“.…..”

We both stood silently as we tried finding the source of the sound. Upon hearing closely, I could see a bush moving and so I moved closer with faint steps. I was on guard and prepared for everything.

But our fear was turned into something not very horrific.

“Ah!” A scream came out from the bushes. It felt like a scream of a child, “It hurts,”

As I watched a boy jumped out of the bushes. He wore an unsatisfied look and continuously rubbing his arm.

‘The bush must have some thorns to them.’

I thought as it stood as the only plausible explanation for me, but moreover I was concerned about another thing.

“A child?” said Brandon with an agonized yet surprised tone.

I had the same reaction. For a moment I thought he was lost and was finding his way back home.

“Mister, that was amazing!!!” He screamed with joy in his voice and his legs as he jumped across to let out his excitement.

I was of course aware of the danger, but he wasn’t and I shouldn’t expect anything more from a child.

I was little relieved that there wasn’t any active danger or anything but a child being in here…..

I walked towards him and got on my knees to match his height.

“You think?”

“Yes, it was. You jumped in the air and then…..Baam!”

He imitated my actions. It seemed that he was present here all along.

I had to know why he was here, but I didn’t wanted to scare him or just scold him right away. So, I played along a little bit.

“I just want to be like you,” He said.

“Nah, trust me. There are more better people out there.”

“No, you are the best. Because I saw you.”

He went on praising me. It was good and satisfying.

But, I didn’t want him to be an Adventurer.

Not because, he can’t be.

But because, he had to give away his five precious years.

It was a heavy a bargain for me. Ishi always has been against me being an Adventurer.

We lived in fear, that was what we were taught from the very beginning.

‘You run away, you become a coward. No worry…because you’ll live.’

That’s what were taught. It was important to live more than to fight and that is the reason even though we Adventurers were praised for our valor, we also were criticized for our stupidity.

“What’s your--”

I was going to ask his name, but then I heard another voice from inside the forest. It wasn’t loud but it echoed due to the trees which surrounded the place.

“Kadoc?”

The voice sounded like they were in trouble or were worried. After a few seconds we saw another person coming through the same place from the boy came.

“Kadoc!”

A woman came out of the bushes and ran towards the boy tightly embracing him.

‘That’s his mother, I guess.’

She held him tightly in her arms. Her face which was filled with despair a second ago was now overflowing with reactions. She was angry, sad, worried and also happy. Her eyes filled with tears.

“Are you his parent?” Brandon asked her right away. He didn’t waste a second as it was a must question. I was going to ask her the same thing, but I just wasn’t going to be as rude as him.

“Y-Yes..” She responded with a light nod. Seeing her reactions she knew what was going to be his next question so she spoke up, “It was just--”

“How irresponsible!” Brandon cut her off with his tone filled with anger and harshness, “How could you let him go away. If this thing would have caught him, then…”

He was right, it would’ve been devastating to see something so dreadful happening. After all, it didn’t matter that you lived a peaceful or a worthless life. What mattered was that you survived.

“I-I am sorry..”

She didn’t retaliate, instead sunk her head down. She accepted her mistake and was ready to face any consequences.

“It’s okay. Don’t let that happen again.” I said as I got up and looked at Brandon indicating that he didn’t have to rebuke her any further. He responded with a light nod.

“Yeah,” He added as a reassurance for her.

She looked at us with a gratefulness and as for Kadoc, his eyes glittered and his smile blistered. I patted his head and smiled back to him.

“What were you doing here anyway?” I asked her as we proceeded towards the village.

“Uh--Collecting wood.” She stuttered as she spoke. I thought it was because she didn’t expect a question from me.

“Why you? Your husband’s busy?” Brandon asked her as it was unusaual to see woman in forest collecting resources. These kinds of works were commonly left to men as they were thought to be strong and capable of defending themselves, but after seeing Maria…I know that they are very capable of doing that.

“That…” She hesitated to speak but did anyway, “You may not believe, but he just…Vanished.”

“Vanished?”

****

[Maria’s POV]

The day was as sunny as always, but the wind seemed a little playful today.

I covered my face to avoid any dust settling over it as I walked down the path of the Market Place.

“Sorry for dragging you out here.” said Silvester who walked beside me in an elderly fashion. He wasn’t being too obvious with his words nor his actions to make it seem that we really knew each other.

I guess he was trying to not draw any unnecessary attention.

“No worries, it’s not like you can buy clothes for woman, right?” I smiled as I replied and pointed towards the direction of a stall which seemed to be less crowded. It wasn’t something, but the Market Place was filled with people today.

He chuckled at my response and walked in the direction I pointed.

Apparently, Mortis went away with Brandon.

Brandon came early in the morning when we were having our confused dinner to greet me with some news that I wasn’t expecting to hear.

But, putting that aside…..He asked Mortis to accompany him for some job and so they both took off and I was stuck with Mikhail and Avon….two unknown personalities.

‘Seriously, that guy..he could have thought about me.’

I cursed Mortis for leaving me alone here, but then was eventually saved by Silvester as he wanted some help with purchasing drapes for Ishiki.

I quickly agreed and jumped outside and now….here I am.

“That one,” I urged the shopkeeper to get me the dress I pointed out. He happily handed it to me. I felt the fabric, it was thin but soft.

‘It should look good on her,’

I thought as it had some of the alluring thread-works I had ever seen.

Silvester watched over from the sidelines and asked a question, which I had not quite expected from him.

“How did you get wrapped in this business?”

He addressed the issue of me being with Mortis. It was indeed an queer question from him, but this opened up the opportunity to ask my own queries.

“I should be the one asking that,” I hinted, “Why are you wrapping yourself in this?”

He wasn’t surprised nor did he expect that I would ask him this, but he glanced over at the Market Place and the stalls within it.

“I just wanted to….”

He answered with uncertainty in his voice, his face, and his actions.

“You have your ordinance close, right?”

He now looked at me with a surprise look, but after observing everything and eliminating possibilities, it was just as easy as it to break an egg.

I always wondered how people reacted when their time has come.

‘Do they become sad?’

‘Do they become happy?’

‘Or do they feel nothing?’

It was an answer which I always have been wondering for.

When we contacted Silvester, he looked like a man with grim face, but judging by everything around….he has friends. So, it must have mean that he isn’t what he looks like, but then what made him accept us.

Easy…..He is about die.

He definitely has no interest in living nor has any fear of danger, because just what it looks like…he will die sooner or later.

“Hmm, it seems you figured it out, huh?”

He said with a slight laugh and also a mixed reaction of fright and uneasiness.

Although your mind may become shallow and pain may take over your wound, but still humans are bound to be afraid of death.

I always wondered how’d I feel….I had three years so it was long to come by, but….

“How much time do you have?”

“A month at most,” He looked away and started gazing the sky as he continued, “Hmm, look at me….It looks like I am whining. Trying to be tough, but the fact still remains the same…I am going to die. Alone and worthlessly.”

It did hurt a lot to see person agonizing his fate, but he couldn’t prevent it. Although he could have chosen to live merrily.

“Then why didn’t you…”

I cut short by him as he completed my sentence.

“.…find a woman and live happily and peacefully?”

I nodded as he said those words.

He looked at me and pulled a small grin.

“Tell me something, Maria.” he continued, “Do you really think that everyone here can live jubilantly. Do you really think this world will allow you to?”

I gave it some thought, but I couldn’t find any suitable answer for it.

So, he continued, “I am not saying that this world is a mess. It is merry, but partially. You see, you take birth in here and adapt to live, then when you are learning the skills to survive, you are suppose to become mature too. And then when are you finally ready to survive and strive for yourself…you have to find a love and make children to continue your lineage. That’s how lead a happy life, right?”

He gave the shopkeeper some money and picked the dress and started walking away, towards the shack down the alley.

“When you think about it…you understand that, twenty-five years are just not enough.” He said as he stopped midway.

‘Not enough?’

Those words kept ringing in my mind.

“That is the reason you never found a woman for yourself?”

I posed a question which popped in mind at the first moment.

“Oh no, I did.” He said with a down cast face. His moments were varied from before, “She was beautiful, but she stepped out of walls that day and just never returned…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I am alone and that’s fine, but I don’t want to lead a worthless life.” He said as he looked at his house. He took a few steps ahead, “Securing that girl will make my life a little more meaningful, wouldn’t it?”

I nodded and gave an admiring look. It is not everyday that you see a man like this…

“Thank you,” I bowed and then raised my head only to find Mortis with Brandon and two other people.

‘Seems like they did their job.’

“Mortis!” I called him out as he walked towards him, but…

“Halt. Stay where you are.”

In a flash we all were surrounded by guards.

“Well, was I not right to call this shot..”

A voice came from behind. It was very familiar. I turned around to find someone very unexpected.

It was the man who had helped us yesterday, when we were trying to find Silvester.

“Wong? What’s the meaning of this?”

Silvester asked him with a suspicious look. He knew him as they both claimed themselves to be friends.

“Oh nothing you should worry about, Sil-ly!” Wong continued, “This is just a way to get rid of evil…also to make loads of money.”

He ratted us out?…….