Chapter 11: Answer

Still in the beaming sunlight of the morning, three people ate a simple breakfast together. The menu consisted of boiled potatoes, boiled rice, and boiled corn, but every dish gave off a scrumptious aroma that filled the kitchen’s air.

A bearded man stood, leaning over the table with a pot in one hand and a ladle in another. Brown rice left with each scoop and ended in three different plates which were already dressed with other sides. Arthur pushed the servings to himself and the two others at the table, erupting a cheer from Dendrick who picked up a spoon in haste. The slight smile on the soldier’s face that reached his eyes and the boy scarfing down his breakfast created a picturesque scene as the sun bathed them in yellow light.

Eluc hesitated at first to eat the food prepared for him, but the sight of Dendrick already enjoying it and a nod from Arthur removed his inhibitions. After giving a quick thanks for the food, he grabbed the spoon and took the first bite of rice. Explosions in his mouth from the flavor blanked his mind as the delicious spices accented the well-grown rice to create a beautiful recipe. Eluc could tell that every part of this food, from the plant’s growth to the dish’s serving was done with care.

Given the quality of the first entree, Eluc immediately set his eye on the other two. A scoop of potatoes from the plate to his mouth revealed the sweet dichotomy between the skin and the inner meat. The healthy skin took effort to bite into, but his teeth easily slid through the inner portion. As both parts touched his tongue, the warm flavor spread through his body. At last, the corn still on its cob was yearning to be tested. Slick butter melting on its surface that seeped between its crevices urged Eluc on as he bit into it.

Before long, the plate was empty, not even the crumbles spared. Eluc slouched in the chair, hands on his stomach, reveling in the quiet. It was almost too quiet. He opened his eyes to see two pairs moving between his face and his plate. At first, Eluc was confused about what was happening. ‘Did they already finish?’ he thought. Looking down at their plates proved that statement false as neither were even close to half-done.

“A-amazing,” Dendrick said, still looking at the plate and Eluc in what could only be interpreted as astonishment.

“Ye don’t only take fighting seriously, but eating too, huh?” Arthur was amazed as well. He was a full-grown man who needed thousands of calories more than the farmers to sustain his training, but not even he could eat that fast.

Eluc was wide-eyed and embarrassed from his ‘feat.’ “Sorry,” he said. “I just haven’t had food this good… in a while, that is.”

Dendrick gasped in understanding, “Because you’ve spent the last few years in the forest, right? I still can’t believe you’d put yourself through that. Quick visits I can do, but a night in there…” he cut himself off, shivering in his seat.

With a shake of his head, Arthur said, “Aye, people gifted with [The System] are different. They don’t fear the forest beasts like the common folk do. Still, they have limits. Even yer father couldn’t save ye, Dendrick, if ye keep entering the Forgotten Forest on your ‘adventures.’”

Now it was Dendrick’s turn to feel embarrassed, his eyes flicking between Eluc and his lap as his cheeks flushed. “Arthur, you know he doesn’t like people spreading that he’s a [User].”

Arthur gave a harumph, “Maybe if he contributed even a little bit to the town then I might be more respectful.” Now interested in the topic of [Users], he continued, “Dendrick, yer nearly thirteen. Any signs of [Initializing] anytime soon?”

Dendrick sighed, “Nothing. Father says he was about my age when he was ready, so probably soon, though. Then we won’t have to fear those dire beasts from the forest anymore!”

“Don’t get ahead of yerself, boy!” Arthur said after a hearty laugh. His gaze turned and he placed his spoon down, mulling over words in his head before speaking, “Eluc, what is yer purpose? What will ye do after leaving Blavix?”

The room turned quiet as Arthur clasped his hands, waiting for an answer. Dendrick was also curious but tried to act as if he wasn’t listening by playing with his food. As for Eluc, he was thinking of the proper answer to give.

“I am looking for something,” he started. “To find it, I feel as if I’ll be searching for a long time, slowly putting the puzzle together over time.”

Dendrick’s eyes brightened and he yelled, “Are you looking for a secret treasure?”

Eluc gave a small laugh. He enjoyed the childlike thoughts that would emerge from this kid’s mouth from time-to-time. “Not quite, but it’s something similar, in a way.

Seeing as the table went quiet again, Arthur began to scratch his beard, the bristle-like hairs itching his hand. Once he stopped, he looked Eluc dead in the eyes to say, “Yer swordsmanship is sloppy.”

“Huh?” Eluc said, confused at the sudden insult.

Arthur continued, “I noticed it in our fight, but yer swordsmanship lacks a foundation and has no proper form. I felt like I was fighting [The System] more than ‘Eluc.’”

These were good points that he was making, but Eluc was still unsure why he was bringing this up now. However, that question was soon answered.

“Eluc,” he said, gravely, “I am not confident in protecting this town at the moment. With more beast movement from the forest and words of unease spreading throughout the Kingdom, I feel as if something bad is coming, but I can’t say what.”

Thinking to himself, Eluc had to agree with the man. To the soldier, it was unfounded and based entirely on intuition, but Eluc had another clue that could further this hypothesis.

“I want to protect the people of Blavix, but it is harder as I get older and older. My only hope is for Dendrick to be gifted, but we need time that I am afraid we don’t have.”

Dendrick had a wry smile as he knew that the chances of him [Initializing] soon was low. He was only a child, but he still felt responsibility as a citizen of this town and a potential heir of [The System]. Perhaps it was only the excitation of youth, but Dendrick was willing to shoulder this weight for a chance to help his people.

Arthur’s monologue continued, “If ye want to find this ‘something’ ye are looking for, you’ll need strength. I may just be a normal person, but I can teach ye the proper swordsmanship of a soldier, maximizing yer potential as a [User] as many great Heroes of the past did. I can also help ye [Level] yerself up to achieve true strength.”

Excited by the promise of power, Eluc felt his steadfast heart pump harder than usual, stimulated by his emotions. If he could learn proper footwork, falling on his back would be an issue of the past, not to mention the many other benefits of knowing swordplay. Although he did not want to admit it to himself, he did feel a little thrilled when told he had the possibility to gain the strength of a hero.

“Eluc, stay here to protect this village. Not only for the benefits of its people but also yerself. Who knows, ye may even find a few pieces of the puzzle while here.” At last, Arthur finished, waiting for Eluc’s response.

It was a difficult decision for Eluc to make as he felt haste to travel the world in his search, but maybe that line of thought was incorrect. How far he roamed did not matter if everywhere he wandered was wrong.

With a sigh, Eluc dropped the twisting thoughts in his head that would continue to weave forever if he allowed them to. Why not take the chance of guidance when he had no idea of what to do?

“Sure, I can stay for a little while,” Eluc said, shrugging his shoulders.

Dendrick let out a cheer and in celebration began to bombard Eluc with more questions. Nodding, Arthur let out a small smirk on his face and picked up his utensils to continue eating, intent to finish the meal.

♢ ♢ ♢

It had already been a few days since Eluc agreed to stay. Arthur decided with the town that he could take temporary ownership of the Guest House for the duration of his stay. The children were disappointed by the loss of their base, but the gain of a new neighbor made up for the letdown.

Eluc was currently resting by the riverside, enjoying the sounds of the rushing water. The sound from the stream always calmed his racing mind and relaxed his tense muscles. After what he estimated was an hour-long nap, he opened his eyes and stood up, walking to the nearby field.

He was the only one standing on the open plain, distant from the view of the village. From his hip, he removed his sword from his sheath and held it with both hands in front of himself. Breathing deeply, air entering and leaving his lungs in a slow cycle, he waited until he heard the sound of a horn, signaling it was noon in Blavix. Raising the sword above his head, Eluc began his reps of swinging.

Each chop through the air was directly perpendicular to the ground, in a straight slice. At first, Eluc felt the exercise was easy and that he would run through the five-hundred swings in no time at all. However, after the fiftieth chop, he began to feel the true weight of the sword. Of course, it was made of steel so it had heft before, but Eluc didn’t recall having such trouble holding it before.

One-hundred swings into the exercise and his arms began to feel fatigued, acid burning inside of his muscles putting them through agony. Still, Eluc started this to begin with because he wanted to get stronger. ‘Without pain, there would be no gain,’ or at least that is what Arthur told him.

After the two-hundredth rep, Eluc released the sword from his hand, causing its blade to fly into the ground, hilt pointing to the sky. He fell to his knees with labored breathing, using his hands to massage the muscles of his arms and shoulders. Previously, the most pain he ever felt was the dire wolf ripping off one of his forearm muscles and taking it with him as a trophy. Thankfully, the White Room had nonsensical regenerative properties, so he was unmaimed to this day. The pain back then was bad enough that his vision was going in and out with tears blinding him further, all while he was screaming at the top of his lungs.

Eluc shuddered at the memory, still a fresh scar on his mind. Once he recalled this memory, the aches in his arms still tensed in pain, but his mental recognition of the pain lessened to a much smaller degree. He slowed his breaths, practicing the breathing pattern Arthur told him and sat there quietly on the ground.

In the silence, Eluc heard steps on the grass moving towards him from the village. Arthur made his way over, two glasses of sour lemonade in his hands. He offered one to Eluc who gladly accepted it as he drank the entire glass in two gulps. Looking at his own, Arthur laughed to himself as he had not finished half of it during the walk over from his house.

“How many reps did you reach today,” he said, taking a sip of his drink.

Eluc’s breathing was still rough but he managed to get out the answer, “Two-hundred exactly.”

Arthur nodded. ‘Ten more than yesterday,’ he thought. He stood there beside Eluc for a few minutes, gazing at the clouds in the blue sky. Every so often he would take a sip from his lemonade as he matched the shape of one to an animal or another object. He laughed to himself as one of the white clouds looked just like the Vineal Kingdom sigil he used to wear on his patrol armor in his younger days. He let out a sigh, pondering on the changing of the times.

After he decided Eluc rested for long enough, he said, “It's time for the next exercise.”

Still unrecovered from his tired muscles, he tried to plead, “Just a couple more minutes, then I’ll be ready.”

Laughing, Arthur gave Eluc a light kick to his side. “If ye always wait until yer ready, you’ll be dead before ye get anything done.”

Resisting the draw of fatigue, Eluc pushed himself onto his feet. His legs trembled in anticipation, but there was no way around it. He began his first lap of thirty around the village.

The next morning, Eluc awoke to sore muscles, but the message upon the opening of his eyes gave him a sense of satisfaction for his work.

Skill Up!

Strength (STR) has reached 11!