“Thank you, whoever you are.”

The white robed and glasses said as he got the rose. Some light bruise on his face, a ruffled hair, and a smile on his face as he examined the prize he got.

“You're the first local in this nation that didn't detest me due to me being an adventurer.”

“Why did you want it so badly anyway?”

I asked.

He paused for a bit when I said that. He seemed hesitant at first but when I told him I won't judge him for his intentions he gave up his hesitation and said that the white rose is one of the vital ingredients necessary to cure light blight. Light blight, he said to me in melancholic tone, is a like a hereditary cancer that is inherent to monsters only. Healing spells, dispelling spells, or antidotes cannot remove this cancer.

“A single rose will help 10 monsters for three generations to survive, and because of that my family is saved because of you.”

Was his final words when he left and I was called by one of the maidservant to meet Lady Juliana in her humble tent.

“You better have some gratitude that the Lady has still some love in you, you dense commoner.”

That was the only conversation I got as she lead the way.

Through the ever thronging spend driven populace and a narrow squeezing walkway of this bazaar I heard a loud cheer again as an audible crack in the air of what I assume a lance splitting in two.

Then, whatever was in my mind when the maidservant toured me in this ‘humble’ white tent the size of a small house guarded by four standing guards. It has multiple compartments when I entered and each room, I think, was a food preparation area, storage area, and then the living room, where I was told to wait.

I sat on a comfy red couch in place just near a roll up window. Near me was a small table which some servant offered me some sliced pears and apples and a small cute bookshelf. All of this made me think; How expensive must have been to set this tent up?

As I pondered the staggering gold that must have cost, the maidservant knocked on a door.

“My Lady, your requested dense audience is here.”

She said in a subtle sigh.

“Waah!”

Once we heard some kind books crashing and her screaming. I stood up but the maidservant entered and told me to please wait.

“Is everything alright?”

I got ignored as I hear Lady Juliana order to shut the door when the maidservant entered.

Where it only lasted for a moment.

“You may come in now.”

She said in a respectful tone, bowed her head, and patted off the dirt from her skirt.

“If you make her cry I'll have your tongue cut off!”

Was a last whisper she gave to me that made my spine shiver to my tail bone as the door creek to a close.

What's her problem anyway!?

When entering this new compartment of the tent, it was a cozy small, yet not too small, compartment. It still has wooden flooring, a table, a small chest, and a two bookshelf filled to the brim with books of different sizes, it stood behind Lady Juliana who was seated behind the table, face irk and pout while crossing her arms as her foot tapped rapidly as I stood before her.

“You're quite the talk of the town.”

She said to me.

Sweat fell from me a bit. I scratched my head and forced a smile on my face.

“L-lady Juliana or Lilly?”

Is what I could cobble up from my panicking brain cells. Which in result she stopped her tapping and fixed her self in a straight position before clearing her throat.

“Neither.”

She shot her eyes upon me.

“I want a good explanation!”

She barked.

“F-from earlier?”

“You should have let that four eyes be!”

“But he was right.”

I answered without a thought.

“He's an adventurer!”

“He said he needs to cure his wife.”

“His wife is a monsters that steals and rapes the sons of the goddess!”

She pointed.

“He needed it, he needs help. I-I saw it in his eye!”

“Saw it in his eyes!? Adventurers never needs help!”

“What do you mean? They are like us!”

“I know and I'm fed up, they always get what they want. That was your only and final chance! From the team match, the individuals and even to this event I planned out just for you... You, the other commoner contestants lost to super humans who thinks nothing but their own desires!”

“My Lady...”

To be honest it was unfair that she began to burst into tears.

“Every time, whether it be tournaments, knowledge, wars, magic, technology, and life span... They beat us all, royalty to peasantry. They use a sword as if it were toys and cut our armor as it were poor fabrics! If not for our goddess's gift upon us we would have been swallowed up by the Summoner Dragricia herself!”

She did her best to stop her flow as she lastly added:

“Plus it's the last chance you might have on me.”

“Have on you? What do you mean?”

I asked.

“You said you remember!”

Her face were now more filled with puffing anger rather than tears.

“If you won that tournament or that riddle competition then you could have took the rose! We both agreed upon that a cycle ago... Before... You... Before you!”

Her words trail off. Hands on her shoulder, rubbing it when she began gazing down and shaking a bit. Because of that a pause of silence occurred as I asked if she was ok. She merely sniffles and shook her head and looked at me with a different set of expressions, something I couldn't describe.

Her eyes were glazed with tears and fear as she looked at me, yet fear is not the right term, it was like looking at a loyal companion who looked like she did something horrible to me and was now in the middle of wanting reconcile and... And... I don't know blaming herself while being afraid of me?

But what I do know is this. Those eyes were the same as Erika's shattered gaze the last time I saw her before I smiled to her, and mother, and her entirety shatters. It was clear in Lady Juliana's eyes that she has something to do with Elfien's death.

“I forgive you.”

I never understood why I said that, that's why I am as surprised as she was when those words breathed out of my mouth.

“I-I'm sorry! That was overly presumptive of me...”

But it had an effect. Her eyes gave into tears as she looked she was relieved and was now holding her chest as the downpour continued.

“My lady, are you alright? Don't worry I'll bring some rusted shears first!”

I heard the maidservant said before leaving.

She's serious!?!?

With that I went over the table and comforted her.

“Hey, everything's alright ok. No need to cry, I forgave... Agh!”

She hugged me, hands clawing on my back, as she cried more on my shoulder.

What I noticed the most is the perfume she had, it was the same as Erika... Sapphire something something... I can't recall the name but it's smell was really, really familiar and nostalgic...

That aside, I called her out and pleaded to stop crying already. I brushed her hair and patted her back and it seems to work. She was crying less now and was down to a sniffle as time went on. The maidservant wasn't here yet, that's good, and my new clothes were now a bit drenched.

“You ok now?”

I asked as she looked up to me with redden eyes and a bit of redden face.

“Yes... Thank you.”

And before I knew it I was hugged again.

“Very, very much.”

“L-lady Juliana!”

I then told her that the maidservant might come back and see us.

“Lilly... From now on call me what you used to call me, please.”

She whispered at me as she looked at me with joyous eyes.

“V-very well, Lilly, can you stop hugging me?”

Which she did but her eyes were replaced by a bit of annoyance as what I can tell from her pout.