Gareth would never say it out loud, but he was always worried about Eliott’s wellbeing ever since he had collapsed in the library. Not only that, his whole temperament seemed to have changed.

The shy young man he knew of seemed to have vanished completely in lieu of the more active person he was now. He was conflicted with the change, but his son never seemed happier.

As a father, this was what he wanted most.

He still tried on many occasions to talk about the change with Eliott when they were alone, but the subject of conversation always ended up being shifted away subtly.

Too many things had changed between their dynamic recently as well.

Eliott was now especially protective over him and he took notice of this after he was apparently found unconscious on the streets near the Makers’ District.

Gareth disbelieved this explanation and secretly went out to ask if what Eliott said was true. Surprisingly he was told there was a massive incident concerning a burning man on the day he went out to get that ladder.

There was still something that bothered him about the details that Eliott had recounted. Like, why did he have vague memories of Logan torturing him? Or why there was some slight itching around his face?

He didn’t mention any of this to his son and just chose to believe him for now. There was no harm in wanting for his son to care for him at his age. He wasn’t at an age where he could go out and recklessly dig out information about what happened that day.

From his observations, the guards seemed to see it as a taboo subject. His neighbors and people at the market merely whispered about it and quieted down when a guard or higher official went near.

Overall since Eliott’s fall though, things seemed to have gotten a lot calmer.

Logan and his gang haven’t shown up to extort the library for money and the little girl showed up more often for lessons with Eliott. He was glad his son found something that he liked to do and it seemed to be a charitable thing as well.

Merla, from his understanding, was from a labor family near the edges of the town. She wasn’t too well off from what Gareth had seen. Though recently her clothes were more or less clean and she even got some new shoes.

He sighed and looked towards the direction of where the guards and his son were headed to. The commotion seems to be concentrated there, the Makers’ District. Again.

Maybe it was time to move away from Phyranhol.

The idea of moving out of town did cross Gareth’s mind quite a number of times in the past. He even talked to his son about it on multiple occasions.

However, with Logan’s gang often extortions, the money he tried to accrue ended up in their coffers. If they moved then, they would have had to leave behind a majority of their belongings.

Gareth recalled the conversation with Eliott in the past.

-------

“So… do you have any places you want to go Eliott?” Gareth asked him the question over their supper a long while ago.

“No, not really. I like it here.”

The response was always succinct and precise with no leeway for further conversation.

“Well, if there WAS a place you’d ever want to go. Where would it be?”

“Nowhere. Phyranhol has our library, it’s quiet in there.”

Gareth had never seen a person with a lack of any ambition before his own son.

“Fine alright. Phyranhol is a good place, it’s far away from all the rabble and noise of the kingdom politics.” He eventually had ceded the idea of moving away from that point forward.

------

Gareth had gone back inside the library to clean up and eventually close the library.

Usually, if there was a ruckus in the town, they were advised heavily by the guards to lock everything up and stay inside. Specifically implied that it was for their safety.

He didn’t have any heart to disagree and argue at his age.

A few books littered the table where Merla and Eliott had studied hours before. Their titles were unknown to him, but Gareth was sure they didn’t have these books before.

As the owner of the establishment for many years, Gareth pretty much knew all the books that went in and out of the library doors. Therefore, they must be either brought in by Eliott while he recovered from his fainting spell or Merla had brought them in herself for her lessons.

He closed a book that Eliott was in the middle of, carefully putting a note within to save the page. The title read, Runes & Variations by Faust XX, in gold font. It was quite fancy for a book in their library.

Faust XX… was he a well-known author? Furthermore, where did Eliott get the book? It was definitely of a higher quality than the ones he bought from the merchants. The name of the author also sounded regal and majestic.

Gareth wiped his forehead and noticed how sweaty he had become from the possibilities of the book.

Runes definitely meant something esoteric and probably related to cults or the churches. But was sure that Eliott wasn’t interested in them, well… before he fell anyway. The boy only kept his head inside history books or similar things.

He shook his head and continued to organize the other books on the table.

Whatever interests Eliott had were his own to decide. He wasn’t the shy, young man that he was before the fall. Gareth felt that as long as he didn’t go down a dangerous or immoral path in life, he wouldn’t interfere.

Plus, Eliott seems to be cautious and aware of things that happen around him.

He finished this thought process as he completed tidying up the table. Gareth looked around and took his time putting out the wall sconces. By the time he made it back to the front of the library, Eliott stood in front of the doorway. A woman hung like a sack over his shoulders, seemingly unconscious, and had a faint burnt smell waft from her.

Another worry popped into Gareth’s mind.

Just what kind of stuff was his son into?

Eliott spotted him, “I found this woman passed out on the side of the road. She looked like she needed some help. I’ll try waking her up in the back.”

He silently hoped that this was a misunderstanding on his part. He nodded to his son and pretended to ignore what he saw.

“Oh… don’t go outside today dad.” Eliott’s voice rang out.

“S- sure.”

His eyes followed Eliott as he disappeared behind the bookshelves along with the woman.

Is he… did he raise a son like this?

Gareth started to sweat and silently offered a prayer to his wife.

I swear I will stop him if anything happens Mari. I know you wanted him to be a gentleman and I want the same!

Tonight they will definitely talk!

Eventually, he heard some voices near the back of the library. A woman’s and Eliott’s, luckily it seemed to be nothing that crossed Gareth’s mind. He sighed in relief.