“So… You really want to go out with me, huh?”

“Eh? It’s… not that!” Her emerald eyes squinted as she blushed. "I just want someone to relax with for a while… And besides, everyone's left to their own devices; the captain has not briefed us yet.”

“Is that so?” Mido leaned on the doorway, thinking. Because he was so deep in thought, he did not notice that Wiz already grabbed his hand and trudged him through the hallway. Landing on the grand stairs to the lobby, Mido suddenly stopped, sending Wiz back a few steps because of his abrupt halt.

“Hm?”

“The captain… do you think he’s okay? He just sternly walked out yesterday…”

“Nah, all of them are fine. Oh, would you look at them!” Wiz pointed to a table in the lobby like a child between the people that passed them by. Mido looked in the general direction and saw three familiar figures, all sitting on the red, regal couches of the lobby.

“Gris, Gen, and that girl we saved, huh…”

“Let’s just wave them by, Mido. They might be busy with something~” Wiz winked as he nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Gen sat intently as Stera’s feet were planted firmly to the floor, her hands timidly clasped against each other as she rubbed them. Both of them faced Gris and being that the latter's seat made the grand stairs visible to him, he was the first to see Mido and Wiz, who was waving at them, gesturing 'We're going out!’ with her mouth, just as they planned. Gris just smiled and waved back at the two, who were about to come into Gen and Stera’s view.

Judging from his forced expression, however, he clearly had a lack of sleep.

“Old man. Waving at another ‘acquaintance?’” Gen asked, but also looked to where Gris was waving to. When he saw the two, he wore a neutral look and just nodded, and looked at Stera, who smiled at the sight.

“Huh. So that’s why Sora became so grumpy all of a sudden. I feel bad for him.” Gris mumbled.

“Are those two… together?” She asked.

“Nuh—" Gen grunted, but immediately exhaled the pressure afterward.

"That guy, Mido, is our 'relatively' new colleague. He was saved days ago from a tragedy up north. Now, he’s a Vassal United member, right after Wizbette saved him. Not that it matters though…”

“Oh? He's lucky, then. Having someone to walk beside you after a tragedy helps with coping up.”

Gen gave her a perplexed look.

“Is that so?”

Stera innocently smiled at him.

“Of course.”

“Oi, what brought you to invite me over this occasion, hm?” Gris comfortably placed both of his hands behind his head and raised a skeptical look at the two.

“Ah, you see, Stera here wants a new life out here. But I’m certain that we need to fix a problem with her first. Her ability is gone. We need to start from that." Stera just nodded after Gen’s every word.

"Let me guess: you want me to vouch for her check-up with Watcher Enzo since I am the most acquainted person that can reach out to him. Right?" He pointed at Gen, who agreed.

“You’re correct, down to every last word.”

Gris paused and thought to himself for a bit, before abruptly standing up and enthusiastically called to the two.

“Let’s go, then! I also need to visit the man every once in a while.”

“Wait, are we just going to barge in there? What about schedules? Formalities?” Gen rambled. Stera just looked at the two, as she does not have a clue of what they are talking about.

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” Gris waved. “We just need two things first.”

“I know. Cheese and lavender. Seriously, that old man’s such a creep.”

“Ah, you still remember your first appraisal, Gen. You were such a skeptic back then.”

“Still…” Gen looked at Stera.

“Are you okay about this?”

She did not answer for a while and only stared at his face.

“Oi.”

“Huh?” Stera was startled and quickly spoke up. "Oh! You were asking?"

“I said, are you okay about this?” Gen emphasized.

"Yes, yes I do! Of course, I'll need to do something about my ability to be of use to you people…"

"Right. She has consented. Let's go." Gris said and was the first to walk from the couch. Gen called Stera and she tailed by his side. Swinging the doors open, they were kissed by the morning sun that touched Henwales’ surface. The pavement glimmered as the first rays of the morning hit.

“Ahh… After heavy rain, comes the scorching sun." Gris quoted, who lead the two to the start of a long walk, unbeknownst to Stera.

As they walked through buildings, stalls, and seeing the beautiful background of the tree-line below Henwales, Stera’s eyes glistened with awe and curiosity, reminiscent to that of Mido’s reaction when he first stepped his foot into the mountain-city. But deep inside, she remembered something lost deep in her heart.

She was reminded of home.

No, not the buildings, the atmosphere, or the scenery, but the people. People that enjoyed their lives here in this mountaintop, minding their own business, but their smiles reaching out to everyone unhindered. People that, for a moment, gave Stera the visage of her late town, destroyed by the first push of the Faustian Empire from the sea. To her, if people had not birthed war into their minds, the world she lives in must be prospering now.

It was only a matter of time before reality kicked in, however, and Stera was pulled back from the past.

“Hey… you look so pale.” Gen checked up on her, to which she shrugged.

“No, I’m just not used to this much people…” Stera timidly scanned the place around her as they neared a walkway to another part above the district they were in. The walkway, although large enough to occupy a dozen people side-by-side and traced much of the mountain's side, was only supported by waist-high secured fencing. Though the fog starts to form at this height, one can see the steep rock face of the mountain that extends to the bottom.

After a few more minutes of idle walking, just following Gris, the three eventually came to the archway that leads to the monastery of the Primal Monks.

“Yeah. I remember this place. T’was almost a year, huh Gris?” Said Gen, to which Gris chuckled.

“Mhmm. I only hope the old man remembers you, though." He carried a bag, which contained cheese and lavender for the Watcher.

The place was silent, except for the smooth whistling of the wind. Charms hanged on each stone archway, each bearing intricate symbols none of them can decipher. A few more steps and the old doors leading to the courtyard came into view. Gris visited the place days ago with Mido and Fein, but as they passed the archways, it left him anew as if it was his first time; a calming, spiritual wave washed on his mind.

They knocked twice on the door. A few moments later, scratching footsteps from a sandal made its way onto the gates from the other side. Three bolts and a creak sounded, and the door was lightly pushed outward.

“Hmm? What brings you to the monastery… Gris?” An old, dignified familiar monk greeted them.

“Good morning, Watcher Enzo. It’s been a while.” Gris said, the two only waved. Seeing their hands behind Gris, he leaned to the left and squinted a bit.

“And I suppose it’s a matter between these two? Wait, am I supposed to know them?” He commented.

Gris gripped the bag tightly. “Ah, you see. This one’s Gen, which you appraised almost a year ago.” He tapped Gen’s shoulder, which he promptly shrugged.

Enzo rubbed his beard. “Hmm… I’m sorry, but my mind’s hazy. However! I am familiar with your face...” He turned to look at Stera, who cannot decide where to look.

“Now this girl I cannot remember…”

“She’s Stera, and our concern for coming here is mainly because of her.” Gen straightforwardly said to the old man. “She had her ability stripped away from her recently, and we’re trying to help her recover it.”

Enzo looked at each of them and told himself that they were serious. Exhaling, he fully opened the monastery doors.

"Figures, you came back from your errand. A Vassals ability, taken… Well, if it's work, then I'll gladly help. I've been rusty after the Office's not receiving any more Vassals to appraise, but I'll manage. Come."

As Enzo pushed the doors with his frail hands, he noticed Gris helped him, and saw the bag he carried in his hand was hampering his ability to push. It smelled of lavender, however, making Enzo yank it out of his hand abruptly. Opening the bag, he saw it contained a cheese wheel and lavender perfume, neatly placed separately against each other.

“I still have a supply of these, but I’ll take it.” He laughed as Gris strained to open the door.

Time passed as they took their time acquainting with the Watcher. After a cup of local tea and a bit of introduction, they eventually came to the matter at hand.

“Oh? A Vassal used their ability to take yours? That’s very rare, considering I have never encountered such an ability…” Enzo consulted the girl, who, like an appointment to a doctor, complied with the old man’s questions.

"We are speculating that this Vassal, which we are also on the case with, is a Void Vassal. Her ability drains dry the bodies of both Vassal and otherwise and might be the source of her power." Detailed Gris.

"Hmm. So my assumptions were true, then. If that Vassal in question is of Void alignment, then what happened to you was that this person ripped your tones apart.”

“Eh?” Stera gasped.

"As Vassals, we are instruments capable of strumming the tones to create the music which is our abilities. Figuratively, each is aligned to one aspect. If the Vassals are instruments that work harmoniously, the Void is a tone borne of discord. What happens when you play a song that does not align with your instrument? The harmony breaks, and along with it, the tones.” Enzo made a snapping gesture with both hands.

“In other words, your tones are broken by that Void’s outside influence. And we need to fix it, lest you want to let your ability disappear altogether.”

Stera looked down. The thought of losing her ability made her melancholic, as it was the only factor of her that carried her identity’s worth.

Sighing, she replied.

“I am not a Vassal without my ability. It is the only thing I have to help those who saved me. So, I refuse to just stay down. Please, help me, Watcher Enzo.”

“Ah, much like that Mido, huh…" Enzo mused and stood up. “Right. Now, if I may…” He reached out to Stera’s smooth hand with his wrinkled one. He was appalled by the difference in age at first but shrugged it off as he used his ability.

“Alto’s ebb and flow, grant me thy eyes to look through thee. Thine tone is yours.”

“Appraisal: Macroscope.”

Rings glowing with energy enveloped and bind Stera’s arm. As it focused, the rings vibrated and trickled seams of energy that came from Stera’s skin. It was sizzling, but it did not hurt her. The strings of energy were attracted to the rings as they circled them. With each passing second, the vibration grew more intense, until it ceased to, relaxing into a bundle of oscillating energy that wrapped Stera’s arm.

She noticed her eyes went heavy. She was immediately tired from the endeavor and leaned on Gen’s shoulder, her weight startling him.

“Stera, this is your ability’s trace. I forcefully took some of it from you, so that’s why you’re exhausted. From the looks of it, it’s abstract. I daresay damaged, even.”

Enzo released the rings and set the contained energy into the table like it was a jug. He then proceeded to work on it as runes floated around him, each taking a sliver of energy from the contained mass.

“Huh. Say, can you describe your ability?” Enzo asked Stera, who was recovering from the sudden exhaustion she felt.

She composed herself for a while and spoke.

“I can entice lesser animals to be tame and do my commands for a while. Titania’s Touch, they called it. The nobles that I went into made me a hunter because of that.”

“How… morbid.” Gris scoffed. “But still, you had no choice but to utilize your ability.”

“You can’t blame her, old man. That’s the nature of her ability.” Gen commented.

“Alright, alright, enough with that. Stera, you’re a Primal Vassal. Your connection to fauna made it apparent. But still, I’m just a monk who happens to have an appraisal ability. I’m afraid my only help is to give you advice on how to come to terms with your ability.”

“Oh…” Stera looked at Gen pitifully, to which he was concerned looking at.

“We’ll do what the Watcher asks us to. I’ll be at your side.” The only thing he could think of is to assure her. Thankfully, Stera was lifted by his assurance.

“Okay, Gen.”

To break the tension, Enzo clapped his hand in a singular motion, startling the dozing-off Gris at the side.

“First and foremost, I have not encountered such case of a Vassal losing their ability, but I had taken care of people who want to have one, so I bet that the same method applies.” He paused before pointing at Stera.

“What I tell them is to meditate and meditate! Focus on yourself, until you achieve the state of being with the tones of Alto!” He said enthusiastically, bursts of light seemingly broke through from his back before returning to his calm state.

“But… you already know where your ability belongs, eh?”

“So, ask yourself: Where do I belong, in this world? Where did my ability find me, and why I found it?”

Stera instinctively closed her eyes.

“Nature.”

The view of the wild seeped into her train of thought.

“The wild.”

She saw green sprites and was captivated as they surrounded her.

“Every critter that walked in it. Every prey, every predator.”

The animals that walked the forest came and looked at her. They seemed to revere her presence.

“I was lost in the wilds. But the wilds became my haven.”

The sprites guided her, and when the gates of the forest opened, she was in a grassy place. Rolling hills are strewn out and about, as hints of civilization she saw in the distance.

“It guided me…”

When she looked back, however, the doors closed, never to open again.

But I soon lost them. I saw an amulet my brother gave to me as a means to preserve my sanity in that wilderness, but once I was out of it, it vanished from my hands.

Stepping away from that space inside her mind, Stera came to terms with reality as she opened her eyes.

“So, ask yourself: Where do I belong, in this world? Where did my ability find me, and why I found it?” Enzo asked.

Stera knew what to say.

“In the wild.”

“Then, try to expose yourself to the wild. Remember what you did, and your ability might come back to you. It’s vague, but we’re battling a Void ability’s effects on you. I’m not an expert on such cases, but I think coming back to where you acquired your ability might be the most sensible option.”

Enzo inhaled as he tried to keep up with what he said.

“But to keep yourself out of harm’s way, try and meditate to cleanse your tones. You might just find the solution on your own.”

Stera nodded and thanked the old man.

“Thank you very much, Watcher Enzo. Something’s opened up to me now, so I’ll try and follow your advice.”

“’Something,’ huh? Well then, by all means, you are welcome! The doors of the monastery are always open with a knock!" Enzo stood up and slapped the snoring Gris on the face, his jolting body made the wooden room creak a bit from his weight.

“Uhh, what the hell? Enzo?” He lazily looked around.

“Ah, sleep-deprived, are we? Even though we drank that tea I made…” Enzo remarked and chuckled at his friend's sorry state.

"Shit… I thought I was back in the dorms…" He slowly propped himself to the wall as he yawned.

“Sorry, Gris, but we just had to.” Gen waved an apology as he sat beside Stera.

“Damn~ You know what? I’ll take care of this big man right here. You two can observe the place. Tell them the Watcher approved of you.” Enzo said as he attended to Gris.

“Then we’ll take a look around, then. Thank you, Watcher Enzo.” Gen said and called for Stera.

Opening the sliding door and stepping out, the two were greeted by the sunbaked courtyard, the small pockets of white clouds passing through of a blue sky, and the general feeling of calming bliss.

“You know, Gen? Now that I noticed it, the air’s pretty thin here. I’ve never been this far up the lands.”

"Really, huh?" Gen scanned the place for a balcony. He saw one in the distance and quickly grabbed Stera’s hand.

“Oh?”

“Let’s see the world from here, then.”

They walked around the courtyard and into the balcony, Stera’s soft, dark hair waved along. When they reached it, she hurriedly grabbed at the wooden railing and saw the vast lands, encompassing most of the Henwales region. Mountain passes, ranges and landmarks were strewn across the sea of green.

Her eyes went wide, jaws dropped from awe, and the feeling of hugging the world around her from this point of view made her heart flutter.

“Wow~ It’s really wide… I can’t even see Reiss from here. Is it really that far? Oh?! Is that the road we took? It looks like a small string now!" She looked and pointed to whatever mused her, like a child going on her first trip in the park.

Meanwhile, Gen smiled behind her, as he remembered a memory.

“A cheerful sister, always caring. A happy brother, always gentle. Okay, Gen?”

“Gen? Don’t just stand there. Come and see this! I want to ask something about these places!” Stera was completely lost to the scenery and had every reason to.

He joined Stera’s company, and he too reminisced the first time he and her sister went to this city.

The land never fazed him. To Gen, the scenery was all too boring, as he saw the very same sight almost every day since he became an officer of the Vassal United. To him, it was only an afterthought to residents of the city, reserved only for the tourists that come here to see the sights for themselves.

But seeing Stera, a girl he abruptly saved, and learned of her shortcomings, where she came from, and how she came into his company, reminded him that one time, he was also a tourist.

That time, he was only a boy, clutching his sister’s hand, walking through the scenic mountain-city, without a care for the world.