Conny- no Vendetta leaves the Stella Ethereal Academy with three thin books on his hand, he is heading to the place where there is a water fountain there, Vendetta didn't know the name of that place, as a result he ended up wandering around like a lost person.

"Shit…I got lost… this damn city is too complicated, there are many intersections, if I choose to walk on one of the intersections, I end up in a dead end."

There are not many people in the main streets, probably because it's now afternoon time, most of the people are working right now, while in the morning it's crowded for the people to go to work, using transportation service like horse-carriage or with that steam-powered car like what Vendetta did with William, it seems people call it 'taxi', of course the cost is more expensive than riding with horse-carriage, but for the people who want to look good in public, taxi is a better choice.

"Should I use taxi service to commute... I overheard people talking earlier that to use a taxi you need 1 gold coin… that's too expensive for me…"

Vendetta searched his trouser pocket and he felt something, he fished it up and to his surprise he had 10 gold coins, Vendetta widened his eyes, he didn't remember there was a gold coin inside a black trouser that he picked up from the wardrobe at The Scotsman hotel.

Could it be… all the black trousers inside that wardrobe each has 10 gold coins…damn… talk about a lavish lifestyle of nobles, they didn't care about mere 10 gold coins while in the past I had to work for two whole weeks just to earn 1…but why are they leaving behind their black trousers? Is it their way to tip to the owner?... just what in the world they did in that unusual hotel where the owner is the building itself.

Vendetta shrug and discard his deep thought about the black trousers mystery, as long as it didn't harm him, he didn't care about it, Vendetta went on his walk then he noticed a gathering of crowds in front of him, it seems there is a traffic accident, as the wrecked horse carriage could be seen from afar. A lush messy brown- haired young lady with a broken wooden guitar on her right hand, a couple of bruised and wound on her knees, her forehead is bleeding, the blood trickle down to her eyes, and there is a horse-carriage driver, a man with short brown hair and brown skin, he seems to be scolding her even though she is on that critical condition.

"BLOODY HELL, YOU STUPID WENCH!! CAN'T YOU LOOK FIRST BEFORE CROSSING THE STREET? LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!! MY FUCKING HORSE CRASHED AND WENT INTO THE MANHOLE, IT HEAD BENT HARD IT DIED STANDING!! AND MY CARRIAGE GOT WRECK, HOW I AM SUPPOSED TO WORK NOW HUH? I HAVE FAMILY TO FEED, OH GODDESS."

All the crowds just spectating at the two, like they are watching a live show or something, even worst there are some who is eating a snack while watching it, they murmured, gasping, and covering their mouth while saying, dear me that horse died standing while its head stuck inside manhole or oh goddess did the horse really died standing? Vendetta facepalmed when he overheard the crowd's ridiculous murmur.

"I-i-i'm sorry…sir…ugh... i'm. I'm blind… so I didn't know your carriage is running at full speed"

"WELL NICE TO MEET YOU BLIND, MY NAME IS GERARD, HOW DO YOU WANT TO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS HUH?"

The young lady keeps messaging her forehead, and her mouth opened up and closed like koi fish, while the crowds went into the horse dead body, they got fascinated by its surreal sight. Vendetta let out a long sigh and approach the two of them, and of course, his sudden appearance made the crowds shift their focus to him, even more crowds starts gathering now, probably because of his good-looking figure.

"Sir, can we stop this drama, you're halting the main street's traffic, look at the car and other horse-carriages behind you, let's talk this out with a cool head, should we?"

The horse carriage driver, Gerard look swiftly at his right side, only to find a gentleman with medium length messy black hair, blue eyes that looked like a clear blue sky, a sharp jawline, a flat nose with a perfect nose bridge length, a smooth skin face, his face looks like straight out of sculpture, his clothes that is just thick brown coat to cover his bare chest, long black trouser, touching Gerard shoulder.

"HUH? AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? ARE YOU HER HUSBAND? OH GREAT, MISTER, YOUR WIFE HERE PURPOSELY MADE A PITIFUL ACT BY SAYING SHE IS BLIND, AND YOU, DID YOU WANT TO GET A PENNY FOR YOUR HUSBAND-AND WIFE ACT? I'VE SEEN A LOT OF YOU AND I KNOW YOUR TRICK SCRAM YOU TWO SCAMMERS BASTARD"

"I-i'm not…w-we are not a married couple!"

"I see… then how much?" Vendetta's casual remarks made all the present people shocked, even the dead horse body went deeper into that manhole.

The one who nearly passed out is Gerard. Is he real? Did he just nonchalantly ask how much to compensate?... For a horse carriage driver earning 4 gold coins is the same as getting a jackpot, Gerard can request that now, hell no he can request for a compensation cost of 6 gold, his family didn't need to starve for a whole year with that amount of money. Gerard swallowed his greed and his dignity, he will ask for the unimaginable right here, right now, if he succeeds he will remember this very moment and pass it along to his generations after generations.

"4…4 gold coins"

The crowds gasping and covering their mouths, they murmured something like this, h-how presumptuous! this man didn't have any shame nor dignity, that's the same as daylight robbery! And so on, but Vendetta made the crowd speechless by saying this with that nonchalant look again.

"Just 4 gold? Take this gold as much as you want and get out of my sight"

Vendetta threw 9 gold coins at Gerard face like an insignificant matter, Gerrard became erratic, he covered his face with 9 gold coins and run away from the place while hopping like a rabbit, leaving his wrecked carriage and the dead body horse alone, then Vendetta lay down the young lady body on the nearest bench, and he told some man to clean the carriage wreck and the dead horse body, at first they refused but when Vendetta showed them the shining gold coin, they all work fast, as fast as they can and soon the main street became spotless, and the traffic went normal again, Vendetta immediately rushed after helping cleaning the mess, he rushed to the young lady side because the young lady condition is getting worse, she is in the brink of dead, as her face became pale.

"Don't you die on me! when I just spend 10 gold on something like this."

Vendetta grips the young lady's hand while kneeling on the ground. There are some people who tried to help Vendetta by wrapping a bandage on the poor young lady's forehead, and knees.

"It's…useless sir…your…wife condition is worst…she will not make it…just give up…maybe this is her fate decided by the goddess"

One of the men told Vendetta the truth, some people put down their hat to cover their eyes, others leave the area because they don't want to get a bad luck by witnessing someone dead, more and more people leave Vendetta alone who is still gripping the young lady hand, he can feel it… the young lady body temperature drops, she is cold now, her breathing became slower and slower, her pulse is getting weaker. Vendetta helplessly look at the poor young lady face, it was a face of an innocent person, but to be wrapped in a thick white bandages and eyes that can't see anything made Vendetta felt something inside him, like there is some kind of emotion that surge intensely throughout his body, his soul.

What… she will not make it?... I just met this person though… and this is our final moments?...isn't that unfair?... this is her fate decided by the goddess?...since when such a bitch became a goddess and decided that this is her end… I can't accept it… FUCK NO!!..THERE MUST BE A WAY… I CAN SAVE HER…THINK VENDE-NO CONNY… YOU HAVE SOMETHING…AN ABILITY TO SAVE HER… THAT LIGHT PARTICLE!

Vendetta closed his eyes and concentrated, to conjure that light particle, ten seconds passed, thirty seconds passed, still nothing happened, what he sees is just a pitch-black darkness when he closed his eyes, the young lady pulse almost stop, her body turned pale and became extremely cold, there is no one to help Vendetta, the crowds ignored them and even stay away from both of them.

C'MON…I KNOW I HAD THAT ABILITY… WHY IT DIDN'T COME OUT… I WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING I HAD… MY SOUL…TAKE IT…PLEASE SAVE THIS PERSON…PLEASE SAVE THIS PERSON…PLEASE SAVE THIS PERSON…

Vendetta keeps repeating 'please save this person' inside his mind, god knows how many times he repeated those words, unfortunately, the poor young lady didn't make it…her pulse stops… Vendetta…no…he is not Vendetta, he is Conny, he fucking failed…he can't fight a fate decided by the goddess… he is just a normal human who foolishly tried to challenge the domain of the gods…pathetic…a nobody…even his parents died while he was what? searching for a god damn sheep on a middle of the forest like some fucking mad man who lose his sanity for a mere sheep…did he not realized that it was a cursed forest?…he bravely step his foot inside a territory of some kind of heretic who used to worship an evil god… that's right since the very beginning, Conny is just a living sacrifice afterall, he didn't worth shit, compared to his sister who is a goddess incarnation, he is just a fucking farmer boy who plant seeds and feeds all the sheeps, a lowly human, even in human society he is in the lowest social status… a fucking slave… a slave that dare to grab something with his dirty filthy hands, he bravely enough to taint a god sacred hall altar… did he not realize that this is his life that he can't never break free from it?…it's his fate, to run around in a circle.. a circle of the divine comedy called life… and now he is wishing for something ridiculous towards gods isn't that ironic?... maybe after this he will commit suicide because he realized that his stupidity is beyond comprehension, he even illiterate is that normal by the society norm, fuck no… even his sister is smart how come her brother is fucking stupid like a donkey…but since you are stupid and isn't normal you are the best candidate for my divine plan…controlling you is easy as shit… I can slumber for eternity and you probably ended up getting controlled by me… and now… you're desperate enough to willingly to present your soul to me even though some people tried to educate you how precious a soul is, fool… so be it… from now on a person named Conny didn't exist… because your soul will be tampered into this mask, no… into me, that mask is just a tiny part of my real body…enjoy your pathetic life as long as you can, because to appreciate, you need to felt the feeling of regret, a regret of picking up that mask… Conny…you are like a key…that's why a key didn't need intelligence right… it just need to be functioning when needed and now it's the time, feast your eyes to why the mask of existence is treated as an item that shouldn't exist in this world…

A staggering tall dark gate with many faces cracked open, and there… Something seems to wake up, although it is just half eyes, the agitation is too much, that thing is not a god, that thing can't be seen with any eyes, with a deafening voice that reverberated through universe, that thing said.

Remember me… I will descend into your world.

----------------------------------------

" *Humph*--…"

The young lady slowly opened her eyes, a familiar grey sky greets her, grey buildings, all the things in her eyes are grey colorless. A rare condition called Monochromacy (achromatopsia),she thought her life was over for a second, she can still vividly sense as the whole world starts to feel cold, she thought for sure that the whole world is freezing, the shades of grey in her vision too convinced her that it was true, she feels like she was drowning in a deep freezing sea, but strangely on her hand… on her hand there was another hand that's constantly gripping her tightly refusing her to went deeper and deeper into the cold abyss, she didn't even know whose hand is that, a person? No, who would do something so reckless and selfless for her, she is a blind girl with a hideous scar on her face. Who would in their right mind willingly enough to save her hoping for nothing, people must've been happy right? They will be saying 'finally that thing disappears forever', or 'thank goddess she is drowning so that we don't have to clean her ugly body'. If she was indeed drowning, they didn't need to search her dead body, she was not a noble lady nor a princess in the first place, just a blind young lady from the slum, with her lush messy long brown hair that almost covered her face, the only reputation she had in the society is the nickname ugly witch, if it's not for her melodic and soothing voice people probably throw more stuff at her, even when she was strumming her guitar every day and made her throat hurts, all the penny she earned still ended up getting stolen by some heartless people, that's why she got a lot of scar on her face, to protect something that important for her life, to protect her fragile body, to protect her broken soul, she prayed to the goddess every single day to forgive them while crying with tears of blood and a couple of bruise, she was too kind, why… just why do all the people with such kindness always happened to be a broken person inside. But the young lady spirit and will to live is commendable rather than a certain group of people who choose to suicide when their home isn't there anymore, even though she lives a hard and cruel life, she still keeps her lips upward so the grey colorless world can see her bright smile, even if all the people in Welsterven let out their voice to mock her she will delivered her melodic and soothing voice to them as her response. Even though people will probably didn't remember her talent, because of her appearance people easily forgot she even exist, they just throw a copper coin at her like a mindless machine so they can program her to be unseen, until that moment happened, a horse carriage crashes into her, her forehead got hit with a loose steel wheel of carriage at unbelievable speed that made her skull cracked, her veins in her forehead burst opened, the supratrochlear artery and the supraorbital artery, she held her forehead hoping that she can stop the bleeding but it just keep getting worse, the horse carriage driver scold her at loud voice, the ringing sound on her ears only made her deaf.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

Strangely she didn't remember what happened next, she just heard wife and husband, a husband? No, she didn't have one, she didn't want anyone to take an opportunity of this incident to fill their pocket by scamming this poor horse-carriage driver, and that was her last memory before she felt the world became cold.

I-i can feel someone gripping my hand…

The blind young lady looked at her hand, then something surreal and almost magical happened. She was expecting to see the usual grey colorless world she knew but she witnessed a person gripping her hand with both his hands, in his knees with lowered head, that person… with his medium length messy black hair and thick brown coat…this person, he is not a grey in the blind young lady vision, his figure showed color, a color other than grey to her, she thought that all this time the world is grey colorless world, but…why…just why is this person look different in her vision. The blind young lady heard something from that person, a low voice from his mouth like a crying that keeps repeating this word.

"Please save this person-please save this person-plea "

The blind young lady feels her heart tightening, a shed of tear escaped from her blind eyes, just…just why…did you went through this to save me…I didn't even know you… that's what in the blind young lady mind, she noticed that, the only person beside her is this gentleman it's like he is desperately praying for her to live, why… all the people told me to go kill myself, or I'd better dead so they can forget about me. The blind young lady raised her head and weakly said to him.

"S-sir…please…stop…i-i'm fine. Thank you.."

That gentleman with medium length messy black hair raised his head, his eyes met with the poor blind young lady eyes, both of them freeze for a moment, the poor blind young lady finally see this gentleman full face, blue eyes that looked like a clear blue sky, a sharp jawline, a flat nose with a perfect nose bridge length, a smooth skin face, his face looks like straight out of sculpture, it was majestic and exuding an aura of divine. While the gentleman suddenly hugs the blind young lady, he is hugging her like a person that reunited with their loved one, the poor blind young lady widens her eyes, as the gentleman said this while crying on her shoulder.

"I-I thought you are dead…all the people told me you can't make it…i-I know it… you…I was so worried about you…i-I succeed…"

The blind young lady face reddened up, she was so tense like a rabbit that got caught by a trap especially when that gentleman said that words to her, that was a first time someone worried about her, seems like the gentleman noticed his rude action to the poor young lady, he got up and scratching his head then purposely made a fake cough.

"*Cough*…I'm sorry…please forgive my rude action earlier, I was so happy that you are still alive and your bleeding stops"

That gentleman smile while looking at the poor blind young lady, time seems to slow down for a moment, she saw it; a color of a person when they smiled, it was dazzling and saturated of a bright color, she get up from the bench to grab this gentleman face as she extend her hand to him, but she wobble up and feel dizzy all of the sudden, she is falling to the hard concrete, fortunately, the gentleman catch her with his swift movement, she ended up looking at his face on closer view from below while he is looking at her from above, his hand holding her back head. The poor blind young lady's face reddened up again.

Awawa…w-what's happening to me…why does my face feel hot.. and why does my heart beat wildly whenever I look at his face, he is the only person that's different, I can see his color!! …why am I being like this!!

"My lady!! Are you alright?? Did you want to go home?...I'll escort you."

"I-I live in a nearby hospital near the church… The free clinic.."

"Alright… hang in there…"

"W-Ohh…i-i."

The gentleman raised the poor blind young lady's hips up to his chest. Behold, he is giving her the legendary princess carry, all the crowds looking at them with many faces, jealousy, happy, but the happiest person is the poor young lady as her lips curled upward. They went along the main streets to go to the free clinic near hospital, as both of them passed through many people, some journalist took a photo of that sweet moment, noticing that a fellow journalist snaps a photo of that sweet couple, all the journalist on the street flashed their camera in an instant, the streets they passed was loud of camera snap, the people opened their home window, the bouquet flower stall owners throw a lot of flower to the couple, one journalist stood still he seems to get an extremely amazing idea how to get the most attention, how to make an engaging story so that people read his newspaper.

14 February…that sweet couple…Ah!... I know… today will be marked as… Valentine. That one Journalist decided to write down his idea with a pencil to his small notebook, he didn't realize that he just coined a phenomenal word, that soon the people of Welsterven will be celebrating as a loving day.

----------------------------------------

On the giant white building that looks sacred and majestic, with two pointy rooftops, and there is a lot of flower being planted in front of the white building, there is a person who is busy watering the flowers, he has a face full of wrinkles, his long white hair, and a clear blue-sky eyes, when suddenly he stop his action, because someone approach him, that someone was none other than Herlan Rewead with his casual outfit, when Herlan want to step into the front area of the white building, the person with wooden watering can said.

"I met him… the boy who you saved from that forest…"

Herlan whole body freeze, even his right feet didn't hit the ground because it's like being held by unknown force, cold sweats starts pouring on his forehead, his left face feel throbbing some tiny maggot past through Herlan mask and fell off from it, his instinct is telling him to run away from here, but he can't, because the person who is holding that watering can is the representation of the church, the emissary of the goddess, Pope Benjamin, a demigod, rumor has it that he received the goddess enlightenment a hundred years ago.

"So… this is the reason why you come back to the church, Your Holiness"

Pope Benjamin looks at the sky, and points something with his finger, Herlan unconsciously looks at what Pope Benjamin is pointing at.

"No…it was something else…the first sign is here… Herlan, why did you let that boy live?"

Herlan look at the sky while squinting his right eye, there he saw something, there is another moon at the sky, because it's still afternoon, people didn't see it clearly, Herlan lower his head and bite his lip, now he finally know the truth why the church really want to kill a boy who picked up that mask, that mask of existence. But Herlan can't kill an innocent boy cold hearted like the instruction told him, he lowers his head and says.

"I believe he is still a human, Your Holiness, maybe he will help us in the goddess path."

Pope Benjamin drops his wooden watering can gently on the ground, as the watering can slowly become one with the soil, then he looks at Herlan for a second, letting out a long sigh, he touches Herlan's shoulder and says.

"Naivety begets pity…I know that boy, he is kind but his fate is one of a kind…if…one day he loses himself… that'll be the start of chaos, the turmoil of conflicts in Welsterven is at nigh time, the election for the next king will start in a few days, may the goddess bless you, Herlan Rewead, my lost lamb."

Pope Benjamin disappeared leaving behind Herlan Rewead who is in shock condition, he knows that it was his duty to oversee the cursed, especially the Cursed Coast Redwood forest, but when he sees the young man poor condition at that time, he can't help but be reminded by his former self, he too was a foolish young man who dared to explored the Cursed Coast Redwood forest, unfortunately, he didn't go deeper because he was greeted by the leader of The Sanctuary, Antonio Del Sanctuary, a demigod, who is rumored to have an ability to turn people into monster, Herlan terrifying left face is Antonio works.

Fortunately at that time, Pope Benjamin saved him and took Antonio's left arm, since that incident the church and the sanctuary became a nemesis, weary to one and another, both of them took a special attention into the Cursed Coast Redwood forest, the church told the Welsterven people, that it was a forbidden area, and now that the giant coast redwood has fallen.

The Sanctuary starts moving in silent again, they are spreading their influence with new tactic, they are using people now, the sweet candy, Herlan fell into deep thought.

The Election for the New King… that was a big event, it determined the fate of this kingdom… there is no way Antonio would sit still, he probably crafting a new meticulous plan… his first step is dominating the drug business and he succeed, he took the reins of drug traffic flow from William Feld, there is a possibility that Antonio bought the drug warehouse from William, the kingdom legalized a certain type of drug maybe Antonio found a loophole of that regulation, or he was the one who created that loophole… his plan is going well more and more people became addicted with the sweet candy…there is only one step for him huh?... controlling the mass and becoming a king… but I don't know how he will do that… I'm still lacking information… I need to observe more, the Roy-

Herlan leaves the church building with a train of thought inside his mind. What stops him is that he sees a person giving a princess carry to his beloved one, Herlan looks at them with disgust, his face contorts into grim whenever he sees a dating couple.

"How nice of them… to meet each other soulmate…if only my face was normal back then… I'll never forget you Antonio!! you will pay the price by making me into an eternal bachelor."

Herlan noticed something when he looks at that man who is dropping the young lady into the front door of the free clinic, he is wearing a thick brown coat, black trouser and a white flip-flop from the hotel, The Scotsman, Herlan knew who that person is, Herlan face darkened and he immediately approach both of them.

"My, daring are we, what are you two lovebirds doing here?"

Vendetta gently drops the poor blind young lady to the ground, then both of them look at each other, and point their finger at each other only to point it next to Herlan, both of them said simultaneously.

"Do you Know this person?"

That was a comical sight as both of them covering their mouth and giggle at each other silliness, on the other hand, Herlan became dumbfounded at them, he grabs Vendetta arms and drag him away from the poor blind young lady, she is waving her hand to Vendetta and even smiled at him.

"What did you to her?, she is falling over her heels to you!! bloody hell kid, I told you to lay low, not to get laid"

"What nonsense are you talking about….old man"

Vendetta seems to feel something familiar with this old man, does he know him or something?, is he related to him?, Vendetta can't put his finger which one is the answer, he is just rubbing his chin while looking at the old man in front of him who is face palming.

"You need to lay low kid, an election for the new king will be held in a few days from now on, tonight you can stay at The Scotsman hotel, so that I can monitor you, if you are in danger, somehow"

Vendetta nods his head because the old man in front of him looks serious, still he doesn't know this old man, curiosity gets the best of him, then he asks the old man the thing that is bugging him.

"Who are you, old man?" Herlan tilted his head when hearing Vendetta's question, did he really ask that ridiculous question? Herlan just shrugged it off and said.

"I'm Herlan Rewead make sure you remember me, kid, don't you dare to forget my name again, by the way who is the name of this appearance, I'd like to know your new identity, I'm asking for your name kid"

"Oh…It's Vendetta."

Herlan looked at Vendetta with a confused face, just why did he name himself Vendetta? Could it be that he sucks at naming?, no wonder…

"Ok, I guess I will remember that name for a while, now I need to go, and remember kid, stay low!."

Vendetta look at Herlan back, he is heading to the royal area, suddenly Vendetta realized something, on his pocket there is a card-thing he didn't even know when he got it, looking at the shining card, he sees a reflection of him and a mysterious old man behind him , he has a face full of wrinkles, his long white hair, and a clear blue-sky eyes, looking at him with deadpan expression, but when Vendetta tried to look behind, there isn't any old man behind him.

Why are there so many old men interested in me?

Vendetta leaves the church area with his hair raised up, he swore to himself that he will never forget this, to never visit this scary church again.