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「Is Lia going to be okay, Mr. Potternuggets?」

The merchant gently closed the door behind him as he entered the room; I was waiting in the same dinette where we had first discussed my apprenticeship.

He quietly came over and placed his candle on the table I was sitting at. The moody lighting only worsened my anxiety.

「We're no experts in first aid... but we do have some leftover medical supplies. My daughter's trying all she can to treat your friend's wounds. We won't know the full extent of her injuries until we call in a health professional...」

Answering my concern, Mr. Potternuggets took a seat and stroked his goatee. He was a saint for putting up with our sudden visit.

That'll do I guess. She gets to use the guest bed, which is better than that previous house. It was a good idea to sneak here.

「What about Melyn..? How is she faring..?」

「As for Ms. Melyn... she's unlike herself. She wouldn't respond to anything I said.」

「Yeah... well... a lot's happened since yesterday.」

「I can tell. For now, she's resting in another guest bedroom. While I can quite easily procure medical supplies, it is the medicine of the soul that's hard to come by.」

In some ways, saving the thief girl was going to be a lot harder than saving Lia. The look on the merchant's face echoed my sentiments.

The ensuing lull was abruptly interrupted by an audible sigh. Mr. Potternuggets then promptly leaned forward and looked at me expectantly.

「So... Lorenzo... would you mind sharing with me exactly what's happened?」

As if he were aware of the trouble we were involved in, he made an effort to lower his voice. He'd occasionally glance at the curtain-covered window behind me.

「W-what's happened eh..?」

I levered myself up against the chair and gazed at the floor.

Housing us, a group of outlaws, was far from an ideal move for a reputable storeowner of Mr. Potternuggets' caliber. Even I wouldn't have done it in his shoes.

Thus in my mind, apprising my mentor of the current situation would be the least I could do in return for his unwonted kindness.

Plus, he was a man I respected greatly. There was none outside the slum dwellers I could trust more than him.

So I slackened my shoulders and cleared my throat.

「Where should I begin..?」

And for the next half an hour I brought him up to speed on all that had transpired.

From the Bloody Talons to the destruction of the Lakua Village, I laid bare everything and even let him know about the conspiracy I had pieced together. Nothing was held back.

Never at any moment throughout my explanation did Mr. Potternuggets interrupt me to ask questions or dig deeper.

He simply stayed silent and solemnly nodded at my every description.

I finished up by recounting how we slunk through the flame-ravaged streets of the Yarzon slums for hours, barely avoiding detection, and were forced to watch as countless slum dwellers were slaughtered by hired thugs.

Which brought us to the present.

I had kept my delivery cold and detached. To convey the story as concisely and intelligibly as possible, it was necessary to keep my emotions in check.

As painful as it was.

「I see... Their intricate scheme to eradicate the slum dwellers succeeded...」

Mr. Potternuggets crossed his arms and reclined in his seat.

「Explains why earlier today, everyone in the middle-class commercial and residential zones was asked to stay home until tomorrow. The city officials said it was to help regulate the traffic coming into Yarzon following yesterday's announcement... but hearing this...」

「They didn't want the population to intervene...」

「Exactly Lorenzo. And the security is tight outside to prevent anyone from leaving their homes and getting involved...」

I gripped my thigh as the tides of frustration came crashing down on me. And what cropped up from the receding waters was fear.

Pure unadulterated fear.

Was it the same fear Rysef battled with years before his untimely death? Or was it another fear, fueled by the terror I experienced at that instant?

Regardless, it was a fear directed at a single body looming over us like a storm cloud.

The Church.

Up till now, I naively thought I could step up against them. To me, they were no different than your average cult of evildoers.

But what was on the surface was merely the tip of the iceberg.

I now understood, that they were a force to be reckoned with. They were above your typical gang of crooks. The level of control they had attained over Jazga was... insane.

I've stood up to the cunningest of guilds and strongest of players. Yet they all pale in comparison to these religious zealots...

This was no longer an immersive game world. It was an extension of reality. I'd finally woken up to that realization.

And that small part of me that doubted this realm's authenticity, withered away like a dying flower.

「This is all real... huh..?」

I internalized my newfound perspective on this world and rose from my chair, as did Mr. Potternuggets.

He picked up the half-melted taper, wearing an indiscernible countenance; an expression masked by the shadows.

As he brought the light to his face though, what emerged was but a friendly twinkle.

「Well—now I understand the circumstances surrounding you. Thank you for enlightening me. You and your friends can stay with us for as long as you'd like.」

「S-seriously..?」

「Naturally! We have no issues with accommodating guests! This general store used to be a hotel you know? This place has always harbored an air of hospitality!」

The merchant awkwardly puffed out his chest and grinned. His boisterous persona really shone through in instances like this.

I could only stare at my feet and wrench out a modest smile.

「Mm. Sorry for putting you through this, Mr. Potternuggets. I know you're my mentor and all but...」

「Non, non! That's incorrect, my assistant! There is a better phrase to use in place of "sorry"!」

My eyes widened hearing his utterance. It sounded eerily similar to something a certain someone once said.

A certain someone I'd never see again.

I lightly chuckled before scratching my head.

「Ah... you're right. It's thank you, isn't it?」

「Very good! You'd best go rest now. You've had a long day.」

「I'll go do that...」

With a slight bow, I left the table and walked past the merchant.

As the candle flame in his hand merrily danced around and bathed the room in a wavering hue of orange, I grabbed the door handle and choked back any lingering traces of weakness in my heart.

There was no room for sentimentality. The fate of the slum dwellers rested on my shoulders. I had to stay focused.

「Actually wait... Lorenzo...」

Suddenly though, his voice beckoned me from behind.

「What is it Mr. Potternuggets?」

「I forgot to ask you something.」

I stood stock-still, my back facing the merchant. Needless to say, I had taken the possibility of this conversation into account. If he wanted juicier answers, I'd provide them.

「Of course. Ask away.」

Mr. Potternuggets took a deep breath and let his worries leave his lips.

「Are you okay?」

This inquiry in question caught me off guard. Out of all the things she could've asked...

「Oh, I'm fine. Lia was the one who bore the brunt of the attacks. These cuts and scrapes will go away on their own.」

「No that's not what I'm asking.」

Tip, tap, tip, tap...

His footsteps approached me, and I could sense his presence a mere inches away from me.

「What I'm asking is... are you okay?」

Splish!

And like a slap in the face, I found myself directly under a leaky ceiling. The universe truly was unforgiving.

「What are you talking about, Mr. Potternuggets? I don't understand what you're asking...」

I let out a breathy chortle, yet the merchant wasn't laughing one bit.

Splish!

「I told you I'm fine. I just need a good night's sleep is all..!」

My grasp on the doorknob was beginning to shake. It was probably the fatigue and consternation hitting me all at once. I did spend a whole day running.

Splish!

「Also... could you fix your leaky ceiling? It's been dripping for a while now...」

「What leaky ceiling? 」

「Are you blind? The one that's right above me—」

I turned around to face my mentor.

W-Wha—?

And upon noticing his wobbly figure and the water streaming down my cheeks, I came to register what had occurred.

「Huh? That's odd... what is this..?」

I wiped away the teardrops, only to have them replaced by more tears. Like a raging rapid, it was impossible to fight back the flow. Like a perpetual fountain, there was no end in sight.

「W-why am I..?」

As desperate as I tried, I couldn't stop the waterworks.

Mr. Potternuggets swiftly dropped the candle in his hand and stepped forward to embrace me. As he tightly wrapped his arms around me, I could feel the affection alleviate my months of suppressed anguish.

「You've done well to hold it in, Lorenzo. It's okay now. Cry it all out now.」

Like a child, I clung to my mentor's sturdy body and cried my eyes out.

My involuntary shedding of tears had devolved into an unbridled sob; I had completely broken down.

「I may not fully understand your position, but I can tell you've surpassed your obligations. The world expects too much of you, and yet you keep up with its unreasonable demands. If no one recognizes that, then know that I do.」

His sentiments, warmer than an evening hearth, quickly melted away the icecaps in my eyes.

And what arose from it, was a catharsis like never before.

「I'm glad you're alive... Lorenzo... I truly am...」

They were words I sorely needed.

I could never recall a time in my life when I'd heard that phrase. It was a simple phrase sure, but one that carried a lot of weight. Even more so than a thankyou or a sorry.

For once, if only but a second, I experienced a love that wasn't attached to any sort of responsibility. Instead, it was a love that lifted some of that burden off my consciousness. A love that didn't expect me to do much in return.

Two years of my mature front had gone in two minutes.

The night went on, and at some point, I'd passed out.

The immense relief, exhaustion, and security enveloped me in a cozy blanket I could fall asleep to. I could only assume Mr. Potternuggets carried me up to my bed.

How pathetic... Lorenzo of Battleshift, being babied at his age. As a 24-year-old I should be ashamed...

And yet, what I felt was the farthest thing from shame.

In lieu, what I was blessed with was a sanctuary.

A sanctuary at last.

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