Chapter 196 – Back in Tal

Ramiel stayed within his cabin inside the steam galleon ship. The travel to the Hillines continent took about twenty-five days. In those days Ramiel was slowly weakening. His body or at least the inner flesh of his right arm was already hard as wood. The ebony wood like structure that wrapped his ligaments slowly makes it harder for Ramiel to move his right arm. His foot got loose but there was a pain every time he tries to stand in the morning. The pain would lessen when he continues walking but still waiting for the pain to fade was quite a chore.

The reason why he wants to go back to the City of Tal was for two things. The first thing is that he wants to visit the tree that he really liked there. And the important one is to see if he could still see his original family. Of course, his original family is probably long dead. He outlived them. And there was no way for him to return to the other world. So instead Ramiel hoped that the Lady of Argos has somehow kept the camera well.

As Grom, he went with Elena a lot of times on the Argos Company. In the Argos Company, he learned of many things. And among those things were a flash box that apparently the lady of Argos has kept with her. The lady of Argos was alive. Being buddies with the old fools from the magus and alchemy guilds. She somehow convinced them to transform her flesh to make herself youthful. While many of the other mages and alchemist suspect that she found the fountain of longevity but has thrown the ‘manual’ and its secrets. Some say that the lady of Argos was a natural schemer.

So hearing that she was possibly alive, Ramiel could not stay still. He wanted his camera back so he intends to visit the house of Argos as a representative of the Mistress of the Fernery Island. The events that happen in the island are still hidden, and only the news of the arc dragon's return was leaked out. Pandora was quite influential due to the golem production lines. The Magus and Alchemy Guilds wanted to usurp the production lines but they met defeat when Pandora paid them a visit and taught them a lesson. Grom was present wherever Pandora goes so he witnessed it personally.

Ramiel plants to use the name Grom to have a ‘visit’ in the house of Argos. That is why despite the immense pain that he was feeling. Ramiel for once kept his cowardice back. For the sake of seeing his family, even though only in digital form, he still want to remember them once. A hundred years is quite a long one, and with jumbled memories making their faces blurry to him. Ramiel was quite uncaring on how he gets it.

So as he waits for the galleon steam ship to arrive in the city of Tal. Ramiel willed himself to do one last thing before he goes out.

...

The steam galleon ship arrived at the ports of Tal. Ramiel waited on top of the deck eagerly waiting to get off the boat. The steam boat anchored, the stairs were put and the passengers were finally allowed to go.

Ramiel immediately went down. The moment he looked at where everything began. Ramiel felt a bit of sadness. He walked into the ports of Tal. Vaguely recalling he experiences the moment he arrives on this world. Alone, and stripped naked of his belongings, forced to eat raw organ, begging on the streets. It was a very harsh way to start a life in the other world. Making his delusions of grandeur about heroes being transported in other worlds destroyed.

Ramiel shook his head. He walked along the streets and visited the first thing that came to his mind. He went to the Inn where he first worked at. And arriving at the Inn he saw how grand it was already. It was big, marbled and was rather fancy now. At first, it was only a simple two floored Inn with a bar and an attic. But now it was larger and was crowded than ever. Ramiel entered the Inn. He looked for the place where people eat and ordered the dishes that he ate a long time ago. His order for food was quite fast. The service was impeccable and the aroma around the restaurant inside the Inn was top class.

With his food arriving Ramiel decided to immediately eat. While eating he felt a bit of nostalgia. The food he was eating tasted like the one that Miss Felli let him eat. It was the first decent food he ate. Before that, he was eating nasty stuff thrown away. Ramiel could not help but shed a tear. Miss Felli was the one who helped him get out of his status as a beggar. So he was extremely grateful to her.

After eating, Ramiel asked around for Miss Felli’s grave. The staff wondered why and Ramiel merely said that he was an old acquaintance named Ramiel. Hearing him, the staff asked for Ramiel’s age which he replied appropriately. The staff was shocked. And told him where Miss Felli’s grave was. Knowing the location, Ramiel bought some flowers on the stalls around the city of Tall and visited the cemetery where Miss Felli’s rested. Her grave was quite grand. In her tombstone, it says that she died protecting the City from one of the beasts that appeared. A patriotic citizen of the City, a friend of an Old Hero and a powerful magician that was known as the bloody caravaneer, Felli was respected and died with glory.

Ramiel admired Miss Felli’s feats. And as he puts the flowers on her grave, He sat cross-legged. Bowed his head, and lit a cigar to praise her. Staying on her grave for quite a while, talking about how grateful he was for saving him in his time of need. And if anything Ramiel regrets that he wasn’t able to thank her while she was still alive.