked at me, before sighing a moment later.

So then Master... Would you be so kind to enlighten me what exactly is your 'Regret' that surrounds her?

This question made me slightly sting.
I don't know why, but upon the Ancient One asking it, I felt a rather sharp sting in my heart, which I couldn't exactly explain.
Maybe it was just the feeling of suddenly being reminded of my regret that I have held ever since I arrived to this world, maybe it was something entirely else...

Point was, I didn't know what to answer.
Do I tell him about my regret and why it is so.... Abruptly speaking - painful?
Do I want to tell something like that to someone else, even if that someone is just the Ancient One?

It was a hard decision.
However, after a bit, I exhaled.

"Before that... I want you to understand that I don't hate her for the words she told me."

I stated.
The Ancient One looked a bit surprised at my statement, almost like he hadn't expected me to say something like that.
Which was understandable, because I had stated something related to an event that the Ancient One probably already knew off, seeing as he loved to read and look through my memories.

"If anything... It just made me more respectful of my little sister."

I continued, looking up and towards Kio, who was still absorbed in the conversation between her, the Sorcerer - whose name was apparently Ikoma - and Odale.

"You see, she was a gifted child. A talented one - someone who could do so much with little effort. The ideal daughter for any parents. But something that my parents didn't know or more specifically, see, was how lonely she was."

I continued, looking down at my arm, before using my 'Abyss Magic' to create a small mist that displayed the events I was describing.

"She... Didn't have any friends when she began kindergarten, noir did she acquire any when she began school. People always either avoided her, because they were afraid of getting too close to the very talented, or they simply envied her for her talents. However, my parents never saw or heard anything about that, because she never let them see her problems. It would be me, that she would come to in order to relay all her issues, just so she wouldn't have to hold them all on her heart."

I continued, my eyes closing a bit.

"Thanks to that, we grew closer as siblings. She would be the happiest whenever she was with me. It made me... Happy - the fact that she would rely on me to help her get through her problems... However..."

I closed my eyes.

"I.. didn't want her to grow too attached to me. So, one day I told her that she should try making some friends.... And well... That escalated into an argument, at the end of which.. She shouted that statement at me."

I finished, a slight tear trickling down my left cheek. Despite me saying that I didn't hate her for that statement, it did still pain me.
I mean.. it was such a 180 from what she would usually be like. She'd always be happy, cheerful and full of life while around me, but after that small argument, she returned to her gloomy state.

And then, shortly after, I moved away - wanting to give my sister the space to make the right decision and make some friends.

However... There was one thing I didn't manage to ever tell her.

Let me guess... That statement you didn't manage to tell her - That's your regret?

I remained silent for a bit, simply nodding lightly.

"Yeah... My regret.."

I repeated to myself.

"My regret is the fact that I never managed to tell my sister, how proud I was as an older brother to have such a talented, sweet little sister.."

I stated, looking up into the air.

The Ancient One remained silent for a bit, before floating up infront of me, and gently - and more importantly, somehow - wiping off the tear I had.

Master, you shouldn't beat yourself up over it.
Besides, now she's here, surely you can go and tell her—

"No, I cannot."

I cut the Ancient One off.
My expression had turned more serious, as I looked down at my right hand.

"I mean... Look at me. I only look human, but I'm just a monster underneath. And besides, I already died in my old world - if she found out that I had reincarnated into this world, she would try to get me to return home to Father and Mother with her."

I continued, as the Ancient One looked down at me silently.

"Plus.. look at her. She had finally made some friends, even after my passing. I'm sure they're all wonderful people, so me coming back into the picture could ruin it all."

I finished off, before looking down at the ground. The Ancient One remained silent for a bit longer, before exhaling.

I understand Master.
Then I won't pry any further. However, I do hope that perhaps one day, you'll be able to move on and lift that regret up from your heart.

He stated, before turning to look over at Kio. I remained silent before smiling and looking up towards Kio as well.

'Yeah... I also hope so.'

I thought, my smile remaining on my face.
Then suddenly Frindel hugged me from behind, almost knocking me to the ground from behind.

[Frindel] "It's okay Master! Your attendant is here!"

"What— Frindel, were you listening?!"

I began to lightly scold her, as Frindel just bawled her eyes out while keeping a tight hug onto me. The Ancient One simply watched us for a bit, letting out a small chuckle, before looking off into the sky.

Guess I chose the correct individual as my new Master after all.

.

..

...

   Meanwhile... 
      Somewhere else...

       At the sight where Faofa had fought the Hero party, a man dressed in heavg black and red armour arrived, before looking around the scene where the fight had taken place. It looked like a whole war had happened here - broken trees, singed ground and even craters around the place.

However, more importantly for this case, a small white cloth, which was stuck onto a stick that was in the ground.
The Black Armoured man walked up to the cloth, kneeling down and picking it up, before examining it. Upon a close inspection, he let out a small scoff, followed by a small chuckle.

[Olhade] "Looks like I'm dead on the tracks of the Heroes party. Excellent, that means I should run into them any time soon."

He stated to himself, getting back up, before placing the small cloth inside his armour. However, before he was about to leave, Olhade stopped, sensing an immense Magical Energy residence in this area.
It was faint and sort of depleted by now, however there was enough of it, for him to determine that whoever this Magical Energy belonged to, was powerful.

Olhade remained still for a bit, before exhaling and looking up at the air.

[Olhade] "Looks like they've got one powerful being on their side... Interesting."

He stated, before chuckling to himself once more, resuming his pursuit of the Heroes Party.
Olhade, one of the Harbingers of Tritery - also known as 'The Cursed Paladin.'

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Next Chapter:
102. -
"A Brewing Storm."