After discovering my new yet mysterious ability and giving it a name (that name being Analyze), I got everything ready and set out to Springwood. I was planning on going through the main road, which is the road we traveled on back when we were still getting our passports all those years ago.

I’m particularly excited about this, because this means I get to visit Uncle Ridge once again. I wonder how he’s doing now? Did he finally get a wife and kids in the time we were away? I have no doubts he’s still the lovable goof he always was, but then again we did leave a bit suddenly, so he might be a bit salty about that…

Now that I got a good look at the place from up close, I am reminded of the events that transpired here. This is where Grim and Anna got attacked by that Stray Wolf… The tearful face Anna made as she carried a dangerously wounded Grim on her shoulder, that image is burned in my mind forever…

Eh, but that was in the past! They’re both fine (thankfully!), and they’re both doing their best out there in the world to make their dreams come true. Unlike me, who’s just wandering around aimlessly, just witnessing them climb to even greater heights with each passing day.

But now that I think about it, had Grim not managed to fend off that Stray Wolf that day somehow, then both of their journeys would end right then and there. Arthur’s wouldn’t have branched out as far as it is currently. I wouldn’t have anyone to meet over at Melgam… Wait, would I even be there if they bit the dust prematurely?

Thinking about it logically, if they died here, then I’d probably be left all alone, Uncle Ridge would convince me to go back home, using those two as examples of how dangerous the world really is, and call my parents to come pick me up. I wouldn’t even have gotten my passport without Grim motivating me by turning the whole thing into a competition. I’d stay in Whitehood, probably scarred for life…

Yeah, I don’t like the sound of that at all, so I’m definitely glad Grim was strong in that moment. I wonder what drives him? If I fought against such a dangerous beast without a weapon, I’d probably just try to play dead until it killed me for real. I don’t have the bravery nor recklessness to go up against a great danger, even if it meant saving myself.

He also had Anna to worry about. She barely had a few scrapes in comparison to his wounds, so I imagine he defended her very skillfully as well. I guess I kind of get it, though, maybe I’d actually stand my ground instead of cowering if I had Anna with me. I wonder how things would’ve gone had I went with her instead of him…

Nah, I’d probably just get us killed. I’m satisfied with how swimmingly things have gone up to now, and with how amazing Grim is, I’m sure things are only going to get better. Wait, didn’t his father teach him basic swordsmanship? I mean, it probably helped him during the actual fight, since I remember seeing him train on a dummy with his sword back in Great Hiana.

So that’s it, huh? A weapon… I don’t think I’m cut out for violence, after all. I mean, what good is a sword if you have to get up close and personal with the threat in order to actually deal damage to it? Yeah, bows exist, but they seem like a hassle to have to shoot. It’s really slow to fire multiple arrows, and aiming is a completely different story when put into the equation. Plus, you have to think about all this in the heat of battle… Yeah, I’ll just stick to being a pacifist.

Oh, while I was babbling on to myself, it seems the transport wagon already made it to Wheats. Puaaaah! Nothing like the fresh scent of the morning dew to signify a new beginning! I can’t wait to see Uncle Ridge! Well, off we go!

***

Orrr not. The doors are locked, strange. Well, even he has errands to do, so I’m sure he’ll be back soon. I’ll just wait for him here until he makes it back, gives me time to practice using Analyze. It’s actually pretty fun!

“Lepus… esurit.” The words appeared in my retinas as I focused on a nearby rabbit.

From what I’ve gathered, Lepus appears to mean rabbit, as this is the word that most commonly shows up when two rabbits meet. No clue what the other word means, but I’m sure I’ll get it soon enough. Right now I just need to jot down enough words to get this right.

But wait, does this mean rabbits talk in third person? That’s kinda weird.

“Edward esurit…” I tried murmuring the phrase, “Nah, that sounds way too weird!”

The rabbit noticed me murmuring, so it approached at a moment’s notice.

“Edward… es?” It thought, “Potestis intelligere…me?”

Is it… speaking to me? It’s thinking about my name while looking at me, did it overhear my murmurs? If that’s the case, then this little guy can be of great help to my research!

I pointed to myself and exclaimed loudly, “Me, Edward!”

The rabbit rotated its head to the side, as if to process the new information. Guess it doesn’t know what to do just yet.

“You, rabbit!” I said as I pointed to it.

It was a bit taken aback by me suddenly pointing my finger and shouting at it, but after a while, the rabbit finally calmed down. In the end, it muttered one single, yet revolutionary phrase in its tiny little head.

“Me… rabbit.” The words read, “You… Edward.”

Wait, did I just… do something extraordinary? Did I… communicate… with a rabbit? Phahaha, that’s amazing! I’m an animal whisperer! WOOOOOO! Suck it, Grim, I’ve also got a cool Iro Ability, and it’s better than yours! Haha!

“Are you hungry?” I asked as I handed it some food as a treat.

The rabbit’s ears raised up really high as it thought of only one thing, “Esca!”

Esca… Es… Esurit… That’s it! Wait, let me check my notes…

“Uhm,” I checked my Human-Animal Dictionary in which I started jotting down any and all information on their language, “Esuris…ne?”

The rabbit stopped eating as if hearing something unbelievable. Then again, if a rabbit suddenly spoke Entropic, I’d certainly be scared too.

“Ita… Sum.” Its thoughts materialized in front of me.

…I asked it if it was hungry. It gave me an affirmative answer, to which I gave it some more of my food. I just… talked to an animal, like it was any other human…

“Young man?” A sudden voice scared both me and the rabbit, “Yeah, you kid. What are you loitering around Ridge’s for?”

The person who inquired about me was some random villager from Wheats, I imagine it’s probably Uncle’s neighbor or something like that. He probably got worried after seeing some random kid sit around his neighbor’s front porch.

“Oh, Ridge is actually my Uncle. I came by to visit him, but he’s not here.” I said.

“I imagine you came by unannounced, because you haven’t heard.” He said, “Ridge moved out ages ago.”

“…He did?” I returned the question back to him, “Do you know where to, though?”

“I’m afraid not. He mentioned something about fulfilling his childhood dream one day and was gone the next. No one from the village has even the slightest clue where he went.”

Weird… Well, at least I know he’s probably safe. It would have been bothersome to sit around this porch any longer than I already did, so I’m glad this person reached out to me. I also got to understand a bit more of the animals’ language. I wonder if I should give the language a name…?

***

After heading out from Wheats, I had to pass the border between Tertis and Secundis in order to enter Springwood. This of course means I have to pass the border town that is Station Arfa. This was also a very important spot for the three of us, since this is where we got most of our practical knowledge from.

It’s also the place I met Carl for the first time, although I’m not sure if this is his hometown or not. Well, in any case, I should probably go and visit the Arthur’s around here.

“Hey guys! How’s it-” I stopped after looking around, “…going?”

The place was different, so to speak. From the outside it looked the same as ever, but the inside is like I’m not even looking at the same place anymore. It was a bit hard on the eyes, to say the least, but thankfully the staff remained mostly the same, and they were all too thrilled to see me back here.

“Lil Bro!!!” The strong burly chef came to give me a bear hug, “You’re back!”

“H-Heh!” I could barely breathe from his hug, “G-Good to see you too, champ.”

“Sup, Lil Bro.” The nice waitress lady came up to greet me, “You’ve grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you.”

“Aww, come on now,” I nudged her, “You’re not my mom, no need to be saying all those embarrassing things.”

“I guess so.” She changed the topic in accordance to my wishes, “So what brings you here? Where are Big Bro and Lil Sis?”

In case you forgot, she’s talking about Grim and Anna respectively. These nicknames came from the misconception that the three of us were siblings, which we got tired of constantly correcting, so over time we just let it be. I mean, it wasn’t like it was an insult. If anything, I’d consider it a compliment towards our trust of one another, if I had to put it that way.

“Grim’s staying in Bilgam over in Great Hiana.” I gave them Grim’s last known location, “And from the letters she sent me, Anna’s somewhere in Cardina setting up that side of the Arthur’s worldwide branch network.”

“Looks like they’re all too busy doing their own thing that they couldn’t make time for us back home, eh?” She jokingly scolded them, “Unlike you, who’s taking the time out of his own schedule just to check up on us, huh?”

“Oh, nah, I…” I hesitated a bit, “…quit.”

Both of the workers’ faces made a surprised face, being so taken aback that the burlier of the two actually hit his foot on a nearby table.

“Ow fuck!” He swore with all his might, “A-Ah, apologies!”

“What did I say about swearing during working hours?” The lady worker gave him a death glare.

“…S-Sorry.” He quieted down.

I missed these two goofballs. No matter what’d happen in the restaurant, be it good or bad, they’d always be there to lighten the mood with their little shows. I swear I still sometimes think back to them even when I’m out traveling, they’re just so recognizable (never mind the fact I can’t remember their names…)

“In any case,” She turned back to me, “Would you like something to eat or drink while you’re here?”

“Sure,” I said, “I’ll take a latte. We can have a seat in our favorite spot while I tell you all about how Grim got a girlfriend.”

“HE WHAT?!?” Now she was the one to hit her shin on a nearby table from the shock, “Ow! Fffff-fine news!”

Even I knew she just barely saved herself from making the same mistake she was chewing her colleague out for. Then again, I don’t think she made it in time, as the burly coworker stood next to her with the most shit eating grin you could possibly imagine. He was definitely going to get beaten up if he continued making that face, but I imagine a single beating is worth it if he gets to make smug faces at her blunders.

After a lovely chat with these two dummies, I finished my drink and promptly headed out for one of the most lustrous cities in all of Trivis Numerica, Springwood.