"I wonder where Laruse is. I thought he'd be the first one back," sighed Cecil, waiting at the counter with her head lazily held up by her hand.

"Something must have held him up. We've got not even a clue about her whereabouts, after all. Maybe he found her," Remuil optimistically said, arms crossed and waiting alongside the others.

An hour had passed after the allotted time of meeting back at the Inn and most of the group had already returned, waiting for Laruse, who was unusually late.

Meanwhile, Reynald the Inn keeper and father of Lucia, the kidnapped daughter, had been worried sick; slumped on one of the seats in his own Inn, sitting beside the carefree Robin, whom he cooked food for, and is in return enjoying the meal he served for her whilst Beatrice was giving him a pat on the back for all his worries, calming him down in her own way as she said, "It's going to be alright. She'll get back here safely."

Helping with the effort, Andersen played his instrument in the background, producing a calming melody that as he said, "Should calm down even the restless of spirits, and give them a bit of hope," but instead, he attracted a crowd of admirers, the majority of which were women and girls, vying for his attention after having seen his face, paired with the alluring sound of his lyre.

As a way to stave them off without having the need to say the Inn keeper's daughter had been kidnapped, they forcibly shoved Zafra outside, making him act as a guard with an irritated face, scaring off customers and passerby as he jeered at them when he caught some staring... "How troublesome," he sighed with his arms crossed.

"I think we should continue having faith in Laruse. He will come through, just as he had with me and my request," Julia said, slightly lifting the spirits of those around her.

Claire, on the other hand, waited patiently, oddly not saying anything when someone expected her to scold the absent Laruse about his tardiness.

"Oh, my Lucia, please be safe..." Reynald lamented as the sun started to set, and an orange hue began forming through the windows inside the Inn, the time that it should be open to customers, but not due to a certain predicament.

Just then, a familiar voice came through the door, awakening everyone's attention.

"Could you open the door? I'm a bit occupied right now."

Immediately, Reynald stood up, dashing to the door and opening it, almost taking it off its hinges.

"L-Lucia... is that you? Is that really you?" he yelled out, surprising the pedestrians passing by the Inn as they looked at a jovial man with a puzzled expression.

Faintly, Lucia spoke as she lay in Laruse's arms, still physically weak, but not enough to deprive her of her energy.

"Dad. I'm sorry for worrying you," she said weakly and softly.

"Best get her to bed for now," Laruse said, with a beat up, ragged face, and a bloody nose, as if he had been to a brawl.

He handed Lucia over to Reynald's arms, and he rushed her upstairs in a jaw-opening, gentle way without stopping, still clearly distressed.

His shirt was crumpled and dirty as he came into the Inn, breathing long sighs as he slumped over on the counter top.

"What happened to you, Laruse?! Are you alright? do you need me to cast heal?" Cecil asked, a bit panicked over him as he hadn't said another words after handing Lucia over.

"I'm alright, Cecil. I just need a bit of rest... "

But not heeding Laruse's words, Claire immediately asked, "Have you seen Zafra? He should have been waiting outside when you came in, right?"

"Oh, Zafra? He got abducted by a large burly woman. He was, I mean, she was pretty terrifying, so I couldn't really do anything," he said, having recovered for a bit, now sitting properly beside Cecil's chair near the counter.

"Shouldn't we help him out then?" asked Remuil.

Just before Laruse could answer back, someone emerged from the door, opening it calmly and closing it the same way.

With all eyes on him, he continued walking towards the stairs that led up to the lodgings in the second floor, leaving a simple statement of, "Don't even bother asking," then disappearing upstairs without another sound.

"I don't mean to rush you, but I am curious. Aren't you concerned that you haven't found a way to get back yet? The roads are still closed, and the guards are persisting in keeping the citizens safe behind the gates of the city," said Julia to Laruse.

"Who knows. If there's no way, then we'll find a one eventually. Me and Cecil used to go through things like this all the time, being stuck and all. We just wait, then something magically happens. That's pretty seldom, so who knows," he said aloofly, looking at Cecil to agree with his statement.

"It's true that it's almost scary sometimes. It's as if when the odds are against us, luck comes around."

They spent the rest of the time till noon chatting amongst themselves, engaging in small talk as they lounged around without anything to do.

Earlier a bit before that, Julia, Beatrice, Cecil, and Claire ended up going out, offering to buy supplies, just in case they were needed for their inevitable journey back to Zeal, which could take them who knows how long.

Robin had long since fallen asleep, forcing Andersen to carry her up to her room.

The three of them were the only ones left inside as night fell, causing the city to light up its lanterns and street lamps, often seeing lamps being lit up using magic, which was brighter as it made a simple evening look colorful.

"So that's when Cecil and I found a secret cave in north-western Farron, with a legendary weapon and a full set of ancient armor that the demons are terrified of apparently. Honestly, it was enough of a chore just to bring it back, thinking that it wouldn't sell for much. But, apparently it costs a lot when some random person bought it and became a hero. Talk about dedication."

"Wait?! You brought back a legendary weapon and armor just to sell it? And what happened to the man now? If there's a new hero, then that means we have a chance against the demons, right?" Remuil said, in a rather panicked state.

"Well, he's dead now. Got all cocky thinking that he could save the entire continent and become the hero of the people. He just seemed like someone who was in it for the women and the riches. He wasn't strong enough to even reach the demon king with his amount of skill. Pathetic isn't it?"

"So, where is it now?" Andersen asked, curious.

"Ever heard of the name, Kastor, hero of gold? That's him, but the demons have his stuff now. Can't do much about that," Laruse said with a careless tone, not seeming to care much about having found and lost an item that could tip the scales between humans and demons.

"I have. And I can't believe that was your doing. Many in the continent panicked because of the sudden death of the hero. It was not said if he was the one named for the generation, but he was bestowed powers equal to it by the weapons," Andersen said to Laruse.

"Why sell it in the first place?! You could've used it for yourself and become the hero of the continent. You have the skill, after all," Remuil argued, a bit angry at Laruse's actions, not knowing whether it is indeed true or not.

"It was too heavy for me to use. I would've just died like him if I went against a dark lord. I'd prefer getting better in my own way," Laruse said with an optimistic face and tone.

"Without your knowing, you could have brought unprecedented peril to the human race, and would be branded a criminal. Since it is in the demon realm now, trying to retrieve it would be near impossible. So who knows what other kinds of weapons could defeat the demons, minus the one that you sold," Andersen said with a straight laced face, looking angry as well.

"Hey don't go trying to blame it all on me now. It's not all that bad. The next hero would probably come out a few years from now," Laruse said in an attempt to calm the two.

"There hasn't been signs of any hero emerging, and it's been over ten years. The prophecy says that a hero will always rise two to three years after the last one falls, but there hasn't been one yet, so people have been saying that god has abandoned them, by not sending heroes, the only beings who are prophesized to defeat the demons, and the king," Remuil continued, telling Laruse of information that he had no idea about.

"Let's just drop the this for now, shall we? It's all behind us now. Besides, we should be thinking of a way out of here first and foremost- " Laruse was cut off as a tall and sturdy man barged into the Inn laughing loudly with many others behind him, all looking ferocious and rather rough, mostly wearing only their leggings as to show off their muscly builds.

Remuil and Andersen immediately stood on the defensive, thinking that the kidnappers had returned for revenge.

"Well if it isn't Laruse! I had hunch that you would be here!" they entered further into the Inn and sat down at the chairs, following the man who initiated it.

They almost filled the entire Inn with them alone, not looking too pleased as no one was here to serve them anything.

"Julius? What are you doing here?" asked Laruse, clearly surprised.

"I'm here to feast with my friends! I didn't know that you were searching for Reynald's daughter. But that only means our meeting was fated! Ha ha ha!"

"You know Reynald?" asked Laruse, not at all intimidated by the group of intimidating looking people, with some normal looking ones on the side, sitting peacefully.

"Do I know him? He was part of my crew. Shame that he retired though. But eventually a man must leave the sea for his life. I don't see his leaving as a bad thing since his cooking draws almost everyone in, including us! Ha ha!" his crew laughed along with him, saying things along the lines of, "You got that right, Captian!" or, "The grub here's the best!"

Just then, a voice could be heard from behind the three, one of surprise.

"Julius? Is that you?!"

"Reynald! It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

They both came up to each other, locking arms and patting each other’s' back, which seemed rather odd for Remuil and Andersen.

"Is your daughter doing well now?"

"She is. But, how did you know?"

"This man over here helped me defeat some criminals who were kidnapping other women, including your daughter. The crew got angry when they heard about that, started saying that they'll scour the entire town. Good thing I managed to stop them and instead get help from Laruse. It was a fine sight I tell you. Just the two of us, beating down those criminals with nothing but our fists! A test of true manhood!" the rest of his crew raised their voices in unison as Julius raised his hands into the air.

"Well since you're all here, why don't I serve you something, as a token of thanks?"

"I'd like nothing more than to eat my former chef's cooking! Isn’t that right, lads?"

"Yeah!" the all yelled out once more, leading to Reynald to dash inside the kitchen, beginning to cook without delay.

As time passed, Julius told tales about their lives protecting the seas in their late youth, with him becoming a captain of a crew at the age of twenty-three, amassing even more allies as he grew older, eventually having a child.

He also told the tale of Reynald, who became nervous at the thought of retelling that story, just as he had told his daughter, Lucia.

"After saving a city at the coast near Farron, Reynald found a lass that fell for him as he saved her. She stayed at the city, but eventually he decided to stay with her, creating a new family for himself. Needless to say I enjoyed seeing Lucia and my own daughter grow together. Even the crew grew lighthearted with the two, becoming their guardians, Ha ha ha! They'd do anything for the two!" Julius laughed as he told his story, drinking a mug of alcohol, which soothed his carefree mind.

During this, Julia, Beatrice, and Cecil had gotten back, dazed to see the Inn suddenly filled with burly, large men eating and drinking jovially with hearty smiles and laughter.

After the initial excitement had gone down, Reynald approached Laruse and the rest, who were awake, reminding him of the reward for saving his daughter from those that kidnapped her.

"I don't think anything I'll pay with amount to the gratitude I feel towards all of you."

"Calm down, Reynald. Don't worry about it. We don't need any large reward. I guess all we need for now is a way to get back to Zeal. The roads are still closed after all," Laruse argued, telling those around him.

Suddenly, Julius spoke out, interrupting the two saying, "If that's what you need, then let me repay your debt, Reynald. I'll get you and your group to Zeal, or close to it, rather. My crew and I will be sailing to the land of the orient, to the east, but we'll need supplies before that. Who knows what kind of monsters lurk in the waters! Makes for a good competition! Ha ha ha!"

"I'll take you up on your offer then, Julius. When's the earliest that we'll leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, near the afternoon after we're done checking the ships."

After discussing their plans for tomorrow, the rest of the group had resigned to bed, including Julius and his crew, who all went back to their lodgings in their ships, emptying the once life-filled Inn.

Close to midnight, and most of the lights had been doused, and a majority of the city is asleep. At this time, Reynald had already finished cleaning up with everyone's help, making him tired as he went back to his room, resting after half a day’s worrying.

Laruse, however, was awake, unable to sleep once as he stayed at the dining area of the Inn, sitting alone with a single lit light.

Craving for some fresh air, he went outside, where a fresh breeze ran rampant, making one feel vigor than exhaustion.

As he stood by the open door, he heard someone call out to him from behind.

"Lucia? What are you doing up this late? Aren't you still tired?" Laruse asked, surprised as he expected her to sleep longer due to the pent up stress she had accumulated during that time of being a captive.

"I heard that you were leaving tomorrow. I just wanted to thank you before that. I didn't get the chance to do so..." she bashfully averted her gaze from him, fidgeting in place.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that you're safe after all that. Who knows what could've happened to you," he said with a dense face, looking directly at Lucia unrelentingly.

"I-is that so? she started inching closer to him, becoming red all of a sudden, but somehow hiding it from him.

"I don't know what I could give just for you to know how thankful I am... But I might just have the gift to give. I don't know if it'll mean anything to you, but to me, it's more than words could describe," finally closing the gap between them, standing merely inches away from each other.

In that instance, Lucia stood on her toes, landing a quick kiss on his cheek before he could even realize what happened.

Regaining her sanity, Lucia turned even redder, forcing her to back away and run to her room without delay, not even looking back at the dumbfounded Laruse.

"I guess that's one way to say thanks," he said to himself, touching that spot where he felt a soft and warm sensation.

He then returned outside, looking at the cloudless sky with the full moon up above.

"It seems that you had a rather fun childhood. I'm rather envious of you. All my life I've been made to be a living legacy of my father, a successful one as they say. But, the road there still seems far off."

"You have many who follow and believe in your ideals. It just goes to show how far you've gone. Though it is as you say, there are still more things to be done before success. I shall follow you through that all as your shield and your weapon, that much I can assure you with," she said with confidence, smiling as they spoke at the garden, where no one could disturb them.

"Then I shall ask you one thing. General Vista, or rather, Agatha. Will you accompany me in persuading the other cities to my plea? You are not obligated to do so, it will be up to you," he faced her sternly, awaiting her answer anxiously.

"As I've said. I shall accompany you, My Lord. I shall help you create a utopia for humans, so that they may live without worry or fear."

Spencer then looked at the sky where a full moon was, bright as the stars beside it.

"I wonder who else is looking at this serene sight," he said.

But just before Agatha could reply, he felt another pang in his heart, convulsing tightly as if to deprive him of blood and air, making him howl in pain as he fell to the ground, face first, unable to scream.

"My Lord! What happened to you?!" she came up to him, bringing him close to her, unable to figure out what's wrong with him as she could not hear anything come out from his mouth, except it's open.

However, he tried to reach out to her, gently touching the general's cheek, with a contorted face, trying his best to calm himself despite the recurring pain in his heart, which pulsates, sending a surge of pain towards his entire body, with enough feeling to force one to nearly go insane. Yet it had not gotten to that point where he could not control it.

The guards suddenly barge in the garden, dazed as they are unable to act effectively without command.

"Go get Hendrick! Now!" she yelled out to the dazed guard, forcing him to run with all due haste as she comforts Spencer, burning up and sweating profusely, his body slightly twitching and shuddering.

Meanwhile, as this happened, a man clad in a dark cloak was busy interrogating someone with a certain attitude to go along with it, making himself seem clearly hostile to the eyes of his captive, inducing fear, in which proved fruitless.

"I still truly am amazed that you could last this long. The torment, the pain, I could all imagine it. What brings you to be strong? Where do you draw this power that keeps you alive still, waiting for hope to come? But, as long as you are alive, you will become an infinite source of power for me. And your life is truly important, to the humans, and not to us."

"..." the mysterious being was silent, but was still able to hear the man speaking to him; However, he had no strength to respond in denial.

"Once your life ends, I would have already attained enough power to defeat the demon king, and become the new one. The current king is too weak, feeble and mindless. Unable to decide what is good for the monsters and demons in the realm. But you, the king of an ancient tribe, will serve me well. These humans without any worth will never be able to stand against me, let alone the hero, if there is one! Ha ha ha! - "

Just after he finished laughing, a repeated knock could be heard through the door, becoming increasingly desperate.

"Lord Hendrick! Lord Hendrick, come quick! It's Lord Spencer! General Vista calls for you to come at once!" the man said through the door, also sympathetic to the lord he serves.

Irritated, he waived his finger, mysteriously making the disturbing area around him disappear, as if it were never there in the first place.

"Tell her that I'll be there right away," he said with a dark, decrepit voice, loud enough to be heard clearly by the man behind the door.

"Soon, just a bit more, and all will be complete."