***

POV Change

***

Two men and two women were sitting at a table in the small room. They wore black robes with hoods over their heads.

"So, it seems that Lufas is being quite concerned about some kid, called Moon."

One of them said to the other.

"Moon, is it? I see... Lufas and Moon, Lufas and Moon. How interesting...''

He nodded to himself.

"Moon, huh? Isn't it that cute boy, I met at that cave? Ugh, hahaha, remembering him, make my whole body shiver!"

"Tch, that stupid old pervert! I should just kill you!"

The man who was talking to the woman laughed loudly.

The last woman, never said anything. She just sat there, wordlessly.

Then the first woman said.

"Are you going, leader? I never thought you would make a move yourself. Well, whatever, I don't care whatever you do, as long as I get the money."

"Yes, I'm quite interested in that Moon too," he answered while looking at her. "I think I'll have to go check out this kid myself. Who knows, Lufas might come to me, by himself, then."

The woman just laughed, like she didn't care what he did.

The second man asked the 'Leader'.

"You are going to meet Moon, leader?! He is mine! That cute boy will be mine alone. If you want to steal Moon from me, you must pay for the price!"

"Hahaha, I can see why you would say that. Anyway, I will be going now."

And after saying that, the Leader left the place, leaving the three behind.

***

POV Change

***

The next morning, after breakfast, I was getting ready to leave when Kristina stopped me.

"Moon, don't forget to visit me someday again." she said with an affectionate smile.

"Yes, yes. Of course!" I agreed enthusiastically.

Kristina hugged me tightly. Then she let go and kissed my forehead tenderly.

"Goodbye, Moon. Take care and come back to see me sometime soon."

I nodded and gave her a hug in return. Before leaving, I promised myself to do exactly as she asked.

I said goodbye to Kristina, her parents and finally to Sebastian, then before long I was riding Donkey and heading towards Sunnyrise.

***

We travelled for a few days.

"So it's just the two of us again, right, Donkey?"

"..."

"Hey, don't be like that, I know you're a good kid." I patted its head and scratched it behind the ear as Donkey looked up at me with an expressionless face. "We've been through so much already... I wonder if I can gather the 300 hundred goldens in the end? That would make Mommy in heavens really happy," I mused to myself, but then shook off any such thoughts from my mind after seeing how serious Donkey was looking back at me.

"... I know. We still have to go back to Sunnyrise. We might find some information about that Organization, there. "I said slowly, not knowing what else to say before we got moving once more.

"I wonder where Lufas is. He just left after that ambush..."

The thought made me feel uneasy. If something happened to him, I'd... Ugh.

"Let's hope nothing bad happens to him."

I tried to reassure myself, but deep inside I knew better than to think anything positive about Lufas' safety. He was a skilled archer, but even heroes could fall victim to fate. There were countless stories of men becoming legends only to meet tragic ends.

I shook my head to stop myself from thinking about such negative possibilities. Instead, I decided to focus on reaching Sunnyrise. But, thinking about Sunnyrise, made me remember another person I knew, the person I admired greatly.

"I wonder how Gustav is doing."

He is the one that saved me from those bandits at Sunnyrise. He ia also one that won Turkey Shoot and has a lot of courage. Plus, he looks so cool and strong!

"Though, I still don't know why he wanted to go on a d-date with me."

I sighed and turned around to look back at the road ahead. I wondered if he was alright or maybe having fun somewhere.

Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted my train of thought.

"Whoa?! What's this?!"

It sounded like someone yelling loudly. My ears perked up immediately upon hearing the unfamiliar sound. A moment later, I heard hooves clattering along the ground and spotted a group of riders galloping towards me. Or rather, there was one man being chased by a group of other people.

"Ehh?! No way! It's Gustav! But, why is he chased by all those people?"

Gustav was running away from a group of men wearing dark leathers. When he saw me he immediately turned his gorse and run straight at me.

"Hmm? Aren't you Moon? What a pleasant surprise!"

"Huhh?!"

As soon as he got near, he stopped his horse and pulled out his gun and started shooting at the group chasing him.

"I don't want to involve you in my trouble, but I think I have to. If you wouldn't mind, would you be able to help this useless man? You see, they attacked me out of nowhere and want a large sum of money from me for some unknown reason. So, please lend me your assistance in getting rid of these pests. Thank you very much," he said politely and bowed his head slightly.

"Ehh? What? What's going on?!"

Of course, I couldn't refuse Gustav when he asked me for help. Besides, it looked like he was in danger and needed saving.

So, I grabbed my gun and started to shoot at the man too. I couldn't just leave Gustav to hose bandits. Also, I could finally repay him saving me. Though, I didn't know how helpful I would be.

"Tch, this bastard got some help. Let's teach him what we're capable of. Come on, let's show this boy how real cowboys do things!"

The leader of the gang yelled angrily and charged towards us. The rest followed suit and began firing their weapons at Gustav and me. I went down from the Donkey and took cover behind a rock while keeping an eye on the enemy.

They were good shots and hit several times, but none managed to hurt me. After dodging every bullet, I aimed and shot back at them. One of the men fell off his horse due to my bullets hitting him directly.

"Keep this up, Moon, we are going to win this battle!"

"A-are you sure? There are so many of them!" I screamed, while crying a bit.

"Hahaha! Don't worry. Just keep shooting at them!"

One of the bandits was injured badly after being struck by three consecutive gunshots. Another one tried to escape by riding his horse away. However, I quickly fired two more rounds and made sure he stayed where he was.

"Ahhhh! They've taken me down! Help, I am wounded!"

A few minutes into the fight, another bandit lost consciousness because of multiple gunshot wounds. Soon enough, only one man remained alive.

He turned back on his horse and run away.

"Hey, wait...!"

But before I could chase him down, a hand reached out from behind me and caught my arm. It was Gustav.

"Just let him go. He isn't going to give us any trouble."

"I-see. Ugh. It was so scary." I panted heavily. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest. I felt my whole body trembling. Before I knew it, Gustav took off my hat and started to pat my head.

"Whaaa...!"

"You did well, Moon. You fought really hard today. Thank you for helping me."

"Y-yes..." I nodded awkwardly, still trembling from the aftermath.

It was true that I was scared during the fight against those bandits, but now I was proud of myself for overcoming such a difficult situation and being able to help Gustav.

I felt heat rush towards my face, as I saw Gustav smiling at me. His smile warmed my heart. I suddenly remembered why I admired him.

Gustav was so cool and handsome. With a charming look on his face. And he treated me kindly. I knew I would never be able to become a strong and dependable person like him. But even then, I wished to spend time with him for some reason. To learn something new and useful from him.

I didn't know what exactly what I was feeling, but I decided to stay close to him. Maybe I just wanted to feel safe around someone I trusted. That's all.

Immediately I felt disgusted by myself. I-I felt like I was betraying Lufas or something.

"Ugh... Why am I thinking about Lufas right now?! I-I absolutely don't care about him! Not at all!" I yelled to myself angrily. "Why do I have to think about him anyway?!"

"Lufas?" Gustav's question reached my ears.

"Huh? Oh yes, sorry, um, I got distracted for a moment there," I apologized with a red face.

"Oh no, nothing to worry about. So, who is this Lufas you were screaming like that about?"

"I-I wasn't screaming, it's just, it's just..." I stuttered nervously.

"Is he your boyfriend or something?"

"N-no, we're just friends. No!, I mean, he is just a brutish man, that just does whatever he wants."

"Hahaha, don't worry. I really liked your little outburst. You sounded so cute when you screamed so suddenly and started to shake your head left and right."

"Cute...? No way, I'n not cute, I mean, I'm not even a girl. There's no way I'd sound cute while doing that..."

"Hahaha, oh please. I will just want to pat your head endlessly, if you behave like that. Come here, sit on my lap."

"No way, stop joking around, seriously!!"

"Hahaha."

***

We finally calmed down and talked about the reason why Gustav was being chased by those bandits.

"So, hat did those guys want?"

Gustav sighed.

"It seems that they wanted to rob me because of the money I've won at the competition in Sunnyrise. They must have watched me or got some information about me somehow. The whole thing was pretty stupid, actually. Those people are just plain idiots."

"Ah, I see. Well, I guess that's how things work. People aren't always very bright. Especially these days," I said sadly.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, let's focus on you instead. What were you doing in the middle of nowhere?"

"Well, uhm, well, I was returning to Sunnyrise after escorting Kristina and Sebastian to their home."

"Hmm? Oh, right, I remember. There was a woman and an old man with you too, weren't there?"

"Yes, yes. They live a few days from here. After escorting them to their home, I need to return to Sunnyrise and find something about that Secret Organization or something. They had been causing me and Lufas, a lot of trouble for quite some time already."

"Hmm? The secret organization?" Suddenly, Gustav's face became serious.

***

After that, I told him about my encounters with that dangerous group of people.

"They seem like quite the troublesome bunch. Are you sure you want to tell me all about this? Maybe it would be better if you kept quiet about such matters. That's what most sensible people do anyway."

"Why should I keep silent about them? If I don't warn others, then other innocent victims might suffer as much as I am suffering now!" I replied angrily.

"I see. I guess you are that kind of person after all." He looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "Anyway, let me ask you one more question first. Can I join you in this quest? I know that I might not be the most reliable guy out there, as I got you involved in my troubles earlier, but maybe I could still make use of my skills and help you... and besides, I also think that I owe you."

"Ehh?! No way! You don't owe me anything! It's me that's supposed to repay you for saving me back at Sunnyrise! And please don't say that you are unreliable." I protested. "You are a good-hearted person. And also you are so strong and cool and handsome... and... Uwaah! What am I even saying?!"

"Hahaha..."

"Sorry, sorry. My bad. Don't worry about it. Anyway, I'd love your company, but we will probably end up fighting against those evil people soon enough, so I don't want to risk getting hurt by someone else's bullets."

He nodded slowly.

"I see. So you were thinking so much about me." He looked at me with a strange expression.

"What did you mean?"

"Nothing, nothing. Anyway, I think I'll come along with you, after all. All that you told me about his bunch, made me feel quite worried about you. Besides, they sound like really annoying guys, so I wouldn't mind helping you take care of them."

"T-the.... Thank you so much for coming with me." I thanked Gustav with all my might. I was happy that we would travel together.

"No problem. Let's go then," Gustav said, and we directed our horses towards Sunnyrise.

***

The road leading to Sunnyrise was surprisingly uneventful. We didn't run into any bandits, nor encountered anyone suspiciously lurking around. In fact, it seemed like everything was going smoothly until we finally reached Sunnyrise.

"This place looks pretty big small outside, but once you enter the town, you realize how big it actually is." Gustav said to me.

We rode through the main street, which was lined with wooden buildings. Some of them were old and dilapidated, while others looked brand new. There weren't many people walking down the streets either. Most shops and stalls were closed already, leaving only a few stores open for business. They mostly sold food or drinks.

"So, what do you plan to do here? Do you have something specific in mind?"

Gustav asked me with a curious look on his face.

"I don't know, I only have this thing." I showed him the pendant I took from one of the Secret Organization members that attacked me, Kristina and Sebastian, some time ago.

The two of us were sitting inside a tavern. This town apparently wasn't very lively during nighttime, as there were barely any customers inside the bar. But luckily for me, it was still early evening, so most businesses hadn't yet closed.

When I showed Gustav the pendant, he frowned and shook his head.

"It's just a regular piece of jewellery, isn't it? Nothing special."

"Yeah, yeah. That's true, but it has a strange writing at the bottom the pendant, it reads '5,20'.

"'5,20', huh? What does it mean?"

"I have no idea." I lowered my head in embarrassment. "I thought it meant 5 and 20 goldens, but maybe I got it wrong?"

"Well, let's try asking around the town. Maybe someone knows more about it."

"Okay!" I smiled happily. "Thank you some much for accompanying me and helping me with this."

"Haha. Don't worry about it, Moon. I do it because I like it."

After eating dinner, we went to sleep inside an inn. The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to continue with my journey. As promised, Gustav accompanied me throughout the day.

First, we visited several pawnshops and antique dealers. None of them knew anything about the pendant, though. Then we tried visiting the church, hoping to learn more information. Unfortunately, none of those places offered any useful leads. Finally, we ended up talking to a local merchant named Gertrude. She owned a shop selling various goods, including books and souvenirs. When she saw the pendant, however, she shook hear head and sighed.

"I'm sorry, I have no idea what this could be," she told me.

"Is there anyone else in town who might know more about it?" I asked hopefully.

She shrugged.

"There probably are, but I don't know who could."

That was disappointing news. After all that effort, we learned nothing new. I felt defeated and frustrated by now. My shoulders slumped in dejection, and I leaned back against a nearby wall.

"Are you alright?" Gustav noticed my distress immediately. "You seem upset."

"Yeah... I guess I am..."

He sat down beside me and placed his hand on top of mine. His warm touch instantly calmed my frayed nerves, and I relaxed slightly.

"Hey, don't lose heart over something like this. There must be another way."

"But how?! How will we ever figure out what that pendant means?!" I shouted angrily, throwing my hands into the air.

"Calm down, please. It's not like you."

I nodded reluctantly and lowered my arms.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you. It's just that... well, I really want to find them and do something about them. I'm sure it would make Lufas happy too if we helped him."

Gustav looked at me curiously.

"I see. So you are doing all this for that Lufas guy, right? You seem quite close to each other."

"T-That's not it! That... is not it..., maybe?" I stuttered nervously. "I don't know why, but when I look at him, I feel as if I've known him forever. I feel such nostalgia, as if I knew him from the day we were just little kids, but that's impossible, right? Sigh, I don't know any more..."

I thought about 'that' boy, the one who gave me Beary when I felt so weak and vulnerable. The boy that saved me. I wanted to meet him so much. Was it possible that...

"No way! There's just no way! I just feel confused, that's all!"

What I though, sounded absolutely ridiculous even to myself.

"You really care about him, huh?" Gustav said quietly. "It makes me really jealous, actually. I wish you would care about me like that."

The words made me blush furiously.

"Erm... I... uh... I don't... um..."

I couldn't say anything else.

"Hahaha, just joking. Come on, let's continue searching for clues around here."

"Uhm..., yeah."

***